When my mom or grandmother would say, “Once in a blue moon,” I always understood it as a metaphor for a rare, but unpredictable event.
Today’s full moon is the second one this month. The moon was also full on December 2, 2009.
It’s another fun reason to stare up at the sky while musing on the end of a year, the end of a decade and the occurrence of something, according to NASA, that I will not see again until August of 2012. (more…)
The Lacuna: A Novel
Barbara Kingsolver’s ability to weave the predictive elements into the plot is so subtle, that I’m compelled to find out what happens next. I pick up more details on every read-through. It’s a lot like traveling that perfect cross-country ski hill. After the first “woo hoo,” I go back to the beginning to enjoy the subtlties of the curves and dips of the hill.
The ending of The Lacuna
I did finally recover enough muscle memory to cross country ski without falling, so I took my camera out to photograph tracks.
The bitter cold temperatures have kept the snow a powdery texture, protected from wind in the woods, subject to amazing drift in the open areas.
The patina of snow made the details of this fox track very clear.
And the activity in this sector has me guessing a bird of prey may have caught a rodent.
Compare the following two photos and see what’s different in the few minutes between when the first and second photos were taken:
Here are a few more photos from my solstice week trek: (more…)
There are few things that would lure me out of the woods when conditions are perfect for both cross-country skiing and tracking. Cookies made from acorn flour and dipped in chocolate and black walnuts – I never had a chance.
Baking does not come naturally to me, so I appreciate the mastery of fellow forager Jim Capossela. I don’t know him well enough to even hint that I’d like the recipe.
Any opportunity to hear Gary Lincoff speak is a worthwhile investment. You’re learning without even realize it while being entertained.
Know Your Mushrooms
I’m not a DVD collector, so I don’t fork over the cash unless the product is worth watching over and over.
Why do I continue practicing wilderness skills, when lightweight camping gear makes life outdoors much easier?
In a word, RESPECT. If I understand how everything works, then if my gear fails, I have the choice to create what I need. If you understand fire by friction, you don’t take that butane lighter for granted.
That attitude, leads to action, which builds my confidence, which makes spending time outdoors fun.
For the past two months, I’ve been meeting with fellow wilderness skills enthusiasts Peter Cutul, Joanna Dickey and Paul Tappenden for an extended skills-building session. (more…)