WriterByNature.com

February 28, 2010 7:15 am

The snow is waist deep. I’ve been snowed in since Thursday. It’s fun and at the same time, scary. What’s up with that? When did I become afraid of nature?

The dense heavy snow is good for making a quinzee. But considering I spent close to four hours moving enough snow away from my door to squeeze outside, I’m inclined to save my energy. My neighbors and I may be pecking at this with shovels until May.

My car is under this snow somewhere. The snow plow guy is not avoiding me. He needs to come back with a bucket loader. This rural driveway is too challenging for a suburban truck & plow. (more…)

February 24, 2010 4:43 am

How many Tom turkeys can you spot?

As icy pellets make winter hiking an ordeal, it’s soothing to recall the one day this week that promises Spring is on the way.

February 23, 2010 8:14 am

In my quest to improve my skills as a naturalist and a writer, I have been blessed to develop friendships with many respected nature writers, including Jim Capossela.

Writers like Jim often send written, rather than spoken messages. In our first email exchange, I learned that we have both adopted “Happy Trails” to sign off our correspondence.

Do brilliant minds think alike?  (more…)

February 16, 2010 8:37 am

I have been a Michael Pollan fan since I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma. In his current book, Food Rules, Rule Number 31 is: Eat Wild Foods When You Can. I want to hug him. He gets it.

This latest book follows In Defense of Food which suggests we: “Eat food. Not too much Mostly plants.” Ironically, Pollan’s complete book titles are longer than the core message. His skillful writing  keeps me reading.

I aspire to Pollan’s mastery of word conservation and his diplomacy. What he calls “edible foodlike substances,” I call “corporate chemical concoctions.” (more…)

February 9, 2010 7:29 am

So far this winter, abundant snow has fallen well south of me, but the inch or two that has fallen here is perfect for tracking animals that are not easy to see, like the bobcat.

My notebook is 5.5 inches long, so I have an idea of this feline’s stride.

In preparation for my workshop, I took the opportunity to hike the same trail three days in a row. The first day there were only two or three sets of tracks, including mine. By day three, more individuals traveled this particular trail.

The patina of snow does not always cover the ice, which has its own beauty

(more…)

February 1, 2010 7:15 am

I’ve just added Abundantly Wild: Collecting And Cooking Wild Edibles Of The Upper Midwest by Teresa Marrone to my booklist.

Don’t let the title fool you, much of the information and recipes in this book can be found in my local area, New York’s Hudson Valley. (more…)