WriterByNature.com

March 4, 2008 7:55 am

Thanks for this addition to my vocabulary goes to Ursula Hoffman, a dedicated student of the world of fungi and a skilled webmaster.

Mycophile - a devotee of mushrooms.

The implied meaning of this word suggests that the seeker is engaged in the hobby of pursing edible mushrooms. But that definition does not fit Ursula or any other dedicated COMA member.

Mushroom University exists because individuals with scientific minds have spent decades organizing and documenting their observations, check and cross-checking their information, and now even applying DNA analysis to the mushroom identification. The idea of this daunting endeavor makes my head spin.

I’m the lucky beneficiary, because I have the latest published information and  people willing to share their hard-earned knowledge.

January 8, 2008 11:23 pm

There is a connection between the brain and the hand.

The longer I live, the more I’m convinced that I need to actually write on paper in order to recall information I have learned but not yet internalized.

I use my eyes and hands differently when I keyboard. I need to actually grip a pen or pencil and push it across paper in order to remember. (more…)

November 28, 2007 6:02 am

As the opportunities to access the Internet grow, so do the options for communicating for business and pleasure.

I prefer to spend my time in the woods, so that makes me one of the few people I know who limit computer time. My goal is to find the most productive online communities. Lately, I’ve been overwhelmed. I signed up for a lot of these groups. I’m still in the lurking stage. (more…)

November 26, 2007 7:14 am

I heard a report that Texas is the largest producer of carbon emissions in the US. If Texas were a country, it would be 7th largest greenhouse gas producer in the world.

My respect for Texas-based nature writer Wendee Holtcamp reaches new depths. Wendee is a scientist who writes with passion, like Rachel Carson. Texas is about being larger than life, including driving the largest vehicles possible.

I’m truly impressed that Wendee thrives in an environment that is officially deaf to what naturalists hold dear. (more…)

November 12, 2007 8:54 pm

I’ve just discovered the world of guest blogging. That’s where you post an article on someone else’s site. Why would you do that?

One good reason is to provide readers with broader access to interesting and relevant content. Another is to build both business and social relationships.

I am truly honored that fellow writer and remote professional, Katie Baird at Loose Ends, invited me to guest blog on her site.

It’s always exciting to find people who share my sensibilities. Loose Ends posted my article on my locavore harvest; I did not need to define locavore.

Continuing education is a vital part of business survival. Sharing what I’ve learned enriches everyone. Loose Ends has excellent food for thought. Enjoy your visit.

November 1, 2007 7:09 am

I cannot move at a 21st Century pace. I was happier in the 20th Century when I could process the information presented to me.

This year’s shriveled, dull-colored leaves and lack of mushrooms makes it a challenge for me to revel in autumnal joy. Add the pressure of reorganizing my seasonal schedule in the face of laptop and Toyota computer resistance - and I end up in a catatonic shutdown.

The tap on my car window and the concerned look on a fellow hiker’s face was a clue. I’d fallen asleep at the wheel after a hike. If I had started the engine, the check engine light would have prevented my momentary repose.

Comedy, especially word play, helps when nature’s glory fails to soothe me. So I was delighted to receive an email from my friend Iris sharing the winning entries from the Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational. Here are a few that me laugh out loud: (more…)

October 26, 2007 5:53 am

I’ve been writing a lot of what Anne LaMott calls “crappy first drafts.” This writer’s challenge gives me some comfort. I would like to feel that what I am writing will become publishable. Maybe I’m too hard on myself.

I’m in a dark mood.

I struggle with the physical aspects of rage. Why am I raging? Everything I love and care about is being destroyed and I feel powerless to change. (more…)

September 10, 2007 9:29 am

I love watching flying squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus) on a warm summer night.

They really should be called gliding squirrels, because what allows them to be airborne is a loose flap of skin called the PATAGIUM. (more…)

August 28, 2007 5:23 pm

When I started this business almost two years ago, my goal was to be able to be out in the woods while writing and working. My budget does not include finances for a hard-wired computer, like those used by our military.

My woods time is spent writing with pen or pencil and paper and transcribing my written work to the computer. I do work at my computer, but need to swim the butterfly strokes in order to be able to move my arms and shoulders freely.

So, when I heard about Nicholas Negroponte and his One Laptop Per Child program, I was inspired by his dream to ensure every child in remote third world countries has access to a computer. (more…)

July 31, 2007 6:40 pm

I love it when my writing life is enriched by a new word, especially one that relates to my lifestyle and values. My attempt to eat food growing locally makes me a locavore.

I am a member of Harmony Farm, a local CSA. They are very happy to let me take the weeds in addition to my share of freshly harvested vegetables.

Most people attempting to eat locally are dealing with farm-raised food. But some of them are finding that foraging provides added benefits.

I went back to one of my usual hiking trails knowing that I would find wineberries:

Black trumpet mushrooms:

And staghorn sumac tea:

These delicacies, added to my share of the farm harvest, means that more than half the food on my table was grown within 35 miles of where I live.

(more…)