Too Much Stuff by Jeff Tome

Too Much Stuff by Jeff Tome

My journey with stuff began as a child, when I looked through catalogs with longing eyes, dreaming of all the things that could fill my life with joy. In reality, most of that stuff was probably junk and it rarely arrived in my world regardless. Stuff fills our world....
Maple Sugar by Sarah Hatfield

Maple Sugar by Sarah Hatfield

I have started the early seeds inside – onions, leeks, celeriac. The indoor herbs are started too, and the lemon tree I got last year opened its first flower. Remarkably fragrant, one flower perfumed the entire room. Spring is just around the corner, but one of the...
On Weather by Jennifer Schlick

On Weather by Jennifer Schlick

As I type, the wind is chasing clouds across a pale blue sky and making the boughs of the Scotch Pine and serviceberry trees outside my window bounce and sway. Now, here’s something a bit weird: Until recently, I don’t know why, I didn’t think of weather when I...
How do we know what we know about Nature?

How do we know what we know about Nature?

Teaching in a school yard the other day, a third grade boy pointed at the ground and shouted “There’s a deer track!” Another girl thought it was a rabbit track. To prove their points, they simply talked louder. Obviously, if you can talk louder than the other person,...
Nests

Nests

There is both skill and art involved in taking natural materials and fashioning them into a useful object. Humans have done this in the past, harvesting plants and turning them in shelters, clothes, furniture and tools. I can’t help but wonder how they figured it out,...