“Thoreau was a self-taught naturalist and writer . . . and he had learned how to use both his learning and his imagination to uncover the hidden life of places. For him writing was a form of discovery . . . and like him we can learn to use writing as a window into [...]

pond

chipmunk

deer

“It is remarkable how many creatures live wild and free
though secret in the woods . . .”
—Henry David Thoreau, Walden

    As you pause to reflect on the meaning of the day today, you might be drawn to family memories. What childhood memories do you have of nature?  What interactions with the natural world did you have while growing up?
I remember digging on the beaches of New England, playing with (harmless) jellyfish, looking for sand [...]

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing
A flowery band to bind us to the earth,
Spite of despondence, of the [...]

field

white pine seedling:

broken, brown-speckled, tiny blue eggshell
first grasshopper of the season
first raccoon of the season

    Multiflora rose and raspberry bushes are blooming. The fragrance of the multiflora combines with the locust blossoms to perfume the air.
“I am the original fragrance of the earth.”
—-Bhagavad-Gita As It Is, Ch. 7: Text 10
(trans. by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada)

May is National Wetlands Month, and wetlands arise from the presence of water. This month has seen an unending upward surge in the price of gasoline. Therefore, the following quotes from David W. Orr are appropriate:
“Oil and water have had contrary affect on our minds. . . [...]