Small birds don’t always get the recognition that larger birds do. Often unnoticed, they flit about in the undergrowth, scavenge under leaves and creep up the sides of trees. They tend to be dull in colour and furtive, yet sometimes they are outrageously brilliant to the point where you exclaim, “I had no idea we … Continue reading Little Birds
Two competing ideas have been flitting about in my head recently in my quest to settle on a topic for this week. One topic I will someday write about attempts to answer this question: Does the winter wren alter its song pattern based on the sound output of a body of water in its environment? … Continue reading Adaptation?
One early foggy morning, while running with the dog in the dark, I gazed in wonder at our haloed shadow as it paced ahead of us then glided out into the field beside us and disappeared. A car had come from behind just as we passed a large barn and somehow this combination of refracted light and mist caused … Continue reading Mist and Shadows
As the days get shorter and colder, I enjoy the comforts of home more and more. Meanwhile, outside, the natural world follows its own rhythms: Mom and her two cubs have been feasting in the oat field for over a month, now. They follow a distinct path out of the woods at about nine o’clock in … Continue reading A Bear’s Life
Paths are wonderful things but they usually lead to predictable destinations; by stepping off the trail, I have made some chance discoveries. For instance, there is a grove of maples at the old school farm which provides year round pleasure for those who pass beneath it - brilliant flutters of yellow leaves in the fall, drooping canopies … Continue reading Just Off the Path
At workout the other morning, a newcomer to Pemberton said she had driven from Pemberton to Vancouver and back the previous day. She wondered if there was a name for that. We decided there wasn’t so I have taken on the task of naming a few common occurrences that Pembertonians might recognize, starting with the … Continue reading Is There a Name for That?
While big round bales are picturesque and practical, they fill a hay barn to the roof and leave little room for adventurous farm children to play. The old square bales could be made into forts and once a few passage ways were cleared we kids could set up the rope swing and entertain ourselves for … Continue reading The Hay Barn Rope Swing
I’ve been thinking of being last. Not planning on it, just ending up in that position. There’s a trail run coming up in Whistler and I had considered entering until I really thought about the speedy, tough field of runners who would likely enter. I told my friends that I was not ready to come … Continue reading Last
While there is still a lot of green out there, my eye is drawn to red these days. Subsequently, I’m slowing down and at times coming to a complete stop. I fight a feeling of melancholy in the fall and know I am not alone. Just this morning, there were several “farewell summer” posts in … Continue reading Red – thoughts on fall as the colours change
One of our favourite camping spots used to be on the shores of Downton Lake up at Goldbridge. “Our” spot is overgrown now but for many years we would mark the start of summer by setting up a tent on its milky green shores. There is always plenty of driftwood there to keep me entertained and … Continue reading Downton Lake
The Wellness Almanac 