As I sit on the porch before my day takes off, a Carolina wren flits from the potted avocado tree to the rim of the bird bath. Her tail, always cocked at a perky angle, strikes my funny bone. She hops this way and that until she’s comfortable with her surroundings before dipping into the …
Do you have a nickname? Some nicknames follow given names, like Suzy from Suzanne, but I’m talking about pet names given by people who love us. My mother bestowed two nicknames on me. One is too embarrassing to share, the other doesn’t make me blush, but I keep it close also. This second nickname made …
“Chip. Chip. Chip. Chip.” “Teacher, teacher. Teacher, teacher, teacher.” I scanned the tree branches searching for the bird with its unmistakeable calls. Ah, there he is, so easy to spot with bright red plumage. Cardinals make me feel satisfied, because they’re the one bird I can always identify. I call him, Mr. Cardinal, and he …
Cardinalis cardinalis. Like an enlightened Hellen Keller, I gorge on names in a Master Naturalist class, running from tree to tree. What’s the name of this tree, that bloom? What kind of frog made that call? Is this a sparkle berry or wild blueberry? I learn an organism’s ecological niche, its diet, predators, behaviors, …
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow A baseball cap wedged between the bed and wall, the piano bench pulled out, an empty refrigerator, and piles of sheets and towels, that’s what’s left after a weekend of storytelling, feasting, beaching, and celebrating. Now what? When our young children ran around the yard playing the imagination game, grandparents …
When Your Home is No Longer Your Children’s Home Read More »