This is an illustration from the Winter Issue of Woolgathering. I wrote about the harmful effects of the invasive honeysuckle to cardinals.  This year, we are trying to make a more concerted effort to reduce the honeysuckle population in our woods in order to save …

Today is the first full moon of the year and of the decade. It’s the Wolf Moon! Ahhoooooooo!  According to Jamie Sams’ Medicine Cards, Wolf is the “Teacher Archetype.”  Sams writes, “Wolf is the pathfinder, the forerunner of new ideas who returns to the cland …

Something that sparks my interest, is how we as people implement cultural traditions to honor the seasons. What do we choose to do each season – even when we are busy or don’t feel inspired to do so? What traditions remain and why?  Those are …

In Forest Bathing, by Dr. Qing Li, he discusses two ways that we pay attention. The first is voluntary, which we use when we are doing things requiring concentration like writing and email or driving a car. He explains the other way we pay attention, “The …

I made this illustration for the Winter Issue of Woolgathering, my quarterly magazine about the seasons. I wrote a poem about the ferocity of an ice storm that came through our woods knocking everything in its path like a giant stomping and sideswiping.  I started …

“Several studies have shown that, when we connect with nature, we are reminded that we are part of something larger than ourselves. Faced with the awesome vastness of the universe, we can feel flooded with gratitude. We become less selfish and start to think about …

This image is from the recent Winter Issue of Woolgathering! I wrote about what it’s like to experience a rush of sandhill cranes fly overhead. It’s exhilarating!  If you are looking to renew your Woolgathering subscription or sign up for the first time, please be aware that there …

Dr. Qing Li writes about the benefits of a common bacteria found in soil called Mycobacterium vaccae. M. vaccae is not only harmless to us, but it is actually beneficial. We can experience its benefits while forest bathing (provided we touch the forest ground) or …

The first half of November was so cold and wintery that I think it launched the animals into a “winter is coming” frenzy.  ​Have a delicious December!

When we walk in the woods, we breathe in the most magnificent scents from the trees. These scents include the very important phytoncides.   In his book, “Forest Bathing”, Dr. Qing Li writes, “As well as having a higher concentration of oxygen, the air in the forest is …

This is what happened in October! The letting go has been so beautiful. I just walk around with my jaw on the ground. Also, October had several animal encounters including snakes, deer, and migrating flocks of birds!!!

From Forest Bathing by Dr. Qing Li: “Shizen – which translates as ‘nature’, or ‘naturalness’ – is one of the seven principles of Zen aesthetics. The idea behind shizen is that we are all connected to nature, emotionally, spiritually and physically; and that the more closely something relates …