Author Archive
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2007
Death in the Afternoon
   Yesterday afternoon we came upon a dead creature in the yard, in the grass just on the edge of the driveway. It had no visible marks upon it. At first I thought that it was was a mole, but its feet did not seem as prominent as other moles I’ve seen. Upon observing it […]
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Monday, May 21st, 2007
Shagbark Hickory
   A couple of weeks ago I went for a walk in the woods and spied the shell of a nut on a rock. It was a half of a hickory nut shell and had a small hole drilled on on one side. A tiny spider had taken up residence in it. I knew that […]
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Sunday, May 20th, 2007
Children and Nature Deficit
   Here is another excellent article on the growing awareness of children’s lack of exposure to nature, from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07137/786527-51.stm
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Sunday, May 20th, 2007
Waynesburg Sheep & Fiber Festival
   Yesterday we traveled to Waynesburg, PA, to attend the annual Sheep & Fiber Festival. On the way there we almost hit a turkey vulture that was trying to get airborne. It had been on the side of the road eating roadkill.
I’d been expecting a gathering akin to a county fair, with lots of varieties […]
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Sunday, May 20th, 2007
The Locust Tree
The black locust, also known as yellow locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), is in bloom. Some years ago my daughter found a very young locust with pink blossoms on the brick road, halfway between the temple and the Palace. Unfortunately, one of our ever-changing landscape maintenance crew cut it down. I believe that it was a specimen […]
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Saturday, May 19th, 2007
Bunny Rabbit
This is a photo of one of our local rabbits.
According to WV wildlife expert Scott Shalaway, “loss of habitat” is the prime factor affecting the cottontail rabbit.
Shalaway, S. (2007, April). Here comes Peter Cottontail. Wonderful West Virginia.
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Saturday, May 19th, 2007
Birds Sighted
First sightings of the season:
a pair of goldfinches
ruby-throated hummingbird
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Friday, May 18th, 2007
Haiku
Calling three times,
then no more to be heard—
the deer in the rain
[…]
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Friday, May 18th, 2007
Tutankhamun
   May 9th was the anniversary of the birthday of archaeologist Howard Carter, the discoverer of the tomb of Tutankhamun. I’m reading the book,Tutankhamun’s Tomb:The Thrill of Discovery, by Susan J. Allen (2006), which contains black-and-white reproductions of the original (Harry) Burton photographs that are “remarkable for their clarity and evenness of lighting” (p. 12).
The […]
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Friday, May 18th, 2007
Concord and New Vrindaban
   Today’s New York Times travel section has an article about Concord, Massachusetts that describes the important literary figures of the town, both past and present. Of course, the Transcendentalist connections and Walden Pond are the star attractions for most visitors there.
New Vrindaban has a link to the Transcendentalists through Hayagriva das, who was a […]
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Thursday, May 17th, 2007
Reading the Landscape, after Barry Lopez
blaze
This blaze was made by state road workers to indicate the placement of a drain pipe under the road. I’ve noticed that the loggers or timber consultants employed by New Vrindaban Community have been using yellow and red plastic ties to mark trees for removal, or to leave standing. The pioneers of this area, such […]
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Thursday, May 17th, 2007
WV Certified Wild Yard
   West Virginia Wildlife magazine has an article about a program of the WV Department of Natural Resources. It’s called the Wildlife Diversity Program, and is not limited to those living in rural areas or on farms. You fill out a free application. If your yard qualifies, you get a sign to place in your […]
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Wednesday, May 16th, 2007
Rain Today
   Last night we received some much-needed rain. Showers continue this morning.
“Rain, rain, rain! sings the robin
frantically, then flies for cover.”
—-Mary Oliver, from Rain in Ohio
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Wednesday, May 16th, 2007
John Piasecki
   I clipped an great article from House & Garden magazine about landscape architect John Piasecki, of the Berkshires (western MA). He works in harmony with the local landscape. His creations remind me of the art of Andy Goldsworthy. His website is goldenbough.net.
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Wednesday, May 16th, 2007
The Orchard
   There won’t be much fruit this year. A few trees blossomed out fully before the April cold and snow, but I haven’t checked to see if the blossoms were able to set fruit. When the cold spell ended, the rest of the trees sported very few blossoms. Our neighbor heard of the bee crisis […]