In Pursuit of Wonder

We had to walk through a soybean field to get to the marsh. Larry had a walking stick with him, made from fiberglass probably or something similar, he used it to tap on the ice to make sure it was solid. We stepped on to the ice, walking this area…

Sciurus carolinensis, the gray squirrel is the most common wildlife species in Minnesota. The gray squirrel is sometimes called bushytail because of its furry, thick tail. The fur on their backs is gray, though if you look more carefully it seems to be a layer of colors. Their underside is…

Journal, January 9, 2015 I am still struggling with Spencer being gone; I can’t believe he will no longer be here to follow me around on the farm.  It seems so empty without Spencer. When I told Jesse this, he replied, “He was quite the presence! Physically and emotionally.” That…

Journal, January 8, 2015 Where do I begin the account of such a wonderful dog? When he first came into our lives or his last moments? How do I even begin to detail his life and what he meant to us? Can words really say what needs to be said?…

It stands moderately tall at about forty feet. Its leafy crown spreads out in the globe-like shape of a hydrangea flower, a deep dark red maroon. Branches and leaves cast a circular shadow around the tree, several feet out from the trunk. The bark is light gray, smooth on my…

The landscape was covered in hoarfrost Wednesday morning. Hoarfrost is a deposit of ice crystals attached to exposed objects such as tree branches. It is produced by direct condensation of water vapor to ice when temperatures are below freezing and when the air is brought to its frost point by…

Yesterday, I sat in the nature center at Whitewater State Park, looking out the wall of windows at the birdfeeders’ whirr of activity. I began to relax, my mind drifting to the birds feasting on sunflower and thistle seeds, drifting away until it was no longer connected and was out…

Note: These are a few more journal entries from my writing class at the U of M, Morris in 2010.  Snow kisses and stars The ground was stiff and cold, winter’s siege and icy touch had frozen the ground and covered it in a blanket of ice and snow. Snow…

Note: This week I decided to post a few short journal entries that I wrote for my writing class at the University of Minnesota at Morris in 2010. I hope you enjoy!  Wild Dancing The wind grew steadily from a gentle whisper to a crazed shout. The trees swayed gently and…

Mid to late autumn is perhaps the most beautiful time of the year. It is one last hurrah of color, warm days, and outdoor activities before the dreary, cold of winter sets in, often confining us indoors. In mid-October, around 6:30 am, the eastern horizon begins to glow pink. The…