Related links
Nighttime rowboat excursion amid nature brings calmness and joy
May 13, 2013
Lately, instead of going for morning rows I've been going boating in the early evening. At that time of day the lake is usually glassy calm, the sun has sunk beneath the tree line and the water reflects the changing colors of the sky. As I stroke steadily from one end of the lake to the other, I feel like I'm drifting down a stream of sensory stimulation.
-
Angst over disappearance of sandhill cranes turns to relief after sighting
May 6, 2013
The day after I wrote last week's column, ("Watching a family of sandhill cranes is a gift") the cranes disappeared.
-
Watching a family of sandhill cranes is a gift
April 29, 2013
I've become captivated by a family of sandhill cranes.
-
Cranes, blueberries help celebrate Earth Day
April 22, 2013
Sometimes good things happen simultaneously.
-
Drive in the country is opportunity to forage
April 15, 2013
On a recent Sunday, my daughter Amber and her family spent the day with us. By midafternoon, Trillian, our 16-month-old grandchild, was ready for a nap. But even though she was obviously tired, she was unwilling to stop playing long enough to lie down.
-
Spiderwort is a valuable botanical beauty
April 8, 2013
My yard is full of spiders, but only some are invertebrates. A surprising number are botanical beauties called Tradescantia ohiensis, commonly known as spiderwort.
-
Worn-out boots given new life as planters, boot-nests
April 1, 2013
If the shoe fits, wear it.
-
Worrying, waiting for sandhill-crane babies
March 24, 2013
I've circled April 9 on my calendar. That's the day — or at least the earliest possible day — when the sandhill-crane eggs will hatch.
-
Unexpected duo enjoys makeshift bird feeder
March 18, 2013
It began innocently enough.
-
Pretty tree is also source of delicious fruit
March 11, 2013
Here's a question for you: What tasty, nutritious and versatile fruit grows extensively in Central Florida, produces abundant crops without needing pesticides but is not available fresh in any grocery, specialty store or farmer's market?
-
Bonds between parent, child remain strong
March 4, 2013
There's something special about a parent's one-on-one time alone with a child. Conversation takes on a different dimension without other people around to hear. Now that my kids have grown up — my youngest child recently turned 21 and is about to graduate from UCF — I miss those times and the intimacies they fostered. Perhaps that's what prompted me a few days after Toby's birthday to call him.
-
Attractive tropical sage can grow on you fast
February 25, 2013
I'm waiting for hummingbirds to discover my tropical sage plants.
-
Fresh grown local foods abound in Lake
February 18, 2013
It looks as if it's going to be an early spring. Loquats began ripening toward the end of January, a good month ahead of normal, and the mulberry trees in our yard are flush with fruit. Blueberries are also ripening earlier than usual. Although that's one crop we don't grow ourselves, we do take advantage of nearby farms that welcome U-pickers.
-
Forget cut roses — give valentine a rosebush
February 11, 2013
What gift is more traditional on Valentine's Day than a bouquet of red roses?
-
No guilt: Enjoy chocolate without fat or sugar
February 4, 2013
I'm not a big fan of chocolate, but my husband is. However, until recently, Ralph has been careful not to overindulge. For health reasons, he didn't want to consume too much saturated fat or sugar, ingredients found in most manufactured chocolate products. His self-imposed limit was one small piece of dark chocolate a day, and he rarely cheated.
-
Nurturing required – for papayas and people
January 28, 2013
Even though it's winter, the papaya tree on the south side of our house still has fruit. The fruit aren't ripe nor have they noticeably matured over the last few months. On the other hand, they haven't frozen or fallen off. They haven't rotted either. They're in a holding pattern, a tropical plant trying to exist in a semi-tropical locale.
-
Red all over: Tomatoes flourish in sunrooms
January 27, 2013
We were sitting at the kitchen table eating a lunch that included thick slices of a plump, red tomato freshly picked from one of the plants in the sunroom.
-
At any age, learning only happens after repeated failure
January 21, 2013
My 11-month old granddaughter recently learned to walk. Over the past two months, her balance has rapidly improved, but she still falls often, landing with a plop on her padded bottom before picking herself up and waddling off again.
-
Here's a fun New Year's resolution: Act silly!
January 7, 2013
I was walking through the parking lot on my way to the grocery store. A few paces in front of me were a preschool-age girl accompanied by a woman who might have been her mother. The woman was doing what we grownups do, walking steadfastly toward the double-entry doors with practiced, measured steps. I imagine that she, like me, had a long list of chores, and the grocery run was just one more stop to check off an endless to-do list.
-
More book recommendations offering domestic travel delights
December 31, 2012
In last week's column, I shared four books that took me on virtual trips across the ocean. Today's column explores four domestic locales, places I visited in 2012 courtesy of the printed word.
-
Books offer grand virtual travel adventures
December 24, 2012
I didn't do much traveling in 2012. Aside from a few trips to Northampton, Mass., to visit Jenny, Brett and our grandchildren, I never left the state, let alone the country. However, my lack of physical travel doesn't mean I didn't take some incredible journeys.
-
Sycamore leaves a chore but tree provides plenty of shade
December 17, 2012
The lawn between the house and the lake is brown. Even though it hasn't rained much, the brown color isn't due to lack of precipitation. Brown leaves blanket the grass, specifically sycamore leaves.
-
As weeds go, pink sorrel grows wild and pretty
December 10, 2012
There are certain non-native plants (aka "escaped exotics"/weeds) that I'm rather fond of despite their purported invasiveness. Among them, pink sorrel (Oxalis debilis) stands out, literally as well as figuratively.
-
Marriage is about commitment, love — not ring
December 3, 2012
I was never one of those women who dreamed about getting married. As a child, I didn't practice marching down the aisle with Barbie dolls, and during my teens I doubt if I ever picked up, let alone browsed through, a copy of Bride magazine.
-
Huntsman spiders are nature's pest control
November 26, 2012
The huntsman spider that lives in our bathroom just had babies. About 200 tiny brown spiderlings hatched out of the silky white quarter-sized egg sac that their mother had carried on her belly for weeks.
-
Elusive turkeys adept at avoiding observation
November 19, 2012
I may not be eating turkey Thanksgiving Day but there's a good chance I'll be devouring the sight of six gawky gobblers ambling around our property.
-
Florida fall has subtle edge over North's autumn
November 12, 2012
Autumn has come to Central Florida. Windows sealed shut for months are finally open to the breeze. It's extra-blankets-at-night, long-sleeve-shirts-during-daytime weather. After a long, hot summer, there's a welcome crispness to the air.
-
Tune out the noise of elections and instead enjoy the beauty of nature
November 5, 2012
With Tuesday being Election Day, it would be fitting if today's column focused on voting.
-
Persimmons a tasty, underappreciated and nutritious fruit
October 29, 2012
Our food dehydrator has been running nonstop lately. Autumn is persimmon-picking season and we've been busy peeling, slicing and drying trays full of the popular Asian fruit.
-
Scarlet milkweed's pretty flowers liven up any garden
October 22, 2012
The lifecycle of the lowly milkweed plant is a wondrous thing.
-
Cicadas provide familiar clicking sound in nature
August 27, 2012
If I lived in the city, the constant hum of traffic interspersed by the squeal of tires, honking horns, the scream of sirens and the muffled voices of people would be the background sounds of my life. After a while, I'd probably become so accustomed to these day-and-night noises I'd stop noticing them.
-
Countless uses for versatile vinegar
August 20, 2012
Are mosquitoes biting? Have you stepped on an anthill, been stung by a bee or been bitten by a wasp? Is an itchy spot driving you crazy?
-
Figs are brown, black, purple or amber-colored but all are tasty
July 2, 2012
"There are 74 figs in the fridge," read the note my son left on the kitchen table.
-
Witnessing snake devour tree frog brings home realities of nature
January 23, 2012
People have it easy. If we're hungry, we go to the store, select food, go home and prepare a meal. If we're pressed for time, feeling lazy or indulgent, we eat at a restaurant.
-
Coyotes struggle to survive in changing habitat
October 23, 2011
On my way to town, I saw a dead coyote. A wave of sadness washed over me as I drove by. I wondered if the animal was male or female. If it was a female, did she leave a litter of pups? If the animal I saw had pups, would they be old enough to survive on their own?
-
Only fellow Floridians understand complaints about 'cold' weather
December 19, 2010
It's cold!
-
Wasp sting is penalty for impulsive gardening
June 13, 2010
Every summer I manage to get stung by a wasp. This summer is no exception.
-
Old wagon carries away my troubles
March 14, 2010
The birds are enjoying their newest feeding station — an old Radio Flyer wagon filled with birdseed. My children used the wagon when they were little, but that was a long time ago. Since then it has been in the junk pile, exposed to all the abuse that wind and rain can muster.
