Stories from my Journey – Healing the Land
On a recent visit with longtime friends, the conversation turned to a time some decades ago, when we had all lived on the Big Island of Hawaii. In those years our children were small, and we were engaged in the worlds of parenting and busy creating our lives – and were just beginning to experience […]
The Green Man
Watching a video on “The Modern Fairy Sightings Podcast” today reminded me of an experience I had a little over 30 years ago, while living in Washington State. I had never thought of it as a fairy sighting before, and the idea is intriguing. It ws certainly an encounter with an otherworldly being. But because […]
Counting Fleeces and Dreaming of Gardens: Evolving Regenerative Living Systems
It’s spring in Oregon and we are deep in the final cleanup of last year’s gardens, repairing planter boxes, and new garden projects. All of this, as well as wrapping up the year’s shipping season for the nursery, and ongoing grafting, seeding, propagating, transplanting and planting out of the cooler weather cultivars make this a […]
To Choose the Highest and Best for All Concerned
About six weeks ago I was up in our nursery looking out over the sun swept hillside, throwing a ball for Max and just feeling grateful to be alive. Grateful for the view, the breeze, and the brilliant sunshine. As I stood there, tossing the ball and watching Max jump and catch it in the […]
A Dedication to Healing
Perhaps it has been a dominant theme throughout my lifetime, On one level or another this idea of healing. As a child I think it appeared in the social and cultural realm. Growing up, as I did in the midst of the civil rights and then the anti-war movements. The decade of the 60s, which […]
Persephone – The Time of Darkness Returning to Light
As daylight lingers below 10 hours, and darkness begins to creep ever so slowly back from the dominant 14 hours of winter, plant growth slows to a whisper, and we have time to contemplate, ponder and dream of what the coming light of Spring will bring us… Smiling as we greet the New Year, the […]
The Ides of July: Healing a Family Legacy
Over the years I never put the pieces together consciously, or actually noticed that it was July that often felt so sorrowful. Perhaps it was just the heat. I never have liked hot weather. A sort of malaise seems to hang in the air… Then, in 2008, all the pieces fell into place at once. […]
Juxtaposition
Juxtaposition So many things within the context of day to day hold us whole. Which, if suddenly eroded through whatever cause leave us breathless. Barely able tosurvive. Thrown up on theserocks uncertain of the tides. And yeteven in this does choice arise always calling on usto decide. We can‘come upon life surprised’ in a quandaryto knowwhat to do. […]
Squirrel Babies
There is a new clutch of baby squirrels in the garden, just recently arrived. A tiny tribe of four wild foragers, marauding the bird feeder and surrounding greenery with gleeful abandon. These same four, I’m quite sure, were raised in a nest on the roof above my bed, or more precisely, over my bedroom, in […]
Consider the Oregon Oak
Consider the Oregon Oak Vast and strong Upright yet yielding She rises Branches turning This way and that Finding her bearings Home to Lichen Bees Birds and squirrels A myriad of insects Her wisdomEncompasses more time Than any of those Observing her can match She strides the hillsideMotionless and in motion The wind singsthrough her extremities Sending her tiny […]