As the polar winds plunge south, driving summer into a faint memory, all of us - animal and plant - hunker down, waiting for warmth. We dream of warmer days to come and watch as the lost light slowly returns. It’s that typical winter conundrum - that which can be so uncomfortable - the cold, ice and snow - can also be a source of comfort and safety for many well-adapted native animals and plants. Winter has great beauty, as well - sometimes subtle, other times overwhelming in

Northwest winds sweep through the hills, bringing their cold message of winter, transporting snow from Lake Ontario all the way down here to the southeast Catskills. Swirling snow-devils dance their white dervish dance, tearing reluctant leaves, themselves remnants of this season past, from branch and bough. Only the brazen small-birds - Cardinals, Chickadees, Bluejays, Sparrows, Titmice, Juncos and the like - venture forth, hardy creatures bred through the millennia to perse

THE GAME OF WINTER should be on for real by now, but we keep getting enjoyably warm teases. November is usually cold (hence the Frost Moon) and the time when we get our first snow in Waghkonk. The Black Bears, Chipmunks and Woodchucks should be denning up for the winter, not to be seen again ‘til Spring, but since the forecast for this month looks to be mild, they all may not go down ‘til December. Turtles normally would be long-buried in the mud, dreaming Turtle-dreams and W

My experience of hiking numerous trails in the southeast Catskills, as well as bushwhacking from one corner of Woodstock to the other (approx. 10x20 miles), and following its many old roads, has made me very familiar with the state of our forest and I am extremely concerned with the potential for devastating forest fires, wildfires, and even firestorms, here. This is what has led me to write this in an effort to share those concerns and hopefully to find a way to address the

I love to watch dust-motes floating in the clear, soft, forgiving light of Autumn, shining specks dancing. They drift over quieting...

The summer light wanes, sending an ancient signal to all beings in the northern hemisphere that it is time for each one in their own way...

Once again the Earth has cycled back to where its northern half (which happens to include us) is tilted towards the Sun, giving us our...

SUMMER SIMMER - Summer came suddenly after the relatively cool, wet Spring, bringing with it hot weather we don’t normally see here until...

The light in the woods has changed so abruptly. Last week, the trees and shrubs still wore their bright, light green Spring coat,...

The Lady has doffed her snowy mantle, exchanging it for her verdant Cloak of Life. As each day goes by, more and more bright-green leaves...