What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope
What can we reason but from what we know? -Alexander Pope
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There are moments in many of our lives that, upon reflection, lead us to conclude that we simply were in the right place at the right time for whatever transpired. It’s important to distinguish such moments from the rest of the day for they are often what sustain us as we manage this thing called life. Somedays it is an early sunrise or the trill of Sandhill cranes overhead that captures our attention. In other moments it constitutes a chance meeting of old friends or that short chat in the midd...
It can be hard for people to find themselves outside of their accustomed elements. To be removed from the known and cast into the unknown, sometimes with little notice or fanfare, can be, well … challenging. It can come as quite a shock to those who have been protected and safe all their lives. It’s an unforgiving world that eventually will discover a way to intrude upon our well-being. Imagining that drastic change will never happen to us sets the table for tough times when reality comes kno...
The heart of fall is upon us. It is easy to spot because it is characterized by the grand entrance of varieties of colors. The colors have been there all along, the chlorophyll of the plants masking the vibrant hues within the leaves. When cooler temperatures and fewer daylight hours are present, the chlorophyll cells die and fall color becomes a certainty. Another sure sign of fall is found in textures and colors as they blend with one another. For a brief period the greens from summer and the...
A taste of fall is in the air. The last several days have ushered in cooler air and a freshness that says early autumn has arrived. The gardens have also responded by offering up fall blooms that have been patiently waiting to cue up. It is a hopeful time of year that brings with it its own unique flavors to tease the senses. It’s easy to miss these initial hints of fall when lives are busy. Many of us can attest to various jobs in our past where being indoors for work most of the day left us d...
This week has been a great week celestially speaking. Not long after sunset, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus extend in a straight line from one another in the darkening sky, Jupiter toward the east and Saturn in the middle. We’ve all seen pictures of these larger than life planets, first in school and then in advertisements for dime store telescopes that promised more than they could deliver. Although the marketing images are marvelously detailed, they cannot compare with the experience of seeing S...
Some things are never meant to last. The bountiful summer produce we enjoy is the perfect example. Sweet corn, cantaloupe, summer squash, and rhubarb are rivaled only by the free-wheeling joy ride known as peach season. It is marvelous, wonderful, and all too fleeting. Western slope peaches are simply the best with Cache Valley peaches from Utah coming in a close second. If they were available year round there would be little anticipation of their arrival and use. It is the six week window of...
Being fully present in today’s world can be trying to say the least. Socially, it feels as though we are pushed to the edge. Telling people why they are wrong takes precedence over inviting others to share their wisdom and knowledge. People are openly rude and demanding of one another over some of the most menial things, while others simple don’t have the space for anyone different from themselves. Is this how we’ve always been? It’s looking more and more that way. It has long been known that cl...
It is late summer, otherwise known as tickle grass time. Its grassy seed heads seemingly pop up overnight and manage to cartwheel their way into every nook and cranny around the exterior of the house as well as the garden. They are a nuisance to a well-tended lawn, something some of us have yet to perfect. Another player in the late fall weed sweepstakes is the tenacious mallow. Tightly bunched and anchoredac with a muscled tap root, mallow thrives if disrespected. It can sully the best of...
Summer is casually wearing on flowerbed annuals and perennials. Not much has changed temperature-wise, yet there is a smugness one senses in the season that fall is close by. Happily, there is much left of summer that still inspires. Two elements of the growing season in particular are tied to one another: texture and color. Texture provides the depth and context for the flowers to thrive. Color invites us to pay attention to the breadth of creation and the amazing diversity it represents....
“Come on, Honey, let’s go to the horse sale today.” I suggested to Sue the other day. “What are you going to the sale for?” she replied. “You don’t need another horse and you sure don’t have any money to spend.” That’s how our discussion started and it seemed like it went downhill from there. “I know I don’t really need another horse, Sweetie,” (I always use words like Honey, Sweetie, Cutie-Pie when we have this type of conversation). “But if I found one better than some we have now, I could a...
The wild onions inhabiting a corner of our rhubarb patch do not lend themselves well to sayings equating life and peeling back layers. Pulling apart the layers isn’t exactly easy when stalks and pods go every which direction. Curves, loops, and odd angles of all kinds contribute to the beauty of its complex bio architecture. It shouldn’t be surprising to discover that life is also not simple and that complex explanations require time and contemplation. Decoding divine inspiration takes a gen...
A regular interaction with my life partner has been encouraging one another to find the best in each day, no matter the circumstances. It usually occurs in the form of a question, “What was something new that you discovered today?” or “What was the best part of the day for you?” It is sometimes hard to come up with an adequate, let alone noble, response depending on the events of the day. A similar question manifested itself in the guise of a well-into-nineties couple who hosted me overnig...
Summer gardens are in their prime. In our case that means lots of yellows to contrast with the raucous carefree colors of potted petunias and other mainstay annuals that help balance our mature garden. Mornings are a time of exploration for our animals as they relish the cool dawn hours before the heat sets in. In particular there is one coal black feline friend whose yellow eyes are the only giveaway to her presence as she explores each new day. She often surprises by being right in front of us...
In recent conversation with a sibling, we both paused to admire the full moon as it rose in a glory of deep orange bordering on red. A true harvest moon. It was worth it to pause our dialog and simply take a moment to contemplate. What made it more special was the fact that we were four hundred miles apart as we regarded the same moon and its intentional rise to illuminate a beautiful evening sky. There was comfort in having that as a touchstone in that moment. According to many, the moon is...
What disservice we place at the feet of others when we lament the passage of time and its dilatory effects on us. Our lack of understanding allows ageism — the disparate treatment or prejudice against people of particular age groups — to flourish. It’s not all ill-intended, but it can become habit-forming without us thinking about it much. Sometimes it manifests itself through our speech and at other times through our actions. Baby talking to older adults without other health factors present is...
On a scale of one to 10 Every year, we keep running statistics on the consumption of certain summer foods, in particular, watermelons, cantaloupes, and, believe it or not, rhubarb custard pie. How this began is uncertain, though a major portion of related discussion focused on a 10-point scale with ten representing the highest rating. After some practice we have now become quite consistent (obsessed) in grading the melons and cantaloupes. We’re off to a slow start this year. Four watermelons h...
It was a box that could only have come from a shop overflowing with decades of “I may need that someday.” It’s not a bad mindset to have if we are going to learn to caretake our only planet a little better than we have in the past. Reduce, reuse, and recycle has become the mantra of younger and wiser generations who have inherited a boat load of problems foisted on them by us. What kept me from throwing the box away, however, was not social conscience but rather curiosity. A sparkle of glass...
Dogs and trucks were made for each other. Some dogs ride in them, others want to chase them. Whatever joy is derived on behalf of the dog, however, is genuine and without artifice. When they ride, they ride with windows down, noses up, and a look in their eye that says life just doesn’t get any better than in this particular moment. When they chase, ill-advised as that is, it is all out, winner take all. There is a lot to be said for living in the moment. The same can apply to daily living as w...
It is that time of year when certain invasive weeds betray themselves upon blooming. One such species is the nodding thistle, or musk thistle. A combination of rain and warmer weather has encouraged the biennial to shoot up above the summer grasses in open defiance of clean pastures everywhere. This is no timid interloper. It is hard to uproot or cut off by hand and a single plant can produce tens of thousands of seeds annually. Its seeds can also remain viable for a dozen years or more. The bes...
The longest days of summer are nearly here emphasizing the movement of the seasons as well as the beauty of their timing. Early mornings or late evenings are a delight to get caught up in the colors and textures of the gardens. Sunshine low to the horizon is especially conducive to backlighting flowers and blooms. They appear different from the bulk of sunshine hours as they provide yet another perspective to view the garden. Through the camera lens, backlighting illuminates in new ways...
Seemingly overnight our irises are back in full force after being shredded a year ago by storms. It’s a reminder of the resilience of nature and God’s divine touch on creation. It’s not only surprising that they recovered, but that everything we planted came back. Bearded or beardless, dwarf or full blown, all are hardy inhabitants of gardens that are eagerly blooming. We’ve tried to keep up with all the names of the current plantings but after a while, an absence of plant marker stakes doomed...
Rains and milder temperatures provided blessings this week. Not everyone was eager to claim them, however, given the accompanying damage attendant to several of the storms. It’s been a year since a derecho storm front rolled through with hail and sustained winds of over seventy miles per hour. Some trees were lost immediately while others continue to endure a slow convalescence. Damage is still apparent though it feels like a corner has finally been turned on moving things to a more normal p...
Measuring up The annual spring roundup has begun, not to gather in four-legged critters and such, but to corral the multitude of stray hand tools that survived winter projects only to be misplaced before making their way back into the toolboxes. And what is it that goes missing in the most numbers? Year in and year out, it’s utility knives that hold a decisive edge in the tool repatriation process. Until now. By no particular volition on my account, steel tape measures seem to have taken the l...
The hackberry tree row in our north shelter belt has been present for 80-some years if counting growth rings is worth anything. Hackberries are durable, drought resistant and rather tenacious. Unfortunately over the last decade, storms and annual drought have taken a toll on them, leaving just two out of five once healthy trees. It’s always sad to lose trees, especially in this area and climate. Every tree comes at a cost, however, and for most that means finding less fancy, more slowly g...
Some decisions are easier than others as evidenced by the driver’s side door latch on our secondary vehicle. It got fussy the last few months and finally refused to work at all… except from the outside. Once in the driver’s seat it was easy to forget to lower the window before shutting the engine off. The alternative was to shimmy across the front seat and exit through the passenger side door. Walmart likely has a parking lot video or two in that regard. “It’s okay officer, I’m a pastor!” I...
