In the weeks leading up to the Solstice, the world has felt to me like a ball tossed in the air, hovering just for a moment before it falls back down. Something about these long days, when the sun wakes me before my alarm and the kids keep playing outside on their bikes when they … More A Solstice Pause
A few years ago, in an encouraging rejection letter, an editor said my piece was “post-card writing,” describing a particular time and place in a way that is accessible to the reader. It was something that they used to publish quite a lot of, but now rarely do. When I read his description, I thought, … More A Spring Postcard
As the pastures fill calves, I’m reflecting on the hardiness of this new life and the good instincts of their mothers. Do I say this every year? Probably. I’m saying it again. I saw the first calf on the feed grounds out North on a morning when the temperature hovered just a bit north of … More Calving and Resilience
Something weird is going on. Maybe it’s the cold snap that came to an abrupt end. Maybe it’s the seven-planet alignment I’ve been hearing about. I think Mars is in retrograde; or maybe it’s ascendant. I forget how it all works. Whatever the reason, I’ve got wonky stuff going on at my house. I have … More Blame it on the Planets
It’s that awkward time of year, that transition between winter and summer. Spring sounds like flowers and bunnies, but it’s actually alternating days of sunshine and snow. And mud. Lots of mud. I wear a sundress and sandals one day, a sweater and muckboots the next. Wardrobe complications are slightly annoying; work complications are … More Recollections in Tranquility
My essay, Fimbulwinter, just came out in the latest issue of Wild Roof Journal, an essay dealing with last year’s apocalyptic winter. When the journal editors scheduled the it for their January issue, I thought, Perfect! We’ll have single digit temps, sub-zero if we’re lucky, and I’ll post the essay with a recent picture from … More Weather Predictions
Vegetarian Ranchwife 