My winter solstice spirit only goes so far, for I am a summer person (and fall), and as soon as January 1 happens and goes away, I am ready for spring. I’ve composted the old cedar boughs from tabletops around the house and we’re done with the last of the holiday parties. The wreath is…
Going into the week of American Thanksgiving, I’ve watched the skies turn rheumy and gray. We’re currently under a heavy rainfall warning, with up to 150 mm by Thursday. Watching the skies in the morning, on the way to work, with the peak of city buildings disappearing into the foggy atmosphere, it seems like a…
If you’re a writer, you might have several drafts of things sitting around. I do as well. I have two novels I am actively working on, both in a series. The first novel is just a slight revision. The second is a new book in the series, and over the weekend I just realized exactly…
While northern California has had unprecedented wildfires, not too far north on the coast we are experiencing severe rain events. Last night I fell asleep to a heavy downpour. It continued on until this morning, and on the way to work I saw downed branches and wet leaves plastered everywhere. At the moment we have…
In the midst of a golden-lit and cooling autumn, where trail hikes and short runs coincide with dreamy days, I am going to do an indoor exercise here, and share it with other writers in hopes they take part as well. This is a long exercise, will take some time and thought to answer the…
I listened to this talk the other day on the way home from work. I really like hearing author perspectives of their writing about the wild. In this talk, the two were in Toronto just a couple weeks ago. I have chatted with both at the main site (see “Selected Interviews” on the front page)…
The other day author Lidia Yuknavitch posted on Twitter, oh fall. come. It doesn’t take a great many words to summon a large expectation and dream, and I echo her thoughts in this post, at least how I read them. It is not here yet, only in my dreams. I’ve waddled through summer like a…
I follow nature writing in the news, and saw an article in The Spectator today about Amanda Craig’s recent novel The Lie of the Land. The author of the article, Lauren Freeman, starts out with: I’ve diagnosed myself with early onset cottage-itis. It’s not supposed to happen for another decade, but at 29 I dream…
Summer solstice has come and gone, and with it are long days of sunshine and heat and brilliance. I love the summer. I love hot. By autumn, I am always ready for the softer golden light and my first mulled wines, but these days are for savoring not for wishing away. Perhaps because the days…
That’s sometimes what I think I should call this blog. For every good week where I can run up to 10 or even 20 miles have been down weeks where I’m stuck on a treadmill, bike, or something else–where when I retrain it feels like I’m hobbling along rather than running. From the get-go, when…
