In this era of continued sheltering-in-place, with our worlds shrinking (despite the irony of being ever-more-closely connected by a virus) to a a homestead, a room, a pod, a bubble, and a few guarded external routines, as an artist/writer/contemplative soul, I wanted to create something that helped renew our battered psyches, expand our horizons. This […]

In this season of pandemic, while we humans – hundreds of millions (billions?) of us – adapt to sheltering-in-place, self-isolation and quarantines, we have a unique opportunity to share the best of ourselves. Without lengthy commutes or events outside the home as part of our daily schedules, we have much more time at our disposal: […]

Ever heard of a “news desert”? It’s what happens when a county loses all of its newspapers – a reality for 200 American counties (12% of the USA). In less than twenty years, we’ve lost a quarter of our local newspapers. When we lose our local news, civic engagement decreases precipitously, and we collectively forget […]

Just when you thought it was safe to go birdwatching…guess again. Early morning walks in nature preserves home to feline (and other) predators can take sudden turns – and unwary hikers may find themselves in rather precarious situations. Such was the case when I went on a birding tour in the Nepali Western Terai. The […]