imagine my delight
when discovering this spring baby giraffe
in the woods near my home
i had no idea that they were native to michigan.
—
“however much you know giraffes, to see one in the wild for the first time feels prehistoric.”
-jane goodall
a piece of driftwood
mixed in
among the vases and mirrors and tchotchkes and other home decor items
and while i’m a fan of natural found materials
i was not really motivated to spend $39.99 on this
but i do now have an idea for my summer job –
beachcomber.
—
“i imagined your stick, washing in the waves for hundreds of years,
turning to driftwood
smooth and hard like stone.
i imagined a little girl finding it on a beach so many years later.
saving it on her shelf,
where she put the things that made her feel like the world was magical.”
– ava dellaira
“it is the empty seats that listen most raptly.”
-james richardson
—
northside woods , ann arbor – fall 2021
on a winter walk in the woods
came upon a labyrinth made of pine
fall to winter vegetables as offerings at its center
beautiful yule celebration on display
left for all to enjoy.
—
“the trees will tell their secrets to those that tune in.”
-steve magee
—
greenview nature preserve, ann arbor, mi, usa – january 2021
“what difference does it make if you live in a picturesque little outhouse
surrounded by 300 feeble minded goats and your faithful dog?
the question is: can you write?”
– Ernest Hemingway
—
early winter hiking in MacCready Nature Reserve, Irish Hills, MI, USA 2020
wondering who in the woods calls this fallen log, ‘home’
—
“there is something in the trees awaiting discovery.”
– steven magee
oyster mushrooms at play in their natural habitat
—
foraging for mushrooms in the late autumn shade in the woods
hunting in nooks and crannies, logs, trees, mossy patches
there we met a few fungi along with their mold and lichen cousins
luckily my daughter and grandies have studied a lot about mushrooms
why i’m here to tell my story.
—
“on the subject of wild mushrooms,
it is easy to tell who is an expert and who is not;
the expert is the one who is still alive.”
donal henahan
ran into this guy
when out walking
frozen in place
i tried to remember
what to do
if i ever was
to meet a bear in the woods
run, play dead, make myself large, make noise
or
take a picture
leave it in the trees
for the child who left it behind
now, missing it.
—
“he looked all alone
and so sad and so blue,
so I said, “oh, dear bear;
there’s a home here for you.”
-ingrod sawubona, A Big-Bear Birthday, Please (English version)
happened upon
this friendly-looking tree
deep in the woods
so content and jolly
i think it would love to share its jokes.
—
“i never saw a discontented tree.
they grip the ground as though they liked it,
and though fast rooted, they travel about as far as we do.”
– john muir
—
bird hiils park, ann arbor, michigan, usa – summer 2020
I didn't have my glasses on.... 