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Category Archives: The land

In flagrante delicto

Monday, August 1, 2022

When one lives in the sticks, it is not uncommon to come upon wild things in flagrante delicto. These are eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina). These turtles are very common here and are often seen crossing the road. Roads are very dangerous for them, because their instinct is to close up and stop. More and […]

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If you were a deer, would you be scared?

Monday, April 11, 2022

It irks me that I have to uglify my day lily bank to try to keep the deer from eating the day lilies. This year, they started eating them very early, without waiting for the flower stalks and blooms. With luck and good rain, this bank will be a green jungle of day lilies by […]

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The annual spring poem

Saturday, April 2, 2022

The bay window faces the south ridge and is the best-lit place in the house. The light makes it a poor place for a computer, but it’s perfect for a typewriter. This room is rarely needed as a bedroom now, so I’ve turned it into a little library and parlor, with a sleeper couch. After […]

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The Sierra Club

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

I felt a little irritated when I found in my mailbox a thick envelope from the Sierra Club. I had not renewed my membership, so of course it was a solicitation. The thickness of the envelope was clearly meant to give the impression of something valuable inside, as encouragement to open the envelope rather than […]

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Don’t forget to feed the birds

Monday, January 17, 2022

Cat prints and dove prints on my porch It’s alarming how hard the snow is on the creatures who live outside. While the snow was falling hard yesterday and the temperature was 20F, some doves were sheltering on my porch. Unfortunately they saw me and flew away. After dark, I heard Lily downstairs meowing in […]

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Tomorrow: first feeze

Wednesday, November 3, 2021

The National Weather Service has issued a freeze warning for tomorrow night. I made my rounds this evening as the birds were bedding down in the arbor vitae trees. Some blooming things will bite the dust in tomorrow’s freeze. Others, such as the camellias, will survive, but winter shabbiness will start to set in. I […]

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Late summer

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Abelia Those of us who live in southern climates are usually glad to see cooler weather return after a hot summer. But there’s also something melancholy about the idea of summer’s end. As Shakespeare wrote (sonnet 18), “… summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” The abelia bush is in full bloom. The bush […]

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It’s day lily time again

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Click here for high-resolution version. The photo was shot with an iPhone 12 Max Pro. The day lilies are about a week late this year, because of the cool spring. I have some day lilies in the front ditch by the road, but most of my day lilies are on a bank above the driveway. […]

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Frost, on Earth Day

Sunday, April 25, 2021

Wild persimmon Most of the country had unusually cold weather on April 21 and 22. Ironically, April 22 was Earth Day. Here in the South, spring was far enough along that there was considerable damage. Native species are hardy and came through pretty well, with the odd exception of wild persimmon. Most of my persimmon […]

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Almost April

Monday, March 22, 2021

The gate from the garden into the orchard It’s a bit of a tradition to post this poem each year. The Goose Girl Spring rides no horses down the hill, But comes on foot, a goose-girl still. And all the loveliest things there be Come simply, so, it seems to me. If ever I said, […]

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