Three deer regularly visit our front yard to eat from a flowering crab tree heavily-laden with cherry-sized apples that determinedly cling to their branches despite winter's grip. Frustratingly, the deer believe that my perennials, shrubs, and young tree branches are free game, too. So, determined to retrain our visitors, Dick and I set some beyond-their-prime…

A rabbit has made a cozy winter home inside a mammoth wood pile behind our house. It should entertain no concern of needing to move its family anytime soon, as is required of a field mouse named Mrs. Frisby when Mr. Fitzgibbon's plow is destined to destroy her home in one of my favorite children's…

In May, Dick and I planted 175 confers. Three different kinds on our 35-acre property. Then, in October, after harvesting the last of our garden's late season crops, we began to plant again. Three deciduous trees. Larger ones than the conifers. A curly willow (aka corkscrew willow) for landscape interest and cuttings for decorating. According…

Did you know that you can support the wind power initiative by signing up with your local power company to donate money (you decide the amount) to be added to your billing statement each month? You won't know exactly which wind turbine(s) you are funding, but you can be proud to know that you are…

A sweet, young couple shared this photo of a "chicken of the woods" wild edible (see note below) mushroom that they discovered while walking our property during their stay at our bed and breakfast Labor Day Weekend.   I was so excited to learn that it is growing in this second location. Dick and I first…

Yesterday, from my Seward Co-op outing, I came away with these two reusable waterprooof cloth sandwich bags with velcro closures and a pack of four stainless steel drinking straws.     The bags can be purchased from the creators, 3 Green Moms, at lunchskins.com. How fun!

 During an online search for refrigerator storage containers to extend the freshness of my pastured hen eggs, I discovered these fun eco cups and just had to order a pair for early morning hit-the-road outings… a brown one for Dick's morning coffee and an orange one for my tea. They look every bit like a styrofoam cup from your local…

After playing the Wildcraft Board Game to learn to identify healing herbs and their uses, my two oldest granddaughters and I took a hike on our property in search of stinging nettles. Look at the amazing, unexpected surprise that was alongside the wooded trail attached to a fallen, decayed tree trunk…   an impressively beautiful "Chicken…

The outdoor adventure component of what I planned for my grandkids visit started out with playing a board game called Wildcraft. I will share more about this board game. I am a "wee bit" busy this week making memories.

A gift I received this Christmas from my daughter Jessie will, as they say, "keep on giving." A third of the proceeds from the sale of each 100% cotton and burlap collapsible FEED bag feeds 100 school children through the United Nations World Food Program. The bag's concept and design is the brainchild of presidential niece Lauren Bush. It…