Chris

The Truth About Ice Rain. Rain? In Minnesota?!? In winter??!!?? As puddles deepened, the temperature fell. Clumps of slush froze in place. Long stretches of ice now shape the terrain. Even weeks later, a simple walk requires full attention and a little luck. Snow has eluded us, so we look…

The Tapestry of Moments If you live in a part of the world where, looking out your window right now, you see leaves in radiant shades of crimson and saffron, then, by any means necessary, get yourself outside. Look how sunlight or the muted tones of grey make each leaf…

Come to your senses We all have our ways. Things we do, think, say, or feel that help us get present again when we’ve drifted far into the murky waters of worrying about what’s to come or what has been. For me, it’s often tactile— breathing in soft fur working…

Wild Joy There are times of pure joy. Those moments that fill us up where nothing else is present but that sense of light flowing through and around us. It’s glorious. It bolsters and renews our spirits. Grounding us firmly in the moment. Reminding us to revel and to savor….

When plans change Clouds circled, sluggish with snow, in the April sky. Left in its wake was a white blanket 15 inches deep. It was a marvel, with winds sending flakes sideways –even upward– no telling where they’d land. It snowed for days. And while many grumbled, no one could…

Equinox On the Equinox the sun rises exactly in the east travels through the sky for 12 hours and sets exactly in the west. On the Equinox this is the motion of the Sun through the sky for everyone on earth. Every place on earth at the same latitude regardless…

Contrast Far from my Minnesota home sits a research station at the edge of a peninsula. Restored to its jungle origins, the little station holds clear just enough space for a few sleeping areas, a place to gather and eat, and a base from which to study. This Costa Rican…

Go Outside Take a breath. Close your eyes. Exhale. Listen. In the north country this year we’ve had long-lasting cold temperatures. We’re tough, we manage. We suit up and go on with our days. It’s fine, if a little wearying – the weight of all that we wear. Perhaps you’ve…

You just know. Most of us have met dogs that we think look like a wild one: a coyote, a fox, or a wolf. Sometimes they get named in accordance with their wild cousins. And perhaps, we wonder, if we saw them in the woods on their own, might we…

Seeing Solstice There is a pause now this quiet Solstice time before light slowly lengthens. The temptation? To count the days. To hold our breath until daylight stretches into evening and early morning forces back the darkness. What a relief it will be these light-starved eyes to see again no…