Grass is a creature of the wind. Of the wind. It’s even pollinated by the wind. It is a sheath for water drawn up by light. It streams in the air. Is […]
Giant Rye Grass in Its Glory
Sky Oceans and Sun Storms in the Okanagan
In my valley, the Okanagan, winter is a time for the earth and the ocean — and the people who actually love the land and not an image of it. It’s not […]
It’s Better Than Migrating: The New World of Winter
Just hanging out in the snow… … with these other robins … … with friends … … blending in with the maple spinners … … and a flicker … … and a […]
Global Warming, Human Made
It ain’t just smokestacks. Here’s a field of stones … The panels were made to cover with plastic sheeting (now removed), into which were planted tomatoes. Here are some of them, looking […]
The Difference Between Earth, Soil and Dirt
Rock falls are earth. They power complex communities. Beautifully. They speak of gravity and sun and air, and bring them to life. Soil is what water leaves. Dirt is tillage. It is time […]
There Are Only 2 Human Habitats and 1 is Not Human
The colours of sunsets deepen as winter approaches. Here we’re looking west across the north arm of Okanagan Lake. Here’s an unusual view. Here’s that same sunset, five minutes earlier. Notice that all […]
The Black Cherries of Winter
It is the time of year when colour leaves the valley. The red choke cherries of summer are black. The skies are grey. The sun we knew in summer is gone. This […]
The Lonely Vigil of the Plastic Owl
2 weeks ago, the plastic owl was at her stand. It was mid-afternoon. She was still there yesterday at dusk, poor plastic thing. When I was a boy, owls used to hunt around […]
Three Ways to Make Soil
One: You will need a poplar tree to drop yellow leaves on the ground. Leave them. Let it rain, freeze, thaw and snow in intervals. Two months later, drop one green leaf on top. […]
Sacred Woods
Rowans have more than blood and wisdom. Speech Second Sight Longing When blood, wisdom, and gravity are one, then you will find her. ~ All images from Turtle Mountain. All rowans the […]
Okanagan Okanogan 