When I was working on the Spirit in the Grass book with photographer Chris Harris, one of the ecologists on the project told me that the effects of sun and shadow at […]
In the Grasslands, Tiny Effects Aren’t Tiny at All
Whole Worlds Hidden from the Settler Gaze
Under the snow, it’s spring. Under stone, it’s the same. Where the sun intensifies and molten water collects, it’s spring. This is when the rock is mined for nutrients that feed the […]
Taking Your Time
To succeed as a lichen, you don’t need a rock. Sure, lots of lichens are found on rocks, but it’s not a hard-and-fast requirement. What you really need is a place no-one […]
Falling Helps
An old fir turns to the red of fire. It is dry as dust in the spring sun. But if you think it’s dead, well… … just add water. Shade helps. Without […]
Want to Have a Close Look at Your Brain?
Here you go. Not just a lump of basalt, eh. To look in, look out. No need to cut into your skull. Until you judge it, you are what you see. […]
The Tides Wash Over Turtle Mountain
When plants left the sea for the air… … they didn’t. We live in an intertidal zone. Ah, here comes the first breaker of the tide now… Here’s the surf rolling East […]
The Field of Life
Water flows in a film over rock. When it strikes dry faces, it breaks into rivers. Then it reforms and becomes a lake again. It is a story of water tension and […]
The New Year Begins in Its Own Sweet Time
About a week ago, really. It’s quite settled in now and has its eye on us. And at the very last, the old year shows us her hidden beauty. And her new […]
Guardian of the Ancient Trail
Here’s a trail leading from an ancient camp at the foot of a mysterious canyon complex crisscrossed by deer trails, cool with water in a hot land, and sprouting berries and herbs. […]
Our Mother’s Bones
There is ancient stone. There are dead (grey) lichens, thriving orange and yellow ones, and some green ones doing very well. There are flakes of stone that have broken off, scattering the […]
