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Friday: Outdoors

Outdoors North

We stood in the summer sunshine on that thin ribbon of beach sand. Behind us, the beautiful blue of the big lake was rolling, rising and falling as it gasped, rushing toward us, tumbling and crashing into a sputtering foam of white water. The cold drink rushed over our feet giving us that first time shiver. As the wave retreated, it exposed a wide field of beautiful glistening stones worn smooth by the water, dazzling our eyes with numerous shades of browns, oranges and reds, along with countless speckled granites and shiny quartz. The sky was a clear true blue and the warmth was ...

Outdoors North: Coyotes, a long misunderstood creature

“No regrets, Coyote. We just come from such different sets of circumstance. I’m up all night in the studios and you’re up early on your ranch,” – Joni Mitchell I spotted him as he walked slowly toward me down a snow-covered road, the rusty and tawny colors of his coat glowing warmly in the afternoon sun. He briefly lifted his nose to sniff the wind coming from my direction before he jumped over a snowbank in front of him, plunging his front feet into the soft, fresh snow around a stand of balsam firs. He disappeared almost immediately into the woods. I closed my eyes to ...

Winter sowing in upcycled containers creates stronger seedlings in spring

It’s either time -- or nearly time -- to start seeds indoors for the upcoming growing season, depending on where you live. But what about starting them outdoors, despite the frozen ground, whipping winds and, perhaps, snow cover? I’m gearing up to sow tomatoes, beets, herbs and zinnias, ...

Outdoors North: Nature’s peace drowns out insipid worries

“The days slide by, should have done, should have done, we all sigh,” — Warren Zevon In our way of looking at life, the Alpha and the Omega — the first and last — of a person’s life represent benchmarks, places where our experience grabs a foothold for the reflection and benefit of others. Things like the occasion of a baby’s first steps or the contents of a condemned prisoner’s last meal are things we may be interested to learn about and share with others. They are seemingly like bookends on a shelf of literature whose volumes tell the complicated story of a ...

There is no automatic reset button

There are places to travel to that when you visit, the atmosphere of the place itself can clear your mind. These types of places are likely different for every individual. For me, they are usually sweeping landscapes where wild country is the king and the queen and the jack and the ace — places there is no question that nature controls the scene. I think the big and the wide and the openness of these places — be they deserts, river valleys, prairies or mountainous landscapes — help instill that sense of clearing in my mind. It’s so easy to feel good there. These are ...