After tossing for hours last night as I wrestled with things in my head, I opened my eyes, noted it was two in the morning, and glanced out my window. Since I keep the blind levered to allow me unimpeded views outside, I could clearly make out the black lateral branch of our large walnut snaking across gray-black sky, and the branches of the oak behind it. Through the branches shone two large stars (planets, probably) and a myriad of other stars. I felt better, seeing these reminders of the grand spectacle of which I’m merely a very small part. And I thought of the windows in John Muir’s bedroom, which I had stood before three days ago. Read More
Living and Writing in the Natural World
Snow Caves and Crampons
January 7, 2013
Yesterday we passed into the Small Cold interval in the traditional Chinese solar calendar, which with the succeeding Great Cold interval comprise the five weeks in the heart of winter. Here in the Sacramento Valley of northern California, it’s easy to maintain the habit of being outdoors that the Taoists of China and our own John Muir so heartily recommend—we rarely deal with snow or sleet. But if you’re in Maine or a similar place, or live at 8,000 feet anywhere, the outdoor life throws you some challenges in the winter. Embrace them. Read More
Deep Ecology and Confucius
December 28, 2012
Having just about wrapped up my most recent novel, Sherlock Holmes in Egypt in 1923 figuring out who poisoned the discoverer of King Tut’s tomb, and incidentally how King Tut himself had died three thousand two hundred years earlier, I turned this week to research for my next book, and was reminded of the second verse of Confucius’ Analects (written a mere two thousand five hundred years ago): “Isn’t it a joy to greet friends from afar!” Read More
The Great Darkness
December 21, 2012
Today is the Winter Solstice, where due to the 17 degree tilt of the earth we in the northern hemisphere have only 9 and a half hours of light but 14 and a half hours of darkness tonight—the longest night of the year. The occasion has been marked and celebrated for millennia by the Taoist tradition of China, and more recently by various people of environmental leanings. Both these disparate groups are convinced Read More
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Surviving Trauma
December 19, 2012
First the tingle, then a definite itch. Unbelieving, I looked down at my left arm last night, the inner elbow. There it was. The line of red welts of the worst of the seven jellyfish tentacles that had “stung” me eighteen months earlier in the waters of Hawaii. Eighteen months ago! I hadn’t been bothered by it for some months, but here it flared up again, and, amazingly, the welts were still active and doing their thing. Two things to note: Read More
Looking Up
December 13, 2012
On a lark, I decided to dip into the park returning from getting the newspaper at the corner 7/11 this chilly morning. I had just turned the loop at the 1 mile mark, and was bicycling east, when I looked up and noticed that the dawn sky was ablaze with golden clouds. Now it’s nice to know what the ground looks like ahead of you, Read More
Taking Time
December 7, 2012
I’m with the Taoist tradition of China and the environmental stance in America, that it’s important to spend time in the natural world. A week in the High Country, or an hour walking “the route” beside Chico Creek with my wife in the evenings. In addition to these longer times, it’s also good to give yourself a break from the rat race and take briefer moments throughout the day to remind yourself of what’s important. It needn’t be long. Yesterday, it was 2 minutes and twenty seconds for me. Read More
Celebrating
November 29, 2012
To live in the natural world is to celebrate. To celebrate its seasons, certainly. The harvest season of the fall must surely rank high on holiday celebrations. As with the pilgrims and their Indian acquaintances, Thanksgiving is just that celebration. Last week my family’s Thanksgiving celebration took a new twist. Read More
Nurturing the Connection
November 21, 2012
Getting back from my two-week annual “retreat” to Hawaii has been, as always, an adjustment. Suddenly I have a wife (and until this year, kids) to interact with all day, rather than being essentially a hermit in Hawaii. That’s the easy part of the adjustment, since I’m blessed to enjoy the company of my family. More challenging is coming back to continental autumn or winter weather Read More
People, Beaches, Hawaii
November 14, 2012
(Hawaii again?! Hey, I’m here for two weeks and this is a weekly blog. Next week I’ll be back on the mainland.) After my usual morning routine (see my earlier posting) I noticed it was low tide around ten o’clock, so I tightened my teva sandals and walked “tide-pooling/beach-combing” along the base of the seawall Read More