nature

A collection of 27 posts

food

Dirtbags Never Die

My husband, back in the day, used to be a dirtbag. He lived in his truck and went climbing, and did that game. And while now he has an adult job with actual health insurance and he does things like re-screens our windows with pet-proof material, parts of his dirtbag

summer

Opium for Watermelons

In college, I knew this girl who was a super cool, punk rocker, hippie. And while I've lost touch with her, I know she's now either a high-powered lawyer, or she's living in an Earthship in the desert. There were only ever two paths

desert

Sensory Deprivation

I was asked to participate in a team relay run. The run was something like one hundred and twenty miles total, through the desert, in March. I was put on a team with some people I knew, some I didn't, and I was given an eight mile leg

autumn

Marriage is Like A Forest...

One beautiful autumn day, my husband and I drove way into the mountains to go bird hunting. We turned off the pavement and onto a dirt road, the aspens a beautiful gold. The road was empty save for several fully loaded logging trucks. At the trailhead, we got ready and

autumn

Wagon Dreams

Fall had started. My husband was his usual ecstatic self. The days were getting cooler. The light less harsh. All the things I hated. We were driving to stomp around the mountains, the aspens just starting to yellow, but first we needed gas. He filled up the truck while I

cats

One Chicken, Two Chicken

I live in a rural area. On my street, we are probably the only people who don't have a collection of farm animals. We do have two ferocious, indoor felines who regularly let the bird population know, if that window glass wasn't there, they'd

nature

What Does the Full Moon Do?

Recently, I went on a trip to a resort that had sprung up around a natural hot springs. When I was a kid, the place had allegedly been a bit podunk, but now, it is built up. It's got a spa with offerings like blueberry body wraps and

nature

It's Rather Loud Out Here

I have spent a lot of time outside. So has my husband, and on his off time, he often hikes to scout for elk and deer. One day we were both off, so we went to check out an area he hadn't been to but thought had potential.

nature

Cherry Belly

When my parents came to visit, we decided to go pick cherries. It was the final weekend at a local orchard, and summer was in full swing. My dad, who was there when we made the plans, but wasn't really paying attention, was dismayed to learn just what

desert

That Looks Ominous

The second time I ever hung out with the guy who would become my husband, he asked me to go stomp around some sun-blasted, stick infested, section of scrub oak filled Forest Service land. He said he wanted to go quail scouting (it was spring, so not hunting season) and

desert

Signs

Recently, my friends said there was a cool bar near their house with a fun, speakeasy vibe. We all walked over there, my friends, my husband, and I, and it was a gorgeous evening. We reached the bar, and there was a sign, about three feet tall, posted at the

nature

Carnie Abe

Back in my college days, I worked as a river guide. Kelp Journal was lovely enough to publish my non-fiction essay chronicling a brief look at that time. Please go check it out. It'll be under Issue 11, Carnie Abe. Literary Adventure Journal | Kelp Journal | Pebble Beach, CaliforniaKelp

horror

The Mantle Of Responsibility

I ended up at a training in one of those states that begin with a cardinal direction. The training campus was reminiscent of Hogwarts or some Disney castle land, the campus rolling and beautiful. Big stone buildings nestled into a wooded area, complete with baby deer bounding up the paths.

food

The Turkey Hunt

My husband went spring turkey hunting and bagged a turkey. The photo above is the pozole he made with it. It was tasty. Where we live, spring turkey hunting requires a tag, and once he'd filed his, I thought, sure I'll go try it out. And

nature

Dimes v. Biceps

Back in my river guide days, I was the different one. I was five five, female, and one hundred and twenty-five pounds soaking wet, which was pretty common while I was training. Learning how to pilot rafts involved a lot of falling into the water, hiking boots, work pants and

nature

Halcyon Days

In college, I was a river guide in Grand Teton National Park. I worked three summers guiding boats, and with the exception of a few months, I was the only woman on our crew. It was an extremely physical job, and I learned a lot about a lot of things.

history

Fourteen Hour Road Trip

Recently, my husband and I did a fourteen hour drive in a single day. Two of the states included on this drive were Wyoming and North Dakota. For this trip, my husband selected one of his typical outfits, flip flops, faded pink shorts, a green T-shirt and a bright orange

desert

More Man

Once I started work at a new place, and I was in that new job fog where I was learning a lot and entirely behind on what needed to get done. I was tired. I had finally made it to the end of the day, and I stepped outside to

nature

The Timing Of Motivation

Just out of college I worked for an at-risk-youth wilderness therapy outfit. We took kids into the backcountry for seven to thirteen weeks while their parents decided if they would come back home or go to a residential boarding school. In the backcountry we did group therapy with the kids,

houses

15,000 Pounds

My husband and I moved into an old farmhouse. The house itself was full of weird stuff, like SEVENTEEN different types of flooring, and we decided we would, one day at a time, remodel it. Which is something that was only possible because my husband has skills. I am mostly

food

The Process of Pears

When we moved into our house, we were told the pear tree in our front yard was just going to make wormy pears. We were told we should learn to make cider. Which, when we moved in in the middle of winter, seemed like a fine autumn activity. Of course

food

Bro... Just... Don't

I don't do great with bros. I don't know if it's a life time of always being one of the few, if not the only, woman in a room, but as I slide into middle age, I just... My tolerance for the broham life

travel

Animal Behavior...

This is a story about more sharks. There I was. Enjoying the beach. Crystal clear waters. And then, a shadow... And another shadow. The water was filled with sharks. Which was pretty neat. I'd been coming to this beach for over twenty years and in that time I&

nature

I Don't Think That Happens

A mentor of mine and I were playing phone tag. I needed advice. I was at the cusp of possibly of getting a big break into the industry of my dreams, and then the entire industry came grinding to a halt. Not that I was surprised. I mean, the 2020&

cats

He's Probably Fine...

One day, back when I lived in Foo, I was out of town, and my friend called me. "Hey, is your husband alright?" Obviously, this caused me some alarm. She elaborated. "I was getting off work last night around midnight, and he was standing on your porch