My dad was a quintessential, salt-of-the-earth farmer. He used many colorful expressions to describe everyday events. One of them came to...

BLOOM TIME June on the homestead is not all about work. Certainly there is an abundance of work to be done--more that we will ever...

RESTORING THE SOUL Each day of the week has regular chores that must be done: feeding the animals, milking the cows, watering in the...

Sisyrinchium inflatum It’s a delight to hike the shrub step hills during these early days of spring. There is still snow on the tops of...

As the last part of February gave way to March, winter finally loosened its grip on the shrub steppe landscape. What was--for the most...

A COLLECTION OF SNOWSCAPES For the past few years, the midwinter snows have come layered upon the first green of spring. Just when we've...

This time of year, the rhythm of morning and evening chores blends together into one long pattern. The shortness of days and necessary...

I could feel the change in the air today, as if the world sensed that winter was losing its grip and spring was taking root. February...

I went for a hike today, stretching my legs and getting above the valley floor for the first time in a while. Fall is always a busy...

As the August sun rose on the homestead, the air was already ripe with the smell of hot world: The familiar scent of dusty pathways on my...

Last Sunday evening we took advantage of a break in the schedule to make the short drive deeper into the mountains. In the rush and...

In the middle of January, the dull grey days of winter gave way to sunshine and warmth with unexpected rapidity. One Sunday afternoon, we...

I am continually amazed by the life and beauty that springs forth from a seemingly dead landscape. Even before the last vestiges of...

We are stewards of this place we love. We have been given the land for a little while—entrusted with its care. As active participants in...

With every year, our lives become more tied to the land. Like the plants and animals of this place, we are affected by the changing...