Hickory Nut

If you know a friendly woman in the Holland/Zeeland area rides the Macatawa trails and gathers hickory nuts, please thank her for me.

Trail Talk – Saugatuck Dunes State Park

Adding after posting: I failed to mention the audiobook I listened to on the way back: Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold. On the way out, I just listened to the wind in the trees. Since I spend so much time hiking the trails in my part of the Mitten, I thought I'd start …

Music in the Park

Evening music at the park is my favorite summer activity, but I have seen few outdoor concerts in the past 15 months. Earlier this week, we learned that our favorite local band was playing again, and had a gig Tuesday night. Sitting in my folding chair at the park where the band played, I was …

Stargazing and Meteor-Watching – Three things to bring with you to Headlands Dark Sky Park

I went to Headlands International Dark Sky Park in Mackinaw City last night on a whim to catch the last of the Perseid meteor showers. The drive was almost four hours, which meant I had time to check into my motel, pick up a veggie sub from Mama Mia's Pizza, and get to the park …

Bookish Kids – Aesop’s Fables Free Resource

I do some volunteer ESL tutoring, and today as my learner and I were exploring some online resources I came across a charming (and slightly animated and sound-enhanced) online version of Aesop's Fables, suitable for children. The typeface is pleasant and the vintage illustrations and animations are charming. It's free; check it out by clicking …

Off Topic: The Musical Edition

Music speaks to me more intensely and immediately than any other medium. Once not long ago, when I felt far from home and anxious about getting back there, the opening notes of "Life in a Northern Town" reached across three thousand miles through the overhead music of the cafe where I waited for my drink, …

Michigan Monday (two days early) – Introducing Sheila Solomon Shotwell

Cover images used with author's permission. In recent years, through the magic of Facebook, I have met several aunts and cousins from my maternal grandfather's family. One of those cousins is Sheila Solomon Shotwell, author of books, short stories, and essays. Two of her works, Gone Before Spring and No Doubt in My Mind, are …

Another Michigan Author: Holling C. Holling

It's hard to maintain one's interest and motivation in hobbies and interests during these bizarre times; for me, a curious mind is the best defense against defeat. Today's discovery has helped . You may recall an episode of the 1990's series "Northern Exposure" in which laid-back local DJ Chris, played by John Corbett, reads a …

Michigan Poet Philip Levine

On my sister website, Your Book Group, I published a reading by Detroit native and former Poet Laureate Philip Levine. You can read the post here: National Poetry Month #13 - Philip Levine.

Lake Michigan waves at sunset, and a poem

It was a windy sunset last night . . . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y81Y17CfGzQ Poem courtesy of The Academy of American Poets - poets.org. Click HERE to see the website. O Sea, That Knowest Thy Strength Effie Lee Newsome - 1885-1978 Hast thou been known to sing,        O sea, that knowest thy strength?Hast thou been known …