On a crisp, steel-gray night I sat with good friends and cold feet in a small plywood shack on a thick slab of ice. No, it was not a winter camping trip, rather I was smelting. The dictionary defines smelting as “a process of applying heat and a chemical reducing agent to an ore to… Read more
Many folks believe that a strict reading of the Bible informs us that while animals may live with us here on Earth, they will not join us in the afterlife. Devoted pet owners who fervently hope to rejoin with Fifi or Cuddles through eternity rebut that view, arguing that God showed great concern for animals,… Read more
“Oh, man,” I muttered to myself a couple weeks ago, “there’s another one!” My thought was triggered by seeing another log pulled apart by a black bear, the third one in just a couple days. The bruins have been increasing in number in the area around our New York cabin for a decade, and I… Read more
This article concerns the intersection of the natural world around us with the world of science, in this case, biological science and genetic engineering. Science has not always been kind to our environment and the creatures who share the Earth with mankind, but increasingly we find examples where breakthroughs can significantly alter the prospects for… Read more
Fannah, our young guide, quietly maneuvered the safari vehicle through the brush and African sage, coming to a stop 25 feet from our target. The towering acacia tree overhead was skeletal, a victim of debarking by rapacious elephants, with dead limbs littering the ground. A mound of white sand amidst the debris marked the den’s… Read more
As I stepped out of the house with a bag of birdseed in hand, I was focused on filling the “squirrel proof” feeder and getting back to work. Focus is a good thing unless you are so single-minded that you blunder into a situation where slow is better than fast, like popping out to the… Read more
Just as I began my back cast, out of the corner of my eye I caught movement along the shoreline. Letting my rod dip back toward the water I waited to see what creature was poking around in the understory among the large boulders. Suddenly out popped a head with a curious look on its… Read more
When I looked across the river and saw my friend’s fly rod bent nearly double, I called out to him, “Wow, that looks like a good fish!” With a dejected look on his face, my pal replied, “Naw, it’s just a sucker.” You may be tougher than I am, but after suffering way too many… Read more
Every season of the year offers special times, unique experiences, and lasting memories. Following mud season, we all look forward to getting outside for fresh air, green grass, and early flowers like the crocus and hyacinth. This is a time of reawakening for the Earth and all her creatures. It can also be a time… Read more
“What’s the big deal, Ed?” asked Thad, “It’s just an old swamp.” To be fair, Thad is not as thick-headed as he sounded, and I knew he was baiting me. Rather than snap at him I said quietly, “That ‘swamp’ is a salt marsh and some of the best wildlife habitat in our state.” We… Read more