As one travels along the 469 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway, dead trees are highly noticeable when found among the surrounding thick forest. Numerous causes of tree losses can occur, including climate change, resettling air pollution from other regions, invasive species, disease or old age. A 2020 study found that about a quarter of…
I’m grateful for the much-needed rain that Post Tropical Cyclone Debby amply provided as it passed through the area yesterday. The weather apps indicate it rained about five inches here, but that seems high from my post-observation, at least locally. Still, it may be correct since a good part of my experience during…
“We are more often frightened than hurt; and we suffer more from imagination than from reality.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca Of course, in this day and age and in the next four years, it’s easy to imagine many possible terrible things. Perhaps because of my age, I find that I’m not as concerned for myself as…
“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.”― L.M. Montgomery Ten years ago, on this date, in 2014, we were nearing the end of a nine-day road trip through northern Spain. The Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso was one of our last stops before…
The Impatiens flower, also known as “Busy Lizzie,” has a rich history and symbolism. Its origins can be traced back to Africa and some parts of Asia. These delicate flowers hold significant meanings in different cultures around the world. In Eastern cultures, the Impatiens flower symbolizes motherly love, while in Western traditions, it represents patience…