Blog
As a curious observer of life, I blog on writing, marketing, my prairie - anything that interests me in the moment. I like to have conversations with readers, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment. I'll respond.
As the temperatures and humidity soared this past week, I took refuge in the luxury of air conditioning. From air conditioned house to air conditioned car to air conditioned offices. I got there as…
Read MoreIn 1915, you could catch a train within 12 miles, anywhere in Iowa. In the heyday of Iowa train travel, you could ride an hourly commuter train between Boone and Des Moines. In Des Moines,…
Read MoreI always enjoy a walk down memory lane. One reason is you never know where the walk is going to take you. Yesterday, I joined a friend and her mother in Boone, Iowa, where her…
Read MoreThe prairie always gives me something new to look at. But often I’m not sure what it is I’m seeing. Here’s my latest puzzle. I realize the challenge picking out the flower and foliage from…
Read MoreOne of the delights in the prairie this year is how many more of certain types of flowers there are than there were last year. Gray-headed and purple coneflowers are two particularly beautiful examples. Last…
Read MoreRattlesnake Master – Neal Smith NWR This spring, a plant looking very much like some variety of thistle showed up in my prairie. The spines along it’s slender leaves tempted me, but I exercised remarkable-for-me…
Read MoreBiking in Italy was excellent training for Iowa. I didn’t huff and puff on my trusty red one-speed for nothing. That old baby prepared me well. When I take to my neighborhood streets, these…
Read MoreOne of my greatest joys is taking children into my prairie. The prairie when you’re a pint-sized three feet tall is a totally different experience than when you’re an adult – with adult eyes and…
Read More‘What’s going on in the prairie?’ I asked my husband when he picked me up at the airport. I’d been gone a month. I figured the prairie would be flourishing. Imagine my surprise when he…
Read MoreYou know what the say about assumptions? Well, I made a big one when I saw the aqueducts running through Guamo, and assumed they were Roman era construction. Turns out, they’re much more recent. In…
Read More