“That’s a widow-maker,” I said while pointing to a nearby tree. I was speaking to Bret who was proudly standing next to the wall tent he'd just put up. He now looked confused. It was clear he had no clue what I was talking about. “That tree…” I again pointed up to the massive Douglas-fir just 75 …
Follow the North Star
It was cold and lonely at midnight in October. The range was dead quiet after exhaling its last deep breath of fall. It was a decisive switch to full on senescence—dormancy after the frantic production of high-altitude shortness of a 60-day summer. Except for the stars poking through the …
Winter Cold, Winter Quiet
Dear Friends This week, we're featuring a photo essay from my oldest daughter, Melanie. She is the keeper of the horse on Alderspring, and it's her work to care for the 40 or so that are our faithful partners. For most of them, work starts up again when springtime slips in and green grass cloaks …
Life Rests on Leaves of Grass
Despite the pitch darkness, the boys headed out on the windswept polder, together pulling a narrow wagon bearing 8 empty milk cans. “Polder” was the word they all used when referring to land taken from the sea. All of them lived and worked below sea level in this place; some of the more …
When Muskrat Helped Beaver
When I lifted the beaver, his weight completely surprised me. He looked like he should weigh about 20lbs, but in the pet carrier, he felt about the size of an overgrown muskrat: maybe 8 pounds. I realized his thick coat, which made him look much larger than his weight, must be mostly insulating air …
When the Brand Returns ‘Em
I looked at the clock. 3:23 AM. It was time to turn in, especially since I got up at 2:45 AM. The day before. Occasionally nature gangs up on us and we have interminably long days. There's just so much to do; first, we have the day-to-day, and then, the big jobs—and then, the …