The tree in front of my house is changing its leaves from green to a rich, red-brown. It is a chokecherry–at least I think it is. It doesn’t fruit. I don’t know if that’s because it’s a variety bred to be ornamental or if it’s just a Flagstaff thing. Even the trees meant to be fruit bearers tend to struggle here. This tree...
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On the first day this year that truly felt like spring, I spent hours outside. I watered the plants and sowed new seeds while enjoying the beautiful temperate weather. It was even a little overcast, so I didn’t have to hide from the harsh sun. I didn’t realize until that moment how much I had missed putting my hands in soil. Most of what I’ve...
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I thought the last snowstorm we got might be the last. Actually, I felt like the last storm might be the last, but how I feel and what the weather does are two different things entirely. Maybe it is more accurate to say that I hoped the last storm would be the last, that we were on the road to spring, that I could finally get on with moving forward and...
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Every morning when I get dressed, I walk to my dresser, take two steps to the left, and dig through baskets, bins, and piles of laundry to find the clothes I will wear for the day. Some of it is clean, gathered into a basket to be banished to the corner of the bedroom for a few cycles of laundry until I finally get a wild spurt of motivation and put stuff...
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As I walk down my snow covered driveway to retrieve a package left by our gate, I am met by the dotted lines of cat tracks. One meets my path near our garage door, beelines east toward the fence, then abruptly changes direction when it becomes apparent this route will collide with a patch of weeds. The path reminds me of an animated transcription of a...
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