Tonight at the old cabin in the piney woods, the air is cold, the moon-shadows dark. Our nocturnal neighbors have been out and about—the Great Horned Owl vocalizing from deep in the woods. Earlier in the evening a pair of Gray Foxes cavorted about in the yard. And our pink-tailed Opossum, none too happy with the early winter weather, came
November Church O’ The Pines
HERE AT THE CHURCH O’ THE PINES, we have pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact that this is-was-has-been the coldest, rainiest, windiest, cloudiest, crummiest Fall on record. Even Dr. Woodrow F. Stump, Woodland Psychologist, the oldest member of the congregation and resident curmudgeon, agrees. He is slightly cheered by the recent election, of which he opines that “You humans
Walk in the Woods
A walk in the October woods is good for many things; but most of all it is good for the soul. With my eye troubles I have missed many of the peak colors this fall, but this local woods still looks absolutely beautiful to me. More beautiful than ever, perhaps. And it smells beautiful. And it sounds beautiful. And it
Here is the Secret…
And here is the secret, if you have not already guessed it… The heart that gives thanks is a happy one, for we cannot feel thankful and unhappy at the same time. The more we say thanks, the more we find to be thankful for. And the more we find to be thankful for, the happier we become. We don’t
Broad Horizons…
IN EVERY JOURNEY, we encounter broad horizons and winding narrows; calm waters and challenging rapids; blue skies and fierce storms. All are navigable, it seems, with care and skill and a traveler’s mindfulness.
Snowy Day in the Pines
This Sunday morning the Church In The Pines is covered with snow. Ladled with snow. Blanketed with snow. Enveloped in snow. Winter has been here for many weeks. It has been cold for a long time. But Kiwedin, the old winter-man, does not have his full impact–the beauty that comes with the cold–until the pine boughs, the trails, the old
The Meaning of Wilderness
Radio Interviewer: “So, Douglas Wood–Author of Old Turtle–Welcome. Let me ask you a question. Reading your book, you seem to be an environmentalist; what we might call an environmental extremist. Out West here, we have a lot of land that’s been locked up in “wilderness areas” by federal government land-grabs. Can you tell me why these areas can’t be open
Wind Poem
On a late afternoon walk on our frozen Mississippi, I came upon this lovely piece of artwork, untouched by human hands. Posted on Facebook, it got many interpretations. Some called it a God doodle. Some a snowy spider web; a snow dusted ball of twine; a frozen dream catcher; a dance of the windswept twigs. My favorite? Simply a “wind
First Days At Fawn Island 2017
White throated sparrows singing their pure, high flute notes. Loons calling. A chorus of frogs…. First night of the season on Fawn Island.
Countess Stories… article by St. Paul Pioneer Press
A beautifully crafted, in depth article in today’s St. Paul Pioneer Press, on my new books and on this interesting journey of a life. Written by long time book reviewer and Minnesota treasure, Mary Ann Grossman. It is very humbling to have so many nice things said. I am so grateful for the interest and the coverage. READ THE