Tales from the Hills
Another Chapter in the Case of the Missing Bees
A faint trail led through the wetland grass, winding from the darker woods and out into the open edge of the meadow. I knew the bear frequented these lower woods, and the trail was big enough that it couldn't have been anything else. My mom and I were exploring,...
Mushrooms Among Us
A heavy rain falls. I worry about the roof leaking. I worry about the weight of the water in the trees near our home and limbs falling. I worry about the mud in our pastures and the moisture in our basement. It is fall in the Pacific Northwest. It is a time of the...
Predators On The Farm
In our four years of poultry raising in an urban backyard in Montana, we lost a total of three birds to predators. And two of those were by the mouths of domesticated dogs. In our first seven months here at the farm, we've already seen five birds succumb to the jaws...
From The Sky To The Table
From a putrefying swamp to a slobbering dog's mouth to the dinner table of some of our best friends, those three mallards hold a special place in my heart. Yes, I will remember them, at least for the next year, as the fruits of Wylie's labors on the best day...
Wylie’s Comeback Part 2
You'll recall that I had just fired and watched an injured bird sail away over the horizon... The three of us met up and Katie says "it dropped right over here, right?" "No, it flew way over to that other pond" I replied "No, I'm pretty sure it dropped right around...
Wylie’s Comeback
Two full years have passed since Wylie has hunted. Well, that`s not quite true; in Baja he hunted poisonous toads, skunks, bobcats, lizards, herring, and the occasional sea lion. In Austin he hunted raccoons, squirrels, armadillos and god knows what else on...
A Comedy of Beavers
We were enjoying a cool evening watching the sun set over Ninemile Creek, when we saw a flurry of brown fur cartwheeling near the far bank. When the melee ended, one huge beaver climbed victoriously onto the bank and watched as the smaller beaver swam in retreat to...