The Cherry Tree—a Mystery Tale

Once upon a time, in a far-away land, there lived a man and his wife. They lived together in a city townhouse large enough for a family. In the small, fenced-in backyard covered by a deck grew a cherry tree. Every April, the tree produced a profusion of beautiful,...

Tree Knots

“I’d like to be a tree,” said actress Katharine Hepburn during her 1981 interview on the TV program 20/20. “What kind of tree?” Barbara Walters asked as a follow up. “An oak because they are strong and pretty.” She didn’t mention that oak tree leaves and acorns are...

On Wind and Trees

Several days ago, friends visited our mountain home Vanaprastha. While admiring views of Virginia’s Three Ridges Wilderness area and Rockfish Valley, they expressed concern about the tall trees near the house being subject to wind. Curious about the relationship...

Heathcliff Finds a Turtle

This weekend, during our routine pre-sunrise walk, Heathcliff and I found a box turtle making her way across the rarely travelled, gravel turn-around. Perhaps the turtle sought shelter in the accumulated leaves and mud on the other side, a place to lay her eggs or to...