Why Gardeners Need to Be Outward-Looking

 

“Gardening’s good for you. It gets you back in touch with nature.”

Night Moves

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Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Gardening is solitary work, but it's beneficial to think beyond one's own borders.

Tree Hugger

Summer Solstice

“Last year I went to Ireland for the solstice,” he told her. “There’s a small

stone dance there, in County Cork. It’s more intimate than Stonehenge. The

sky stays light until nearly ten, and when it begins to fade, toward the end of

the longest day, the stones sing.”

Face the Fire

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By Herb Roe - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79023974

things to know about the longest day of the year

Why do we have a summer solstice, anyway? Friday, June 21 will be the longest day of 2019 for anyone living north of the equator. If pagan rituals are your thing, this is probably a big moment for you. If not, the solstice is still pretty neat.

VOX

King of the jungle finds his queen

On the other side of the fence, Boris rose on his hind legs, called to her. She kept low, kept subservient, but approached the fence to sniff at him. When he lowered, she scurried back to stand at the entrance to her cage.

To what, Lil knew, she thought of as safety. He called her again, insistently, until she bellied over to the fence, quivering, trembling as he sniffed her nose, her front paws.

When he licked her, Lil smiled. “We should’ve called him Romeo. Let’s get the cage away, close her in. Boris will take it from here.”

Black Hills

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By Masterwiki1 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32631365

Lions who were both born into captivity have found happiness together 

after their rescuers decided to introduce them to one another.

DAILYMAIL

Brazil's Amazon rainforest is burning

Dobie pulled a smashed sandwich out of his bag, 

looked up at the towering columns of smoke and flame. 

“Biggest I’ve ever seen.”

“She’s a romper,” Rowan agreed, “but you know what they say 

about Alaska. 

Everything’s bigger. 

Fuel up. We’ve got a long way to go.”

Chasing Fire 

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Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=187196

Fires are raging at a record rate in Brazil's Amazon rainforest, and scientists warn that it could strike a devastating blow to the fight against climate change.

The fires are burning at the highest rate since the country's space research center, the National Institute for Space Research (known by the abbreviation INPE), began tracking them in 2013, the center said Tuesday.

CNN

Healing Stones

"You're interested in crystals?"

"I could be." Idly he picked up a hunk of amethyst. "But I flunked my earth

science course in high school."

"I don't think you'll be graded here." She nodded toward the stone he held. "If

you want to get in touch with your inner self, you should hold it in your left

hand."

Captivated 

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Top Healing Stones and Their Characteristics

Gemstones are Mother Nature's natural healers and are a delight to give and receive. By gifting someone with a crystal, you are also offering healing. There are hundreds of different types of stones to choose from, and exploring them and discovering the perfect gemstone for you can be fun.

Learn Religions 

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"Breathe." Ana's voice was gentle as she placed crystals over Morgana's belly.

They hovered in the air, gleaming with an unearthly light that Mel 

tried to take in stride.

Charmed

The secret to staying safe while hiking is preparation

“You set?”

Noah took another bite of his tractor wheel. “Yeah.”

“Let’s see.” She stood back, skimmed her measuring glance up, then down, then up

again. “How long have those boots been out of the box, ace?”

Less than an hour, Noah thought, as he’d bought them in San Francisco. “So I

haven’t been hiking in a few years. Unless we’re planning on climbing the

Matterhorn, I’m up for it. I’m in shape.”

“Health-club shape.” She pressed a finger against his flat belly. “Fancy health club,

too. This won’t be like your Stair-Master. Where’s your water bottle?”

Already irritated with her, he held out a hand, cupped it and let rain pool in his palm.

Olivia only shook her head. “Hold on a minute.” She turned on her heel and headed

back into the lodge.

“Is it just me,” Noah asked Shirley, “or does she browbeat everyone?” When the

dog merely sat, shot the doughnut a hopeful look, Noah broke what was left in half,

tossed it. Shirley caught it on the fly, gulped it whole, then belched cheerfully.

Noah was still grinning when Olivia jogged back out with a plastic water bottle and

belt loop. “You always take your own water,” Olivia began and to Noah’s surprise

began to nimbly hook the bottle to his belt.

River's End

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Whenever you head outdoors for an adventure, preparation is the key. Make sure you pack more than a water bottle and a snack. Whether you're planning a short nature walk or a major overnight camping trip, it's important to pack properly for outdoor excursions of any length.

Mother Nature Network

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Cal was waiting for her when she drove up.

He stepped out, started down the steps, the dog

wandering behind him, as she got out of the car. 

He took a scan, starting with her feet.

Good, sturdy hiking boots that showed some scars and wear, f

aded jeans, tough jacket in I’m-Not-a-Deer red, and a multistriped scarf 

that matched the cloche-style cap on her

head. Silly hat, he mused, that was unaccountably appealing on her.

In any case, he decided she knew what to wear on a hike through the winter woods.

“Do I pass muster, Sergeant?”

Blood Brothers

The emotional depth of animals

Lil wound her way, following the trail formed by feet trampling through the snow.

He was waiting for her, pacing, watching, calling. At her approach, the cat rubbed its body against the fencing, then stood, bracing his fore paws against it. And purred.

Six months since he’d seen her—scented her, Lil thought. But he hadn’t forgotten her. “Hello, Baby.”

She reached through to stroke the tawny fur, and he bumped his head affectionately to hers.

“I missed you, too.”

He was four now, full-grown, lithe and magnificent. He hadn’t been fully weaned when she’d found him, and his two litter mates, orphaned and half starved. She’d hand-fed them, tended them, guarded them. And when they’d been old enough, strong enough, had reintroduced them to the wild.

But he’d kept coming back.

She’d named him Ramses, for power and dignity, but he was Baby.

And her one true love.

“Have you been good? Of course, you have. You’re the best. Keeping everybody in line? I knew I could count on you.”

As she spoke and stroked, Baby purred, hummed in his throat, and looked at her with golden eyes full of love.

She heard movement behind her, glanced back. The one Tansy had called Eric stood staring. “They said he was like that with you, but . . . I didn’t believe it.”

Black Hills

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Other animals have 'human' emotions, too

Emotions are like organs: vital and universal, and not just for our species, primatologist Frans de Waal argues in a new book.

Mother Nature Network

Be Inspired

The land in southeast Wyoming is a magnificent paradox. 

Spreading plains and rolling hills coexist with rocky mountains 

and thick velvet pines. 

From the kitchen window, the view was astounding, 

and Samantha Evans halted in her duties for a moment to drink it in.

The Rockies dominated the vast curtain of sky,

their peaks laced with snow, 

though it was late March.

Song of The West 

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OPEN YOUR MIND AND INVIGORATE YOUR SENSES.

Because some things can't be explained, only experienced.

Wyoming Vacations & Travel Guide

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Moments later she was out the door, gazing around her in delight 

at the beauty of the starlit Wyoming night. Her breath puffed

out in thin white mists as she moved. The air, tinged with frost, 

carried the aroma of pine, and she drank it in greedily, enjoying the

mixed scent of hay and horses and aged wood. 

She could hear the lonely sound of a coyote calling to 

the full silver moon. 

And suddenly she realized that she had fallen in love with Wyoming. 

The spell of the mountains and plains was on her, and she was

inexplicably glad she had come.

"Goodness, you were out a long time," her sister commented 

as Samantha plopped down in a wing-backed chair in front of the fire a few minutes later. "You must be frozen."

"No." Samantha stretched out her legs and sighed. "I love it out there. It's fantastic! I never realized how big the sky was before, and I

don't think I'll ever get used to the space, the openness."

Song of The West

❄️ Stay Warm 🌨️ Stay Safe 🧤

"Getting cold."

"Maybe it'll snow. Maybe it'll snow six feet and there won't be any school."

"We can always dream." He picked up the ball and winged it in a way Simon desperately admired.

"If it snows six feet, can you stay home from work?"

"If it snows six feet, I'll make a point of staying home from work."

"And we can have hot chocolate and play ten million video games."

"That's a deal."

Key of Valor

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You can thank the polar vortex for this beastly blast of winter

Dangerously cold temperatures will hit much of the Midwest and bring a deep freeze to parts of the U.S. — and the weather term we can't stop talking about is to blame. Raise your snow shovel to the polar vortex.

The National Weather Service warned that wind chills will drop to their lowest readings since the mid-1990s across the Upper Midwest.

The National Weather Service in Des Moines, Iowa, said “this is the coldest air many of us will have ever experienced”

mother nature network

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“How much are they calling for?”

“About three feet.” Cal dropped down beside him, mirrored his pose. “Used to be we liked nothing better. No school, haul out the sleds. Snowball wars.”

“Those were the days, my friend.”

“Now we’re priming the generator, loading in firewood, buying extra batteries and toilet paper.”

“Sucks to be grown up.”

Blood Brothers

Should you feed birds in winter?

In a moment she was trudging back, dragging an enormous burlap sack.

"What are you doing?"

"Going to feed the birds." She was out of breath but still moving. "This time of year they need all the help they can get."

He shook his head. "Let me do it"

"I'm very strong."

"Yes, I know. Let me do it anyway."

He took the sack, braced, put his back into it and began to haul it across the snow. It gathered snow— and weight—with every step.

"I thought you weren't a nature lover."

"That doesn't mean I'd let them starve." And she'd promised Libby.

He hauled the bag another foot. "Couldn't you just dump it out?"

"If a thing's worth doing—"

Times Change 

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It seems like a no-brainer to help our feathered friends, but consider these potential risks

Watching birds at your feeder during the barren winter months is a great way to stay connected with nature and help creatures that might otherwise struggle to find their next meal.

mother nature network

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The mourning doves were cooing, bobbing heads as they pecked along 

the ground under the bird feeder. Too fat and lazy,

Duncan thought, to bother to fly up into it. Rather take leavings. 

A lot of people were the same.

High Noon

You should start a sit-spot routine

She gave him his moment while she scanned the woods. Birds called, a

musical lift accompanied by the rat-a-tat of a woodpecker hunting for lunch. The

sun through the filter of young leaves cast a dreamy light.

It would brighten as they walked, she knew, and the view would open to the

hills. She loved looking out from the high ground, studying the rise and fall of

the land. And here, in soft light and shadow, with the birdcall and the mutter of

the stream, the splashing dog—here, she thought, was more home than the

house.

The Witness

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Spending time in nature has proven health benefits, and this habit will help you reap those positive rewards

Half an hour ago, as I walked into my beautiful little oasis located just a five-minute walk from my house, I was carrying the weight of a overly long to-do list and drafting emails in my head. My stomach and shoulders were tensed and my brow was furrowed with full force, though I didn't really notice because my mind was elsewhere.

But as soon as I arrived at the creek bank, I forgot all about what I wasn't getting done and what was being asked of me in my day.

Mother Nature Network

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She rode for the loch. It was an indulgence, right or wrong, that occasionally she allowed herself. 
Whenever time allowed, she went

there to sit on the bank and dream a little. And remember. 
It brought Brigham closer to her. As close, Serena knew, as he would ever
be. He was gone. Back to London, where he belonged.

Now spring was here in all its glory. Flowers waved in the gentle breeze, 
trees were ripe with green, green leaves. The sunlight dappled

through, making pretty patterns on the soft path. 
Young deer walked through the forest.

By the loch the ground was springy and warm, though the water 
would be frigid for weeks yet, and would carry a chill all through the

summer. Content from the ride, she lay on the grassy 
knoll to read a little, and dream. 
It was solitude she had wanted, and it was serenity she found.

Rebellion 

8 things to know about the winter solstice

“Midnight approaches.” 

She turned her head against Rhiann’s bracing shoulder. 

“The solstice. The darkest hour of the darkest day.”

Witching Hour

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From when it happens to why, 

here's your crash course 

on the shortest day of the year.

Mother Nature Network

How to Pick the Best Christmas Tree Ever

The simple pleasure of choosing a Christmas tree was enough to put the 

laughter back in her eyes.

“This one!” Shane exclaimed, stopping in front of a short-needle pine. 

“It's exactly right.”

“It doesn't look much different from the other five hundred trees we've looked at,” 

Vance grumbled, slicing the point of his shovel into the snow.

“That's because you don't have a connoisseur's eye,” she said condescendingly. 

He scooped up a handful of snow and rubbed it into her face. 

“Be that as it may,” Shane continued with remarkable aplomb, 

“this is the one. Dig,” she instructed, and stepping back, folded her arms.

First Impressions

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By Trevor Webb - Own work, CC BY 4.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65119685

Confused about how to choose the best Christmas tree for your family? The experts at Better Homes & Gardens can help! With these tips for choosing the optimal real Christmas tree and keeping it looking good for as long as possible, you'll have the best Christmas tree on the block.

Better Homes & Gardens

Why does snow make the world so quiet?

"I guess the quiet woke me. It's odd, don't you think, how quiet it is?"

"The snow always makes it quiet."

The Return of Rafe MacKade

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By Stulli - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3834213

Hush. It's snowing outside.

At least, doesn't it feel like that when snowflakes make their grand entrance, pirouetting from the sky like tiny, twirling ballerinas?

And we're pressed up against windows, eyes wide open. Or outside, all giddy smiles with tongues eagerly outstretched.

Snowflakes look good. They even taste good. But they sound like … nothing.

mother nature network

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On impulse, she bundled herself in her boots and coat and stepped out onto the porch.

Though Gabe had shoveled it off twice during the day, the snow came almost to her knees. Her boots sank in 
and disappeared. She had the sensation of being swallowed up by a soft, benign cloud. 
She wrapped her arms around her chest and breathed in the thin, cold air.

There were no stars. There was no moon. The porch light tossed its glow only a few feet. 
All she could see was white. 
All she could hear was silence.

Gabriel's Angel 

This Drone Video of Autumn in New England Will Lift Your Soul

Autumn had taken over New England,
with its exceptional style. Trees roared with color, 
and as they passed their peak, the air took on a snap
 that hinted slyly of winter.


Julia @ The MacGregor Brides 

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Everyone has heard about the incredible leaf colors that blanket parts of New England and the Midwest during autumn. But to actually see the red, yellow and orange leaves glowing like embers along hilly landscapes, around glassy lakes and dappled among harbor towns is another thing entirely. 

HOUZZ

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It was balmy early autumn, perfect New England weather, 
with the trees just beginning to hint at the wild color to come 
in the evening
light of a slowly deepening sky. 
When he got home, he promised himself, he was going to 
take a glass of wine, sit on his back porch
and survey his kingdom.

Ian @ The MacGregor Grooms

Autumn 🍂

The damp air, fat as a soaked sponge, the flickers of light filtering through the trees, the

swirl of the oncoming autumn made it all a fine day, in Connor’s opinion, to tromp around

the wood following the hawks.

Shadow Spell

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By Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61475246

Throw a Fall Harvest Party

Entertaining: Autumn Party

Decorating with a Fall Palette

Beautiful Autumn Garden

Fabulous Fall Centerpieces

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The forest had always appealed to her. In mid- autumn, it shouted with

life. The burst of colors were a last swirling fling before the trees went into

the final cycle. It was an order Kirby accepted—birth, growth, decay, rebirth.

The Art of Deception