A different kind of urban garden may be the key to feeding ourselves locally — Let’s talk about mushrooms. I’ve been comparing their underground stealthiness to Russian democracy, describing how they grow out of sight, keeping their peace until the right moment. I’ve pointed out that you never do know when they’re going to burst into the light and turn the world upside down. But…

Meta’s stock collapse revealed what I already knew — I quit Facebook, Instagram and every other property owned by what is now called Meta nearly two years ago. It was at the time a rash decision and at first many of my friends and family wondered where I had “gone.” Soon, though, the people who mattered “found” me. It…

My search for an acre of escape — It was the rock that caught my eye. Dappled with lichen and lighted by the afternoon sun, it appeared to be the perfect place for contemplation. …

This is the year to de-center your smartphone — For the sake of yourself and your country, it is time to get off your phone. Yes, I know you needed to see the latest inquiries into January 6th, the most recent QAnon theories, the debunking of those theories and then the debunking of the debunking. Then perhaps you’ll want…

An animal’s passing mattered most in 2022 — I did not cry when my father died. I did not cry when I lost both my aunts. My daughter’s wedding produced no tears. A dear friend’s passing left my eyes dry. But every night as I slip into bed and feel for Troppa and find only a cold expanse…

If a tree is googled in a forest is it still a tree? — Counting trees. A whole summer of counting trees. Betula papyriferae, Quercus albus, Fagus grandifolia, Acer sacchirinum. I noted down their names and approximate widths in a soggy logbook, my pencil sometimes tearing through the wet paper as the rain dripped off the brim of my baseball hat. I leaned against…

It comes down to three “P’s” — Since the war in Ukraine began, those lacking on-the-ground experience in the countries of the former Soviet Union have been shocked by the brutality of the Russian army. …

We must let the wild world reach its full potential — Every once in a while, in this highly diminished world of ours, one comes across something in nature that has been allowed to reach its full potential. It’s happened to me in the Singer Tract of Mississippi where the sewing machine giant had deeded a swath of cypress to the…

Language is best when it’s layered — Last year I got into a fight with a good friend because I refused to reply to his non-words. It didn’t matter if he’d send me a winky. Or a sad face. Or a heart-eyed smiley. I just wasn’t interested. He could double exclamation point my insights, double ha ha…