On the drive in Friday, Tom flinched every time a branch scraped against Xena on Booger Hollow’s narrow and rhododendron-infested roads. So today, I got out the loppers to trim them back. It was a three-hour chore. But the destructive beast inside me was growling with delight to be off the leash. Loppers were unfamiliar to … read more Lop lop loppers
Category: Trees
To See A Tree: A naturalist’s journal of the Southern Appalachians. Our ambivalent and ignorant relationship with the natural world
What the drought hath wrought
The first summer after I transplanted a black cohosh to the hillside above the cabin, I was so worried about its need for shade that I suspended a baby blanket over it with bungee cords. Then halfway through the summer I realized that I was also keeping some of the rain from reaching the plant, … read more What the drought hath wrought
The snake and the bear
As a treat for myself, I made the time to head up the mountain on a strenuous hike. This trail is the one that traverses steeply, gaining more than 1,000 feet just in the last section. My previous time, mid-June, was 45 minutes going up, but after two months away I wasn’t hoping to match … read more The snake and the bear
The 11th day of the rice and sugar cult
Every day I go to a tree, any tree. Around the base, I scatter a mix of sugar and rice. There is no incantation, no prayer, no special method of scattering the rice and sugar. I have done this for 11 days in a row. The ritual is to break my chain of bad luck. … read more The 11th day of the rice and sugar cult
Zip it good
Amanda wanted badly to tell me something about the house, but she’d only met me a few hours before. She didn’t know how I’d react. She turned to her mom. “Should we tell her about… you know…” Judy looked at her daughter, face frozen. “The lady,” Amanda said. “You know. Out back.” Judy said, “Sure.” … read more Zip it good
Bear bust
Yesterday was busy enough as it was, but I also had to stop to intervene in a neighborhood break-in. I was driving to go and fix lunch for Tom. A fat black bear cub was wandering along the road. I slowed to a crawl, looking for his mother. She was easy to spot. Standing on … read more Bear bust
The oak, falling – Part 2
I could hear the chainsaws across the valley a little after 8 a.m., and I knew it was at my house. I sat on Sara’s deck, looking out into the obliterating mist, and cried. She came out and sat with me. We talked and drank coffee. Finally, I got dressed and drove to my house, where a 10-ton oak … read more The oak, falling – Part 2
A path to Lullwater
Tom wasn’t done with rehab today until nearly 5 p.m. I wanted to beat the rush hour traffic, so I drove into town early and went to explore the vast park just across the street from the rehab hospital. Lullwater Park is part of the Emory University campus, and technically is only available to students and … read more A path to Lullwater
Natural aids
Awake before 5 and my restless mind couldn’t get back to sleep. When I tried to get up at 6:30, I collapsed into anxiety. I sobbed at the thought of having to leave this beautiful home in the mountains in just a few hours. I begged the universe to come to my aid. Is anyone out … read more Natural aids
Drunken bees
One of the reasons I grow passionflower is to serve as a bartender to bees. They love the rich nectar of this showy blossom so much that they get drunk on it. The first sign is when the bee simply sits on the barstool without moving. Next, they get disoriented and can’t seem to navigate the bar, … read more Drunken bees