The song birds at the bird feeder suddenly took flight. Then I saw why. I large red-tailed hawk flew into the backyard and landed in the small redbud tree at the back of the property. It was on the hunt.            Then I noticed that one song sparrow failed to fly away. It was in the lone maple near the ...

            Ever since I started following the Winter Olympics I have marveled at what is called the biathlon. Competitors cross-country ski as fast as possible and then stop and shoot rifles.            Think about it. You have to move rapidly with your heart rate accelerating. Then when you stop, you have to slow your ...

I love coffee. It's not just the caffeine but also the unity that grows from sharing a good cup of java with friends and colleagues.Here in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, I find my appreciation of that wonderful beverage growing. On this mission trip, as with all trips here, I am rediscovering all the many steps that go into coffee production. There is the art of growing ...

Sunday was one of those days when everyone had to contend with fog. I was reminded of Carl Sandburg’s poem:                                   The fog comes            On little cat feet.            It sits looking     ...

      I identified the tracks as those of a deer. My skis left their own parallel lines as my route crossed where the deer had gone. Since the snow was new, I knew that the deer’s passing was recent. So I was tempted to give chase. Then I decided to just enjoy the intersection of our pathways.            Although there was the ...

             I was cross-country skiing when I happened to notice some seeds that had attached themselves to my clothing. I must have brushed against large weeds, and the burrs hitched a ride with me. I whisked them off, and they quickly established themselves in a new setting, probably to grow in the spring.          ...