Several years ago, my husband pulled into our driveway with his pickup truck and said, “Honey, you’ve got to come with me to this yard sale. They’re giving everything away for free!” We drove up the street, following the signs to the “Yard Free.” A family was moving out of state and downsizing from a […]
Skunks and Skunk Cabbage Mean Spring is Here
One night in early March I caught my first whiff of skunk spray in the air – a sure sign that spring is on its way. Other than Pepé LePew and the fact that they are smelly (and can make you or your pets smelly too), I have very few associations with skunk. So I […]
Exploring at a Toddler’s Pace
My son Abel will be two years old in May. Our house is small, and when winter began, I was concerned that as the cold days wore on, it would start to feel like the walls were closing in on us. But so far, we’re doing okay. We’ve learned that we can still play outside […]
The Brant Rock Dike Feud
Driving along Route 139 in Marshfield’s Green Harbor, you might not notice that the road passes over a tide gate, also known as the Brant Rock Dike. The harbor itself lies to the east of the gate, while to the west, the tidal Green Harbor River and its marshes stretch out toward the horizon. Although […]
The Land Doesn’t Change
A mill building in downtown Adams, MA. My maternal grandmother passed away in November, after a long illness. “Babci” (the Polish word for grandmother) had been living in a local nursing home these past few years, but on the occasion of her death, my family and I traveled to the Berkshires, to the small town […]
Visiting Norwell’s Fogg Forest
Last January, I made the resolution that I would visit at least one new conservation parcel in 2007. I finally succeeded, in November, by going for a walk with my sister and my son at the 40-acre Fogg Forest in Norwell. Fogg Forest is one of those places I have driven past for years, always […]
Vacationing at Home
Staycation means extra time exploring in the jog stroller! My husband and I used to travel twice a year, usually in the fall and winter. Even last year, after our son was born, we still managed to go away for a week in September. Although a 6-day stay at a friend’s Vermont condo with our […]
A Baby’s View of Nature
On Sunday afternoons Abel (my 16 month-old son) and I often spend time with my parents. In the summer we hung out around my folks’ pool, but now that fall is here, we like to go for walks. Recently we explored the Norris Reservation in Norwell. When we’re in the woods, I usually transport Abel […]
Nature Brings a Sense of Peace
Abel at Garfield Park in Norwell. It was a cool, quiet, Sunday morning in August. Abel, my 15-month-old son, and I had been at Gaffield Park playground in Norwell for about a half hour. It was our first visit there, and we’d already checked out the swings, the toddler-size jungle gym, and some of the […]
Our Resident Rabbit
A cottontail rabbit. A cottontail rabbit has taken up residence under our screen porch. Every evening we see it nibbling the weeds that grow in the gardens around our house. It doesn’t seem to mind us watching – even when my one-year-old shrieks with delight. We’ve seen an increase in rabbits in our yard this […]