Nature & Natural World
Sunset on the Hudson
Earlier this past May, my wife and I shared a brief, restful trip to Hudson, New York. I imagine that we resembled the stereotypical black-clad bohemians regularly hopping off the Amtrak train and searching for a country retreat away from the commotion of New York and yet replete with cultural amenities. A small, former industrial…
Trees and Traditions
An article on fig trees spurs a reflection on forgotten gardens and how they might change our experience of urban history.
Moonlight and Sand
Watching the moon rise above the beach in Ocean Grove, New Jersey provides solace amid the ongoing pandemic.
A Fig Tree in Summer
A backyard fig tree prompts a reflection on gardening, nature, and place amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and self-isolation.
Solace in the Garden
Amid the distressing events of the past weeks and days–ongoing pandemic, massive unemployment, police violence, civic unrest, and horrible presidential leadership, I’ve found it challenging to concentrate and write. My subjects have grown smaller in scope and range, largely focusing on the happenings of nature in my wife’s and my backyard.
Plants & Animals
One recent morning, I wandered through my small backyard in Jersey City, New Jersey, reflecting upon the sudden changes and transformations wrought by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The wheels of modern life have ground to a halt. All the while, the natural world continues with its cycles of birth and death, regeneration and decay. Blinded…
One Morning’s Impressions
During the past several weeks, I’ve commented upon the vibrancy and reassertion of nature in my urban neighborhood amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Most of my thoughts are drawn from my observations in my own backyard. Being largely home-bound like most of the country, my world has dramatically shrunk. That is not necessarily an unwelcome…
Springtime in the City
Every season brings particular pleasures and rituals. During the early days of spring, I always enjoy strolling through my neighborhood and observing buildings and streets waking from winter. Gardeners clean up their flower beds. Homeowners tidy their front stoops. Friends chat on park benches. You can feel the energy and expectancy in the air.
