Author Archives: tagpipspearl

The Sun always Shines Eventually

Another rainy morning. My plan to take a long walk through my nearby mossy forest may need to be postponed. The trails in the forest become slippery – clay soil covered in fir needles and maple leaves add to the slick surface – and even with good hiking shoes it can be a risky walk,Continue reading “The Sun always Shines Eventually”

Two Thoughts about the Ten Commandments

We humans are busy creatures. We organize, disorganize, sort, scatter, categorize, construct and then deconstruct, make lists, lecture, teach and then forget what we learned, share, and hoard. As I said, we’re busy. And autumn is an especially busy time for gardeners and gardens. Recently, as I was busy cleaning up the garden after oneContinue reading “Two Thoughts about the Ten Commandments”

Shadows and Light

The season of light and color is coming to an end, but this morning the sun shone bright and clear. Autumn is a beautiful time of year, allowing the structure and solidity whispered in spring and summer to shout out its power in coming winter. Beauty resides even in decay. I walked through my gardenContinue reading “Shadows and Light”

A Moment in Time

My spouse and I are getting ready for another coastal vacation – most likely our last hiking vacation of 2021. We will be traveling into the Land of Green: moss, ferns, ancient conifers, nurse logs, and seedlings. This time the days will be much cooler, dampness will infuse our surroundings, and soft duff will cushionContinue reading “A Moment in Time”

In the Presence of Trees, Part 6

The First Cathedral Look up. Under trees – clear night – early morning – stale afternoon – look up. Clouds and sun – look up. Limbs brush companions with the slightest touch. Movements almost imperceptible express flow from one to another. A caress that encloses an instant of time. Neither intent nor threat interrupts thisContinue reading “In the Presence of Trees, Part 6”

The cookie wins every time!

Because our local meteorologist has promised a rain and wind storm arriving soon, I decided to get in one more long walk before the rain. So, yesterday morning, with weather as beautiful as it could possibly be, I committed to a long hike. After tanking up on breakfast and two cups of coffee, I hitContinue reading “The cookie wins every time!”

Summer falls to Autumn

Summer is coming to an end. I and the plants in my garden are relieved to see this record-breaking season close. Cooler days, the promise of rain (at long last), cleaner air, and beautiful colors are beginning to fill the minutes and hours of the garden. Here are a few hints of the changing seasonContinue reading “Summer falls to Autumn”

Some Thoughts on a Beautiful Day

My spouse, Bill, and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary yesterday. It was not the celebration we had initially planned due to travel restrictions, and our caution, but we made the day meaningful and joyful. Our initial plans had been to return to the cathedral in Liverpool, England, where Bill’s parents had married. We hadContinue reading “Some Thoughts on a Beautiful Day”

Dune Peninsula at Pt. Defiance Park, Tacoma

Another gorgeous day for hiking brought my spouse and I to a newly opened park in Tacoma, WA. Dune Peninsula is named in honor of author and Tacoma native Frank Herbert, author of the classic science fiction book Dune. This intriguing new area of Pt. Defiance Park has a 605 ft-long graceful bridge walk –Continue reading “Dune Peninsula at Pt. Defiance Park, Tacoma”