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Wilderness: An untrammeled place where man does not remain? Perhaps – if you’re a bureaucrat or lawyer or legislator. But to Jamie Pinkham, a Nez Perce Indian who grew up in Idaho, wilderness means “home.” Pinkham recalls camping with his grandmother in a tipi while harvesting berries. He didn’t think of the outings as wilderness […]

Hot! That’s how lots of Iowans describe our Julys. And it’s often hard to dispute that description. But I prefer another adjective: Colorful! It’s not just the green of our endless corn and soybean fields, nor the hazy blue of our skies. Look again for the rich gold and dark brown of Black-eyed Susan, or

Perhaps it’s the GREEN that defines an Iowa summer. Grassy lawns and pastures, trees, gardens, even corn and soybean fields almost shout their message of growing plants. But when you look more closely, you may be dazzled by a whole array of other colors. What’s bluer than an indigo bunting? The males almost glow with

Is it just a spark – or the first flicker of what could become a raging forest fire? The confirmation of the first case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Iowa’s wild deer herd has biologists, hunters, and other wildlife enthusiasts nervously watching, waiting, testing, and hoping that the neurological disease will not become widespread.

After the l-o-n-g winter, it would be easy to get discouraged when you still see drifts of snow in farm groves in early April. But think positive! If the Canada goose is on her nest, spring must be here. As you canoe past her island for a closer look, the protective goose flattens her body

As I set off along our ski trail in the face of a March snowstorm, it suddenly hit me that my inner self probably was searching for spring. It’s been a great winter for skiing, with fresh, powdery snow several times each week. There seldom was a worry of getting over-heated, because temperatures struggled to

Life-threatening wind chills. Near record low temperatures. White-outs. Schools closed. Travel not recommended. Towing bans. And a propane shortage/price hike to boot! To add insult to injury, your friend posts a “selfie” from a beach in Mexico. And another friend suggests you really ought to take a quick trip to Florida. What? And miss out

Soooo quietly, the snowflakes drifted down around and over us, frosting the trees and our parkas. What better term to describe the woods than “winter wonderland?” The weather website has prepared us, forecasting several inches of the white stuff during the day. The red sunrise also foretold the coming storm. (“Red sun in morning, sailors

The critters knew. At dawn, the gray squirrels and fox squirrels already were busily rummaging in the dry leaves for a breakfast of walnuts to fuel up against the coming snow. The young red-headed woodpecker chattered incessantly as it poked and pounded on the dead elm in search of high-energy grubs and insects. A tiny

(Nov. 30 addendum to all you winter haters: You’re welcome! My earlier declaration that winter is here must have prompted today’s heat wave. I’ll take credit. But I reserve the right to say “I told you so” when the Arctic blast hits before next week is over!) WINTER? Not according to the calendar – but