I have a ritual of sneaking into my daughter’s room before I settle into bed for the night.  I make sure the covers are just right, give her a kiss on the cheek and say a little prayer for sweet dreams. For a long time, she would coo and roll over, continuing on her dream time journeys.

I have a lot of dirt under my fingernails these days. This happens every spring, once the winter darkness gives way to the longer days, and the garden begins to awaken. My wife and I spend lot of time in the spring getting the garden beds ready. We weed, trim, spread compost, mulch, and make sure the irrigation is ready for the coming heat.

My father lived on a lake.Before he built his house near the lake shore, the wooded lot was a favorite picnic and party spot for trespassing revelers.It had a nice little beach for swimming and its location offered good views of the lake.

One of the first things that my wife and I did when we moved to our mountain home was to cancel the pest exterminator services.The previous owners had used the exterminator for years with “great success, “ as evidenced by the lack of bugs around the house.