Of webs and wonders

Of webs and wonders

Spiders, for all their ‘ick’ factor, or ‘eek’ factor, are fascinating little engineers. The precise geometry of their webs is second to none. One morning at home, with the sun glinting just right, it was possible to see a single, eight-foot-long strand of silk...
Tragedy Overturned

Tragedy Overturned

A chidren’s story tells the tale of a little orphaned bird fortunate to be taken in by a mother duck. She had misgivings as the poor waif was rather ugly, wrong color, wrong- shaped head, strange beak, and maybe worst of all, he couldn’t quack! He just made terrible...
Wait for the signal, y’all!

Wait for the signal, y’all!

Autumn glory. It’s inevitable that someone will land on this phrase to describe the wonder that is the magical transformation of forests and leafy parks during this annual change of season. My commute from home to the office has been a delight this year, observing the...
What am I missing?

What am I missing?

I’m surprised at how seldom I think of my array of accumulated conveniences. Like the functioning of the all-important, morning coffee machine. Or the arrival of hot water for a shower. Or AC during hot weather and heat in those other months. Or my car starting when...
Time to play! Wanna come?

Time to play! Wanna come?

Do you remember? As a child, the world of make believe was a glorious place where anything was possible, anything you’d seen or heard could become something totally different at your mind’s command, to suit your latest dream or idea. Sticks or rocks or old blankets or...