By Bryan Pfeiffer Rotting and fallen to earth, they might appear dead. But they are not quite dead. They are the undead: zombie aspen leaves. Find them as you walk the brown autumn paths – yellow leaves with a patch of green tissue radiating from the base of the midrib. Here in Vermont, these are mostly quaking aspen… Continue reading Zombie Aspen Leaves
By Laura Yayac It flavors creemees, cotton candy, and liqueurs. It’s poured over pancakes and snow, and is used in countless recipes. And right now, the raw sap is running from trees into buckets and webs of tubing then onto sugarhouses, where it's boiled into maple syrup in all its amber glory. Sap runs when… Continue reading The Paradox of Sugaring
By Matt Pierle Cabin fever have you ready to see flowers again? If so, you’ve got options: Brazil and Bali are nice this time of year. Or seek out plants at a world-class botanical conservatory in, say, Montreal, London or San Francisco. If you’re short on time or prefer shoestring travel though, you could do… Continue reading Winter Blooms
By Clare Crosby I spent my childhood hosting acorn cap tea parties for fairies, scurrying on calloused feet to collect eggs from the chicken coop, and reenacting Little House on The Prairie in the meadow behind my house, just east of Austin, TX. I did not suffer from “Nature Deficit Disorder.” But as I grew,… Continue reading Beyond a Collection of Facts
By Kat Deely “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose....” These words invoke every shiver of childhood anticipation for Christmas morning. Family time, feasting time, vacation time, and of course, presents time. I've been hearing these words sung every holiday season since before I can remember, and they have magically… Continue reading Roasting (and Restoring) Chestnuts
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