Category: Dharma Journal

On the day of the fall equinox, Tarn and I are walking the Deschutes River trail in honor of my late sister, Trish. She passed away 49 days ago, and this is the traditional...

In my dream, I am walking and talking with the Dalai Lama in a familiar locale on the Tibetan plateau. This is a recurring dream, and I ask him if he remembers. He just...

This year, I’ve felt more intimately a part of the natural world as it is expressed in our home garden than in the past. I feel embraced while standing among the pollinators visiting our...

We have a bumper crop of bee plant (Cleomella serrulata) this year, so that requires us to do a bit of work if we want to conserve seeds for replanting and giving away. Of...

The trail to Proxy Falls (I’ve not been able to discover the indigenous name) is a wonderland of micro-life. The path makes its way through the rich soil of old-growth forest and basalt fields...

Today, I’m hiking along the Metolius River, one of my favorite wild places as summer begins to fade. The equinox is still two weeks away, but trees don’t care about human time lines. Vine...

Roger Tory Petersen, originator of the popular Petersen Field Guides, tells a story about discovering a clump of feathers in a tree. He was only 11 years old, and his youthful curiosity compelled him...

If you want to know how your mind works, just watch pollinators. If you want a regular up-close and personal experience, and you have garden space, plant some flowers that attract bees and the...

Tarn and I recently celebrated our 51st anniversary. Living together for so long has been an incredible journey. We’ve experienced all the ups and downs that a relationship can bestow and have entered that...

I think everyone should be a gardener, if only to tend a few pots in the window sill. Caring for plants is a way of caring for the whole planet. What we learn by...