Bulls, Carbon and Catalpa – Swoope Almanac June 2017
June in Swoope, Virginia – The Headwaters of the Shenandoah River
Montpelier Design Congress
Fueling Stations for Monarchs – Swoope Almanac September 2016
I had to stop and smell the Marigolds, the native ones in our riparian buffers called Bur Marigolds. As I was putting up a new solar fence charger for one of our livestock exclusion areas, I had to just stop to watch. What froze me in my tracks was the...
River Walk at the Farm
In celebration of Chesapeake Bay Awareness Week (June 4 – 12) Jeanne and I are hosting a “River Walk at the Farm” on Sunday, June 12th at 3pm. Meet at the intersection of Boy Scout Lane and Trimbles Mill Road in Augusta County, Virginia. Space is limited to the first...
Swoope Almanac April 2016: Fox Kits, Frogs and Warbler Fallout on the Farm
Barefoot in South Africa – The Rhino War and Drought
The Princess of Swoope and I walked barefoot in South Africa. Cape Town, Nelspruit, Kruger National Park, Ballito and the Drakensberg escarpment were on our itinerary that encompassed three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. That means we took in some of the most spectacular and unique places on Earth. First, Cape...
Swoope Almanac May 2015 – Bobolinks, Bobwhites and Black Locust Blooms
May might be my favorite month. The energy of spring swells in every living thing. I remain in awe of all the energy. A Catbird sings all night outside our open window. Robins begin their singing at 5:15am. That’s the warm-up for the avian symphony that will last all day....
Swoope Almanac January 2015: Ode to Dexter, a Snow Goose and Virginia Wild Rye
Winter in Swoope. I walk along the banks of Middle River on our farm in search of treasure. Dexter, our Border Collie usually walks along with me but he passed on and I sure miss him. Cold air seeps through the opening in my collar; the brown, frozen grass crunches...
What is a Tree Hugger?
The term “Tree Hugger” is synonymous with “Environmental Wacko”. One might say it’s used for environmental profiling.
Swoope Almanac Fireflies, Soldier Beetles and Farmscape
Swoope, Va: Several years ago we took two ladies in that needed a place to stay. They were from Wyoming. One had just quit her job; I think she was running away from something. We agreed to put them up for a couple of weeks until they could find a...
