A Tree Tale Told . . . by Guest Blogger Sondra Willobee

Aug 5, 2023 | Divining, the blog

Writer and outdoor enthusiast Sondra Willobee and her husband Ed have canoed, hiked, and camped throughout the United States. Sondra blogs about many of these adventures at Down by the Riverside. You may find you agree with me: she has a wonderful aptitude for...

Best Books for Nature Nerds

Jul 26, 2023 | Divining, the blog

If there were such a thing as a “Field Guide to Happy Grandchildren,” I’m guessing being present for their birthdays would be one of the characteristics listed. When my oldest grandson, Caden Daly, turned five at the end of May, both sets of...

Nests: Thoughts on Tree Trimming, Birdfeeding, and Rat Repelling

May 15, 2023 | Divining, the blog

Despite what you read, feeding wild birds in America did not begin in 1845 when Henry David Thoreau fed the birds at Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Americans had been tossing breadcrumbs to the birds long before his visit to the pond. Thoreau just wrote about...

Palm Trees, Merely a Chorus for These Two Stars

May 9, 2023 | Divining, the blog

I visited Sarasota this past weekend. The occasion was a spectacular wedding weekend for dear Amy–a lovely young woman I’ve known since her birth and my youngest daughter’s best friend when they were little–and her very wonderful Frances. A...

Tree Stories

May 1, 2023 | Divining, the blog

Over the last month, I’ve been collecting tree stories. Tree stories from folks in New Baltimore to Pleasant Ridge to Traverse City to Northport. From Lake St. Clair’s Anchor Bay to Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay. The occasions included a book...

The Tree Who Owns Itself

Apr 24, 2023 | Divining, the blog

The other day, my daughter Meagan texted me a screenshot of a posting from her Facebook parent group. It was of a 4.3-starred destination to visit. The name of the destination was “Tree That Owns Itself.” Have you ever heard of this? I hadn’t. The...