3 Ways To Reduce Roadkill
Animals along the roadside are especially unpredictable at this time of year, but there are things we can do to be more aware of them. Continue reading 3 Ways To Reduce Roadkill
Category: Nature
Early October Musings- Vital Sleep, Not Death; And The Marvel of Gray and Green
It’s northern hemisphere autumn, or at least it’s about to be. True, we’ve passed the fall equinox, which is why I say it’s autumn. Yet at the time I’m writing this (the first week of October), it hardly looks or feels like autumn. The color show, I think, is perhaps starting late this year, at least where I live. Mostly the foliage remains a normal, … Continue reading Early October Musings- Vital Sleep, Not Death; And The Marvel of Gray and Green
5 Fascinating Greek Myths about the Origin of Plants and Flowers
An important and substantial section in Greek mythology concerns the birth of flowers and plants. The ancient Greeks loved to attribute many natural phenomena to a divine origin, which has created a dense network of myths that intersect incessantly with each other. Let’s have a look. 1. SUNFLOWER – THE MYTH OF CLYTE Clyte was a young water-nymph madly in love with Apollo, the God … Continue reading 5 Fascinating Greek Myths about the Origin of Plants and Flowers
RebEarth
Recently I wrote a piece about climate anxiety and answering the question:what can I do about climate change? As part of my answer, I began writing a column I’d like to share called RebEarth. Continue reading RebEarth
Climate Anxiety
Several decades of inaction in the face of climate change have led many to new forms of anxiety, including me. Continue reading Climate Anxiety
Natural History Exhibits – the dark side of museums?
I recently visited a museum which got me thinking about the ethical questions around displaying dead animals. Read about my reflections. Continue reading Natural History Exhibits – the dark side of museums?
Bye Bye Bison: A Hateful Story
The only reason I stopped at that particular gas station was because they had a giant, brightly painted wooden sculpture of a squirrel (or maybe it was a groundhog) all dressed up in backpacking gear, out front. You could see it from the highway. My usual instinct when I need gas is to keep driving and fill up later, playing chicken with an empty gas tank. Continue reading Bye Bye Bison: A Hateful Story
Fun Facts and a Dystopian Fiction
The other day my wife and I took our kids to Gardens by the Bay – one of the major tourist attractions here in Singapore. If you’ve not heard of it, it’s a stunning nature park spanning 100 acres. It sits adjacent to the famous Marina Bay Sands hotel. Inside the gardens are two massive temperature-controlled dome-shaped glass conservatories. One is known as the cloud … Continue reading Fun Facts and a Dystopian Fiction
Turn Out The Lights
Remember the fireflies?
Where are they?
Remember starry nights?
Can you see them from your house? Continue reading Turn Out The Lights
Asshole Crow
The crow was an asshole. Sitting stubbornly on the wire while a dozen smaller birds buzzed in on him in shifts, launching their missions from nearby tree branches. Give the crow credit though, he didn’t flinch. Continue reading Asshole Crow
Repost: Can Happiness Be Cultivated?
I’ve been writing about happiness recently. This is the third (and final) installment in a series of pieces on this subject. The first installment can be found here and second one, here. While prepping myself to write this, I began to think of analogies. Can happiness be cultivated in the same way a farmer prepares for a good harvest? Think about it; a bumper crop doesn’t just happen … Continue reading Repost: Can Happiness Be Cultivated?
Sharing is Caring
Dear, Readers, I’m speaking for all Wise & Shine writers when I say that we so appreciate your continued support of this blog. To show how thankful we are, we want to ask you to share a link to your blog or site in the “thoughts” or comments section at the bottom of this page. Please feel free to include a statement about what inspires … Continue reading Sharing is Caring
It’s Been Pouring
Most of us are familiar with the old saying, “When it rains, it pours.” I’ve been thinking a lot about that adage recently because there’s been quite a lot of pouring rain in my life over the past few months. A few weeks ago, I wrote about needing to take a leave of absence from writing for this blog after being diagnosed with a degenerative … Continue reading It’s Been Pouring
5 Reasons Why Hiking Is Good for the Body, Soul and Spirit
Hiking means enjoying a revitalizing moment. People increasingly appreciate the benefits of slowness and simplicity. Walking is a wonderful way to discover the natural environment too. Here are 5 reasons why you should start hiking: 1. It is an extremely healthy activity. Hiking can improve your general physical health and under many aspects is comparable to other sports. Sleep improves, the risk of cardiovascular diseases … Continue reading 5 Reasons Why Hiking Is Good for the Body, Soul and Spirit
Sunday Evening, Long Island, February 2023
The laundry is folded (or doing a passable imitation of folded), the dogs are silent and sleeping, and the house is freshly vacuumed, and even though, an hour later, its efforts have already become hard to spot as a fresh battalion of fur easily reclaims its beachheads, the house is still neat and clean (or doing a passable imitation of neat and clean). Monday looms … Continue reading Sunday Evening, Long Island, February 2023
Question of the Day (Inspired by the Red-headed Stranger)
I’m currently reading The Tao of Willie: A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart, with “Willie” being the great Willie Nelson, musician and songwriter extraordinaire. As you might guess from the title, the book, coauthored by Nelson and Turk Pipkin, elucidates the singer’s philosophy of life, which was strongly influenced by Buddhist and Taoist tenets, and includes lots of autobiographical details. In one of … Continue reading Question of the Day (Inspired by the Red-headed Stranger)
Wise & Shine Podcasts in 2023
In October of last year, Wise & Shine started a podcast. In the weeks ahead, we’ll be recording new episodes for your listening pleasure. Tuesday will be the day we publish new podcasts to the site. If you haven’t already done so, please have a listen to our recordings from 2022. We are interested in hearing from readers and experts who’d like to be a part … Continue reading Wise & Shine Podcasts in 2023
Winter Needs A New Publicist
This week between Christmas and New Year’s is one of my favorites. My family and most of my friends are off work, we can do lots of visiting, get caught up on fun things we didn’t get to do during the year, and spend some time reflecting on the past year and the future. It’s fitting that this week happens in winter, because of all … Continue reading Winter Needs A New Publicist
New Podcast: Soaring Over the Clouds with David!
On Wise & Shine’s newest podcast, I have an entertaining conversation with David (known as “AP2” on this site) about flying airplanes, writing, art, fatherhood, regrets, and other topics. After listening to our talk, check out David’s writing, including “Why I Write,” a piece that got 514 likes when it was first published. Continue reading New Podcast: Soaring Over the Clouds with David!
I Said Goodbye to a Great Man
It’s that time of year again when my mind goes back to December of 2003, exactly nineteen years ago now, when I had one of the most profound experiences of my life. A bit earlier in that year, in May of 2003 to be exact, my maternal grandfather, a real-life cowboy and a man I called “Pawpaw,” fell seriously ill. He was eighty-six years old … Continue reading I Said Goodbye to a Great Man