Animals, other than us humans, have no concept of Christmas.  But might there be an innate “gifting behavior” that is expressed by living beings other than humans? The first mysterious and unexpected object I found in my bird feeder, nestled among the sunflower seeds, was a wizened, black mushroom.  My feeder is a long wooden tray with sides to hold the seeds in but no top.  Birds don’t … Continue reading The Gift of the Fungi

No one should ever confuse Monument Valley, Arizona, with Eklutna Valley, Alaska. But Eklutna Valley has a few monuments of its own. I’ve already written about some of the natural monuments, like Eklutna Lake and Bold Peak. This article is about the grave markers, plaques, shrines and other memorials brought to the valley by people. The best known collection of memorials in Eklutna Valley is, … Continue reading Monument Valley