Author Archives: Andrea Jones

On Not Writing

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Andrea Jones

The classic, and in some ways definitive, advice on writing is this line by Mary Heaton Vorse, as chronicled by Sinclair Lewis: “The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of … Continue reading →

Posted in procrastination, scientific literacy, writing | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Pets

Posted on November 15, 2019 by Andrea Jones

For a whole bunch of different reasons, we do not have housepets. Actually, in the case of cats, there’s one very good reason, which is that Doug is highly allergic, even though he likes cats and they universally adore him. … Continue reading →

Posted in horses | Tagged , | 6 Comments

This Fall Interval

Posted on October 25, 2019 by Andrea Jones

In this interval, we hauled the hay, stacked the wood, stowed the cushions from the outdoor furniture. We transported the flowerpots that spent the summer adorning the decks around the house down the hill to the greenhouse. If the plants … Continue reading →

Posted in change of seasons, color, fall, gardening, spring, summer, winter | 9 Comments

On Tomatoes

Posted on September 15, 2019 by Andrea Jones

Revolting. If you had asked me when I was a kid what I thought of tomatoes, that’s probably the word I would have offered—or “gross” maybe, or “disgusting” when I was a little older. Actually, you probably wouldn’t have had … Continue reading →

Posted in cooking and recipes, fall, gardening, summer | Tagged , , , , , | 7 Comments

Vacation Reflections

Posted on August 31, 2019 by Andrea Jones

Well, vacations—both the planned of July and the unplanned of August—are over: time to get back to writing work. What better way to get back into the routine than to reflect on the break? About not writing in August, there’s … Continue reading →

Posted in observation, trees and plants, wildflowers, writing | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Sunny Flowers

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Andrea Jones

If you’ve been following this series of blog posts featuring the wildflowers blooming in our part of Colorado this July, you may have noticed a relative dearth of the classic and recognizable form commonly referred to as sunflowers. The local … Continue reading →

Posted in summer, trees and plants, wildflowers | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Penstemons

Posted on July 30, 2019 by Andrea Jones

Thirty days ago, I was inspired to blog the bloom by a prolific little flower I called “the little purple penstemon that blooms earlier than most of the penstemons” (kindly identified as P. virens by Susan J. Tweit in the comments … Continue reading →

Posted in summer, trees and plants, wildflowers | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Pioneers

Posted on July 29, 2019 by Andrea Jones

Not all of our wildflowers insist on living “wild.” Pioneer plants are the first to colonize disturbed ground, including construction sites and burn areas. They help recover disturbed soil by stabilizing against erosion and shading tender seedlings. What makes them … Continue reading →

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Astragulus

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Andrea Jones

Friends, the month of July is running out of days faster than I am running out of flowers to post. Here, then, is a sampling of the flowers from the Astragulus genus. By sharing them as a group, I’m able … Continue reading →

Posted in summer, trees and plants, wildflowers | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Weedy Looking Not-Weeds

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Andrea Jones

The conventional definition of a weed is a plant s growing where it’s not wanted. By that subjective measure, any of the twenty-six wildflowers featured on this blog over the past few weeks might qualify as a weed if it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in summer, trees and plants, wildflowers | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Weedy Looking Not-Weeds