Author Archives: Andrea Jones

Out of the Background

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Andrea Jones

The fear that a bad fire season would be in the offing come summer lurked in the background for months. The prickle of anxiety persisted through the windy days of March and April. It lingered while I planted the garden, … Continue reading →

Posted in precipitation, wildfire | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Parched…and Yet

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Andrea Jones

I knew these days would come. In late spring for the last several years, I have nagged myself to remember—and be grateful for—the luxury of going into summer with moisture in the ground. How pleasant those days were. I didn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in color, humans and wildlife, summer, weather, wildfire | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Back to England

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Andrea Jones

Thirty-five years ago, in June, 1983, I traveled to England as part of a 4-H exchange. I no longer remember exactly how I came to sign up for the program, but what’s clear in retrospect is how much that summer … Continue reading →

Posted in home, travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Pesky Wildlife

Posted on May 4, 2018 by Andrea Jones

“…Rural development encroaches on the traditional habitat of coyotes, bobcats, mountain lions, rattlesnakes, prairie dogs, bears, mosquitoes and other animals that can be dangerous and you need to know how to deal with them.” from “Code of the West,” created … Continue reading →

Posted in birds, spring, wildlife encounters | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Hope Springs: An Epilogue

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Andrea Jones

I had been pinning my vague sense of unease and discouragement these past weeks on the weather: on the dry and the wind and the swinging of temperatures from too warm to too cold. But when I saw clusters of … Continue reading →

Posted in change of seasons, spring, wildflowers | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Hope Springs

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Andrea Jones

Every year it’s the same: as temperatures start creeping up, offering reassurance that winter is winding down, I start obsessing over color. This is a spring thing for many of us living in the world’s temperate zones, I suppose, but … Continue reading →

Posted in change of seasons, color, gardening, spring | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Jake

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Andrea Jones

My little red horse Moondo has delicate skin, which makes him an attractive target for flies and parasites. This winter, he fell victim to a double-barren infestation: lice and ticks (technical term: Yuck and Double Yuck). The lice have proven … Continue reading →

Posted in horses | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

“First Signs,” and an Opportunity

Posted on March 27, 2018 by Andrea Jones

“Spring arrives in the high country differently than in other places. Where the land has a strong vertical dimension, the change of seasons is bound to elevation, not distance from the equator. Shades of green swirl up the flanks of … Continue reading →

Posted in books | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Best Tip for Getting Out of Your Head

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Andrea Jones

After weeks of grinding away on a recalcitrant chapter for my book project, I am dazed, cranky, frustrated, and thoroughly sick of being in the same room with myself. Deciding that it’s time to get out of my own head, … Continue reading →

Posted in books, reading, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Object of Attention

Posted on March 2, 2018 by Andrea Jones

One of the things I’ve missed most in this dry and largely snowless winter has been seeing animal tracks. The clean surface of a light snowfall is like a tightly-stretched painter’s canvas, ready to receive marks that reveal ongoing bustle … Continue reading →

Posted in wildlife encounters | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments