What's the takeaway value of a three-week trip to the Midwest? What scenic wonders did you take in? Not any, really. How many photos did you take? A few. How much rest did you get? None to speak of, though a little with Eric, Sue Beth, and April in northern Wisconsin....

 In the wake of last week's post on the dearth of birds and bees, I would like you to meet a brand-new tenant that came to us this year—new not only to our yard, but to its chosen abode. We are delighted. Up till now, none of our available housing choices has held any...

 Bugs are a pain. Sometimes they bite, and sometimes their bite kills. Think Lyme's disease, West Nile and malaria. Bugs get in your house, make nuisances of themselves. Who in their right mind would grumble about a clean windshield in bug season? Who would complain...

When I was roughly 12 and ready to join the church, the pastor gave me his private Talk (which I don't remember), but also a small devotional book put together by Robert Speer that I still drink deeply from. I don't think I was terribly impressed at the time but now...

Now that the title has turned you off, let me try to turn you back on. Come with me to an art  gallery. I'm looking at great paintings—Rembrandt, Renoir, Cezanne, Giotto. One of them catches my eye—Constable's Hay Wain, a pastoral scene that takes me back to my roots...