Essays from Elm St., by Helen Boertje Now you see it, now you don't
As I drove home from Newton a couple of weeks ago, atmospheric conditions were just right to form the familiar mirage of water on the highway. I've been fascinated by these mirages ever since I noticed them as a small child.
Gardening by nature's signals My Grandfather Martin always planted potatoes on Good Friday. This tradition never made a lot of sense to me because Easter falls on widely ranging dates from year to year. Even if it fell on the same date each year there's no guarantee that conditions would be favorable for planting.
Morrie Disappears, by Helen Boertje
Recently, Morry, affectionately known as the world's naughtiest cat, disappeared. Readers were first introduced to Morry two years ago when he became a part of our household. According to his owner, he was the likely offspring of our beloved Morris.
Seagulls follow the food, by Helen Boertje
It doesn’t happen every year but some years in late March or early April I’m privileged to see a flock of seagulls searching a newly plowed field for worms and insects. This year was one of them.
Scavenging for a TV dinner by Helen Boertje
...Whatever you choose to call Cathartes aura, you probably consider the sight of a turkey vulture as a sure sign that spring is here. Turkey vultures--TVs to many birders--are perfectly suited for their role as scavengers in the ecosystem. Their featherless heads can poke into a decaying carcass and their extremely acidic stomach juices allow them to survive eating carrion infected with botulism, anthrax, and cholera....
A Plethora of Peeves by Helen Boertje
...Every time I see a first time event advertised as the first annual banquet, fund raiser, art show, or whatever I cringe. It is correct for a promoter to say that we hope this will become an annual event but nothing can be called an annual event until it has been held at least two years in a row. But how is he going to correct his mistake? Using the same phantom proofreaders who fail to notice...
