Hobbiton Delights While Undergoing Repairs
Todd and I toured the Hobbiton film set while we were staying in Hamilton, a quiet city south of Auckland [...]
October 2015
Albatross, Gannet, and Kiwi: Lazy Birdwatching in New Zealand
A Pegalic Trip for Seabirds I'm not sure how long I've dreamed of seeing an albatross. Probably not since I [...]
Papers for the Homeless: From Denver to Sydney
Street papers were invisible to me until I noticed homeless people in the Denver area selling the Voice. I began to [...]
Finding Home and Adventure in Queensland’s Rainforest
Visiting the Daintree Rainforest was one of my goals on our trip to Australia. I briefly considered scheduling a bus [...]
September 2015
Diving Again After 8 Years, at the Great Barrier Reef
Diving for the first time since 2007 was much easier than I expected. The Refresher Course at Denver Divers I [...]
Conservation Volunteers Australia: How to Restore Bush in Sydney
For years I've been volunteering with environmental organizations, so it was natural for me to want to focus on environmental [...]
What I Mean When I Say “Sydney”
Our six-month trip began in Sydney, and we'll be spending about two weeks in each country until we arrive in [...]
Mo’ Betta Green: A Farmers Market with a Beat
All farmers markets are meant to build community, but R&B's Mo' Betta Green Marketplace does so to the best beat. [...]
August 2015
Our First Trip to the Eastern and Southern Hemispheres
Two weeks from today, Todd and I will arrive in Sydney! And the Monday after that, I will do my [...]
Building a Fruitful Legacy at Urbavore Farm in Kansas City
Taking up 13.5 acres on the eastern outskirts of Kansas City, Urbavore is one of the largest urban farms in [...]
July 2015
A Warm Sunday at Ekar Farm
From the moment I walked through the gate at Ekar Farm and joined the small group at the arbor, I felt [...]
Restoration: Invigorating Our Surroundings
I love environmental restoration the way some people love sports or their pets, and on this site I will write [...]
Five Ways to Fight Cancer Fears Before Travel
I have a mammogram Friday morning. Routine preventive care, right? But I have very mixed feelings about mammograms. I was diagnosed [...]
Denver Schools Grow Veggies with Help from Locals
I've been volunteering for Groundwork Denver for a couple of years now. Once I'd had enough of trail restoration in [...]
June 2015
Juneteenth: A Celebration of Community in Denver
Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, specifically the freedom slaves in Texas did not begin to enjoy until June 19, [...]
12 Cities, 1 Year
In June 2011, my husband and I sold our house and most of our belongings and set out for the [...]
Rituals for Restoration
I was inspired by this quote, especially the part I set in boldface. It's taken from a report in Cultural [...]
May 2015
How Kansas Complicates My View of History
I used to view events on the plains during the nineteenth century as a simple conflict between whites and the few remaining [...]
Tulips on Troost Challenges View of Avenue as Unsafe
Ever since I first heard of Tulips on Troost a few years ago, I’ve thought the nonprofit exemplified the kind [...]
April 2015
Kansas: Why I Hate It and Love It
Sometimes when I drive from Denver to Kansas City, I wonder if I will be doing this drive when I'm [...]
Why Do You Want to Go to Pakistan?
I had an interesting conversation the other day with a woman who went to Pakistan in the mid-2000s to do research for [...]
March 2015
Fun at the Urban Farming Symposium
Novella Carpenter, author of Farm City During her keynote speech at the Grow Food Symposium, Oakland farmer Novella [...]
Spring Gardening at UrbiCulture’s Sunnyside Garden
For years now I've been doing some kind of volunteer work for the environment. I began by doing office work [...]
Recycling on the North Shore, Louisiana
Todd and I recently went to Louisiana for a second surgery on his left ear. As always, I was amazed [...]
February 2015
Unwashed Duck Eggs and Spraying Billygoats: Another Market at Denver Urban Homesteading
Denver Urban Homesteading, situated at the corner of Santa Fe and Second Avenue, is a liminal space with industrial buildings to [...]