Yearly Archives: 2024
Photo of the Day – Legging up Mules Brick and Cracker
My mules Brick, Cracker, and I plan to head out on a short mule ramble in a few weeks, so that means we're all getting in shape. In this photo, Brick (L) and Cracker are catching their breaths at the top of the mountain behind our house. This photo was taken during one of our recent training rides. Brick is carrying the riding saddle, and Cracker is wearing the pack saddle, which is loaded up with some of the gear… Continue reading
Photo of the Day – Swarm Scout Bee
One of the first scout bees to investigate the swarm boxes I set out to catch a swarm of wild bees. I gave each of the 4 swarm boxes I hung in trees a name. This is Wisteria. I hope the scout bee will guide the rest of the swarm to this bait hive some time this week.
Which Swarm Box Will Catch the First Swarm of Bees?
I put up four swarm traps this week in the hope of catching a swarm of wild bees. Of the four traps I put out – Walnut, Oak, Wisteria and Willow – which one do you think will catch the first swarm of bees?
How to Catch a Swarm of Bees
Last year, I built a swarm box, caught a swarm of wild bees, and installed them in a horizontal bee… Continue reading
What’s it Like to Float Alone in the Doldrums
This week, I had a great chat with Atlas Obscura co-founder Dylan Thuras about what it’s like to be stuck in the Doldrums. When I say the Doldrums, I don’t mean depression, a funk or a case of the mid-winter blues. I’m talking about the capital D Doldrums, the windless stretch of the Atlantic Ocean on either side of the equator that’s known for trapping sailors for weeks at a time.
Photo of the Day – Mule Wagon on the Beach
A few years ago, my friends Ronald Hudson and Kenny Tyndall and I drove our mules from Raeford, North Carolina, to Sunset Beach, on the coast. When we got there, we took the mules for a spin on the beach only to find out that equines weren't allowed on the beach. By then, it was too late, and we'd already driven our teams a few miles along the ocean. Law enforcement finally showed up and escorted us off, but only… Continue reading
Photo of the Day – Walking Through Wyoming With Mule Brick
Brick is one of the two mules I traveled with from North Carolina to Idaho. The other is Cracker (hidden behind Brick in this photo). Here, carrying our gear across a wide open plain outside Pinedale, Wyoming.
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Photo of the Day – Blue Bottles for Melinda Penkava-Smith
This weekend I officiated the memorial service for my dear friend Melinda Penkava. She was an NPR host for Talk of the Nation (among many other NPR gigs), an amazing gardner, and co-founder with her husband Keith Smith of TownDock.net. I had the incredible fortune of working with Melinda where she became my mentor on interviewing people and all things garlic. One of her many claims to fame was the Blue Bottle Garden, from which we borrowed a few bottles… Continue reading
How to Move Beyond the Pressure Box With Trust Technique Practitioner Julia Carpenter
My wife Julia recently became the first Trust Technique practitioner certified to work with horses on the East Coast. That’s a big deal and I’m so proud of Julia, especially since she’s already such an accomplished horsewoman.
A Half a Century With Horses
Julia and I grew up with horses, have traveled together with them (like the time we spent a month and a half riding them to Virginia and… Continue reading
Photo of the Day – Spring Has Arrived
Spring finally showed up in western North Carolina. Here, our rescue border collie Diggity is checking out a crocus under the chestnut tree out behind our cabin.
Photo of the Day – Pavement Ends
A few years back, mule Polly and I spent over a year traveling by wagon from Canada to Mexico. I filmed the voyage which became the award-winning docuemntary "The Lost Sea Expedition" (Rocky Mountain PBS / Amazon). We followed mostly back roads like this one that turned to grave on the other side of the sign. (Crow Flats, Texas)
For more on mule Polly’s voyage from Canada to Mexico, check out LostSeaExpedition.com and stream “The Lost Sea Expedition” on Amazon.
