Tag: nature

A great horned owl peers up from a green patch of clover, vivid yellow eyes blazing through the pink blossoms.

The Fifty-Dollar Owl: Contemplating the Cost of Conservation

September 5, 2023

My overseas work contract recently concluded, but after three years of vast Australian skies and wilderness at my doorstep, I couldn’t bear returning to the congested mid-Atlantic sprawl I’d once called home. Instead, I took a job in another remote pole: Alaska! I’ve hopped hemispheres from the Great Southern Land to the Great White North. … More The Fifty-Dollar Owl: Contemplating the Cost of Conservation

An aerial view of the South Australian outback. Black alluvial veins slither across red earth. Ridges and peaks of white rise up, giving the landscape a crumpled look.

Red Reflections: A Final Australian Adventure in the Flinders Ranges

August 1, 2023

The winter solstice seemed a perfect time to reflect on the past season and welcome bright new opportunities that accompany the returning sun. But clouds lay thick as doubt over South Australia’s coastline as my plane descended into Adelaide. Local news later reported it was among the area’s wettest days on record. Rain pounded so … More Red Reflections: A Final Australian Adventure in the Flinders Ranges

An older man in a blue windbreaker, floppy hat, and sunglasses hikes along a rugged ridge towards the viewer. The edge of an island sweeps away In the distance below: azure water licking a crescent-shaped beach, and jungle giving way to an ocean horizon.

The Wild Ward: Exploring Resilience With My Father

July 2, 2023

Shuddering, and the plane pulled up from its descent and fled back over the turquoise sea. Jade mountains retreated from my tiny window, as fantastical as a storybook illustration and just as unreachable.“Aren’t we turning around?” I hissed.In reply, the pilot’s voice came over the speakers.“As you can tell, the wind’s quite strong, making it … More The Wild Ward: Exploring Resilience With My Father

Journey to “The Protean Shore”: Writing for Mason Jar Press’ Literary Journal

June 4, 2023

Power thrums through the headset. Every nerve sizzles with alien sensations: water flowing over speckled skin, the lingering taste of fish, a symphony of echoes lapping my mind’s protean shore. Phantom limbs unfurl into a broad tail… My writing has undergone significant evolution in the past few years. I shifted from YA to adult fiction, … More Journey to “The Protean Shore”: Writing for Mason Jar Press’ Literary Journal

God Save The Queensland, Part I: Destination Daintree

March 26, 2023

This two-part blog post series begins with my first visit to north Queensland in July 2022, and concludes with a second trip to the Gold Coast in March 2023. I stepped out into the winter day and immediately began dripping sweat. “How is this place habitable in summer?” I asked my Laddie, crossing the Woolworths … More God Save The Queensland, Part I: Destination Daintree

Interspecies Travel: A Wide-Eyed Wander in the Wetlands

November 21, 2022

Halting on the red dirt trail, I squinted against the brightening sky. It had been overcast when I left on my Saturday long run, but now sunshine leaked through the dawn clouds. I should have brought my sunglasses! Or, having completed my mileage, I could switch to an entirely different type of lens. After a … More Interspecies Travel: A Wide-Eyed Wander in the Wetlands