To my mind, given our evolutionary origins, there can be no original sin. God’s sin, maybe — but not human sin, not inherent human depravity. Read more.
nature
Winter in the Midwest — When Trees Bare Their Souls
A Midwestern Flower Garden — Beautifully Dead In the Dead of Winter
I couldn’t wait to head outdoors to see how my favorite flower garden was faring under a half foot of snow and temperatures below zero. Read more.
‘Dog Medicine’ — A Dog-Lover’s Journey From Depression to Health
I’m not crazy about dogs. But I am crazy about a book called “Dog Medicine.” (“Soulmates” photo by Heather Knape.) Read more.
Tori Isner, Poet: ‘You Are a Vehicle for Spirit’
Tori Isner is an adopted Lakota Sioux and — in my opinion — a poet. We’re honored, she says, “just to live, just to be.” Read more.
The San Juan Islands Ecosystems: The Woods Are Alive — And So Are the Meadows and Beaches
So many San Juan Islands ecosystems can coexist on a single island that an afternoon’s walk can take you to beach, forest, wetland, meadow. Read more.
A Patch of Fireweed in the Northwest — What Color Are Those Blossoms? Do I Need to Know?
I couldn’t make up my mind about that tall stand of fireweed I saw growing on the edge of a woodlet in the Pacific Northwest last summer. Were those blossoms purple? Blue? Pink? Or what? Read more.