Featured Writer at Flint & Steel — How did you discover Medium and how long have you been writing here? I’ve been here since the mind-boggling, soul-sapping 2016 presidential election. And, honestly, I have no idea how I discovered Medium. I remember nothing about that introduction. I blame my memory loss on presidential depression! …

Unexpected color —

My week in photos — Sunday was wet — all day. Not drenching rain. Slow, soaking, dripping, drizzly rain. The good kind that the earth drinks in sips. Our walks were squeezed in around the precipitation. Each time the weather radar showed a break in the rain, I’d grab Syau and head out the door…

Weeds & Wildflowers December Prompt — December is synonymous with giving. Besides for Christmas, gifts are given for several other twelfth-month celebrations: Jews celebrate Hanukkah Wiccans and Neo-Pagans have Yule Citizens of the British Empire celebrate Boxing Day Many African Americans celebrate Kwanzaa No doubt, I’ve missed others. While some of these holidays, particularly Christmas, sometimes…

The feathered kind — My northern area of Florida gets cold weather — even freezing weather. And we’ve had snow flurries in the past. But the only snow we see year-round is the feathered kind — Snowy Egrets — one of my favorite birds. Considerably smaller than Great Egrets, these medium-sized waders have black…

Sometimes, we forget how to express joy — Ben used to sing and dance nearly every day. After his fall last year, the dancing stopped, and he sang very infrequently. When his kidneys began to fail in early 2023, he stopped singing. After starting dialysis in May, his health and energy levels improved—still, no singing or dancing. One…

Why is he tolerated? — Red-Shouldered Hawks mate for life, controlling a territory of about 2.0 miles. That’s the size of what I call “our neighborhood,” a collection of townhomes, condos, and single-family homes along a two-mile boulevard. Our neighborhood has a mating Red-Shouldered couple that I named Valencia and Vander. …

One, two, three —

Crow’s Feet Writing Prompt #45 — Traditions — My first Thanksgiving with Ben was a traditional one that nearly failed. Earlier in the fall, our state experienced five landfall hurricanes in six weeks, leaving much of Florida with extensive damage. My step-cousin and his wife have a disaster recovery business — in Maine. They eagerly accepted a contract…