Janine Donoho's Blog, page 2

Winter in Highlandia – A Pictorial Journey by Janine Donoho

Tagged: blue, blue shadows, coffee, Highlandia, hike, icicles, Iggy, ins and outs, Janine Donoho, journey, landscape, lined dog sweater, morning, photos, snow hound, snow-tufted, view, winter, Winter Garden

Going Retro on 2015 by Janine Donoho

As a singular flow in the space-time continuum, 2015 crested, then mired in unpredictable ways. The year began by launching Intrepid Guy to Japan for another stint just as I published yet another novel, Soundings, Water Elemental—this time through Booktrope. That vast ocean of social media became a marathon swim. Still I virtually encountered booklovers along the […]

Giving Thanks for the Earth’s Bounty by Janine Donoho

This last Saturday, the delightful women of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Havillah welcomed me into their fold. Temporarily, yes, but a warm reception just the same. In celebration of autumn, women gathered from their Washington-Alaska District to celebrate ‘Lord of the Harvest.’ They sang hymns, renewed bonds, and bestowed their farmed bounty upon all present. Then Linda […]

Choices We Make before the Fire by Janine Donoho

As the western part of the United States enters into desiccated autumn, we’re told that the official fire season has begun. In fact, fire season now begins nearly as soon as our shrunken snowpack melts. Once the native and invasive species of plants dries, we’re vulnerable to lightning strikes. Yet lightning causes only 10-20% of […]

Wildfires & Smoke—A Study in Still Life by Janine Donoho

Washington State wildfires continue to devour our landscape with devastating effects to wildlife and human residents. We evacuated during level 3—returned to level 1 and severe smoke. Consider us relatively unscathed. Those who valiantly fight these fires battle exhaustion and extreme hazardous conditions, even as three Forest Service people lost their lives and others are injured. […]

Where there’s smoke… by Janine Donoho

We had a week—a level 3 evacuation due to wildfire pushed by strong south winds. Level 3 means danger currently affects your area or is imminent, and you need to leave immediately. As fire lines closed in on our Hardy Board home with its metal roof and defensible space, we hit the road. No house is worth […]

Our Not-so-wild National Forests (Earth Whispers – Part 4) by Janine Donoho

Shinrin-yok (森林浴) in Japan and China and Sanlimyok (산림욕) in Korea offer the gift of ‘forest bathing.’ As you breathe in the mercurial essences of wood oils, you also experience the soothing effects that decrease hormones associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome. Visiting forested spaces reduces negative emotions, too. Plus […]

Glorious Nature by Janine Donoho

Where we choose to live speaks volumes about who we are. That’s especially true of the wildlife sanctuary where Intrepid Guy and I live. After more than a decade in this space, we continue to coexist with the natives. Except for a few aggressive yellow jackets, no critters have been harmed during this sojourn and, […]

Moving toward Grace by Janine Donoho

I suspect we all struggle toward thankfulness when stress and exhaustion overwhelm our intent. During a brief stay on the coast a few weeks ago, a wise friend redirected my tendency—okay, total embrace of the whine—toward appreciation. After restarting my meditation practice a few mornings ago, today I’m advancing toward gratitude. Last week we combined […]

When Dawn Erupts with Sunshine (Earth Whispers – Part 3) by Janine Donoho

As a conservation biologist, it’s difficult to keep from running around screaming, “The sky is falling.” Not only does that abuse my throat, it’s not at all productive. Besides, there are success stories associated with projects that could be emulated worldwide. Let’s shift gears and tout those for a change. Amid our earth’s manmade landscapes—a veritable […]