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Using the weekend to share a few memories of mom

This Mother’s Day would have been my mother’s 101st birthday. Her birthday often fell on Mother’s Day over the years. I was the oldest of five kids and was born on her birthday. That year her birthday fell on the Saturday before Mother’s Day, and I conveniently arrived just in time for her first Mother’s Day. She passed away in 2021 at the age of 96, so Mother’s Day now brings a sense of loss along with many cherished memories and reflections. In that spirit, I would like to share again a tribute I wrote to my mother several years ago. My father was a city kid who never ...

Ready to argue that May is the greatest outdoor month

For outdoor enthusiasts, is there anything in Pennsylvania that beats the month of May? For my purposes, May could be three months long and that wouldn’t be long enough to suit me. And all that May has to offer isn’t just linked to hunting or fishing opportunities either. Photography, ...

Barefoot hiking can be found on two continents

GUTACH, Germany — At the edge of a trail in Germany’s picturesque Black Forest region, waterlogged steps sink into ankle-deep water and mud, requiring careful footing. An ocean away, a sandy trail in the ponderosa forests of northern Arizona demands treading just as deliberately when ...

When it comes to fishing, don’t forget about wet flies

A couple of years ago, I was fishing with a group of fly fishermen that included two or three younger guys in their mid to late twenties, as I recall. All of them had a bit of fly-fishing experience, and as we were rigging up our gear that morning, they asked my advice on what fly patterns ...

Town in Alaska tries to revive polar bear tourism

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Late every summer, hulking white bears gather outside a tiny Alaska Native village on the edge of the continent, far above the Arctic Circle, to feast on whale carcasses left behind by hunters and to wait for the deep cold to freeze the sea. It’s a spectacle that once ...

Conservation kits available from DCNR

Free Pocket Meadow Kits are currently available to residents across the Commonwealth according to the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. These small meadow plantings provide environmental benefits for communities by improving stormwater absorption, supporting pollinators, and reducing long-term lawn maintenance, according to the DCNR. “Pocket Meadow Kits give residents a simple and accessible way to transform small areas of lawn into thriving native habitat that supports pollinators, improves stormwater absorption, and strengthens biodiversity in communities across ...