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Last weekend we made a road trip to Decorah to walk the grounds and look at the gardens at Seed Savers Exchange. Seed Savers Exchange is devoted to saving the seeds of heirloom vegetables. According to their website, "Their collection started when Diane Ott Whealy's terminally-ill grandfather gave them the seeds of two … [Read more...] about Saving and Keeping

Ok, so this is the gorgeous tomato once again. It seemed too perfect to let go, so I did the whole thing--saved the seeds and the juice around the seeds, put it all in a jar with water, and let it sit while Rich and I went to Des Moines. The notion is that the liquid will ferment and the fermentation will break down … [Read more...] about Saving Seeds, Growing Seeds

What are these dogs doing on a blog about writing and chiru and endangered species? All will be revealed. And it's all related to writing and chiru. Today's writers of non-fiction use many of the tools of fiction to make their stories compelling and accessible to readers. One of the strongest tools we have is voice. … [Read more...] about Speaking About Voice, Writing Voice

Our environment is under stress from so many sides it can be discouraging for students to think about. What can individuals do about global warming? Endangered species? Water shortages? Oil spills? Some may say just give up and go to the mall. Yet, we all need to think about these environmental problems and what hard … [Read more...] about Turtles and Chiru – and Stories of Hope

Oh, frabjous day! I've seen an advance copy of The Chiru of High Tibet (due out in October) and I'm so excited I want to fill a wagon with copies and carry them to my favorite libraries, to my friends' favorite libraries, to libraries I don't even know. I hope The Chiru of High Tibet will spark an interest in readers … [Read more...] about Chiru Links