New Book: Seasons of a Wild Life

Posted on by Beauty Along the Road

I am thrilled to share that the book I’ve been working on for the past four years, Seasons of a Wild Life, has been published by Bold Story Press.

Seasons of a Wild Life is an intimate journey through the seasons of the year and a love letter to our diverse and ancient human-nature interactions. It is based on my experiences as a homesteader and land steward in the Virginia Highlands, my deep interest in nature mythology and symbology from around the world, and my personal commitment to live lightly on the earth. I love to help others reconnect to nature through forest bathing, foraging classes, and retreats – and now my book.

The book takes you through the calendar year from January to December. In each chapter, you meet deities personifying nature’s forces that month, from frost giants to the Grain Mother.

You learn about nature celebrations still observed around the world, from the winter solstice to ancient Beltane merriment to harvest festivals. You come to know the animals that live in our mountain environment—bear, snake, deer, spider—and hear about their habits and cultural symbolism.

You meander through garden and landscape witnessing the frosty, fallow land in winter, the exuberant eruption of the life force in spring, and the voluptuous abundance of autumn.

You discover wild plants that offer beauty, food, and medicine, from stinging nettle to elderberry to witch hazel. You may feel inspired to learn a new skill or embrace a concept that connects earth-friendly practices to the challenges facing us as a world community.

You can find out more on my author website.

Seasons of a Wild Life is available on Bookshop and Amazon.

Wilderness Survival & Foraging Weekend

Posted on by Beauty Along the Road

Wilderness Survival & Foraging:

A Weekend Intensive Sept 8 – 10, 2023

  Highland County, VA

If you were caught in the aftermath of an urban and/or natural disaster or got lost in the wilderness on a hiking trip, could you survive for a week?

Learn essential skills to keep yourself and loved ones alive:

  • Build shelter without tools
  • Find and purify water
  • Make fire without a lighter or matches
  • Forage for wild foods
  • Treat simple injuries with herbs

A collaboration between Steve Pullinger (434 249 0419), Wilderness Survival Expert, and Annette Naber (540 290 4033), Foraging Teacher and Eco Therapist.

Click here for more info and to register.

Launching 2021 Wild Ember Sparking

Posted on by Beauty Along the Road

Are YOU working on a long-term project? Then you know the challenges of remaining committed, of facing the inevitable questions of purpose and worth, the need for continuous inspiration and ability to tap into your creative process.

I am thrilled to announce the 2021 Creative Project Coaching workshop, Wild Ember Sparking. This monthly workshop series runs from March through October and assists you in getting your creative project started and supports your ongoing project. Learn the techniques you need to dive deeper into your creative process and get the work done.

We are now fully online enabling participation from almost anywhere in the world.

If you are curious, please check out the details:

Creative Project Coaching

You can also sign up for a free newsletter there and receive a PDF download with interactive nature exercises that will spark your creativity.

Hiding Inside the Soil: Winter Food

Posted on by Beauty Along the Road

You can still forage for food, even in the middle of winter!

Beauty Along the Road's avatarThe Beauty Along the Road

It is hard to believe that this time of year, after the ground has frozen and re-frozen for months, and was smothered with snow for most of winter, that there would be anything left that would qualify as food.
And yet, during the spring-like weather last week, I dug up my Jerusalem Artichoke patch. Not because I really needed it for food, but because I wanted to be reminded of the true nature of soil: that alive, crumbly substance that is womb to most of our real food. And, because I had promised a friend that I would dig up some of the tubers for her so she could start her own wild food production.

You wouldn’t think that under these dried up stalks, there’d be anything left to harvest.

Dried stalks Dried stalks

These particular stalks were about 6 feet tall but they can grow to 8 or 10 feet in…

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The Hummingbird’s Gifts

Posted on by Beauty Along the Road

This is my farewell post of appreciation to the hummingbirds as they’ll be leaving for their long journey South very soon.

Beauty Along the Road's avatarThe Beauty Along the Road

What the hummingbird brings:

  • Delight when you first appear in late April.  You bring the promise of spring and lively movement and sounds on my porch.

Hummingbird resting

  • Oh, the sounds: chattering and chittering, when you announce your presence; hissing, whistling and screeching when you attack a competitor.

  • You move so fast, cutting through the air like a missile. Sometimes you hover around my head. Are you as curious about me as I am about you? Very, very rarely, I see you perched somewhere, for a few short moments.

Two females belly-bumping

  • When you attack the others with your dagger beak, sometimes stabbing them in their belly, I want to tell you that there’s enough for everyone.
  • I clean and refill the feeder for you and grow the flowers you like so much:  orange jewelweed, pink delphinium, lavender hosta, magenta phlox, and the red flag of canna lily.

  • You move so fast, cutting through the…

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