On the last day of winter, I saw my first Tree Swallow of the year. It flew beside the James River in the direction of Jamestown Island. Sociable birds with an iridescent sheen that babble and chatter all day, these
On this somber first anniversary of the war in Ukraine and anticipating a spring offensive, I expected to read historical reflections in the media about the invasion of Czechoslovakia by Soviet tanks and troops in 1968. So I am filling
Two fully-grown coyotes crossed the road in front of us at 10 AM today before I turned into Jamestown Beach. A patrolman told me he had seen others. The boldness of these sleek canids in shaggy coats the color of
On Valentine’s Day, I queried an AI bot about the idealistic love that Ancient Greeks called agape and compare it with the romantic notion of love. This is how it replied: “The main difference between romantic love and agape love
After I published THE BOY WHO COULD BEE under the pseudonym Rowan Gordon, I wondered if an artificial intelligence bot could invent a better story than the one I created. This is how it launches a story using the keywords:
The sun is setting in the west, The Spoonbills fly with no rest, Their wings are strong and they will go, Until they reach their winter home. (Poetic style of a Japanese tanka in 31 syllables inspired by API)
In icy ground . . . Daffodils sprout forth, bright buds In yellow hues, their faces Smiling in the cold earth, Promising springtime to us all. (Style of a Japanese tanka in 31 syllables inspired by API)
“… suddenly there came a tapping, As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door. “’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door— Only this and nothing more.” The return of two Downies to our backyard reminded
Guess the replies if you ask if wasps and flies have any virtues. Many people wish them extinct, but they are important pollinators along with wild bees, honeybees, and lepidoptera. The decline of 1-2% per year in insect populations around
These cute warblers are resident in this region year-round but seen more often in fall and winter when more northerly breeders join their brethren in this warmer clime. As they feed on seeds instead of insects, they don’t need to
The United Nations estimates that our population reached 8 billion this week. In 1900, it was 1.6 billion but by the turn of the 21st century, we had grown to over 6 billion. That is nearly 2 billion more mouths
We heard a different owl calling in the woods behind our home today at twilight, not the familiar sound of Barred Owls. It hooted softly, as a tiger might purr to itself, watching a herd of antelopes. It was the