I have often extolled the wonders of wild edibles in Alaska, including the plethora of berries that come out in the spring and summer, the sea asparagus that covers the beaches in June, and novelties such as Hudson Bay tea, delicious and nutritious in moderation. I had forgotten, however, that central Virginia has its share […]
Author: Evelyn J. Willburn
Meet Bernadette, and also Mrs. Moreton
Having recently returned to Southeast Alaska after three weeks in Virginia, I was pleased to see (from a distance, of course) a lovely Alaskan house spider who, with her gracious permission, I have decided to call Bernadette. I’m sure her husband is around somewhere and that he won’t mind being called Bernie. Maybe I should […]
With apologies to Nora Ephron, I feel bad about my neck too
In recent years I have suffered mildly from a scratchy throat, and a feeling of recurring glumpiness that comes with any attempt to swallow. This bit of health-related aggravation is known in medical circles as a “globus sensation,” and apparently there is nothing whatever to be done about it except to avoid certain foods and […]
A tale of two roses
The story of a rose: In the summer of 1983 I signed up to read to blind folks in Anchorage. I met a lovely old lady named Omega, who lived in a trailer south of town, and did not actually want anyone to read to her. What she wanted was company, so for several years […]
Road ridicule
I am in seventh grade, and I am riding the school bus down Route 60 in Powhatan County, Virginia. This road, aka the James A. Anderson Highway, is a long, straight, four-lane highway. We are trundling along, and I am huddled inside my enormous coat, with my skinny legs tucked as far under me as […]
What happened to you, tree?
Every tree that survives its adolescence is a silent storyteller. Some of the stories are overt. I understand, for example, that scientists can take core samples from ancient trees and use them to understand climate fluctuations over the centuries. They can do this in part by analyzing the presence or absence of certain types of […]
The great wildlife corridor that is my house
I have pontificated at some length on the adventures of Bob the spider and his lovely wife, Mrs. Bob. However, they are not by any means alone in their occupation of my dear, dog-eared little cottage. They have, so far, confined their presence to the bathtub (which makes the relocation process much easier, since their […]
Fall flowers are nice too
“Let’s talk about the flowers that bloom in the spring,” my mother would say whenever someone started to drift towards coarse in their mode of conversation. As my sister Laura reminded me, one of us was pert enough to once ask her, “why can’t we talk about the flowers that bloom in the fall sometimes?” […]
An Alaskan ferry tale
These days, Prince of Wales Island is a really happenin’ place. We even have our very own ferry, with daily service to Ketchikan, which, in the local parlance, is our “hub.” In the bad old days, the Alaska Marine Highway (AMH) would occasionally throw us a line, in the form of a weekly ferry in […]
Dammit, Bob!
This morning, I walked into the bathroom of my little cottage, and saw that Bob the spider had returned after three days of wandering in the wilderness. I spoke to him sharply, explaining that this is my tub, and he should consider setting up shop somewhere else; but he seemed unimpressed, and merely paced back […]