One of the best things about spending time in the mountains is the variety of birdsong that accompanies you on your hikes. The Smoky Mountains are noted for the sheer number of birds, wildflowers, trees and lichens. I’m sure it has to do with the way the Lord has sculpted the mountains and valleys. ...Continue Reading

For the past week, I’ve been living and hiking in wilderness forest and mountains. Sure I’ve met people on the trails, but much of the time it’s been only me, the trail, the birds and the wildflowers. Every trail I hiked this week was to reach the summit of a mountain for the spectacular view or to ...Continue Reading

Do you ever wonder about the origin of a word? I’m fascinated by the word understory. Maybe it’s because I’m a writer and I see life composed of stories, including the activity in the woods and marshes where I walk. When I was growing up, we used the word underbrush instead of understory, mostly ...Continue Reading

God rarely speaks in a loud voice. This morning as we headed out for our walk, I had what I would call a soft nudge to take the path that runs in the opposite direction from where I usually walk. This path has more open space and less deep forest. It’s also less crowded and often has owls calling to ...Continue Reading