November is ending. It’s been a lovely month of blustery days, passionate clouds, and leaves dancing to the ground, either swiftly or slow, depending on the wind…

It’s morning.  The pale sun creeps up as winter attempts a coup to the last bit of autumn.  The colors of the leaves are muted now, from gold to mustard, brilliant orange to an orange gouache, and flaming red to deep burgundy.  The leaves lie on the ground, stripped from the branches that held them…

Our high-functioning autistic daughter told us one time that she couldn’t do a sleepover where there wasn’t an animal breathing in the house. At the time, we shook our heads in disbelief, our hopes of social growth diminishing quickly. She has an uncanny gift with animals and has been dubbed the “animal whisperer” in our…