Musings and History

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." - John Muir

Ridge Road Stories

The Boojum Tree
Many years ago, two English botanists, father and son, were scanning a remote part of the Sonoran desert, with telescope, looking for new plants . . . More »
The PawPaw Patch
About 25 years ago, Freida and John, members of the Dubuque Hiking Club, were walking the railroad tracks, south of Massey Station along the Mississippi River . . . More »
Winterize your lawn.
"WINTERIZE YOUR LAWN" the big sign outside the garden store commanded. I've fed it, watered it, mowed it, and raked it. And watched a lot of it die. Now I'm supposed to winterize it . . . More »
The Dinosaur Tree
The tree is the Ginkgo biloba, called the LIVING FOSSIL because it has been on earth for over 250 million years. It was lunch for the dinosaurs. . . . More »
A Mysterious Nest
We found a mysterious nest nestled in one of our trees. More »