Welcome to Winding Pathways
Winding Pathways encourages you to create a wonderous yard, whether that yard is an expansive acreage, a suburban lot or a condominium balcony. Go outside and play!
Join our email list
Sign up for FREE Winding Pathways emails (approximately weekly).
Chicken Treats: Delicious Tidbits Add Zest to a Flock’s Winter Diet
An outdoor run gives chickens more than fresh air and a place to exercise. Delicious tidbits are waiting to be discovered outside and break the monotony of daily mash or pellet meals. Hens find food in even the smallest runs. Unfortunately, they quickly consume green...
2018 Labyrinth Pilgrimages
Sunrise, sunset Sunrise, sunset Swiftly fly the years One season following another Laden with happiness and tears (Fiddler on the Roof) As 2018 draws to a close and different cultures celebrate traditions near and dear to their hearts, I take pause and reflect on this...
“Go Outside and Play!”
“Let’s play outside!” For baby boomers, that was something we said and did every day. Driving slowly through neighborhoods was a must in those days because the yards and streets were literally full of kids. We played outside after school and on weekends, 365 days a...
Boxelder Bugs
Lots of boxelder bugs are traipsing through homes this winter to the consternation of human occupants. We reluctantly share our home with a few during cold months. This amazingly common and crafty insect is a true bug named for common boxelder tree. You don't have to...
Three Critical Emergency Items
Note: Our comments are personal observations. We have not been paid by any company to review their products. Wildfires in California. Hurricanes along the coast. Blizzards and tornadoes everywhere. In this era of climate change every household should prepare for long...
Mice! Keeping them Out of the House
After a balmy fall, the television weather report promised near record cold and snow in three or four days. Mice don’t have televisions but somehow, they knew this because several of the tiny mammals successfully entered our house just before cold arrived. One...
Glacier Advances to Winding Pathways
A modern glacier visited Winding Pathways in October. Our area of Iowa doesn’t have much rock. There’s limestone bedrock in some places. Over the top is a thick layer of subsoil and topsoil with one exception. Glacial erratics. Thousands of years ago the Upper Midwest...
Monarchs On Their Way South
This past summer we enjoyed watching many monarch butterflies flutter over our prairie labyrinth. Numbers were way up from last year. These intrepid insects are now en route to wintering grounds in Mexico. We look forward to their return next year. Monarchs suffered...
Hearing Aids Help Enjoy Wildlife
A tiny migrating warbler changed my life. As I sat on my back deck a few springs ago a tiny bird landed on a twig about ten feet in front of me. I could see it singing but couldn’t hear a thing. Military Training and Hearing Loss My hearing loss probably started as...
EGO CORDLESS CHAINSAW
EGO chainsaws pass muster for homeowner use.
FIREFLIES RETURN TO DELIGHT FAMILY
“It was amazing! Gorgeous! Fireflies danced over our prairie most of the summer, and they weren’t here when it was a mowed lawn,” said Katie Hill with much enthusiasm She and her husband Tim are restoring an island of ecological health just three miles from downtown...
Alaska: Connections and Tips
Connections It’s amazing how many connections you will find when you travel to Alaska. My winter journey started with a fine chat with a Coe College student headed to the Twin Cities for a physics presentation. As a Coe grad, I was excited to hear about his work and...
Iowa’s Oceanfront Property
Oceanfront property in Iowa! Well not really, but the state constantly interacts with our planet’s vast oceans. Over six inches of rain fell on Winding Pathways in September 2018. Way above average. Not long ago those zillions of raindrops were swirling around in the...
Labyrinths: Walking Meditations
Worship outside of a church comes in many forms. For the service, several members shared their ways of being mindful and growing spiritually. These included listening to music, engaging in specific meditation times, and singing. My contribution was this short talk on...
Getting Rid of Yellow Jackets
We were recently concerned to find a Yellow Jacket nest close to our front door. Normally we appreciate their ambitious work catching insect prey. If they had made their nest in an out of the way place, we would have left them alone. But, their nest location invited...
Equinox
It’s turning time for wildlife, chickens, and people As the Northern Hemisphere of the earth continues its ageless slow wobble away from the sun, days gradually shorten until a wondrous event happens. The Autumnal Equinox happens around September 21st each year. It’s...