Our dog Sydney loves all the same things that most dogs do. Mention the word “walk” and her tail goes into overdrive. Start loading the car, and she leaps uninvited into the back seat, hoping to go with us. Ask her, “Where’s Bodie?” and she runs through the house to find our other dog.

She wasn’t always …

I often reflect about all the things that we can learn from animals. One thing that always gets to me is how animals are so full of life, forever appreciating the simple things, like a trip to the beach or running around in the backyard. Here is an excerpt from my book Let’s …

These days, you can’t turn on the TV or look at a magazine without being “greened.” We’re guided to the best green car, the most savory green restaurant, or the most efficient green energy system. Emissions are examined, and thermostats are tightened-and our belts are not far behind. We compost, compact, and conserve, lest our carbon footprint inch a size larger, all …

About this time every year, there’s a tree on my mom’s street that sprouts a large, orangey mushroom at its base. This is a “chicken of the woods” mushroom that, you guessed it, tastes just like chicken. Rinsed, sliced into chunks, and sautéed, it’s the perfect cruelty-free addition to …

Let’s face it: Dogs are busybodies! They are social creatures who want to know everything about their environment. Thankfully, it takes very little to satisfy this instinct and create a happy environment for them.

One solution that I discussed in a previous post was to install doggie windows in fences.  But many of …