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Making Ripples

MAKING RIPPLES: It’s A Jungle Out There

Go outside in different weather for different experience Our “Natural State” of Arkansas is as interesting as any exotic jungle. And like many explorers who endure extreme weather as they

Making Ripples

Amanda Bancroft: Winter pond provides peek at surprising passerby

AMANDA BANCROFT Making Ripples One bitterly cold day in February, we decided to check the pond for migrating flocks that might have gotten stranded here during the blizzard. Two dozen

Making Ripples

Pioneer Adventures: Winter storm wasn’t easy off the grid

AMANDA BANCROFT Making Ripples Whether we get our electricity, heat and other utilities from a grid system maintained by a city or off the grid maintained by ourselves, winter storms

Making Ripples

To Stack Or Not To Stack?

What some consider art, others call vandalism AMANDA BANCROFT Making Ripples Editor’s Note: Amanda Bancroft is busy dealing with living off-grid in a major winter storm. This column first ran

Making Ripples

Environmental Ups And Downs

AMANDA BANCROFT Making Ripples The journey to move off the utility grid into a solar-powered cabin has so absorbed the bulk of our time over the past three years that

Making Ripples

A Solitary, Resilient Heron

Big birds adapt to changing weather and diet AMANDA BANCROFT Making Ripples Driveways are runways to some with wings. A great blue heron once flew past our cabin windows, just

Making Ripples

Let There Be Light!

Solar lanterns celebrate lengthening of days AMANDA BANCROFT Making Ripples Twilight is even more magical now that solar lanterns are part of our off-grid cabin. As the sunset fades, each

Making Ripples

Let In Light And Air

Candle choices make a difference to environment AMANDA BANCROFT Making Ripples Candles make great ambiance and brighten dark winter days. But some of them are not very cheery when you

Making Ripples

Bluebird Smackdown

Friends at night, birds may squabble by day AMANDA BANCROFT Making Ripples The bleak wintry landscape of hay-colored hills and bare branches is suddenly interrupted by flashes of deep blue,

Making Ripples

Choosing The ‘Right’ Path

Thought required before creating a new trail AMANDA BANCROFT Making Ripples There are many paths in life that could be considered the “right” path. Everyone has the right to create