It’s the most glorious time of year. The intoxicating scent of sweet roses fills my senses as I walk through the forest trails, not from roses, but from millions of blossoms on the Victorian-era apple trees on my property. As I pause to capture photos under the massive old trees, their petals fa…
Solstice is the longest day of the year with the sun at its peak. Or, in the winter, the solstice is the shortest day of the year, with the darkness at its peak. Not just another day on the calendar, it represents the balance between light and darkness, a reflection of our own duality.
The su…
I watched as the man who was like a second father to me, a man who was loved by everyone who knew him and affectionately referred to as “The Padre,” frantically placed his hand over his heart and fell backward.
I bolted from my nightmare, sweating in terror that this man who had helpe…
Photo Copyright Michelle Schoffro Cook
Five years ago, I planted some cilantro in my garden even though I rarely use the fresh herb. Every spring since then, little yellow-green cilantro leaves pop up in the same area thanks to a few escapee seeds that drop each fall. I let the plant grow and…
Photo copyright Michelle Schoffro Cook. All rights reserved.
“Apple trees typically grow ten to 15 feet tall,” they said. “They live up to 75 to 100 years,” they said. “Apple season is in the fall,” they said. It’s a good thing this apple tree, known as “The Empress” didn’t hear them, or at l…
Photo Copyright Michelle Schoffro Cook. All rights reserved.
During the grey and lifeless winter months, the apple tree named Wuthering Heights, appears stark and windblown, almost lifeless. But after the weariness of the cold and ice, comes the spring, marked by a stunning array of pink and …
