What to Expect this Week from an Old Hollow Tree

The Land of Milkweed and Honey: June 30th - July 6th

Walk the bee yard with me this time of year and it almost smells like warm bread fresh from the oven. The bees are cooking, and their menu is good. Walk the road and smell the milkweed: a smell like the child of honeysuckle and rose. This is the focus of this fine week where June becomes July: the perfect fragrance of the fields and hollows. It invites reflections on the need to embrace our senses in a world that tells you up is down and you cannot trust your own eyes. In the fragrance of July lies truth.

Reminder: Wednesday Remains Free

I added a section to the end of all my free posts for paid subscribers: Three Actions to Take to Live a More Grounded Life. These are three tangible suggested actions that embody the reflective essay for that Wednesday. Adding a paywall, even for that final paragraph however, has the the unfortunate side-effect of showing that the post is for paid subscribers. If you are a free subscriber and see this, rest assured you will be able to read the essay for free as normal (although, you do get a lot more writing available in your inbox if you decide to become paid, I must say!)

An Echo from the Past: Vitality Manifest

This time last year, we were in the thick of Hearth Fathers, a fifteen episode mini-series where I interviewed rural fathers about their land, their homes, and their legacies. Interviewing bowhunter Nate Norman was perfect for this time of year because both he and July so often embody vitality. It’s a good interview, it’s free, and you’ll likely find Nate to be overwhelmingly charming.

Enjoy this week as June becomes July and summer truly kicks off.

Yours in the green hills of Vermont,

Ryan