Ah, spring, when a dog owner’s thoughts lightly turn to dog hair. It may not be officially spring, but the dogs think it’s time to get rid of their winter undercoat. Gael, especially, grows a very dense coat and it’s hard to get it all out. Regular brushing becomes a necessity if I ...

“Why does anyone go on spring vacation? It seems odd to fly to a tropical destination at the very moment one of the greatest astonishments of life on Earth is taking place right at home.” I’m quoting now in the Wall Street Journal from George Ball, chairman and CEO of Burpee. “When ...

The news is aflutter with updates of this new virus, COVID-19. I can’t turn on the TV or look at my phone without seeing some new update on how many cases there are or where the virus has spread to. The constant updates are driving anxiety up in our country and across the world, so much so ...

March is National Agriculture Month. This is a good time since the agricultural year is about to begin. Soon farmers will be out in their fields preparing them for new crops. For years I was deeply involved in agriculture. My husband operated a dairy farm with registered Holstein cattle. Farm ...

The recent decision by New York State to prohibit single-use plastic bags from retail stores makes it an ideal time to reexamine one of my favorite environmental quandaries. Plastic grocery bags were developed as a substitute for paper bags in the late 1970s. It was promoted as a way to save ...

Are you concerned about the coronavirus? I am certainly taking it seriously, but hope we’re not being swayed by overreaction. For example, news like this concerns me: 38% of American beer drinkers surveyed last week said they wouldn’t buy Corona beer “under any circumstances” at ...