Touched by an Island
I had the pleasure of joining 120 volunteers, current and former staff, and adult campers at Hog Island Audubon Camp in Maine this weekend to celebrate its 90th Anniversary. For me, and so many others, the experience of being on this 350-acre island in Musgongus Bay has been life changing. I attended first as an adult camper in 2000, then became the director of Family Camp, and later directed the Arts and Birding program. Though I only spent a week each summer on the island, it became a deeply meaningful place in… Read More
Revisiting the Southwest
Can a painting evoke a place, a memory, a moment in time? On a cold winter’s day, this piece certainly gave me a chance to revisit a trip to the Southwest that my family took a few years ago. During a long day hike at Arches National Park, we were surrounded by towering sandstone walls and incredible rock formations. After the first two miles, the crowds thinned and the trail became primitive, with steep climbs and descents. At times, we were alone in that wild expanse of sandstone and sky. A rare… Read More
The Last Golden Light
The field next to our property is in its full glory lately. Bees are buzzing in the goldenrod, asters are blooming in shades of white and purple, and tiny orange jewelweed dots the greenery. Numerous walnut trees border the field and frame the view. The chest high thicket is so dense that I won’t be able to walk in it until January, when the stems are brown, brittle, and matted from heavy snow. But for now, it is at its best, especially as the sun descends in the late afternoon, casting a… Read More
Jean Mackay
The Nature Explorer’s Sketchbook
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