By Kristy Walker, Minnesota
As a wildlife photographer, I had always wanted to photograph swans with their babies. One year I spotted a swan in a marsh at a park near my home. I could hardly believe it, but this female was making a nest. Every day I visited the place in hopes of seeing her babies.
By Sheri Kramer, Minnesota
Some years ago, I was having one of those days where I felt particularly sad and lonely. Rather than stay home and sulk, I opted to spend some time at a nearby nature preserve. As I drove there, I asked the Mahanta, the inner presence I can always count on, to help me feel less lonely.
By Dannette Horton, North Carolina
At four o’clock on a Saturday morning, a dish crashing to the floor in the kitchen downstairs awakened me. I heard my ex-husband, Carl, making sounds as if he was in pain. (Although Carl and I are divorced, he is still my best friend and lives with us.)
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By Allen Anderson, Minnesota
Standing in line at a sprawling grocery store, I placed five bags of large sweet potatoes on the conveyer belt. A mature cashier with a kind, smiling face (I’ll call her Stacy) enthusiastically said, “Leaf’s food!”