Mike Vaughn

The dark colored spots on the entry rug caught my eye when I opened the back door. I first wondered if Kevin, my constant canine companion, had gotten into a discarded carton of blueberries in the trash, which he had…

For weeks I’ve been in a battle with nature, and a part of me is ashamed to report that I’ve won. When I moved in the fall I was delighted to see that my new home has its share of…

When the question is about a preference between mountains or the ocean, mountains are my immediate choice every time. I loved the Smoky Mountains when I first saw them as a child, and I’ve spent countless pleasant hours in the…

The question has become a joke around Bethesda Workshops: “You mean THE MARNIE FERREE is going to be there?” I always find it ridiculous that I – the person who just picked up trash along the road in front of…

Note: This blog was originally published a few years ago, yet my thoughts have returned to it often recently. I’m recycling it for this January offering in hopes it also resonates with you in this season. I’ve been thinking a…

As part of a backyard improvement project, I hired a couple of guys to cut back some tall bushes, almost trees, that were overgrown and hanging out into the yard. It turned out to be a much bigger project than…