THE SPRUCE TREE JOURNAL

A place of refuge, a time of peace, a message of hope.

August 2025

Welcome to the August issue of The Spruce Tree Journal. I hope you had a chance to get outside last month and enjoy Nature. Even with the extreme July heat, I was able to put 85 miles on my hiking boots along the local trails. I heard my first cicada of the summer late last month, too, buzzing high up in the oak canopy, bringing me back in my mind to my halcyon days of my youth just hanging out, swimming, and riding bikes during the summer school vacations. July also brought the transition when the deer flies outnumber the mosquitoes (with my loss of blood confirming that!). But it is all good, especially that one morning when I was out at sunrise to dwell in a few fleeting moments of komorebi (see below). And then there was this turtle…

Blog

Beating the Heat

A chance encounter with an uncommon Spotted Turtle during my Daily Woodland Zen Walk.


Monthly Mantra


The present moment is the only place where joy and contentment can exist.


This is something you need to remind yourself every day.



Word Search


Be aware of this month's word manifestation during your travels over the next few weeks.

Komorebi (pronounced kō-mō-reh-bē) is a Japanese word meaning sunlight leaking through the trees creating dapples of light and shadows on the forest floor.

This Month's Photo

Just Because...

A photo from my files.

Eastern Chipmunk

Second Helping

Orange-Coriander Salmon

It's more than just a recipe.

Fish, to taste good, must swim three times: first in water, then in butter, and finally in wine. Polish Proverb


While I do not believe in reincarnation (although in a past life I did), if given the choice of what or who I’d come back as, I’d have to pick an Orca (commonly called the awful, inaccurate, and degenerating name: Killer Whale). Specifically, I’d like to be one in the Pacific Northwest where I could eat salmon every day of my life.

 

This recipe uses crushed and ground coriander seeds. And lots of them, too. Buy a container of whole seed and process it yourself just before using. That way you’ll get the full orangey flavor of the seeds rather than the diluted flavor of previously processed seed found on the grocery shelves.

 

Click the link below for full recipe.

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More information, including the past Blogs, Second Helping recipes, and my publication history, can be found at www.thespurcetreejournal.com.

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