For those folks who appreciate the wisdom of #jrrtolkien and #middle-earth here is a new piece I had published just this morning on Tolkien’s insights gleaned in the 20th century and how he portrayed fascism and tyranny and capitalism in his writings: washingtoninst.org/capitalism-f...

I am not a mushroom forager. I don’t know enough & don’t want to die or fry my brain. But these were in our backyard — 2 lbs! — and are considered one of four varieties safest to eat in terms of trustworthy ID. So #mushroom soup for dinner. I think Frodo, Merry, and Pippin would approve. #hobbits

Camping at the Parc de la Gorge de Coaticook, Quebec. A very beautiful place with some wonderful local food. The Foresta Lumina display after dark was delightful. #easterntownships #coaticook #quebec

The local goldenrod has seemed not only especially abundant this year, but also very bright in its namesake color. The pollinators — including northern paper wasps, common eastern bumblebees, and honeybees (all shown) — have been abundant and busy among them. It’s quite delightful and encouraging.

“Birds in the Sky, Fish in the Sea”. Sometimes they come together along the shore. It often ends badly for the fish, but as a fellow fisher I enjoyed watching these snow egrets foraging along the beach in Santa Barbara. #beaches #birds #snowegret #santabarbara www.squarehalobooks.com/birds-fish

I love my #vermont #backyard plopped down as it is near the edge of the green and often #mistymountains. I had a nice visit from #Beorn yesterday. Obviously, in his other skin at the time. He must have known I’ve been brewing mead — thus making my house a sort of mead hall or Meduseld.

My favorite two bird sightings of the summer (so far) … just minutes apart. Though the former of these is not as pleased with the presence of the latter. #maine #baldeagle #loon

A wild brook trout caught this AM in a Green Mountain National Forest stream with winter wrens singing in the background to complement the symphony of the brook itself. A beautiful morning in a gorgeous place with a good friend standing on cold water on a hot day. #flyfishing @davoh.bsky.social

A delightful day of small stream fishing for wild #brooktrout (char) with a good friend. We were in the shade almost the whole time and the water stayed cold even when air the got hot. State fish of Vermont. #flyfishing @davoh.bsky.social

Indigo bunting on a post in the garden. Although its song has been showing up on my Merlin app for two months, this was my first clear view -- and first chance to get a #birdphotograph that gives even a hint of the beauty of this bird.

More #backyard #birdphotos. My 1st sighting of a beautiful ( aptly named) chestnut-sided warbler (a little deeper in the woods beyond the yard's edge). A chipping sparrow (in the cedar) and song sparrow (on the hammock) for comparison of two LBBs. And a gray catbird hunting worms in my garden.

A recent essay I wrote about compassion in #TheHobbit (& also sympathy & empathy, none of which are toxic, and which are beautifully portrayed by #jrrtolkien ) for The Washington Institute — which was just published here: washingtoninst.org/the-hobbit-a... Warning: there is some theology in it.

It's been a fun summer getting to know birds in our forest--especially passerines whose songs I've heard for years, but never knew about. Much enjoyment just sitting outside listening, but Merlin & a 400mm lens have been great tools. Here are a 4 favorite photos of newly identified birds. ID below.

Red-eyed Vireos in the woods around my house are enough better at hiding than I am at seeking that they keep chattering the whole time I’m looking for them. (That’s not a complaint!) Last evening, however, with my 400mm lens and tripod, I managed a long enough glimpse. #birding #vireo #vermont

Good interview with @matthewdickerson.bsky.social

I was interviewed by Radix magazine ostensibly about #jrrtolkien & the #inklings. It turned to conversation about a range of topics esp. virtues of gentleness & empathy valued by Tolkien but disdained by the Saurons, Sarumans, and fallen Denethors of the world. www.radixmagazine.com/2025/04/30/m...

#eveningwalk in the Vermont woods with spring ephemerals: Dutchman’s breeches, trout lily, red & white trillium. #jrrtolkien was famous for his love of trees. I also appreciate his descriptions of flowers. His wise characters notices them. If these were in #middle-earth what would you name them?

The red maples are blossoming in Vermont—seen here against the setting of the sun over the forest and an #eveningsky on our #eveningwalk. Hepatica, a favorite early spring ephemeral, was also staring to pop up on the trails through the woods. #blossoms #wildflowers #spring

The red maples are blossoming in Vermont—seen here against the setting of the sun over the forest and an #eveningsky on our #eveningwalk. Hepatica, a favorite early spring ephemeral, was also staring to pop up on the trails through the woods. #blossoms #wildflowers #spring

I had a wonderful day in Great Smokey Mountain National Parks. Our national parks are treasures to be valued and protected--as are those who work in them. More than merely delight and wonder, they offer learning, healing landscapes, forests to refresh aquifers for the clean water we all need.

Celebrate well, my friends. 3.14 Enough said. — Acknowledgements: fresh, homemade pie courtesy of my wonderful partner.

Another restful and soul-restoring Sabbath rest day in the woods and Nordic trails of Rikert and the Green Mountain National Forest. Groves of hemlock, then spruce and pine, and then maple, with scatterings of yellow birch, beech, black cherry. Sadly, I saw no ents or entwives.

A young tree splitting in two, a stream murmuring beneath a heavy snow, and some beautiful speckled clouds backlit by late afternoon light. Just a few scenes from yesterday’s Nordic ski-jaunt.

A beautiful day Nordic skiing at Sleepy Hollow, in near-perfect conditions, with a picnic lunch at the Butternut Cabin looking out over Camel’s Hump (follow my pointing). A day Nordic skiing does not erase the atrocities being committed by our awful president and his oligarch, but it felt needed.

Two cellphone photos taken from airplane windows on a recent trip. The 1st is of #MtRainier just after midnight as it poked above the #clouds into the moonlight. The blur is from a long nighttime exposure. The 2nd is from a cool moment between two distinct cloud layers on the descent to land.

Another day fishing with my brother in Forks, WA. Beautiful mornings as the sun poked through frosty river fog. We avoided vampires & werewolves, and tried—with only moderate success—to find the teeth of some steelhead. Managed also to catch and release a bull trout — only the 5th of my life.

A day hanging with brother Thanh is a good day. Especially a day casting for steelhead with several hookups (some landed) and even an unexpected encounter with a bull trout. Western Olympic Peninsula is a beautiful, unique location -- a northern rain forest with a river flowing off a glacier.

Today’s riddle in honor of #bilbobaggins, #jrrtolkien, (& my lunch.) “Put this herb on all things devoured Birds, beasts, cauliflower Buy at the market. (Don’t steal.) Helps make savory your meal. Used in diners all cross town. Helps you get chicken soup down.” “Thyme. Thyme. Give me more Thyme.”

"It's the children of my children it's these lambs born in innocence it's wondering if the good I've known will last to be seen by the eyes of the little ones" -- Mark Heard (1951-1992), "Worry Too Much" #MarkHeard

The Winter edition of “Forgotten Ground Regained: a Journal of Alliterative Verse” is out. Theme is “Images of the Natural World.” alliteration.net/current-issue/. I have 3 poems in it. #JRRTolkien folks here will want to read the review by @denniswise.bsky.social of "The Collected Poems of #JRRT."

Had 20 delight-filled mins in August at a small #TongassNationalForest stream watching 3 native #DollyVarden char eating #sockeye eggs—benefitting from ocean-borne nutrients brought upriver by anadromous fish. We all live downstream of each other even when we’re upriver. #spawningsalmon #fishvideo

This annual conference regularly offers great #jrrtolkien and #cslewis content. This year's keynote is Inkling's scholar Diana Glyer. I will also offer a session exploring "Gandalf and the importance of Hope and Lament in Middle-earth." Especially if you live in the northeast U.S., consider this!

Continuing with national park visits of 2023-24: of 12 visited, 1 (Mt Rainier NP) was on a trip for a family wedding. The other 11 were results of work or writing related trips--the one upside of air travel to balance out being stranded overnight 3 times and countless hours waiting or in line.

Continuing my 12 national parks photo dump of 2023-24, I leap from Lake Clark NP and Katmai NP across the U.S. to Everglades NP where I had a 1st visit to work on my forthcoming book “Birds of the Sky, Fish of the Sea”. From char, trout, grayling, pike to gar and tarpon, and from bears to manatees.

Today as I review photos still on my ipad from 2023-24, I bring 8 glimpses of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve — tied only with Katmai for 1st on my list of favorite national parks. See follow-up post for story and other photos. #nationalparks #lakeclarknationalpark #flyfishing #lakeclark

For 25+ years, I've had a biweekly newspaper column. It started as a fishing column and grew to general outdoors. I try for a Christmas theme every year in late December. www.addisonindependent.com/2024/12/26/matthew-dickerson-contemplating-mt-rainier-douglas-firs-and-the-wonder-of-christmas/

2nd day of Christmas. #morningwalk with the dog, who loves to tunnel in the snow (and look for yummy “milk duds” treats left by passing deer) and to make doggy snow angels. #winterinvermont #winterscene #dogphotos

End of the year… looking back at photos. Since I’m slow to delete from my mobile device, I ended up perusing both 2023 and 2024, with wonderful memories of a day of #bearviewing and #flyfishing (in the same river) on a trip with The Farm Lodge. These bears are Gully and Chunk. #katmainationalpark

A #morningwalk photo I took at Mt Rainier National Park 2 weeks ago is a finalist in the photo contest hosted by their guest services. You can vote for my photo (Matthew D)—or another you like better—at this link: mtrainierguestservices.stories.travel/photo-explor... #photography #nationalparks

My mother taught public school 5th grade, and used to read the Chronicles of Narnia to her class every year using 1966 hardcovers given to me and brothers. She didn’t live to see my 2024 book Aslan’s Breath published, but I think she would have appreciated my writing and Ned Bustard’s original art.

#morningwalk up Rampart Ridge at Mt Rainier National Park. Had a visit from a friendly (hungry & bold) Canada Jay atop the ridge when we stopped to enjoy the view of Nisqually River Valley and Longmire. I hope the U.S. continues to treasure and protect national parks & lands. @altnps.bsky.social

#morningwalk and third hike of our short trip to Mount Rainier National Park—a very special place! All hikes were in the Longmont area.

From Wendell Berry’s poem “How to be a Poet” “Stay away from anything that obscures the place it is in. There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places.” The photo of a frost crystal bouquet at daybreak is from Mount Rainier National Park.

#eveningwalk. Rainier National Park Or late afternoon. Sunset comes earlier here now. Plus a leftover photo of crystal “blossoms” from my #morningwalk

#morningwalk to Carter Falls, in Mount Rainier National Park. @altnps.bsky.social

A beautiful morning with my brother (and with guide Travis) floating down the Trinity River in northern CA drifting nymphs for steelhead. Managed to net some gorgeous fish. #flyfishing #family #trinityriver

Years ago I co-wrote 2 related books about environmental themes in #JRRTolkien and #CSLewis: “Ents, Elves and Eriador" w/ Jonathan Evans & "Narnia and the Fields of Arbol" w/ @davoh.bsky.social. UPK is now offering 40% off w/ free shipping if you buy both with code FROSTY24: www.kentuckypress.com

If you’ve ever wondered how I ended up with some of my more esoteric interests, @matthewdickerson.bsky.social read this to the whole dinner table tonight, not because he had seen it on Bluesky but because he saw the screenshot of it on @rhunedhel.bsky.social’s mailing list

Although having heavy fog strand us overnight in #Gustavus (AK) after our visit to Glacier Bay National Park proved $-costly, it did result in an enjoyable day walking the beach and fishing the local river (with a brown bear). #glacierbaynationalpark #beachwalk #brownbear More photos in comments

People keep asking me “Why are you still here?” They’re asking about my faith, my work as an academic, or my work in sustainability and environmental humanities. Here’s how I reply to all three: davoh.medium.com/why-are-you-...