In the United States, we’re now officially entering the 12th month of the global pandemic. It’s probable that even if you’ve been living under a rock, in some way or another, your life has been affected by COVID-19. This past year, we’ve been living under a microscope.
Connection, learning, grieving, resilience, recovery: these are among the gifts music offers.

It has been a long 12 months for the majority of parents across the country. With schools being closed for many towns and cities, many parents have either been forced or made the choice to homeschool their kids in order to keep them as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Always entranced by birds, I can never get enough of birdwatching–whether outside in real life, or (especially in winter) via books and the internet. We were lucky enough to publish an excerpt from renowned wildlife photographer Paul Sorrell’s new book, Getting Closer.
Publisher's note: we LOVE the amazing articles from our US Fish and Wildlife Service about our natural world. Here's one about tracks in the snow!
Who goes there? Winter is a great time to find out. The snow tells secrets about the natural world.
In woods and plains and less trafficked city streets, the movements of many shy creatures can be revealed in a fresh cover of snow.
Snow can reveal the mysterious lives of critters in the night.
These tracks were made by elk. The tracks indicate that elk were zig-zagging through the snow, digging for vegetation buried beneath.

Toward the end of 2020, my boyfriend and I had the most wonderful time driving across almost all of Scotland. For 2 months, we explored the stunning coastlines and rugged mountain peaks. We spent all but a few nights wild camping, enjoying the calm and scenic countryside Scotland has to offer.

NC500 roads
Let’s be honest: the last few months have really made us want to leave our houses, jump on a plane and go somewhere, anywhere, far, far away. And yes, at the moment it might seem like being able to travel again is still far in the future, but as the world slowly starts to open up again, we can prepare for the day we can happily step out of house and into the big, wide world.
2021 is officially well underway. Vaccines are finding their way into the arms of awaiting humans to hopefully help bring this global pandemic to a close.
Students and teachers are finding new ways to navigate the world of digital learning and are hopeful that those who want to attend in person classes will be able to do so perhaps even prior to the next school year.
World-famous for adventure travel and cultural voyeurism, Nepal is also a fabulous shopping destination.