THE BORDER LIFE

 

 
RIVERDAVE'S JOURNAL - My Online Open E-Book
 
      Riverdave has kept a personal journal every year since 1979 and has mined   
these bound volumes as a primary source for the essays, poetry and editorials on natural history and philosophy that you find in this e-book.  His teacher of artistic writing during the 1980s was the gifted Palestinian poet the late Adnan Silwani.
      
      Riverdave also wishes to express special thanks to the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities in Southern Pines, North Carolina.  Every year since 1998 their Writers-in-Residence program has generously provided him with working space to create and recreate much of the material found in these essays and poems.
 
      Essays tagged with the following abbreviations are printed with the permission of their publishers: "HS" Herald-Sun;"N&O" News and Observer;  "ERC" Eno River Currents and Eno River Association; "SWM" Spectator Weekly Magazine; "FIF"Fifteen 501 Magazine; "PRE" Preview Magazine and the N.C. Museum of Art; "EXP" Explore Magazine and Duke University Publications; "SHA" Shamanism Journal  and the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.  Copyright 2018 by Riverdave. All rights reserved. If you have questions about the use of this material, please email Riverdave:  riverdave52@gmail.com

     For daily journal entries of my outdoor and inward explorations, just "friend me" on my Facebook extention of Riverdave's Journal.

CHAPTER ONE - My most recent entries:  
Harlem Nights - April 13, 2022 - A visit to the home of my children in Harlem NYC turns out to be a metaphor for my life 
An Appalachian Storm Drama - April 7, 2022 - An account of a turtle, scary roller coaster rides and bewildering Appalachian night phenomena 
Wafting Journal 2000 - March 17, 2022 - A day by day account of a full season of wafting the Eno River in the year 2000
Brumley Nature Preserve Tree Inventory - November 7, 2021 - Class project for my Fall 2021 public Tree Camp at Brumley Nature Preserve North, Orange County NC
Latta Park Opposition Statement - November 1, 2021 - Defending my neighborhood from commercial development before the Durham City Council
Oma and Her Animals - July 10, 2021 - Shared at the memorial service of my mother, Phyllis Owen, at Epworth Methodist Church, Durham NC
Stagville Tree Inventory - May 13, 2021 - Compiled with my Spring 2021 public Tree Camp at Stagville State Historic Site, Durham NC
Bennett Place State Historic Site Tree Inventory - May 6, 2021 - Compiled with my Spring 2021 Tree Campers at Bennett Place State Historic Site
Duke Homestead Tree Inventory - April 29, 2021 - Compiled with my Spring 2021 Tree Campers at Duke Homestead State Historic Site
My Father as Nature Guide - Septermber 22, 2020 - A tribute to my father Harry Ashton Owen and his influence in my life as a Nature guide
 
CHAPTER TWO - My photo journal: 
Riverdave's Dozen Best of 2021 Nature Photography -  a selection of some of Riverdave's best Nature photos of 2021 
Synott Hole Herbs - Updated August 6, 2015 - my photographs of flowering plants at Synott's Hole on the Eno River 
Phyllis Merwin Owen Art Gallery  - created December 1, 2015 for my mother and grandmother's art work - Currently Under Construction ... 
 
CHAPTER THREE - Essays about my discoveries as a student of herbalism:
Chewing Pine Resin as a Natural Cough Suppressant - April 27, 2019 - Results from my recent herbal trial are encouraging
Mucuna Bean - December 1, 2017 - Riverdave's herbal path to remedy Seasonal Affective Disorder
Chinaberry Tree - September 13, 2017 - Riverdave explores the the Himalayan medicinal ties of the Chinaberry tree
Tree Nut Protocol - January 6, 2016 - hunting and gathering in our Piedmont oak-hickory forest
Mama Coca - February 18, 2015 - Andean plant medicine brought home 
Jungle Tobacco - February 20, 2015 - my hometown aromatic life 
Constitution Questionnaire - January 2014 - A helpful assessment tool for those working with herbs
Lyme Disease Resource - June 2013 - Riverdave's Five Level Herbal Treatment for Lyme Disease
Midnight Watch - November 25, 2012 - my approach to resolving the sleep dilemma 
Medicine Herb Pudding - June 2011 - my basic method of herb ingestion
Pine Pollen - N&O-April 2012 - a great restorative herb to harvest locally ...
Traditional Vs. Modern Medicine - January 2011 - A comparison between two health care models
Fresh Conifer Tea - December 2010 - class project for my Herbal Pharmacy class at Pacific Rim College
Mountain Medicine - November 1999 - my second season of traditional herbal study in South America
Ayamama - December 1998 - Thus begins my study of traditional herbalism and using plants medicine
 
CHAPTER FOUR - Dharma: Essays about Ayurveda, Yoga, Sanskrit and Himalayan Natural History:
Harlem Nights - April 13, 2022 - A visit to the home of my children in Harlem NYC includes an important Yogic challenge and metaphor for my life 
Outline of a Personal Kriya Yoga Practice - Riverdave's current Kriya Yoga practice
Thoreau As America's First Yogi - Class webpage for my Duke Continuing Studies, Fall 2020 course
Siddhi-Yaatrika - My Pilgrimage to Kathmandu - February 18, 2018 - Details of my summer 2017 Sanskrit learning experience in Nepal 
 
Mucuna Bean - December 1, 2017 - Riverdave's herbal path to remedy Seasonal Affective Disorder with the Ayurvedic herb known as Atmagupta, or "Secret Self"
Chinaberry Tree - September 13, 2017 - Riverdave explores the the Himalayan medicinal ties of the Chinaberry or Mahanimba Tree
Riverdave's Sanskrit Glossary - opened June 2017 and updated monthly through September 2021
Constitution Questionnaire - January 2014 - A helpful health assessment tool based on Ayurvedic tridosha theory
Medicine Herb Pudding - June 2011 - Ayurvedic Chyawanprash - my daily method of herb ingestion

CHAPTER FIVE - Tree Inventories of Local Natural Areas 
Walthour-Moss Preserve Tree List - List of common trees and shrubs at the Walthour-Moss Preserve in Southern Pines NC
Brumley Nature Preserve Tree Inventory - Class project for my Fall 2021 public Tree Camp at Brumley Nature Preserve North, Orange County NC
Stagville Tree Inventory - Class project for my Spring 2021 public Tree Camp at Stagville State Historic Site, Durham NC
Bennett Place Tree Inventory - Class project for my Spring 2021 public Tree Camp at Bennett Place State Historic Site, Durham NC
Duke Homestead Tree Inventory - Class project for my Spring 2021 public Tree Camp at Duke Homestead State Historic Site, Durham NC  
Forest Hills Park Tree Inventory - Class project for my Late Fall 2020 public Tree Camp at Forest Hills Park, Durham, NC
Northgate Park Tree Inventory - Class project for my Early Fall 2020 public Tree Camp at Northgate Park, Durham NC
Sherwood Park Tree Inventory - Class project for my August 2020 public Tree Camp at Sherwood Park, Durham, NC
Rockwood Park Tree Inventory - Class project for my August 2020 public Tree Camp at Rockwood Park, Durham, NC
 
CHAPTER SIX - A series of poems portraying animals and plants in dialogue about the folly of human behavior:    
That Guess Road Market Ruse - February 14, 2017 - poem recited against an Eno development proposal at the Durham Planning Commission
Skyscraper - N&O-May 9, 2014 - poem for those concerned about he possibility of a big ugly building in downtown Durham
Leaf Blower - November 28, 2013 - poem for all lovers of the fall leaf experience  
Green Charades - September 18, 2013 - poem expressing environmental concern about the growing tree pellet industry in eastern North Carolina
Ancient Dance - N&O-September 1, 2013 - poem recited at a Durham City Council Meeting, about two whitetail deer discussing a proposed urban archery plan
The Border Life - July 4, 2013 - poem recited at the N.C. Botanical Garden Thoreau about two red squirrels debating the cutting of while pines at Walden Pond
Brother Fire - November 15, 2012 - poem recited at the Duke Forest Annual Gathering, about two gray squirrels considering the implications of human fire suppression 
Frackers' Plan - July 27, 2012 - poem recited at Stop The Frack Attack Rally in Washington, DC, about ground hogs pondering the potential effects of hydraulic fracking 

CHAPTER SEVEN - Other Environmental Poetry:
Appalachian Cove Canticle - October 27, 2015 - poem recited at the Olli at Duke Fall Retreat, Montreat, NC
The Luck of Little Lick Creek - May 19, 2012 - poem recited at the NC Mountains-to-Sea Trail dedication ceremony, Falls Lake State Park, NC 
Weymouth Mother Pine - March 26, 2011 - poem recited at a the Palustris Festival of the Arts, Southern Pines, NC 
A Renewed Call to Friending - January 22, 2011 - Poem recited at the Friends of NC State Parks Annual Meeting, Nags Head, NC 
Juan de Fuca Strait - March 2011 - poetic recapitulation of my Fall 2010 sojourn in Victoria, British Columbia ...
 
CHAPTER EIGTH - Poetry Recitations for Private Events: 
A Child Said What Is Grass? - August 1, 2015 - an illumination of Walt Whitman by Riverdave recited at the Memorial Service of Dr. Holger Nygard  
More than One Plus One - May 26, 2012 - poem recited at the wedding of my nephew Linus and his bride Margaret, Durham NC 
Winter Shadow - January 29, 2012 - poem recited at the Imbolq Celebration of the Rose Heart Sufi Community, Hillsborough, NC 
Exceptional Flora - February 26, 2011 - poem recited for the 90th birthday celebration of Eno River activist Holger Nygard, Durham, NC
Path With Heart - February 12, 2011 - poem recited at the birthday celebration of a friend born on Valentine's Day, Hillsborough, NC 
Pater Familias - January 6, 2011 - poem recited at the memorial service of my father Harry Owen at Epworth Methodist Church, Durham, NC

CHAPTER NINE - Essays about My "Border Life" on Wanda Ridge:
Wanda Ridge - My Ecological Address - March 27, 2019 - An important feature of the Eno 
A Border Life - February 28, 2015 - Riverdave expounds on how to bridge the wild and the civilized
Flip the Switch for a Day - December 29, 2015 - editorial published in the News and Observer on our response to climate change
Midnight Watch - November 25, 2012 - exploring preindustrial patterns of biphasic sleep 
Frig-Free Kitchen - May 3, 2010 - how i simplified my life without a refrigerator ...
Wood Stove in Winter - N&O-March 6, 2010 - warmed three times by wood ...
Home on the Ridge - ERC-Spring 2002 - building a log home by the Eno River ...
 
CHAPTER TEN - Essays about Earth Centered Spirituality:
Animal Spirit Guide - February 10, 2015 - how to find your animal spirit guide
Baptism in the Eno River - HS-January 1997 - finding our local rivers as a source of spiritual renewal ...  
Municipal Shamanism - SHA-Fall 2007 - the warp and woof of moonlight wafting ...
The Siddi-Yaatrika - My Pilgrimage to Kathmandu - February 18, 2018 - Details of my summer 2017 Sanskrit learning experience in Nepal
Thoreau's Conchology - November 2006 - exploring the meaning of Quebec's old walled city ...

CHAPTER ELEVEN - Essays about Eno River History and Events:
Black Meadow Ridge  N&O-December 2008 - a preservation in progress at West Point on the Eno Park ...
End of Wafting - HS-March 2009 - why Wafting the Eno River had to come to an end in October 1998 ...
Eno's Silver Anniversary - SWM-July 1998 - a history of the Eno River Parklands on their 25th anniversary ...
Margaret Nygard - HS-November 1995 - the passing of Margaret Nygard's spawns new species ...
Sennett Hole and Mill Pond - Eno River Calendars 2007 & 2008 - a look at two unique features of West Point Park ...
West Point on the Eno Mill - N&O-November 2009 - the West Point on the Eno Mill gets some needed attention ...
 
CHAPTER TWELVE - Essays about Exploring Local Rivers:
Wafting Photo Memoir - A series of photos taken on a 1995 wafting expedition at Laurel Millpond in Franklin County, North Carolina
Walking the Mountains-to-Sea Trail - N&O-October 28, 2012 - walking a newly opened sixty mile section of the MST from Durham to Raleigh
Cape Fear Odyssey - HS-Spring 1998 - Riverdave paddles from his hometown in Durham to the ocean ...
Durham: County of Rivers - HS-December 1995 - the answer to Durham's poor self esteem ...End of Wafting
Haw's Pond - HS-June 1994 - An old mill pond can be a great place to renew your covenant with nature ...
Fluvial Islands - HS-January 1998 - exploring the fluvial islands of the Eno River ...
Neuse River Odyssey - HS-Spring 1997 - Riverdave paddles from his hometown in Durham to the Pamlico Sound ...
Ocracoke Island Travelogue - March 2008 - a retreat to a coastal island before the rush of the tourist season ...
Source of the Eno - HS-spring 2000 - Riverdave walks the length of the Eno to discover its most distant source ... 
Winter Walks - ERC-Winter 2002 - the winter advantage of exploring the Eno River afoot ...

CHAPTER THIRTEEN - Essays about the Natural Elements:
Eno Mud - HS-June 1998 - how to form your most intimate bond with the Earth ...
High Water on the Eno - ERC-Winter 2003 - the consequences of a year of high water on the Eno River ...
Hurricane Fran - HS-October 1996 - Eno River flood waters reach their highest levels in recorded history ...
Lightning Storm - HS-January 1999 - caught in a storm while paddling the Eno River ...
Moonlight - HS-September 1998 - an unexplored environment
Our Wild Side - ERC-Fall 2004 - letting our wild side run free ...
Riffles - HS-March 1998 - the source of light music on the river ...
Six Hundred Moons - ERC-Fall 2001 - Riverdave counts his moons ...
Sniffing the Air - HS-March 1999 - there is a compelling need for fresh air ...
Sunsets - HS-December 1998 - experiencing sunsets over water ...
Tropical Storm - October 2004 - the flooding of the Haw River after the passing of a tropical storm ...  
Wafting Clouds - HS-May 1999 - clouds help us to shift our gaze upward ... 
Wind - HS-April 1999 - listening to the voice of the wind ...

CHAPTER FOURTEEN - Essays about Plants & Fungi: 
Avocado Seed - N&0-September 2010 - bringing green indoors ... 
Black Willow Tree  - HS-May 1997 - giving credit to my wafting terminology ...
Bladdernut Tree  - HS-July 1998 - my model for Piedmont wafting ...
Cardinal Flower - HS-September 1997 - the Eno's most ostentatious adornment ...
Champion Trees - HS-May 2009 - discovering our state's largest trees ...  
Chanterelles - N&O-July 12, 2015 - two visitations from the Cosmic Mushroom  
Communing with Trees - FIF-Fall 2009 - Durham and Orange Counties are lush with forests ...
Cottonwood Tree - HS-September 2009 - one of Durham's treasures ...
Elm Tree - HS-October 1995 - understanding Eastern America's favorite tree ...
Farkleberries - N&O-January 2010 - there is still fruit to pick in the winter ...
Fire Pink Dreams - N&O-July 2010 - a native Eno flower with distinguished cosmic cousins ... 
Fresh Conifer Tea - December 2010 - class project for my Herbal Pharmacy class at Pacific Rim College ...
Lotus - HS-October 1998 - the River Lotus as reality and symbol ...
Pawpaw Tree - HS-April 1997 - the source of the largest native fruit in North America ...
Pine Pollen - N&O-April 2012 - finding ways to mark and appreciate the early spring pollen season ...
Possumhaw - HS-February 1997 - winter Eno River berries ignite passion ...
River Ash - HS-November 1998 - a champion disperser of seeds ...
Spicebush - HS-April 1996 - this plant has the power to usher in a new season ... 
Tree Clackers - October 7, 2014 - simple instructions on how to make your own tree clacker
Tree Nut Protocol - January 6, 2016 - hunting and gathering in our Piedmont oak-hickory forest
Wild Rose  - HS-July 1997 - wafting on rose water ...
Willow Grass - HS-August 1996 - understanding the Eno River estuary ...
Wily Wisteria - N&O-June 2010 - Vines may yet rule the world ...
Witch Hazel Tree - HS-December 1996 - a natural remedy I remember as a child ...

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - Essays about Animals:
Bear Watch - HS-August 2009 - wrestling with bear visitations ...
Beaver Sticks  - HS-February 1999 - natural works of art ...
Bowfin on the Eno - HS-September 1995 - a family totemic experience ... 
Brook Lamprey - HS-March 1997 - a jawless and mouthless fish that is threatened in our area ...
Canada Geese - N&O-March 30, 2010 - honk if you like geese ...
Chanting Bugs - ERC-Fall 2003 - subliminal messages ...
Cooters and Sliders - HS-June 1997 - it sounds like a tale from Dr. Seuss ...
Copperhead Bite & Sassafras - EXP-Spring 1992 - a lesson in connectedness ...
Cosmic Dialogue - September 2014 - a hermit thrush facilitates a dialogue between my father and I
Dragon & Damselflies  - HS-April 1998 - wedded to the Great River ... 
Eno Sunfish - HS-August 1996 - six species of sunny fish in the Eno River ...
Eno Water Snakes - HS-November 1996 - the most frequently asked question about the river ...
Gar Fish - HS-August 1997 - an ancient creature swims up to West Point on the Eno ...
Hawks - HS-July 2009 - the gaze of the Black Hawk
Hound, Horse and the Dove - April 2, 2015 - my first experience with wild Nature
Magicicadas  - N&O-May 2011 - celebrating the spring 2011 concert of our thirteen year cicada brood ...
Marbled Salamander - HS-February 1998 - meandering rivers create oxbow habitat for amphibian populations ...
Mink - HS-April 2009 - a hidden creature comes into focus
Neuse River Waterdog  - HS-March 1996 - searching for salamanders along the Eno River ...
Pirate Perch - HS-February 1996 - this little local fish has a bizarre anatomical feature ...
Pong Bird - HS-June 2009 - mystery bird calls along the Eno River ...
Rain Crow - HS-July 2001 - the logo bird for the year 2001 Eno River Festival brings charm to the river ...
Red Bat - ERC-Summer 2003- the Eno River's most easily recognized bat
Turkey Vulture - HS-June 1999 - somebody has got to do it! ...
Water Strider - HS-May 1998 - I am liquefied ...
Whirligig Beetle - HS-October 1997 -  dervishes of the Eno River ...
Wild Canines - HS-October 2009 - testing our own wild sides ...
Wood Duck - HS-May 1996 - a handsome couple inhabits the Eno River ...

CHAPTER SIXTEEN - Essays about Nature in the Tropics: 
Abaco Island Travelogue - February 2007 - heading to the West Indies for a family retreat ...
Ayamama - December 1998 - Riverdave discovers a bird with a personal message in the Peruvian Amazon ...
Climate Change and Parasites - December 14, 2009 - insect teachers in Costa Rica ...
Cosmic Tree - July 1989 Riverdave begins his relationship with cosmic trees on the island of Cyprus ...
Eleuthera Island Travelogue - February 2006 - of caves and seas and banyan trees ...  
Jaguar Incense - PRE-Sept 2000 - the sacred trinity of Nature, Art and Spirit has proven inseparable ...
Killer Bees - February 1995 - an inoculation of the wild in Peru ...
Lake Nakuru - May 1989 - Um Haram, the Reverend Mother, leads the way south ...
Mountain Medicine - November 1999 - wrestling with Bolivian entities ...
My Amazon River Odyssey - November 1997 - Riverdave floats 2000 miles down the Brazilian Amazon ...
Orinoco Moonlight Wafting - November 1999 - learning to go with the flow ...
The Siddi-Yaatrika - My Pilgrimage to Kathmandu - February 18, 2018 - Details of my summer 2017 Sanskrit learning experience in Nepal
WA-RAO or WA-YANA - November 2003 - natives of the Orinoco Delta define life in terms of their WA ...
 
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - Essays About Personal History:
Riverdave's Journal 40th Anniversary - August 21, 2019 - Riverdave celebrates 40 years of personal journaling
OPA's Magnum Opas - A tribute to my father's pioneering work in 1949 on the use of radar in weather forecasting 
OMA and Her Animals - Shared at the memorial service of my mother Phyllis Owen on July 10, 2021 at Epworth Methodist Church, Durham NC
Alma Mater Revisited - May 2010 - I therefore remain a seeker and a learner ...
Healing Dreams - November 2008 - a unique dream sets in motion a string of events that lead to healing ...

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