Stalking the Wild Mushroom
By Alan Muskat
I was driving home yesterday and the chief UN weapons inspector was on NPR. He was going to retire next month, back to Sweden, and he seemed glad to be leaving his post. He also seemed glad to be done with the interview when they asked him one last question: "What are you going to do now?" He said, "The first thing I¹m going to do is go pick some blueberries and some mushrooms." (free) …

Rejuvenation from the Elements
By Erin Everett
It’s August 15th and the sun is blazing. You head down a trail you haven’t been on since last summer. The minute you walk into the woods, a cool breeze hits. There’s something about the green leaves brushing your legs and arms -- they seem to be brushing the heat and stress of the day right off of you. (free) …

Three Weeks in the Dark
By Philip Yanov
Twenty-one days without seeing a speck of light. No sunlight. No starlight. No refrigerator light. No light of any kind. Not even the glow of an alarm clock, cell phone, or PDA will interrupt the darkness. The darkness retreat is a complete and utter surrender into darkness. (free) …

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