Four years ago when there were no eggs to be found in the grocery stores, an impossibly small box containing an unlikely number of baby chicks arrived at our house. One poor traveler did not survive the trip, but the rest of the herd we divided into two camps housed in large pet carriers lined … More Just a Chicken
We’re traveling today, but I’ll take a moment to share with you one of the many hurdles we face in our tech-laden society when it comes to getting out the door in a timely fashion. I think Artificial Intelligence has been with us longer than anyone knew. Consider your printer. It knows when you need … More Out of Print
This week we pause to consider the passing of a man I did not know. We never actually met, except to exchange a wave in passing. Neighbors are few and far between in our valley and most of us have a nodding acquaintance even if we rarely speak. I do not know the family, or … More A Tender Place For A Gentle Soul
“I know this defies the law of gravity, but, eh… You see, I never studied law.” -Bugs Bunny Some time ago, I was disappointed when some young friends were politely disinterested in learning to use a map and compass before embarking on a hiking trip. They planned to follow the prompts on their phones to … More Gravity Gets In Everything
Thunder echoes from the mountain this morning as welcome rain washes the air clean again. That mountain air that we advertise for the envy of our friends in the city has of late been nothing to brag about. Daniel Boone is credited with saying that when you could see the smoke from your neighbor’s chimney … More The Smoke From Our Neighbors’ Chimneys
I am my father’s son. This is not to say that I do not cherish the many gifts and influences of my mother, but boys who are blessed to have a father in the home, one willing and able to provide the mentoring they desperately need, are bound to inherit some of his attributes and … More My Father’s Son
People separated by time and geography are likely to develop distinct characteristics including language. Even if they share a common language, these separations can produce different accents or dialects. In the United States alone, at least 15 different accents are recognizable, and separate from those produced by immigration and ethnicity. The state of Maine, for … More All Hat And No Horse
“What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . . .” … More My iFriend And Me
There have been several studies which suggest, no, that’s too polite, which record the diminishing physical strength of college-age males compared to students of the past. In fact, the Pentagon did a study in 2020 which revealed that 77% of Americans would not qualify for military service due to obesity, drug use, mental and physical … More State of Readiness
My mother liked Norman Vincent Peale, but as a teenager I was of course much too sophisticated to read the copy of “The Power of Positive Thinking” she gifted me one Christmas. I ran across it the other day and had one of those bittersweet “wish I had listened” moments we sometimes have when we … More Outside The Box
Outside The Box 