I am a chopper of wood and carrier of water, a keeper of bees, digger of soil, and washer of dishes, but when people ask me "what do you do" I usually satisfy them with "I'm in information technology." If they really want to know, I'll tell them about the decade as a wilderness guide. Some jobs are vocations, some are avocations, but that one was an evocation. I also wrangle pixels and try to herd them into representations of coherent thoughts, which is a provocation. :-)
Ah, the memories that are summoned this time of year as we unpack the Christmas decorations, the Menorah or the Mishumaa Saba candles. Here is that very odd-looking decoration I made in the fourth grade that my mother kept all those years. It’s always good for a laugh, and sometimes a tear or two. Look … More Unpacking Memories
We were looking at some old vacation photos of a favorite beach where a spectral forest of driftwood, bathed in morning mist, embellished by long shadows cast by the sun slowly rising out of the ocean, invited young and old to explore its mysteries. Every tide offered new discoveries, and every hour of the day … More Codger
It’s political season again. The wiser among us are more concerned with hunting season, or Christmas decorations, or just about any other activity that produces a tangible result for the effort invested. Unfortunately, wisdom, never abundant for humanity, is increasingly rare in this world, so we’ll use this opportunity to review some of the tools … More Do You Smell Gas?
We begin today with yellow jackets, those pesky and dubiously beneficial wasps, the bane of hikers, picnickers, and grass mowers. There are two nests still troubling me now, this late in the season. I’ve never seen them this active in November, but they have adapted to the warmer weather and managed to overcome the frosts … More Improvise, Adapt, Overcome
I’m thinking about my Aunt Eleanor today. She passed away peacefully last week, the last of her family and one of the last last links to my mother’s world that my brother and I grew up in. We were blessed with a rich tapestry of aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins, and like most children … More Weavers
Fifty acres is not a small fire when you live on the same mountain or the leeward side of the fire, or even on the leeward side of an idiot. … More The Leeward Side of An Idiot
It is the little things that make the memories we cherish. We like to tell stories of our big dramas and adventures, but we are comforted for a lifetime by much that goes unnoticed as it happens. These souvenirs of recollection may gather dust for years, like a steamer trunk of favorite things stored in … More Living Memory
“It sounds like we’re under attack again,” Tracey said, marking the ongoing change of seasons. Walnuts hitting the metal roof of the barn sound like small arms fire. The ground is invaded by hard spheroids hiding in the grass and waiting to turn an ankle. A helmet is not a bad idea on a windy … More A Hard Nut To Crack
Yesterday was a beautiful day, and I got to spend it at home, more or less. I was required to be there between the hours of 7 AM and 7 PM in case our telecom service provider’s technician drove by. Usually, they call to give a heads up, but we didn’t have a dial tone. … More Along The Last Mile
Last week I left the mountains beginning to select their fall attire and traveled south to another place rich with history and tradition, and fading memories. Within a few hundred yards of the place where my brother and I roamed the woods on misty September mornings, Erskine Caldwell was born. A little further up the … More The Departure of Memory
Outside The Box 