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. :-)
The dew is heavy on the grass this morning and the creek is swollen from recent rain as the sun begins to peek over the mountain. The bees are already busy carrying nectar from the poplars in full bloom. There is a sprayer full of a special mixture of neem oil and peppermint soap waiting … More Dilute, Divide and Divert
Someone asked me a long time ago why I put so much effort into making a garden when it would be cheaper to buy produce at the market. I don’t remember who said that. It’s likely that I’m no longer friends with that person. Anyone who could ask such a stupid question is not a … More Timeless
Kenmore is a Sears brand of appliances. They started making washing machines in 1927, and along with Coldspot and the Craftsman line of tools, the name was synonymous with quality for many years. We have a mid 1950’s Coldspot refrigerator that still works perfectly. Today it is difficult to know what kind of … More Goodbye Old Friend
We fully support Commissioner Cliff Bradshaw’s decision to disallow painting on top of Bell Mountain. It is with anger and embarrassment that we admit that some of our young people, having been entrusted with a responsibility to behave reasonably, would choose to demonstrate their contempt for our community with vandalism. The original decision to allow … More Do As I Say
We watched it snow this morning while making coffee and feeling a bit nostalgic for mountain weather of years gone by. The birds are busy maneuvering for position at the one feeder still remaining. This is the sacrificial feeder, a cheap $14 model from Walmart that the bear will soon pull down to announce that … More Timing is Everything
“It’s a dog’s life” comes to us from the 16th century, when the expression referred to the general misery of the canine clan at the hands of their human masters. The idiom evolved into a proverb, “It’s a dog’s life – hunger and ease” a century later. Today the phrase continues its semantic odyssey, and … More A Dog’s Life
We’re finding enjoyment in politics again, at least for the moment. It may be a defense mechanism, a form of nervous mental laughter, or a “laugh or go crazy” response to institutionalized idiocy, but if you squint your eyes and look at it kind of sideways, politics can be funny. For the longest time we … More Hitting The Sweet Spot
We didn’t forget about you. Sometimes we get busy with those parts of our lives that pay the bills (and this isn’t one of those parts). Sometimes there isn’t much to say. Sometimes what we want to say would not be printed. And sometimes we write down what we think we want to say and, … More A Penny For Your Thoughts?
Whether we want it or not, we’re going to be hearing about guns and gun control for some time to come. There is a better than average chance that you already have a strong opinion on the subject, and there is a less than average chance that your opinion will ever change. Nevertheless, in keeping … More Staying On Target
We hear a lot about the wisdom of letting go. Letting go is often recommended by daytime television hosts and their guests. It’s almost a panacea for all the ailments of modern life. There are, of course, many things that should be let go, and some of them the quicker, the better. There is nothing … More Letting Go
Outside The Box 