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. :-)
We shop the outside aisles at the grocery store. It’s healthier, and it’s cheaper if you plan for it. It’s also apparent in a number of studies that the ultra-processed foods we eat are shortening our lives while they enrich the sick-people business. There are times when time itself is the adversary of healthy eating. … More The Federation of Drive Through Restaurants
One of my favorite haunts as a child was a large stand of white pines on our grandparents’ farm. The trees were probably 30 years old at the time, and they formed a dense canopy which shaded the ground underneath. In the hot summer months, it was always cool under those trees, and quiet. The … More Of Luddites and Lard
I don’t watch the State of the Union address. I read the transcripts, but I’d rather watch a Youtube video on how to repair the latest malady of my money-pit truck, or a rerun of a 60-year-old sitcom. Since George H. W. Bush, the speech has been given by malefactors, amateurs, war criminals, charlatans, narcissists, … More The State of the Cove
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
Outside The Box 