I was standing in line at the post office yesterday, and as a longtime resident of this area, feeling inconvenienced by the wait. Not too many years ago our town was very quiet in December, by comparison. I struck up a conversation with the gentleman in front of me. He was standing contentedly with a … More By Comparison
When you are a teenager taking your first karate classes, you look for opportunities to verify your dubious mastery of newly discovered skills. You repeatedly punch wood, sand or otherwise innocent objects which have never done you any wrong in order to toughen your hands and feet. One evening I found myself home alone with … More As Sorry as We Should Be
On November 15th the world achieved what the United Nations called a “milestone in human development.” The 8 billionth baby was born, no one truly knows where for certain, but symbolically, in the Dominican Republic. This achievement has been attributed to improvements in medicine, nutrition and hygiene. I was thinking about that milestone in heavy … More A Milestone in Human Development
My grandfather rarely talked about politics and advised his children and grandchildren to avoid the subject. He never said so, but I’m confident this wisdom came at a high price. During WWII the local draft board in our poor mountain county had refrained from calling up the few young men from the area who were … More Shut Up And Carry On
As I neared the completion of another trip around the sun, Tracey asked me where I wanted to go on my birthday this year. “Home,” I replied. We exited the house early that morning and walked in the forest that surrounds us. Endless blue sky and crystalline air framed the prismatic proof of the Creator’s … More Another Trip Around the Sun
On the ground outside the chicken house, there were feathers everywhere, and not a chicken in sight. My first instinct was to pull the rifle down from the rack and look for predators, but then I heard the voice of Rachael Ray call to me from inside the chicken house. Rachael was one of the … More Flying Feathers
These cool October mornings bode well for the pies destined to emerge from our oven in November. I would never refuse a slice of pumpkin, but the seasonal favorite at our house growing up was Mom’s butternut squash pie. Right now the Waltham’s in our garden are pulling the last bit of sweetness from their … More October
Nothing tastes better than an October tomato. From the late season tangle of a retired corner of the garden, propped up on the fading purple of a stand of opal basil going to seed, the last tomato plants of the year glow in unexpected viridescence. These are the late bloomers. They were planted at the … More October Tomatoes in Leather Britches
There is a chill in the air this morning that stirs instinct and memory. The hummingbirds are busy, shaking off the cold and feeding heavily. Our little friends predict weather better than all the best computer models and prognosticators, and they will be leaving us soon on their long journey south. In the high country, … More Balance
We pause this week to remember Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away peacefully last Thursday at the age of 96. Some may wonder what effect, if any, the life and death of another nation’s monarch has on our far away little corner of the world. The answer is in the realization that we are a … More Adrift
Outside The Box 