scout verb | \'skau̇t\ – to explore an area to obtain information; noun – one sent to obtain information Saturday morning came early, bitterly cold and windy, but clear; we'd practically forgotten how the sun looked. We stood squinting and shivering in a nondescript outlet mall parking lot with many other hopeful families, waiting, waiting, waiting for … Continue reading Stranger in a Strange Land: A Brief Doggish Essay
Winter
On Patience: How Long is Forever?
Sometimes, just one second.—Lewis Carroll The great, big exciting thing that was happening yesterday, the colossal event that was to be the subject of this post (and which many friends and readers have already surmised from various spoilers I’ve sprinkled in the cybersphere), is on hold ‘til this coming Friday. At least, we hope it … Continue reading On Patience: How Long is Forever?
Snowless Winter: A Walk in the Woods
The woods are lovely, dark and deep—Robert Frost Mt. Equinox looms over the Vermont Valley at 3,816 feet, the highest point of the Taconic Range, a finger of the Appalachians, and the oldest mountains in the country: Mother Myrick Mountain lies to its north, and Red Mountain to the South, the place we call home. Everywhere are … Continue reading Snowless Winter: A Walk in the Woods
The Wrong Side of Every Door: Finding Paradise
The Rum Tum Tugger is a terrible bore: When you let him in, then he wants to be out; He's always on the wrong side of every door, And as soon as he's at home, then he'd like to get about.—T.S. Eliot The oppressive heat of high summer in Memphis, Tennessee reaches its fingers across … Continue reading The Wrong Side of Every Door: Finding Paradise
Howdy, 2016. I already miss you, 2015.
New Year's Eve 2015, a street corner in Saratoga Springs, NY. My boy Bentley and his friend Billy have been with us for a week, headed back to their respective homes in Tennessee at an obscene hour tomorrow morning. We've had a great time together. I am always amazed how you can blink and it's gone: … Continue reading Howdy, 2016. I already miss you, 2015.
Winter Workouts: Pouring Myself Nice Glass of Endorphins
I let the original version of this post sit in the queue and marinate for a while, and then I scrapped it. It sounded way, way too Eeyore-ish, and that is not how I wish to be thought of. But I admit to struggling with a heaping case of the blues lately. I always look for … Continue reading Winter Workouts: Pouring Myself Nice Glass of Endorphins
Vermont Spring Sunday: Modern Sugar House
Winter came back to us a few days ago, and we woke up to a new inch of snow on the ground yesterday, dang it. The desire to be outdoors is palpable everywhere you go. Funny that I've lived through my third Vermont winter without the singular experience of visiting a maple sugaring operation, 'til … Continue reading Vermont Spring Sunday: Modern Sugar House
Somebody call the decorum police. Please.
That was the view out the front door earlier this morning; seems last week's moderating temperatures and dry, sunny days were just a tease. Figures. My erstwhile home state of Tennessee has had a rough winter, I understand. (Vermonters feel your pain after one of the coldest winters on record here.) But this post is … Continue reading Somebody call the decorum police. Please.
March 1, 2015 Vital Signs: A Letter Home
That was a recent winter morning here in the southwest quadrant of Vermont, USA, rare sunlight dappling the woods behind the house. Lately our days have started with temperatures at or below zero, typically without sunshine. Nights have been much colder. One morning last week my car would not turn over without convincing, and then … Continue reading March 1, 2015 Vital Signs: A Letter Home
Weekend Wandering
Sycamore Stories 