Gold Hill always seems to be in the news for the wrong reasons. As someone who has lived here off and on for the last 20 years, let me tell you why what you thi...
I work with death on a daily basis and over the years have come to know him quite well.
In an average week, I visit about 12 dying folks, more than 300 termin...
Skipper, our fine purebred springer spaniel, had gained a few points with mother as the result of aiding father in the acquisition of some tasty pheasant dinner...
I've spent a fair amount of time this year hiking trails in Jacksonville's Forest Park, usually three or four days a week. Last Thursday, after several days of ...
As my posting at the Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario was coming to an end, I patiently waited for my new orders to arrive. Until then, it was business a...
I take responsibility for spreading joy wherever I can. For instance, when I see someone with a purple streak in their hair or something eye-catching like that...
During my childhood years in Montreal, I grew up hating Halloween. Why? Please allow me to explain.
My brother Kevan was not my favorite sibling; far from it. ...
I’ve never been able to keep a pollywog long enough to watch it become a frog. But it isn’t because I haven’t tried.
Up at the old high school (affectionately k...
In editing my collection of books during the pandemic, I came across “When I am an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple.” I checked the copyright date: 1987. I remembe...
Anywhere from my house was downhill. Usually when we planned a bike ride, it was a necessity to pack a lunch, because we would be gone the whole day. And you kn...
I was riding the school bus to first grade in 1988, and I distinctly remember looking north toward the black wall of smoke. I grew up 60 miles south of the west...
First, try to gather your wits. Don’t let them leave you — leading you to deny that smoke in the air could turn your dwelling to ash. You can’t grab anything if...
We called it goop — the stuff that accumulates on the bottom of the bar after the soap sits too long. There wasn’t that much since we bathed every day, but it s...
It all began May 13, when I spotted the perfect antique credenza offered for $400 by Quaboag Valley Antiques on Etsy. A real concern should have been that the c...
The last weekend of July was one for the books. As my wife, Kerry, was finishing up on some yard work, a sudden gust of wind began assaulting our shade sails ...
Cats know far more than we may want to think. They don't just lie around all day, believe me. The wheels are always in motion in their small heads.
The first th...
This was written with endearment to my childhood memories of Dunsmuir, California, with my Dunsmuiresque sense of humor and my Dunsmuir educational bliss. So an...
In the early 1960s, I was in the military and stationed in South Carolina. I played on a military basketball team. I was the only white guy and the only officer...
Because our friend Bob uses two hiking poles to help with his balance, we call him Sticks.
While having a coffee with Sticks and a few other friends, a siren c...
Old friends are so comfortable, warm and delicious. Even though many months or even years may pass, sparkling smiles and welcoming eyes greet you with open arms...
