There is something about the traditional holiday season (Thanksgiving to Christmas) that warms the heart. Perhaps more than any other time of year the holiday season is a rich blend of old and new, of what was and what will
My wife and I recently drove out to Colorado to visit my son and his family who live about an hour or so north of Denver. The trip provided several experiences of being in clouds even though in our car
This past week was a blessing as my wife and I played out one of our most important roles – that being “in-person” grandparents. What made it special was that we were in Colorado visiting our oldest son, Jacob, his
The phase of the season is vividly reflected in the nearby ponds of a nature conservancy area that lie along the path of my morning walk. Recent rains and the dieback of shoreline weeds give the ponds the appearance of
The week and the weather came together to allow a rare opportunity – a November kayak paddle. At least going back into our pictures in the eight years we’ve owned our kayaks the only other November paddle we had
The local world is transitioning once again. About three weeks ago Autumn asked Summer for its last dance and the world became a painter’s palette of colors. Cooling mornings warmed into days that became mellow, pungent and rich. It always
At the time this essay is due to be posted I am on a religious pilgrimage that is retracing the footsteps of St Paul through Greece and Turkey. This is the fourth international pilgrimage that I have participated in. What
The Season of October October, perhaps more specifically, the first three weeks or so of October are a season unto themselves. The weather is unique. Early on some of the days can be quite warm. But rather than feeling oppressive
For the last five or six years I have finished the trout season in southwestern Wisconsin, in an area known as the driftless region. The glaciers that scoured out the Great Lakes and most of the rest of what
It started, as it usually does, subtly. The seed heads of the grasses lining the roads and in the fallow farm fields ripened and began to cast a tawny brown hue across the landscape. The long green stems that had
