Said goodbye to some old friends today. Little by little, I am winnowing my belongings so that our rebuilt house doesn’t feel so stuffed when we move back in. Clothes. DVDs. Books. Art supplies. Bulky accumulations of memories and identity that I can’t let go of. Today it was herbs. I learned the basics of Southern … read more Flutter byes
Tag: 2011
Labor daze
It’s not that I don’t like the cabin, or my house. I appreciate having solid, wood-lined walls, and a deck where the only view is trees, hillsides and valleys. They’re both at 2,000 feet elevation, so I have a wealth of Southern Appalachian flora and fauna to observe. What I mind is that owning property … read more Labor daze
The snake and the bear
As a treat for myself, I made the time to head up the mountain on a strenuous hike. This trail is the one that traverses steeply, gaining more than 1,000 feet just in the last section. My previous time, mid-June, was 45 minutes going up, but after two months away I wasn’t hoping to match … read more The snake and the bear
Little plastic things
Today I had to do the chore I hate: cleaning before the cleaners. You know, where you go around and pick up all the crap that is lying around your house, before the cleaners come in, so that they can get to the surfaces that need to be cleaned. In between putting clothes away and breaking … read more Little plastic things
The patient iris
For all my love of nature, I’m a complete klutz when it comes to growing plants. They used to run away screaming at the very sight of me. The only house plant that survived my brown thumb was an indestructible ficus tree I had for years in Seattle. Flowers? Forget it. One day five years ago, … read more The patient iris
The corner pharmacy
I live in a rural community, 6 miles to the nearest grocery store, but a handy pharmacy just opened about 150 yards from my house. This place has a limited stock, but the price is right. Shown above is one of the specials in today’s grand opening: bloodroot, free for the taking. Five years ago, I took a … read more The corner pharmacy
Couch worker
Amidst all the chaos going on in my house, with the entire basement unusable, there’s a bright spot: My commute time has been cut in half. Instead of walking down two flights of stairs to get to my office, I now only have to go down one flight – to the couch. I settle in with my … read more Couch worker
One cold February day
She jerked. She stuttered. She stopped. “Anna Mae! What is it?” I cried, giving her a whack. She got going again, just a little ways, then stopped again. “Damn it!” A cold day in mid-February, I’m way up the side of the mountain. I came here excited about spending the afternoon to take photos of … read more One cold February day
Day 38: Miles for miles
Delta tells me that I have flown 246,875 miles in their planes. That’s trivial, of course – there are many people in the Million Miler clubs, and then there’s Tom Stuker, who’s flown more than 10 million miles on United. Still, it makes me tired to think what my total mileage would be if I added in United, … read more Day 38: Miles for miles
Day 14: The doubled die
Until today, I didn’t know what a doubled die was. Snake eyes? No, it’s a particular term in coin minting. First, understand the process of minting. A hub is a positive, or relief (raised) image of the coin which has been impressed into a steel die during the process of creating coin dies. The original … read more Day 14: The doubled die