Hurricane Ida churns toward Louisiana, growing larger and more dangerous by the hour. I’ve never been in a hurricane and never hope to be, but many people have and are. I can imagine the roar, the lashing of destroying winds, and the pound, pound of rain. But, to me, the scariest thing is the storm […]
Gardyloo!
Suppose you were walking along the street of a European town in the year 1650. Suddenly, someone yells, “Gardyloo!” Then, you’d better duck, fast. Gardyloo was a warning that somebody was just about to tip a bucket of something pretty awful and foul-smelling out of an upstairs window onto the street. Words are like […]
Quietness All Around
It’s awfully quiet in my little corner of the world this morning. A small breeze stirs the maple leaves. Nemo snoozes, the refrigerator clicks on, and even the birds are still. The dog walker strides up the hill, her furry, four-legged charge trotting to keep up. Yesterday afternoon, the quiet was broken with a rumble […]
As the Morning Begins
As the morning begins and stirs to life, I listen to the distant sound of tires on the interstate and imagine people rushing to jobs. The school bus comes down the hill, carrying a cargo of lively children off to begin their second week of school. Leaves nod and stir as a squirrel jumps from […]
Summer Memories
These August days begin with a still, cool morning. Other days, other Augusts come to mind. I remember August days when I was a child. I remember running barefoot through tickly grass, walking through dusty places and feeling warm dust puff up between my toes, dancing quickly over rocks that were too hot for lingering. […]

