I Made It Home OK

Last Tuesday I was sitting at my writing table in the living room when I looked out the window and noticed the falling snow. The snowflakes striking pavement were still melting on contact, but the snow on the lawn was sticking and was almost as high as the tallest...

Beaver Moon

Since Thursday one fallen tree has blocked the bike trail through the marsh. Each day, however, it has been a different tree. The city’s parks department is quick to remove obstructions on the bikeway, but it can’t quite keep up with the nightly work of the beavers...

If the Fish Were Biting

The fish on the Mississippi River stopped biting two weeks ago. This was expected. Fish relocate and become less active when the river turns over in late October. Turnover is when surface water cools, becomes more dense, and sinks to the bottom. I do not mind fishing...

A Phone Call on Election Night

Manyu called me from Taiwan on election night just to say, “Stop worrying. I remember how you were four years ago, and you can’t get so upset about the things you can’t control. Our lives will be OK no matter what happens.”  While I appreciated Manyu’s efforts, her...

Jerry Jeff Died

Jerry Jeff Walker died last week. A lot of my music heroes are gone, but this one hit me hard. It hit me John Lennon, Harry Chapin hard. I cannot tell, however, if the sadness is specifically for Jerry Jeff or if it is just the straw that broke the camel’s back. Inane...
Steven Simpson