“Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” – Marcel Proust Spring in New England is a tricky thing. We pivot from beautiful warm days to snow squalls and bitter wind, often within a few minutes of each other. But the days grow…
It always happens this way. The leaves start to turn, and suddenly accelerate into a burst of color. Meanwhile, you’re busy with life, knowing the wave is washing over you but not getting out there enough to see it. The rains come, often with wind gusts, and it ends before you really noticed. The alternative…
How did I get on this track? Surely I’d have been better off looking for the best kale salad? But I’m in search of the best fried food. I know where it started. I blame Halifax. I’ve had exceptional fish & chips, and I keep chasing it in restaurants around the northern Atlantic Ocean trying…
“All substance is soon absorbed into nature, all that animates it soon restored to the logos, all trace of them both soon covered over by time.” – Marcus Aurelius I was helping Bodhi down the stairs last night and noticed a set of chickadee tracks in the snow. I thought to myself that they would…
New England is covered in forest today, but it’s a different forest than the one that greeted the first settlers to the region. Back then old growth trees dominated the landscape. And the tallest of these trees were the white pines. White pines were tall and straight and thus highly attractive for ship masts. Surveyors…
Bucket Lists and Daily Life We’re in the mad dash now. Kids in college, new job ramping up, house showing need for repairs, retirement saving, mileage on the cars, Bodhi needing more meds, appliances acting up, stuff accumulating, stuff we seemingly need, stuff we definitely don’t need, should we stay or should we go now?…
This morning I’m sipping a Starbucks Italian Roast coffee. I could have chosen Peets or something else. I’ve grown lazy in my coffee habit. I have coffee beans and could have ground them using my hand grinder, poured them into a French press and savored the rich results. Brewing coffee is a ritual. Some days…
Alexander’s Map A new year, and a new pursuit; this blog. So why the name? Alexander’s Map is a rare map published in 1624 to encourage colonization of the lands granted to William Alexander. The map gives an early, if inaccurate, glimpse at this region that I’m so fascinated with. Alexander’s Map stretches from present-day…