Capturing Life

“We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.“ On Adrian’s Island, Jefferson City, MO, the pieces of the extra-large chessboard travel often, but not too far. There is no escape outside the square. Biking buddy and I returned from a nine-day vacation to Missouri. Our intent was to bike six days on the Katy Trail, but it ended up being only four days and 82.5 miles. The best laid plans… Actually, the heat prevented usRead more

#SoCS: In The Something

In the, in the, in the… I’m not coming up with much for the Stream of Consciousness prompt. In the heat of the night… In the final analysis… In the dead of winter… In the something… Okay, so I suppose I could write about the dead of winter since as of this moment, the temperature is 15F (-9.4C) and the expected high on Monday will be 1F (-17.2C). Yes, it’s cold here in Wisconsin and my plans are to spendRead more

#SoCS: Hot and Dry

The photo above is one of Little Lake Butte des Morts on June 16th. Another day without rain, but a perfect summer day. The above-normal heat of June had subsided, but the slime green is a telltale sign of how our weather has been. The lake thinks it’s August, the dog days of summer, not the waning days of spring. Too many hot hours in the upper 80’s and low 90’s F (30-34C), without rain, have lowered water levels, madeRead more

Three of Everything

“So when you’re coldFrom the inside outAnd don’t know what to do,Remember love and friendship,And warmth will come to you.”― Stephen Cosgrove It’s cold outside. It’s been cold outside since last Friday, after our first major snowstorm of the winter. The 10-day forecast predicts a continuation of the cold: Highs in the single digits (F) with wind chills below zero. The sun and blue skies have been oh so pretty, but there’s no warmth to either one. Walking outside is currentlyRead more

New Month, New Year

“January is here, with eyes that keenly glow, A frost-mailed warrior striding a shadowy steed of snow.” –  Edgar Fawcett After several days of above-normal temps, along with sun, rain, and pea-soup fog, it has turned colder and snowed. It’s a fitting start to the month of January in the Northern Hemisphere.  Snow and cold are expected here in the heart of winter, but not necessarily desired unless you own skis or a snowmobile.  I desire a gentler winter, with lessRead more

Winter Burn

“Nothing burns like the cold.”  ~George R.R. Martin~ Boy and girls… It’s freakin’ cold here in Wisconsin. High temp today around -10F (-23C), with wind chills that feel like hell has frozen over. At the time this post publishes, circa 6 am, the actual temperature will be around -20F (-29C) with a “real feel” wind chill of -50F (-45.5C). Yeah, that burns. The Governor declared a State of Emergency on Monday after a major snowstorm and the impending cold. GoodRead more

SoCS: So Far or As Of?

So far, it’s been quite the week for her. As of early Monday morning, March 5th, 2018, it hit without much warning. She knew she was in trouble, but not to what extent. It didn’t seem quite so powerful then, certainly not enough to keep her home from work. On Monday afternoon, trouble grew. Into tiredness, inability to think, her chest tightening,a cough developing. Quitting time became an hour before quitting time. That’s all she wrote. In her mind, she’dRead more

Weather Relativity

“It’s nice out there!” So proclaimed one of the bosses after walking in from outside. The afternoon was partly sunny. The temperature was a balmy 18 F. Or -7.77 C. Nice? Say what? This is weather relativity after several days of bone-chilling, below-zero wind chills. I had been wearing long underwear, two pairs of socks, long-sleeved T-shirts under heavy sweaters, and not-so-cute-but-warm boots for much of the week. The many layers are necessary to keep from shattering teeth into aRead more

A Veer to the Left

When I looked, I knew I might never again see so much of the earth so beautiful, the beautiful being something you know added to something you see, in a whole that is different from the sum of its parts…what I knew was that the earth underneath was alive and that by tomorrow, certainly by the day after, it would be all green again.  ~Norman Maclean~  I don’t have expectations of green by tomorrow or the day after. It’s tooRead more

Signs: The Week in Review

In response to this week’s photo challenge, I give you a week in review with signs…both tangible and intangible.  September 26th. From the FedEx man. The sign of a man with a sense of humor and good heart. And staples. September 29th. A mango/basil margarita. The sign of a gathering with peers, friends, and a few laughs. October 1st. A view from the fourth floor. A sign that being away from home for three days doesn’t have to be aRead more

The Color of April

I went for a walk at noon on Monday. The temperature was 55 degrees. Today, on Tuesday, the high is 35 degrees. Typical April, the roller coaster month of weather. The northern part of Wisconsin may get a snowstorm, 6-12″, starting Thursday night. Ouch! The month of April is also shades of brown – grass that hasn’t turned green, dried leaves still clinging to the trees, and brown, muddy fields waiting for the seeds of corn and hay. I loveRead more