We went to the lake again this weekend, probably for the last time this year. It was a quieter trip, but still enjoyable, and it was evident that summer (actual seasonal summer, not calendar summer that dictates school and fashion and craft store decorations) is winding to a close. There were fewer boats on the... Continue Reading →
I'm still feeling kind of lazy, but I walked Pippin and I mowed and it was a good day for cool bugs. I like dragonflies. I don't have anything smart to say about it. I just like them. A block later, this huge moth flew up onto a tree in front of me. When it... Continue Reading →
When I first bought my paddleboard, I dreamt of paddling along quiet rivers like the canoe float trips that are so popular in midwest summers. I haven't been canoeing in a long time and wanted to combine what I recall of those trips with the unique way a paddleboard allows you to be both closer... Continue Reading →
When I woke up this morning it was only 66 degrees, so we took advantage of the cooler temperatures with an extra long walk. Because Kalen's office is less than a mile from our house, we sometimes do a "walking school bus" when the mornings are mild and pleasant. Once, we walked Kalen to work... Continue Reading →
I only have one draft post in the works and I'm not ready to post it, so I'm really feeling the crunch of "Aah! What am I gonna write next? I need to be writing!" Usually I sweat about it for a couple hours and then something happens and I go, "Hey, I can write... Continue Reading →
No, not that "the birds and the bees." In preparing to write this anecdote about the literal birds and actual bees in my back yard, I briefly paused to research where that inane euphemism comes from and even with the little information I found, it seems at best a horribly inefficient explanation of reproduction. Accurate... Continue Reading →
I'm not really the kind of person to refer to people as "fam" (I'm just old enough that I suspect I'm using it incorrectly, or else using it after it's already on its way back out.) I'm also not really the kind of person to ask, "sup?" so I'm just really killing it with this... Continue Reading →
The sweltering temperatures of the first half of our family trip to the lake weren't a fluke. The NOOT even has the audacity to claim that it's my fault, since I planted those coffee cup elephant ears that are most enjoyable in the rain, certainly condemning us to drought for the rest of the summer.... Continue Reading →
One of my greatest struggles when it comes to writing regularly is that in order to have something to write about, I have to take a break from writing and go do something. Not like, "step back, have a cup of tea." I don't struggle with that at all. If anything, I'm too good at... Continue Reading →
I first encountered trumpet vine many years ago riding my bike on the Katy Trail in central Missouri. The Katy Trail is a recreational trail that has been established along the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas railroad and goes across the state from Clinton to Machens. In the hot, muggy summer, tendrils of trumpet vine creep onto the... Continue Reading →
