I took a walk the other morning. It was early, just a hint of rose to the east. It was hot, of course, it is always hot in August. The sun rose as I walked, and I tried to ignore its warmth. Circling the High School, I was glad for the shadow cast by its hulk. At the end of the block I stepped again into the bright morning light, and there it was. It beckoned, this oasis. Brightly colored…..
I’m an early riser, always have been. It must be the milking gene, Dad was too. Way back, about a year and a half ago, I had a little health scare. As a result, nearly every day I meander through Washington. I loop around the Library, climb the hill to the Moose, loop around the golf course, or circle the Lake. Every morning while the world awakes I traverse the town. I love dawn. I love watching the world awake……
A cloud of steam shrouds the midnight train to Zurich. From the door of the car a ray of light beckons. John slowly scans the station. Thinking the coast is clear, he walks toward the car. With each step his heart lifts. “Halfway there,” he thinks. “Just a few more feet and I’m home free.” Suddenly a man steps out of the steam, blocking John’s path. The music turns sinister. The man’s dark fedora is pulled low over one eye……
Across the ocean, far, far away, there towers a Mountain called Mt. McCray. High on the north side, up near the top, is a glacier more massive than most. On top of this glacier, warmed by the sun, the smallest of drops makes its way toward the edge, and grows ever larger with each zig and each zag. Then for the briefest of moments, it clings to the lip, quivers ever so slightly and stretches a bit. Then with a…..
Carefully Grandpa shuffled down the barn stairs, a trip he has taken countless times. He used to climb the steps two at a time, but that was a long time ago. Today his stride is measured and slow, leaning heavily on the handrail. He pauses at the bottom to catch his breath. He is in no hurry; the cow is already in the stall where she waits patiently to be milked. He pats the old girl’s neck and gives her…..
The outhouse no longer stands guard on the hill. It’s been gone for years. As have the chicken-coop and the cattle. Once the farm teemed with livestock, now all is eerily quiet. Through the eyes of a young boy, the green-shingled house was huge. Nearby the barn was painted a vivid red. Its cavernous interior a haven for life: cows, cats, mice, owls, and countless spiders and crickets. In the Barnyard stood the skeletons of better days, the hog-houses. Sheltered…..
It was a beautiful day. A perfect day to play. The air was warm, the sun was bright. We ran outside our spirits light. Indeed a perfect day – well, a perfect day ‘til sister fell. The treehouse meant no harm. Yet Caroline fell upon her arm. Was she hurt? Dad couldn’t tell So, he ran to where she fell. “Caroline has a broken arm!” then he shouted with alarm. The ER’s near, about…..
When I got the call, I was in my basement office. The call wasn’t just any call, it was the boss. I picked up the phone. “Hello,” I answered. “Come to my office.” The voice on the other end was short and to the point. The boss was always short and to the point. “I’ll be right up,” I gulped. Sprinting up the stairs, I paused at the top and peered down the long corridor. It seemed longer somehow. At…..
{Previously, in part 1 & part 2 – It is Christmas Eve 1933. A blizzard holds Pilot Knob in its icy talons. After finishing his second job, Thomas walks home in the storm. On the way, he helps a woman get her children to safety. He Continues his journey, and meets a soldier lost in the storm. Together they discover that a tree has fallen across the road.} What brings you out on a night like this?” Thomas asked……
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, FDR, fifth cousin of Teddy Roosevelt, 32nd President, the only man ever elected to more than two Presidential terms, and perhaps one of the greatest American Presidents. The man is remembered for the New Deal, Social Security, and winning WWII; all are indeed great accomplishments. However, perseverance remains his grandest achievement. An up and coming young politician, FDR, like his cousin Teddy Roosevelt, led a vigorous, active life. In 1913 he became Assistant Secretary of the Navy,…..