Urban Sasquatch

Once upon a time during my childhood there was a day.

It was a day which was curious and beautiful. I don't know why the things which happened that day did, but the memory lives with me and influences in some small way the manner in which I view the world.

It was a hot summer's day back in the 70's, the kind of day when it's impossible to get children to don shoes no matter how they may complain at the concrete and asphalt burning their feet. The collective child-gangs...

There is much fine to be thought of a sunny November day with a brisk wind and temps in the upper 40's. There is much finer still to be thought of time on a tractor during such a day as that described, bush hogging away old growth, then hooking up the tiller and breaking ground in preparation for spring.

One of my favorite things about autumn along with the brisk weather is the way the cold makes the sense of Home all the more delectable. Thomas Kincaid was onto something with his...

Me: Luke, what's 11 times 2?

Luke: TWENTY-TWO!

Me: GOOD! Now, what's 11 times 3?

Luke: THIRTY-THREE!

Me: Good boy! Can you see the pattern? Math is all about patterns. Can you tell me, what's 11 times 5?

Luke: Five-five.

Me: And what's that?

Luke: FIFTY-FIVE! I GOT IT!

Me: I think so. You're really getting this!

Luke: What's 11 times....... TWENTY?!?
...

Not a single day -- not ONE -- passes by when I don't still hear my son reciting The Very Hungry Caterpillar in "The Little Voice" when he still had it; and not a day passes when I don't still see the tiny red overall one-sies and his gleeful smile in that baby picture.


Whether childhood is short or adulthood long depends, as with all else, on perspective.

When I was a child getting to the age when I'd be allowed to do ANYTHING just took FOREVER, couldn't...

Quite early Sunday morning our planet was graced with the Orionids, a meteor display left by the remnants from the tail of Halley's comet, a cosmic visitor who passes our way only every 75 years, give or take. It was terribly cloudy when I went to bed but having been awakened in the middle of the night by my son's vociferous invocations declaring his need to go to the loo, I decided to check once more. What I found was, to my delight, a moderately clear sky with a very clear view of Orion, quite...