The Best Advice…

You may have heard the old saying that the best advice is no advice. Well, I frequently adhere to that adage. I'll offer practical advice in the case of a practical matter; say you're using a tool all wrong and it's dangerous. I'll also offer advice if asked. Sometimes I could conceal advice as a …

Distance, Time, Emotions, and States of Mind

Stone relief reading “A Multi-Legged Beast: The Marriage.”

One of the longest trips I ever took was just a short hop from Mid-Coast Maine to Boston. It was the final act in the drama between my first wife and me. The summer had been spent in a little cabin on the west side of the island; daily I commuted by bike to either …

You Gotta Be Kidding

You want travel advice from me? Travel advice from a former road-tripping, thumb-out Pius Itinerant? You gotta be kidding. Beyond what type of pack to choose and canned or prepared foods to have on hand for emergencies, I'd advise that the best budget tip is to always keep a twenty in reserve. You can pull …

New Balance

Something critical happened to me in the mid-1990s. My job at the Department of the Interior was "reinvented" away. The result was several years of family poverty because I insisted on searching for "professional" employment. That ended in 1997 when I walked into a United Parcel Service hub and began loading packages and freight for …

Rwoorr!

Max: First of all, Lou, tell that no good mailman to step up to the plate! The UPS man always leaves me a treat when he delivers a package. That cheapskate mailman makes me scowl, and that's not easy for a dog's face to do. Tell the bum to get with it! And I'm not …

A Garden

My family was die-hard New Yorkers. Ahhhhh, concrete! Brick, tall buildings, and views of the urban canyon! But when I was in about sixth grade, my father was lured into taking a job as the maintenance chief for a large suburban residential development on nearby Long Island. The country. No, not really. But to folks …

The Grey Menace Arrives

I was living in Ottawa, Ontario, in the fall of 1969. A bunch of us had gathered on the corner to discuss some plans for a get-together, and all of a sudden, there was this grey kitten striding towards us. He looked determined, and he looked directly at me. The group grew silent. The kitten …

No Thanks, Once Was Enough

No thanks, not interested. I'm standing pat. Yes, when I worked as an applied anthropologist, I had the capability to turn research into exhibits, programs, presentations, and various projects. I enjoyed it, and for many years I expected to return to it. What an optimist. At some point, I conceded defeat, developed new interests, and …

Hide and Seek!

Marcus

Hi! I'm Marcus. My sister Sabrina and I have had a new hobby these past few months. It's a version of Hide and Seek. My sister and I get into a fight, and she rips my collar off. We then continue the fight and wind up hiding the collar with the name tag on it. …

The Rangeley Boat

Four men examine restored wooden boat labeled Guide’s Grace

The Rangeley Boat could handle almost any challenge an adventurous 19 years old could throw at it.