By Eilene Lyon It is the job of The ones who are left, to do The remembering. Feature image: Collage of photos from W. Halse collection 2015
Genealogy (sort-of haiku)
16 Tons of Healthcare
By Eilene Lyon “You load sixteen tons, what do you get?/Another day older and deeper in debt/Saint Peter don’t you call me, ‘cause I can’t go/I owe my soul to the company store.” – Sixteen Tons by Merle Travis I marvel at the fact that so many Americans believe that healthcare should be a for-profit... Continue Reading →
Creative Counting in Cribbage
By Eilene Lyon "Aren't you going to count your pairs?" "Oh yes. Pair, two. Pair, four (cupping breasts), plus a pair of legs, a pair of arms, a pair of ears..." "I don't think you can peg points for those." [Neck-and-neck at the finish line - player drops a queen] "Seventeen" "Ohhhhnnnnggg!" "What was that... Continue Reading →
Famous Family
Week 33: #52 Ancestors - Family Legend By Eilene Lyon There’s a spark in all of us that yearns to be remembered after we’re gone. Those with children are assured of being remembered for a generation or three, perhaps. After that, some sort of legacy or notoriety is probably required. For those of us without... Continue Reading →
The Drought Diaries: Too Little Water/Too Much Water
By Eilene Lyon Too Little Water August 12, 2018 The Animas River is at an all-time historic low (and they are still drawing irrigation water – sorry, New Mexico!). As of Friday, it was running at 131 c.f.s. The average for this time is about 600 c.f.s. I don't normally stand in the "river" As... Continue Reading →
Alpine Treasure
By Eilene Lyon The gold we were seeking was not mineral or animal, but plant. Draba graminea (grass-like draba; Rocky Mountain Whitlow Grass) Near the end of July, I went on a Colorado Native Plant Society field trip to Black Bear Pass in the San Juan Mountains. We were fortunate to have in our group... Continue Reading →
The Rolling Ghost
By Eilene Lyon This evening I went out for happy hour with Ms. Pearlywhites. She recently got back from her annual visit to the family farm in upstate New York. It was time to catch up on what we’ve been doing with our summer, the lamentable state of our vegetable gardens, and where we should... Continue Reading →
Youngest Son Goes to Sea
Week 32: #52 Ancestors -- Youngest By Eilene Lyon My parents' surnames illustrate an interesting dichotomy. The name “Smith” is among the ten most common surnames in America. “Halse,” on the other hand, is so uncommon that one source indicates fewer than 4000 people in the world share this last name.1 I believe this name... Continue Reading →
“The Picturesque West”
By Eilene Lyon I stopped into the Friends of the Library book shop earlier this week. Check out this book I was so delighted to find – for the grand price of $4.00! As many of you are aware, I am working on a non-fiction book set during the California gold rush. This stout hardcover... Continue Reading →
Myricopia 