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 →
“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 →
Murder in New Netherland
Week 31: #52 Ancestors – Oldest By Eilene Lyon I consider myself a family historian. Genealogy is a tool I use to construct my family stories. For this reason, my family tree does not wander back to the hinterlands of history. Most of the people I research date from the 18th century forward. In fact,... Continue Reading →
Kauai Refuge
By Eilene Lyon A Bountiful Gift Around 2010, I picked up the book Waking Up In Eden by Lucinda Fleeson and learned for the first time about the Allerton Gardens on the island of Kauai. I never really expected to see the place myself, but a great deal showed up on Travelzoo and away we... Continue Reading →
Even When It’s Over, It Ain’t Over
By Eilene Lyon The problem with starting a feud is – how do you ever end it? We’ve all heard of the long-running Hatfield-McCoy dispute. While theirs might be notable for its longevity, feuds are hardly uncommon. Not all are deadly serious, but every one is toxic. Here are two historic feuds I’ve come across... Continue Reading →
Jerking Lightning
By Eilene Lyon Since I seem to be on a roll with the Ransom family, I thought I’d follow up with a bit about one of Robert Ransom’s sons. He and Emma had four surviving sons: James Henry, William Randolph, Arthur Lemmon, and Albert Frederick (“Fred”). The first two were named for fathers and brothers.... Continue Reading →
The Drought Diaries: Insects
By Eilene Lyon Mosquitoes July 10, 2017 Today was my turn to walk the dogs. The Sarah-Palin-bugs (“Drill, baby, drill!”) were out in full force. By the time I got home, the back of my legs looked like West Texas. I almost wanted to jump in the ditch with the dogs. Despite essentially no rain... Continue Reading →
The Amazing True History of Yankee Doodle
If you ever wondered if history could be enlightening, entertaining and downright hilarious, you must read this story about the origins of “Yankee Doodle.”
A Rolling Stone Gathers No Molde
Our Trip from Molde To Bergen, Norway By Eilene Lyon After our Hurtigruten ferry trip to Molde, we were free to motor our way around the fjord region until our flight back to Amsterdam. This part of the trip was entirely unplanned. We followed our noses (as you shall see), with a little help from... Continue Reading →