By Eilene Lyon (Note: I originally wrote this, and stashed it, in 2011. I’ve updated the percentage of female pilots. Emily Howell Warner died in Littleton, Colorado, on July 3, 2020 at age 80.) Back in 2010, my husband and I took a Frontier Airlines flight from Denver to Orlando, Florida. Before we left the... Continue Reading →
Studio De Luxe
By Eilene Lyon Found Photo Project #11 As happened with young Dorothy Beaty, this found photo project revealed that the person behind the camera had the most fascinating story of all. That’s not to say the subjects in front of the camera are not worthy of their own spot in the limelight. The Smith Siblings... Continue Reading →
Paris to Bruges by Bike – Part 1
By Eilene Lyon The major portion of our recent European trip involved bicycling for two weeks from Paris, France, to Bruges, Belgium. We were supported by a barge that provided cabins, meals, bicycles, and guides. Our trip began and ended in London. From there, we took an international train through the Channel Tunnel to Paris.... Continue Reading →
An Uncertain Future
Note: The following is blatantly political and partisan. I generally avoid current events of this nature, but feel compelled to have my say. By Eilene Lyon What we know is that the polls can’t tell us the outcome of today’s election. What we know is that there is at least a 50% chance that Donald... Continue Reading →
A Minor Obsession
By Eilene Lyon It all started with a song, “Goodbye Sun Valley,” by a short-lived British group called The Colourfield. It was included on their 1987 album, “Deception.” I call it my birthday song, partly because of the first five words; partly because it’s about self-redemption, something I ponder, particularly on my birthday. The second... Continue Reading →
Stella Braves The Storm
This post about one of my great-grandmothers (who I never met) was popular. Originally published April 18, 2018. EL Week 16: #52 Ancestors – Storms By Eilene Lyon Stella Gusso didn’t ordinarily let the farm dog in the house, but something didn’t feel right. The building clouds were ominous-looking. Stella’s husband and the other men... Continue Reading →
Darwin’s Galapagos
Travel and education go hand in hand. What have you learned? Originally published March 9, 2018. EL "Seeing this gradation and diversity of structure in one small, intimately related group of birds, one might really fancy that from an original paucity of birds in this archipelago, one species had been taken and modified for different... Continue Reading →
Putting History in its Place – A Rant
Another piece about my views on history and how we should interpret and learn from it. Originally published February 18, 2018. EL By Eilene Lyon The premise of this blog is learning from the past, so why would I rant about history? Because I see occasions when history is not put in its proper place... Continue Reading →
No True History
I still feel the sentiments expressed here. I often wonder just how far off I am when I write about people from earlier centuries, people I never knew. Originally published January 15, 2018. EL By Eilene Lyon We recently watched The Abolitionists, by American Experience. It is an excellent and high-production-value 3-part series about the... Continue Reading →