By Eilene Lyon I’ve had dogs in my life for decades, but never heard of pannus until a couple months ago. The technical name for the condition is chronic superficial keratitis (CSK). Our border-collie-mix dog, Hunter, joined the family a little over a year ago. We don’t know exactly how old he is, but likely... Continue Reading →
From the Vault: Buttons
By Eilene Lyon My mom, like her mother before her, did a lot of sewing early in her marriage. One of the last vestiges of those days is her “button box,” which I’ve inherited. I loved rooting around the button collection as a kid. For some reason, I still have a thing about saving extra... Continue Reading →
The Eckermann Addition
Found Photo Project #7-B By Eilene Lyon Last September I shared this portrait of the Eckermann family on their Idaho ranch. I said that I hadn’t found any other images of the family, but I was incorrect. I purchased two other photos in the same store at the same time. The name Eckermann does not... Continue Reading →
From the Vault: Embroidery
By Eilene Lyon Maybe this has happened to you: You have a memory associated with something that’s been in your family many years, and you’re sure you recall the story behind it. But then, you doubt your recollection. That’s how I feel about this stunning piece of embroidery. I brought it home with me when... Continue Reading →
The Time, She Flies
By Eilene Lyon I often take a break in January and thus miss my blogging anniversary. Last year I bowed out in January and for six weeks in October and November in order to complete a book manuscript. Not surprisingly, I wrote only 41 posts in 2023 (a record low after 2022’s 43 posts). My... Continue Reading →
From the Vault: First Byline?
By Eilene Lyon It really doesn’t count as a byline, but it’s my first recollection of something I wrote being published somewhere—even though it was just a question. In this case, it appeared in the Teen Action Line column of the Miami Herald international edition on Nov. 17, 1974. For a 12-year-old, this was a... Continue Reading →
Anacapa Island Conservation
By Eilene Lyon The highlight of our recent vacation trip to Channel Islands National Park, off the coast of southern California, was a day spent at Anacapa Island. Anacapa consists of three islets about 11 miles from Santa Barbara. Landing on East Anacapa was adventurous. The zodiacs transporting us from the National Geographic Venture had... Continue Reading →
Cactus Rescue
By Eilene Lyon Our rural dirt road is bounded on the east by steep shale and sandstone slopes prone to erosion. Last week we had several torrential rains that swept water and mud across the road, leaving piles of debris and cutting new gullies down toward the river below. While walking the dogs a couple... Continue Reading →
From the Vault: Merit Badge
By Eilene Lyon This one goes waaaaay back to the early 1970s. I was surprised to find this in my “vault.” I started out in Brownies, as signified by the wing badge on this sash. This was during the years we lived near Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. I may have been in Girl Scouts for a year... Continue Reading →