Exploring the Past to Improve the Future
By Eilene Lyon Many Cumberland restaurants are closed on Sundays, but we found a place to get a burger that even had some live music out on the sidewalk. I took a stroll along the Potomac River later in the evening. A gaggle of Canada geese grazed on the grass near the towpath. Across the... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon What eventually became the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) rail trail was conceived in the 1970s. The trail partly replaces the route of the Western Maryland Railroad. The entire 149-mile distance between Pittsburg, Penn. and Cumberland, Md. was not completed until 2013. In conjunction with the C & O Canal towpath (a National... Continue Reading →
Originally published May 14, 2018 By Eilene Lyon We recently took a trip to the Netherlands and Norway, so expect a few posts on sights, scenes, and travel. But first, I want to share a bit about the Dutch genius for engineering water. It’s no secret that much of the Netherlands is below sea level.... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon My niece came for a visit in late February. I suggested a possible trip to Santa Fe. She countered with a visit to the Meow Wolf art installation there. I booked us into a Fort Marcy Compound condo for two nights. On our first afternoon, after getting settled into our rooms, we... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon Last winter in southwestern Colorado was not great. I spent much more time riding my mountain bike than I did on skis. That was a problem here, but not widespread. This winter has been something different entirely. The Rocky Mountain West, and all the way to California has seen a dearth of... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon In America we tend to think of sauerkraut as a traditional German dish. It was also an important food to my 3rd great-grandparents in the Jenkins-Bedford line. Their heritage was Welsh-English, not German. Abigail (Bedford) Jenkins mentions it twice in her gold-rush letters to her husband, Henry Z. Jenkins. From August 1851:... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon Last month I captured a fleeting phenomenon in the sky south of my house, seen in the header image: altostratus undulatus clouds. Trigger daily dose of awe! While I adore observing unusual cloud formations—mammatus, lenticular, mackerel—for our ancestors, watching the sky served an important function: weather forecasting. Whereas we now have weather... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon Note: Just before Christmas 2024, I encountered a male tarantula roaming our neighborhood. In Southwestern Colorado, October is the month we usually see tarantulas crossing the road. Why? Read on… Our local tarantula species (Aphonopelma vogelae), considered a “mini-tarantula,” is an unintimidating creature. They seem oblivious to the presence of humans and... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon Since my second book launched last fall, I have been working less at writing and more at re-engaging with my home, my other interests, and community. It has involved a fair amount of volunteer time lately, so my blogging has been minimal. Now it’s time for a full break from it all.... Continue Reading →
Human Created Content - Creative Writing - Australia
Life is a series of transitions, and so is the retirement journey.
Creative, non-monetary forms of payment
Random musings on style and substance
Where the locals go, because the locals know!
Internet home for Marie Zhuikov: Blogger, Author, Poet, Photographer
Reflections of an inquiring retiree ...
The opinions expressed are those of the author. You go get your own opinions.
I write about genealogy on this site. Come see what's going on!
Fun With Genealogy
Discover and re-discover Mexico’s cuisine, culture and history through the recipes, backyard stories and other interesting findings of an expatriate in Canada
Navigating the second half of my life
The people, places, and things that make the Willamette Valley shine
Journeys Through the Second Half of Life
Doing the best I can to keep it on the bright side
My 'Well of Lost and Found Thoughts'
Author, Speaker, Family Historian
thoughts about life from below the surface
... stories of significant others in the Allery, Cutting, McCulloch and Robertson tribes ...
Celtic, Mythical and More ...
