The Grand

By Eilene Lyon My inbox had an unexpected surprise in the spring of 2014. “Only 4 slots left!” I hurriedly forwarded the email to The Putterer – “What do think? Should we go?” He just as rapidly fired back – “Hell yes!” I placed a call to the rafting company, only to be told that... Continue Reading →

October 14, 2018 19

BWCA: Into the Wilderness

By Eilene Lyon It’s exactly a year since The Putterer and I went on a trip through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota. Since I use a photo from that as the blog header and one in my About page, I probably should get on with a post about the trip. This had... Continue Reading →

September 5, 2018 21

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 →

August 12, 2018 17

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 →

August 8, 2018 13

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 →

July 31, 2018 21

Fabric of Our Lives

Week 30: #52 Ancestors – Colorful By Eilene Lyon This is not really a story about an ancestor, just a bit of family history. My father was an Army officer for about 20 years, and one of his “overseas” assignments was a 3 ½ year stay in Guatemala. This was in the 1970s and I... Continue Reading →

July 25, 2018 21

The Danger of Solo Road Trips

By Eilene Lyon When I go on one of my "Dead Ancestor" tours across the country, I take along a micro-cassette recorder. I see a lot of interesting things as I'm driving around and don't want to forget them. It's also helpful for remembering where I went and what I did there. Later, I transcribe... Continue Reading →

July 19, 2018 24

Our Trip to Oregon

Week 28: #52 Ancestors – Travel By Eilene Lyon In 1942, my grandparents, Reatha and Everett Halse, made the decision to leave Florence, South Dakota, and head west. Everett’s younger brother, Alvin Halse, was already living in Corvallis, Oregon, and had a job waiting for Everett. That summer, they packed up their worldly possessions and... Continue Reading →

July 13, 2018 16

Relative

A Poem By Eilene Lyon If relativity is true, Why can't I find you? It should be a simple matter of bending the space/time continuum. Then we could be in the Same place at the same time. But would it be your time -- or mine? Feature image: Unidentified young man from Cutting... Continue Reading →

July 12, 2018 10