By Eilene Lyon I spoke with my dad the other day. He was widowed not long ago. Even more recently he turned 89. He says his memory isn't great, so he's been asking me questions. One is a query I answer regularly (and reluctantly), so I thought I'd share it here for posterity. "How did... Continue Reading →
The Canadian Rockies
By Eilene Lyon Our time in Canada (9 days) was all about the scenery. But first, we had a problem to deal with. While driving over Beartooth Pass in Wyoming, we started hearing a grinding noise from the van’s rear brakes. Being a Friday, The Putterer arranged for a Monday emergency appointment at the Ford... Continue Reading →
Colorado to Canada
By Eilene Lyon After our visit to Rifle Falls State Park, we spent the next five days taking scenic routes from Colorado to Canada. We drove through Meeker (been there before) and stopped in Craig to fill our propane and get a Montana gazetteer (because detailed paper maps are the best!). Then we headed to... Continue Reading →
Rifle Falls
By Eilene Lyon We recently took a scenic tour of the Rocky Mountains, with the Canadian Rockies as the apex of the trip. Total mileage: 4,400, very little of it on freeways. The only planned stop, and reserved camp site, was for our first night, at Rifle Falls State Park. The campground has a dozen... Continue Reading →
Busybody Takes a Break
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 →
From the Vault: These Boots…
By Eilene Lyon …are made for working. If you wander through our yard and look carefully, you might spy two pair of boots, in an advanced state of decay. They may seem an odd choice for landscape décor. Let me explain… Back in 2008, I made a major pivot in my “career.” (I use quotation... Continue Reading →
The Mini Time Machine
By Eilene Lyon While on vacation in southern Arizona earlier this month, I headed into Tucson to visit a museum. The one I selected was The Mini Time Machine: Museum of Miniatures. Probably what immediately comes to mind are dollhouses. And yes, there are quite a few of those here, but much, much more. In... Continue Reading →
The Drought Diaries: Sad Sonoran
By Eilene Lyon I’m spending this week on a solo camping trip at the Tucson Mountain Park, the largest county park in the U.S. at 60,000 acres. Here in southern Arizona, I’m on the eastern edge of the Sonoran Desert, which encompasses northwestern Sonora, Mexico, most of Baja, and a small section of southeastern California.... Continue Reading →
Paris to Bruges by Bike – Part 2
By Eilene Lyon We began our second week of the bike tour departing from Péronne. We took our coffee break in what appeared to be a fairly new community (Curlu) where our group experienced a flat tire. Our guide, Bart, was up for the task of doing the repair. Our principal stop for the day,... Continue Reading →