Cabin Fever

Cabin Fever

This story first appeared in  International Sidecar Traveller #43 April, 2019   Winter had been a long, dreary affair, with a succession of snow, cold rain, ice and more snow. Come February, I was done with it, but it did not appear to be done with me. Out of...

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January Excursion to South Prairie

January Excursion to South Prairie

My brother and I decided to take advantage of the unusually mild weather and went for a little excursion into the Gifford Pinchot yesterday. We ran into ice about the time we ran out of pavement, small patches at first, then long stretches which formed a treacherous,...

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Too Light

Too Light

  It seems obvious that adding a third wheel will increase the stability of your motorcycle. The realty is a little more complicated - it is all about balance.... [video width="320" height="240"...

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The Mystery

The Mystery

The clouds are gone. Bright stars wink, sprinkled across the black sky. I close my eyes to meditate, breathing, but the stars call to me. As I open my eyes a shooting star burns across the southern horizon. I give up on the breathing exercises and stare into the...

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26 Degrees

26 Degrees

Dawn breaks, the color of old lead; an almost invisible icy mist wafts down. I hear it rattle the dead leaves and feel its tentative caress on my face.

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Season To Taste

Season To Taste

Amy tells me I add way too much salt when I cook. She laughs because I never know how much horseradish is too much until after my first bite. Eyes watering, mouth afire, my nose tingling like a funny-bone tapped exactly wrong. And sometimes, I pepper my writing with...

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A Dander of Snow

A Dander of Snow

Tiny bits of white fluff float before me driven from the east on the faintest of breezes but never in a straight line they dart and swirl here and there interrupting their descent to rise through their fellows and drop again eventually to dander the heaps and drifts...

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Chuck Roast and Mushroom Gravy

Chuck Roast and Mushroom Gravy

With the weather gone to cold drizzle I find myself using the Crock Pot more and more. Once the food is in the slow cooker, it can be turned on low and ignored for a few hours. Well, it could be ignored if it didn't fill the entire house with savory aromas. Slow...

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The Bombardier

The Bombardier

The Bombardier is a drink inspired by the early days of military aviation, when the British airforce was still part of the Royal Navy. Pilots and their crew were issued a daily tot of rum, just like the sailors were. To stave off the cold on long sorties over No Man’s...

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Pie Day: Mom’s Pies

Pie Day: Mom’s Pies

  Mom bakes all sorts of pies. Two of my favorites are her apple pie and her rhubarb pie. These are pretty straight forward fruit pie recipes, but they are consistently the best pies to be had. Tarting them up would only detract from their wholesome...

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Hot Toddy

Hot Toddy

The hot toddy has long been a favorite cold weather libation around my house.  Easy, steaming hot, packed with vitamin C, sweet, sour, and alcoholic, its just gotta be good for you! Substitute liquors, try different sweeteners, use any citrus you feel like using; it ...

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Pieday: The Crust

Pieday: The Crust

          With the holidays upon us, my thoughts naturally turn toward pie. That's not really true. I think about pie all the time, but on holidays and special occasions, my mother's pies are a traditional part of the celebration. Her pies are worthy of celebration in...

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