I have in my mind and moment in time. I am a school custodian. It is my first year of marriage, specifically, my second month of marriage. We married in early September 1979. It must be an autumn evening in October now. I am the evening custodian at VanCleve Elementary School in Troy, Ohio. Soon […]
Sacred Repetition; Fly-Fishing on the Muskegon
About eighteen winters ago our first-born son began to read about trout fishing with flies. After a winter of reading and fly-tying and investigation and investment in the vestments of fly-fishing, and after listing to the lore of fishermen, the day finally came when he waded into the stream near where we lived. We lived […]
Our Home in the Country
An old oak grows on the sloping lawn in front of the house. We’ve spent the last few hours gathering its leaves into baskets and hauling them to the garden. A few leaves still cling tenaciously to the branches. They won’t let go until they’re forced off by the new growth of spring. The rest […]
First Snowfall
Evening has fallen as I write this. Yesterday some snow flakes rode the cold air but none of them stuck to the ground. This afternoon the snow has clung to the grass and trees just enough to remind me to keep my scraper and shovels handy. Toward the end of August, summer warmth and sun […]
Welcome Back, Autumn (Guest Post)
Our son, Chuk is a true Michigander with the heart of a poet. He lives in Grand Rapids, and, along with his day-job is pioneering a candle-making business called Red Jacket Candle Company. I have invited him to contribute a guest post today. My breath hung in the air as if it were being played […]
The Stimulant of Autumn
Jan Karon’s description of autumn in Mitford.