The youth hostel in Ruedesheim stood about a mile from the train station. To get there, we had to hike the steep slopes of the vineyard. From the front piazza in front of the hostel, neat rows of vines spanned the distance from the hostel to the Rhein River below.…
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Fall, one of my favorite times of year, used to come earlier when I was a kid. Here’s how I judge it: We were hiking with the Boy Scouts somewhere in central Missouri. The day was overcast and drizzly. Stair steps of roots and rocks lead the way up a…
2 CommentsRecently, Jose went into the hospital. He had to have a surgery to find the source of an ongoing and debilitating pain in or around his stomach. As I understand it, doctors operated on him several times for the same pain over the course of the last two years. In…
One CommentNick and I walked the dogs the other day and talked about politics. The election season is so pervasive that it seeps into the life of a 14 year old. Who would I vote for? he asked. I turned to him. The dogs pulled at the leashes. There was a…
4 CommentsWhen Corby Skinner announced that Canoeing the Great Plains won the creative nonfiction category in the High Plains Book Awards, I felt a sudden lift. I looked around and people were applauding. The sounds came through tinny and indistinct. Someone hooted. People smiled. Someone patted me on the back. The…
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