I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude. ~ Henry David Thoreau, "Walden"
Quotes
Not So Winding Road
Every time I hear "I Got a Name" by Jim Croce lately, that first line instantly transports me back to a trip I took this past May to Lassen Volcanic National Park. Like the pine trees lining the winding road I've got a name, I've got a name. ~ "I Got a Name" Jim Croce … Continue reading Not So Winding Road
Camping: Heading Out Alone
My friend Francine, in response to how she'd spent her birthday, sent some amazing photos of camping alone. Thank you for the birthday wishes. I spent the weekend camping in the mountains. I stayed at a campground, but was alone at my campsite. Here's my sweet little set-up. Small green tent on the right is … Continue reading Camping: Heading Out Alone
Cookies Tell Stories: Recipe for Life
Previously, on Campfire Tales: Various sources recounted the invention of the prize-winning Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies, sometimes omitting the theft and replacement of the $10,000 prize check. Today, let's consider the real legacy of Laura Rott. Every celebration, article and obituary focuses on the baking contest, mostly through Eleanor Roosevelt's summary, and including Eleanor's "unmarried" … Continue reading Cookies Tell Stories: Recipe for Life
Cookies Tell Stories: Surprise in the Middle
Even from the very first post, Campfire Tales mixed baking recollections, random connections and storytelling. And lately, one cookie recipe keeps leading me down so many seemingly disparate rabbit holes, I must investigate how they might be interwoven. Let's explore the warren! In one of Eleanor Roosevelt's 1949 "My Day" syndicated columns (weary bloggers take … Continue reading Cookies Tell Stories: Surprise in the Middle
Book Review: Wayfinding
The full title — Wayfinding: Poetry celebrating America's parks and public lands — really tells you everything you need to know about this book. Will you like the book? Umm... I started the book two years ago. At the time, it wasn't for me. I put it down. It gathered dust. But then... this … Continue reading Book Review: Wayfinding
Book Review: The Wild Trees
"A long time ago, I set out to do something. Now it looks like I've reached the goal. It's like if I die tomorrow, everything will be alright." He fell silent for a moment. "I think I've found out the secret of making a dream come true." "What's that?" "Just don't stop. Don't stop. Don't … Continue reading Book Review: The Wild Trees
Stack ‘Em Up!
tsundoku noun [C or U]The practice of buying a lot of books and keeping them in a pile because you intend to read them but have not done so yet; also used to refer to the pile itself. ~ Cambridge Dictionary You can also Google, "The art of buying books" and get the answer: Tsundoku. So then, my habit isn't "procrastination," it's ART! That said, here's a fraction of my … Continue reading Stack ‘Em Up!
Stop (Watching) the Clock!
A few observations: Every year for the past few years I keep hearing most everyone I know express eagerness for the prior/current year to be over, and the next year to begin. The belief/hope seems to be: New Year = Better Year. Every year for the past few years, the current year is rated worse … Continue reading Stop (Watching) the Clock!
Bring on the Rainy Season
In the lower Bronx, for example, enthusiasts found an ailanthus tree that was fifteen feet long growing from the corner of a garage roof. It was rooted in and living on "dust and roofing cinders." Even more spectacular is a desert plant, Ibervillea sonorae—a member of the gourd family—that Joseph Wood Krutch describes. If you … Continue reading Bring on the Rainy Season
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