Maisie

I returned home Saturday and am gone again already. Maisie did not let me out of her sight over the weekend. And after grooming on Monday, she was much more herself:

Atlantic Beach, Fla.

6.55 a.m. Steel-gray skies over land and sea. Off to the northeast, rain sweeps down into the waters. The surf continually washes the beach, while the occasional beach-walker cuts a perpendicular line to the surf. And a seagull raids a trash can. Half a dozen container ships hover halfway to the horizon. And sun tries

#TBT: Scotland

From a 2002 trip to Scotland: This was a very happy trip, with the Johnson and Malone teens and 20-somethings. The trip included time in Edinburgh, Inverness, and a last night in Glasgow. I walked Culloden battlefield, and sailed on Loch Ness. And I finished Patricia Nell Warren’s The Front Runner on the train from

London: random photos

Random photos from the last few weeks.

At home

The roof leak appears to be fixed. Andres Roofing was on the roof while I was away. They replaced a turbine vent and sealed some spots where the solar panels were perhaps allowing some seepage. The storm that came through Sunday, with torrential rain and flooding, didn’t mark my bedroom, so I’m hopeful this episode

Books

I made some purchases while I was abroad. Most of these I shipped home early in the trip. I read The History of the World in Fifty Dogs on the flight home. The Strauss book was on the remainders table at Waterstone’s for £9.99, so I had to have it! Dr. Paul Laird was my

Coe Fen

One week ago right about this very instant (give or take a couple of hours), I was part of the congregation singing this hymn at Trinity College, Cambridge. And I blubbered my way through the last verse, so powerful was the singing in that historic chapel.

A beast

Jet-lag. A beast I cannot avoid. Saturday’s awake-and-screw-it was 3.25 a.m. I made it to 4.30 a.m. today. And that’s after staying up as late as I could Saturday night. Small price, though, for the wonders of travel. Musings pre-dawn on a Sunday morning . . . . My thoughts are stewing around — marinating,

From JFK

The funniest thing just happened. I’m in the Centurion Lounge in Terminal 4, at a busy time of day. I’m seated in a quad area, with two swivelly chairs and a small industrial-looking sofa. The guy on the sofa got up and left. And within 15 seconds, a man and his teenage (shade-throwing, but that’s

Bern: Rosengarten

The Bern Rose Garden is a joy!