I’m An Excellent Navigator

I hurried out of the hotel in the morning and left P to do the dirty work of checking out. She later said they never asked why we were leaving, but the ultimate answer would have been “we want to be closer to the center of town.” It might not have been all of the […]

In Which P Is Not Ready to Stay at a Hostel

P and I checked into our hotel in Cortina d’Ampezzo, about 75 miles of twisted roadway north of the Venice airport, and she said halfheartedly “this is nice!” We looked out the window at the traffic zipping by, appreciating the views, but she didn’t seem in love. It was definitely very nice, with clear Tyrolean […]

A Look Back on Summer, 2023, and a New Beginning

A few weeks ago, my brother said it quite clearly: the sparkling surface of the lake had changed. That’s what happens in Michigan this time of year: as the seasons roll forward and the great orb of the sun begins its annual recession into the southern sky, the sunlight changes color and reflects off of […]

About As Far Back As I Can Go

Frequent readers of this blog know that I’m marginally obsessed with ancient history and with the roots of our shared history. The fragile threads that bind together the fraying fabric of humanity excite me. When I’m in a museum I actively seek out the oldest relics, because the fine shaping of a piece of pottery […]

Leaving the Mara

As soon as we left the compound, a giraffe met us, and that face stuck in my mind all day. I couldn’t see her body, as it was below the level of the road, so I only saw her neck and head, materializing quickly in a clearing as if out of nowhere. It was a […]

A Death on the Savanna: The Expurgated Version

NB: This is an edited version of the original post describing a pride of lions killing a buffalo. The text is the same as the original post, but the unexpurgated version contains images that some may consider disturbing. If you wish to view that post, please click HERE. If you think the written description of […]