Category: non-fiction
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A Silent Eulogy: Late But Heartfelt
Is it possible that a eulogy can take forty-one years to deliver? The dreaded answer is yes. I know because I spoke that eulogy…silently, silently so that only I heard the words. It was a rambling prayer over a heart-breaking death. I knew the young man who had died. In truth, I was with him…
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A Day For A Splash Of Rum
The Ancient Mariner is home from his lonely voyage. He’s waiting beside the tavern door to tell his tale. The Old Man is back from the Sea…did he win the fight with the great fish? The story of my journey to being a sailor is over…for now. I have completed the final task which was…
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So Near Yet So Far Away/The Three Hour Tour
You’ve been waiting. Waiting by your warm hearths sipping an extra strong egg nog. You’ve posted your last holiday cards and only two remaining items are on your “to do” list. You have to figure out who is going to get the re-gift this year. But, what you’re really waiting for is the next chapter…
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Crossing Whiskey Creek To The Banyan Tree
I had my plastic cup of iced coffee from the Java Cafe nestled nicely in the container holder next to the gear shift knob on the red Ford Escape. This time I was going to try something different. I was going to locate and take the rear entrance (or is an exit when you’re leaving?)…
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A Stroll On Estero: Encountering Sand Sculptures One Grain At A Time
We decided that we would give Sanibel Island a rest for a day. Besides, we’d save $6.00 for not taking the Causeway Bridge. No, it was time we crossed another bridge (free) from Fort Myers to Fort Myers Beach. When we did, we found ourselves in another world. This wasn’t Wal-Mart country. This was the…
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Holiday Time In Fort Myers/Mais ou sont les neiges d’antan?*
“I don’t know Doc, I just seem a little disoriented lately. Maybe it’s the time of year? Maybe I should stay away from the egg nog…” –Notation in the files of Dr. Hugh Roebottom, Psychiatrist, on the recent session with Patrick Egan. It’s a pretty Christmas wreath. I’m looking a one of the prettiest plastic…
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I Dreamed I Saw Saint Augustine
It was going to be a great day. I even had a ready-made title for this blog. I was going to life a song title by the one and only, Bob Dylan. We only had about 120 miles to drive from Brunswick to St. Augustine, FL. That’s not even enough to break a sweat–that would come…
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Traveling South/Going Native: Thoughts At 34.41° North Latitude
South n 1 : The compass direction directly opposite to the north. 2 : The direction to the right of one facing east. Realistically, however, south is more than one of the cardinal points on a compass. It is also a state of mind. When most Americans think of the south, many cultural references come…
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Forever I’ve Dreamt Of Sailing Away
One day, several decades ago, I sat down with a book by Captain Joshua Slocum. It was titled “Sailing Alone Around the World”. Capt. Slocum published the book in 1900–it was a bestseller–and it made him a Superstar of the Seas. His boat was named Spray. Nearly ten years later, Slocum disappeared aboard the Spray.…
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A Last Look At The North Country: A Journey For The Right Hemisphere
This is a good-bye of sorts. I drove into Saranac Lake this afternoon to pick up a few last-minute goodies, I see that the recent rains have taken so much of the brilliant foliage that, a few days ago, dazzled your eye against the azure sky. I heard the word “snow” in a recent conversation.…
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