The Daily: 29 September 2024

The ancient world of the Mediterranean and Near East has a great number of interesting mythological beings. Some are related to old gods and tutelary spirits. Some are fairly accurate illustrations of the anxieties of humankind — or maybe mankind, since women didn't have much of a voice. Some are just ludicrous. One of my… Continue reading The Daily: 29 September 2024

The Daily: 25 September 2024

Things to look forward to... dinner I don't eat lunch. Or rather, I don't eat both breakfast and lunch. On days when I am left to my own biorhythms, I eat the first meal of the day around noon and a smaller meal in the evening. But on weekdays, or days when I have to… Continue reading The Daily: 25 September 2024

The Daily: 18 September 2024

I had a hell of a day... so I wrote kids' poetry instead of what I had planned. Here is a sample: the path Autumn Forest by William Trost Richards (1833-1905) Richards painted in my neck of the woods in the 19th century. He may have known the family whose heiress daughter had my house… Continue reading The Daily: 18 September 2024

The Daily: 17 September 2024

The Harvest Moon is full today at 10:34pm. This moon nearest the autumnal equinox, this period of rapidly shortening days, gets its name because it appears full for several days and therefore gives evening light to those who are harvesting the fields, racing against the sunset. However true this might be, at this time of… Continue reading The Daily: 17 September 2024

The Daily: 4 September 2024

Things to look forward to... growing your own food While I don't believe anyone can grow all their own food, most everyone can grow some of what they eat. And this is always a delight! A radish, pulled from the cold ground in the springtime. A cucumber slid from the vine. A pile of potatoes… Continue reading The Daily: 4 September 2024

The Daily: 21 August 2024

Things to look forward to... getting things done The weeds on the house side of the road had gotten ahead of me. I have been pulling crabgrass and wild clematis out of the veg garden a little every day. I also laid down more cardboard between the beds and then covered that with mulch. This… Continue reading The Daily: 21 August 2024

The Daily: 19 August 2024

The Blueberry Moon is full at 2:26pm today. That means tonight's moonrise is closest to the full. The Moon is also rather close to Earth now, so it will seem larger than usual. The media folks, apparently feeling bereft of news that is not catastrophic, is nattering on about supermoons. I still don't know what… Continue reading The Daily: 19 August 2024

The Daily: 14 August 2024

Things to look forward to... a full moon I did my graduate work amid people who studied bits of foreign places like comets, exploded planets, asteroids, and moons. I have held pieces of our satellite moon in my hand and looked at the structure of its minerals through powerful lenses. My own work was focused… Continue reading The Daily: 14 August 2024

The Daily: 7 August, Epilogue

So... I said I would have a real stroke when the emergency room bill came in... Well, it arrived today. I vastly underestimated it. I almost vomited. It was so outrageous I had to share... because I'm not the only one... The grand total was about $13,000... to tell me I had heat stroke. Which… Continue reading The Daily: 7 August, Epilogue

The Daily: 7 August 2024

Things to look forward to... a drink of water About a month ago, in fact, the weekend before the second flooding, it was hot. Of course it was hot. And very humid. Of course that too. That's what we get these days. Hot and humid. For days and days and days and no relief even… Continue reading The Daily: 7 August 2024