For the last two years, four dogs have been building a friendship on long walks they've taken together in the woods of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Now, sadly and inevitably, they're starting to get old together.Lucy, my dog, is the runt of the group. She's a twelve year old, twenty-two pound rat terrier. She's ... Continue Reading
Strange Little Tribe
We're a strange little tribe here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, aren't we?That observation came through to me clearly Wednesday night as I wandered the campus of Michigan Tech in Houghton. The university's enrollment is about 6000, and I'd guess at least 3000 of them were outside, bundled up but smiling, well into the ... Continue Reading
The Death of Newspapers
I give up.I'm a lifelong lover of newspapers, but after a battle that's lasted nearly a decade, I'm finally waving the white flag of surrender and bowing down to the almighty digital media.Two events tells the story.Event #1: August 2004, I arrive in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (aka southern Canada) and discover to my ... Continue Reading
America: Love It or Leave It
I don't get it.America suddenly has secession fever. Groups in all 50 states have filed to secede from the union, and polls tell us that 25% of Republicans actually want to secede.Huh? What?First, Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, fought and died to preserve the union against all costs, right? Isn't that worth ... Continue Reading
We’re Fatter Than They Are
I've just returned from a three week cross-country car trip from Atlanta to northern California and I discovered a few things along the way about our nation:1) The love bugs in Mississippi and Louisiana always fly in tandem and copulate continuously.2) Craziness is cool in New Orleans. That means you can walk around ... Continue Reading
Olympian Observations
Okay, I'll admit it. I'm one of those guys who, every two years, gathers myself onto the sofa, a Coke in hand, Cheetos by my side, and sits, mesmerized, by the Olympics.Track? I love it. The most universal and basic of all sports. (Or sport, as Mitt Romney would put it.)Swimming? Sensational, even though I, myself, ... Continue Reading
Adventures in Camping
It's safe to say I'm not an avid outdoorsman. I've never hunted, I've fished a few times, and I've camped maybe a half dozen times in my life, never alone.Until this week. Actually I wasn't alone. I took my dog Lucy along on a one night, two day adventure around the Upper Peninsula--it was part of a writing ... Continue Reading
A Dog’s Life
There are plenty of reasons to love dogs--their unfailing friendliness and loyalty, their ability to forgive almost anything and anybody, and their insistence on being happy. Even when they're sick, with their chin resting sadly on their paws, and their nose warm as a pancake just off the griddle, they give you ... Continue Reading
Athletic Masochism
It's that time of year again: golf season.Someone once described golf as a walk in the park, ruined. Well, I've taken innumerable ruined walks in the park over the last few years, and yet I keep returning, desperately hoping that the results will change, but knowing, deep-down, that they won't. Ever.And sure enough, on ... Continue Reading
Reluctant Snowbird
Earlier this month, I officially became an elderly snowbird for the first time in my life. I flapped my tired wings (actually drove my Honda) all the way down to Marco Island, on the Gulf Coast of southern Florida.I have to admit, I felt a little sheepish about it, suddenly fitting into this sad stereotype of a frost-bitten ... Continue Reading
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