My heart pounds in my ears. My breath comes fast. I am cycling through the apocalypse, I think as I pedal a few wobbly, independent yards. It’s the second day of quarantine and I am trying to learn how to ride a bicycle –…
On Turning 90 This June
I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring Because, if it had happened earlier I might have been…
Another Year Has Passed
Every March we await the coming of pairs of yellow-crested night herons that build their nests and breed in our great Houston Heights live oak trees The day they fly in allows us the privilege of being present at the painstaking labor of building a nest the laying of pale…
Reverse SAD
Each Houston summer, I experience this deal I call Reverse SAD. You might have just read that and thought, Oh, this dude gets happy in the summer. He must like ice cream, and the feeling of burning sand between his toes, and swamp-ass. But…
Home Again In Houston
A vacation trip, no matter where we go, how far, or what we do when we get there, can energize and refresh us. I’ve found that the key to this benefit is a change from everyday normality, taking a break from jobs, houses, cars,…
Cyber Safety When You Travel–Are You Taking These Simple Steps?
With technology so intertwined with our daily lives, vacationing isn’t quite the disconnect it used to be. We now have the ability to instantly share our exciting new experiences with family and friends via a Facebook post or Instagram photo. But these same posts…