excursion in uncertainty

Anna and I went out into the mountains on Sunday, the first weekend in May as a big thaw transpires. Last month was dry and warm, and even though there’s still plenty of snow yet…

remembering Maggie

There’s a lot going on these days: pandemics and earthquakes and societal collapse and generalized widespread anxiety. Also, online homeschool. But there’s been this other dark cloud in our home for over a month, and I realized a while ago that I wasn’t making progress on any other writing because I really needed to write about my dog.

It’s hard to write and re-write something that you know you’ll never get right.

perspective

Setting foot in remote terrain is an act of reformation for me. Before I leave I don’t see how I can make things better, but being out gives me perspective, a focus on direction. And…

readied for disaster

I’m giving this speech at a ceremony today for some college grads, honor society initiates. I think it’s mostly done, which is good because it starts in an hour. * * * I’m delighted and…

perfection and mistakes

Later today, the band gets to record in a basement studio in an old historic building, grand staircases and marble floors leading to a retrofitted basement space. We did a mic check—literally to check on…

dumb question

We say there’s no such thing as a “dumb question.” But I know we all know we know better. Maybe. I was with a few hundred students on Friday, chaperoning a field trip for a…

study guides

Brad, a friend and teaching mentor of mine, recently posted about how his online astronomy students’ teaching evaluations complain that they don’t receive study guides to prepare for exams. He wondered out loud (well, on…