Hey, are kids still required to memorize things in school? School is supposed to teach the young ones what they need to know to be good citizens in this society. It used to be that everyone memorized the presidents, the states and capitals, multiplication tables to 12, Paul Revere’s Ride, […]
Part III in a series on outstanding volunteer-supported assets in the Capital City Awesome snow event this week. Were were scooping knee deep powder off the driveway when a neighbor drove by, rolled down his window and yelled, “Forget that! Get your skis!” He was headed for Eaglecrest, Juneau’s community […]
Here are two seasonal breads that are always welcome at a solstice potluck or as drive-by gifts. Both include sourdough which gives a subtle flavor and changes consistency in a way that’s hard to describe but noticeable. I made them for years without sourdough so no worries if you don’t […]
A Christmas present arrived at our house a few years ago in early December. It wasn’t a package, it was a phone call from my brother who said, “You’ve got to watch this movie. It changed the way I think about Christmas.” I did watch that movie and I tell […]
Dies Natalis Solis Invictus “Birthday of the Unconquered Sun.” December 21st is the shortest day of the year in the north. Tonight’s an auspicious one, with a full moon and meteor showers. In Juneau we’ll get 6 hours, 22 minutes of daylight. At 1:22 p.m. there’s a celestial pause then […]
… a car stops and the rich mill owner’s lazy wife leans out and whines: “Giveya two bits for that ol tree.” Ordinarily my friend is afraid of saying no; but on this occasion she promptly shakes her head: “We wouldn’t take a dollar.” The mill owner’s wife persists.” A […]
I originally wrote Plant a Week as a resource for children and parents of the Juneau Community Charter School. Generally we’d have a sample of the weekly plant and talk about it in class on Fridays. That afternoon the write-up went home with the kids in the school newsletter. They […]
“It’s so easy to dream, of the days gone by, it’s so hard to think of the times to come. But the grace to accept each moment as a gift, is a gift that is given to some.” Thanksgiving Eve by Bob Franke.* On the fourth Wednesday in November […]
When was the last time you went a whole day without hearing or seeing anything negative? What would it be like to move unhurried with no ‘breaking news’ at all for weeks or months on end and trace a thousand mile arc where, most of the time, you were your […]
Cases of canned fish and a full freezer are wonderful things in fall but spring, being the season of renewal, is a time to draw down the larder in anticipation of re-stocking with fresh salmon. We try to pace our supply to run out in early June. In years when […]
Remember a few years ago when one of the local chain stores in Juneau tried selling Atlantic farmed salmon from down south? Oh, the hue and cry of public outrage. So they stopped. We should marshal that activism to put the brakes on firewood that comes from Outside. Forests all […]
A cord of wood is a quiet winter comfort representing centuries worth of stored solar energy from ninety-one million miles away. Woodshed Nation releases that energy gradually knowing that whatever happens in the world outside, a home with a few cords won’t freeze for lack of fuel. It’s February, we’re […]