Carlsbad Cavern
Maybe incongruities in daily life give rise to neurotic tendencies. A woman must earn a living but doesn’t like her job; a man loves his children but fears responsibility. Or this one: people want time alone but don’t leave their cities or suburbs. Continue reading
Driving in Mississippi
It’s raining and I’m sitting in a motel in Brookhaven, Mississippi, waiting for winter storm Remus to move through. Then I’ll continue driving, across the great river and northern Louisiana, then Texas and into southern New Mexico. I’m alone; my wife stayed home. For me, being alone is good. Continue reading
This gallery contains 24 photos.
Yesterday you read about The Villages and today you can see a gallery of 24 photos taken about five days ago. I hope they give you a sense of what life may be like there. To enter the gallery, click on … Continue reading
At The Villages
Are you retired and thinking of change, maybe moving to a warmer climate where seniors who drive like seniors are welcome? The Villages, a large retirement community in central Florida, may be for you.
My wife and I just spent a couple of days at The Villages visiting friends—two of about 110,000 people living there part- or full-time. The Villages occupies about 35 square miles and is growing fast.
Since the last post about the benefits of travel, I’ve been wondering why wanderlust smites some but not others. Can we trace its development in ourselves and thereby better understand our particular uniqueness?
In Athens, Georgia, fall color is nearing its end. It typically peaks in late October or early November. Today, in mid-November, the large landscapes of color are gone. We’re left with some colorful trees, maybe particular branches or individual leaves. It is a good time to experience retirement and walk around the yard and woods with an eye for small beauty.
This gallery contains 24 photos.
Ireland’s green landscapes have earned it the title, Emerald Isle. That one name hides the variety of green and its juxtapositions with the varying colors of the Atlantic, the greys of rock formations and stone castles, and the colors of … Continue reading
Courtesy of Al Reiner ’64
You can’t go home again, argues Thomas Wolfe in his famous novel, but we do. Sometimes in retirement we move back to an earlier home place, and we often join family, friends or classmates at reunions where we celebrate our past.
In August I attended my 50-year reunion of the class of 1964 at the New York State Ranger School, which trained us to be forest technicians—men who did much of the practical woods work of forestry.
The Ranger School did more than that for most of us. We were young, just out of high school, and we needed guidance. The faculty and staff helped transform us into young men ready for adult roles. Continue reading
Uli and Otto Saur
Otto and Uli are visiting for a week. We hosted one of their sons as a high-school exchange student about thirty years ago, and we’ve been friends ever since. Years ago we hiked with them in the Alps, and now they wanted to hike in the Appalachians. The Appalachians have vast areas of unpopulated wilderness with poorly marked trails, and hikers who make a small mistake may walk for miles in a wrong direction.
When retirees get to their middle 80s, most don’t want to or can’t stay physically active. Instead they relax, take up hobbies or devote full-time to television. Their conversations often concern their health problems. But there are exceptions, like Ms. Ola Coombs.
Ola had always wanted to have her own quilt shop and she got her chance at age 79. Ola’s Quilt Shop in Lavonia, Georgia opened in May, 2006. This year Ola will turn 87. Continue reading