Something feels off. Something isn’t right. I know it’s probably actually me, but in the back of my heart I still feel the pulse of a larger discordance, even though no one else seems to feel it. I am not in my happy place. It’s been a week or so now, and I just can’t […]
Category Archives: Winter
Bear’s Tips Four Coming Out of Hibernation
Hello. This is Bear. Now it is spring. That means that all bears and peoples half to wake up and start doing things again. I like doing things. Sleeping is a thing. I like sleeping. I don’t rally hibernate, because I am not that kind of bear, but if you hibernate, I will give you […]
Put Your Farts On
Johnny Cash was a parent, and you can tell this in his classic song “I Walk the Line.” Yes, that is what we do all day long. Whether it is walking the fine line between freedom and discipline, or the line between nurture and self-preservation, we parents are well versed in the art of line […]
The Donahue Sea Caves (and how we fell into them)
Before we get started, I have to make a disclaimer. The name “Donahue Sea Caves” is very misleading. There is only one of them. I did not name it, so it is not my fault, but I didn’t want you to get mad later, like I did when I arrived, when you discover that the plural […]
Letting It Go at the Stratton Ice Castle
I don’t think I can sing Geico’s praises highly enough, which might be a weird way to start a story about an ice palace, but if it wasn’t for their helpful rule-bending then we wouldn’t have been able to go. After our car was smashed into by an uninsured villain motorist on Thursday, we were left […]
A Quick Plunge Over a Tall Cliff
I was not going to be late this time. My wife and daughter were jumping into the icy lake at 11:00 sharp. I was home with the boy, and we were going to be out the door at 10:30, and no later. I looked at my watch at 10:35 and shouted “Edward! Get your stuff […]
The 7 Stages of Cold
I woke up this morning and, with the wind chill, it was -15 degrees outside. That is frickin’ cold. But it’s not really any worse than if it was -10 out. Seriously, once you get below zero you are in the final level of coldness, whose stages I will now explain to you. STAGE 1: 60s […]
Put Your Damn Coat On!
When I was in college, I was notorious for walking around in the winter time wearing shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt. Hey, I was from Vermont! 40 wasn’t cold! Come on, wimps! It drove my voice teacher crazy, and he gave me some good advice/knowledge that completely changed my mind on coat-wearing, even if I […]
A Child’s Reaction to the First Snow of Winter
Okay, look, I know that we had a few late night flurries last week, and I know that it is not technically winter yet, but my children did not see that snow, and as far as they are concerned, if it’s snowing, it’s winter. So let us start with the baseline assumption that, according to […]
My Annual Pocket Discovery Adventure
It’s that time of year again. The time when I have to put on my jacket because, while it is still technically the season of summer, there is a frost warning for tonight. Putting my jacket on after a lengthy leave of absence is always exciting, because taking it off for the last time is […]