It is interesting how some things that you learned as a child stick with you, even when the years and decades pile up. I was thinking the other day about how my parents approached certain subjects and had to smile at how sly they were. For example, we were a… read more >
I don’t know where you live, but have you ever noticed that there is a world of difference between Spring Fever and actual Spring? Essentially, it’s the difference between a promise and a delivery. You may have noticed that most of middle America this year is mired in a deep… read more >
My library has a really cool feature. If you have read more than one Trail Talk, you may be surprised to learn that I spend very little time at the physical library, my visits being largely limited to dropping off books at the drive-through or a dash inside to pick… read more >
It is embarrassing to open a sentence with, “I was taught”. I like to think of myself as a free-thinker even in my developmental years, but a headline in today’s news triggered the phrase, and I just can’t shake it. With the commemorations last fall of the 100th Anniversary of… read more >
Have you ever wondered just how the man most widely perceived as our best US President, managed to triumph in a field of four candidates? Such odds would be considered suicidal today. Lincoln won the 1860 presidential election because the Lincoln-Douglas debates were closely followed by reporters, who transcribed them… read more >
Most of us can relate to Tom Hanks’ adolescent wish to be Big in the delightful movie comedy of that name (1988). One of my first memories was of yearning to be tall enough to see over store counters. There were times when I felt that I would never… read more >
Just on principle, I pretty much like ALL living history experiences. When done well, 21st century participants can feel part of history – usually meeting and interacting with ordinary people going about their everyday lives. These are often real craftsmen demonstrating skills that are no longer required, and have taken… read more >
Here I am, writing about beavers again. That’s what happens when some of your best tours explore trails used by practioners of the North American fur trade and the impact it had on American history. I have a tour director who has been crazed to buy her own pelt for… read more >
Where do you find the books you read? No, wait. Before we get to that, I want to know if you make a distinction between the books you want to own, and the ones you merely want to read. As a bibliophile I have a problem with this last. As… read more >
This isn’t a story about “days dwindling down” that we all know from the familiar “September Song” by the twentieth century composer Kurt Weill and lyricist Maxwell Anderson. But it seems apt, nevertheless. Let me start with the fact that I had a tough week. It was just one… read more >
