My Suburban Escapes
Day Trippin' in Lower NY. Get Out In It.
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I recently had the honor of going on an upland shoot with G.R.I.T.S., not Girls Raised In The South, but Girls Really Into Shooting. The group was started about fifteen years ago by a Virginian named Elizabeth Fennell, a member of both acronym definitions. The Hudson Valley chapter with whom I shot has a loose…
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I recently had the honor of duck hunting with my friend Charlie, another redneck in the ‘burbs who is an avid hunter and fisherman. As it was the last day of the season, he invited three guides from a nearby shooting club to come along for fun rather than business. I’m sure they didn’t know what…
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“I am not young enough to know everything.” JM Barrie Everything we do is for the kids. We discuss their wellbeing ad nauseam and hover over them to assist with every need. But do we ever do them the kindness of leaving them alone? Throw them outside and let them explore? I’m concerned our kids are learning to view…
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So this is Christmas. And it’s tainted by disease and politics. And its been hard.But chin up. I share a tale of another Christmas tainted by disease (smallpox) and politics (the American Revolution) which may help put things in perspective. I bear glad tidings: our founders prevailed, as shall we. In my ramblings I’ve covered the…
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“Any idiot can face a crisis;it’s the day to day living that wears you out. Anton Chekhov Now you’re a mom, the toughest job you’ll ever love. For a fleeting moment in the long game, your life is not your own. You happily devote yourself to your little creatures, focusing all your energies on their…
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I spent October and November hiking on the Appalachian Trail, ‘on’ being the pivotal word in this sentence. I have not nor have I ever intended to hike the whole 2190 miles from Maine to Georgia. I am a day hiker. There is no part of me which aspires to be a Through Hiker, although…
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I’ve got three words to sum up the art of fly fishing: “Be the bug.” I gave it a go this fall and the first thing I learned was to abandon everything I know about a rod and reel. A fly rod is totally different. Hold it with your right hand instead of your left.…
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Hailing the healing qualities of nature has become quite de rigueur these epidemic days. As lockdown loomed people flocked to the only places left open, the Great Outdoors, instinctively gravitating toward that which takes the edge off, calms and strengthens, lends perspective to plight. They came in droves, people who had never taken an interest…
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A swamp without alligators or water moccasins is a real treat for a displaced swamp rat like myself. When mosquitos are the biggest threat to your adventure, you can relax and enjoy the paddle. “Look deep into nature, and you will understand everything better,” said Albert Einstein. To see things from the point of view…
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One of the prettiest little rivers in the county, the Croton, packs a surprising whallop: it supplies 10 percent of New York City’s 1 billion gallon a day usage. Like the late Ruth Bader Ginsberg, “Though she be but little, she is fierce!” First dammed in 1842, the Croton was tapped again and again as…
My Suburban Escapes 