I’ve spent the past three months hiking a trail on which I never thought I’d find myself: The Campaign Trail. I often dream of doing a long stint on The Appalachian, Empire State or Pacific Northwest Trail when the time is right. But The Campaign Trail never crossed my mind. My wish was granted, but…

I have the best summer job ever…even though I’m way too old for summer jobs.  I get to be a camper…and get paid for it.  For six summers I’ve hiked and kayaked with teenagers, heading off for parts unknown in the morning and returning each afternoon with hearts full of confidence and toes full of…

When my trusty ol’ ski boat I brought up from Texas (“The Come On Y’all”) sank into the mud at the bottom of the Hudson River several years ago, I thought it best to find another way to enjoy the water. I forced myself and Husband to spend a chunk of our vacation on Cape…

Although we all call Rye home, most of us aren’t from here. We hail from all over the world, often finding our way through New York as so many before us. “Home” becomes a nuanced term when you’re not from where you call it, especially when you’ve started your own family whose home it is.…

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…

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…

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…

Does anyone even remember what FUN looks like? Good clean American fun with Old Glory flapping in the breeze, waves rippling in the sun and LIVE music?  Memorial Day came and went unheralded. We were still too dazed to be anything but thankful to still be standing. July Fourth found us grateful to be allowed…

It’s high time I write an homage to the Austin of my day before it vanishes.  I recently watched “Blood Simple” by the Coen brothers and was surprised by a scene shot from the top of Mount Bonnell facing west to complete green. Now it’s totally developed.  There’s such buzz about how fabulous Austin is, how much…

Ahhh January. Time for resolution and new beginnings, whether trivial (younger thinner blonder richer) or meaningful (wiser kinder healthier humbler).  Let’s focus for a minute on the trivial, just for kicks.  There ain’t much happening in the natural world right now to explore. No flora or fauna, snow or ice, so I explored some un-natural things, man-made…