Author’s Note: some factual details, Mary’s letter, and photos (scanned from the originals) in this article were mined from an unpublished case study I co-authored; my foggy, unofficial recollections form the rest of the story. For all dollar figures, keep in mind that a buck in 1978 would be equivalentContinue Reading
My secret nickname, Meat Grinder, for the Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee, man displaced by the Highway 27 project was partly a tribute to his roughhewn visage but more about his making hamburger out of my life. He had put me through hell, but, with the assistance of a creative mortgage banker, IContinue Reading
Sometimes a color photograph depicts the scene but misses the story. The main subject may be lost in an array of clashing colors, or bright hues might obscure a subtle message or mask the somber tone of a setting. These photos were processed with templates I customized from an AdobeContinue Reading
I briefly forgot about the butterflies in my stomach when the work clinic doc latched on to my genitals. He seemed to be checking for more than a hernia, but, sensing I wasn’t happy to be there, he quickly finished the cursory exam. A few reams of government paperwork later,Continue Reading
The day I spotted the help wanted ad I was three years into a dead-end job relocating displaced families for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. My low-paid position was a stepping-stone to nowhere; Tennessee’s unofficial motto, as 49th in state pay, was “thank God for Mississippi.” The regional boss, aContinue Reading
This short poem was written some years ago when my daughter first started riding the bus to school. Nowadays, she is definitely unmoored from my hand but hasn’t washed out to sea (yet). The neighbor’s chairs (see photo) were cast off to parts unknown. Two Chairs Fading Each day onContinue Reading
My December 2019 side trip off Highway 68 to Ducktown was inspired by Edward Francisco’s “Copper Hill – A Legacy,” posted in September. I also had seen the “moonscape” as a child and swam in the sulfur-scented, olive-tinted water downstream. The mines and processing plants are closed; yet, their legacyContinue Reading
Nestled south of Asheville, next to the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Bent Creek Experimental Forest, The North Carolina Arboretum’s gardens and wooded trails are one of my favorite photo hunting grounds. Each visit reveals new subjects and new perspectives. During the winter holiday season, the gardens are bedecked inContinue Reading
Asthma and allergic diseases increased after children moved from free range outdoor activities to sanitized indoor playrooms and virtual playgrounds. According to the “hygiene hypothesis,” early exposure to germs and allergens is required to develop a robust immune system. As a “Mr. Mom” who prefers bike pedaling to pushing aContinue Reading
October is peak leaf season in Asheville and the burst of colors brings a flood of tourists to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Long after the trees are denuded and the tourists have ebbed, beautiful leaves are still here. Many are scattered in forest nooks and crannies, like fallen soldiers after a battle. Continue Reading