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It’s almost the end of 2021: it’s time to look back at the past 12 months of my almost daily microposts. I’ve been posting daily for about 10 years. The posts don’t document my life during those years; they’re merely a series of little things that have given me joy. Occasionally I miss a day… Continue reading 12 Months of Microposts: 2021

I’ve always enjoyed Minnesota snow days. Heavy snow, schools shut, commerce pauses, we all get to stay home and cocoon. This morning we woke to warnings from the National Weather Service that there would be blizzards on Hawaii Big Island where we’re staying right now. We were unperturbed. Admittedly, it was raining hard, but that… Continue reading Hawaii Snow Day

The Thames Path is a 184-mile National Trail that roughly follows the River Thames from its source in the Cotswold Hills to the Thames Barrier east of London. For three days this week I walked part of the trail from near Reading to Oxford. I’m grateful I was joined by two friends I’ve known for… Continue reading Thames Path Hike

England swings like a pendulum doBobbies on bicycles, two by twoWestminster Abbey, the tower of Big BenThe rosy-red cheeks of the little children Roger Miller, 1965 I’m on board an Airbus A350 from New York-JFK to London-Heathrow. Last night, my home was the TWA Hotel at JFK. The hotel’s public spaces are in the restored… Continue reading The Day Swinging England Invaded America

Every year, around this time, we head up to the North Shore of Lake Superior for a few days to walk sections of the Superior Hiking Trail. We stopped in Duluth for a night, then continued on to our usual destination, Bluefin Bay, a resort on the shores of Lake Superior at Tofte. Our two… Continue reading Superior Hiking Trail: Fall 2021

In November I’ll travel to England, my first overseas trip in over 1½ years. This will be the first time I’ve flown eastbound across the Atlantic on a daytime flight. But, enough of firsts. The trip isn’t assured. It’s possible Covid travel restrictions to the UK could be tightened and I would have to cancel… Continue reading A Trip to England: Covid Risks and Responsibilities

Next summer, we’re exploring Japan with our teenage nephews and their dad. In a previous post I wrote about the backbone of our trip: flights from Minneapolis to Tokyo, Fukuoka to Sapporo, and Tokyo to Honolulu. I’m now starting to flesh out our journey within Japan. Arrive Haneda Airport We’re scheduled to arrive 1:45 p.m.… Continue reading Backpacking in Japan With Our Nephews: Day of Arrival

We’ve been traveling long-haul with our nephews since they were babies. In this photo, the taller one, C, is almost 4 and the smaller one, sitting in a car seat, D, is 2½. I almost called this post “Backpacking in Japan with Kids…” but thought better of it. Next summer, when we travel with C… Continue reading Backpacking in Japan with Our Nephews: Flights