Getting a Head Start on Spring

Summer, fall, and the first few weeks of winter in Minnesota are wonderful. Also wonderful are the percussive sounds of a glycol/water mixture being sprayed at our plane in the depths of winter as we start a journey towards the tropics or a Southern Hemisphere summer. The meteorological definition of winter spans three months: December,… Continue reading Getting a Head Start on Spring

Snowbird Planning

Spent much of the afternoon planning to be snowbirds for two months this winter. Unlike many Minnesota snowbirds (who head south in the winter) we don’t own a vacation condo or recreational vehicle. We prefer to rent.

Japan 2019

Tomorrow we go to Japan. I’ve been visiting Japan annually for several years as a solo traveler. I’m grateful my recently post-work partner now has the time to travel with me. We’ve managed to duck Typhoon Hagibis, Japan’s most powerful typhoon in decades. Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected. Last year I managed… Continue reading Japan 2019

Disaster Tourism

Entrapped school bus in lava

Hawaii Big Island, April 2009. My partner and I hiked across lava. A map on our GPS guided us along the invisible lines of streets buried beneath us. A school bus, trapped by lava, reminded us this is a disaster site where homes had once stood. Disaster Tourism can be distasteful. I think of people… Continue reading Disaster Tourism