We heaved our caps into the air, and hugged our girl friends when they pinned our new Ensign shoulder boards on our white uniforms. Four years at the US Naval Academy were over, and that very day we began spreading out to our future lives. Continue reading
A snowstorm was threatening. I kept an eye out on our driveway as the late December sky became ever darker. At last, a pair of headlights pulled in. My Couchsurfing guest unfolded himself from the small rental car and came to the door with a smile. Tall, lanky, with curly dark hair, and a face that had seen much of the outdoors, Hamish Roberts walked with the confidence of a man who is happy to be where he is. The snow started as soon as he carried his modest kit into our guest room. Continue reading
Springtime. In North America, the trees sprout that lighter green that Carol calls her favourite colour in nature. In Italy, it has stopped raining for weeks on end, and the sun kisses the terracotta and tufa gently, not hinting of the burning heat that lies ahead in the summer. In England, the grass is greener than ever, and the days are cool and sunny. Continue reading
The sun was long gone over the Blue Ridge, though it was not officially sunset. In the shadows cast by the range, a pair of headlights came up Concord Drive and turned into our driveway. An old hatchback wagon, so full of gear that I could not make out the occupants, drove up and parked behind my car. Chris and Cristof eased themselves out and stood a moment. Christof was a head taller that Chris. Both had ready smiles and outstretched hands as they met me coming out of the house. Soon, I was showing them the bunkroom downstairs, so they could move in whatever they needed. Continue reading
South Padre Island, Texas, 30 March 2012.*
It was almost midnight. I was all settled in to my hotel room, but restless from sitting in the car all day. An hour later I was following the pencil beam of my headlight straight into the darkness. Swinging the beam to the east, I saw twenty-foot high dunes. Only one car passed me on Park Road 100. Six km after the lights of town ended, I began to wonder how long my light would last. Continue reading
Waking up gently at the top of a sleep cycle, he noticed the sunlight filtering past the window shades. He checked the watch resting on the little shelf above his bunk bed: a good night’s sleep and time to get up. As he swung his feet out and into his sandals, he noticed that half of the bunks in the room still had sleeping occupants in them. 
Presumably the other half had gone to work, interviews, or other appointments already. Continue reading
First day in shorts!
Spring may finally have sprung in Central Virginia. Since my last post, we have had pleasant temperatures every day, though it still dips to near freezing every clear night. My muscles are getting stronger, as I train to recover from the relative inactivity forced on me in March. It is Holy Week in Western Christendom, which is a busy time for someone who sings in the Church choir. Nevertheless, I have managed to get out on the bicycle every day. 
Yesterday, I rode past the first blooming Brandon pears, and the forsythia are turning yellow on the sunny sides of the highways.
This week I would like to bring you up to date about the preparations for the trip to Europe, because there have been sudden, big changes. Continue reading
He was riding his bicycle. That was about the only good thing about the scene right now. The slick, coast road wound up and around the promontories, so that the wind and rain was as often in his face as across the beam.
As the cold rain ran off his Arcteryx rain jacket, soaking his crotch and running down his legs, he pedaled on, one stroke after the other. At the top of the hill, he pulled alongside the other rider, and matched her pedal cadence. Her face was set in a stony expression. The rain was dripping off her nose, and he knew that she was soaked everywhere that he was. Continue reading
My mother was always impulsive and eager to please. She also was fascinated by the Roman story of Cornelia, and loved to show off her “two jewels,” as she called my brother and me. I think she went overboard during my 15th summer, but I have been ever grateful that she did. Continue reading
Trip update: It is a good thing that I like to travel. This has been a wonderful week and a wretched week. Continue reading
The Freewheeling Freelancer 