Over the years, my husband has taught our children, family members and numerous visitors how to fish. I’m not on that list. Fishing requires patience, resilience, perseverance, problem-solving and an appreciation for nature. I have four out of those five skills, but patience is not one of ...

It wouldn’t be the beginning of summer if I or a family member didn’t find a tick crawling on our body. It may be our love for the outdoors or that the local deer think my puppy is a fawn. (We were most recently followed on a walk by a young doe who wanted to play with our pup.) We make ...

Jun-uary, as a friend calls this chilly season, has me regretting putting away my winter flannel sheets. My allergies are in full bloom as I battle blackflies while wearing a down parka. There are way too many conflicting things happening at once. Since I don’t enjoy weeding, I use ...

My kids have talked a lot about pay, work and value. Though it would be nice to determine our worth, when we are working for someone else, there is sometimes a fine line between how we view ourselves and how our bosses value us. I quip that they are lucky to be paid a salary and not in ...

I’ve been part of a book club for years. The people in my group are some of my closest friends. The “book club” has evolved from reading assigned books to making book suggestions to the occasional dance party and cocktail mixology experiments. We can take a hiatus and then come back ...

Perhaps we consider rebranding Blackfly Season as part of a new health care initiative, a new Adirondack Bloodletting? “Donate a pint (of blood) for clean water initiatives.” That sounds disgusting but stick with me. I can usually get to the point. How about an homage to the 1800s ...