Randy | December 22, 2011
“We plunged into the cornucopia quivering with desire and the ecstasy of unbridled avarice.” ~ Adult Ralphie narrating about diving with his brother into the gifts under the Christmas tree, A Christmas Story (1983) Today is the very day I talked about yesterday – the Winter Solstice is upon us and tomorrow the sun begins […]
Randy | December 15, 2011
“In judging a book by its cover, never forget that you may come to be afforded a closer view while you are being bludgeoned with it.” ~ The Large Fierce Mammal’s Small but Weighty Book of Etiquette, Vol. 1 Abroad of a recent evening, Mrs. LFM and I were exiting our local shopping mall […]
Randy | December 6, 2011
About 15 years ago, long before I ever heard of Game of Thrones and the Stark family motto, I was working late into the night alongside a leathercrafter of great skill who was kindly assisting me with a project that exceeded my own abilities and equipment to complete single handed. As we worked, our conversation […]
Randy | October 29, 2011
The Chair By LFM Malcolm found a shop one day He’d never seen before. It sold antiques and bric-a-brac, And dusty tomes of lore. He went inside to look about And as he made his rounds He found a chair marked, “Cursed Antique” “Reduced to 20 pounds.” Superbly carved from pitch black wood, It looked […]
Randy | October 14, 2011
In his About.com article on the subject of disappearing objects, paranormal phenomenon investigator Stephen Wagner does a thorough job of cataloguing the various possible explanations for a type of occurrence we’ve all experienced – something disappears and then later returns not only to the exact place we remember putting it, but most maddenly of all, […]
Randy | October 9, 2011
Signs leading into some communities on the south shore of Nova Scotia read, “We love the beauty that surrounds us and welcome you to share it.” Such a sunshiny bit of prose, but ’twas not always thus. The town of Lunenburg and its surrounding area was settled by Protestant immigrants of German, Swiss, and French […]
Randy | September 22, 2011
In my 2 June 2010 article titled Contemplations on a Really Bad Idea, I talked about the abysmally stupid practice of “trail running” and its singular ability to enhance a practitioner’s likelihood of being assaulted by wildlife. If you haven’t read it, please do before going further. This morning, thanks to my friend Jim Keating, […]
Randy | August 15, 2011
Nature is unpredictable. All Nature’s creatures are equipped to work with that fact, and it’s why we humans created such damnable things as religion and statistics. It’s also why, without looking like it, I have a tool and first aid kit either on my person or within reach 24/7 that includes a heavy duty multi-tool, […]
Randy | August 1, 2011
Thanks to a post on the always informative Bladeforums.com a while back, I got serious about something that’s been on my mind for a couple years now – employing a shoulder rig to get some essential gear up off my belt, and away from interference with any outerwear I might have on. Hiking in cold […]
Randy | June 26, 2011
My father was the oldest of seven children, and he, along with every one of his siblings, suffered from heart disease and high blood pressure. My father was diagnosed with angina when he was 40, and by the time he was 55 ended up with a triple bypass that saved his life and at last […]