Category: Leisure & Travel

When Samuel Clemens and Mark Twain shared a house in Hartford

May 11, 2020 11:28 pm May 11, 2020

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Our oldest daughter, Katie, went to the University of Connecticut in Storrs. For four years we drove past a sign in Hartford advertising the the Mark Twain House. I had seen…

By Makemake, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=751488

Mark Twain’s Hartford Connecticut home

Our oldest daughter, Katie, went to the University of Connecticut in Storrs. For four years we drove past a sign in Hartford advertising the the Mark Twain House. I had seen pictures of house and thought it would be an interesting place to visit. Unfortunately, in the four years Katie was at UCONN, we never took the time to see the Twain house.

Late 2017, we were up in Connecticut for Thanksgiving. Following the holiday, we headed up to Hartford to stay a couple days with our youngest daughter, Maddie, and her newly minted husband, Pat. It turned out that the Twain house was only a couple miles from Maddie’s and Pat’s house. It seemed like a great opportunity for a little tour.

By A.F. Bradley, New York - steamboattimes.com, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11351079

Mark Twain, the pen name of Samuel Clemens

The craftsmanship of the Twain house is amazing. Built in 1873-74, the Hartford house was home to the Clemens family until 1891. While living there, Samuel Clemens wrote many of his most famous stories, including Clemens wrote many of his best-known works while living there, including The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Prince and the Pauper, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.

World-renown author, humorist, publisher, inventor, and unsuccessful investor Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on November 30 in 1835. This was the antebellum South, from which sprang his most memorable characters – Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, Jim, and Aunt Polly. With so many memories formed in the South, I found it interesting that Clemens would chose to live most of his adult life in the North.

Who better than Clemens himself to tell his own story, and we are fortunate that Samuel Clemens wrote his autobiography. Clemens autobiography was published 14 years after his death. When first published in 1924, Clemens autobiography spanned 755 pages and was contained in two volumes. Unfortunately, it was written over many years and Clemens only wrote about things that interested him at the time he wrote or dictated each installment. In other words, his autobiography follows no set chronology. If you want to read the autobiography, I’d highly recommend the edition edited by Charles Neider.

Mark Twain (LEGO version) next to Maddie (non-LEGO version)

The arc of Clemens life begins in the antebellum South, travels through a brief time as a riverboat pilot, a Confederate soldier, a failed silver miner out West, a newspaperman and author, the public speaker Mark Twain, a husband, a father, an inventor and entrepreneur, a bankrupt who became solvent and wealthy again, and eventually a publisher who was responsible for publishing Ulysses S. Grant’s memoirs and, thereby, saving Grant’s widow from poverty.

The details of Clemens’ house, like his life, are too much to take in with a brief tour. I fully expect to return to the Twain house many times over the years to take in all the details I’m sure I missed in our short introduction to the famed author’s house.

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Leisure & Travel Uncategorized

Birding, a hobby for all seasons

Kristopher

March 22, 2019 6:56 pm March 22, 2019

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I will give credit where credit is due. Tom, an old friend from high school, was into birding and his enthusiasm got be interested. Hard as it may be to…

Barred Owl in Huntley Meadows Park VA

I will give credit where credit is due. Tom, an old friend from high school, was into birding and his enthusiasm got be interested. Hard as it may be to believe now, back in the 1970s there were hardly any Osprey left on the Connecticut shoreline. I recall the day I got an excited phone call from Tom about an Osprey nest he had found that wanted me to see.

Tom and I were classmates with the Sibleys–Steven, David, and Anne. David went on to author several bird guides and books on bird behavior. Even back in high school, David was way more “focused” on birding than the rest of us. On night, Tom, Steven, David, and I went searching for owls. Steven had taped owl recordings to try and call in some owls. We got owls to answer, but didn’t actually see any. After the woods, we went to a marshy area and waited for sunrise. Once the sun came up, we were ready for breakfast, but not David, who was standing in the marsh just watching Red Winged Blackbirds. I didn’t have that much patience.

Fast forward about 35 years. The kids are grown and I’m working down in DC while Karen is still up in Vermont. When not working and not in Vermont, I had few chores and lots of unstructured time. Around this time I watched the movie The Big Year with Steve Martin, Owen Wilson, and Jack Black. The movie chronicles the adventures of three guys trying to see more North American birds than anyone else ever had. While it didn’t earn any Oscar nominations, it was fun to watch. That got me thinking again about birding. One thing led to another and I started birding on the weekends–around DC, occasionally in Cape May, New Jersey, and, of course, when back in Vermont.

It was also around this time that I contacted Tom to see if he was interested in having our own annual little Big Year competition–the most birds in the contiguous U.S., from January 1 through December 31 of each year. Game on.

Actual Big Year birding allows you to identify birds by sound. However, since most of my guy friends can’t hear their own wife in the next room. I’m not willing to let them vouch for the fact he heard a Gray Catbird and not a Northern Mockingbird? I don’t think so.

Purple Gallinule in the Everglades

Our rules are that you must see and identify the live bird in the lower 48 states and surrounding waters. Zoos and pet birds don’t count. To be counted, all bird sightings need to be entered on Cornell University’s eBird site. (Registration is free and the information is used by scientists in tracking bird species distributions and migration information.)

The eBird site has an unbelievable amount of information. For example, I’m interested in seeing a Snowy Owl, a bird I have never seen. I can go to eBird, look under explore data tab, then species maps. I enter the species I’m interested in and the location (in this case a ZIP code). The result is a map with sighting locations identified. Note that on this map (below) there was a sighting near Lang Farm in Essex, Vermont on December 16. Postings go up real time and give you a chance to try to catch something unique in your area.

On the off chance you spot some interesting bird, you can add it to the eBird sightings (after setting up a free account). Then when someone hovers the cursor over your map pin they will see your name and sighting.

eBird screen shot of Snowy Owl sightings near Jericho, Vermont

eBird is a great aid to help locate birds. However, it is no guarantee that the bird will be there when you arrive. That is where the hunting comes in to play. You will usually need to spend some time in the field or woods to spot the particular bird you are stalking. It is a great excuse to get outside and observe.

While I started birding back in high school, it became much more of a hobby in middle age. I have always enjoyed being outside and observing wildlife. I enjoy the hunt of birding, looking for birds you have never seen (“lifers”) or even birds you haven’t yet seen in a particular year. Business trips are a little more interesting when you may pick up a new bird or two.

I like the flexibility that birding provides. You can look for new birds at your feeder, in your town, in your state, etc. eBird lets you create separate lists to track and manage all your observations. Because of this flexibility, I also know that I can keep doing this for a long time. There is also the intellectual challenge of learning about new bird species, their habitat, their ranges, and their migratory paths.

For me, the birding has also encouraged me to travel more and has also led to an interest in photography. You can get into the hobby for as little or as much as you like. That said, it’s better not to skimp too much on the optics. It is a lot more fun being able to see what you are trying to identify. Life became more complicated when all those ducks became separately identifiable once I got some good optics.

As always, please feel to reach out to me if you have any questions or comments. Also, my little Big Year with Tom is not an exclusive event. Just contact me if you are interested in participating. Tom is tough to beat. I know since I most recently lost to him after he went through a double knee replacement.

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Leisure & Travel

Tapping into creativity

Karen

February 28, 2018 12:38 pm February 28, 2018

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Do you remember a creative pursuit that gave you joy in past years? Or, do you feel the urge to develop a new creative interest? If your answer is “yes”…

Do you remember a creative pursuit that gave you joy in past years?

Or, do you feel the urge to develop a new creative interest?

If your answer is “yes” to either of these questions, you’ll find inspiration in the book It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again by Julia Cameron. This book builds on Cameron’s best-selling guidebook to rediscovering and exercising creativity, The Artist’s Way. The good news for us back forty-ers: It’s Never Too Late applies the concepts from The Artist’s Way specifically to people at midlife.

Have you heard the old adage, “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear”? I feel like that applies to my discovery of Cameron’s books. I crossed paths with her work several times before I took the initiative to see what it’s all about. Years ago, while at a yoga retreat, I remember hearing about an upcoming seminar on creativity that would be taught by Cameron. Then, I began to come across her books while browsing through countless bookstores. And most recently, one of my favorite health and wellness sites, Mind Body Green, included The Artist’s Way in a listing of top inspirational books.

That last touchpoint with Cameron inspired me to action. It coincided with a time in my life when I had a break in employment while managing our move from Vermont to Virginia. While settling the new house, I was doing a lot of reading on personal development and reflecting on my goals, hoping to apply any new insights toward a more rewarding future. After seeking out The Artist’s Way at our local library, I discovered It’s Never Too Late, which seemed more appropriate to my mid-50s life stage. (Tip: You first may want to take a look at a library copy to make sure this is the book for you. If you decide to move forward, purchasing a copy is best because to fully reap the book’s benefits, you’ll need to have it in hand for several months.)

Cameron suggests journaling daily, planning a weekly Artist’s Date to explore personal interests, taking a walk twice a week to enjoy reflective time alone, and writing a memoir by following the book’s prompts to revisit your life in increments. Each chapter of It’s Never Too Late aims to ignite a different aspect of creativity, such as wonder, freedom, purpose, and joy, and gently prod the reader to identify and follow their dreams, whatever those might be.

As I write this, I’m about twelve weeks into journaling and writing my memoir (next up: my teenage years, yikes). Writing the journal and memoir have brought back many memories of enjoyable creative time with friends and family over the years. These memories include working a glass cutter with my grandmother’s guidance to make *plenty* of pencil holders out of bottles and participating in yearly pre-holiday crafting marathons with our neighbors when I was growing up. In following Cameron’s guidance, I’ve broadened my perspective on what creativity brings to our lives and muted the voice of my inner critic in order to let the words flow daily on my notebook’s pages.

I have not been on any Artist’s Dates, although I did make a wish list of destinations and hope to get on track with those outings soon. And the twice weekly solo walk for reflection? Well, I reflect as well as I can with our 60-plus pound dog walking me. If you stay on task with the book’s guidance through a weekly commitment of a few hours, you’ll wrap up in about 12 weeks. So I’m a bit behind schedule. (My husband no doubt recalls the … ummmm, year? … it took me to finish Dr. Andrew Weil’s 8 Weeks To Optimum Health.)

Am I catching a few mumblings of “But I’m not creative”? That’s simply not true, according to Cameron. She’s convinced that “the well of colorful inspiration” lives in each of us. In It’s Never Too Late, Cameron shares personal stories of people in midlife, many of whom seem to feel a bit uncertain – if not downright doubtful – about creativity’s role in their lives. Despite their misgivings, following her plan encourages them to begin rekindling old dreams and uncovering new ones. It’s inspirational reading.

Dancing, writing, acting, woodworking, gardening, fly tying, crafting, cooking, photography, decorating, making music, painting … the opportunities for creative discovery and expression are wide ranging. Take a look at Cameron’s book. You just may set off on a path toward a more joyful and rewarding life by unveiling your creative self … it’s never too late!

Have you had experience with Julia Cameron’s books? Please share your story in a comment.

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Stretch your mind slowly so you don’t pull something.

Back 40 Optimist Kristopher

🙂

Image courtesy of freeimages.com/weatherbox

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Leisure & Travel

The Virginia Fly Fishing & Wine Festival

Karen and Kristopher

February 7, 2018 9:34 pm February 7, 2018

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Yes, you read that right – a festival that includes fly fishing AND wine. Genius, because that gives us both something to enjoy! The annual Virginia Fly Fishing & Wine…

Yes, you read that right – a festival that includes fly fishing AND wine. Genius, because that gives us both something to enjoy! The annual Virginia Fly Fishing & Wine Festival is held in January at the State Fairgrounds site in Doswell. It had, as they say, something for everyone.

My wife Karen, while not a fly-fishing person herself, does like a glass of wine every once in a while. She is also interested in learning about local wineries – both for what they produce and as possible destination points when we are hosting visitors.

With this background information, I was surprised that Karen didn’t immediately ignore the fishing vendors and hit the winery booths for tastings. That said, it was kind of early and she isn’t much of a breakfast wine drinker. With the tasting delayed, we had a very nice time walking around to check out the booths and chat with several of the vendors from Virginia and beyond representing fly shops, equipment, apparel, books, and art.

The State of Maine was represented at the festival by an individual from its Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Jen Brophy from Red River Camps.

Jen Brophy, Registered Maine Guide, from Red River Camps

Karen and I stopped to talk with the Mainers and to see if they knew Matt and Jess Libby from Libby Camps. (Libby’s is where I am going this summer for a long-weekend fly-fishing trip.) Being from Northern Maine, the representative from the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and Jen Brophy both knew the Libbys. The conversation with these folks provided me with an opening to start working on Karen to try to convince her how much she’d enjoy spending time at one of these sportsmen camps, particularly Red River Camps – with its miles of hiking trails and canoeing opportunities.

Karen wasn’t buying anything I was selling. She figured she could sit and read as well in Virginia as she could paying for the privilege in northern Maine. She might have a point – she often does. I am still a lifetime away from interesting her in fly fishing. Maybe she’ll take it up when I take up her longtime interest – yoga.

Of all the vendors two were most memorable. One was Matt Hart (“Harty”), pictured below, who “tied” over-sized metal flies as the artist/owner of The Forged Fly.

The flies, while not inexpensive, were very reasonably priced for unique hand-crafted art. In fact, had I won the recent PowerBall for around half a billion dollars, I would not have hesitated to buy a couple pieces to decorate my dream fishing lodge (a purchase even more contingent on a PowerBall win).

Another vendor that made a significant impression was D. P. Krupa, a one-man factory of fly-fishing art – all items he had drawn, wood-burned, and painted. He had framed paintings, mugs, glasses, and wooden gift boxes with wood burned flies on the top and hand-decorated mugs inside. He spent some time talking about how long it took to just get the colors right on some of the ceramics. My understanding is that the colors come in powdered form and they have to be mixed with water. However, when the colors are fired in the kiln they change – for example, from purple to black. Through trial and error, he had to figure out which colors he needed to start with, so that after firing, he’d end up with the colors he wanted. You can find D. P. Krupa Angling Art at http://www.krupaanglingart.com.

D.P. Krupa discussing his work with a customer

Along with the fly shop vendors, artists, and outfitters, the festival also had fly-tying demonstrations, casting demonstrations, kayak and stand-up paddleboard demonstrations, and lectures. The one negative mark I would give the festival is that the venue for the lectures was inadequate. The lectures were held in curtained-off areas at one end of the cavernous facility. It was noisy and the festival had about half as many seats as were needed for the more popular talks. I have been to other outdoor shows, like the Vermont Yankee Sportsman’s Classic, where the facilities had separate large rooms set up for lectures.

Space constraints and noise issues aside, the lecture topics were great. I went to “Fly Fishing the Shenandoah Valley” and “Trout Streams of the Shenandoah National Park.” Karen learned about the home brewing process by sitting in on “Micro-Brews 101,” presented by the brewmasters from Steam Bell Beer Works in Midlothian, Virginia.

A home brewing unit serves as the perfect prop for the Steam Bell brewers’ discussion of microbrewing

On to the wine tasting … and since I didn’t take advantage of that part of the festival, Karen is chiming in:

What a great way to meet a selection of unique Virginia wineries! There were eight scheduled to be in attendance: Narmada Winery, Caret Cellars, Horton Vineyards, Sassafras Shade Vineyards, Lake Anna Winery, James River Cellars, and Castle Glen Winery.

The wine tastings were included with the festival entrance fee; before sipping and savoring, all you had to do was stop by the front desk and show your identification to receive your commemorative tasting glass. In addition to samples, each winery also had bottles for purchase. That was convenient if you fell in love with a particular wine and eliminated the problem of having to remember later which you’d enjoyed.

I headed to the Horton Vineyards booth first because I had tried and liked their Norton dry red last year and looked forward to sampling their other offerings. The Horton representative was very informative; in fact, she was on the schedule later to share her expertise at the food and wine pairings lecture. There was a lot of chatter and comparing notes among the samplers gathered at the table, which created a fun atmosphere. I tasted the Viognier (a spicy Rhone wine), Nebbiolo (a dry Italian red), Stonecastle White (a semi dry white), and Niagara (a sweet white). My last tasting at the Horton booth was the Rojo Xoco, a red dessert wine with chocolate essence – it was so rich and delicious, I decided to buy a bottle.

My next stop was the sampling booth for James River Cellars located near Richmond, Virginia. James River offers a number of reds, whites, and dessert wines. Since reds are my preferred wines, I decided to sample their Rad Red – and loved it. This wine is a dry red with deep fruity flavors and smoky overtones; kind of pinot noir-ish to my (uneducated) palate. I made a mental note to pick Rad Red up in the future.

Tasting the wines was a lot of fun and a learning experience for me. Since our move back to Virginia, I’ve been trying to increase my familiarity with all that Virginia has to offer for wine lovers. I’m disappointed I didn’t manage to get to more of the winery booths, which all seemed to enjoy a steady stream of visitors. The bottom line from my not-into-flyfishing perspective? The wine tasting combined with the artisans’ booths and selected lectures just might be enough to *lure* me back to the festival next year!

For information on the 2019 Fly Fishing & Wine Festival, watch the website or keep any eye on the website for Meadow Event Park, home to the fly fishing festival and many other events throughout the year, including the Virginia State Fair.

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