Author: rdmonroe5

     I awoke to the sun. Its warm morning rays gently knocking on my bedroom window. I sat up, yawned and stretched, kicking back my hand quilted comforter.      I looked out from my second story vantage point across Stevenson Lane to the day. To my left was Carpenter’s...

The Day I nearly lost Khalisi. My true canine rescue story. A close call, a hard learned lesson, and a warning.      It happened several years ago, right about this time of year. It was late February or early March. The ground had just refrozen right behind an early...

Author’s Note: What a beautiful day today! Everything sparkles after last night’s fresh snow. The sky is so blue. The sun shine’s such bright warmth.  I took my canine companions out for a snowshoe “paw patrol” stroll. The poem below formed in my head while the dogs explored and...

     ********** I remember, as a young boy, attending various north country elementary schools; Stanfordville, Duanesburg, Northville, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, where we were taught one universal lesson. We ran drills. The announcement came from the principal, over the loudspeaker:       “When the alarm siren sounds, immediately hide under...

Cancel Culture Censorship’s Efforts to Erase an Era So here I am, an Adirondack Outlaw, on the lam once again. Living in the day I am in, sharing life’s memories, staying true to myself. A proud Saranac Lake Redskins alumnus, for as long as I live. *********** Until Our...

Author’s Note: The snowshoes pictured here are my dad’s vintage pair. He made them in Ranger School during his time at Wanakena. He graduated from Ranger School in 1961, two years before I was born. They are still sturdy, solid and strong. I have taken great care to maintain...

    Author’s Note: This story appeared in the June 8, 2021, online edition of The Adirondack Almanack. ********** I remember our orientation day visit to Paul Smith’s College with our son RJ as he prepared to enter his freshman year as a Wildlife Sciences major there.      It was August...

An Adirondack Outlaw Wandering Lost in Love’s Wilderness ********** Author’s Note: This story was featured in the February 13, 2022 online edition of The Adirondack Almanack ********** There’s a mystic trail in these mountains. Myths, tragedies, and harrowing rescue tales surround it. It’s not marked on any map. Oldtimers...

“Totally Adirondack – Totally Outlaw – Totally ’80’s” Saranac Lake’s 2022 Winter Carnival was great fun. A “Totally ‘80’s” trip down memory lane. **********           My wife Robin and I had already had great fun driving over together to enjoy Winter Carnival. We toured the Ice Palace. I went...

The “Say Hey Kid” Willie Mays *This story is dedicated to the memory of my Aunt Viv & her son, Jack Lilley. He was my 2nd cousin. He collected baseball cards. He died in a car accident six years before I was born. I’ve been honored to carry on...