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Category: High Peaks

YESTERYEAR

“Memories Are Best When Shared With Friends” A Classmate Snapshot of Friends Saranac Lake High School Class of 1981 *********** An Introductory Note: “Connections & Memories become more cherished through time. Each of us remembers in ways both individual & unique. I wanted to share some of mine.” **********...
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Don’t Touch The Buttons

Author’s Note: This story appeared in The Adirondack Almanack’s January 31, 2022 on-line edition. ********** It’s almost that time! Saranac Lake’s Winter Carnival approaches (Feb 4th-13th). One of the highlights of winter.  Their 2022 theme is “Totally ‘80’s”. Ice Palace Construction is underway. Winter Carnival Parade plans are being...
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NORTH COUNTRY VIEWS

********** Snapshot Perspectives On Life, Offered Through The Lens Of My North Country Eyes Accidentally Insightful, Occasionally Humorous Frequently Neither Sometimes Both ********** Outlaw Author’s Note: I will continually update this post through time As new thoughts & views arise Whenever the mood strikes me To read updated entries...
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My Rifle For A Rose

1-22 INF/1st BDE/10th MTN DIV (LI), Ft Drum, N.Y. 1988: Fort Drum was still under construction. The 10th Mountain Division(LI) remained a long way from full strength.  My unit, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry, was billeted in old wooden WWII barracks on what would become “Old Post.”       We were...
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The Fisherman’s Guide To Happiness

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Chapter One: Select Early Works Of RJ Monroe Chapter Two: Cape Cod Capers Chapter Three: Florida Fish Tales Chapter Four: Dominican Debacle Chapter Five: Buc – A- Roo RJ ********** CHAPTER ONE: Select Early Works Of RJ Monroe “Highly Sophisticated” ****** Two Happy Fishermen “RJ &...
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My Elegant Friend

*This story appeared as “An ‘Adirondack Outlaw’ at Cornell in the Adirondack Almanack’s April 18, 2021 on-line edition. ********** My Elegant Friend        I wrote the poem “Sweet Adrienne” sometime in early 1982, during the spring semester of my freshman year at Cornell.  Just before getting called into the...
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Ghost Lake Rising

I first drafted the poem “Ghost Lake” while working out of Lake Colden’s Interior Headquarters cabin as a DEC trail hand in the summer of ’83, haunted by memories from earlier trips into Colden with my dad.    On those shared journeys, in the late ’70’s, Dad still had...
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NOT QUITE BULLETPROOF

One Man’s Cancer Survival Story ********** To My Wife, Children, Family & Friends  Who’ve Lived & Fought Alongside Me  Every Day We’ve Been In ************ AUTHOR’S NOTE: “I’m Sorry- It’s Cancer.”      Those are words no one ever wants to hear.   I know.   I’ve heard them three...
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We’re All Heroes Now

     The event that I’m about to describe has haunted a dark corner of my mind since the night it occurred. Some may find it disturbing. I still do. **********   It was a Saturday evening in 1986.  I was a young lieutenant recently assigned to the 10th Mountain...
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ROCK & FIRE

     Comic book war heroes. As kids, growing up in the ’70’s, my brother Ray & I loved ’em.  The Haunted Tank, Unknown Soldier, Weird War Tales- & my personal favorite -SGT ROCK.      “ROCK” was “Easy Company” Platoon Sergeant, “Top Kick” in a long series of WWII comic...
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