Category: Essays & Stories

     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...

“Welcoming In The New Year” “Stayin’ Warm by The Stove”      Well, here we are!  Another decade behind us- it’s  ours now.  We own it.  2020 before us- who knows what lies on the trail ahead!      This decade certainly ended with a few nice surprises.      My wife...

Early last fall, when Robin & I were first planning our Christmas gift shopping list, we asked my Mom, who lives with us now, and has everything; “Mom-What do you want for Christmas?” Mom’s answer? “A really neat Garden Gnome.” Which made perfect sense. Mom has always been a...

Author’s Note: This story was published in The Adirondack Almanack’s December 21, 2021 online edition. **********      We  moved to Saranac Lake from Lake Placid in the summer of ’73.  I had just finished 4th grade.               My brother Ray (“Raymond” then) & I explored the river, rode bikes,...

Author’s Note: A little over a year after debuting as my blog’s all time most viewed post, this story was published in The Adirondack Almanack’s November 26, 2021 online edition. ********** “Saranac Lake Redskins” “This Here Is Monk” Saranac Lake High School. Varsity practice field – July, 1978:      ...

Author’s Note: This story appeared in the September 25, 2021 online edition of the Adirondack Almanack in a slightly modified version under the title “Outlaw Duck Hunters”. “Regular Ducks” **********  My first brush with the law came in ’74. I was 10.  Fresh out of 5th Grade, I still...

“A year Round Treat” ********** “Outlaw Santa & His Posse” “Just Bagged Some Grinches”      So you’ve been doing some hunting – managed to bag a few Grinches!  Congratulations!  So….Now What??      Well, I wanted to take a moment and offer some suggestions and an easy original Grinch recipe...

A Brief Outlaw Note:      Ahead of this story, as a map check, I wish to share a few thoughts.      My goal for this blogging adventure remains simple:  Share Some Day’s I’ve been In.      Within these posts my readers will find rugged Adirondack hikes, canoe trips, hunting...

I penned this piece shortly after Robin & I were married. We lived in an apartment on South Massey Street in Watertown, New York. I was still an Army Captain serving in Fort Drum’s 10th Mountain Division. We had just weathered our first “Ice Storm.” *****     December in...

When I was a boy, we read comic books. They cost about a dime. Titles like “Avengers”, “Fantastic Four”, “Two Gun Kid”, “Ghost Rider”, “The Incredible Hulk”(of course), & Sgt. Rock. One of my personal favorites was “Swamp Thing”. “Swamp Thing” was this mangled, disfigured, moss covered monster. Outcast...