Michael Perry's Blog, page 408

The Deer Hunting Beard

Got a late start this year.  It won't even come close to last year's:

Deer Hunting Beard Run Amok

Thanks, Virginia

An honor to join you out there.  Back to 'Sconsin, now.  Pager charged and waiting.

What's That Smell?

Just finished The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis.  Read half of it in the deer stand, the other half at night before bed.  One of those books I kept finding myself eager to return to when I had a spare minute.

On the plane to Virginia Friday I began Mere Christianity.  Much chewier.

If you're looking for any significance in either of these choices (beyond the obvious fact that I have them on my bookshelves), it comes down to this: both are tiny and fit in my hunting bag/carry-on bag.

Despite the...

Big Gray Ship

I can see it from my hotel window.  Can't see all of it, or a name on it.  But it's one of ours.  Flying out here to Virginia, especially during the layover in St. Louis, I was surrounded by servicepeople in cammies.  A corporeal reminder of what others give while we are off shopping, as it were.

Will be shooting the breeze with paramedics, EMTs, first responders and firefighters tonight.  Home, sweet home, no matter where yer at.  Tip of the cap to my NAAFD crew, and to the Emergicare...

Truck Poem

The other night at the Heyde Center I explained that over the years I have developed two groups of friends: The pickup-truck-and-gun-rack crowd, and the artist/dancer/poet crowd (or, the pale-and-tortured contingent).  They need not be mutually exclusive, but often are.  This is a shame, as both continue to enrich my life in ways I never dreamed.

Anyways.  (As we say in pickup-truck circles.)

Way back when I first started going to poetry readings, I wrote a poem in which I tried to explain to m...

Some of Us Just Don't Know

I have often written pieces about my childhood faith, and the journey since.  A fair portion of Coop was devoted to that story. As such, this blog post got me ruminating some.  Mr. Alden is mentor of mine (he gave me some early breaks and ink) and I appreciate his forthright and thoughtful exploration of what is always a tricky subject.  His is a nuanced take, and blessedly free of snickers or sledgehammers.

Thank You

Veterans.

In particular, we are thinking of some family and neighbors.

A Small Slice of Bread

My wife found some old cassettes while cleaning out the garage.  So I began the day listening to The Best of Bread.  Tried both sides.  Sadly, the tape gets the drunken warbles about half way into the first track of each side.  Just enough to remind me that should I decide to download the album for old time's sake, I can really do without Side Two.

These are good autumn days.  Sunny, clean-aired, cool but not cold as such.  A small fire in the morning and the house is cozy until evening.

Local Thanks

Thank you to everyone who came to the Heyde Center Friday night.  I tried some new stuff in a new way and it was nice to try it in a friendly place.  And a beautiful space – really something to drive into Chippewa Falls and see that classical building and the tall flag all illuminated on the hill there.  A special thanks to the  New Auburn/Town of Sampson/Mud Brook folks who made the drive.  And another special thanks to the NAAFD crew.

And if you were paying close attention to the whoop

Double Live!

For working on chore-ey stuff around the office, today it's Frampton Comes Alive! Been years since I listened to it start to finish.

Humbucker!