A View from the Ridge

He said, She said

1st April 2010 by Ridgely 5 Comments

“Not my fault,” she said. “Not my wood,” he answered.
“Joe didn’t do his part,” she added.
“Neither did Pat,” he tacked on.
What’s wrong with this picture
Finger-pointing has evolved from isolated instances to standard fare.
We have grown mentally fat.
I’m sick of it.
I doubt we would ever hear George Washington, Thomas Jefferson or Abe dishing out blame like [...]

Happines Fleeting

15th February 2010 by admin 1 Comment

“You cannot capture happiness no matter how hard you may chase after it. Happiness is something that follows you.”The words of the old sage echoed in the young man’s heart, sounding a constant beat like the song that plays over and over without reprieve.
“What does that mean?” he asked himself. “Time to walk,” he continued, [...]

Go Back to School.

1st December 2009 by admin No Comments

The girl spun on her toe for the last time, stopped, flexed and took a bow
as the audience burst into applause.
She smiled, curtsied and ran offstage into the waiting arms of her
classmates.
“That was sooo fun.” they cooed and squealed.
Outside, a bevy of family and friends showered her with kisses and
congratulations.
“A perfect performance,” her mother praised. [...]

From Acorn to Tree.

15th October 2009 by admin No Comments

“What are you doing with that acorn?” Jimmy Squirrel said to his best friend Tom.
“It’s the perfect size,” Tom replied. “I’m going to drop it in the big field.”
“What for?” Jimmy queried.
“`Cause a huge oak is just a nut that held its ground,” Tom smiled and the banter began. Every fall they played at words [...]

Fact or fiction?

15th September 2009 by admin No Comments

What about this business of “perception equals reality”?
Any truth to it?
Any power in it?
My Dad, when sassed by any of us kids, often said:
“Oh, I’ll make a believer out of you.”
As I look back, I chuckle with the realization that he so often did, with those simple words.
We never knew whether he had the [...]

Don’t move the golf ball.

15th August 2009 by admin 1 Comment

The sun’s crest peaked over the horizon as Jerry slammed his trunk shut and stepped onto the course, armed to the gills with clubs and a scorecard.Dew glistened on every blade of grass. Alone, Jerry squared his shoulders and teed off. He watched his first shot drop half a foot inside the deep rough, bent down, grabbed [...]

The dark before dawn.

15th July 2009 by admin No Comments

The opossum scuttles across the road, glimpsing briefly at the headlights that unexpectedly lit its path.
The birds rest, heads tucked under their wings.
Even the bugs have found a leaf or blade of grass on which to sit.
`Tis 4 A.M., the bewitching hour, when muses fly and fairies whisper in our ears.
I get so excited in [...]

Do it now…

2nd July 2009 by admin 1 Comment

“Momma’, more boo-boo, right now,” the baby squeaked for the fourteenth time in sixty seconds.
As a raw, bundle of emotions, she displays an uncanny sense of urgency about what she wants, and no compunction whatsoever about demanding it repeatedly until she gets it.
As young children, we all had that urgency.
Over time, complacency eases its way [...]

A Soulful Tribute

15th June 2009 by admin 1 Comment

The buck bounded forward, leapt once, straight into the car.
“Thud.”
I watched the animal bounce backward twenty or thirty feet before it came to rest just past the shoulder on the grass.
“What happened, Daddy?” Linus asked, startled.
I tried to pull myself together.
“We had an accident, son,” I answered. “A deer jumped in front of [...]

A Walk…

5th May 2009 by admin No Comments

The boy skirted the majestic lake thinking of her as he so often did.
He followed the dirt path that rose as high as twenty feet before dipping to the water’s edge only to climb again.
He walked aimlessly, content to have a direction laid out before him.
“To love her, I must embrace her fully,” he pondered. [...]