The other day, a Facebook meme set me thinking. It was the question, “What is your favorite fragrance?” To be honest, I don’t know. I like a lot of fragrances really well. But too much or too long might not be pleasant anymore. Any too much or too long of anything is not my thing. […]
Across the Fence
Across the Fence: Scarecrows
Submitted by Susanne Bacon. The other day when driving through the Town of Steilacoom, we passed a scarecrow. I forget where I saw it. I forget what it looked like. But a scarecrow in Steilacoom means that the Garden Club is hosting its annual scarecrow event again. And this means that these critters are popping […]
Across the Fence: A Challenging Triangle
My husband and I like hiking. That being said, this year didn’t lend itself to much of that in Western Washington. Snow stayed until late in the mountains, and the rainforests must have been one soggy mess. But September proves to be an ideal month, once more. So, last week, we chose a hike from […]
Across the Fence: A Legendary Delight
My first meal after arriving as an immigrant in Washington State a dozen years ago was something that could have been my last on my mother country’s soil. And it took me totally by surprise as it tasted as authentic as could be – an Apfelsaftschorle (apple juice mixed with Seltzer) and a Swabian-style pretzel. […]
Across the Fence: First Days of School
Submitted by Susanne Bacon. Labor Day is gone. Here come fall and a new schoolyear. As we are driving through our neighborhood on our way to wherever, we encounter school buses again. Or groups of moms and kids waiting for them either to pick up one of theirs or to drop them off. It makes […]
Across the Fence: Transition
Submitted by Susanne Bacon. Labor Day kind of marks the end of summer in the U.S. School starts again around this time. Summer homes get closed down. The campgrounds are emptying of people enjoying their leisure time. It gets quiet on the lakes of Washington State and on Puget Sound. I have to admit, this […]
Across the Fence: A Melting-Potpourri
Submitted by Susanne Bacon. Have you ever listened to the radio while driving into Mt. Rainier National Park? Then you might have realized that, at one point, NPR and similar channels suddenly fade and the only broadcasting stations available are one with country music and one with music sounding quite Bavarian. Only – it is […]
Across the Fence: Knowledge of All Levels
Water and heat have always been topics in human history. Of course, these days we connect the topic of climate change with both of them. I’m not sure, though, how much people thought of climate back in the day. They surely observed what Nature was dealing them, and the Bible – as probably lots of […]
Across the Fence: Aloha!
The other day, my husband and I were invited to a Hawaiian shirt party. It was a fun event on probably the hottest day of the year with plenty of wonderful food and beverages – and of course lots of Hawaiian themed attire. Needless to say, we played along in full gear. My husband bought […]