Ponderings by Dan Ponder

The thunder teased us this afternoon.   It is Monday and it has been hot and muggy up until midday.   The clouds darkened just as the rumbling began but the much-needed water has not fallen yet.  The forecast called for 98 percent chance of rain this morning, but the percentages have steadily dropped throughout…

On our recent trip to the Canadian Rockies, we were aware that there would be long periods of time that we would have no access to the outside world.  We would drive for hundreds of miles without any cell service, or gas service for that matter.  Half our hotels had no television, which was fine…

I wish I had the words to describe our last ten days in the Canadian Rockies.  It was a trip that exceeded my expectations though I have traveled many times through the Rocky Mountains in the United States.  Anytime a trip exceeds expectations is good.  This one was very good. Mary Lou and I take…

I looked out the window on the third morning of our trip to the Canadian Rockies and Glacier National Park.  Swiftcurrent Lake was smooth as glass mirroring the mountains which seemed to rise directly from the water.  In the distance, the Grinnell Glacier was visible high in the mountain.   After spending two days in…

Do you remember the last weekend of Summer when you were growing up?  It was always a sad day for me.  I vividly remember walking home from the school playground on a late Sunday afternoon.  The Newmans, who lived a couple of houses down, often had Indian Cane growing in their yard.  I chewed on…

The ceiling fans turn slowly in the night.  They are not on high speed because the slow click, click, click sound keeps me awake.  The other small fan on the floor supplies the white noise I need to sleep.  Between the two, the cool air provided by the heat pump is stirred and provides me…

Today was the coolest day of the week.  That is not much to crow about as the temperature was in the low 90s.  The humidity managed to add a few degrees to the “feels like” temperature.  Nevertheless, the peak was less than the previous few days. There always seems to be good news and bad…

Fireworks are part of the 4th of July celebrations around this county.  In our own family, we have been shooting fireworks off the dock for a long time.  This year marks the 25th year that my youngest daughter, Elizabeth, has been my assistant in igniting the fuses for the display.   Today, at lunch, Elizabeth…

Most people called him “Big Dan”.   I called him “Daddy”.  He was twenty-four and a half years old when I was born, his first child. This past Sunday was the twenty-third time that I celebrated Father’s Day without him.  I do not know why this was one of the hardest. I have been married…

Following up on last week’s article, our family adventure continued for several more days before riding the fast train through the Chunnel from London to Paris.  We shipped our suitcases to Paris the night before so we could simply enjoy the experience of traveling by train, taking in the countryside, and even playing a game…