Author Archives: floegel

But it’s a lot to me…

It was cold and rainy Monday. October was gone, November was here, time for winter in the north country. The furnace was broken, but a repairman from the gas company came out early and as the apartment is small, by 10:30 it was warming up nicely. I went downtown around noon; the Democrats were holding […]

Not Necessarily Doing Anything

It’s late autumn in the north country. The leaves are off the trees and the tourists they attract have gone home. The woods are quiet; songbirds have headed south, geese and ducks are passing through as they do the same. Nights are cold, mornings are frosty and afternoons gloriously warm with the heat inversions of […]

A Change of Heart

There are a number of people who will tell you they never watch tee vee, then go on to qualify what they mean by “never.” I’m one of those people. I never watch tee vee, but the World Series is on this week. Last week it was the league championships. Because I live on the […]

A Crime Against Nature

I’m calling you this week from the city jail in New London, Connecticut, where I’m currently under arrest. This is my one phone call. I’m here because of a crime that’s being committed in British Columbia, a continent away. Does that sound confusing? Bear with me. Across the globe, we have less than 22 percent […]

Under the Influence

I’ve traveled extensively in America. I’ve driven across country four times and visited every state except Hawaii. I’m always amazed that all of this – the different landscapes and temperatures, the different attitudes and accents, are all part of one nation. I’ve traveled overseas, but I really enjoy seeing America first, like the billboards used […]

Invalids of the Modern Era

As if I don’t already have enough to do, I lost control of my senses a while back and agreed to help put together a conference on nature and environmental writing. When organizing a conference, the easy part is lining up the tangible goods: rooms, chairs, lecterns, food. Or so I thought. As it happens, […]

And Last Week, They Won

In Louisiana, between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, both sides of the Mississippi River are lined with factories. Oil refineries, chlor-alkali production facilities, plants producing plastics and polyolefins. The Chamber of Commerce types are proud of the concentration of industry; they call the area the “Chemical Corridor.” If you stop in a diner down there, […]