Author Archives: John Swinburn

I was awakened in the wee hours this morning by bone-jarring cracks of thunder and blinding flashes of lightning. I hoped, for a brief moment, the storms signaled cooler weather. But, then, I remembered what the weather prognosticators offered last … Continue reading →

This morning, when I stepped outside to hang the hummingbird feeders, I felt like I was stepping into a sauna. The thermometer read only 74, but I think the humidity must have doubled that number. Once again, I sensed that … Continue reading →

When I awoke shortly after 3 this morning, due in part to my wife jostling the bed as she got up to use the bathroom, I was involved in a terrifying dream. Rather than go back to sleep, I got … Continue reading →

Moderately cool, dry air floods the house. Though the air in the house is no cooler than it has been for much of the past several days, it feels better because the suffocating humidity of the past week has been … Continue reading →

Last night, we joined two other couples for dinner as part of our UUVC “dinner for six” involvement. The meal was outstanding: multiple Persian dishes, from appetizers through the main courses to dessert. Our contribution was what I consider a … Continue reading →

My wife opted to sleep in cooler temperatures, so she spent the night at her sister’s house. I stayed at home, AKA the oven, which was reasonably comfortable after 11 PM and with the fan on high-speed, aimed at my … Continue reading →

Wine-enhanced sleep, even when the humidity is higher than one might like, is welcome sleep. I don’t think I woke up during the night, not even once. But I awoke to the experience of slightly sticky floors. You know, that … Continue reading →

Would you welcome a stranger into your home if you discovered the stranger’s air conditioning had gone out? You might. You might not. How about if the person dealing with a dead AC unit was a family member. Probably. Possibly … Continue reading →

Last night we enjoyed our umpteenth World Tour of Wines dinner at Coronado Center (note to self: figure out how many there have been, when they’ve been held, and the country/region featured). The organizers strayed from the country theme this … Continue reading →

This morning, after I wrote my silly blog post about and not about my eye, I had a breakfast of avocado on a toasted English muffin, alongside a slice of Canadian bacon. And then I went back to my computer. … Continue reading →

It’s relatively late for an early morning blog post, so this will be short. But short is a relative term, isn’t it? If visits to specialists weren’t so damn expensive, I’d make my plans to visit an ophthalmologist or dermatologist … Continue reading →

Several lines of thunderstorms passed through this afternoon with heavy downpours, high winds, bolts of lightning, and cracks of thunder that rattle the rafters and my bones. I love watching and listening to the power of Mother Nature. In spite … Continue reading →

Last night, my wife and our house guest and I talked about our memories of childhood. As usual, my memories of my earlier years left me with little to say. I remember only snippets that mean virtually nothing to me. … Continue reading →

When I got out of bed this morning, a good hour after I first awoke, I went outside to hang the hummingbird feeders. The outside temperature felt so much better than inside. Inside, the thermometer registers 77 degrees; outside, 68. … Continue reading →

Once again, I am alone in the early morning darkness, the house bathed in the kitchen’s light. My wife and our house guest are asleep, as one would expect at such an ungodly hour, and I am alone with my … Continue reading →

May 2007. My only visit to Moscow. My only visit to Russia. I stayed at the Golden Ring Hotel. Aside from a horrifying white-knuckle trip via taxi from the airport to the hotel, not much stands out about the trip … Continue reading →

Early this year, a Facebook friend (who was, first, a fellow blogger) added me to a Facebook group of “back when” bloggers. The group was created, as I understand it, to generate “conversations” between bloggers about their posts. You know … Continue reading →

The arrival of today’s weekly newspaper brought with it news of a black bear sighting. In addition, it offered additional confirmation that the Village is experiencing an unusual spike in the population of migrating Baltimore Orioles. I’d never seen a … Continue reading →

I learned last night of the death of a man with whom I had rare interactions for a period of about eleven years. He was the husband of a woman with whom I had much more frequent contact, as she … Continue reading →

Sometime recently, I don’t know just when or how—maybe online, maybe on television, maybe on the radio—I heard a tune I haven’t heard in years. Baby Elephant Walk from the movie Hatari. Listening to it triggered a memory of watching … Continue reading →

I was up before 4:30 this morning, a not uncommon experience of late. Unlike most days, though, I did not write in my blog. This morning’s output remains close to my vest, where it ought to be. Some things one … Continue reading →