One of the nice things about being supposedly retired is that no two days have to look quite the same.
I usually have several things going on at once. Some are projects. Some are places I’m exploring. Some are questions I’m trying to answer. And some are simply things that caught my attention and sent me down another rabbit hole.
Here’s some of what has my attention right now.
Exploring Places, History & Family
I spend time in New York, Indiana, and Florida, and each place gives me different things to explore.
Sometimes I’m walking through Hollyhock Hollow or down Waldenmaier Road in New York. Sometimes I’m following old family trails through southern Indiana, poking around cemeteries, historic roads, Hindostan Falls, or the East Fork of the White River. And sometimes I’m in Florida, where Cedar Creek, the Gulf Coast, local history, wildlife, and everyday community life give me an entirely different set of things to notice and think about.
I’m interested not just in where something is, but how it got there, what happened there, how it has changed, and what stories might still be hiding in plain sight.
Buying, Selling & Giving Old Stuff Another Life
I enjoy auctions, flea markets, thrift stores, and the challenge of recognizing something that still has value.
Sometimes I resell what I find. Sometimes I reuse or repurpose it. Sometimes I discover that what looked like treasure really was just C.R.A.P.
It’s all part of the adventure.
Exploring the Places Around Me
I don’t have to travel across the country to find something interesting.
Hollyhock Hollow, Waldenmaier Road, Cedar Creek, an Indiana backroad, or a walk through the neighborhood can provide plenty to notice if I’m paying attention.
I usually have a camera with me.
Writing & Sharing
I’m writing Field Notes, working on several book and guide ideas, taking photographs, making occasional videos, and sharing some of what I discover along the way.
I’m also publishing The Stewardship Way, where I sometimes take a deeper look at the ideas and questions that emerge from all this wandering around.
And Then There Are the Rabbit Holes…
Those are impossible to predict.
An old cigar box. The 9/10¢ on a gasoline sign. Something I read over morning coffee. A strange plant beside the road. A 200-year-old map. Something somebody says that makes me think:
Wait a minute. Why is that?
Those may be my favorite projects of all.
This page will change as I do.
Something that’s here today may disappear next month because I’ve moved on to something else.
If you want to see where some of these adventures lead, take a look at my Field Notes.