Sometimes it can be no fun being a reader, or a writer. When we are young, reading is mostly homework. If we are a writer, the written word… in sentences, paragraphs, pages… is mostly work. It’s a job, a duty, a necessity, always open to criticism. But sometimes, certainly not […]
Northern Virginia
7 posts
One of the rich rewards of being a US citizen living abroad is returning home. Recently I spent a month stateside attending two important events. The first was my 50th college reunion (that’s right, half a century since I received my undergraduate diploma) and a grandchild’s high school graduation. Each […]
It’s the scariest night of the year. This year Chip and Peg celebrate one of their favorite holidays in Akumal, Mexico, where the event spans two nights and is called “dia de muertos,” or Day of the Dead. Learn more about previous Halloweens below… The Chiptracks travel writing team braves Halloween Night […]
No culture reveres family more openly than the Mexican. And at no time is this more apparent than during the annual observance known as “El Dia de las Muertos.” This two day extravagance is the culmination of a national fascination which lasts all year long. It’s about family, about death, about […]
Tidy rows of evergreens rise up a hillside as far as the eye can see. Downy clouds sail west against a baby blue sky. Turning off the gravel road families pour out of SUV’s, pickup trucks and classic cars pulling small trailers. It’s Thanksgiving Day plus 1. And, for 39 consecutive […]
It’s a bright and colorful Veterans Day weekend. Peg and I are driving the back roads of Loudoun, Fauquier, Prince William and other rural counties of northern Virginia. We are heading to what’s called the Historic Triangle: Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown. Here English settlers first set foot in what […]
The last day of September — a Saturday — Chip accepted an invite to join his office mate on a hike. The invitation to the beautiful 1,864 acre Sky Meadows State Park included me and featured an added bonus of free parking in observance of Public Lands Day. It was […]