Missive #193

This is a collection of stories diverse in subject, but sutured together by the limitless affection the author holds for the land and the people of New England.The author is known more for his poetry that his prose but this book was a joy to read. He is also criticized for his focus on death but I did not find that be be so in this book. He has a couple of others that I will read when I get to them. Donald Hall tells about life on a small farm where, as a boy, he spent summers with his grandparents. Gradually the boy grows to be a young man, sees his grandparents aging, the farm become marginal, and finally, the cows sold and the barn abandoned.

But these are more than nostalgic memories, for in the measured and tender prose of each episode are signs of the end of things – a childhood, perhaps a culture. — Book promo @ goodreads.com

I have found another website with some ‘interesting’ predictions for what is coming in 2024. I don’t think they all will come to pass but all we need is for some to happen; 2024 Get Ready by a Guest Contributor @ Leo Hohmann’s Substack

The weather gurus have lead me astray again with their forecasts for the low temperatures to remain in the 40s. The past couple of morning have been at 38° with this morning feeling even colder that that. We are still getting highs in the 60s which is great snowbird weather. There are plenty of them here during the winter that is for sure. A town with a census population of 2,375 that has two golf courses should give some idea what the winter population is.