TO THE O'MEARA'S *** FROM BUCKSHOT
Well, here I am, six months old and happy. Remember the little red-haired boy? His name is Kelly. Kelly Sean O'Meara. What an Irish name; just perfect for him. The family I live with is just great!
Two Young Boys Lost in the Knox Mountains (Part Two)
There were roughly 10,000 people searching for the boys which included Vermont State Police, National Guard, Fish and Wildlife, Norwich University and thousands of volunteers.
Two Young Boys Lost in the Knox Mountains (Part One)
Each day we went to the headquarters at the little Orange Junction general store and were assigned which group we would be part of and what area we would be searching…
Hiking Part Two
One night I was alone and just about ready to drift off to sleep when there was a loud thump that shook the ground and cabin. I went outside with a flashlight and looked around. Everything was…
Christmas Merriment
I didn't realize it when I was growing up, but I was born right in amongst some of the most photographed villages in the United States. Waits River, East Corinth, East Topsham and East Orange. Those villages scenes were used in Christmas cards and advertising since the early 1900's
Hiking Part One
It was a half mile down the dirt road to the village of West Topsham, and West Topsham was built on a hill. We walked downhill to the one room schoolhouse that kept grades sixth through…
Thanksgiving and Deer Season
The rule of thumb has always been, you'll have snow on the ground for tracking on the last week of deer season. Another rule of thumb is that you better have your snow tires on before Thanksgiving.
Firewood Blocks and Writer's Block
One of my favorites though, comes from English author and humorist Terry Pratchett who said, " There's no such thing as writer's block. That was invented by people in California who couldn't write."
Fall is in the Air
In the cellar we had a potato bin full of potatoes and carrots packed in leaves, along with shelves filled with jars of vegetables and preserves that my mother had canned. Getting ready for…
CSM Tank White, General Colin Powell, and the Bradford Tankers
Serving in leadership positions as a non-commissioned officer, Tank White led the way. He was a big reason along with…
A New Name and a New Beginning
I had the privilege of walking my daughter Lydia down the outdoor aisle, between rows of folding bamboo chairs filled with onlookers, to a white birch arbor where the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and Jonathan "Jonny," the groom were…
Garlic the Superfood
Garlic has been used for centuries for its delicious flavor and ability to enhance the flavor of dishes and for its medicinal purposes. It was also used to keep away evil spirits, vampires and werewolves.
Gardens, Garlic and Groundhogs
Not long after I started growing garlic, a woodchuck got into my wife’s vegetable garden. The country boy way of handling that would be to send them into the next world. But my wife would…
Boulders, Rocks, and Stones
Even after the stonewalls were built, clearing rocks out of the fields was a never-ending chore. Every time a farmer plowed a field, a new crop of rocks would come to the surface. It was the crop that never failed. There was…
Monsters Under the Bed and Other Bullies
It's one thing to have fear of the unknown, it's another thing to have it up in your face. In my freshman year of high school, I went to Spaulding H.S. in Barre VT. It was real…
You'll Never Get There if You Don't Get Started
I don't know how many times I have thought about writing over the years. When I was in the Army, I took a college English course. We had to…