Explorer Barb

So Here I Am

It’s a beautiful sunny Sunday in Northern Idaho. Currently 59 degrees with an expected high of 65. I am not unhappy avoid the sweltering climes further east. We are frequently asked, so how on earth did you end up with a house in Idaho? It’s a long story with lots of odd sidetracks to explore….

Interview with a Leprechaun

Greetings readers, When I wrote the piece celebrating St Patrick’s Day, I discovered that while Leprechauns get lumped into that overall celebration of all things Irish, they actually have their own day, May 13. In an effort to delve a bit more deeply into this unique culture I put out feelers hoping to obtain an…

Wine Weekend

So much wine to try, how to fit it all in? it is a challenge my friends, but we made it through back-to-back wine events in one weekend. Hard work of course… The first was a tasting of four different wines from one winery, the second a blind tasting of Italian wines. Very different concepts,…

Ear Worms and Misconstrued Meanings

Have you ever been riding along in the car listening to the radio and a familiar song comes on? It sticks in your head for a while, sometimes becoming an unwelcome refrain that just won’t go away. Or you are at a concert (if you can remember that far back…) and you realize that people…

Learning to do stuff online

We have all done it; looked up how to fix a drippy faucet or make a make a sourdough starter. Next thing you know you have been sucked down the rabbit hole of YouTube videos and pictorial tutorials that provide just enough information to either confuse you utterly or endow you with confidence in your…

The Gardens at Winterthur – Go, Just Go

I am lucky to live here, especially at this time of year when winter finally yields to spring, flowering trees burst into bloom and bright daffodils break through newly green grass. We have many choices of local spots to bask in the glory of spring, but my favorite is one of the most underappreciated of…