For quite a long time now, there’s been a tradition in our house that after the boy’s teeth are brushed, his pajamas on, and his last book read, he gets to have a story. These stories, by no decision of my own, involve a snail named Steve and his lizard …

The weatherfolks said it was going to snow in Charleston. They said it would even stick. A once-in-a-generation event. I admit I didn’t believe them. The storm wasn’t scheduled to arrive until 8 or 9 pm, but schools let out early so folks could prepare. Road crews were put on …

I really ought to have been doing a bit more in the way of genuine work today, but instead I got side-tracked for a few hours playing with Google Buzz and — on a related note — my website here. To begin with, Google Buzz is, well, interesting. I’m not …

Living here at El Cid one sees odd things now and then.  Among my favorites are the Marine exercises in the marsh behind the house. For some reason I really enjoy looking out the window and seeing very muddy cadets struggling through the muck. It’d be one thing if they …