A mystery. I ignored the clues until my sorority sister, Annie, pointed out that the stone walls at the edge of my Northern New York State property were most likely used centuries ago to prevent sheep from entering my woods. How did sheep get to The North Country, a wilderness overrun by wolves, lynx, and …
Once upon a time, there was an old woman who believed in the magic of books. In the days of folk and fairy tales, she would have been called a crone, a character type in literature rarely included in the epics of male heroes and adventurers. A crone was a female long past her prime, …
I know when I go off the deep end. I can tell when my soul has crossed over to something numb or, worse yet, into the darkness. The warning signs show themselves in the condition of my house. The bed is not made. Clothes are tossed on the floor. Dishes, pots, and utensils are scattered …
Like many people, I look back on my life and wonder how I made it out alive. I went to college at Oswego State in upstate New York. In the fall and spring, my college was beautiful because of its resort-style location right on Lake Ontario. I would find solitude on the rocky shores of …
Continue reading “Everybody’s Talkin”-Traveling with Forrest Gump
I have a confession. I definitely think I have an obsessive-compulsive disorder. In an upstairs room in my house, I have an art studio created when painting became one of my passions. While recently purging out some of my possessions, I realized I had accumulated hundreds of paint brushes, enough to supply a large group …
Continue reading Traveling with Forrest Gump-Like a Box of Chocolates
We traveled The Ganges at night in a wooden boat. The sun was setting, and the white sky was diminishing into blackness. As usual, I had no expectations; I was just content to drift on the water and take it all in. Direct experience is wonderful, but to a modern American, it could be a …
Continue reading India-Cremation on The Ganges, A Celebration of Fire
Visiting The Ganges River in Varanasi, India, was not at all what I expected. It is world famous, and I have seen pictures of it, but to be there, to have direct experience, is a whole other thing. I have had this disconnect between a pictorial presentation and an actual site before, namely, The Great …
Continue reading India-Blown Away by The Ganges River, The World is Not Flat
Spring is coming late to The North Country. I'm still waiting to take pictures of the shad bushes that, for about one week every year, break out in white blossoms. They seem to love to grow in rocky outcroppings and got their name for their coincidental appearance when the shad fish run. But this year …
On my tour, we went to a place called Sarnath. As usual, I had no idea what to expect. We went into the museum, and Rashid, our guide, explained that the statues of Buddha all had three interesting features. The Buddha's long ears signified the importance of being a good listener, and his ever-present smile …
Continue reading India-Buddha Didn’t Care What His Hair Looked Like
On my tour, we were able to visit places that engaged in traditional Indian crafts. Henna Painting Ceramics Papermaking Indian paper shopping bags and boxes are in stores all over the world. Rugs Semiprecious Stone and Marble Inlays Copyright 2019 @ theautonomoustraveler.com
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