Author Archives: Dale Hobson

If the regional Chambers of Commerce ever need someone to promote the many virtues of our fair neck of the woods, I stand ready to shoulder the task. For example… A Worrier’s Guide to the North Country I’ve always been … Continue reading →

Photo: Maliz Ong, released to public domain There is a qualitative difference between grace and its near relative, luck. Luck, for good or for ill, is bestowed randomly by an indifferent universe. Grace feels like a personal gift from one … Continue reading →

People, and poets in particular, easily fall into thinking that the beaty of the world is created just for their pleasure. Yeah, but no. Flowers Dress to Please the Bees Few regard the sundew deep in the marshor delight in … Continue reading →

Here’s another poem from an April poem-a-day challenge, 2010, maybe. Our daughter Elena was grown and flown, building a life for herself in the Boston area. Parenting Hanging out in your old room propped up on your pillowsstaring at the same … Continue reading →

Just ran across a draft of this written back when I was doing an April poem-a-s-day challenge. I think it cleans up nicely. Fluid Dynamics The whirlpool behind Sugar Island damwhere snowmelt drops to the penstocksends ripples back across the … Continue reading →

When I was young, there were still a few quarry-trained masons working with Potsdam sandstone. As young men they rode the narrow-gauge rail line from the quarry five miles downstream to the stone yard. Memories fade out over time, which … Continue reading →

I once read Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time.” Heavy sledding, but there was this one bright moment when it all became perfectly clear. My hair stood on end for about five seconds, and then it all fell apart … Continue reading →

This could be Appendix A to “A North Country Guy’s Guide to North Country Guys.”  Why Guys Don’t Need Purses Everything a guy needs fits into his pockets.Wallet in the right rear, comb in the left–so he can buy beer, … Continue reading →

The doctrine of karma can be pretty discouraging. This may be why so many, given the choice, prefer a merciful God to a just one. Bad Karma Sutra Aside from doing nothing, there’s nothing you can doto avoid it. Think … Continue reading →

Photo: stuart anthony, Creative Commons, some rights reserved Being cold a lot is good for the ingenuity. There a lot of ways to get warm, both literally and figuratively. Ignore the folks from more blessed climes who try to tell … Continue reading →