Wednesday, August 17, 2016


Stone Wall in the Woods

A waist-high wall of greyish green
lichen-stained stones appears as
I walk in deep woods. Flat slabs
of shale, placed in orderly rows,
wind half a mile next to towering
maples then stones fall into disarray.
I admire the artistry and wonder
about the wall’s strange location.

My  forefathers crowbarred these
stones from glaciated fields;
strained as they piled them on a
cumbersome wooden sled hauled
a mile or more by dapple greys.
Plenty of rocks on this farm—
cheaper than barbed wire—horse
and human sweat the only cost.

And why this wall in the woods?
Maybe a century ago cattle
grazed here or the stones set
a boundary keeping neighbor’s
cows out. My fingers caress the
carefully placed slabs that callused
hands put here with no thought of

folk art.              
                                                Norma Wightman

Inspired by visits to the farm in Sullivan County, New York, where I grew up. 

Tuesday, July 26, 2016

 Mineral King (Sequoia National Park) in July

Spent a few days hiking with friends here and enjoyed a six + mile hike to Eagle Lake--warm enough to swim in! The flowers were still lovely at 8,000'.
We enjoyed views of distant
Sawtooth Mountain (far light colored peak).

Saturday, April 30, 2016

50 Fantastic years to celebrate!

 Wedding day in Gwelo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in 1965. Note trees growing out of Peter's head--I soon had those knocked off. Nine years in the country before politics got too dangerous and then off to California, first Berkeley and later a move to the Sacramento Valley for 9 years while our two sons grew up in the country. Then in 1988 a move to Morro Bay and the chance to live by the ocean at last--a long time dream.

We think 50 years deserves more than a small celebration, so we took off for Kauai in early March to visit with friends and then took the family to Florida in later March in time to celebrate our first-born son, Paul's 47th birthday at the beach on Anna Maria Island. Glen and Elaine came from Ireland and Paul, Katie and the grandkids, Niko and Savannah, from Calif. Wonderful times and so thankful to have such a great family
Well, there are a few wrinkles, gray hair and sagging bodies, but we're holding up pretty well and are never bored with life. Travel plans will take us back to Norma's family farm in New York State later in the summer. So lucky to still have the property in the family due to dear Brother Bob buying it years ago.