New Year...

A fairly slow start to the new year:

-- I've planned three trips for the summer:  (i) Decadence:  Schloss Elmau in S. Germany for my birthday in August; (ii) Windswept:  southwestern Ireland in mid-summer for golf with my father; and (iii) Annual:  Sea Pines in late-May / early-June with my wife and daughter.

-- I just finished The Painted Bird.  What an astonishingly sad and tragic story.  I'm still exploring this rich vein of eastern european literature.  It never seems to disappoint.  The stories are usually tragic and have a common theme of traditional societies violently tossed about during the turbulent modern era.  Other recent books include Patrick Fermor's two books about his 1930s walk across Europe.  His third book becomes available this spring.  I cannot wait.

-- It snowed in Atlanta for the first time since Jan 2011.  My little daughter had never seen snow.  What a treat for her!  It was a treat for me too.

-- Coming back inside from the snow, we decided to make a frittata (mushroom, asparagus, potato, spinach).   It's always better the next day for lunch.  Regardez:

naughty, nice...

Apple Galette...

The view from Fire Mountain

Mercedes Benz CLA250

Happy birthday to me...

I always get myself the best gifts!

Err... wrong!  My charming wife surprised me with a new timepiece this morning:

Hiking...

I've just finished Walking Home: A Poet's Journey by Simon Armitage.  What a fantastic adventure! Hiking the Pennine Way has now made my to-do list.  I asked my father if he would try it with me when he retires and he seems game for it.  And now I've started the book referenced by Armitage (Footsteps by Richard Holmes) as part of his inspiration for his epic hike.  I suppose I never thought too much of it, but rambling seems to be the sport of choice for poets and writers. 

Before my current period of suburban domesticity, I used to hike often.  I enjoyed hiking alone and had a few secret spots in the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia.  I even had my own private waterfall.  Well I suppose it was shared in some important respects.  During the week I was often the only visitor.  On weekends during the autumn, it could draw a handful of visitors.  On the drive back to Washington DC, I would stop off at the greasiest burger stand and indulge myself.

But now I have a toddler.  Super cute as she is, she comes with an incredible amount of baggage.  It would seem a bit selfish -- just a bit -- for me to take off for a few days of hiking without her and her mother.  So now my hikes are limited to a few hours on the golf course.

Siblings...