claudia's surf city

Items in back of the truck: large wicker chair, small wicker table, trunk I've been carrying around since college, 2 bags books, 5 assor...

Lil Abner famously remarked, "As any fool can plainly see—as ah can plainly see." Ah find this comforting, as ah sit surrounded b...

It's that time of year again. The sparrows are probably building nests in the corners of my porch (boy are they going to be displeased w...

photograph by Oceangurl

There used to be this hardware store on the island. Everybody called it Tiffany's, because a nail cost more than rubies and emeralds. Th...

The piles of linen, old books, rugs and wicker in the corner testify that this blog is about to morph into a home building and repair site. ...

The note from The Architect was the fist significant setback: “Alright, alright, enough of the good news. Just received a letter from the i...

“Would you like congealed salad with that?” I guess so, if only to find out what congealed salad might be. Can’t say it sounds really appeti...

I'm bummed. I don't know why I wanted to buy a gas station in the Ozarks near the Eleven Point River. I mean, the price was right: $...

Every time I go on the road I have, perforce, to listen to country music, which I mostly revile—nothing else is on the radio but Christian (...

I'm back. First I will pay the bills. Then I will deal with the latest—and most serious—housebuilding setback. Then I will write about a...

I'm in my fourth state of the day, and I have learned the following: All roads are under construction. There has been a lot of rain ever...

The windsheild wiper blades were fried, and as I tore through the downpours, I couldn't see much. Finally got them switched out, and the...

Okay, I'm on the road, headed south. Tonight Washington DC with Dolores (in her soon to not be apartment), tomorrow headed for Alabama, ...

Anybody who's trying to reach me via e-mail today will be having a problem. Verizon's servers seem to be on the fritz, at least in m...

I am feeling boastful about the fact that I have actually been in Bishkek. It is the capital of Kyrgyzstan, which I can't spell without ...

On the island, you will turn off your lights tonight and try to stay awake as long as possible so you can figure out who's doing it. Som...

vanderwal . photograph by Thomas Vander Wal