Making a Silk Purse From a Sow’s Ear

Jonathon Swift said, “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear,” Swift’s way of saying “You can’t get something of value (like a silk purse) out of something worthless (like a sow’s ear).”
But it turns out, Swift’s statement is false.

Doing Things the “Easy” Way

Last week Jocelyn and I did some hiking in Western New York. The trails were immaculate, the views, spectacular. At one point on our trek through the Letchworth State Park, we came to a sign that presented us with a decision. We could take the long way down to the falls, a way that included…

Little by Little…

Last year on my bike path, I came across the work of a busy beaver. Adjacent to the DuPage River, a toothy rodent had chewed a tree trunk  down to a nub. In a short period of time, the tree would fall. I’m no beaverologist, so I have no idea how a beaver starts to…