As I was doing the dishes tonight, I mentally replayed a conversation from earlier, in which Angelo told me how lovely Perugia is, and that we really ought to visit.

And then it occurred to me that thanks to the recent murder in Perugia, the name ‘Perugia’ right now is probably synonymous in the minds of many Americans with scandal. Just as, to many Americans, the word ‘columbine’ has become synonymous with school shootings, and the phrase ‘Green River’ with serial killers.

So let us not forget that columbines are lovely ruffled flowers favored by hummingbirds, that the Green River is a charming river where people fish and go rafting, and that Perugia is a beautiful city and region in Italy known for great works of art and chocolate (among many other things.)

As a kid, I tried capturing fog in sandwich bags and setting it free in the house. This didn’t work too well and drove my mom crazy since it involved a lot of running in and out of the front door on a cold November day. I tried filling an old mayonnaise jar with fog so I could at least have some in my room, but this didn’t work either; the fog always escaped, oblivious to any borders. Read more »

My pal, Barney, is a journalist and photographer. He recently sent me a link to some photos he has taken as well as some historical photos from Port Townsend, Washington.

My favorite photo so far is the one at the top of this post. How the heck did that bartender train a trout to jump through a hoop? If I find out more about this picture, I will definitely blog about it. In the meantime, it makes a great writing prompt, don’t you think?

Only in Port Townsend, I tell you. That little town is host to an array of delightful eccentrics. Of all the places I have lived, Port Townsend is one of the few that I truly feel homesick for. Maybe because it’s one of the few places I have truly felt at home.

Today’s post is a response to the comment I got today from Laree:

There I was taking espresso orders as I’d done a thousand times before. It was a hot summer Saturday and the line of patrons went out the door and curled partway down the street.

As usual, Port Townsend was having some kind of festival. I didn’t even know what the festival was for (a sure sign that I’d become a local.) Anyway, we were so damn busy that I barely had time to lift my head and look people in the eye. Read more »

Professor J tagged me yesterday to post 7 Random Facts about myself. So, without further ado, here you go:

1. I have an extra bone in my left foot. Am I evolving, or merely another mutant? You decide.
2. A sleazy janitor tried to kidnap my friend and I when we were 9 years old. We escaped by running through a cemetery and cutting through our favorite shortcut in the woods. This is why: Read more »

Happy Halloween! Welcome to the ‘True Spooks … Share Your Ghost Story’ Blog Carnival.

Do you believe in ghosts? Or do