Four Legs & Two Legs: Meander Gardens, Libraries, Rivers, Time
“No philosophers so thoroughly comprehend us as dogs and horses.” Herman Melville
River shoe, green canoe in the barn.
Blue heron hunting in the river. Kayaks propelled by their people, paddling by on a tidal river. Rootling in the grass. Kick, kick, kick. Did Florence Griswold have a dog? Cats? Did artists at her home swim in the Lieutenant River? What was the river called by the original people here?
A zebra cow grazing. No, it’s not real, but the flat herd complements the current Cow Tales exhibition at the Florence Griswold Museum, where the gardens are incredible. Art works in their own right.
Old Lyme, Saybrook, Essex. Book Hill Road (what an address for am editor, writer). Red, right, return. A library card in Connecticut is a key for access into all libraries in the state (some may require filling out a card, etc.)–true riches for a writer doing research. A reader looking for local history sources.
Walk about. Take water and a dog when possible. But mind the heat, a huge factor. Think back when a summer’s day was a ride, Penny with an only halter and lead rope, no saddle. Could just sprawl across her back as she grazed. Look at the sky and inhale. The dogs right there in, along, by; hayfields and meadows, streams. Time. A hallway of a home to sleep and store books, prepare meals. Outside. So much to see, grow, forage. A cold spring that flowed from the springhouse to a watering tank, an overflow port just below the lip. Ah.
— Moo Dog Press (@moodogpress.com) July 5, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Bill Hosley. An encyclopedic knowledge human being who would share. Interviewed him by phone long ago for a feature story on the Colt Dome, he provided the history and details about that iconic rampant colt.
Bill Hosley.
Also see: www.linkedin.com/in/william-h…
— Moo Dog Press (@moodogpress.com) July 5, 2025 at 9:58 AM
History is stories and facts, people.
History as the details contained within photographs. Glass negatives, prints made from these. The light captured on Civil War battlefields–images so sharp and vivid–not pixelated because the glass plates used so large. Viewed via YouTube, learned much. The counting of flies captured on the John L. Burns images, wow. The unknown location of the “Harvest of Death” despite best efforts. (At least up to the date of this discussion. View the video below. But got to thinking–has anyone mapped the movements of the photographer and wagon to then narrow a search to general next step location or predict where via sequence?)
Saw another YouTube video about Antietam and heard the mention of a horseback ride tour taken by Civil War veterans; the rider re-visited battlefields where they had fought. Can you imagine? Now searching for a written journal or something about that. So far, no luck.
— Moo Dog Press (@moodogpress.com) July 6, 2025 at 2:44 PM
A book walk coming up, oh look.
Louis the Coin Book / Exhibit: Selected Upcoming Events tinyurl.com/4mh6rhsx #OldWethersfieldBOOKWALK #NutmegLitFest #OldWethersfieldShopkeepersAssociation #RotaryClubWethersfieldRockyHill #CTStatePoliceMuseum #TheMobMuseum @cooljustice.bsky.social @moodogpress.com @ctexaminer.bsky.social
— Louis the Coin, World's Greatest Counterfeiter (@louisthecoin.bsky.social) July 6, 2025 at 10:17 AM
While learning, keep an eye on interconnected life forms and viruses. (Keep washing your hands.)
Controlling bird flu is urgent—for dairy, wildlife, poultry, pets, and people.
👉 avmajournals.avma.org/view/journal…— Michelle Wille (@duckswabber.bsky.social) June 30, 2025 at 11:29 PM
And of interest: William Manchester. May this book come into being.
Beginning to believe the time is right to tackle the life of this guy for my next bio project.
— Ray E. Boomhower (@rboomhower.bsky.social) June 29, 2025 at 4:46 PM
“In 35 years of living on Pine Street, [William] Manchester was rarely away. He and his family lived in Washington, D.C., during 1964 and 1965 when he was working on Death of a President, and he had an office at the National Archives. He lived briefly in Germany while working on The Arms of Krupp (1968) and also resided in England to research the Churchill books. Souvenirs from the latter trip include some British lane signs that decorate the entrance to his house.”
2004 Issue 1, UpFront Jan. 20, 2004, Gift From William Manchester.