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PAUL CHRISTENSEN
THE FIRST CHILL AIR OF SUMMER'S END
It’s overcast and almost chilly this Sunday afternoon. Rain is expected in the next few days. The tourists have mostly gone home, and...
THE BREAKING OF THE SKY
A few days ago the winds came up; there were clouds north and east of us piled up like dark blue foot hills. We sat on the terrace of...
WHAT THE HEAT DEMANDS OF US
I’m writing at the burnt edge of Europe, right here in the glowing embers as the big heat dome from Africa moves grudgingly away from our...
WHAT BINDS US. TOGETHER
We’ve had two small heat waves since I arrived here in southern France in mid-June. Neither was terrible, neither quite made it to the...
RETURN TO FRANCE
Summertime. A lush, fat sun shines down on me as I walk to the épicerie, the general store at the other end of the village. Arrived in...
READING THE HEADLINES
Ever notice how the headlines in the NY times and the Washington Post are always binary, joining a claim of possible relief from our...
TO STOP THE CLOCK
A mild, muggy day in late May, with the sky hanging within touch over the house. The fields are all puffed up with new grass, and the...
THE RAIN STORM
I’m writing these words as a thunderstorm crashes over the house. Great empty wine barrels are tumbling to a stone floor, rolling noisily...
JASMINE BLOSSOMS
A chilly, damp, paralyzing Spring, with soggy skies and faded landscapes. Reality feels like a pair of washed-out blue jeans. But the...
EARTH HOUSEHOLD
As the world rages to our east, and the fires flare up in Arizona, we have the first signs of spring – dark green spikes, crumbly...
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