“If men ceased to exist, sound would continue to travel and heavy bodies to fall to the earth in exactly the same way, though there would be no one to know it.” That’s a quote from one of the many philosophers who have pondered the time-worn question about a tree falling in the woods. When … Continue reading Adrift in a river of reveries
A plan to make West Baltimore greener and healthier
In preparing to write my June 16 column in the Sun, two things - I visited Kirby Lane Park in West Baltimore and came across a story in Popular Mechanics about how green Baltimore is. It’s a good piece, worth reading, and will make city dwellers feel a great deal of pride for the amount … Continue reading A plan to make West Baltimore greener and healthier
Fatherhood and fishing
Having sat patiently with the rest of the audience through my discussion of fly fishing, a man raised his hand at a recent talk about my book in Baltimore and asked, “What about the fatherhood part?” And he put me on the spot. He caught me avoiding a key subject of the book. An influential … Continue reading Fatherhood and fishing
Hemingway 100: Fishing the Big Two-Hearted River
We have arrived at the centennial year of the Michigan fishing trip that inspired one of Ernest Hemingway’s most memorable short stories, the two-part “Big Two-Hearted River,” a Nick Adams story about getting back from war and back to nature -- back to feeling life at the end of a fly line. Hemingway, while still … Continue reading Hemingway 100: Fishing the Big Two-Hearted River
Releasing the hound: Farewell, Rocky
It so happens that we have a kitchen door that our dogs of first choice very much appreciated -- a French door with five rows of windows, the lowest row allowing the canines to keep an eye on the backyard at all times. Arthur Valk, who designed the kitchen, recommended this style of door because … Continue reading Releasing the hound: Farewell, Rocky
Memorial Day – the most personal of public holidays
Somewhere along the way, between the time it was officially recognized as a day to honor the nation's war dead and the time it became an obscenely commercialized and busy holiday weekend, Memorial Day was a time to honor the memory of all who passed before us, civilian and military, and who gave our lives … Continue reading Memorial Day – the most personal of public holidays
Encounter with an old soul on Father’s Day Creek
There are moments when you feel like the only man on Earth, or when you get to imagine the experience of the long-gone native Delaware. Like that time I waded into the waters of Father’s Day Creek, above the gorge section, in the soft sunlight of a May afternoon, and ended up in locked stare … Continue reading Encounter with an old soul on Father’s Day Creek
The Joe Brooks Legend
Joe Brooks was a world-famous outdoorsman and writer, and the man who inspired Lefty Kreh and taught his fellow native Marylander how to fly fish. Joe Brooks' grand-nephews have produced a documentary film about him, an attempt to unravel a family mystery. You can rent and watch the film online, or arrange to use the … Continue reading The Joe Brooks Legend
How to fix Baltimore: A few suggestions
For those who do not always read my Sun column, here, from the archives, are suggestions I have made (and good programs or ideas I've highlighted) in the past: Promote the city as a tech hub, attract more capital, retain the young geniuses Reverse Baltimore's population slide: Find investors for 'an incredibly high-potential city' Reverse … Continue reading How to fix Baltimore: A few suggestions
The silvery shad returns
My son and I had some fun fishing for shad in Deer Creek near Darlington, in Harford County, Maryland. Hickory shad were there in abundance, the best numbers anglers have seen in a few years. Here's something I wrote about the silvery shad 18 years ago in the Baltimore Sun. -o- WHEN I moved to … Continue reading The silvery shad returns
Dan Rodricks 