Author: Nancy J. Moncrieff

Last Saturday, Janice and I went to the Ann Arbor Dog Training Club to watch dog agility trials.  Conditions for spectating were ideal:  we had front-row seats, and we were surrounded by people who knew what was going on.  Conditions for human and canine competitors must have been pretty great, too.  This was an AKC-sanctioned… Continue reading Dog Agility

Despite the recurring frost warnings that might argue against it, spring is coming right along in southeast Michigan.  The cherry crop further north may even have a good year, although the final word isn’t yet in after the bad freeze on the last day of April.  So, as usual at this time of year, we’re… Continue reading Daryl’s New Book

As the dog and I returned to the neighborhood from Green Road this morning, we surprised a lady enjoying the scents of spring.  She was dressed all in shades of purple, and we passed her as she was drawing a branch of a tall lilac bush closer to her face so she could breathe in… Continue reading Knuckleheads and Music

Walking toward the Thrift Shop for my volunteer shift yesterday, I was struck by the array in the front windows.  Our ever-creative merchandising committee had made a display of scarves, hanging them from the arms of vertical structures, draping them through rings, piling them in decorative baskets.  The colors were appealing, airy, translucent.  The effect… Continue reading Scarves, Scares, Scents

     The town of Chelsea, near here, has a lot going for it.  Fabulous old houses, a thriving downtown, and notable restaurants.  Plus, of course, it’s friendly, but that’s to be expected.  Friendliness is a hallmark of the Midwest.  The level of friendliness in Chelsea this week, however, made national news.      Michelle Tuplin owns… Continue reading Book Brigade

A proverb claims you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.  Our dog has been busy lately, showing us the real truth behind the saying.  That real truth is that you don’t need to teach an old dog new tricks.  Old dogs are wily enough and experienced enough to teach themselves new tricks.      For… Continue reading New Tricks

     One of my husband’s sisters gave us an amaryllis for Christmas.  We took our time getting it started and have been rewarded this month with blooms of scarlet red.  Many blooms.  Six flowers on the first stalk, which is one more than on the most exuberant of amaryllises past.  Then along came a second… Continue reading Pilsner Pours

Tuesday morning’s walk started out in the usual way, the dog and I setting out in the sunshine to see, or in his case, sniff, what was what on a sunny late-winter day.  Before we’d gone four houses from our door, we were well and truly astonished.  We surprised a turkey on the other side… Continue reading Turkey Surprise

We all have favorite signs that spring may, in fact, be on the way.  The appearance of robins in these northern climes used to be a reliable indicator.  But with climate change, quite a few robins now elect not to fly south for the winter, hanging around up here year round.  Robins are still a… Continue reading Birds and Bikes

Tuesday night, we celebrated our anniversary at Cleary’s Pub in Chelsea, and Pat Cleary sat down with us for a while.  He told us the recent remodeling that closed the restaurant for three days took place in the kitchen.  He had the floor replaced.  Also, “the line.”  The line is where the staff work as… Continue reading Shaking Pompoms