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To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich;
to study hard, think quietly, talk frankly;
to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart;
to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasion, hurry never;
in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious grow up through the common:
this is to be my symphony.

-- William Henry Channing

Seasons around the house. From spring to summer to autumn to winter, the seasonal changes around my Morgantown home (and around Morgantown in general) are delightfully inspiring. Most of the landscaping was completed before I moved in, but I'll take a little credit for the (hill)side yards, for a few additional trees, for transplanting to fill in bare spots or afford plants sunshine where shade had taken over. Here are more home-specific pics.

Rail Trails: Mon River/Caperton/Deckers Creek. As much as I love the Katy Trail in Dallas, the rail trails in and around Morgantown are amazing. Scenic. Lengthy (48 miles). Hilly. Flat. Convenient. And a great way to get from place to place. Granted, don't be in a hurry, and don't be afraid to sweat a little bit. Walking. Jogging. Biking. And in-line skating, with at least 8 miles paved. One option that Dallas could rarely advertise, if at all: cross-country skiing. National recognition, too. Designated a National Recreation Trail and a 2020 inductee into the Rail-Trail Hall Of Fame, Morgantown's trail system rocks!

Morgantown: small town, college town, river town, downtown Morgantown, and the historic Greenmont neighborhood. Meandering walks include visits with car geeks at bro's Brockway Auto Repair, strolling across the Walnut Street Bridge for coffee and conversation at Blue Moose Café, hiking up High Street and around the corner at Willey Street for more coffee at The Grind, eventually cozying into a WVU Downtown Campus Library reading chair in an "extreme quiet zone" room. Taking in spring, summer, and fall evenings at River View Rooftop. Contentment.

New Mexico for me means primarily St. John's College, the Santa Fe campus. With its Great Books program, SJC has been a summer destination for years. After two "introductory" weeks of Summer Classics (one each in 2003 and 2004), the next four years consisted of intensive eight-week summer semesters enroute to a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts (2008). Each of those four summers covered a different chosen segment of the program: Literature, History, Math and Science, and Politics and Society. Summer 2009 marked a return for the optional fifth segment, Philosophy and Theology. (I can't seem to get enough!) Sadly, I cut short the 2009 summer semester for personal reasons, but vowed to return. Summer 2010 found me reading Cervantes in preceptorial and re-reading Homer's Odyssey for completion of a master's essay. After submission, then much needed emending in the fall, the oral presentation occurred in April 2011. Summer 2011 saw my return to re-do the full 8-week Philosophy and Theology segment. (Like I said, I can't get enough!) Having made plans for the newly revived Greek Institute in summer 2012, those plans morphed into a Husserl precept and Ancient/Homeric Greek self-study; the inaugural Greek Institute was delayed a year to better prepare its curriculum. A four-week engagement with the Greek Institute in summer 2013 was followed by four weeks of supplementary research and writing on Homer's epics. I enjoyed one-week Summer Classics seminars again in 2017 and 2019. To be clear, though, SJC provides the motivation to get to Santa Fe; it never completely monopolizes my time as these New Mexico pics hopefully illustrate.

Colorado for me has been a combination of residences (Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs), vacations (skiing, visiting friends, backpacking), and memorable hikes up a majority of the 58 or so Colorado fourteeners. There's no better way to gain perspective and sense of self than hiking and backpacking through the Colorado Rockies. If you've a goal of hiking (or climbing, in some cases) Colorado 14ers, keep track of your ascents in some way. (Note: summiting multiple peaks connected by saddles requires a 300 foot elevation gain from each saddle's low point to knotch a separate ascent.) After a somewhat lengthy, sad absence from visits to Colorado in 2003 and 2004, I found myself enjoying music, friends, and a few more ascents in 2016 (Bierstadt) and 2018 (Grays and Torreys). These visits were made infinitely more enjoyable with Parsonsfield hiking partners on their virgin 14er ascents. Their friendship is one of life's highlights. Do you live in Colorado? I'll see you there!

Dallas White Rock Lake. For those lengthy runs, bike rides, and general all-around outdoor activities at the "water heart" of Dallas.

Dallas Katy Trail. It was essentially in my backyard! The perfect trail for a short run, a quick bike ride, a walk to Victory Park, hustling to the Victory Park DART Station, or a stroll to dining, drinks, downtown, Uptown, Southern Methodist University, or just about anywhere in between. Mom loved it, too!