The Iron Veins of a Growing Nation Whenever I take a walk down by the old rail yards near Sacramento, I like to stop and just listen. If you stand quiet enough, past the hum of the modern diesel engines and the chatter of folks waiting on the platform, you can almost hear the ghosts […]
The Scent of Summer and the Pull of Tradition The late afternoon air changes when July rolls around. You can step out onto your front porch, take a deep breath, and instantly smell it. It is the unmistakable scent of hickory wood and charcoal catching fire. Down the block, a car door slams, followed by […]
The Magic of Sunday Morning I close my eyes and I can still smell it. It is early morning, and the sun is barely up over the city. The scent of garlic sizzling gently in olive oil drifts down the narrow hallway of our apartment. It wakes me up better than any alarm clock ever […]