Coming Home, Prelude: The Hive and the Town

Well worth reading. Thanks.

Posted by Wilson at May 2, 2010 10:17 AM

This is lovely - thanks. It's mournful, evocative and wise. And I grew up in that town....

Posted by anonys at May 2, 2010 10:47 AM

Love for where you live wafts out of your prose. I read and say, "yes, yes." This piece made me want to write down what I see and hear and smell every day when I walk around my neighborhood so that I learn where I live. Thanks.

Posted by Gloria at May 2, 2010 10:52 AM

I have to find a place to buy affordable black powder. Owning a cannon always carries its own burden of special needs...

I hate buying the bags or kegs, though. Something about knocking it down into one pound cans always smacked of the old Bonanza episode that opened with the nitroglycerin making gone horribly wrong.

Beautifully written, Mr. V. A glimpse through an open window.

Posted by TmjUtah at May 2, 2010 11:41 AM

Beautiful. The Hive has its charms, but I think you are happier where you are now.

Posted by retriever at May 2, 2010 12:33 PM

Your impression of coming into New York was almost like mine, but I saw it through the window of a train. Seeing the twin towers at night is an unforgettable spectacle.
As I was reading, the smell of pot roast was filling my house. I think your essay and pot roast are now going to be forever linked.

Posted by Jewel at May 2, 2010 3:30 PM

Very nice post.
The Mother Earth News is not defunct, it's still in publication, however, at some time in the mid 80's, it took a horrible turn into hard, tree-hugging liberalism. I cancelled my subscription and started getting "American Survival Guide" which IS now defunct.

Posted by Cheezburgrrr at May 2, 2010 6:21 PM

Very nice, Gerard.

Posted by rickl at May 2, 2010 7:00 PM

Gerard

If you ever get to Maple Falls (30 miles due East of Bellingham), let me know. Your post reminds me a lot of what I love about this place.

Posted by DaveH at May 2, 2010 8:53 PM

Hives are communities of insects organized by a tiny elite.

Posted by monkeyfan at May 4, 2010 8:29 AM

Yup, that's where I live. Except maybe for being some 3,000 miles away and in considerably warmer climes. Another difference is that it's not all that white around here. Doesn't seem to make much difference to the folks, though.

To me the most outstanding difference, in all senses of that word, is the intimacy you find. Casual conversations abound - just about any two folks who happen to be sitting or standing in conversational proximity.

What a difference from the hive where casual eye contact is viewed as some kind of assault. Water all around and not a drop to drink. People all around and no one to talk to.

Posted by Roy Lofquist at January 4, 2012 9:11 AM

I live about a hundred or so miles north, and beyond Vancouver. Where I live is a lot like what you describe except for the guns and the police scanners. But people are still pretty civil ...

And it's dark enough at night to see the Milky Way, which is pretty special.

Posted by ace at January 4, 2012 4:20 PM

All the hive-rush of "bling", all the way to the hive of man-made stars does nothing more than what man has always been about: the obfucation of the creator.
Rather look "straight up forever into an infinite hive of stars".
Thanx gerard

Posted by adagny at January 7, 2012 1:39 PM

I've only seen NYC once and that was from 30,000 ft, about as close as I ever want to get.

Posted by ghostsniper at October 8, 2014 11:24 AM

Is this Sandpoint? I HAVE to know!!

Posted by Smitty's Wife at October 8, 2014 1:41 PM

My hive time is also over. I can't say I won't be going back, I had to go back a few years ago for my Mother-in-laws funeral, my wife lived there her entire life and and we still have connections. I avoid it though, when we drive to NE, (don't like flying anymore) we go around, dipping into Westchester for a bit before running the I-95 gauntlet for the remainder of the trip. Now a thousand or so miles away, we still get the "flava" though, as thousands of it's residents have relocated to the Southeast, and itself now becoming a suburb of the hive. These denizens do not follow the "when in Rome..." credo so, folks here stay on the move, neighborhoods change often as quality of life diminishes. Still, one can get mobile and move in all points of the compass and find fields with animals, woodlands and few streetlamps. Best of luck in the new zip code.

Posted by Will at October 8, 2014 2:29 PM

No.

It is NOT S*******T.

Fergit about it.

Posted by itor at October 8, 2014 8:41 PM

Nice work Gerald, much appreciated.

Posted by Thud at October 11, 2014 10:52 AM

No doubt Gerard, you have a gift. Thanks for sharing it.

Posted by Michael Gersh at October 11, 2014 2:22 PM