The Hobbit That First Opened My Door to Middle-earth — Celebrating the 48-Year Legacy of Rankin/Bass’ Hobbit

I met Bilbo Baggins when I was thirteen years old, standing in the hallway of DeRidder Junior High. The library door carried a poster that stopped me in my tracks. A curious, round fellow stood in his front doorway, pipe in hand, sending smoke rings lazily into the air. The art looked like watercolor washedContinue reading "The Hobbit That First Opened My Door to Middle-earth — Celebrating the 48-Year Legacy of Rankin/Bass’ Hobbit"

Quiet Thanks-Giving

Here's a little story from a couple years ago to go with your morning coffee... “HAPPY THANKSGIVING!”It was after dinner, about nap-thirty if you get my drift, when Jubal Blue bellowed across the driveway like he meant to wake up the whole piney woods. I held up my hands, trying to settle him before heContinue reading "Quiet Thanks-Giving"

Early Waters: First Pages of ‘The Gales of November’

When I was writing a commemorative post about the anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald, I stumbled across a new book on the subject. That put me in a bit of a quandary: since retiring, I’ve been trying to downsize my personal library from four six-foot bookcases to two. Ouch! If you’re a bookworm, you knowContinue reading "Early Waters: First Pages of ‘The Gales of November’"

Walking the Enterprise: How a Video Rekindled Childhood Wonder

GEEK WARNING: PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT REQUIRED. Nostalgia levels may spike without warning, so proceed carefully.Hello, my name is Darrell… and yes, I’m a Trekkie. Always have been. Always will be. The Project That Stopped Me in My Tracks Every now and then, some corner of the internet taps you on the shoulder and says, “SitContinue reading "Walking the Enterprise: How a Video Rekindled Childhood Wonder"

November 22: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil

Some stories wander through the edges of legend, light and elusive, inviting readers to step into a world both familiar and mysteriously wild. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (1962) A whimsical collection of Tolkien’s poetry, capturing the playful, enigmatic spirit of Tom Bombadil and his corner of Middle-earth. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil collects poems byContinue reading "November 22: The Adventures of Tom Bombadil"