Little did I know that Carol’s 69+ birthday present to me was to send me driving to St. Louis in a midwestern snowstorm!  I felt like I was on one of those legendary plains cattle drives!  (Not that I’ve been on one, but I’ve seen the movie and read the book.) It’s crazy!  Sunday in Indianapolis…

So Mom’s been sharing all your Bourbon Trail adventures with me so far . . . been there, done that I say. Anyway, I’m actually enjoying my laissez-faire days around Westport.  True, Mom refuses to take me to the beach . . . she said she can finally walk around the house with no sand underfoot.  An…

All good so far.  Got to LGA nice and early, just the way I like it.  My whole family made lots of fun of me for leaving WePo at 6:30PM for a 9:53 flight, but I don’t care.  Who needs an ulcer? Early highlight:  I succeeded in ordering my dinner using the iPad at the airport bar!  First time I was…

***COUNTDOWN:  2 DAYS TO LA/XC-6*** Hmm . . . I don’t know about this one.  My own logo, for The Roof Rack Report (left), was designed by a pro back in 2012 — and it’s held up pretty good, if I do say so myself.  Matter of fact, just last week we got a big compliment on it from Elise, Kemba’s dog s…

***COUNTDOWN:  5 DAYS TO LA/XC-6*** Yay!  Finally!  After 16 years of dog ownership — 11 with Ricky the Beagle and 5 with Kemba — I’ve won my first battle of wills!!!  (Obviously, if this was ever going to happen, you knew it would have to be with my eager-to-please, up-for-anything red duck dog…

* * *COUNTDOWN: 15 DAYS TO LA/XC-6 * * * Beagle Man came home from Montauk at the end of September with all sorts of complaints about his back and his right shoulder.  He tried to blame it all on me — as usual:  You know, “all that tennis ball throwing, all that stick throwing.”  But the real reaso…

One of the first things you always hear about Duck Tollers is how intelligent they are.  After what I saw this past weekend, though, I’m really not so sure.  Ah, Kemba, Kemba, Kemba.  Okay, here’s the picture:  Beagle Man brings Kemba to stay with Elise, the dog-sitter, on Friday.  Elise’s friend…

Okay, yes, yes — the real Aesop’s fable is” The Ant and the Grasshopper.”  I know that.  And my fable, I have to confess, turns on a rather major misconception:   I actually thought it was illegal to kill a praying mantis. Just a little background for my story.  Many of you know how my wife feels…

I guess I can’t really complain too much, since I spend most of the summer out in Amagansett, where I have a big sandy beach and a whole ocean to play in.  But now that we’re back in WePo, I have to stick to this narrow strip of sand on the far side of the Soundview jetty.  Town rules, Beagle Man…

* * *COUNTDOWN: 58 DAYS TO LA/XC-6 * * * Hey, I know everyone’s all revved up about Beagle Man’s so-called “Epilogue Trip,” less than two months away.  But Kemba, my young Duck Dog friend, I haven’t heard much out of you . . . other than surprise.  Now I know this ain’t your first rodeo.  In fact…