Author Archives: Jerry Johnson

About Jerry Johnson

Curmudgeon. Bird hunter and dog trainer. Retired journalist and college public relations director. Former teacher, coach, mentor. Novelist and short story writer. Husband, father, grandfather.

Foggy, frozen snowshoe walk

Posted on January 21, 2023 by Jerry Johnson

A foggy, frozen January day in the North Country. Overcast skies, no wind, 14 degrees, a perfect morning for snowshoeing. Photos only; no distracting text.

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Boxes and cartons and tubs, oh my!

Posted on January 15, 2023 by Jerry Johnson

Our move from our North Country farm to our new home in the city requires more packing than we expected. We discovered that during our 37 years in this old log house we have accumulated a whole lot of stuff. … Continue reading →

Posted in Home Moving, Uncategorized | Tagged | 1 Comment

Auld Lang Syne

Posted on December 30, 2022 by Jerry Johnson

In keeping with a 10-year tradition, the folk song “Auld Lang Syne” is my final post of the current year on the Dispatches from a Northern Town blog. “Auld Lang Syne” was written in 1788 by Scots poet Robert Burns … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Cenozoic desire

Posted on December 26, 2022 by Jerry Johnson

“…there is no response to art so genuine as the desire, the often heart-rending pull, to be within the work.” – Jim Harrison, from his novella “Julip” In the distant background, where a low slope rises from the shallow pools … Continue reading →

Posted in Paleoart | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Another slow walk toward Christmas

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Jerry Johnson

A thick fog settled over the North Country last night, and when temperatures dropped below freezing a half-inch of frost coated the woodlands and pastures. Three inches of soft snow began to fall at dawn, adding to the wild lands’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Winter Scenes | Tagged | 5 Comments

Christmas gifts for my grandchildren

Posted on December 13, 2022 by Jerry Johnson

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.   ― Peg Bracken (1918-2007), American humor writer It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. Maybe Christmas doesn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 7 Comments

A slow walk toward Christmas

Posted on December 9, 2022 by Jerry Johnson
Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Merde!

Posted on November 29, 2022 by Jerry Johnson

A double whammy. A late November weather front swept in from the southwest today, bringing its rain-sleet-snow announcement that winter has come to the North Country and will hang on like a long-term visitor. That is to be expected, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Battle of Waterloo | Tagged | 5 Comments

Night sky poems

Posted on November 21, 2022 by Jerry Johnson

Shot down in flamesOn clear sky winter nightsI touch certain bright starswith the tip of my index finger,one eye closed as if sighting a rifle.Not a single one has ever fallento the shot of my ocular bullet butI have seen … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | 2 Comments

Abbey is in there — somewhere

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Jerry Johnson

Snow, freezing rain, and a 15-degree cold front swept across the North Country this week, a gift from the Dakotas so that we would not feel excluded from the party. I was perfectly willing to stay in the Clubhouse, read, … Continue reading →

Posted in pheasant hunting | Tagged , | Leave a comment