Welcome
Thanks for tuning into my latest Deep Dive. These essays are a labor of love. I never know where my next inspiration will come from or where it will lead me, I just try and go with it, letting the words flow from my brain, through my fingertips and onto the page. Sometimes these stories write themselves, other times it feels like pulling teeth. I’m glad you found your way here. Pull up a chair, sit back, relax and enjoy!
~ Louie
Where I’m From
We’re all from somewhere. Being from someplace is being of that place. Where I’m from is as much a part of me as the color of my eyes and the bouncy way I walk that my friends can identify me by from 100 yards away. I am from the much maligned, often lampooned,...
You’ve Got Mail
When was the last time you received a letter? I’m not talking about the latest fund raising appeal from Greenpeace or the water bill. I mean an actual handwritten letter. When did you last write a letter to someone? I bet it’s been a while for both. The ubiquity of...
An Aural Masterpiece
Since beginning this blog earlier in the year, a recurring theme of mine has been finding solace in nature during uncertain times. Here's my latest take. The only human made sounds I can hear are the occasional rumbling of a plane taking off from nearby Charles...
Paying It Forward
When I picked my son up yesterday from his past time job at the local hardware store, he told me about this experience that he had during his lunch break. Sam walked into Burger King, placed his order and stepped aside to wait for his food. A scruffy young man with...
Remembering Rain
My wife and I were watching a movie the other night. About halfway through the film, a man pulled his car off to the side of the road to call his wife. He was in the process of leaving a message when it began to rain. The rain started slowly, gradually building in...
Pressing The “Mute” Button
The water in Bullfrog Pond is olive green and still. The breeze, ever so slight, is just strong enough to push a few leaves across the surface; small vessels who’s destinations are unknown. As I approach the lichen spotted and weathered picnic table from where I am...
Breathe In, Breathe Out
As I write this, the Air Quality Index (AQI) is 15. This is good, very good. Lately I’ve become quite well versed in the parameters of the AQI. Anything below 50 is good, smooth sailing, no problem, might as well be sitting on the beach in Maui. Between 50-100 we’re...
Let It Rain
Let it rain Cats and dogs, pigs and frogs Oodles, puddles, gushers, mushers Let it flow Meander, tumble, rumble A cascade parade Buckets, sheets, fill the streets Let it pour More, more and more Rivers, streams, dreams A wonderful gullywashing downpour A soaking...
Baseball Green
It was another lifetime ago. Actually it was just six months ago. Spring training was in full swing. Me, my son and our baseball pals were already making plans to buy tickets for upcoming games at Oracle Park in San Francisco. Another season with our beloved Giants...
Again
People's homes burn to ashes The air turns yellow with smoke We listen for evacuation notices Deciding what to take if we have to go People flee for their lives One step ahead of the flames Like a war zone The chatter and roar of aircraft fills the sky Heroic...
The Magic of the Movies
I miss the movies, the especially the smell of popcorn. I love to stand by the snack counter and watch the popper at work. The stainless steel tub rotates as it stirs the oil and unpopped kernels. When the oil reaches just the right temperature the staccato sound of...
Child’s Play
We were quite the flotilla. Six adults, three teenagers and two dogs heading out on paddle boards and kayaks for an afternoon on Sparks Lake near Bend, Oregon. This idyllic lake in the shadow of majestic Mount Bachelor is the perfect place to spend a lazy summer...