Author Archives: kihm
Pierre Celis Visits
This piece was written for the Syracuse New Times in June of 1997. * * * On a recent sultry summer evening in Armory Square, the city’s malterati gathered at the Blue Tusk to welcome Pierre Celis, the Belgian brewer who saved the Witbier style and whose Celis Brewery in Austin, Texas, brews Celis White, […]
The Land of Oz
November 1999 For me, the phrase “high school play” does not call up images of reserved seats and $9 tickets. But that’s the way it is in Skaneateles, and after you’ve paid your $18 per couple, you can see why. The recent Wizard of Oz was swell, two acts, 27 scenes, amazing backdrops and sets […]
Other People’s Stories
These are stories friends have shared with me, and they are too good to lose. * * * Ken’s in-laws treated him to a vacation in Jamaica, and after dinner one evening, Ken treated himself to a long walk and a vacation from his in-laws. He had floated through the afternoon on a river of […]
Opportunity
“And this is my solemn pledge: I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity.” — George W. Bush, Inaugural Address, January 20, 2001 August 5, 2005 When George Bush promised to create opportunity for all, I had no idea what doors he would open for me. Right on the heels of […]
Notes on the Dead
June 25, 2000 I spent Friday afternoon at the Creamery, home of the Skaneateles Historical Society, and it was like Aladdin’s Cave. They kept bringing me new treasures. The first suggested a solution to this mystery: Out at the end of the jetty, on calm mornings, when the surface of the water is smooth and […]
Napping
This first ran in The Syracuse New Times in March of 1978, and was thought by many to be the peak of my early career. I was writing about something I knew and loved. * * * “Hey, wanna get high?” You’ve heard that before. But it always cost you money, and you woke up […]
Nan Britton
July 1999 Life holds wonderful surprises. At the Skaneateles Library book sale this morning, I was in the tent, browsing the picked-over tables in the sale’s final hours, and came upon a book whose dark binding and cover titles had faded to the point of no return. But I was curious, picked it up, and […]
Moving to Skaneateles
Aug. 31 – Sept. 10, 1998 It started, I think, with a feeling of being stuck. Abbie was in a school where crowd control was the priority, and violence was frequent. My advertising job looked tenuous, and the owners spoke of retiring in five years. As I explored my options, a local competitor offered me […]
Upscale
October 14, 2003 My dentist’s office is just outside the village, about a 10 minute walk from where I work on Route 20. Much of the walk is past farmers’ fields and just plain fields. Walking along the roadside, I have the leisure and inclination to observe the birds, the foliage, the litter and the […]
Mining
June 6, 2005 I don’t enjoy mowing, and because I use a push mower, a reel mower, I have to mow often, before the grass gets too long. One rainy weekend and I’m in trouble. So I decided to cut my work in half by reframing expectations and renaming the backyard “the meadow.” I mowed […]
Faithful Readers 