A to Z Word Potpourri: Essays, Stories, Adventures, Dreams Chronicles of a Footloose Forester
By Dick Pellek
()
About this ebook
In the beginning, there was no intention of putting his chronicles into a book; the alphabetical listing of countries he had visited was, at the time in the early 1960s, only a device to properly respond to inquiries about his travels pursuant to obtaining and updating a yearly security clearance. At one time or another, the FBI, the Army Security Agency, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of State all wanted his biographical information, which included the places and the addresses where he had lived since 1931. Obviously, that meant every place since he was born. Thus, it was easier to compile a logical listing and to keep that list in his records for easier updating. The countries of Afghanistan and Zambia eventually worked their way into the list; thus, his first book, Afghanistan to Zambia: Chronicles of a Footloose Forester, was chosen as the title of his first book of memoirs. The process is ongoing.
Since the travel history to other counties swelled to 106 countries and territories of the United States, the A to Z listing was also a way to compartmentalize some of his fond memories of people, places, and events.
As a forester who worked in domestic and international locales, the A to Z listing had other applications for a footloose forester who had a lifelong interest in forest trees and tropical fruits. Accordingly, the second book of chronicles had a title that reminded him that the very common red maple tree (Acer rubrum) could be seen daily from Maine to Florida and everywhere in between in the states he had visited (forty-nine of fifty) during his career. A suitable title for the second book thus began to emerge. An A to Z theme led to bookend tree species names that were also a part of his reveries. It was gratifying to settle on a subtropical fruit tree commonly known as the jujube and with the botanical name Zyzyphus jujuba. Two jujube trees are growing and thriving right next to his house in Virginia. Thus, another A to Z listing became the receptacle that included personal anecdotes about a potpourri of things in other countries and in the natural world in general. The eventual name of his second book of memoirs emphasized his forestry interests, except that the stories that he wanted to share did not dwell solely on trees or on peoples, places, animals, or events. Dreams and viewpoints about abstract subjects that he wanted to share were also summoned, sorted out, and organized into volume 1, Essays & Dreams that was published in 2015. And the personal blogs regarding tangible, physical, sometimes-hair-raising, real-time episodes in reality were written into volume 2, Stories & Adventures that was published in early 2016.
Of the 340 blogs that still reside in computer archives, there are perhaps a hundred or so that have not yet been selected for inclusion in another book. This book and its title, A to Z Word Potpourri: Chronicles of a Footloose Forester is the final product. The next job is to make another list and decide which stories, essays, dreams, and adventures might become a suitable fifth book of memoirs that does not require chronology, background history, logical train of thought, or other raison d’être.
Dick Pellek
Author Dick Pellek spent five decades on the road—again—during his career as a forester. His interest in tropical and international forestry impelled him to keep notes and copies of records regarding his travels, observations, and experiences in many of the 106 countries and territories he visited or worked in. Volume I of Acer Rubrum to Zyzyphus Jujuba: Essays and Dreams is an attempt to dissociate his opinions and thoughts, including those emanating from dreams, from his stories based primarily on past travels and adventures. Chronicles relating primarily to anecdotes about places and events have been selected for inclusion in Volume II of Acer Rubrum to Zyzyphus Jujuba: Stories and Adventures. Dick Pellek currently resides in Greenbackville, Virginia, with his wife and soul mate of fifty-one years, who is a central figure in many of the chronicles by the author, who prefers to narrate in the third person tense, as the Footloose Forester. Till this day he and his wife are still celebrating their honeymoon.
Read more from Dick Pellek
Musings to Memoirs: Essays, Stories, Adventures, Dreams Chronicles of a Footloose Forester Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAcer Rubrum to Zyzyphus Jujuba: (Volume I) Essays and Dreams Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAfghanistan to Zambia: Chronicles of a Footloose Forester Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAcer Rubrum to Zyzyphus Jujuba: Stories & Adventures Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to A to Z Word Potpourri
Related ebooks
Desta and King Solomon's Coin of Magic and Fortune, second Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDesta and King Solomon's Coin of Magic and Fortune Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings"In My Dreams I Ride Wild Horses" Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJump off the Face of the Earth: Adventures of an American Nurse in Amazonas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKeeper of Lost Places Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAutumn Wild Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Know the Birds: The Art and Adventure of Birding Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Yellowstone Caldera Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLet The Coyotes Howl: A Story of Philmont Scout Ranch Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWest Kill Creek Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsÆsop's Fables: A Version for Young Readers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJust a Moment: A Memoir Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDragon Lizards of Komodo: An Expedition to the Lost World of the Dutch East Indies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDown The River Road Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHaunted St. Augustine and St. John's County Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Weird But True: 200 Astounding, Outrageous, and Totally Off the Wall Facts Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Tales of Two Peninsulas and an Island Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArmand Bayou Illustrated A Life on the Bayou Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAkers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArchaeology from Space: How the Future Shapes Our Past Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5BIGFOOT NATION: The History of Sasquatch in North America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Roadside Attractions: Cool Cafes, Souvenir Stands, Route 66 Relics, and Other Road Trip Fun Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lo Siento: A South American Sojourn Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsZimbabwe, A Simple History Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAlmost True Christmas Stories Volume 2 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGlobal Warming Fun 4: They Taste Like Chicken Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5More Tales from the Peninsula Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Spotter’s Guide to the Countryside: Uncovering the wonders of Britain’s woods, fields and seashores Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Groundhog Day Book of Facts and Fun Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMillennial Hospitality V: The Greys Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Biography & Memoir For You
A Stolen Life: A Memoir Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Becoming Bulletproof: Protect Yourself, Read People, Influence Situations, and Live Fearlessly Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Disorganized Mind: Coaching Your ADHD Brain to Take Control of Your Time, Tasks, and Talents Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Jack Reacher Reading Order: The Complete Lee Child’s Reading List Of Jack Reacher Series Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good Girls Don't Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: the heartfelt, funny memoir by a New York Times bestselling therapist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ivy League Counterfeiter Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5People, Places, Things: My Human Landmarks Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Leonardo da Vinci Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Working Stiff: Two Years, 262 Bodies, and the Making of a Medical Examiner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers: Spiritual Insights from the World's Most Beloved Neighbor Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Meditations: Complete and Unabridged Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Diary of a Young Girl Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Wright Brothers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5All That Remains: A Renowned Forensic Scientist on Death, Mortality, and Solving Crimes Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Just Mercy: a story of justice and redemption Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Taste: My Life Through Food Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Art of Eating Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Billion Years: My Escape From a Life in the Highest Ranks of Scientology Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mommie Dearest Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Reviews for A to Z Word Potpourri
0 ratings0 reviews