Where the Buffalo Roam
Weekend Reads v. 2 August 2026
You guys, I’m finally doing it. I’m having a summer! I’m having adventures and enjoying watermelon on hot days (with salt – does anyone else like it that way?). I’m also down-shifting my mind to a slower, more leisurely pace. Not everything has to be a fire drill, and summer is a brilliant time for me to put this lesson into practice.
My focus on my summer bucket list led me to skip last week’s letter to you so that I could be fully immersed in a friend’s visit. We ate a once-in-a-blue-moon kind of meal at The Inn at Little Washington and stayed in a small town where neither of us had steady mobile phone reception. It was glorious. And this week I write to you from a cabin perched on a hill just outside Yellowstone. My plan for today is to start with a slow morning and then take my fancy camera to Lamar Valley where I will – fingers crossed – capture at least one frameable photo of a bison.
Is it cliche to say I’m in search of bison in this part of the world? Judging by the gift shop trinkets, I’m not the only one. Bison are most certainly the mascot of these wide expanses of golden grass. There is something magical about them, so the fascination makes sense. Their massive girth doesn’t prevent them from moving in a seemingly graceful manner. Where deer appear to delicately prance across fields and cattle plow whilst eating and then skedattle when spooked, the bison is the cool older kid in school. Roaming when solo and flowing like a massive tidal wave when keeping up with friends.
Gift shop trinkets aside, my mind could be on bison because I’ve spent the last month reading my first James Michener novel. I’m nearly finished with Centennial, a story set not far from where I sit today. The bison appear for a spell in the novel, after the beaver and ahead of cattle. It’s heartbreaking to see these animals driven to the brink of extinction, and Mr. Michener holds little back on the subject.
Maybe that’s the reason bison seem almost magical – they defied the absolute worst odds. Poachers and prejudice sought to wipe them out, but they persevered. A few lucky bison survived by hiding away in valleys or finding shelter with a sympathetic rancher while calls for their slaughter rang out. They even survived the disappointing pocket veto of a president as people back east tried to intervene on their behalf. When I look across these golden fields, I can’t help but picture what was, what was lost, and what almost was not ours to treasure.
Fun fact for your day, according to the National Park Service, “for many Indigenous people, buffalo, a name used for hundreds of years, remains the name of choice for these animals. As a general rule, buffalo is often used in a cultural context while bison is used in a scientific context.”
How on earth?? This phone case is a terrarium!
Architect Harry Gesner’s homes are iconic in that they seem to “surf” the hillsides and coast of California. I appreciate the insight this article gave into him and these really amazing structures.
This article about Portugal as a country brimming with artisans struck a chord with me because the sliver of land sandwiched between Spain and the Atlantic really does punch well above its weight when it comes to luxurious linens, jewelry, and intricately painted pottery. Thankfully for those of us who are not traveling to Lisbon this summer, the always fantastic online store Luisa Paixao will let us have a bit of Portugal in our homes.
Did Medieval people love their children? Why, yes, they did
“The ability to be wrong is one of the most important virtues, and it is extremely difficult. It should be emphasized in families and schools alongside standard virtues like honesty, sharing, and kindness, starting as young as possible.”
– Alan Levinovitz (Source, Swiss Miss)
This movie looks very good and will definitely make me cry.
Framebridge unveiled a great way to showcase some of your summer souvenirs.
I haven’t really noticed a nail polish color deemed the IT color of the summer, but Elle magazine swears it’s Tomato Red, so what do I know?
When it comes to the song of this summer, the answer is clear: Ella Langley’s Choosin’ Texas is everywhere, and I’m not mad about it.
Ok, I get it, don’t wish your life away. I’m immersed in the present, in summer, yada yada, and yet I am ready to embrace all the magical things Autumn brings us. I’ve already started scouting a college football game to attend, and this recipe for Buckeye Brownies feels like a perfect dessert for a tailgate. Amiright?!
“No matter how well you’re doing in life, there’s almost always someone, somewhere, on some dimension who’s doing better...unhappy people tended to compare themselves with other people...happy people tended to compare themselves with their past.” (source: A Little More Social by Nicholas Epley, h/t Rob Henderson)
Survey says: Younger people think expressing yourself – at any cost – is good and alcohol is bad. Older adults say, mind your manners and ask, “When is happy hour?”
Willie Nelson is not into data centers. Guess he also is not into the internet/social media/digital convenience?
Prince is getting the Broadway treatment with the new musical “Purple Rain.” I really wonder what he would have thought about this.
Joy the Baker comes in clutch with a whole list of ways to put this season’s fresh blueberries to use.
Luxury cruises are becoming a thing. See: the new Orient Express Sailing Yachts, Windstar Cruises, and the luxury brands hopping on board to provide travelers with the royal treatment.
What is the view from where you sit? Are you traveling, relaxing, catching up with loved ones? Or are you a bit stunned to see the calendar read August?