In these Adventures in Language linguist Harold Raley explores fascinating features of English and many other languages in different cultures and historical eras.
Blog Archives
Points of Light
These Points of Light centered on the beauty, humor, and mystery of human life present many perspectives flowing out of the unifying philosophical premise that life, not physical reality, is the foundational reality in which all others are rooted.
A Summer on the Farm
Things in small town America have their own pace. They pass from generation to generation. This could be a story from any one of several states or towns. In a lot of ways, it could have occurred in any of several decades on a family farm in America’s Bible belt. Things don’t change too fast on the farm and they are usually the last to embrace new things such as air conditioning and color television. This story could be of any of the thousands of family owned farms across this nation.
Boats: The story of Billy Lee Telliot and the “Bay Blaster” Shootout
Buckle up Motorsports fans! Put on your life preservers, raise your anchors, and hop inside this book! Now Behold! Known as one of the toughest and most exciting races in the Fast Boat Series: The “Bay Blaster” Shootout is about to begin! Packed with tight turns, lightning-fast straightaways, enormous rocks, and waterfalls, the event brings some of the greatest excitement throughout the land and seas in boating.
The Mystery of Sarah Slater
Hired by the Confederate government in Richmond when it was already in its death throes, Sarah Slater was the perfect agent for a courier between Richmond and the Confederate outpost in Montreal, Canada. Beautiful of face, curvaceous in form, spunky, flirtatious, and fluent in French she was the ideal candidate for a role that saw women often better suited for courier. Male agents faced hanging, women far less punishment. An additional benefit of her French fluency, she could claim protection as a Canadian citizen during casual interrogation. On her third and final trip to Canada in April of 1865 as Richmond lay in ashes, Sarah disappeared in New York. The messages for the Montreal office and the Confederate gold she was supposedly carrying also vanished. That mystery has fascinated historians for over 150 years. The Mystery of Sarah Slater…solved?
Tattletales
A celebrated philosopher once said that in order to understand anything human we must tell a story. He spoke a profound truth, and it is important to understand some of its implications.
Tides of Fortune
These are tales of fortune and forfeiture, happiness and hazard, love and deceit. Some stories are set in specific times and places but not confined to them. Others arise in the mere vastness of the world and belong anywhere applicable or nowhere definitive. For wherever there is human life, there are the yearnings, dreams, possibilities and impossibilities we call tales and stories. For this reason, I do not think of myself as their creator, but only their author or perhaps their channeler. I say this because the people who come to life in this book do not always behave as I wish and plan. I push and they push back. Which is why I am as surprised as the next person by what they decide to do and who they choose to be. Perhaps their way is best. For if the decisions were left up to me, most likely I would be their tyrant. As it is, I end up being their friend.
The Vampire Who Had No Fangs
Catherine’s Christmas
Catherine’s Christmas is set in the small but bustling town of Inverness, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, circa 1920.
The School Mice and The New Baby
Mrs. Pringle shares a secret with her class, and soon there is great excitement at Maple Creek School!
Join the Mouse family and their friends as they all share in two life changing events!