bethoffreshair

saxicoline.

[sak-sik–uh-lin, -lahyn] adjective, Botany, Zoology living or growing among rocks. I sat in the sunshine at a coffee shop called The Daily Dose in Crested Butte and enjoyed about half my daily dose of caffeine. I shared a campsite with a father and his son last night and I could not have enjoyed myself more. The campground was full and theyContinue reading “saxicoline.”

argonaut.

noun. [ahr-guh-nawt, -not] A person in quest of something dangerous but rewarding; adventurer. Classical Mythology. A member of the band of men who sailed to Colchis with Jason in the ship Argo in search of the Golden Fleece. A person who moved to California during the gold rush of 1849. Paper nautilus. I’m in NebraskaContinue reading “argonaut.”

nabob.

[ney-bob] noun any very wealthy, influential, or powerful person. Also, nawab. a person, especially a European, who has made a large fortune in India or another country of the East. I was fortunate to be accepted back at the Outfitters to work a couple months while I was home meeting my amazing nephew, Jack. While I was folding a bright pink Patagonia t-shirt, a customer sauntered in and asked his friend, my manager, “Have you ever been to Ketchum, Idaho?”Continue reading “nabob.”

accouterment.

or (especially British) accoutrement [uh–koo-ter-muh nt, -truh-] noun personal clothing, accessories, etc. the equipment, excluding weapons and clothing, of a soldier. I loaded up Sangria Kia with accouterment galore, including wool base layers, bamboo leggings, my coffee maker, and hats full of buttons. I put an “Asheville” sticker on Sangria’s dupa and she seemed to be glowing, knowing an adventure was on the horizon. There’s not much IContinue reading “accouterment.”

flumadiddle.

[fluhm-uh–did-l] noun 1. utter nonsense. 2. worthless frills. The moving process can be refreshing. Getting rid of all the excess that I’ve accumulated over the years makes me feel lighter. So the past few nights, I’ve been going through the flumadiddle. I have trolls made out of pine cones by my alumna friend in Ireland. I haveContinue reading “flumadiddle.”

piebald.

[pahy-bawld] adjective 1. having patches of black and white or of other colors; parti-colored. noun 2. a piebald animal, especially a horse. It’s amazing how being around people you’re not usually around can expand your horizons. Recently, I looked out at the horizon with visitors from Oregon. We went on a walk in the woods (it’s hardContinue reading “piebald.”

tenderfoot.

[ten-der-foo t] noun, plural tenderfoots, tenderfeet [ten-der-feet] 1. a raw, inexperienced person; novice. 2. a newcomer to the ranching and mining regions of the western U.S., unused to hardships. Idaho was covered in mountains which were covered in evergreens which were covered in snow. It looked like Narnia from the comfort of my heated Kia. I stayed inContinue reading “tenderfoot.”

mien.

[meen] noun air, bearing, or demeanor, as showing character, feeling, etc. I have experienced some oddly overwhelming feelings as of late whilst dog-sitting a pit bull mix. She is not mean at all. But her mien is one that has captured my heart. She is a ball of energy named Picnic who puts all of her weight into me when I pet her.Continue reading “mien.”

stinkaroo.

[sting-kuh-roo, sting-kuh-roo] noun, plural stinkaroos. Slang. 1. something markedly inferior in quality. In my humble opinion: Superior: Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel” Stinkaroo: Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel” (still better than no Wheelin’ at all) —————————————————————————————————- Superior: People who pick up trash they see on sidewalks Stinkaroo: People who leave trash on sidewalks —————————————————————————————————- Superior: Frenchy’s RockawayContinue reading “stinkaroo.”

aggrandize.

[uh–gran-dahyz, ag-ruh n-dahyz] verb (used with object), aggrandized, aggrandizing. to widen in scope; increase in size or intensity; enlarge; extend. to make great or greater in power, wealth, rank, or honor. to make (something) appear greater. When I want to aggrandize my day, when I need to widen the scope, enlarge my perspective, and bask in something greater, I race to the sunset on the Gulf coast. Sometimes I give myself plenty of time and it’s not a race. I walk around Crystal Beach, set upContinue reading “aggrandize.”