(This story first appeared in “Snapshots at St. Arbuck’s Vol II”) ©2012 R.G. Ryan Singing. I heard singing. Behind me. It was loud enough to compete with the in-store sound system at a typically busy St. Arbuck's on a fall day that felt more like early summer. I turned partway around in my chair to identify the … Continue reading Always Right

Jake and Aaron Go for Coffee ©2022 R.G. Ryan "Did you watch the Oscars Sunday night?" asked Aaron Perry—world famous jazz artist and my best friend. We stood in line for coffee at the shrine of the Green Mermaid, each of us scanning the vastly reduced seating area in hopes of something opening up by … Continue reading Jake and Aaron Go For Coffee

It's windy today here in Alpine. Not the gentle sea breezes I recall from a childhood spent on the central coast of California, but the kind of gale that tests the mettle of everything in its path. Trees bend, windows rattle, and roofs threaten to disintegrate one tile at a time. High profile vehicles such as my SUV … Continue reading Blowin’ In the Wind

Mattie ©2010 R.G. Ryan Mattie will be 80 on his next birthday although at this point he doesn't think he'll live to see it. I was sitting with him last week at St. Arbuck's talking about politics and life in general...and suddenly he wasn't there. Eyes glazed over, head drooping, breathing gone shallow, and on … Continue reading Mattie

The coffee shop was atypically quiet this early spring morning. The usual hordes of people were missing. The only thing breaking the silence was the casual banter between the sleep-deprived baristas behind the counter, who had been there since 4:00 a.m., and John Prine singing about “Summer’s End” on satellite radio. My cell phone was off—witness … Continue reading Just Sittin’…Thinkin’

The early morning sun danced over the ocean's surface as blithely as a bride at her wedding reception. Scents of lavender, mixed with a myriad of unrecognizable, exotic tropical smells, filled the air with a potpourri of fragrance enlivening my senses and refreshing my soul. St. Arbuck's in Ka'anapali, on Maui's north shore, was filled … Continue reading Life, One Sip at a Time: Of Trombones and Trajectories

I was about to type, “I will try to make this brief,” when I thought, “Now, why would I want to do that? Why even consider truncating the life of one of the most amazing and significant people I’ve ever had the honor to call friend?” So, buckle up. This might take a minute. I … Continue reading Gerald Moody Ford: In Memoriam

I’ve just had a look at the Christmas story as told by Matthew in chapter 1:18-25 of his gospel, and a few things triggered my imagination that I want to pass along to you. (Remember, I AM a writer, and us authors are all mad as snakes, cursed/blessed with vivid imaginations. So, bear with me … Continue reading Christmas Seen

Honesty compels me to confess that rowdy children in a small, enclosed space like a coffee shop are not one of my favorite things. Actually, now that I think about it, unruly kids are off-putting regardless of the environment. And don’t get me started on the topic of inattentive, permissive parental units! So, there I … Continue reading Birth Control

After The Storm A cold and spiteful rain was falling, driven along by a raking wind that seemed bent on scouring the earth of everything in its path. The storm had literally come out of nowhere flooding streets and taxing the flood control channels that all the experts had promised would be equal to rainfall … Continue reading Life, One Sip at a Time: After the Storm