After a week’s vacation I arrive home to discover a neon orange sign with block letters nailed to an old oak just outside the village: “Mud – Pass At Your Own Risk.”

Welcome home!

When my teenage son, Cody and his buddy announced their intention to climb Mounts Adams and Madison, the northern Presidentials over the February school vacation, hiking in the deep snow and camping overnight at a shelter. I knew it’d be a sleepless night – for me. 

Amid the grim economic news of slumping sales, nationwide job cuts, and local layoffs while the president and congressional leaders debate how best to prevent a “crisis” from becoming a “catastrophe,” I’m seeking a different “c” word: catharsis.