My life here in the northeastern Adirondacks, an area sometimes called the Adirondack North Country, centers on my wife and family of three daughters.

Jack Downs

Although I’ve long enjoyed cross-country skiing, kayaking and horseback riding, past are the years when I kicked and glided through the Canadian Ski Marathon, kayaked every other day and wrote a local kayaking guide book, and competed in equestrian events.

With my age and aches I’ve become more reflective. Thus this blog.

My changing employment is also linked to this creative effort. For more than 25 years I worked as a reporter and editor at the Press-Republican in Plattsburgh. Since about 2010 I moved to full-time teaching in the Journalism and Public Relations Department at SUNY Plattsburgh, although I still help out at the local newspaper occasionally.

This blog is part of preparation for a course I am teaching.

Want to reach out to me? See my contact page.