A River Knows My Name

Here's a film my son Casey made with his friends last year up at Mt. Baker and Shuksan Arm. I was speechless when I first saw this.   He's the young man in the reddish orange coat and the one in…

Fasten your seatbelts for an astonishing journey through Glacier Bay National Park including one-of-a-kind wildlife encounters.  A feast for the eyes and imagination as well as an important lesson in history.  Thanks to Kurt Dunbar for another unforgettable piece:

When we talk about rites of passage, we often think of some ritual or experience that commemorates the passage from adolescence to adulthood.  But, there are other rites of passage that involve transitions no less important.  These are rites-of-passage that…

Any teacher can attest to the fact that students have a lot to say about their education, and I have heard repeatedly from my high school students, that much of their frustration lies in being cooped up indoors listening to…

Sometimes our behavior and experience brings us into direct confrontation with our value systems and we're forced to make a choice.   Here's another gem by Kurt Dunbar. 

“You are right about the poor badger. I blew him up. I left…

Here's another excerpt from my upcoming memoir, A River Knows My Name.   Sometimes in life you just have to believe that the way forward will only appear after you step out of your comfort zone.  I hope you enjoy:   

It…

I wasn't far into the story before a familiar feeling of dread welled up in me.  I knew that this hunting trip in the desert with Crazy Ivan was not going to go according to plan.  I'm glad you survived…

The following story is a great reminder to always look back (unless you're running for your life I suppose).   You never know what you might otherwise miss.  Thanks to Beth Redman for submitting this:                                                                    

I hiked the estuary loop at…

My kids and I camped for two nights at Hobuck Beach, where the wind howled nonstop.   The beaches were empty, and beside a few dogs making the rounds, there was not a whole lot of activity.   In other words, it…

As I come into the spring of 2022, I am grateful.  My life is much different than it was four years ago, with changes I could not possibly have imagined.  Yet, here I am with a heart full of gratitude…

Thank you Derek for this poem by your great grandfather.  This is so rich and stirring:

.

The Trees (circa 1919, Olympia)  

I live in a land of trees, 

And it is as much agony 

As joy 

To live there. 

…

Thanks to Derek Platt for this gem.   This is a stirring reminder of life's richness and potential when we set off on a journey with an open heart:     

A number of years ago, I embarked on a solo bicycle trip…