Who would have thought that a once simple joy is now just a treasured memory. Although many state that “we will get through this“, I have a hard time seeing the light at the end of this dark tunnel. Sports have always been a part of my life. Stadium crowds cheering on their team, the…
Tag: Travel
back in the Emerald City
Neopolitan ice cream begs for the three flavors to be mixed together until all one has is a light brown sugary mess. Such was my state of mind as the plane touched down at the Sea-Tac airport. I could barely recall my purpose in coming here. The familiar city streets and bustling sounds of Seattle…
Port of Edmonds
In times of turmoil and unrest the old man finds the most comfort in the mighty sea. The repetitive, endless nature of the tide, boats that gently rock like tinker toys from his childhood on the waves, the sweet call of ocean birds to the mighty creatures below the ocean’s surface. Yes, the writings of…
Silver Falls
The rain is falling lightly as I swing my backpack over one shoulder and slip my arm through the other strap. I’ve missed having my backpack be an integral part of my self. I don’t necessarily need it for today’s hiking through Oregon’s Silver Falls, but, like the warming comfort of an old friend that…
The Dundee Treehouse
Fall is in the air as I make my way out of Portland, Oregon and over to the Williamette Valley and wine region. It’s overcast with a slight wind on this evening as I find the town of Dundee and my accommodations for the weekend, the Dundee Treehouse. Rising steeply upward, with three different levels,…
Vessel of Hope
June 2014 was the last time I was in the Soweto slums outside Nairobi, Kenya. It was our final day on the Vessel of Hope school project, and we all were working furiously to get things finished. We added a cement roof earlier, replacing the corrugated, rusty tin sheets, which was a major accomplishment taking…
time in Carlisle & Fern Lee
I cross the bridge that leads me out of Rickerby park and find myself on the edge of the town known as Carlisle. The sounds of a real city are deafening to my ears. I go no more than a couple of blocks before I find my guest house for the next couple of days,…
Day seven on the Wall – Onward to Irthington
Gray skies cover Gilsland in the morning as I walk out the front door of the Hill on the Wall B & B. I catch my reflection in one of the large windows and see a face full of thoughts about my time in Kenya. This leg of my journey will be all about reconciling…
The Nisqually Bird Refuge
It has been seven years since the last time I accidentally stumbled upon a bird refuge. In 2012 while traveling the lonely roads of New Mexico in the days before Thanksgiving, I found the Bosque del Apache national wildlife refuge. I remember sitting in a bird box blind being fascinated with the peace and tranquility…
Clifton & the Yellow house
Almost three hours later from my home I arrive to the Clifton area and the locked gate that leads to the Yellow House. I check in with the world of social media before I lose cell phone coverage and see the devastating news. Trudy killed herself in her bedroom home, with her family in the…
Sian Ka’an
On the evening after my first day of adventure in Tulum, I get a text message stating that due to the current high winds, my Sian Ka’an tour for the following morning would have to be cancelled. I was visibly disappointed, hoping that the winds would shift so that I could go on the boat…
The historic Rose Cottage
The cottage was built around 1934, only a few years after the long tunnel was constructed in Zion National Park. Times were tough and building materials were salvaged wherever they could be found. The wood flooring in the living and dining room came when the Civilian Conservation Corp. was dismantled (in 1942) in the park….