“So simplify the problem of life, distinguish the necessary and the real. Probe the Earth to see where your main roots run.” -Henry David Thoreau- April 20, 2017- Throughout the last three days, we’ve traveled by foot under changing skies- one moment we drip with rain, and then in another we’re pelted with hail. The … Continue reading
Summers were spent in the alternate reality that was Beach Haven. The small strip of beach between the YMCA camp and the harbor on Orcas Island, divided by large rocks that jutted out into the sound. A natural barrier against reality. Sometimes civilization would weedle its way in, in the form of yogurt containers and … Continue reading
Holy Trinity, So tender and wild. ps. credit goes to Alicia’s student for initial inception of this idea. pps. Happy Vernal Equinox! Continue reading
She opens her eyes in the morning to see dust in her room floating in the air. The light catches it in streams. She thinks this is beautiful. He is on his 30th hour without sleep, but peers into his patient’s body, chest cut open, at a live, pulsing heart. It is burgundy and navy … Continue reading
For as long as I can remember, September has been a time of change. Leaves changing brilliant colors, their veins bleeding red, orange, and yellow. Air cooling, pencils being sharpened, morning bike rides necessitating that extra layer at last. This seasonal change has usually been one that I relish, something that most people experience at … Continue reading
“America’s history is written in her trees. Ponderosa Pines have thick bark, giving the species a high tolerance to surface fires. These trees likely survived dozens of wildfires. Ponderosa are often widely spaced and surrounded by lush grasses because of natural fire disturbances, creating a true haven for wildlife. Everything from grizzly bears to herds … Continue reading
When I moved back to Portland nine months ago in June 2011, I jumped face first back into my city. I adopted my mom’s old bike that she had used to traverse Portland from SE 20th and Main to Good Samaritan Hospital in the early 1980s. I saw it as my piece of history, reviving … Continue reading
“In 1898 a party of thirty church ministers, seeking the larger view, boarded six horse-drawn carriages in town and headed uphill at 4:30 pm. Two hours later they arrived [at the top]. Convinced that native people had held council at this lofty site, the ministers named it Council Crest. Today, a two-hour drive leads to … Continue reading
Do you ever wish you lived in a different era in history, maybe a different country, a different city, or a different time period? When I was in elementary school, my best friend, her sister, and I took a trip to the Oregon Coast with their family. We joyfully ran through the long grass between … Continue reading
As was the case with a previous post about the Harry Stairs in San Francisco, I have been saving up for a chance to write about my favorite stairways of the West Hills in Portland. When the creative juices are running low, nothing is more inspiring than thinking and writing about one’s favorite places. It … Continue reading
in the midst 