“You could be sad at how many stories go untold, but you could also be delighted at how many stories we catch and share in delight and wonder and astonishment.” The esteemed Brian Doyle (1957-2017) Cold, salty water seeps into the mesh tops of my cycling shoes, as the crunch of sand bites metal cleats. … Continue reading
The other day, while riding down an especially busy stretch of Missouri state highway (with no rideable shoulder, to boot), we asked ourselves whether more people think us brave or foolish for riding our bikes across the country. We didn’t know. Needless to say, we sometimes think of ourselves as both brave and foolish, often … Continue reading
Earlier this year, the Montana State Senate made national news when legislators proposed creating a $25 “touring cyclist tax,” which would require visiting cyclists to buy a permit in order to ride on 2-lane roads state-wide. Senate President Scott Sales was the most outspoken about the proposal, saying that cyclists were self centered and rude … Continue reading
“Breathe on the world. Hold out your hands to it. When mornings and evenings roll along, watch how they open and close, how they invite you to the long party that your life is.” -William Stafford: “A Valley Like This”- We’re still getting into a routine: arise from tent at 7am, deflate and pack our … Continue reading
“It was about an hour after sunset. The Catlin Gabel campus was completely still all around. But yet, nothing was still at all. Not even the tiny bright green fern sprouting from rich soil. The wind went crazy and there were way too many bird calls around to keep track of, and yet not enough. … Continue reading
lines layers lineage all map the story of this great giant, now buried in the sand. You may also like: Weathered Nurse Log Wy’east Continue reading
“Our mission is to plant ourselves at the gates of hope- a different, sometimes lonely place, of truth-telling about your own soul first of all and its condition, the place of resistance and defiance, from which you see the world both as it is and as it could be, as it will be; the place … Continue reading
You can never tell with them. Dangerous and riveting creatures altogether. Best to avoid them because they can do and will bring you [pain]…but they are so utterly fascinating, so unpredictable, so allowing, that you find yourself drawn to them almost against your will, against your better judgment, against all sense and sanity, day after … Continue reading
A Saturday morning in December. Drizzly. Cold. Steel-like. The sidewalks are slick but I’m out running, breathing in the cold air like I’ve never breathed before. My hands are clammy with rain, clutching my house keys desperately. I urge my legs to go faster, wanting to feel them straining, wanting to feel my lungs hurt. … Continue reading
From my window, I can see the tall pines in the park. They are dark and tall, like sentinels. They have known many years of the comings and goings of the human way. I put my writing desk in front of this window so I could stare out at the tops of these trees, cutting … Continue reading
in the midst 