The plan to turn our sparse backyard into a beautiful thriving garden is well underway. This year we opted to turn half of the yard into a garden by bringing in 10 yards of dirt and mulch. Getting all of our grass ripped out and dirt put in was hard work, but thanks to some…
Behind the Scenes: Summer Vacation (June 16 update)
Behind the Scenes: Summer Vacation (Day 6, June 17 update) WAIKOLOA VILLAGE, Hawaii – After our failure to reach the bottom of the Waipi’o Valley on Sunday, we made it a point that we were not going to be defeated by the Pololu Valley. I mean, the trail was only a 13-percent grade. Half as…
Wilson Creek
It all started with a question. “What are you guys doing this weekend?” It was my way of making morning small talk with my coworkers while seeping a green tea bag in a mug of hot water. The result of the morning chatter was a plan for a group of us to spend a few…
Memories of the Viaduct and Joe Torre
While no one will exactly be shedding tears that the old Alaskan Way Viaduct in downtown Seattle will be removed in the coming months, the structure does hold some fond memories in my heart. As much as a freeway can hold memories. The two-level, raised freeway running along Seattle’s waterfront is a true blight on…
2018 Reading List
At the beginning of last year I had a few goals when it came to what I read. I wanted to read at least 30 books. I wanted to alternate between fiction and non-fiction. I wanted to read more minority writers than white writers, and at least as many women authors as men. Looking back…
Ernest Hemingway changed my life
As I sit here writing this blog in my office (don’t tell my boss), I marvel at how something so simple as reading a book can change the course of your entire life. In a classroom about 150 yards from where I sit, I was asked to read Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom The Bell Tolls….
Traveling the PNW 