Farmland | over Southern California | 2018
Extracted from desert, irrigated fields come into focus through clouds drifting below my window. A dreamy techno-marvel of flight and food. I snap a photo and adjust its contrast by touching a fingertip to the rectangle of glass in my hand. Another wonder. The flight attendant asks — at 33,000 feet above Earth — if a (more…)
Explorer | Twisp, WA | 2017
Jane’s walk always took her across the upper pasture, through the dell of tall grasses, around the seasonal pond, and atop the high ridge that offered views of the valley she loved. But this morning, it all seemed more … well, vivid. The landscape she knew so well burst with fresh sights and sounds. The pasture glistened with crystals of dew, the grasses whispered in the wind, the pond thrummed with a hatch of insects, and the ridge presented a misty mountaintop she’d never noticed before. At first, she was puzzled by this (more…)
Gone for Winter | Twisp, WA | 2017
In our neck of the woods, tipis come and tipis go. Back-to-the-land hopefuls see the Native American tent as a simple, low-cost antidote to modern-day ills (rampant materialism, career rat race) and can often thrive in its rough-cut coziness. Until winter, that is. In sub-freezing temps, the handling of food, fire, water, laundry and kids is so much easier in an (more…)
High Fields | Badger Mountain, WA | 2017
The best snow is the skiff that brings definition to a mundane landscape. Like dusting for fingerprints, a light flurry can reveal the terrain’s identity — Nature’s sculpted loops and whorls — along with man’s attempts to transform it. We’re witness to a (more…)
Walkway | Seattle, WA | 2017
Excited visitors streamed across the elevated walkway at Seattle’s aviation museum. Everyone, that is, except Jules. He stood at one end of the long glass tunnel and quietly, but firmly, told his wife that he couldn’t do it. “I’ll go outside and just walk across the street the regular way,” he insisted. “But it’s cold and raining,” she said. “And traffic is heavy, scary.” She faced him and held both his hands. “Besides, you need to do this,” she said. “You said you would. You told me (more…)
14 on the Fly | East Wenatchee, WA | 2017
Before you rush to join the crowd, consider the benefits of hovering alone. You float free in a cloud of thoughts — your thoughts — without judgment or boundaries. Wacky ideas mix equally with (more…)
Grasses in Snow | Twisp, WA | 2017
Winter days — sometimes glittery, sometimes dark, always chilly — give good reason to reach out and embrace. Warm feelings surge amid heartfelt hugs. Reassurance of our love (more…)
Walk in Wonder | Twisp, WA | 2017
Merry Christmas, everyone! Sincere thanks for following this blog. I remind you that this is a one-year project that will wrap-up on (more…)
Evening | Fairfield Bay, AR | 2017
Dusk. When the world settles down and ripples lull (in the pool and in life) and the neighborhood quiets and birds flock their way home. It’s a precious few minutes before voices prick the peace, those kids from up the street strutting down for an after-dinner swim. As always, the stillness provides (more…)
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