Happy Spring!

A few weeks ago someone turned on the switch for springtime! Just like that, the skies cleared and the temperatures started to rise. We still get some cold nights and cloudy days, but this corner of the Pacific Northwest is letting go of the grey winter pattern. The nearby Olympic Mountains still have lots of snow, but…

Long Distance Walking- The Training Begins

I have daydreamed about walking long distances for a very long time. I have been especially interested in exploring the rail-trails in the Western U.S., walking through Great Britan, and taking a pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Dream is about all I have done. I walk all the time, but I have…

Fur Boy

Tango is 11.5 years old! When we walk and explore, he seems like a much younger dog because he is spry and active. When you look closer, he is showing his age. I see a bit of cloudiness in his eyes and gray around his muzzle. I have been told that Aussies can live a very…

Global Shipping Update

Earlier this year, I wrote about the global shipping machine. Approximately 90% of goods, globally, travel by ship. The amount of fuel those giant vessels use and the pollution they emit is unfathomable. Even worse, these ships are filled with crappy plastic junk that none of us really need. Plastic flower pots, cheap polyester clothing, and…

Validating Strangers

I don’t know if this is a positive thing or not: as I grow older I see through people’s pretensions when I first meet them. Life experience seems to give us X-ray vision into a person’s motivations and behaviors. When we were younger, I think we projected all kinds of traits onto someone new and…