Ray Branbury said write a short story a week, reasoning that it is impossible to write 52 bad short stories in a row. When I came across his advice, it really resonated with me. So I am giving it a try, making an effort to …

The time I drove across the Cascade Mountains and the ‘Red Headed Stranger’ rode shotgun
I recently made a long, solo drive from Seattle over the Cascade Mountains, and I found a great road trip companion: Willie Nelson’s “Red Headed Stranger.” In Eastern Washington and Oregon on my way to the Columbia River Gorge the haunting songs with sparse arrangements …
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A Columbia River wind farm
From the roadside, they stand deceptively spindly, stark white rotor blades affixed to hubs teetering atop a troupe of toothpicks dotting a parched moonscape high above the river gorge, aloof and mesmerizing like ballet dancers as they spin cartwheel style converting a famous blow into …

In Seattle, where a walk in the neighborhood is threatened by more cars and less parking
Walkway or driveway? My neighborhood strolls are often blocked by vehicles straddling the sidewalk. I’m not talking about a quick pull-in to unload groceries or building supplies. Cars and trucks are parked overnight and often left that way all day. Some partially block the sidewalk, …
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