This week I had an extra day in Washington DC. A perfect opportunity to literally “spend” a day. As I left the hotel, I told Mark, at the front desk, “I’m off to explore.” “Then do me a favor,” he said, smiling, “can you find me the secret of life?” “I’ll give it a shot,” [...]
In a memorable M*A*S*H* episode, there is a wounded bombardier who thinks he is Jesus. The camp is mixed. Some say he’s crazy, most say he’s doing an act in order to get discharged from the Army. One person in camp believes him. Radar O’Reilly. It’s time for the man’s release. Radar walks out to [...]
Like most small towns in America, summer brings a festival. (I know we are several weeks off from summer, but it never hurts to anticipate.) A weekend of festivity, gastronomic adventure and community identity. On Vashon Island we celebrate the Strawberry Festival. A long time ago, there were strawberry fields on our island. No more. [...]
As a storeowner tacked a sign above his door, ‘Puppies for Sale,’ a little boy appeared and asked. “How much are you going to sell those puppies for?” The storeowner replied “$50 each.” The little boy reached into his pocket and pulled out some change. “I have $2.37, can I have a look at them?” The storeowner [...]
Walking the streets of Hong Kong, one cannot help notice the number of vendors, pushing their carts along the streets in and out of traffic. Repeatedly shouting, “Sale! Sale! Specials items for sale!” It is not easy to avoid the aggressive sales pitches. One visitor noticed a single vendor, clearly different. The vendor was quiet, [...]
Do you know the story about the dog negotiating traffic, eluding Washington State Police, and crossing a bridge? (Yes, it sounds like aFar Side Cartoon.) But this was not just any bridge. Zeb, an Australian shepherd, crossed the “520 Bridge,” spanning Lake Washington. (For those keeping notes, the “520,” the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, is the longest floating bridge [...]
There are moments in our lives that can change everything. For Chris Orwig, it happened in a tent, at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in California. A bachelor party; and he was camping with a group of friends. When first invited, Chris said no. He relented when told that the first [...]
Two brothers, living on adjoining farms, fell into conflict. In forty years of farming side by side, sharing machinery, providing mutual support and assistance whenever needed, it is their first rift. But it doesn’t take much, does it? A conflict that begins with a small misunderstanding can grow into a major fracture. Weeks (spilling into [...]
On an unseasonably cool night the Red Bike Restaurant is packed with patrons, for a local fundraiser auctioning creative and bizarrely decorated Wellies. Here in the Pacific Northwest, Wellington boots are considered formal wear. I expected good island entertainment. I did not expect to have my heart tugged. Sporting their wellies, a group of island [...]
