https://micheal.hotchkin.net/ Blog https://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2025/10/1/over-the-border-and-into-the-pene-exclaveIt was three hundred years after Christopher Columbus landed on an island he named San Salvador ("Holy Savior") and Pope Alexander VI had divided the globe into zones of influence, controlled by the Kingdom of Portugal to the east and the Crown of Castile to the west, before American and European explorers began a comprehensive survey of what today is known as the Pacific Northwest, which is where I live.2025-10-01T21:00:34Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2025/9/25/three-swings-and-some-missesBingen, Washington, is a town of 774 souls and less than a mile square on the Columbia River within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, a popular tourist destination. Founded in 1892 with a view across the river toward the 11,249‐foot Mount Hood, the tallest peak in Oregon, the local chamber of commerce says Bingen is "your launch pad for adventure," a gateway for windsurfing, skiing, snowmobiling, kayaking, hiking, horseback trail riding, mountain biking, and fishing and hunting.2025-09-25T15:46:13Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2025/8/9/eating-as-if-i-live-hereA furtle of my kitchen pantry this morning as I looked for the salt tumbled onto the counter chile guajillo, asafoetida, urfa biber, sumac, and all the spices from the Moluccas that the European maritime powers once vied to control.2025-08-09T14:58:47Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2025/8/1/memories-and-points-of-interest-reflections-on-the-waterWe were guests this week on a tour by boat of the shores of Lake Washington, Union Bay, Portage Bay, and Lake Union, bodies of water that describe a path from our neighborhood toward Salmon Bay, Shilshole Bay, Puget Sound, and the world beyond.2025-08-01T16:00:19Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2025/6/29/complaint-departmentI am a fickle consumer who makes choices largely from research and empiricism rather than from custom or the spur of advertisement, but one cannot help being made an interpreter of advertising given its incessant bowwow.2025-06-29T22:59:55Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2025/6/11/marvelous-creations-even-when-unseenThe Seattle Aquarium at Pier 59 on the central waterfront opened its new Ocean Pavilion to great acclaim a year ago, and, as enthusiastic patrons of such things, we had to sheepishly confess to friends, who asked, that we had not yet made time to see it for ourselves.2025-06-11T19:19:46Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2025/5/10/a-hit-with-the-clubI joined a group of others last weekend to crew a flotilla of six sailboats navigating the waters of the Salish Sea. Our purpose was to sightsee in the San Juan Islands, make a crossing of the Strait of Juan de Fuca at the border with Canada, and visit the turf of the old United States government quarantine station at Point Hudson.2025-05-10T16:44:29Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2025/4/3/friends-motorcycles-and-sunshineIn the 1987 Francis Ford Coppola film Barfly, based on the life of the poet Charles Bukowski (1920--1994), when Faye Dunaway asks Mickey Rourke if he hates people, she is told, "No, but I seem to feel better when they're not around."2025-04-03T21:30:48Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2025/3/25/life-death-and-chocolate-follow-the-ides-of-marchThe ides of March is the day on the calendar used by the Roman Kingdom and the Roman Republic that corresponds to what we know as March 15. It is a reference that is familiar because William Shakespeare wrote of it in his play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, where, in Act 1, Scene 2, a soothsayer warns Caesar, "Beware the ides of March."2025-03-25T23:39:05Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2025/3/10/crown-thy-good-with-brotherhoodThe winter heath (Erica carnea) in our garden is in full bloom this week in its annual pungling up for the chance to beguile passersby, and I count myself among those riveted by its electric flowers when seen in the gloaming of a late‐winter day.2025-03-10T16:58:08Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2024/3/17/this-will-do-nicelyThe final Saturday of winter this year was sunny and warm in western Washington, where the mollusks are plentiful and the Marionberries are delicious. It was the earliest the National Weather Service station at Sea‐Tac airport has logged 74℉ or higher in the eight decades since recordkeeping began there.2024-03-18T02:03:43Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2023/10/18/while-you-mayThirty years ago, I was regularly sailing a Bill Shaw‐designed Pearson 32 out of Elliott Bay Marina in Seattle. I was also living in the Belltown neighborhood downtown, so a quick drive up Elliott Avenue was all the effort needed to get to the berth and, even when not going for a sail, I would make the short drive to the marina on a day off to sit in the sun reading and listening to loose halyards banging on masts, smelling the smells, and watching the lazy movements of boats to and fro inside the breakwater.2023-10-19T00:43:41Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2022/9/9/invasion-of-the-monkeygrassI keep an eye on the monkeygrass (Liriope muscari) in our garden in late summer waiting for it to blossom.2022-09-10T00:15:21Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2022/4/21/a-whole-bunch-of-rhododendronsMy wife and I until very recently had no idea that the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden existed a short drive away from home.2022-04-21T22:06:39Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2022/3/13/spring-methinksNot for the first time, I am in our front yard pondering the uses to which I might put a decoction of mole. The garbage truck driver has stayed to chat and suggests that the pernicious insectivores are here because we have the best dirt in the neighborhood.2022-03-13T20:45:08Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2022/3/7/things-presentI have driven past the Winsome building in Woodinville, Washington, many times, admiring the monumental art facing the street.2022-03-07T13:02:32Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2022/1/11/blooming-viburnumGround travel from one side of Washington state to the other requires crossing the Cascade Mountains or tracing the Columbia River along the southern state border.2022-01-11T23:02:45Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2021/10/2/life-hands-you-grapesThe present age of the Earth is estimated to be 4.54 billion years (give or take), a figure so mystifying that were it twice that, it would be no more difficult for wise apes to comprehend.2021-10-02T21:19:22Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2021/7/14/looking-for-sasquatchSkamania County in Washington state has enshrined its status as a Sasquatch refuge in a local ordinance. Killing Sasquatch within the county is punishable by up to one year in the county jail, a fine of $1,000, or both.2021-07-15T00:37:52Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2021/2/13/worth-waiting-forIn these La Nina winters, those of us in the Puget Sound basin who hope to see at least a bit of snow in the back yard each year expect satisfaction. After weeks of disappointment since the solstice, today our patience is being rewarded.2021-02-13T21:39:54Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2021/1/10/whither-cabin-fever-leadsWe have grown weary of sitting indoors waiting for the plague to abate. It has been raining, and that means the rivers rise and one knows they must burst over their banks to find a place to spill all the water the skies have given them to hold.2021-01-10T22:28:45Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2021/1/1/north-of-the-jettyWe have tried to be responsible members of the community during the pandemic by remaining close to home. Cabin fever does occasionally overcome us, and we gave ourselves permission yesterday to take a drive to the Pacific coast and back to memorialize the last hours of a difficult year, planning a drive‐thru burger and a jaunt on foot down the beach to toss a rock into the surf before returning home to hope for a better New Year.2021-01-01T20:35:53Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2020/12/30/try-the-ivermectinThis year I learned that the longer I stay at home, the more homeless I look. Nor do I enjoy working where I live. The pandemic has renewed the prospect of my retirement as a topic of conversation in our household, because watching the sausage being made via low‐resolution cameras while déshabillé and unbathed is all faintly ridiculous, as well as unwelcome.2020-12-30T23:42:50Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2020/9/13/try-not-to-breatheForest fire smoke has blanketed our region. Parks, beaches, boat ramps, and playfields have been closed in Seattle.2020-09-13T17:11:34Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2020/5/24/between-valleysHighway 20 through North Cascades National Park opened to traffic on May 12. My brother John and I took our motorcycles on the road yesterday to see for ourselves.2020-05-24T22:24:53Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2020/2/23/harbingerI wandered into our back yard to tidy up after the latest windy afternoon and was pleased to find a wild daffodil blossoming beneath the trees.2020-02-24T01:15:38Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2019/12/22/better-than-a-visit-to-the-bat-caveMy brothers and I grew up first riding mini‐bikes and then graduating to larger dirt‐bikes and small‐displacement street bikes. The family spent many weekends camping during my childhood, and, while our parents played cribbage, we could be found in the weeds and cow pies disturbing the peace, racing around and trailblazing while being chased by our dog, who seemed to have a limitless capacity for running.2019-12-23T01:55:17Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2019/11/22/dig-a-hole-fill-it-upI lived in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle for many years, and, while I do not miss the traffic since moving to the hinterlands, I do miss living in the city.2019-11-22T22:23:36Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2019/7/29/attractive-rocksFamily business called my wife and I to the eastern purlieu of North Cascades National Park last week, where, after lunch along the way at Howard's On The River in Pateros, Washington, we took up residence at Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop, Washington, found in the heart of the Methow Valley, and had a furlough from traffic and housekeeping.2019-07-29T23:13:46Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2019/6/16/sunbathing-turtlesNear our home is a 110‐acre lakeside park. It is a neighborhood gem that escapes the notice of most, despite being the largest of those owned by our park‐loving city and a short walk in the shade of the alders from one of the most popular beaches in the region. The park is bisected by a four‐lane arterial chronically packed with traffic, yet it is a serene oasis filled with birds and aquatic creatures that makes one feel as if transported to a realm far from the crush of people going to and fro just beyond the trees, encompassing wetlands described by The National Geographic Society as a prime urban birdwatching area.2019-06-16T12:53:32Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2019/4/14/an-island-in-timeIn September 1959, a U.S. Navy Martin P5M Marlin aircraft was ditched in Puget Sound off Whidbey Island in Washington state. The unarmed nuclear antisubmarine weapon lost with the aircraft was never recovered.2019-04-14T19:52:22Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2019/2/9/enough-snowSnow in Seattle is an infrequent event. The Pacific Ocean and Rocky Mountains combine to moderate winter temperatures in the Puget Sound basin, occluding the production of snow, and when it does snow, it usually melts within a day; thus, the community long ago decided not to spend resources on snow removal equipment that would sit idle for years at a time.2019-02-09T22:40:17Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2018/10/5/time-uncomplicatedThere we were, my brother John and I, eating dinner at The Orchid Grill, having reached the end of a day on the road. We had begun at 5∶45 a.m. with breakfast at Express‐o Yourself in Enumclaw, Washington, stopped for lunch at Pine Tavern in Bend, Oregon (good Reuben sandwich), and pulled up for the night in the driveway of Bestway Inn in Grants Pass, Oregon, after 571 miles astride our motorcycles.2018-10-05T18:17:32Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2018/6/5/marketing-scores-a-pointAs a male of the species, I take the expected measure of pride in not reading instructions for things. No dwelling of mine has ever caught fire because I did not first read the fine print on the use of the grill. My Levis do not unravel in the laundry despite my not having studied the label describing their care. I do not interpret the phrase "some assembly required" as a warning.2018-06-05T21:21:35Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2018/4/15/on-possession-soundWashington state ferries have ensorcelled me since I was a child.2018-04-15T20:33:51Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2018/3/28/las-vegasMy first look at Las Vegas was from the back of a Volkswagen camper van in the waning 1960s, on a road trip with my family that had lately exited Iowa onto the Lincoln Highway, where from behind the wheel of the van my father, a crew‐cut Korean War veteran then still coming to terms with the Second Vatican Council, exchanged peace sign hand gestures with the oncoming drivers of Volkswagen vans hauling their occupants away from the Human Be‐In back through the campestral landscapes of Middle America.2018-03-29T00:07:48Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2018/2/11/fun-with-solderA few years ago while riding through the Black Hills, I made a stop at a view point to stretch my legs and check my map. A couple about my age pulled up on a new Honda Gold Wing, decked out in matching riding gear and clearly packed for the road. They were on their honeymoon, and he had convinced her that a two‐wheeled sightseeing trip would be a great adventure.2018-02-11T18:11:26Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2018/1/2/happy-new-yearWe traditionally have a meal out with family on New Year's Eve, and in this season of reflection and expectation, we were not remiss in our planning. We bundled ourselves into the car Sunday evening for dinner at Lark in Seattle.2018-01-02T21:13:20Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2017/12/26/christmas-snowAfter the wettest spring and driest summer in the recorded weather history of the region, we were due for snow on Christmas day for the first time since 2008.2017-12-26T23:59:08Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2017/11/1/naches-passDespite having seen evidence that it is not necessarily altogether trustworthy, my brother borrowed my BMW to take a ride over Naches Pass.2017-11-01T20:22:01Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2017/10/15/before-the-road-closesThe first snow of the season has begun decorating the Cascade Mountains in Washington state, and my brother John and I figured we should survey Chinook Pass across the shoulder of Mount Rainier before it closes for the winter.2017-10-15T18:12:14Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2017/10/7/yeah-uh-oopsThere is a low‐clearance train trestle in Durham, North Carolina, with which inattentive drivers of overheight vehicles collide with sufficient frequency that, since 2008, a web site has existed dedicated to presenting footage of those crashes from nearby cameras.2017-10-07T19:10:25Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2017/9/14/coasting-southSeventeen years before Lewis and Clark arrived with the Corps of Discovery at the mouth of the Columbia River, the British maritime trader John Meares, sailing south from Nootka Sound, was in search of the river Basque maritime explorer Bruno de Heceta y Dudagoitia believed he had seen from offshore in 1775 while on a mission to discourage Russian fur traders from gaining footholds along the coast.2017-09-14T21:54:22Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2017/8/2/farewell-in-the-parkWhen it opened on the bicentennial of the independence of the United States, the Brutalist masterwork Freeway Park in Seattle, Washington, was the first of its kind: a park constructed over a freeway.2017-08-02T22:33:27Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2017/7/10/280-miles-to-spokaneMy wife and I took a road trip to Spokane, Washington, this past weekend to celebrate a wedding in the family.2017-07-10T20:48:20Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2017/6/3/some-assembly-requiredYamaha equipped my FJR1300 with many of the doodads that make life on the road not just worth living but downright luxurious: heated grips; anti-lock brakes; cruise control; adjustable suspension; motorized windscreen. What the bike does not feature is a garage door opener, and having to step off it to open my garage using the wall‐mounted keypad has been almost too much to bear. I decided to correct the problem.2017-06-03T22:30:26Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2017/5/30/little-white-corvetteAs long as I can remember -- that is, a long time -- I have admired the Chevrolet Corvette and believed that one day I would own one. A few years ago, having secured permission from the family treasurer, I crafted a query on the Auto Trader web site, and, while I have not been sitting on the couch ever since thumbing the F5 button on my browser, I have invested many hours in reading the specifications of those that appeared in response to that query, hoping that someone, somewhere, would decide to part with the one I wanted.2017-05-30T22:35:20Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2017/5/6/thor-s-day-indeedThunderstorms in western Washington are uncommon events: the dew point is rarely high enough and the Pacific Ocean cools the air. Cool, dry air does not foment thunderstorms. It was quite the event on Thursday, then, when a series of thunderstorms lobbed 2,500 bolts at the ground in the Puget Sound region.2017-05-06T16:50:24Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2017/3/24/on-a-clear-day-you-can-see-i-forgot-whatThis is shaping up to be the wettest rainy season on record in western Washington, and, although as a native I am expected to thrive in the gloom, no amount of vitamin D supplement can produce the relief of seeing blue sky and dry ground.2017-03-25T00:17:53Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2016/8/1/puerto-ricoWe have returned home after a ten‐day visit to Puerto Rico, spending the first few days being pampered by the staff of the La Concha resort in San Juan and finishing the trip with a stay in Añasco.2016-08-01T20:34:24Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2016/7/5/gone-fishinWhen a good friend visited from out of state this past weekend and wanted to get some lures wet, I thought it sounded like a capital idea.2016-07-06T05:34:54Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2016/6/25/life-is-goodI was studying the calendar a few weeks ago, whereupon I realized that Father's Day was just a turn of the page away. As I had not seen my favorite daughter for several months, a visit to coincide with the one day of the year when I could claim the center of attention suggested itself immediately.2016-06-25T16:23:55Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2016/4/19/into-bellinghamMy wife and I spent the weekend in Bellingham, strolling around eating double chocolate chip cookies dusted with sea salt from Tony's Coffee.2016-04-19T21:27:20Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2015/6/27/what-to-do-with-a-dead-horseMy brother John and I have been planning for months to ride our motorcycles to Deadhorse, Alaska, and back. Along the way, we were going to visit the mine at Kennecott, take the ferry to Whittier, and swing through Homer, which we had missed four years ago when last in its vicinity. We hoped time would permit stuffing our bikes in a corner of Deadhorse long enough to take the tour bus out to the Arctic Ocean and dip our toes for a photo opportunity. Last Friday, the time came to pick up the kickstands and go.2015-06-27T16:07:23Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2015/6/1/one-less-trip-to-the-mallI really dislike shopping for shoes, which is one of the reasons I wear whatever is in the closet until they begin to embarrass my wife.2015-06-02T05:47:53Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2015/5/23/splendor-without-diminishmentDuring the colonial period of European exploration of our region of the world, the British came to control what is today known as the Pacific Northwest. The Columbia District was their name given to the territory drained by the Columbia River, and in 1858, when it became a British colony, the name British Columbia given to the colony was derived from the river that had given the district its name and distinguished it from the portion of the Columbia District south of the 49th parallel, which had been under control of the United States since the Oregon Treaty of 1846.2015-05-24T04:19:34Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2015/4/21/one-day-while-not-at-workEven though in our household the motorcycles are listed in the Expensive Toy category for budgeting purposes, it is true that I like to play with my toys as much as possible, and as winter gives way to spring, the number of days the weather cooperates with taking them outside to do so increases.2015-04-22T01:01:33Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2014/12/15/more-fun-than-a-jigsaw-puzzleI have had an accessory fuse block wired into the FJR for several months, but have had it more or less tossed into the cavity under the seat while I puzzled out where to mount it permanently.2014-12-15T23:15:16Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2014/8/20/fall-down-go-boomThe FZ1 and I recently tried to occupy the same time+space as a Toyota Prius but were not successful.2014-08-20T14:08:09Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2014/7/9/hie-to-mount-bakerMount Baker, the fourth highest peak in Washington state, first appears in written history in a map rendered by Spanish explorers in 1790. Known to Indigenous residents as Kulshan, it was given the name Baker in 1792 by the British explorer George Vancouver.2014-07-10T05:01:30Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2014/6/18/a-day-in-the-lifeI spent the weekend of Father's Day with my favorite daughter, and we found ourselves in San Francisco. I recall many happy days as a younger man wandering around this part of California, and nostalgia for those times coupled with the occasion of sightseeing with my daughter made for a sentimental afternoon.2014-06-18T18:19:43Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2014/6/1/where-buffalo-roamedInspired by the migrating birds of spring, I thought I would take a motorcycle ride and see some of the country. It is a good way to overcome the torpor of winter and kindle wonder during the season of regeneration.2014-06-02T01:13:53Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2014/5/15/to-winthrop-and-backAnother spring, another season waiting for Highway 20 through the North Cascades to open.2014-05-16T05:51:03Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2014/5/12/fascinating-crapI have long been fascinated by bits of machinery left to rot where they stand.2014-05-12T17:11:23Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2014/2/9/snow-welcomedOur winter to date has been relatively dry, and some concern about the coming summer's water supply has made its way into the popular press. It was nice, then, to wake up this morning to a bit of snow along the shore of Lake Washington.2014-02-10T06:49:22Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2014/1/26/once-around-the-mountainThose of us living in the Puget Sound region have a ready view of the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States, meaning simply that, when the skies are clear, it is hard to avoid noticing it. When the view is obscured by clouds, we pine for the moment when they will lift to reveal its summit, and know when others say, "The Mountain is out," that there is only one mountain to which they can possibly be referring.2014-01-27T07:09:03Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2013/12/15/wet-yes-cold-somewhatThe weather the past several days has been amongst the coldest in the region for a couple of years, and each day the yellow Store light on the Yamaha's battery tender has been an unnecessary reminder that out‐of‐doors fun has its limits. When the forecast for the daytime temperature today was above freezing, it was time to circulate the oil in the crankcase.2013-12-16T03:04:43Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2013/8/10/excuse-me-your-elevator-is-low-on-oilI stepped onto an elevator in a local retail mall's parking garage and spotted a Low Oil button.2013-08-11T01:44:03Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2013/7/14/hyder-alaskaBeing a curious great ape in the land of Manifest Destiny makes the planning of road trips a joy. Names such as Big Sky, Great Plains, Great Basin, Great Lakes, Badlands, and Grand Canyon disturb the domestic tranquility with their invitation to wander off over the horizon to see if they are true.2013-07-14T18:14:22Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2013/6/30/a-sunny-day-and-some-free-timeToday was sunny and warm, and a great day for a ride to Mount St. Helens and back.2013-07-01T06:54:01Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2013/6/12/hang-up-and-driveVirtually without exception, any trip I take on the motorcycle that requires my leaving the driveway leads to encounters with others on the road who are not paying attention to what they are doing. This is of particular interest to a motorcyclist because among the most frequently given explanations for rider injuries and death is that the other driver "didn't see him."2013-06-12T22:13:21Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2013/5/19/happiness-is-a-pair-of-good-bootsSeveral years ago, I set off on a week‐long hike of the Washington coast from Oil City Beach to Shi Shi Beach wearing a pair of Vasque boots that had carried me over quite a bit of California. The boots were old, but in good repair -- I thought.2013-05-19T18:48:53Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2013/4/28/the-road-is-openThe first automobile trip through the Cascade Mountains in northern Washington state via what would become Highway 20 was made on September 26, 1968, using a rough‐hewn road following a route agreed to in 1940. Three days later, President Lyndon Johnson signed the bill creating North Cascades National Park. The highway was completed four years later.2013-04-29T04:16:05Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2013/3/13/my-favorite-daughterMy daughter and I have developed a ritual salutation over the years. I most look forward to the perfectly world‐weary tone of her voice.2013-03-13T21:02:02Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/12/25/village-peopleEven as an old fart, I embrace the holidays: decorating the Christmas tree, hanging stockings, and scattering poinsettias around the house.2012-12-25T19:03:11Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/11/20/autumn-leavesEvery autumn for several years, I have said to myself, "I need to get a picture of the leaves on the ground along the creek." I chose the middle of a downpour this afternoon to go outside and finally do so.2012-11-21T02:34:46Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/9/23/sale-ends-october-firstI am generally the one who fetches our mail, and I typically toss the junk into the recycle bin without glancing at it.2012-09-23T15:13:13Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/9/8/another-yamaha-summerHere is my latest video composition.2012-09-08T16:53:23Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/9/4/an-olympic-lapA lap around the Olympic Peninsula on the Yamaha has been on my list of things to do for a couple of years.2012-09-05T04:03:53Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/8/31/it-sure-is-nice-outsideThe record dry August in Seattle was in 1974, when 0.01 inches of rain fell.2012-09-01T02:43:33Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/7/22/finally-blue-skiesThe weather during the last week in Washington has presented us with an unusual number of thunderstorms, lightning strikes, and flash floods. Friday's system produced more rain in Seattle than July's normal monthly total. When the clouds parted over the Cascades yesterday afternoon, I decided to take advantage of the blue skies and bolted for the door.2012-07-23T01:08:33Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/6/21/california-or-bustThe opportunity to visit the Sacramento, California, area presented itself, and I decided that the best way to get there was on the back of the Yamaha.2012-06-21T15:48:33Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/5/25/eat-sleep-rideA day two years ago riding north to south through Colorado left a lingering desire to return and see more, so two weeks ago Saturday, my brother John and I gassed up the motorcycles to hit the road back to the Centennial State.2012-05-25T20:31:03Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/4/30/the-end-of-the-roadA series of highways stretching from Chile to Canada known informally as the Pacific Coastal Highway has its northern terminus in Lund, British Columbia. It seemed like a great idea to go see it for ourselves.2012-05-01T06:01:03Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/4/12/a-better-mousetrapHaving spent a year with the work I did on the Yamaha to add plugs for my heated jacket and gloves, I reached a point where I was no longer altogether happy with it.2012-04-13T02:40:03Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/3/25/rite-of-springThe vernal equinox occurred this week, and so it was time to make sure the route along Samish Bay had survived the winter.2012-03-25T18:30:10Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/2/27/mauiWhen it is snowing at sea level in the Puget Sound basin, there is good incentive to get on an airplane and go somewhere warm. This month, we decided that meant Maui.2012-02-28T07:20:20Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2012/1/15/snow-this-morningLow pressure to the south pulling cold air out of British Columbia, onshore flow blowing moist air in from over the Pacific Ocean, and we have snow.2012-01-15T21:12:40Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/11/7/autumn-beckonsThe weather this last weekend created a cold but dry spell during which a sprint on the bikes to Whatcom County and back could be made to fit.2011-11-07T17:54:39Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/10/12/a-lap-around-the-mountainsI'd had a trip through the North Cascades in the back of my mind since April, so when the call went out last Saturday for a few good men to ride the loop around Highway 20 and back via Highway 2, I volunteered to do my part.2011-10-13T00:43:27Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/9/18/yamaha-summerI have saved up several hours' worth of video this summer and have finally found some time to piece the interesting bits together.2011-09-18T20:13:34Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/9/6/modern-conveniencesMy wife's car has almost every conceivable button and doodad available in the market today, and after playing wheel man on one of the few occasions she lets me drive it, I am left with a reminder of how deprived of creature comforts I am in my convertible. Poor me.2011-09-07T05:03:01Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/8/24/the-palouse-grasslandsThe occasion of the Lentil Festival in Pullman, Washington, a brilliant weather forecast, and the opportunity to take a long weekend away from work combined to form just the incentive needed to get me to map a ride on the Yamaha through the Palouse grasslands.2011-08-24T13:58:48Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/7/17/family-reunionThe family held a reunion outside Harrison, Montana, for three days this month on the ranch that its forebears purchased in 1873.2011-07-17T22:01:48Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/7/12/the-amber-bear-innLast year while blasting through northwest Montana on the Yamaha, the landscape and tempo of living whispered that I needed to find time to come back and sit still in the middle of it all.2011-07-13T04:52:11Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/7/3/80-degrees-in-seattleIt was 84℉ in Seattle on September 3, 2010, and 301 days passed before the temperature would again cross the 80℉ boundary.2011-07-03T20:01:41Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/6/8/to-alaska-and-backThe featured ride this year was a seven day, 3,200 mile outbound trip through British Columbia, Alberta, Yukon, and Alaska. The return trip was a five day sail to Washington state via the Inside Passage.2011-06-09T03:23:01Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/4/28/april-in-cascadiaThis year's kick‐off to the long‐haul riding season was a three‐day trip around Kootenay Lake in British Columbia.2011-04-29T02:36:31Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/4/17/rainbow-over-semiahmooI was watching several sloops depart Drayton Harbor this morning for what later formed up as a round‐the‐buoys race when this rainbow presented itself.2011-04-17T20:16:51Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/3/27/if-it-were-a-boat-this-would-be-bristolHaving reached the age where comfort is nearing parity with speed as the first thing I think about when I think about ... almost anything ... I realize my Gerbing heated jacket and gloves are almost as valuable as having 140 horsepower at the crankshaft on the bike.2011-03-28T03:41:48Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/2/19/another-lousy-day-in-paradiseTwo words: sun and shine. When Cliff Mass says those magic words this time of year, well ... a guy has gotta believe.2011-02-20T06:37:48Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/1/31/grown-up-carEver since the mid‐'70s Eldo convertibles, I have wanted a Cadillac.2011-02-01T01:12:31Zhttps://micheal.hotchkin.net/archive/2011/1/25/santa-nope-the-ups-guyI have been wishing I had a GoPro camera on the bike since about the midway point on the Golden Gate Bridge.2011-01-26T03:42:40Z