Table of Contents

It was three hundred years after Christopher Columbus landed on an island he named San Salvador … Continue reading

Bingen, Washington, is a town of 774 souls and less than a mile square on the Columbia River within … Continue reading

A furtle of my kitchen pantry this morning as I looked for the salt tumbled onto the counter chile … Continue reading

We were guests this week on a tour by boat of the shores of Lake Washington, Union Bay, Portage Bay … Continue reading

I am a fickle consumer who makes choices largely from research and empiricism rather than from … Continue reading

The Seattle Aquarium at Pier 59 on the central waterfront opened its new Ocean Pavilion to great … Continue reading

I joined a group of others last weekend to crew a flotilla of six sailboats navigating the waters of … Continue reading

In the 1987 Francis Ford Coppola film Barfly, based on the life of the poet Charles Bukowski … Continue reading

The winter heath (Erica carnea) in our garden is in full bloom this week in its annual pungling up for … Continue reading

The final Saturday of winter this year was sunny and warm in western Washington, where the mollusks … Continue reading

Thirty years ago, I was regularly sailing a Bill Shaw‐designed Pearson 32 out of Elliott Bay Marina … Continue reading

I keep an eye on the monkeygrass (Liriope muscari) in our garden in late summer waiting for it to … Continue reading

My wife and I until very recently had no idea that the Rhododendron Species Botanical Garden existed … Continue reading

Not for the first time, I am in our front yard pondering the uses to which I might put a decoction … Continue reading

I have driven past the Winsome building in Woodinville, Washington, many times, admiring the … Continue reading

Ground travel from one side of Washington state to the other requires crossing the Cascade Mountains … Continue reading

The present age of the Earth is estimated to be 4.54 billion years (give or take), a figure so … Continue reading

Skamania County in Washington state has enshrined its status as a Sasquatch refuge in a local … Continue reading

In these La Nina winters, those of us in the Puget Sound basin who hope to see at least a bit of … Continue reading

We have grown weary of sitting indoors waiting for the plague to abate. It has been raining, and … Continue reading

We have tried to be responsible members of the community during the pandemic by remaining close to … Continue reading

This year I learned that the longer I stay at home, the more homeless I look. Nor do I enjoy working … Continue reading

Forest fire smoke has blanketed our region. Parks, beaches, boat ramps, and playfields have been … Continue reading

Highway 20 through North Cascades National Park opened to traffic on May 12. My brother John and I … Continue reading

I wandered into our back yard to tidy up after the latest windy afternoon and was pleased to find a … Continue reading

My brothers and I grew up first riding mini‐bikes and then graduating to larger dirt‐bikes and … Continue reading

I lived in the Belltown neighborhood of Seattle for many years, and, while I do not miss the traffic … Continue reading

Family business called my wife and I to the eastern purlieu of North Cascades National Park last … Continue reading

Near our home is a 110‐acre lakeside park. It is a neighborhood gem that escapes the notice of most … Continue reading

In September 1959, a U.S. Navy Martin P5M Marlin aircraft was ditched in Puget Sound off Whidbey … Continue reading

Snow in Seattle is an infrequent event. The Pacific Ocean and Rocky Mountains combine to moderate … Continue reading

There we were, my brother John and I, eating dinner at The Orchid Grill, having reached the end of a … Continue reading

As a male of the species, I take the expected measure of pride in not reading instructions for … Continue reading

Washington state ferries have ensorcelled me since I was a child. Continue reading

My first look at Las Vegas was from the back of a Volkswagen camper van in the waning 1960s, on a … Continue reading

A few years ago while riding through the Black Hills, I made a stop at a view point to stretch my … Continue reading

We traditionally have a meal out with family on New Year’s Eve, and in this season of reflection and … Continue reading

After the wettest spring and driest summer in the recorded weather history of the region, we were … Continue reading

Despite having seen evidence that it is not necessarily altogether trustworthy, my brother borrowed … Continue reading

The first snow of the season has begun decorating the Cascade Mountains in Washington state, and my … Continue reading

There is a low‐clearance train trestle in Durham, North Carolina, with which inattentive drivers of … Continue reading

Seventeen years before Lewis and Clark arrived with the Corps of Discovery at the mouth of the … Continue reading

When it opened on the bicentennial of the independence of the United States, the Brutalist … Continue reading

My wife and I took a road trip to Spokane, Washington, this past weekend to celebrate a wedding in … Continue reading

Yamaha equipped my FJR1300 with many of the doodads that make life on the road not just worth living … Continue reading

As long as I can remember – that is, a long time – I have admired the Chevrolet Corvette and … Continue reading

Thunderstorms in western Washington are uncommon events: the dew point is rarely high enough and the … Continue reading

This is shaping up to be the wettest rainy season on record in western Washington, and, although as … Continue reading

We have returned home after a ten‐day visit to Puerto Rico, spending the first few days being … Continue reading

When a good friend visited from out of state this past weekend and wanted to get some lures wet, I … Continue reading

I was studying the calendar a few weeks ago, whereupon I realized that Father’s Day was just a turn … Continue reading

My wife and I spent the weekend in Bellingham, strolling around eating double chocolate chip cookies … Continue reading

My brother John and I have been planning for months to ride our motorcycles to Deadhorse, Alaska … Continue reading

I really dislike shopping for shoes, which is one of the reasons I wear whatever is in the closet … Continue reading

During the colonial period of European exploration of our region of the world, the British came to … Continue reading

Even though in our household the motorcycles are listed in the Expensive Toy category for budgeting … Continue reading

I have had an accessory fuse block wired into the FJR for several months, but have had it more or … Continue reading

The FZ1 and I recently tried to occupy the same time+space as a Toyota Prius but were not … Continue reading

Mount Baker, the fourth highest peak in Washington state, first appears in written history in a map … Continue reading

I spent the weekend of Father’s Day with my favorite daughter, and we found ourselves in San … Continue reading

Inspired by the migrating birds of spring, I thought I would take a motorcycle ride and see some of … Continue reading

Another spring, another season waiting for Highway 20 through the North Cascades to open. Continue reading

I have long been fascinated by bits of machinery left to rot where they stand. Continue reading

Our winter to date has been relatively dry, and some concern about the coming summer’s water supply … Continue reading

Those of us living in the Puget Sound region have a ready view of the most topographically prominent … Continue reading

The weather the past several days has been amongst the coldest in the region for a couple of years … Continue reading

I stepped onto an elevator in a local retail mall’s parking garage and spotted a Low Oil button. Continue reading

Being a curious great ape in the land of Manifest Destiny makes the planning of road trips a joy. Continue reading

Today was sunny and warm, and a great day for a ride to Mount St. Helens and back. Continue reading

Virtually without exception, any trip I take on the motorcycle that requires my leaving the driveway … Continue reading

Several years ago, I set off on a week‐long hike of the Washington coast from Oil City Beach to Shi … Continue reading

The first automobile trip through the Cascade Mountains in northern Washington state via what would … Continue reading

My daughter and I have developed a ritual salutation over the years. I most look forward to the … Continue reading

Even as an old fart, I embrace the holidays: decorating the Christmas tree, hanging stockings, and … Continue reading

Every autumn for several years, I have said to myself, “I need to get a picture of the leaves on the … Continue reading

I am generally the one who fetches our mail, and I typically toss the junk into the recycle bin … Continue reading

Here is my latest video composition. Continue reading

A lap around the Olympic Peninsula on the Yamaha has been on my list of things to do for a couple of … Continue reading

The record dry August in Seattle was in 1974, when 0.01 inches of rain fell. Continue reading

The weather during the last week in Washington has presented us with an unusual number of … Continue reading

The opportunity to visit the Sacramento, California, area presented itself, and I decided that the … Continue reading

A day two years ago riding north to south through Colorado left a lingering desire to return and see … Continue reading

A series of highways stretching from Chile to Canada known informally as the Pacific Coastal Highway … Continue reading

Having spent a year with the work I did on the Yamaha to add plugs for my heated jacket and gloves … Continue reading

The vernal equinox occurred this week, and so it was time to make sure the route along Samish Bay … Continue reading

When it is snowing at sea level in the Puget Sound basin, there is good incentive to get on an … Continue reading

Low pressure to the south pulling cold air out of British Columbia, onshore flow blowing moist air … Continue reading

The weather this last weekend created a cold but dry spell during which a sprint on the bikes to … Continue reading

I’d had a trip through the North Cascades in the back of my mind since April, so when the call went … Continue reading

I have saved up several hours’ worth of video this summer and have finally found some time to piece … Continue reading

My wife’s car has almost every conceivable button and doodad available in the market today, and … Continue reading

The occasion of the Lentil Festival in Pullman, Washington, a brilliant weather forecast, and the … Continue reading

The family held a reunion outside Harrison, Montana, for three days this month on the ranch that its … Continue reading

Last year while blasting through northwest Montana on the Yamaha, the landscape and tempo of living … Continue reading

It was 84℉ in Seattle on September 3, 2010, and 301 days passed before the temperature would again … Continue reading

The featured ride this year was a seven day, 3,200 mile outbound trip through British Columbia … Continue reading

This year’s kick‐off to the long‐haul riding season was a three‐day trip around Kootenay Lake in … Continue reading

I was watching several sloops depart Drayton Harbor this morning for what later formed up as a … Continue reading

Having reached the age where comfort is nearing parity with speed as the first thing I think about … Continue reading

Two words: sun and shine. When Cliff Mass says those magic words this time of year, well … a guy … Continue reading

Ever since the mid‐’70s Eldo convertibles, I have wanted a Cadillac. Continue reading

I have been wishing I had a GoPro camera on the bike since about the midway point on the Golden Gate … Continue reading