I loved Smokey the Bear growing up — probably because his story of renewal was inspiring to me. Out of the charcoal of a tinderbox forest fire in New Mexico, he was rescued, made a “spokes-bear”, and inspired generations to come. I remember Smokey saying, “Only YOU can prevent forest fires.” So I wonder, as my beloved Pacific Northwest burns in so many different fires and the … [Read more...] about Emerging through the smoke towards renewal
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Time zone appreciation week — the best of summer in the Pacific Northwest
I appreciate living in one time zone. After a busy 2019 working my way across the globe over 135,000 miles to 15 countries and about the same number of states, it feels good to slow down and enjoy a steady -8 GMT for months upon months. I didn’t plan it this way — like many of us, there were grander images of exotic locales on my list of places to go in 2020. I even had an … [Read more...] about Time zone appreciation week — the best of summer in the Pacific Northwest
A pandemic gift to nature in America
Planet earth breathes more easily today, partly due to the global pandemic that’s consumed most of 2020 and with it commerce — especially global travel. An upside to coronavirus is less pollution brought about by jet airplanes, cruises and all kinds of combustion engine run vehicles. While this has draconian implications for many industries, Mother Earth is getting a much … [Read more...] about A pandemic gift to nature in America
The power of uncomfortable
First stop, Malaysia My first ever trip to Asia was exciting but also very uncomfortable. I traveled from Portland, Oregon to Malaysia by way of Los Angeles, Honolulu, Seoul, Singapore and finally Kuala Lumpur. Although I’d already started my airline career, my tenure wasn’t long enough to earn offline airline flight benefits and I purchased a sketchy airline ticket that … [Read more...] about The power of uncomfortable
Where were you when the volcano blew?
40 year anniversary of the Mount St. Helens volcanic blast When I was seven I remember taking an end-of-the-year Sunday school field trip. My Aunt Barbara was our teacher, and cousin Monica and I played in the back seat of the silver Toyota Corolla as she drove toward a waterway in the dike area of Scappoose. All at once, she stopped the car in the middle of the … [Read more...] about Where were you when the volcano blew?
