Mississippi River Delta

While we were enjoying dinner on the last night of our cruise, our ship was preparing to enter the Mississippi River Delta. Night fell we as silently glided by the offshore oil rigs, and soon a well-light Pilot boat appeared from the distance. Hurrying to the front of the Carnival Dream, I stood on the 6th […]

Historic Railroad Hike

Sean, Serene, and I went on a series of hikes this weekend to the Snohomish/Granite Falls area: Lime Kiln and Old Robe Canyon. The former roughly followed an old railway grade, whereas the latter closely traced the ruins of a railway abandoned in the early 1930s as the owners finally gave up trying to maintain […]

To be a mushroom

It must be pretty sweet being a mushroom. They get to sit around all day in moist environments that aren’t too warm. Occasionally, according to myths, frogs will jump on you and chill out for a while on your fungus-y tendrils. And when it’s almost dark out, you start shining with a really weird glow […]

Common Birds, Uncommon Appreciation

Recently I’ve become a big fan of Lyanda Lynn Haupt and her books Crow Planet and Rare Encounters With Ordinary Birds. These remarkable texts are written by a Seattle-dwelling naturalist who view birds as more than simple animals but complex creatures that can teach us a lot about wildlife, human nature, and how to appreciate […]