On one of our first trips of my beloved and I, we ferried along through the San Juan Islands (in Puget Sound). Mid-way between ports we met a state ferry going in the opposite direction and it was at that point, I bounded to the railing and started enthusiastically waving to the passengers aboard the…

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I didn’t anticipate asking myself that question over and over again. But three summers ago, our pair had shown up again. Yes, Mom and Dad Sandhill Crane. Their flocks fly in every year to Homer around mid-April. And then they start looking for their nesting place. And so the pair that nested on our property…

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 It snowed last week. Argh. No one was ready. And my gardens weren’t composted. Well that might not be big stuff for you all but I like those Earthworms to wiggle and dance around and poop in my soil as much as possible by next spring. Their presence is so rich and inviting for new…

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If only I had gotten to the raspberry patch first, I might have had some hand. It’s berry-picking time in Alaska. That means — all systems go. So last week, as I was getting ready for a recon to our patch, a big black furry head cropped up in the middle of it. I was…

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It’s springtime in Homer. For those of you that don’t know what that means, just imagine daffodils, the smell of mowed grass, sandhill cranes dancing in the meadow, and a gentle, warm day breeze touching your skin every afternoon. OK, one out of four is good. Daffodils bedeck my desk from Safeway’s Friday sale. Really?…

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Every fiber in my body screamed NO at going to my friend’s New Year’s Eve party. And yet, I went. Because at the time I was single. And thought it couldn’t be any worse than lying around on my sofa and crying through “While You Were Sleeping.” One more time. OK, I admit it. I…

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I can’t believe the start to Amelia’s 2017. She is topping out on the frazzle gauge. You too? Well, let’s start with her first. My friend Amelia and I finally had a chance to catch up on the phone this past weekend and she is in a full-on frenzy. As a new single parent, Amelia…

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I wish that I had let myself be happier in my 30s. Ahhh, sure there was the separation, and divorce. A move to a big city 1500 miles away. A new job. My mom’s illness. Dating. Not dating. Therapy. Mom’s passing. Wishing I was somewhere else.  But the other reality was I had landed in…

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“We’re building a culture of accountability, trust, and togetherness. Entitlement will not be allowed.” ~ Brad Stevens Here on the Kenai Peninsula it’s moose calving time. So one evening last month when I pulled down our driveway toward my parking spot, I spied Mrs. Moose in close proximity. I mean so close that unloading my…

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