Warm Water, Low Oxygen, Dead Salmon

If you have seen or heard any print, visual or audio media in the past couple weeks, you know something about the effects of this Northwest summer’s heat and drought on our fish, and our fishing. You have likely seen the photos and video of dying sturgeon on the...

Kenai River Sockeye Research

Dr. Jon Boyum, MD and Honorary Homey, invited his dad, Homey Bill Boyum, and me to join him in Alaska for a research project involving sockeye salmon on the Kenai River. I thought we were going to count the sockeye salmon as they went up the Kenai, but I wasn’t sure –...

Our Common Nighthawks and Lessons Learned

At dusk on Sunday evening I was distracted from my weeding – and swatting mosquitos – in the garden behind Evolutionary Abode. It was one of those familiar sounds that have the ability to sweep us away. The periodic raspy wing buzz of that nighthawk’s insect hunt took...

Making Kids Have Outdoor Fun (?)

It was one of those small off-Reecer Creek meetings of the Reecer Creek Rod, Gun, Working Dog & Outdoor Think Tank Benevolent Association (aka RCRGWD&OTTBA). The questions on the floor were “How do we make our kids get outdoors and have fun?” and “Should we...

Bats and Fireworks and Night Skies

Fireworks aren’t the only things in the night skies around our county in summer – and they may not even be the most interesting. Homey got me thinking about this when he reminded me of the pleasure I have taken from watching bats do their magic across an evening sky...