The Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway

“Wow…” was probably the word that most often passed through my mind in that hour and a half. Then there is that “time” thing: How on earth did it take six years to accomplish this – and how on earth could something this good be put together in just six years? A couple...

Woodsman, Refugee, Free Man

For years, Aurora, Colorado, neighbor Jiri “George” Heinrich hasn’t crossed my mind much. Lately, however, I find myself thinking about that Czechoslovakian every time I watch the news. Something about the rise of Russian influence and about all those refugees walking...

Totems and Nature’s Hunting Guides

On Wednesday afternoon, Young Homey caught me outside Dean Hall, on the Central Washington University campus, as I was watching a couple dozen mallards dabbling in the Ganges. “So,” he said, “where you going this weekend? There are bucks everywhere – this is gonna be...

All about Tiny Flying Seeds – Or Not

No doubt you saw them and walked through them over this past week, as well. They looked like tiny white fluffy seeds floating everywhere; pretty dense on parts of Central’s campus, and in the air across town and several parts of the valley. On Tuesday, I stopped...

Norm Elliott and The Happy Hunting Grounds

Norm Elliott went home two weeks ago – just about the time we were packing the last of our deer and antelope meat into coolers for the drive from Sheridan, Wyoming, back to Paradise. You probably never met Norm. Too bad, really, because he was a fascinating guy with a...