Sometimes I see those photos of people getting out of their cars to photograph bears. Or I hear about people feeding the coyotes and talking about them like they are domestic dogs. I've known many people who made the move to the country. My own move to the countryside was less deliberate, more of an …
Courage is a common word in my house. I mean courage in the Latin-sense of the word, cor-with heart. Courage with heart is about perseverance and thoughtfulness. It is about finding a moral compass within yourself, and acting with kindness in the direction. It is about avoiding rash, unproductive or irrational behavior in order to …
White Sands National Park Sometimes living in the desert I am struck by how harsh the living conditions are. Just a few miles up the Sandia Mountains on the outskirts of Albuquerque, the landscape is dry and hot, filled with cacti and rattlers. It is not a hike for the faint at heart, or those …
I've been thinking about teaching and teachers a lot recently. Having been a writing teacher for many years, some of my own fondest teachable moments happened to me in my writing classroom. I made a lot of mistakes and I grew up in my classroom. I tried grand experiments that utterly failed, and I apologized. …
In the last year I haven't written on this blog very much. I have been collecting lots of images and stories to post, but my family and I have been gathering our strength (and our belongings) for new adventures that have taken much of our focus, spirit and strength. Transitions are time consuming endeavors. Often …
Continue reading The rural urbanite (or urban ruralite), and loving it.
Today I went for a mountain hike with my almost sixteen year old son, and our exuberant and lovely dog. We were alone on the trail, and we both spent time reminiscing about all the time we've spent on the beautiful Italianos Trail. It was delightful to listen to my son remember his stories -- that …
Continue reading Finding a Good Hike for a Good Old Pair of Boots
Dirt Road Journal 