Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCluskey. One of the joys of late for me has been to find spare moments to read books aloud, particularly to my mom or my special neighborhood friends. When I received the invitation to read a book for our West Linn Public Library's virtual storytime, I knew which one I … Continue reading Blueberries, blueberries and more blueberries
West Linn
A story hidden in the mist
Lake Oswego Log Hoist building, Sept. 2020 I suspect only those most familiar with this special stretch of the Willamette River can readily identify this structure. The morning fog in this photo adds an eerie, surreal aura enticing our imaginations to wonder: what's the back story of this structure from our past? If I didn't … Continue reading A story hidden in the mist
Hello West Linn! Local Authors Book Break
Watch the recorded event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK9jhEdrOXU Recording from November 8, 2020 West Linn Book Break What to do when live events are postponed and cancelled? Band together for a virtual book break! Please join me and seven other local West Linn authors as we briefly talk about our books. Recover from voting and the election, and … Continue reading Hello West Linn! Local Authors Book Break
About that e-bike…
Have bike. Will cross rivers. It was exactly one year ago when I changed my mind about e-bikes. Prior to that, when those irritating super-charged-two-wheelers passed me climbing up Terwilliger Boulevard as I sweatily made my way to work, I'd let out a harrumph. (Is that really what we say - or just what we … Continue reading About that e-bike…
This one’s for Karen
Our dear friend Karen died on February 4 of this year, 11 days prior to my release of Then, Now, and In-Between: Place, Memories, and Loss in Oregon. Karen was loved by so many: friends like me and students and co-workers and sisters and brothers and nephews and sons and a daughter and her husband … Continue reading This one’s for Karen
Ditching the cross bar
Winter solstice sends ripples of quietness, this year accompanying dripping fir boughs and foggy skies. Early evenings remain perfect for reading, remembering those from our past and meditating on the future. This year there is something else. My still-feeling-new e-bike whispers to me from the corner of my garage, no longer plugged in nightly. I … Continue reading Ditching the cross bar
About those ferries
Canby Ferry, October 27, 2019. Our dad loved ferries. We grew up ferrying across the Willamette River on the Canby Ferry, and back when I was little, we crossed the mouth of the Columbia by ferry between Astoria, Oregon, and Megler, Washington enroute to the Long Beach Peninsula. Rivers fill me, through and through. The … Continue reading About those ferries
Win a free book: identify this river stretch
The Willamette and Columbia Rivers were big players in my memoir, My Music Man. These moving waterways play smaller, yet important roles in my novel. While Oregon (and beyond) rivers exude stretches of beauty and intrigue, who might recognize the stretch I selected to film my Beyond the Ripples trailer? Name this stretch for a … Continue reading Win a free book: identify this river stretch
West Linn Ignite strikes again
You have another opportunity later this month to join West Linn Historical Society at the (now we can say popular) Ignite West Linn: History on Fire. This dynamic and lively fast-paced event providing glimpses into history will begin at 4pm on Sunday, July 29 at the Willamette Ale & Cider House, and run until approximately 5:30pm. Ignite presenters get … Continue reading West Linn Ignite strikes again
Willamette Falls Locks reimagined today
How many in our bursting metro area know much about our aged Willamette Falls Locks? Ask a longtime local and they'll fill your ear. The Locks opened on New Year's Day 1873 and were operated by several owners prior to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' purchase from Portland Railway Light and Power Company in … Continue reading Willamette Falls Locks reimagined today