News
Bridge over troubled water’
A trip to Deception Pass State Park
03/07/1015
I’m fascinated by the jaw-dropping view from the Deception Pass bridge, and in writing this story I learned about the state park and it’s history. My article appears in the spring issue of the Mt. Baker Experience magazine.
In Search of the ‘Happy Bivalve’
A clam digger’s story
11/25/2024
Most people remember clam digging as a fun summertime activity. My recollection is of solitary work during cold winter nights. Published in the Mt. Baker Experience Magazine.
A Thousand Points of Light
06/26/2024
This is a flash fiction 'slice of life' piece I wrote about being alone in a crowd.
This Olympic Peninsula beekeeper saves his neighbors from swarms
06/22/2024
My friend Mark Urnes showed me the ins and outs of beekeeping. I was fascinated, particularly with him “capturing swarms."
Timing and pitch: Piloting a ship is like ‘making beautiful music’
03/2024 Edition
Puget Sound Pilot Capt. Pat Ninburg was kind enough to invite me along for a ride as he piloted a huge container ship through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and into the Port of Tacoma. Published in Professional Mariner Magazine.
Puget Sound Pilot - Unsung heroes of our busy waterways
03/06/2024
After I wrote about Richard Welch and his work as a pilot boat captain, I was inspired to write specifically about pilots, and what they do.
What it’s like to be a lighthouse keeper on dungeness spit
02/26/2024
I’ve always enjoyed hiking the Dungeness Spit, going all the way to the lighthouse and speaking with the lighthouse keepers, so this was a fun article for me to write and have published by the Seattle Times.
Our hiking trails are a great place to say hello
01/27/2024
“If I pass within six feet of another human being, I say hello. But that’s not something everyone does…” This essay, published in the Peninsula Daily News, reflects on that thought.
On Puget Sound, pilot boat captains ensure trade goes smoothly
01/09/2024
I’ve always been fascinated by the little pilot boat that goes out to meet the gigantic freighters coming into Puget Sound, and I’ve wondered about the pilot boat captain’s work - what his world is like. So I did some digging and wrote this article that was published by The Seattle Times.
Last List
01/04/2024
Sometimes we don’t know the things other people are going through, even friends of ours. A short fiction story published in Bright Flash Literary Review.
An olympic peninsula waterfall tour
09/29/2023
Continuing on my exploration of waterfalls, this is a piece I wrote for our local paper, describing an Olympic Peninsula Waterfall Tour.
From manager to consultant
07/18/2023
A piece I wrote about the changing roles parents face when their kids graduate and move on, informed by 30 years as a public school counselor, was published in the Peninsula Dailey News.
7 Cascades
06/29/2023
Waterfalls are one of many wonderful attractions for hikers on the Olympic Peninsula, so a story about some of my favorite falls was fun to research and fun to write for the Seattle Times.
Hiking Scotland: Experience 4 Unforgettable Trails
05/22/2023
Ann and I enjoy long-distance scenic walks. This article in AAA online magazine recounts a month we spent exploring in Scotland.
Going the Distance
03/21/2023
A story I wrote about the North Olympic Discovery Marathon (and 1/2 Marathon, and 10K and 5K!) and history of marathon racing has been published in the Peninsula Daily News - Living on the Peninsula segment. The NODM is a yearly event myself, friends, and family have all participated in and I highly recommend participating if you can! The race course puts the beauty of the Pacific Northwest on full display. To read the article, download the PDF by clicking here.
‘MY SECOND EDUCATION’ Pacific Northwest WRITER’S Association Finalist
09/07/2022
“My Second Education” has been selected as a finalist in the 2022 PNWA (Pacific Northwest Writers Association) contest in the Nonfiction/Memoir category.
La Petit Brazier
08/30/2022
A short fiction story inspired by travel that I wrote has been published on Litro Magazine. For me, road trips lend themselves to personal reflection and introspection. I wrote this story about what’s seen outside and felt inside. Read it here.
England coast to coast
05/27/2022
GoNOMAD, a site featuring travel writing, has just published an article I wrote about an adventure years in the making; My wife Ann and I were thrilled to make this bucket-list trek until, five days into the hike, I tumbled from the top of Kidsty Pike, breaking my leg. I couldn’t walk, Ann couldn’t carry me, and we were out of cell service with more than a mile to go for help. We completed the hike, but it took us a year. Read it here.
The freedom of forgiveness
05/06/2022
The Seattle Times has published an Op-Ed I wrote on forgiveness. We normally think of setting someone free when we forgive them, but by examining my thoughts - and my conscience - I managed to give myself that freedom. Read it here.
Cycling Through Hill, Dale, and Seaside
03/21/2022
This is a story about biking on the Olympic Discovery Trail, my favorite bike path. It includes my biking hero, Lynn Salvo, and her ride across the Olympic Discovery Trail while crossing the country.
Photo by Urban Glimpses/Getty Images.
“Exploring Washington by ferry” Published in The AAA Blog
06/08/2021
A recent adventure around (and around) the Salish Sea inspired me to write a travel article published by AAA.
My wife, Ann, and I wondered: Would it be possible to ride the most extensive ferry system in the continental United States — every route — in one day? We struck out one morning to find out. Click here to read about the adventure!
Photo by Jessica Lewis on Unsplash
“Best Friend's Man” Published in Drunk Monkeys
06/07/2021
My short fiction story “Best Friend’s Man” has been published in the online literary magazine and film blog Drunk Monkeys.
Our Beautiful Tahoma Published in the dillydoun review
03/25/2021
My non-fiction short story "Our Beautiful Tahoma” has been published in the online literary journal The Dillydoun Review.
My daughter Madeline, her husband Andy, and I climbed Mt. Rainier in 2017. My story contrasts Madeline's experience with that of her Great Grandma Effie, who climbed Rainier a hundred years earlier.
‘Auntie’s Introduction’ published in BackChannels
02/06/2021
My short fiction story “Auntie’s Introduction” was published in Backchannels, a quarterly literary and art journal.
This story happens during Covid, but isn’t about Covid. While seeking companionship, our hero travels through the intersection of romantic desire and self confidence.
‘Dementia and Silver Linings’ selected as “best of 2020”
12/30/2020
I was delighted to learn my short story, ‘Dementia and Silver Linings’, originally published by Across The Margin in May, 2020, was selected for their end of year 2020 Best of Nonfiction list.
‘A short and affecting story about family members seeking care for a parent with dementia, one that walks readers candidly into the profound hardships at hand, yet also highlights the silver linings that can be found “along the edges of this dark cloud.’
‘Seattle stories of love at first sight’ in The Seattle Times
12/09/2020
My short story of a very special first date has been published in the Seattle Times Life Section column, Seattle Dating Scene.
The true story was written in response to a call for anniversary stories of love at first sight.
Image by Alexis Muñoz from Pixabay
‘In the Quiet Moment’ published in storgy magazine
12/02/2020
My short-memoir story, ‘In the Quiet Moment’ has been published in STORGY Magazine.
“A couple decide their family is the right size. He gets a vasectomy. She gets pregnant again. They ride an emotional rollercoaster adjusting to circumstances while their commitment to one another becomes stronger.” - STORGY
STORGY is an online literary short story magazine seeking to publish and promote exceptional literary fiction whilst providing authors with the opportunity to reach a wider literary audience.
‘Primitive wilderness’ in The Spokesman-Review
010/27/2020
My short, non-fiction travel article about canoeing in the US-Canadian Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota was published in The Spokesman-Review. Based in Spokane, WA, TSR has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state. “‘Primitive wilderness’: Pacific NW native is charmed by scenic wonders of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters” tells the true story of adventures on the lakes and streams in the Great Northern Wilderness.
A Story In 100 Words
010/27/2020
The short story “Is This What You Thought Married Life Would Be Like?” has been selected for the flash-fiction site “100 Words”. The site features “Literature in Tiny Bursts”, and posts short stories that are exactly 100 words. This story was developed as a creative exercise.
09/11/2020
“I Called You Last Night? Really?” has been selected in the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association Literary Contest as a Top Finalist in the short story category.
across the margin Selection
05/25/2020
Dementia and Silver Linings was published by online magazine Across the Margin. ATM is “an eclectic mix of fiction, editorials, and factual prose that explore the current state of the world around us, and the depths of our human nature.”
From Across the Margin: “A short and affecting story about family members seeking care for a parent with dementia, one that walks readers candidly into the profound hardships at hand, yet also highlights the silver linings that can be found ‘along the edges of this dark cloud’…”
Flash Fiction Magazine Selection
05/22/2020
My short form story Of Hummus and Suicide was selected to be featured in the online Flash Fiction Magazine. The Flash Fiction Magazine publishes a single short story daily.
LITERary Journal Selection
03/23/2020
My short form story I Called You Last Night? Really? was selected to be featured in the literary journal The Cabinet of Heed. The Cabinet of Heed is a free monthly online literary journal that publishes excellent short stories, poetry and flash fiction.
Olympic Peninsula Authors to launch new anthology
09/17/2019
My short form writing was selected for the In the Words of Olympic Peninsula Authors, Volume 3
“The 325-page book includes short stories, prose and poems by authors who are award-winning, published and/or newly recognized for their talent. All the selections in the book involve life on the North Olympic Peninsula in one way or another.”
Tidepools Literary Magazine Announces 2019 Winners
03/18/2019
“Tidepools Magazine has announced the winners of the 2019 contest, which involved artists, writers photographers and musicians from communities across the North Olympic Peninsula.” My work (the first chapter of my memwas awarded 1st place in the category of Adult-Authored Prose.