I’m a walker. At home, I take my dog, Gaby, for long morning jaunts through the neighborhoods or nearby state park. When I travel, I try to make time to wander. I take ghost tours, which are great ways to learn the history of an area as well as local legends and scandals. I window-shop. And sometimes, I stumble upon unexpected art.

A couple of ( Read more... )

That’s pretty much the update. It’s COLD, with occasional light snow. I am very much looking forward to spring.

Gaby, however, doesn’t seem to mind the chill. She lurks under the bird feeder and waits for squirrels.

Tax forms are showing up in the mail, so I will be working on things financial over the next few weeks. Annual physical stuff, which ( Read more... )

Spent a week in the Portland Oregon area. Visited good friends. Did some research. Experienced the joy of driving twisty, winding roads. Really twisty. And winding. After a drive, my right leg ached from tension and brake-hitting.

This time, I actually visited scenic vistas.

Cannon Beach and Ecola State Park:


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Took a short trip to Madison with fellow writer Jen Stevenson. Talked over plot problems with current wips. Hiked up and down State Street. Ate really good Japanese. Enjoyed glorious weather. Walked the trail along Lake Mendota and discussed crow lore. A restorative 24 hours.


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I love stories like this. The reality that there are tiny, tiny corners of the world that contain plants or animals that exist nowhere else.

This story begins with a cliff-hanger. On the Spanish side of the Pyrenees mountains, around 850 metres above sea level, two adjacent cliff faces hold the entire population of Borderea chouardii - one of the ( Read more... )

Came upon this link in today’s Lunch Links posting over at The Washington Monthly. I have to get this book:

In 1997 physicist Francis Slakey set out to climb the highest mountain on every continent and surf every ocean - he dubbed it the first “global surf-and-turf.” In his recently published memoir, To the Last Breath: A Journey of Going to ( Read more... )

This would be such a cool thing to see in person.

Click to view

I used to see dolphins when I lived in Florida, but only one or two at a time. Nothing like this.

Mirrored from Kristine Smith.

Cool links by way of Ed Yong’s weekly link round-up:

Oil Paintings Made of Yarn!

There’s something about the look on the lizard’s face. It has a “you’re going to post this on You-Tube, aren’t you?” resigned air about it.

Click to view

Mirrored from Kristine Smith.

Over at Liz Holliday’s newsgroup at SFFNet, we were awaiting news about how Liz’s day went at the London Screenwriters Festival. I had initially wished her good luck, then wondered if I should retract that wish. After all, you never wish an actor good luck, for fear that the wish will attract unwelcome attention from theater gremlins/backstage gods ( Read more... )