All my camping memories — both the good and the bad — are about who I went with, and almost all of my attempts to plan camping are about developing relationships and community. That is the primary intention behind Campfire Tales. However, and maybe this is because of Campfire Tales, lately there has been a … Continue reading Can’t Spell “Friend” Without “F, I, R, and E”
Personal Note
Saving S.O.S.
Have you ever embarked on an adventure, a goal or a task, only to realize early on (but too late to turn back), "Uh-oh. This isn't going to turn out well?" As my readership is a bit fractured these days, let me relate a bit to my various followers: * To my adventurous, "outdoors" readers: … Continue reading Saving S.O.S.
Not So Winding Road
Every time I hear "I Got a Name" by Jim Croce lately, that first line instantly transports me back to a trip I took this past May to Lassen Volcanic National Park. Like the pine trees lining the winding road I've got a name, I've got a name. ~ "I Got a Name" Jim Croce … Continue reading Not So Winding Road
Year 1: Launch!
Hi! (insert nervous smile here) I haven't posted in a while... OK, OK. I haven't posted in 2024. So what! What's it to you? Oh, you were just worried? (shy smile) Thank you! So then what's my excuse? My "best" one? Well, I either started an all-consuming job, survived a car accident that upended my … Continue reading Year 1: Launch!
Less Stuff, Less Guilt
A friend recently used a phrase I'd never heard, "Swedish Death Cleaning." I would share the findings that resulted, but as my research triggered serious computer security system alarms, you might be better off without my help. Bottom line, it's another organizational system, this time from the point of view of those who clean up … Continue reading Less Stuff, Less Guilt
Cookies Tell Stories: Heading Out Alone
Last post — Theory # 1 about what intrigues us about Bigfoot (like us, Bigfoot is looking for a tribe). This time, Theory # 2 — We all worry we will wind up alone. I mentioned the major life changes that me and my two cookie-baking friends have dealt with in the 18 months since. … Continue reading Cookies Tell Stories: Heading Out Alone
Aye, Golden: Simply the Best
Last week, my long-anticipated vacation to Jamaica included a surprising intersection between high and low points. The high point was a tour — arranged by Mike through his travel connections — of Goldeneye, formerly the Jamaican estate of Ian Fleming (where he wrote all his James Bond novels), later developed into a luxurious resort by … Continue reading Aye, Golden: Simply the Best
Stop (Watching) the Clock!
A few observations: Every year for the past few years I keep hearing most everyone I know express eagerness for the prior/current year to be over, and the next year to begin. The belief/hope seems to be: New Year = Better Year. Every year for the past few years, the current year is rated worse … Continue reading Stop (Watching) the Clock!
How Stanley Found Me
In How I Found Livingston by Henry Morton Stanley, journalist Stanley recounts his epic search across Africa, looking for the missing explorer, Dr. David Livingston. I started reading the book (over 700 pages) at least 15 years ago as research on available books circa 1872 that a person living then might have read. Somewhere around … Continue reading How Stanley Found Me
Dinosaur Park: A Blast From the Past
Flying into, staying in, and exploring Rapid City South Dakota on a "national park vacation" wasn't only out of convenience to Mount Rushmore, Badlands, Wind Cave, Theodore Roosevelt, Devils Tower or Little Bighorn... (I think that's most of them; we didn't see them all.) Neither was it the affordability of a rental car to take … Continue reading Dinosaur Park: A Blast From the Past
Campfire Tales 