Reading through Ken Johnston's Legendary Truths: Peter Lassen & His Gold Rush Trail in Fact & Fable, I kept asking myself, "Who is this written for?" Sara Balmuth - in her review found here - addresses the same issue (and gives a fair summary of the book, a bit more than what is already covered in the title). Her conclusion … Continue reading Book Review: Legendary Truths
Roadside Art: Beautiful Death Fence
Take a morning stroll down a familiar city neighborhood - you're daily commute, for instance, unless you only travel freeways - and you'll notice details easily missed when speeding through (not only commonplace details like the numbers on the houses, but the stuff between the houses that gets overlooked at first glance): lush gardens, animals in their habitat, quirky … Continue reading Roadside Art: Beautiful Death Fence
Campfire Chronicles
One of the unique pleasures (some would say "torture") of camping - even less remarked upon than the phenomenon of how food tastes better outside - is the people-watching. A campground is like an apartment complex without walls, a workplace with all the cubicles removed. I believe the term is "fishbowl environment." About the only privacy a … Continue reading Campfire Chronicles
Wednesday Words on the Wild: Perfection
Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence. ~ Vince Lombardi "Stop the car. I want a picture of the trees and the snow," I told my friend Royce, as we sped through Sequoia National Park last weekend. "All that snow is dirty," he replied, referring to the snow nearest to the side of … Continue reading Wednesday Words on the Wild: Perfection
Wednesday Words on the Wild: Balance
Since our Earth is not completely rigid, as it rotates on its axis, centrifugal force causes the equator to bulge. This is the same force that causes you to fling to the side of a giant spinning wheel in a theme park. The non-uniform gravitational force of the Sun and the Moon will pull on … Continue reading Wednesday Words on the Wild: Balance
May Day 2017: Words About Pictures
Although Campfire Tales can't afford the reprint rights, the good news is that there is nothing stopping us from sending you here to look at some of the most stunning wilderness photography you will ever see. That's a promise. (Or better yet, visit a Rodney Lough Jr. gallery in Las Vegas or Portland or elsewhere. As … Continue reading May Day 2017: Words About Pictures
Wednesday Words on the Wild: Quintessence
QUINTESSENCE the fifth and highest element in ancient and medieval philosophy that permeates all nature and is the substance composing the celestial bodies the essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form ~ Merriam-Webster Stars In your multitudes Scarce to be counted Filling the darkness With order and light You are the … Continue reading Wednesday Words on the Wild: Quintessence
Earth Day 2017: Elements
In the debates surrounding the elements, such as their number (four versus five?), their definition (scientific versus - to choose just one - astrological), their symbolism (spiritual, philosophical, etc.), the "chicken or the egg" order of their cycles (fire consumes wood, wood grows from the earth, paper covers rock, and so on), the Campfire Tales stance is: How do they … Continue reading Earth Day 2017: Elements
Wednesday Words on the Wild: Pride
I regularly walk by the above banner posted all around the park in process (it looks like they are replacing some lawn with drought-resistant plants). The "Park Proud" phrase catches my eye every time. For one thing, I find it amusing/depressing that it's necessary to encourage people to take pride in our parks (substitute: city, … Continue reading Wednesday Words on the Wild: Pride
Book Review: Under the Stars
To follow up recent posts about camping and nemophilists, I now present the inaugural Campfire Tales book review, Dan White's Under the Stars. My brief description is, "A humorous overview of camping, delving into all aspects of America's relationship to the wilderness, through both the historical past and the personalized present." The book approaches the subject of camping through … Continue reading Book Review: Under the Stars
