Otter Encounter

Otter Encounter

This stretch along the Russian River, just over the hill from Riverfront Park, at times seems like a river otter highway. It’s a rare occasion when I don’t see an otter or two while I’m here. When I least expect it there they are, but always  from a distance. My...
I Want To Live Again

I Want To Live Again

Towards the end of Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life, James Stewart’s character George Bailey is at the end of his rope.  He has just been shown what his community would have been like had he never been born. It is a nightmare vision. He stands in the middle of a...

What I Miss

Unmasked faces Smiles The progression from frown to grin Lips, mouth and teeth form That uniquely human expression of joy Beyond borders, beyond cultures We all smile in the same language  But now We’re forced to rely on eyes alone And struggle to read what’s hidden ...
Making Lemonade

Making Lemonade

The other night Carol and I were watching a movie. Like most people, we’ve been watching lots of movies lately. This was a sweet independent film about a struggling improvisational comedy troupe set in New York City, the type of film we’d normally pay to see at our...
What I Took

What I Took

Last October, for the second time in three years, my family and I were forced to flee our home in the wake of the Kincade Fire. Fortunately, our home and neighborhood escaped unscathed. Having to decide once again what to take with us as we evacuated was a sobering...