I see a kildeer couple on the lower levee this morning loitering on an inhospitable edge of hard pan, a track of decomposed granite and gravel, racing back and forth on their long skinny legs, looking agitated and vigilant as a hiker approaches. One takes flight, sounding it’s shrill two-syllable alarm, its long wings pitched up … Continue reading Kildeer
There were only two prompts for today's piece: "the woods are lovely, dark and deep" (a line from Robert Frost's Stopping byWoods on a Snowy Evening) and "Things Change, Even Now." I'm calling this flash fiction even though it's based on actual events because I took license with a lot of details, so don't tell … Continue reading Dark and Deep
I originally shared this post two years ago after an enjoyable trip to the coast. I consider it to be a wonderful Good Friday meditation. Last week I was generously invited to join a group of friends who have been meeting every year for decades to whale watch at Point Arena Lighthouse. On our third … Continue reading The Labyrinth, an Easter Adventure
Allow me to share a parable my late friend Craig told me: Before we are born, we are hanging out on the astral planes, having fun with our friends. Then our number is called: it’s our turn to don a body and come to Earth. We come here, live our lives, spending as much as 80, 90, even … Continue reading Vacation
In celebration of the solstice, I'm reviving a piece I wrote several years ago after a morning volunteering at a hospitality center that serves breakfast to low-income and homeless women and children. The kitchen was being remodeled back then, so we were only offering coffee in paper cups and to-go items like fruit, wrapped cheese, … Continue reading Solstice
I started writing this piece about my friend Craig several years ago. I thought I had lost it, but I found it again as I was purging files this summer. I was so grateful to find it! Writing this was an experiment for me, as I was attempting a Japanese form called Haibun, which combines … Continue reading Blue
For decades there has been a debate about how government could and should raise money to pay for public services like schools and police protection, road maintenance and garbage disposal. Progressives like myself have long argued that there should be some kind of a wealth tax because those with higher incomes and assets often pay … Continue reading A Parable in Defense of Democracy
It’s been a weird summer. In fact, it’s been a weird summer regarding the word “weird,” so maybe in the interest of accuracy I should say it’s been an unusual summer for me. Although I am long retired, I generally fall into the habits of a working teacher during the summer, with emphasis on rest, … Continue reading Equinox Thoughts
Good morning. I’m writing this the day after the U.S. Supreme Court released its bizarre and historically ungrounded opinion giving the former republican president and all future presidents immunity from criminal prosecution for any acts they are able to deem “official.” Okay, pause. Take a deep breath. I would like to say something healing, … Continue reading Hopes on the 4th
Last week I was generously invited to join a group of friends who have been meeting every year for decades to whale watch at Point Arena Lighthouse. On our third day there, we hiked over to a labyrinth that they remembered from previous visits. From a distance this labyrinth appeared to be poorly maintained, and … Continue reading Adventure in a Labyrinth
