by Julie Gomez It was late August along the trail, and I paused to rest in the shade.  The cool ground, damp from a perennial stream, was soothing.  It was doubtful that sunlight ever touched this place; if it did, it was only for a moment. … Read more

  by Chuck Bolsinger   Among the natural treasures we are blessed with here in Oregon are the many species of birds.  In last year’s Christmastime bird count, an event involving hundreds of volunteers from gonzo-birding fanatics to… Read more

  by Chuck Bolsinger The school bus pulled up in front of the old farmhouse near Underwood, Washington, and the kids poured out, laughing, jabbing, grabbing each other, except the last four, Hispanic girls, who were quiet and subdued.  The… Read more

by Julie Gomez     It was to be the warmest day of the year. Mount Hood, still dressed in white, stood on the horizon against a cloudless sky. The lake, as black as onyx, held no reflections, its waters caressed by wind, twinkled like… Read more

When I was a farm kid living with my grandparents in eastern Kansas, in the summer after the crops were “laid by” we’d have a neighborhood “fish fry.”  Half of the fun was catching the fish; several kids and adults from nearby farms,… Read more