The Endangered Roadside Diner

It was 104 degrees and I did not want chicken. I wanted a Cobb salad, maybe, or a Niçoise, so I blew past the chicken place. I also liked the idea of pie because I always like the idea of pie, though I am trying to eat like an adult slightly more often. I wanted …


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What the Sam Hill?*

You can reach the Maryhill Museum by shorter routes than mine, but I needed a road trip and was not in a hurry.  I crossed the north side of Mount Rainier, spent the night in Yakima, and then, continued south on 97, past wheat fields and giant white wind turbines and little fenced cemeteries which …


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Stuff I Liked This Week

It is a good thing to have people who understand the way you’re wired. On Monday, I got in touch with some of them and said, “If I don’t get outta town — are you home?” “When do you arrive?” they all responded. Off I went, under-packed but with a ukulele. I have seen many …


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Eastern Western

I’ve been driving around Oregon and Washington with no particular purpose or agenda. Here are some pictures.

The Woman Who Stared at Elk

The road is a glorious two lane stripe of asphalt that flanks the northeast side of Mt. Rainier National Park. The day was dry and the light was beautiful, but the top of the mountain was not to make an appearance, the clouds blanketed the highest parts. Never mind, never mind, the air smelled amazing …


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Stuff I Liked This Week

Across the alley from my house there’s a sprawling fig tree. It’s abundant with fruit in the summer — once, I was walking to the bus stop and wondering how it could be that everything smelled like honey when I realized that it was coming from the bottom of my shoes; I’d stepped in fallen …


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