From the Shadow of the Fire

As I write this, Bend Oregon is heading into its fifth consecutive day with a median AQI of over 400. That’s on beyond Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, and solidly into the Hazardous zone. It looks hazardous, too. Particulate matter is so thick the trees across the street are cloaked in haze and Pilot Butte, normally visible …

Imaginary Friends

When I was a little girl, I had a big imagination. This imagination let me make up all sorts of imaginary friends to play with. I could imagine that I was a knight, a hero, or an intrepid explorer. I was an alligator hiding in the river. I was an eagle soaring over a canyon. …