The writer.
In my earliest visions for “Rare Air,” I had a general sense of wanting to share nature with others in the loving spirit of some sage advice my late father-in-law Bill Kiefert gave me often, reminding me to stop and smell the flowers. This simple and essential idea goes a long way in defining what I am aspiring to do here… and yet, today I’m aware of a deeper lesson.
So far in life, we have only visited Saint John one time – it was our “vacation of vacations” last June, as you can read in other entries I’ve shared in the past. When I tell you that Beth and I are set to return this July, you probably won’t be very surprised. I don’t know how often we’ll make it there, but I’ve been pining away for the next trip since we booked it earlier this year.
I hope you enjoy Rare Air episode 19 and the March desktop calendar... and that there are many exciting new wild adventures in store for you and yours in the days to come.
I hope you enjoy Rare Air episode 18 and the January desktop calendar… and that you’ll find what you need in 2017 to allow your spirit to soar.
June 11 is the date we planned to arrive in Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands, before staying on for another nine nights. In the months leading up to that, I spent a lot of time daydreaming about those hours we’d be spending in paradise. My inner photobug also drove me to great lengths to gear up for the trip, as I got serious about capturing more captivating moments to feed into new Rare Air chapters.
I hope you enjoy the words and Rare Air episode 16, and I look forward to hearing from you any time.
Featured Image: 2016 photo from the ferry ride leaving Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands.
To me, the Olympic Peninsula is one of those places that is so powerful, its presence shines through in every word written there, and in every other sensation it is possible to possess and experience.
Annie Dillard: "The difficulty and expense of reaching Puget Sound at all, from anywhere on the planet earth including Oregon, had drawn men and women as hard as mules, whose arrival proved their endurance."
In this minute of Rare Air, you can join me at the Tongue Point Marine Life Sanctuary in Crescent Bay… part of the Salt Creek Recreation Area where I camped for a few nights with my family back in 2014, while touring Olympic National Park. The spot appears on the map below, snared from the awesome website for The Strait of Juan de Fuca Scenic Byway: http://highway112.org. Throughout time, the areas all along the Highway 112 corridor have been home to people of the Klallam and Makah tribes: Exploring their cultures and histories are wonderful aspects of visiting.