I have never been a morning person. In fact, if I have to be up at 3 or 4 am, it is often easier for me just to stay up than it is to go to bed and get up early. But starting in the summer when I was 9…

There is something magical about baseball. The smell of the fresh cut grass. The sound of bat connecting with ball that tells you it is a home run without even looking. The satisfying “WHUMP” of a perfectly thrown strike as it hits the catchers glove. It was the first organized…

My favorite job happened the summer between graduating college and starting my career. I was a camp leader for an outdoor escapes day camp where we took a group of 10–13 year olds to lakes, rivers, and waterfalls throughout Oregon. One particular morning we were exploring a new waterfall near…

As a kid I always looked forward to going to the Redwoods in Northern California. Coming from Idaho, the lush, green Redwoods found in Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park were an awe inspiring place to explore. But it turns out, there are secrets to the immense size and longevity of…

In just a little over 5 years, more than 100 million Amazon Alexa devices have been sold (not counting those unwrapped and installed yesterday). Add to that the 50+ million Google home devices and it is fair to say conversational AI has become mainstream. Everyday people use it to turn…

As I was reading through my various news feeds this morning I came across an article with a click-bait title that woke me up with more vigor than any caffeine infused beverage could.

Yesterday, while traveling northbound on Interstate 5 from Redding, our family witnessed a sobering display of solidarity and respect. For nearly 100 miles, every overpass and several exits were occupied by Fire, EMS, and Police vehicles preparing to pay their respects at the funeral procession for Sherrif’s Deputy, Jack Hopkins…

The concept of the Dude Ranch is a strange one. Brought into the mainstream of popular culture by Billy Crystal and Jack Palance in City Slickers (and subsequently crushed by City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold), they are generally found in wide open plains states of the west…

Fall is by far my favorite time of year. Crisp, cool mornings. The multitude of colors as the leaves fall. College football (Go Ducks!). There is something about fall that brings comfort and peace to my soul. I received an email this week from the caffeine-slinging mega-corporation, Staarbucks, announcing the…