My wife and I watch our granddaughter each Friday. It is the highlight of our week. Savannah, whom we call Savvy, will be two on March 14th. I have written about her before, here and here. This week I had her all to myself, as my wife was out of town. My energy level waxes … More Hanging With Savvy
Recently, I walked along Hood River’s waterfront. The path I take is 3.5 miles out and back. The fresh air acts as an antidote to the cabin fever that persists during Oregon’s winter months. The Port Commission has patiently developed this resource over the last three decades. Another decade of fine tuning should bring the … More Cabin Fever
Recently, the nursing staff at the infusatorium, where I receive treatment, took it upon themselves to start a cancer support group. At the first meeting I attended, some expressed shock at disappointing prognoses. As a hardy veteran of the cancer wars, I understand how the initial diagnosis upsets the routines of living we carefully construct. To discern … More The Final Four
Yesterday morning, before the wind rose and fanned the fires smoldering in the Northwest’s back country, I strolled the waterfront along the Columbia River. The silent water laid flat and grey, tinted with the smoke that shrouded the hills and diffused the sunlight that strained to pierce the cottony haze. A lone fisherman sat on a bench tying flies, too intent … More Still Life on the Columbia
In the mid-summer of 2015 when all of Oregon seemed to be on fire, the view from our home of the mountains was to the north in Washington, beyond the border of the rolling Columbia River. There, above the peaks of the barren foothills, a plume of smoke from a wildfire in the Indian Heaven … More Wildfire
On July 27th, I began a new treatment regimen for my cancer, multiple myeloma. You can read all about it in The Drill. I am compelled to comment on a series of books I was prompted to read by my oldest son. He lives in Oakland, CA and works as an attorney for the EPA … More A Potpourri of Things
It’s been years since I last ran. During those years when I was a runner, I never figured out what I was running from or chasing. Mostly, I think, I just wanted to be alone. Back then, I competed in many 10K races and collected a rainbow of colorful t-shirts. I also ran a few … More Walking the Waterfront
My youngest son makes his living as a builder. Often, trees must be felled to clear the construction site where he works. In the spring and summer, he hauls this wood back home to dry. Fall is the time for splitting and stacking and, recently, I joined him to help. A small mountain of wood awaits … More Wood Splitting
I ran when I was younger the county roads of Hood River. From Trout Creek Ridge to Cooper Spur and Lost Lake to Lolo Pass, I crisscrossed the valley, high on endorphins, at 140 heart beats a minute. I ran loops around the rectangular blocks of apple, pear, and cherry orchards. I noted the seasons as … More Heat Wave
Recently, I attended a presentation titled, Multiple Myeloma, State of the Art. The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society hosted the speaker at its monthly MM support group meeting. I joined the group in 2009, a little over one year after being diagnosed with this blood cancer. It’s an active group with dozens of participants. Several are … More The University of Cancer, Part 2
Good Blood, Bad Blood 