By Daniel Hooker Two Stories. A young woman, maybe 35 years old, came to the table. “Do you have any formal dress clothes? I just got a job. It starts tomorrow.” She went on to explain that, in Seattle, someone had broken into her car and stolen all her clothes and shoes. She was nine…
By Michael Shook Once one’s facade of innocence is peeled away – invariably in a painful manner – nothing ever again looks quite the same. This is a good thing. Among the many salutary effects I experienced as a result of my “fall to earth” was the collapse of the notion that humanity is perfectable….
By Suzanna Leigh My friend Geri told me she owns part of the beach on the north end of Tramp Harbor, where the road to Ellisport runs along the shore (in Washington State, most beaches are privately owned as far as the mean low tide line). I think she owns the part with the old…
By Deborah H. Anderson The television show “Chopped” is my go-to for all seasons. If you haven’t seen it, the premise is simple, and the action is intense. “Chopped” is a game show where four chefs from various demographics and styles of cooking in the restaurant industry have to prepare an appetizer, entree, and dessert…
By March Twisdale In 2014, there was a high profile coyote attack at Misty Isle Farms. Three Willamette Valley ewes, brought in for the Vashon Sheepdog Classic, were killed overnight. The next night, government-sanctioned hunters shot and killed two coyotes as the pack returned twice, moving confidently toward the flock, passing many tents and dogs…
By Seán Malone and John Sweetman Seán and I spent several decades in Ferry County and had a number of adventures, some of which we can tell now that time has passed. The county is not the largest of the 39 counties of Washington state, but is the most remote, and like Vashon, is basically…
By Michael Shook This summer, I will turn 70. There will come an anniversary in August – late August, if I remember correctly. One would think I might remember clearly the date, given the life-changing experience that it was. Let it suffice to say, late summer. Here, a little background is necessary. For my 40th…
By Suzanna Leigh Rich and Suzanna on Eli-Oh My beloved and I had a “Qufi” wedding; I am a Quaker and Rich is a Sufi, so we combined traditions. We were married on the solstice, on the beach at Lincoln Park in Seattle, where friends from Seattle could find us easily, and friends from Vashon…
By Melanie Farmer Eclipses are pure astronomical phenomena; those who experience its shadow share this with the world. The events, live-streamed globally, have no political attachment, no violent content, no war., no race, no gender … nothing. The eclipse is separate from all expectation or meaning, from new-age interpretation, from history. Here’s our chance to…
By Deborah H. Anderson The original draft of this was written in hunter green. I used to write words that came from my interior place, personal experience words, in mahogany. It’s a shade that looks deep red, like blood poured on the page. Life has gotten a little lighter, and those feeling words are like…