Pick-up Dogs How Two Rescue Dogs Save the West from Being Won

Pick-up Dogs
Smiling Dog
Smiling Dog

  I love seeing a smiling dog.

The Bridges of Whatcom County
The Bridges of Whatcom County
Dogs and Clouds. April in the North Cascade Foothills.
Dogs and Clouds. April in the North Cascade Foothills.

I feel oh so near When morning doves appear And ghosts of April ring Echo the refrain Soon finding a place In these lost verses. —Sun Kil Moon, “Lost Verses” from April      

What are Pick-Up Dogs?
What are Pick-Up Dogs?

What are pick-up dogs? Pick-up dogs are not only dogs that pick us up when we’re down as I’ve seen Marcos do when we visit hospice patients, nursing homes or psychiatric patients. Pick-up dogs are dogs that ride in pick-ups. Dogs riding in vehicles seems to be an American tradition that goes back a long […]

Dogs in Cuba
Dogs in Cuba

In 2009, I was given an academic visa to study Cuban culture. I went mainly to pay homage to some of my favorite authors and musicians and to see what the island is really like. I spent my 10 days in Cuba walking the city of Havana. When I travel, I like to constantly be […]

This looks like an ad for Natural Balance’s Bear Biscuits
This looks like an ad for Natural Balance's Bear Biscuits

A pick-up dog waiting for some good treats.                  

The Forest Path and the Rain Dogs
The Forest Path and the Rain Dogs

This post is about light and the absence of light in a Northwestern forest foray. In winter, Marcos, Lupe and I walk down a path that is like a passage into a Brothers Grimm fairy tale, the forest so dark that it is spooky and unforgiving. Lupe takes pleasure in the smells of the forest […]

Do dogs perceive beauty? And if so, how does this perception manifest itself?
Do dogs perceive beauty? And if so, how does this perception manifest itself?

My hiking partner, who doesn’t have a dog, has asked me on several occasions while watching Marcos and Lupe observe a mountain view or a special afternoon light, Do dogs perceive beauty? And if so, how does this perception manifest itself? This is a hard question because tastes vary from person to person and also […]

Village Books Event January 14th
Village Books Event January 14th
The Economic Value of Wilderness
The Economic Value of Wilderness

I’ve been working on the idea of the value of wilderness and nature from the point of view of an economist, which is difficult because I’m not an economist. Nevertheless, by definition economists have a lot to tell us about nature and wilderness, and I want to learn from their perspective. Economics is the study […]

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