For anyone who follows me on Instagram, the following isn’t news, but instead of writing a one-year-into-the-pandemic post I’m instead giving you a short thing about my wife Elissa and I adopting a new dog. Meet Scout, a precocious, timid blue heeler mix we adopted in December from local adoption…

Riding a bike during the winter takes a lot more preparation. There are more clothes to put on, more gear to wrangle. But sometimes, the thought of spinning on the trainer is so soul-defeating that the discomfort of cold wind and road spray doesn’t sound so bad. Recently, I popped…

What’s the last movie you saw in a theater? In non-pandemic times this question is a nice icebreaker and a good insight into a person’s personality. …

Last December, Brendan Leonard shared a year-long project on his popular blog, Semi-Rad. He wrote of his quest to run 52 marathons in one year and all the trials that go along with trying to run 26.2 miles every week when you’re also trying to live your life. It was…

OK. First thing first. Yes, this is my November post. Yes this is now December. But. I have a good reason for this. Arbitrary rules don’t matter. Oh, and Elissa and I bought a house.

I’m suspicious of people who say they love running. The happy-go-lucky folks who come back from a run beaming with seemingly more energy than when they started. The people who can knock out mile after mile with no headphones, a basic Timex and a positive attitude. Those are the real…

I keep thinking about a perfect night I had backpacking in 2013. My brother Byron and I met in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness at Detroit, Ore. for a quick one-night trip to the top of nearby Triangulation Peak. The rocky outcropping is an easy 2-mile hike from the trailhead, and…

Evelyn LaVonne Holce, a longtime resident of the Vernonia community who was a philanthropist, volunteer and loving mother, died Wednesday, August 19 in her home at the Springs Retirement Community in Hillsboro. She was 94. Evelyn, known to her family for her infectious laugh, generosity, love of chocolate and the…

First, I want to thank all of you who read my June post, written in the week after we had to say goodbye to the realest of friends. Your messages were all so nice. …