The Trees in My Mind

It’s a funny feeling, being split between two worlds, but it also seems to be at the core of this writing thing. The other day I was musing about how living here, in southwestern Wyoming, my physical world is high plains desert: sage brush, antelope, and very few lakes, rivers, and trees. Researching the settingContinue reading “The Trees in My Mind”

No More Blinkin’ Excuses

Last week while talking to some friends of mine at the Book and Bean, I busted through a creative wall. Since completing For the Love of Flying back in the spring I’ve felt the full range of emotion you’d expect with completing a book: euphoria, exhaustion, satisfaction, anxiety… but mostly, I’ve felt a bittersweet senseContinue reading “No More Blinkin’ Excuses”

A Festive Staycation

Doug had another set of days off last week, but after a bunch of long-distance, long-haul travelling and a particularly gruelling “hitch” (days on), we decided to go the “staycation” route and hang out close to home. This turned out to be a good thing since here in Southwestern Wyoming we got hit by aContinue reading “A Festive Staycation”

A Sejour in Sin City

Most of our trips this year have been into the backwoods and we are generally happier in low-density areas, but we decided that one place on our must-see list while we’re in Wyoming had to be Vegas, baby! So I spent hours scouring the web looking for the best deals and Sunday, November 15th weContinue reading “A Sejour in Sin City”

Canyon Camping in Utah

We are in the home stretch of our time here in Wyoming. As we’ve done in other places we’ve lived (Vancouver, Montreal, the U.K) we’ve started making a ‘Gotta Do Before We Leave’ list. Top on Doug’s: a canyon hike in Utah. So last Wednesday morning we jumped in the Element (“Ellie”) and the MiniContinue reading “Canyon Camping in Utah”

Fall (Re)Training

October, I decided, is about getting back into shape. I feel like the last few months I’ve been letting both my mind and body lie fallow. This isn’t a totally bad thing. After all, think of farming: agriculturalists know you’ve got to give a field a chance to rest, to regain nutrients, so that itContinue reading “Fall (Re)Training”

Warm Reception in Cowboy Country

Even when you lose someone special, the show, as they say, must go on. A few days after our return from Ottawa, Doug and I were scheduled to fly out to Houston where Doug was to receive a week’s training to become the Rock Springs Schlumberger office’s radiation specialist officer, and where I would giveContinue reading “Warm Reception in Cowboy Country”

A Week of Waiting Rooms

This past Sunday, September 6, 2009, my wonderful mother-in-law, Dawn Kenny, passed away. Last November this upbeat, energetic woman was diagnosed with an exceedingly rare form of cancer, cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) at the age of 48. There has been no shortage of exclamations from friends and family: “It’s so unfair!” “How can it be?!”Continue reading “A Week of Waiting Rooms”