The Owl and the Woodpecker (Paul Bannick)

Bird books seem to my biggest new indulgence this year. No fewer than seven of them have followed me home (so far) in the last 12 months. [I've reviewed several here; search my blog for "birds" to retrieve them.] As a group, these books have been a delight. Birders and the little flitting critters they [...]

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Images of a Champion (Lance Armstrong)

QUICK TAKE: As I write this, I’m watching the final stage of the Tour de France, a grueling three-week cycling competition that’s had a rough couple of years. Not only has it struggled to rid itself of blood-doping riders, but it has had to find its way following the retirement of seven-time champ Lance Armstrong. [...]

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High Rocks and Ice (Bob & Ira Spring)

A while back I expressed to you my wish — my ache — to be up hiking the high country trails at Mt Rainier. I shared a few mountain photography books with you at the time, but I’d be remiss to talk about such things in this region without mentioning Bob & Ira Spring, twin [...]

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The Art of the Snowflake (Kenneth Libbrecht)

As kids we were all told snowflakes were six-sided crystals and no two were alike. Most of us even made paper cutouts or drew snowflakes for winter school projects. But how often have we had the chance to actually see six points on a real snowflake? I lucked out just last month as they fell [...]

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Mount Rainier National Park Impressions (Charles Gurche)

Last time we chatted I was longing to see Mt Rainier again and had comforted myself with one of Art Wolfe’s great photography collections of the Cascade Range: Seven Summits. I also went through Charles Gurche’s Mount Rainier National Park Impressions [LibraryThing / WorldCat]. Gurche’s book is not as ambitious as Wolfe’s but many of [...]

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Seven Summits (Art Wolfe)

I’m homesick for the mountains. Or simply The Mountain. I can usually see Mount Rainier out an upstairs window if I lean against the shower and hope the wind blows enough to strip the neighbor’s tree of its leaves. But outside right now it’s dark and gray and rainy. From the previous postings you might [...]

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