Laurie Buchanan's Blog, page 8

As you read this, Len and I are on a little road trip—we don’t know where we’re heading.  We were supposed to be enjoying the Pacific Ocean from the Oregon coastline. But with over 500,000 people having fled because of statewide … Continue reading →

Last year, on a road trip through Oregon, we saw endless miles of wire fencing stabilized every hundred feet or so by wire-wrapped “pillars” of smooth fieldstones. The labor involved in that task—harvesting millions of fieldstones and placing them in … Continue reading →

It’s rare for me to despise something. That’s a strong word, a strong feeling—contempt, deep repugnance. But it bubbles to the surface when I encounter indifference, a complete lack of interest, concern, or sympathy for anyone or anything.  In researching … Continue reading →

I enjoy writing and photography (and of course, I love red licorice). My next book, Indelible: A Sean McPherson Novel, Book One, takes place in the Zen-like wooded acres surrounding Pines & Quill, a writing retreat in the Pacific Northwest. And while … Continue reading →

Walking out the door one morning, I heard a chorus of cooing. Looking around, I located the source of the birdsong on the roof of the neighboring house. A trio of birds was amicably roosting. One of them was clearly … Continue reading →

We’re currently camping at the Garden Valley Airstrip. It’s a popular fly-in picnic and camping spot for experienced pilots because of the mountainous location next to the Payette River and the excellent maintenance of the grass landing strip by the … Continue reading →

When I hopped out of the truck in Sisters, Oregon to take this photograph, my immediate thought was “line of sight.” I wanted to write about unobstructed vision, and how very few things we actually see that way. Easy peasy, … Continue reading →

Fastidious by nature, I’m one of those people who thrives on lists—especially checking items off. Humor, laughter, and having fun is of equal significance to me. When it comes to getting things done, I want it to be as much … Continue reading →

Among the many cool sights we saw during our road trip to Montana in July were two fascinating trees: One tree is growing near the Bitterroot River and has two ninety-degree angles in its trunk. This tree seems to have … Continue reading →

While walking Willa in the Laura Moore Cunningham Memorial Arboretum, I saw this small cairn.  Used by people around the globe, cairns—a human-made stack of stones—serve many different purposes: Utilitarian: to mark a path, territory, or specific site Spiritual: inviting … Continue reading →