Seattle, Washington - where it’s cool and cloudy and fall
Written September 19, 2008

NEWS:
“What on Earth Have I Done?” - my most recent collection of essays and stories - has just been published in paperback by St. Martin’s Press and should be available soon from most bookstores and Amazon.

My novel - “Third Wish” - is now in production in English, and will be available in February as a two-volume set, exclusively from Amazon, part of the contractual package that includes availability before Christmas by electronic download for their Kindle™ device.

On Sunday I leave for a series of speaking engagements (not public) on the east coast, winding up in Atlanta for the 25th anniversary celebration of Tree Climbers International. Then to Crete, back to Moab, and finally returning to Seattle in early November.

There are two public appearances coming up - one near Denver at the Mile Hi church in Lakewood, Colorado, on Friday, Oct. 17. And the other in Madison, Wisconsin on Friday, Nov. 14 - details and tickets. available from the First Unitarian Church of Madison.

Travel always fuels my journal and story writing, but getting things up on the website is a little higgledy-piggledy because I don’t travel with a laptop. Nevertheless, new material will get posted here from time to time over the next 8 weeks, so check in.

POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD - in September

TULALIP INDIAN RESERVATION - northwest Washington State. Here’s a view of the tribe’s gambling casino and hotel-and-spa. A multi-million dollar Las Vegas level operation. Just out of the picture is a humongus shopping mall with outlet shops of famous name brands. It all belongs to a native-American community that was at the bottom of the cultural and economic heap in this neighborhood only a few years ago. Now the tail wags the dog. Big money, honey. The annual fund-raising banquet of the United Way of Snohomish County was hosted this year by the Tulalips - a bit of a twist on the Thanksgiving meal of American history.

As part of the perks of my being asked to be the guest speaker at this occasion, I was invited to spend the night in the hotel. And was given a tour of the high-roller suites. If you lose enough money at the gambling tables, you get the use of the accommodations. Here’s a picture of one luxury accommodation that included a full bar, a pool table, sexy brown robes, a bathroom you could hose down a pickup truck in, and a TV screen big enough for a drive-in movie. And great authentic Salish Indian art.

The chairman of the tribal council was a large, handsome, easy-going former fisherman who spoke eloquently at the breakfast about his tribe’s traditional values of generously sharing assets with one another and the community. He said “We have always believed in the United Way - that there is no way on for the world unless we are united.”

AMISH PRAYER FLAGS

This is a photograph taken the next day - where I had taken the day off to drive out into the rolling farmland near Fort Wayne, a town in northeast Indiana. This is Amish country - a landscape dominated by the white houses and barns of a people who live simply, without electricity or gasoline. Since they don’t use automatic washers and dryers, their laundry is strung up in the sun to dry. Long lines of white sheets, many shades of blue clothes - all blowing in the morning breeze reminding me of Tibetan prayer flags - flying in the wind as a sign of mutual respect for their version of the focused religious life.

The Amish go about in horse-drawn buggies. I followed along behind several, admiring the well-kept vehicles, the fine horses, and the simple dress of the drivers. One buggy was driven by a young woman, with three little black-bonneted girls hanging over the back, giggling and smiling at me.
And one buggy was whipping along, the horse trotting at traveling speed, and the young man driving leaning back in his seat without a care in the world. Or so I thought. Until he took out his cell phone.

No, I don’t have any answers to the questions I - or you - might have.

HOME AGAIN, HOME AGAIN

Weather scrambled flights from Fort Wayne through Chicago and back to Seattle. So an extra night in a hotel in Indiana and an extra day playing roulette with the airlines, standing in lines at ticket counters, and running through an airport to make a flight, only to sit in the plane on the ground while lightning shut down O’Hare.

These interruptions of a smooth way home are tests of one’s inner guru. I admire the priestly calm of the airline employees who must deal with tired, frustrated, and irritated passengers who act as if the agent behind the counter was personally in charge of weather and planes.

I try to help in a small way by employing my secret weapon: a red rubber nose. When I wear it an amused bubble of calm seems to form around me. People loosen up and talk to me. The nose does wonders for the morale of ticket agents, and makes a humane connection between me and flight attendants. The airlines ought to pass out red rubber noses on chaos flights instead of salted nuts.

And I arrive home feeling amused instead of abused.

No, I haven’t yet had the courage to wear it through TSA security.
But I’ve thought about it.

The nose is the first thing I pack when I travel.
In fact, I am wearing it now as I write to you.
You see? It made you smile.