We had our first snow yesterday. I dutifully rummaged for my beeswax candles to mark the occasion. It was a wet and frigid day. Watching the squirrels shiver in the snow was heart wrenching. I watched the full moon until…

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” – William G.T. Shedd In these strange Covid-19 times, it takes more personal motivation for some of us to get out of our comfort zones.  I know…

Mongolia has been enduring some hard challenges to its democracy. But what caught my attention the other day was the protests there in support of Mongolians in China’s Inner Mongolia Region.  These protests were in response to China’s September 2020 demands…

I have been tearfully following the obstructive government actions toward democracy in Hong Kong. Each new protest in the last twenty-three years has been grueling to watch. I think it shows my age. When I have encountered young residents of…

Life is good. I am not on the road like last year. Mostly, now I travel as a pedestrian along parks and trails. All this staying at home and self-isolation has changed the lens from which I’m looking at travel.…