I’m off gathering for a spell. While I’m gone, here’s an image from the McNary National Wildlife Preserve (in the U.S. land claim), taken at a distance so the shotgun shell casings […]
The Crooked Path to the Water
A Tiny Crop of Big Peaches
Last December, it got cold. See that? That’s 30 Below at the airport, so 29 Below up here in the sunbelt. The was on the 29th. I figured I wouldn’t have any […]
15. How to Enslave the Land if You’re Spanish: a Guide for Colonists
Every culture approaches slavery in its own way. If you are Spanish in the North American West, the vulnerability of your body and self in an absolute monarchy within a vast, uncontrolled […]
14. How to Enslave the Land if You Are French: A Guide for Colonists
Colonization has methods, just like the blueprints of a house. For example, if you are French and trying to colonize land in North America, you might like to stick to the methods […]
A Young Black Widow and Her Beau
Dancing in the sun. Among the lettuce seeds caught on their way to the stars. A slow dance. Tra-la-la. In three dimensions, yet. That all took an hour. When the sun went […]
13. A War for Freedom
The Texas Revolution went badly for the two Mexican generals who tried to stop it. Their police action, to enforce an anti-slavery law, was a new, utopian experiment for Mexico. Under Spanish […]
All the Suitors Lining Up for Love
I’ve been dealing with black widows in my summer kitchen for weeks. On the one hand, there are no bugs, so that’s nice. On the other hand, they can be a bit […]
12. Are We Slaves?
This history began with a debt, that is mine to repay. It is the dept of a pish, a fish, and not just any pish but a chikamin pish, a bright silver […]
11. Why I Do Not Call This a Canadian Story
You have probably noticed that I live in what is usually called “Canada”, a country claiming the northern half of North America. You’ve probably guessed that I travel on a Canadian passport. […]
10. A Black Market in the Similkameen
Let’s backtrack a bit, to see what might have brought a man to try to change orcharding culture in the Similkameen Valley, and in the process anger half the people and become […]
Okanagan Okanogan 