The Writer
I write personal essay. I write to find out how I feel about something, an aspiration I learned from the poet May Sarton. I sometimes picture myself as a grizzled prospector leading a forlorn, burdened donkey into the trackless waste of basin and range country, looking for riches that might be only a few bright flecks in a stream.
These essays explore my world, from the hiking trails of California to the Java Sea and the Silk Road, from school days to retirement, from my backyard to my bookshelves. I invite you to read them—with this caveat from the Persian poet Hafiz:
Listen: this world is the lunatic's sphere,
Don't always agree it's real,
Even with my feet upon it
And the postman knowing my door
My address is somewhere else.
*The quote above about the fish is from Pablo Neruda.
First, pick the huckleberries.
Huckleberries have not been successfully tamed and are not grown commercially. You can’t pop into Safeway and pick up a can of Wyman’s huckleberries. So, the first step in making muffins is to find a patch of wild huckleberries.
Some years ago my friend Carol introduced […]
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Length of hike: 1.3 miles from East Beach to Torpedo Wharf
Difficulty: Easy
Best time: Any clear day
Highlights: Bay, bridge, city—what more could you want?
To get there: If you are already in San Francisco, take Marina Boulevard toward the Golden Gate Bridge. At the west end of the Marina Green, bear right on Mason Street into the […]
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Length: 9.4 miles round-trip, out and back (four to five hours).
Difficulty: Moderate.
Best season: You choose: Late summer is elk mating season, but the hills look desolate from the summer drought. Winter and early spring offer a greener, less stark landscape. Wildflowers are abundant in June.
Highlights: The great views and bird watching where the Pacific Ocean […]
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