I'm a big fan of orienteering, which is the sport of racing using navigation skills and a map and compass. At a recent orienteering event I was wondering why it felt so satisfying to find colored fabric flags out in the woods. I think it's our monkey brains. We've got monkey brains. Not the Indiana Jones Temple of Doom type monkey brains, but brains in our heads that have a lot in common with the brains of monkeys. And our monkey brains love hunting and gathering. Our mon

Gabe got a $25 Craigslist canoe with somewhat dubious claims of hull integrity. Before trusting his gear and personal safety to the craft on an upcoming overnight trip, Gabe figured to test the boat in waters closer to home. I couldn't pass up the possibility of watching a slowly sinking boat, and so agreed to join in on a quick outing. There are lots of urban paddling options in Seattle, but none so close to the heart of the city as Lake Union. We unloaded the boats at Wat

Every season or so a group of like-minded friends gathers together for a unique shared meal. We call ourselves the Foragers Dinner Club, and the meals feature ingredients foraged, grown, caught, or killed. We also like bartered, traded, or gifted foodstuffs, as these usually come with a great story attached. Every one of these meals has been unique and entirely pleasing, and this season's evening was no exception. Not only are these meals a treat to attend and consume, b

Over the weekend I got to play music for a monthly square dance at a nearby cafe. It's a good example of a community social dance, which is a rare thing for most communities these days (we're lucky in the Seattle area to have lots of social dance opportunities). It's hard to recommend social dancing enough. It provides for lots of interaction with people in your community, lots of face time and safe social touching, and lots of movement to music, all of which are little s