"Meet you there!" said Gabe, and off he drove to start a backpacking trip. "There" was somewhere along the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River. We'd meet along the river, he said, and fish our way back to the parking lot at the confluence of the Taylor River and Middle Fork. "Maybe late morning," he said. He was describing a heavily forested area, cut through by a winding river, that would turn out to be some 1.5 square miles, roughly 100 city blocks, and a timeframe that

I abandoned my Redmond-based-tech-company job back in September of last year, but I still keep in touch with a few folks who are keeping their noses to that grindstone, and I sprung a couple of them on a Thursday afternoon a week ago to make a canoe commute from Lake Sammammish to Lake Washington. These two lakes are connected by the Sammammish River, which is well known for it's paved bicycling path but doesn't get a lot of attention as a waterway in its own right. But it'

A couple of weeks ago the biggest square dance game in town, the twice-monthly Tractor Tavern square dance hosted by The Tallboys, asked if I was available to call their dance. "Of course!" I said. I hung up the phone (not really, this was all arranged by text) and started figuring out how exactly I'd make myself ready to call this dance. Calling a square dance is a cross between a wedding toast, a rap battle, and public karaoke. Full disclosure: I wasn't ready. I've writ

Nothing builds up fly-casting skills quite like urban catfishing. And honestly, my cat can use the exercise. Urban cat(fish) are common in Seattle. These lunkers can be found lurking in shadowy enclaves, cruising in dappled light, and basking in morning rays. I love cat(fish)ing for how accessible it is, and affordable. With a willowy wand, a bit of line, and a knot of brightly colored yarn you and your family could be out cat(fish)ing today! Patience is key. Cat(fish) ar

On the last day of May the Foragers Dinner Club gathered once more for a feast of found food. The Foragers Dinner Club kicked off in the spring of 2011 -- a group of friends excited to share a meal together. From the first email thread that got us all going: The idea would be to convene as a group... to prepare a menu of foods we have grown, hunted, milked, gleaned or foraged. Whatever's in season, on the end of our hooks, weighing our nets, buckets or trash bags down. We'l