Opinion
PAT NEAL: The day after the disaster
“THE WHOLE COUNTRY is going to hell in a bucket now that we’ve elected those idiots,” my fancy…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: The great migration
IT WAS A dark and stormy night. Then, it was daylight in the swamp.
Opinion
PAT NEAL: Lost in the throes of mushroom fever
THERE ARE FEW things more comforting than the sound of a heavy rain on the roof.
Opinion
PAT NEAL: How’s the fishing?
“HOW’S THE FISHING?” If I had a dollar for every time I heard that, I wouldn’t be floundering…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: A bee-utiful autumn
IF THE FEEDBACK from last week’s episode is any indication, we are having a “bee-utiful” autumn on the…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: Bee careful in autumn woods
Thank you for reading this. Sometimes, I think if you didn’t read this, no one would. But you…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: Time to play fall sports
AUTUMN MUST BE my favorite time of year. It’s all about the sports. Baseball is building tension as…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: Disaster preparedness month
SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL Disaster Preparedness Month. It’s time to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: The blue-tarp campers
THE BLUE-TARP CAMPER is named for a particular shade of inexpensive, blue plastic tarp that comes in various…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: The law of the sea
And so, another rafting season passes astern. The glaciers in the high Olympics are shrinking at an increasing…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: A short history of fire
IT WAS ANOTHER tough week in the news, but we still have plenty of fresh air.
Opinion
PAT NEAL: Real questions from real tourists
THIS MUST BE one of the busiest tourist seasons ever. It has the locals hoping that school will…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: The bug sacrifice
OF THE MANY phobias I cultivate, such as the fear of the government, fear of the mailbox and…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: Safety first on vacation
There’s no doubt about it. I’ve got to stop picking up women at the bar. It’s not safe.
Opinion
PAT NEAL: Voyage of the Doomed
There are no mental wellness days here at Hoh River Rafters, because you’d have to be crazy to…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: The hunt for blackberries
THERE ARE FEW outdoor activities more enjoyable than picking wild blackberries. By wild blackberries, I don’t mean the…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: A profitable extinction
In last week’s episode, we traced a cause for the degradation of our ecosystem to the elimination of…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: The rivers’ babies are disappearing
Looking at a baby salmon, it’s hard to believe that something not much bigger than a mosquito larvae…
Opinion
PAT NEAL: A very berry Fourth
This is the season wild creatures wait for all year. When we can walk in the woods and…