Pat Neal

PAT NEAL: Sympathy for the fish cop

IT HAS BEEN a long-held suspicion that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is managing our fish and wildlife into extinction in an effort… Continue reading

Bo, (Bob Neal) was my cousin and a father, grandfather, husband, logger, builder and a hunter that we shared many adventures with. He is gone long before his time and I and his family would appreciate it if you could run a picture of him with Milton the Burrow.

PAT NEAL: Hunting with Bo

WAY BACK WHEN, the Olympic elk were market hunted for their meat, antlers, hides and ivory teeth or just shot and left by thrill-seeking lowlifes… Continue reading

Bo, (Bob Neal) was my cousin and a father, grandfather, husband, logger, builder and a hunter that we shared many adventures with. He is gone long before his time and I and his family would appreciate it if you could run a picture of him with Milton the Burrow.

PAT NEAL: Elk season

I HOPE YOUR elk season went better than mine did. Things started out bad and got worse after that. The first thing I did to… Continue reading

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 friend shrieked the morning after the election.… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The great migration

IT WAS A dark and stormy night. Then, it was daylight in the swamp. Something was very wrong. All of my friends were gone. It… Continue reading

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. It’s a message that tells us the forest fires… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The Great ShakeOut

whatever that means. Perhaps it means having a cup of coffee with a mountain view. Above, there… Continue reading

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 in the mud-filled journalistic trenches as our… Continue reading

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 Olympic Peninsula. People are getting stung by… Continue reading

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 do. A sharp-eyed reader suggested that, in… Continue reading

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 we head toward the World Series. The… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: Disaster preparedness month

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL Disaster Preparedness Month. It’s time to raise awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies. As you read this, the… Continue reading

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 shapes and sizes. Blue-tarp campers celebrate our… Continue reading

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 rate, which is reflected in the low… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: A short history of fire

IT WAS ANOTHER tough week in the news, but we still have plenty of fresh air. Washed by the ocean, the rain and the trees,… Continue reading

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 hurry up and start so everyone will… Continue reading

PAT NEAL: The bug sacrifice

OF THE MANY phobias I cultivate, such as the fear of the government, fear of the mailbox and the fear of work, to name a… Continue reading

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. The last one put a lump on… Continue reading

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 work here. We are in the trenches… Continue reading

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 exotic berries that ripen along every roadside… Continue reading