It’s been a peculiar few weeks. Around September 9, fire was lapping at the doors of the world headquarters of WenatcheeOutdoors. We were issued a Level 3 notice and were advised to evacuate the area. We didn’t flee but we did pack our computers in a car and, for several days, waited as fire approached to within a third of a mile of us...

Some viewers take in the aesthetics rather than the science of flowers. For such viewers the interplay of light and color can evoke an emotional response. These photos work on that level and, even if they are out of focus, they're fun.

I met him a few miles west of Saddle Rock. I was snowshoeing uphill through a foot of week-old snow—plodding. He was weaving parallel turns through the sagebrush—gliding. He caught sight of me when we were a hundred yards apart and rounded a turn to a stop. He stood there deciding how to confront this queer animal contaminating his ski run.

I owe a great deal to friends who have shared mountain trips with me over the years, often helping me see things I might otherwise have not noticed.

Most of us who are goal oriented and physically fit owe a debt to people who slow us down and  help us appreciate the details of places.