Actually Now Agree

Posted on: June 5, 2026

to-nanaimo

The map and the townActually now agreeAs I drive away By Thursday morning, something unexpected had happened. The map and the town had finally agreed. This may not sound remarkable. But after several days of wandering Vancouver—sometimes intentionally, …

Read More

Between The Stars

Posted on: June 4, 2026

between-the-stars

Dove grey harbor dayBlogging then some wanderingFind the Steam Clock! Now! Yes, I realize that in the previous two posts, I appear to have jumped directly from Five Sails to Botanist. Why? Because the intervening day stubbornly refused to become a cohe …

Read More

Botanist

Posted on: June 3, 2026

botanist

Crows watched overheadA promise found its harborAn extra place set I arrived at Botanist about fifteen minutes early. (Okay, okay, after the rest of the day, I was expecting to get to the venue, a block away, via Singapore.) The hostess offered me a ch …

Read More

Keeping A Promise

Posted on: June 3, 2026

five-sails

Harbor sunset glowsA promise waits patientlyPast the turning years More than a decade ago, H and I spent our 10th anniversary in Vancouver. Like many couples celebrating an anniversary on a bit of a budget, we spent a certain amount of time looking at …

Read More

Arrival

Posted on: June 3, 2026

vancouver

Evening mountain glowA sword and one lonely shoeOh, Canada, eh? After several weeks of planning, packing, re-packing, contingency planning, worrying about sword cases, worrying about airports, worrying about trains, worrying about whether I had forgott …

Read More

The Packing Tornado

Posted on: May 30, 2026

the-packing-tornado

There was a period of approximately twenty years during which my husband Herbert and I prepared for every trip in exactly the same way. Herbert packed. I did not. This is not entirely accurate. I eventually packed. But first there was a process. The pr …

Read More

Map Folded Again

Posted on: May 21, 2026

james-e-shepard-md

Gentle traveler seventy years beside her map folded again Dr. James E. Shepard, M.D., F.A.C.P., beloved husband, father, grandfather, physician, traveler, and lifelong student of the world, passed away peacefully at the age of 92. Born with a sharp int …

Read More

Travel Angels

Posted on: May 18, 2026

travel-angels

Lost! Panic begins . . .That shortness of breath, then dread . . .Kindness appearing My father used to call them “Travel Angels.” Not guardian angels in the theological sense. More like: unexpected humans who appear precisely when travel has started un …

Read More

Thermonuclear Corgis (in Sweaters)

Posted on: May 17, 2026

corgis

Cold station platform thermonuclear corgis snuggle in my gloves I have been slowly purchasing items for both my Fall and Winter Japan trips on Amazon. After reading reviews, I intended to buy “a few” Korean warming pads to test for Winter Japan. What a …

Read More

Living Continuity — the Volcano, the Barge, the Sword, the Tea, the Candles

Posted on: May 14, 2026

living-continuity

There is a thread I keep discovering in my life that I did not consciously plan. Not travel.Not tourism.Not “bucket list” behavior. Something quieter. Participation. Or maybe more precisely: A desire to briefly enter living traditions. Not to master th …

Read More