Even out of high school in 1965, I was already very focused on world environmental problems. This was still at a time when the word "ecology" was pretty much unknown to the general public. Looking back, it is somewhat en heartening to note how rapidly historically (fifty years) that environmental concerns have come to dominate world consciousness. Sometimes, you need to make a mark on the wall of time in order to note any change whatsoever.    Be that as it may, immediately after I graduated from Stanford in 1970, having been tremendously influenced by both the teachings of professor Dr. Paul … [Read more...]

From the first time I viewed Mt. Cobb in the Pioneers, from the top of Baldy, I felt drawn. Of all the majestic peaks in the range, Cobb seemed to clearly stand out as the sentinel. Whenever I view the Pioneers from any vantage throughout the Wood River Valley, it is always Cobb that draws my immediate attention. Is it shrouded in clouds? has the first snowfall of the fall left its mark? How much? How late in the spring is there still snow? How much? One gets to know its face like looking at your own in a mirror. One of the first inspirations to paint, when I arrived permanently in the valley … [Read more...]

"The One Mile Radius" He was very much a real rouge, and an extreme asshole sometimes, and he could be easy to hate, when he was at his worst. He was a womanizer, and cheated on his wife, who he loved.  But, he would never think to run out on a debt. He was a loyal friend and family man, regardless of his philandering. He was often strikingly generous. Yet at the same time, he could be extremely parsimonious. He was honest in all of his dealings, and operated with the highest respect for precision and craft, and elegance in design. He admired and demanded the highest standards of human … [Read more...]

It was just past twilight... getting dark... cruising south on the 101, heading towards San Francisco from up north. As I crested a hill, I looked to the horizon; four lanes, gently packed solid, of reddish orange tinted taillights, going my way, stretching for as far as the eye could see. And four lanes, gently packed solid, of white headlights, coming my way, for as far as I could see... a nonstop flowing river of machinery... on a January evening of 70 degrees. Perfect summer weather in mid winter. If this is global warming, well it felt pretty good, right at that particular moment.. Yes, I … [Read more...]

When you talk about "coming of age", it's hard to know exactly when it starts. For me, it might have started when I learned how to ride a bicycle. It took me a long time to learn - that is I didn't learn until late - about the 3rd or 4th grade, because no one took the time to teach me and all the bikes I had to learn on were full size, and I was fairly small in stature until adolescence. When young with the available bikes, I could barely reach the pedals for a full stroke, much less touch the ground. This led to a lot of blood spilled and skin scraped away, in the process of learning. I … [Read more...]

As fortune would have it, Tom was born to loving parents who tended to his needs selflessly. He grew from infancy surrounded by love and tender affection. This would subsequently influence every aspect of his ensuing life on the planet. Sadly, on the strange and wonderful planet, such fortunate births were not always the norm. In the words of William Blake , a renowned poet, prophet, and seer who once lived on the planet, "Some are born to sweet delight, some are born to the endless night." We can assume that our dear William was referring to the plight of those fortunate like Tom, and also … [Read more...]

When was in high school, I became interested in school politics. I observed that the election process was a type of popularity contest - combined with entertainment. The winning candidates most successfully lured their voters with artwork (posters) and or humorous speeches that left a name recognition which was about the only key to victory. Both the poster art and the public speaking were right up my alley and combining this with a low key schmoozing, I soon found that I had successfully been elected to the office of class president. A certain ego gratification accompanied the position … [Read more...]

I graduated from Stanford in the Spring of 1970. In my entire life, I had never felt more relieved. Behind me, it seemed, was an entire life of forced study. Somehow, not real life, but the preparation for real life. I had a very confident, almost giddy, sense of the world stretching before me, with all its many wonderful opportunities. The incredible historic time, the amazing renaissance of art and thinking, that was happening, with San Francisco seemingly the world epicenter; all of this fed into the excitement that I felt. Any one who lived there at the time, would testify to the unique … [Read more...]

The announcement of Marilyn's pregnancy was one of the major milestones of my life. I had never wanted children, I was too selfish enjoying my own freedom to even consider the responsibilities of parenthood. In truth, at that point in my life, I looked at people with children and wondered why in world that anyone would voluntarily submit to the slavery of parenthood. The thought of getting someone pregnant was my biggest fear and when I learned of Marilyn's pregnancy, I felt as if I was standing in front of a judge in a court room hearing him pronounce, "Life sentence!". I was devastated … [Read more...]

When Marilyn and I were living in West Seattle, in 1974, in our first house, I started a business doing hauling and cleanup. I put an ad in the Seattle Time that read something like this: " 'Tom's Truck', Hauling and Cleanup, no Job too Big or too Small. Best rates." I was surprised at the number of responses that came my way. At the time, my truck was the same wrecked Mercedes Benz sedan that I had purchased for $50.00, to drive home from California, when I graduated from college. I had cut away the rear bodywork of the Mercedes with my cutting torches and had turned it into a flat bed truck. … [Read more...]

He lay basking in the warm afterglow of their lovemaking. He gazed across at her chaotic hair on the pillow. She turned slowly, facing him, yet looking at her own inward thoughts. A slight sheen of sweat showed on her browned skin. She had been working the garden since the early spring. It was now the dog days of summer. He kissed her neck and she smiled, but in her distant way. They lay in that pleasant half dream state that sometimes lingers after the energetic coming together, as each party slowly recovers. Beyond her, in the upstairs bedroom of their small country farm house, a purse … [Read more...]

The "baby boomers", as those of us born right after WWII, in America, were called, were perhaps the most privileged group of humans in the history of the world. (This might be an over-exaggeration, compared to, for instance, the Royal Court at Versailles under Louis the 14th, but my point is, that compared to the starving, teeming, masses, wherever, in the world, I felt pretty privileged, even as a solid member of the middle class.). As the historic trajectory of industrialization in the 20th century, and the empirical conquest of the American juggernaut, merged, after WWII, families like … [Read more...]

The major part of anyone's life story is their transition into adulthood and the coalescence of ideas and opinions that bring a mature personality to the fore. The most significant event shaping many lives of my generation was the Vietnam War. Through twists of fate, for seven months I worked in Vietnam as a civilian employed by a Pacific Northwest tugboat company, Alaska Barge and Transport, which was under contract to the US. military to move supplies around the country. Much of the transportation of materials around Vietnam was by barge. The US. military did not have a large fleet of tugs … [Read more...]