Five hundred and fifty supercharged ponies, hand on the cue ball shifter, top down, wind blowing through what’s left of my hair: when I was a fourteen year old boy, seeing the Shelby Mustang GT-500 on the showroom floor of my small town Ford dealer made an indelible impression.

No, I’m not an advertisement for STIHL! This picture shows me doing something I love, cutting down trees and brush on my property. For the past 21 years my husband and I have worked on our property and home on Camano Island.

The number one thing on my bucket list is to hike the Pacific Crest Trail with a camel. Not just any camel: a Bactrian camel to be exact. That may seem a bit far-fetched, but there is a story I need to tell to clarify how this idea came to fruition.

I try to live my life as much in the present moment as possible.

Bearing that in mind, my spare time is spent climbing mountains, hiking trails, exploring caverns and SCUBA diving.

I have two specific items on my bucket list that I want to achieve: spend time on all seven continents and see Carole King in concert.

I enjoy working at Hospice of the Northwest because I can feel how much our nurses and doctors care deeply for our patients.

My bucket list started when I was three years old, on the day I met Jack. My mother was 25, done with her second failed marriage, living on public assistance with two little girls to raise.

This is an enormous cauliflower mushroom.   I was out looking for chanterelles and found it instead.   I had seen them in field guides, but had never found one…

There is nothing that matters more to me than spending time with close family members and friends. If I had a bucket list, being with those who are dear to me would capture every place on that list.

In my working life I provide spiritual care for hospice patients. The communities I serve are north of the Skagit River, from Bow to Marblemount.  Beyond that, let me share a passion from my non-working life: 

When people discover that I lived half my life in Japan, I get the chance to hear about all the incredible experiences they enjoyed while traveling the country.  I often hear, “Oh, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were so moving.” Or “The Sapporo Ice Festival was amazing!”