Fort Benton wears the river like a well-earned badge. The Missouri slides past the levee with that steady, old-timer confidence—no hurry, no apology—shouldering stories you can feel even if you can’t name them. We parked, stretched road miles out of our backs, and did what we always do when we arrive anywhere along the […]
It happened at the cocktail reception before dinner. The sun was starting to drop behind the trees at Skamania Lodge, the white tablecloths on the garden patio lifting in the breeze, and the smell of dinner drifting across the lawn. One of the participants, beer in hand, approached. “So, I have a question for […]
The sky held its breath in quiet layers—deep charcoal at the top, soft lavender below it, and then a warm blaze of amber and gold stretched across the horizon. It didn’t shout. It waited. The Columbia River shimmered in muted silver, calm but full of knowing. The mountains stood as shadows, outlined like memory—solid […]
Goin’ to Kansas City Kansas City, here I come Goin’ to Kansas City Kansas City, here I come* Kansas City, Again (and Again): Four Versions of Me, One Book That Ties Them Together I’m sitting in the Kansas City airport bar, bourbon in hand, watching travelers drift by. I’m on my way west—to […]
If you’re a regular reader of Rivers of Thought, you’ve probably noticed I’ve been unusually quiet over the past year. No new reflections, no trail updates, no musings on leadership or love or life. Just… silence. Not because I ran out of things to say. But because life, as it often does, had other […]
“Don’t fall! Don’t look down! Don’t fall! Don’t look down!” Those messages kept playing over and over in my head! Here I was, 20 feet up, clinging to a wooden ladder that wobbled and shuddered with every step I climbed. The pounding in my chest was part fear, part adrenaline, and part excitement. I was […]
March 21st – traditionally recognized as the first day of spring. This year, I once again found myself on Chicago’s south side, visiting the location of my ancestor’s farm, now Chicago’s Finest Marina. Fitting for the start of a season that symbolizes rebirth. I was there to celebrate the gift of additional signage from the […]
I couldn’t tell you my earliest memory of hearing church bells. I can only tell you, as the son of a preacher, my guess is I’ve heard church bells most of my life. Growing up in a small town in the Midwest, I remember hearing the bells tolling every hour on the hour…and at noon, […]
A few weeks ago, my wife Carmen and I went to see Jim Messina, you know, half of the Loggins & Messina duo from the early 70s. He and his band were playing at a small intimate theater. Our seats were in the second row. I was pumped! Messina of Poco, Buffalo Springfield, and yes, […]
Time. Time has been on my mind recently. If we, as humans, have one thing in common, it is time. Time is precious. Time is limited. Our time is unknown. With all our ingenuity, we have yet to be able to create time. But what if I told you, you could create time? The answer […]