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LIFE CYCLE: TOMATO KING 2026

The life cycle of tomatoes starts with an idea: ‘Let’s do something with the space we’ve got.’ When the space includes a side yard with lots of sun? Plant that tomato.

THROWBACK BEACH RUN TO SEASIDE

Growing up in a coastal town took the drama out of any beach run. North Bend was surrounded by Coos Bay with a high tide creeping on Virginia Avenue and sometimes giving 101 a good rinse. With beaches to the north, south, and west, it was easy to find the right one. Going to the […]

THE ‘HISTORY ANGLE’ TO CONFUSE CITIZENS: IT DIDN’T HAPPEN

The ‘history angle’ is not so much a disguise as an omission, of leaving things out. Traffic on boomerpdx started coming in large numbers from China and Hong Kong, so I thought of ways to include them. Write historical posts about the events banned in their country and address historical omissions gaining ground in America? […]

BUILDING HISTORICAL HEALTH WITH AN ‘EXPERIENCE’

The good doctor says ‘historical health’ is important for local and national well-being. The downside: you may discover things are not as you think they are. The upside: you may discover you’re better than you think. I call it Win-Win. Why?

DON’T TALK BACK TO WHO?

When someone says, “Don’t talk back to me,” what’s your first impulse? Give them some back talk, or shut up. You already know what they want. What about you?

BOOK POWER TO BRAIN POWER

We were talking about books the other day, talking about book power, in our little salon. You know it’s a salon when the other people have thousands of books in their home after a downsize. How do you downsize a book collection? Don’t ask me, I just make another bookcase, but there comes a time.

PORTLAND RECHARGE PRIMER

Walk down Broadway and you can feel the Portland pulse, the Portland recharge, which is no surprise when you see the volcano map. But, more than that, the city feels primed for a renaissance, a Portland Renaissance. And that means an Oregon Renaissancea?   . . . new growth of activity or interest in something, […]

NAME RECOGNITION IN AMERICA EXPLAINED, TO BE OR NOT

Two nights ago I watched Hamnet from the blue velvet couch. It’s about Shakespeare, which isn’t a spoiler. At least it shouldn’t be. With one of the more helpful movie openings, it explained that Hamnet and Hamet are the same name. The same. So I was set. Hamnet it is?

NOT LOST, BUT STILL A HISTORY OF LOSING

You are not lost if you still have enough gas in the tank and sunlight in the sky to keep going. But, not everyone agrees. I chalk it up to those who’ve experienced enough losing to know the symptoms. They’ve seen losers, been losers, and know what they’re talking about when they call you a […]

LOCAL HISTORY STUDENT + HOBBYIST = HISTORY FANS

What we have here for the history student is a picture of a post-industrial landscape typically found beside polluted rivers across America where time has passed it by. The industrial ruins-looking build-up is a common sight from New England to North Bend. What we need to know is this particular mess can be considered the […]