At times, for no particular rhyme or reason, stories will be added to this site by the editor, and by and by, others who have lived and/or enjoyed the Pacific Northwest will add their photos and stories as well. We live and work (in this writer’s opinion) in one of the most beautiful and productive spots on our planet earth.
Our history begins with the Mammoths, Saber Toothed Tiger, and Three toed horse to the Native Americans and First Nations people. The Spanish, English and other “explorers” and as time moved on, the rest of us from all over the world. The Northwest story includes, the stories of Capital, Government,
and Labor along with our Ranchers and Farmers. Our “Cascadia”, starts in Northern California, through Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia and Alaska.
Come along with us as we relate our experiences, or add your own Northwest Experience, and share it with us all. Send your story or photos to [email protected], to add your special experience.
Dedication
This website is dedicated to the memory of Russ Farrell (1911-1997) who spent his life working for the betterment of all mankind, and his wife, Lorine Pursley Farrell (1922-2018), a young lady who was born and raised in the logging camps of the Olympic Peninsula and stood by his side, enduring the hardships of his labor activism, while raising four children. His books, “Yesterday is Hardly Gone” and “Too Soon to Close the Door”, will speak for themselves of his life as excerpts are added to this site.
Pete Seeger (1975)
“Russ Farrell and his wife are honest, working people. What more needs to be said? The
noblest work of God, by God and the fact shines through in these poems, verses, and
anecdotes. It’s great to know that in this TV age, people have not forgotten some great old traditions, and one of them is the Irish love of rhyming, storytelling and singing.
I met Russ and his wife a quarter-century ago in a small town on Puget Sound and have since
then sung many times the song he taught me: “Then We’ll Have Peace.” It’s as true now as it
was then. May this volume beguile us, teach us, and in the end inspire us—to join in the great push to save and unite this world, and perhaps to do a little rhyming and story-telling ourselves.”
About the Editor
Jim began his life in the forests, rivers, creeks and beaches of the Olympic Peninsula, where he explored his environment as a child, following deer trails through the woods with only his dog as his companion. The nearest children to play with were a mile or more through these same forests. He could be easily become distracted by a bug, a flower or the tadpoles in the many ponds around his parent’s stump farm.
He moved with his parents to Oregon his freshman high school year, following his dad’s job in power line construction, attending four high schools just his freshman year alone, five total. His family would spend each Sunday exploring the sights and sounds around Oregon, from Redmond, Burns, John Day or the Willamette Valley, where they finally settled down.
Jim’s interest in photography developed while living and working in John Day, Oregon as a young father of two, and began to write articles of interest to Portland’s evening paper, the Oregon Journal and United Press International. When told that he could get more money for an article if he had photos, he borrowed a twin reflex camera and never looked back.
His love of photography and writing took on another life when he found he could merge his childhood experience of sailing the waters of Lake Washington in Seattle by using a sailboat to explore part of the world with a perspective most people never get to see.
After selling one of the loves of his life, ‘Autumn Daze’, he has turned his attention to what some call a “Land Yacht”, his Roadtreck 210, ‘Harrvy the Arrr-vy’ and with his wife Becky, are now cruising the Pacific Northwest by land.
Come along with him as he shares his life experiences with his family and friends.