(some true, some…well not so) By Jim Farrell Thinking of doing the “Inside Passage” to Alaska and maybe all the way to Skagway and on, this year? There are those who just want to take a cruse trip with little or no trouble on their part. All their meals are prepared, drinks flow freely and there…
Author: Jim Farrell
A RETURN TO THE SEA
Six long years have gone by since the sound of the wind through the rigging, and the rain song playing on the cabin’s top, have met the ears of the old sailor and his first mate. Years that saw the sale of their beloved “Autumn Daze”, the Beneteau 423 they bought new in 2004, and…
A HAMMER
Such a common tool, you say: A simple little clawed or not-clawed club, Perhaps ball-peened or bladed on an end To shave a shingle or to lop a branch. The primary tool to build a car, An airport or a condominium, The striker on a gun for war or peace, The mallet used by dentists…
The Wreck of the Steamboat Gazelle at the Willamette Falls
By Jim Farrell I have an inquisitive and adventurous nature about me that sometimes–well, a lot of the time–gets me into trouble. But sometimes I stumble upon a good story! Such was the case when I began to dig around old newspapers looking for information about the Canemah shipyards that were just above the Willamette…
Chief Seattle’s 1854 reply to President Franklin Pierce
In 1854, President Franklin Pierce, made an offer for a large area of Indian land and promised a “reservation” for the Indian people. Chief Seattle’s reply has been described as the most beautiful and profound statement of the environment ever made. How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The…





