Ken Campbell, Author at The Last Wilderness

King of tides

Posted by Ken Campbell December 28, 2011 0 Comment 1177 views

The last week of 2011 will feature some of the highest tides of the year. They’re called “King tides,” a term that emphasizes either their size or the fact that they are tidal royalty. I guess. The explanation involves the combined gravitational pull that comes when the sun and moon align, pulling more water higher […]

Flotsam & Jetsam

Posted by Ken Campbell December 27, 2011 0 Comment 1411 views

As the world turns – and the ocean currents turn along with it – floating debris from the March 11th Japanese tsunami is beginning to show up on Washington beaches. The real influx of stuff isn’t going to get here until sometime in 2013, but some items, larger floats that have been assisted in their […]

Truth is where you find it

Posted by Ken Campbell December 26, 2011 0 Comment 1111 views

“Wherever we want to go, we go. That’s what a ship is, you know. It’s not just a keel and hull and a deck and sails. That’s what a ship needs. But what a ship is… is freedom.” Captain Jack Sparrow I’ll admit it. I’ve been spending a fair bit of time this Christmas break […]

Again with Christmas

Posted by Ken Campbell December 24, 2011 2 Comments 1186 views

I remember thinking, back when I was a boy, that my father’s attitude toward Christmas was a lot like Mr. Scrooge’s. “Bah Humbug,” was the sentiment they both shared when anyone offered up season’s greetings. I used to think it was sad, or a joke, or a sad joke, but now I find that I […]

Inaccurate (and strangely familiar)

Posted by Ken Campbell December 23, 2011 0 Comment 1003 views

I’m trying to get a few things inked on my calendar for the first part of next year and I’ve been looking to find information for a few of them online. One of them is the La Push Surf Pummel, which has been typically held on the last weekend of February, the last few years […]

Jack’s back

Posted by Ken Campbell December 22, 2011 0 Comment 1058 views

Some years, the Captain has trouble showing up in time for the beginning of January… not this time. 2012 Tide Almanacs and inserts for the Current Atlas will be available on December 26th. (Yes, I know the pictures feature the 2011 editions… I don’t have any photos of the new ones yet.) Quite simply, these […]

The big chill

Posted by Ken Campbell December 21, 2011 0 Comment 1299 views

And here we are, at the shortest day time again. The winter solstice, where the dark seems darker and the cold seems colder. The days begin to get longer from here on out, but it’s hard to tell for a while… the changes aren’t immediately obvious. We’re going through the firewood at a pretty fair […]

Isla de Dolores

Posted by Ken Campbell December 20, 2011 3 Comments 1268 views

My thoughts these days are still running towards all things islands; I can’t explain why that is, exactly. There is something fascinating about an island, any island, and there are some that capture the imagination on every level. They are apart, remote, isolated and somehow dangerous. Islands keep to themselves. Destruction Island, off the Olympic […]

Reception time; adventure to follow

Posted by Ken Campbell December 18, 2011 0 Comment 1064 views

A few evenings ago, I went down to the Foss Seaport for a function involving O.A.R. Northwest. I was able to get a close look at their ocean-going rowboat – the one they’ll be taking on their upcoming trips around Vancouver Island and across the Atlantic, from Africa to South America. It’s stripped down at […]

Amber Steim – a retrospective

Posted by Ken Campbell December 16, 2011 0 Comment 3885 views

It feels like it’s been going on longer than it has, this whole Amber Steim legal thing. A year ago I didn’t know her name – and I was perfectly fine with that – but times change. In case everyone hasn’t been staying up to date on the who and the what of her criminal […]