Ken Campbell, Author at The Last Wilderness

Life during wartime

Posted by Ken Campbell November 11, 2011 0 Comment 1185 views

My father is a veteran. British Navy, WW II. Most of his action came in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean, as a radio operator on Her Majesty’s destroyers. He had one of them torpedoed out from under him and spent a few months with his surviving crew members hiding out in the Cocos Islands […]

Down day

Posted by Ken Campbell November 10, 2011 0 Comment 1131 views

If there’s a better way to spend the day than carving shapes in the sand, with the sound of the surf in your ears and the sun on your shoulder, I can’t think of it.

303

Posted by Ken Campbell November 9, 2011 0 Comment 0 views

For prolonging the life of drysuit gaskets, it’s invaluable. For keeping rubber hatch covers supple and crack-free, likewise. 303, a liquid protectant similar to ArmorAll, essential for anyone who spends any time on the water. Consider this an endorsement.

Colors

Posted by Ken Campbell November 8, 2011 0 Comment 1136 views

I went out Sunday on the board… a rare daylight ops, even more rare this time of year. I’m building a deck railing for one of the other houses down here on the beach and I needed to get some driftwood sticks, just for the authentic beachiness that the job requires. The fall colors are […]

Stupid should hurt

Posted by Ken Campbell November 5, 2011 0 Comment 1787 views

Amber Steim, the Port Angeles alcohol enthusiast who is accused of plowing into Ellen DeBondt’s truck last March and killing her instantly, is going to be the subject of another hearing this coming Thursday in PA. Apparently, according to notification given to Ellen’s family by the District Attorney, Amber’s SCRAM bracelet – which she is […]

Long Island

Posted by Ken Campbell November 4, 2011 0 Comment 1498 views

In Willapa Bay, in southwestern Washington, a hundred miles away and a hundred years back in time, sits Long Island. It’s home to the largest remaining low-land grove of ancient cedars in the state. Largely an accident of geography; the island was logged extensively back in the early days, but this one section proved to […]

That’s "Mr. Campbell"

Posted by Ken Campbell November 3, 2011 0 Comment 1024 views

I’ve taken a new job recently, back to teaching school. It’s a little different than the teaching I’ve done before, in that each of my classes takes place outside, at Point Defiance Park in Tacoma. Outdoor education, taught in the outdoors. Quite a concept. I’m working at SAMI (Science and Math Institute), a specialized high […]

Seven billion

Posted by Ken Campbell November 2, 2011 0 Comment 1155 views

And counting.

Frivolity

Posted by Ken Campbell October 31, 2011 1 Comment 1497 views

So, after much contemplation, the family of Robert Boardman is going to sue. Boardman was gored to death by a goat in Olympic National Park just over a year ago, and his family says that, since the Park Service knew this particular goat was a possible danger to human visitors, they should have removed him […]

Sand Island

Posted by Ken Campbell October 29, 2011 0 Comment 2988 views

It is the nature of islands near the mouths of major rivers to change locations, to appear and disappear – both in reality and in written record – to shimmy and dance with the currents that are continually creating and destroying them. When an island actually goes by the name of “Sand,” the effect becomes […]