Ken Campbell, Author at The Last Wilderness

Here comes Brrr…

Posted by Ken Campbell September 2, 2010 0 Comment 1031 views

September, October, November and December. The last four months of the year. Is it simply coincidence that these are the only ones that end with the sound of cold weather? As these months get underway, as the thermometer falls, I expect I’ll be making that noise more often. I’ve been enjoying the Narrows in the […]

Back in the saddle, or something

Posted by Ken Campbell September 1, 2010 1 Comment 996 views

What a difference a month makes! Nobody’s the same as they were 3o days ago; we all have grown and learned because of the experiences that we’ve had. Hopefully, anyway. Learning and changing, growing and moving… from what I’ve heard, these are the essential processes of life, regardless of who or what you are. I […]

Requisat en Pace

Posted by Ken Campbell August 2, 2010 0 Comment 1346 views

“Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It’s the transition that’s troublesome.” Isaac Asimov Out with a whimper, or a bang; it just depends how you look at it. There are customers in the shop up until the bitter end. A young couple, trying on jackets, seeing if this one fits right and if that one’s […]

Interlude

Posted by Ken Campbell July 20, 2010 0 Comment 1046 views

Football season goes from September to January. During the rest of the year, players may have meetings, workouts and mini-camps to get to, there may be a charity golf tournament or an ESPN buddy show in which they are obligated to participate, but they are, for want of a better term, off. For about seven […]

Expand… contract

Posted by Ken Campbell July 17, 2010 0 Comment 1150 views

There does seem to be an inordinately high number of jellies out there this season. Summer is always the height of the protoplasm parade, but this year’s turnout is massive, if my observations mean anything.

Recollectin’

Posted by Ken Campbell July 14, 2010 0 Comment 1106 views

Ten years ago, on this date, I was almost two months into my kayak trip around Newfoundland. I left Rocky Harbour in the morning, crossed the broad, flat waters of Bonne Bay and paddled south along the coast. I remember that morning as the first summery-feeling day on the expedition; I set out in shirt […]

Down on the corner

Posted by Ken Campbell July 13, 2010 1 Comment 1104 views

I have never been to Neah Bay during the annual Makah Days celebrations. Perhaps this is the year. Tribal expectations for the 2010 event call for about 10,000 people to attend, which seems to me like it might be somewhat crowded, out there at the edge of the world. I’m used to being there when […]

Making it

Posted by Ken Campbell July 11, 2010 0 Comment 1141 views

There is something to be said for remaining calm in tense situations. When the winds start to blow and the water gets rough, it’s more important than ever to remain in control. The most important piece of survival gear you’ll ever carry is what you have between your ears. If you don’t know how to […]

Fallen

Posted by Ken Campbell July 11, 2010 0 Comment 1086 views

Thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the crew of the Coast Guard helicopter that went down last Wednesday at La Push. Preliminary indications suggest they flew into the power lines that stretch across from La Push to James Island, killing 3 of 4 crew members. The accident means, among other things, that […]

A Change of venue

Posted by Ken Campbell July 8, 2010 0 Comment 1187 views

I should start by saying that I am fond of the Foss. Smitten, even. The mix of urban and wild is palpable. In the whistle of the trains and the honking of the geese. In the brilliant glow of the pregnant moon and the impossible brightness of the welding torches in the Martinac shipyard. It’s […]