Photos: Hank Tovar/picturesthatmove.com
West Is Eden
Ken McAlpine’s latest book “Together We Jump” was praised by Sunset Magazine as “lyrical, evocative and deeply moving … a luminous American novel.” He is also the author of the novel “Fog” and the non-fiction works “Off Season: Discovering America on Winter’s Shore” and “Islands Apart: A Year on the Edge of Civilization.” His magazine articles have earned three Lowell Thomas awards, travel writing's top award. He is based in Ventura, California.
West Is Eden:
It is true that picking up trash for a few hours won't realign the Earth's axis. But it is also true that it is a fine place to start.
West Is Eden:
This is not a story about firsts; it's about everything that comes before. Some might call them failures.
West Is Eden:
Poor lighting threatens astronomy, disrupts ecosystems (nocturnal bird migrations, bat behavior and sea turtle movements), and disrupts teenage necking.
West Is Eden:
Such memories might seem small and inconsequential, but anyone who has traveled knows they are not inconsequential at all.
West Is Eden:
When I closed my eyes to the animal-shaped clouds I could hear wing beats and the zipper-quick whine of a passing bee. Little things, but perhaps not so little.
West Is Eden:
How can nature be saved at a time when people need it most? It is a very difficult question, not just in Uganda but around the world.
West Is Eden:
A friend of mine died the other day in a motorcycle accident. He was far too young to die. Such sadness is beyond words, but this friend deserves words because of the lesson and example he left behind.
West Is Eden:
Would you want it in your neighborhood? We all know the answer to that. But how might you feel about being abandoned?
West Is Eden:
It is a place so quiet that when you bend to the tall wind-stroked grasses the sound you hear is like the softest snowfall. It is the loveliest almost-quiet and satisfying beyond words. It is also a reminder.
West Is Eden:
Held up against Egyptian tumult, airplane crashes, and jury acquittals, this is certainly not global news, but it is just as important.
West Is Eden:
This independence we stand upon, it is sacrifice beyond scope.
West Is Eden:
Certain shark species have been reduced by as much as 90 percent. Extinction is forever. Is it worth texture in a bowl of soup?
West Is Eden:
Life requires some measure of practicality, for there are wages to earn and bills to pay and errands to run. But to also dismiss the miracles around us seems a shame.
West Is Eden:
With fatherhood there is no telling what might unfold.
West Is Eden:
One percent for the dinosaurs and all the other creatures scurrying to stay out from underfoot. One percent for seven billion people. And counting.
West Is Eden:
There is hope. It's a narrow window, but the breeze of possibility blows through it. I like to think our island fox has shown us the way.
West Is Eden:
Chris Martinez left an indelible trail. This is a fine thing, because there can never be enough smiles.
West Is Eden:
Each time I see Two Trees they whisper the same thing to me. If your town has an icon -- and I'm betting it does -- you understand.
West Is Eden:
These kinds of people, they reside in the places that last. In our character. In our choices. In our minds and our hearts.
West Is Eden:
How often do we step ahead when standing still is what matters?
SoCal Focus is a blog about the people, places, and issues in and around Southern California.
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