Powell’s Books sprawls over a block in the Pearl District of downtown Portland. (Candace #19) – I have seen my future, and it looks strangely like Powell’s Books in Portland. (Excuse me while I sigh contentedly.) It’s been a longtime dream of mine to prowl the cavernous corners of what is possibly

(Left): “Oh, yeah, it was a great descent. I went so fast my helmet flew off.” (Right): Soaking after a 20-mile ride somewhere southwest of Eureka, Nev. (Jim #22) — I’m sorry if you’ve e-mailed me recently. The same goes for voice mails. You could have sent me something by regular mail, and I

( Candace #18 ) — Does anyone else get desert fever? We find ourselves drawn, again and again, to that place where scrubby, dusty earth reveals its treasures only to those who stop to listen, see and smell. We spent a few days recently in the no-man’s land between Austin and Eureka, Nevada, along America’

(Candace #17) — As Wormtongue (above, left) says to King Théoden in one of the “Lord of the Rings” movies: “A just question, my liege.” I must get asked this question at least three times a week by dear people who are genuinely interested in our lives and probably still trying to get their mi

Two thumbs up to Prime 11 Cinemas CEO Ken Hill, who is the new owner of the Riverside Plaza Cinemas in Red Bluff. The Red Bluff theater will be closed today through Thursday for renovations, Hill confirmed Monday. The Anderson (CA) Prime 11 Cinemas opened in 2006 in a (pardon the pun) prime locale: the much-visited Prime [.

(Candace #16) — Greg of Greg’s Plate gave his two cents recently about Ben Stein’s new documentary, “Expelled,” which is prompting me to add my own. (Multiply that by 100, and you’ve got yourself a whole gallon of gas.) I’m not a big Ben Stein fan. I find his voice — and eyeb

(Jim #21) — I missed the train on the Cowboy Junkies when the band’s seminal album “The Trinity Session” was recorded at Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto two decades ago. Actually, I’ve missed the train on this Canadian band pretty much completely. I’d always heard the name, however

(Candace #15) – I ran across this gem the other day. It was written by the Rev. Frederick Brotherton Meyer, who was born in 1847. “Forgive us if this day we have done or said anything to increase the pain of the world. Pardon the unkind word, the impatient gesture, the hard and selfish deed, the [...]

(Jim #20) – So, on Sunday, I found myself on the highway between Eureka and Arcata, riding a pedal car with kinetic artist Ken Beidleman. We were pedaling at a moderate, comfortable rate while a small, lawnmower-sized engine provided an extra boost to our thrust. A somewhat chilly breeze was whipping our faces, but w

(Candace #14) — It’s been a while since the wife shared her two cents. Funny how the well can suddenly go dry. You lower the bucket, hoping for at least a refreshing swallow, and it comes up dry as chalk. So today was about doing some replenishing. For an introvert, a day with no people-agenda can [...]