Thursday, August 30

Say It Isn't So

Welcome! Most likely, one of the following reasons has brought you to this site; 1) you are among my ever-supporting circle of family and friends, 2) you have read “Drop Zone” recently published in Aviation for Women, or 3) you’ve stumbled upon this page by accident—unaware of the potentially toxic effects of Chocolate Dynamite.

Regardless of how you got here, I’d like to make you comfortable in a this-is-my-house-first-and-foremost kind of way. (Can you tell that I grew up as an only child?) After all, this is a literary blog and artistic expression doesn’t always depict a portrait of coziness. I can, however, offer you a place to sit, a quenching beverage, and an invitation to join me.

The Chocolate Dynamite project has been well hidden and very anonymous prior to the tanker article hitting the press. But now, not only is my name publicly tied to this blog but there are photographs to prove it. Needless to say . . . I’m feeling a wee bit vulnerable, actually a lot of bit. Writing anonymously provided a sort of freedom not experienced since adolescent rebellion. I could write what I pleased without consequence—good or bad. It’s like yelling at the bad guy on TV who you love to hate. It’s easy to tell him where to go and what to do with himself from the safety of your own overstuffed couch. But with recognition comes responsibility. Choc. D didn’t mind the blog's potential catastrophic failure, but Fawn does.

Your invite comes with an opportunity to get something off your chest—under an alias or not. Yes! That’s right. Lay it on. Post a comment about what you’d like to explore here or what you were hoping to find. If you find your answer a tad brash, make up a name for your alter ego and lay the blame elsewhere. Liken it to a trip to the restroom after some really bad Chinese food . . . it will only take a couple of minutes and, afterward, you’ll feel so much better.

Comments will be reviewed before they are posted. Some responses may not be published depending on content; after all, this is my house!

*click on comments below to read previously published thoughts and/or submit your own

Tuesday, August 28



Strawberry Lake, Malheur National Forest - 16 miles east of John Day, Oregon

Yes, it is a hike into the lake, but it's only 1.3 miles from the trailhead. To get there . . . Highway 26 will get you to Prairie City (about 15 miles east of John Day). Once you've made it to Prairie, get onto county road 60 southbound - toward Strawberry Mountain. Follow the signs. You'll come upon Slide Creek first; there is camping and several trailheads there. But if you are traveling to Strawberry Lake, keep driving. Another camping area rests at the trailhead for Strawberry Lake. Know that the campground sits at 5700 feet, if you plan to camp, dress accordingly. It's 1.3 miles to the lake and another 1 to 1.5 miles (depending on which side of the lake you choose to walk) to Strawberry Falls. And if you haven't had enough by then, there are several Springs you can hike to from the Falls.