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I grew up with trees to climb, fields to wander, bikes to ride, and creeks to follow. 

 My Kentucky childhood was filled with crawdads and minnows, butterflies and lightning bugs, and dogs and 4-H—followed by teen years filled with cars, Kurt Vonnegut, and Crosby Stills & Nash.

 

After high school graduation in 1972, I set off on a meandering migration that eventually led to Alaska. My years there were filled with experiences and memories that stamped my soul: northern lights and arctic foxes while I was working in Prudhoe Bay. Humpback whales, phosphorescent plankton, albatross, and countless other wonders while I was commercial fishing in Southeast. Birch trees, rivers, and fireweed in Fairbanks, where I waited tables, worked for the electric cooperative, and eventually graduated from University of Alaska-Fairbanks. In my mind’s eye are bears, moose, and 200-pound halibut with skin that looked like the Milky Way. Shining king salmon with their sharp scent. Marble-eyed ratfish. Bush planes, float planes, boats. In 1991 I migrated again, to Montana, with its mountain trails and wildflowers and graceful white pelicans. I shake my head at the great fortune of it all.

 

I fell into writing by chance and random opportunity, and found my heart’s home in the work. It is a joy to be able to write about and share the things I love: animals, plants, and the wondrous workings of nature. And it’s my sincere privilege to share the love with you.

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