Miscellaneous Writings

In the late eighties, I took a break from technical work to pursue something I'd always wanted to try: freelance writing. For two years, I lived in San Diego's rural backcountry and wrote about the natural and human history of that area. Most of the writings below are from that time. Some were for "causes," many express my urge to celebrate beauty or mystery, and a few were just for fun.

It's been a delight to see these articles spread since I first posted this page. One, "Stagecoach Days in San Diego County," found its way to Florida and into the hands of a descendant of a local historical figure (William Tweed) featured in that piece. Another, "Outer Space: The Easy Way Out?" became part of a college economics course.

Nature

These two natural-history series appeared in both Backcountry Living and the Julian News in 1988.

• Bark Beetles
  • Beneath the Bark
  • Economy of Drought and Fire
  • Reading the Woods
• San Diego Geology, a three-part series
  • Born of Fire
  • Sands of Time
  • Gold in Our Hills

Folklore and Tradition

Stories and legends from San Diego's backcountry. I wrote these for a weekly column I did in 1988-9.

• Legend of the Matilija
• The Plant World In Native Traditions
• Discovery of the Stonewall Mine
• The Origin of Agriculture, Cahuilla
• The Devil and Peg Leg Smith
• Cuyamaca Ramblings
• Harvesting Southern California's Plants
• Stagecoach Days in San Diego County
• Arguments and Inevitable Endings
• Plants for All Purposes
• The Birds: A Children's Story
• Volcan in Myth and History
• Because of the Serpent...
• Small World
• Medicinal Plants of Southern California

Other

• Outer Space: The Easy Way Out?
• Reservation Landfills: A Wasted Heritage