My border collies are always out ahead of me when we hike

Large rock formation surrounded by tall pine trees in a forest with a dirt ground covered in twigs and branches

black and white dog sitting on a forest path surrounded by green pine and fir trees

My border collies are always out ahead of me when we hike through the mid-elevation forests of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir. They move fast between the trees, disappearing into the shadows and popping up on a ridge fifty yards ahead. I keep moving at my own steady, deliberate pace, watching them work the woods ahead of me.

Jess, at three and a half, carries herself differently. She moves with confidence, casting a wide, thoughtful arc through the trees. Where Ridge is pure energy, she is composure. She doesn't waste steps. She knows this rhythm, this land, and she knows me

Sometimes they drift apart, each absorbed in the layered language of scent and movement. When that happens, it is Ridge who turns back first. He climbs to a slight rise and stills himself, head high, scanning the forest for Jess. In that moment the puppy disappears. What stands there is a young dog learning partnership.

black and white dog standing alert on a large rock surrounded by pine trees and forest under a cloudy sky

black and white border collie wearing a red harness walking down a rocky forest trail surrounded by pine trees and large boulders

He waits—not anxious, just attentive. He trusts the country, but he trusts her even more. When Jess comes back out from the trees, steady as ever, he runs right up to her, licking her face like he's checking in. She takes it calmly, as if she knew all along he'd come looking for her.

I take quiet pride in how comfortable they are out there. I started Jess young, and Ridge even younger. I let them wander, but I built their habits with patience and repetition. Freedom wasn't reckless, and distance wasn't abandonment. We practiced moving apart and coming back—again and again—until returning was as natural as ranging out.

Now I rarely need to call. A shift in direction, a soft whistle, even my change in pace—and they arc back toward me. Not because they must, but because that is how we move together.

(click on photos below for larger image . . . - Esc or clicking outside of image will close it)

Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir trees in a midelevation forest with large rocks and patches of green ground cover under a cloudy sky

Mossy ground with several large rocks and tall pine trees under an overcast sky in a forested area

Forest scene with green pine and fir trees, patches of moss on the forest floor, and large rocks scattered around

forest scene with ponderosa pine and Douglas fir trees, green moss and low vegetation covering the forest floor, and some large rocks

Black and white dog standing alert on a large rock in a forest with pine trees

black and white border collie standing on a large rock looking into a pine forest

A black and white dog wearing a red harness sits on a forest floor covered with grass and pine needles, looking toward a hillside with tall pine trees under a cloudy sky

A black and white dog sitting attentively in a forest clearing surrounded by pine trees and under a cloudy sky

A black and white border collie wearing a blue harness sitting in a sunlit forest clearing surrounded by pine trees and scattered pinecones

Sunlit mid-elevation forest with ponderosa pine and Douglas fir trees casting shadows on a forest floor covered in pine needles and scattered pine cones

forest floor with fallen logs, dry branches, pine needles, and green conifer branches

Pair of black and tan hiking poles with cork handles leaning against a tree trunk on a forest floor covered in pine needles and small plants

Large, naturally stacked boulders standing among pine trees in a forest with scattered branches and a dirt-covered ground under a partly cloudy sky

Large uniquely shaped rock formation surrounded by tall pine trees in a forest setting

trail winding through pine and fir trees with large granite boulders alongside

black and white dog sitting on a forest trail surrounded by pine trees

Black and white border collie standing attentively in a forest clearing surrounded by pine and fir trees

Forest floor covered with dry needles and scattered branches beneath tall ponderosa pine and Douglas fir trees under a partly cloudy sky

Large rounded granite boulders nestled among pine and fir trees with sunlight filtering through branches onto the forest floor

Large, weathered granite boulders nestled among tall pine trees with some branches extending overhead and dappled light filtering through

pine tree trunk with green branches in a forest clearing with dry ground and scattered twigs

trunk of a ponderosa pine tree with some green branches and a forest floor covered in pine needles, twigs, and sparse vegetation

Rocky forested hillside with ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, and other trees under a partly cloudy blue sky

Two black and white border collies sitting and standing close together on a forested hillside with pine and fir trees around

rock formation resembling a large curled hand surrounded by pine trees with distant mountains under a cloudy sky

Two border collies exploring large rocky outcrops with a vast forest and mountain range under a cloudy sky in the background

Two black and white border collies standing on rocky terrain with a forest and mountain range in the background under a cloudy sky

Two black and white border collies on a rocky hillside with scattered pine trees and a forested mountain landscape in the background

Two black and white border collies standing on a rocky slope with a dense forest and mountains in the background

close-up of weathered, textured bark on a tree trunk with gray and light brown tones

weathered piece of wood with natural knots and grain patterns resembling abstract faces

Close-up of weathered, textured wood with natural swirls and knots against a rocky background

Close-up of rock surfaces covered with patches of pale green and gray lichen and scattered dry pine needles in the crevices

Black and white border collie wearing a red harness sitting on a large rock overlooking a forested mountain landscape under a cloudy sky

Two black and white dogs wearing harnesses standing and sitting on a rocky, sloped forest trail surrounded by pine trees with distant mountains in the background

Two black and white dogs with harnesses standing on a rocky, pine-forested hillside under a cloudy sky

Two black and white border collies in a forested area with pine trees and rocky terrain, one facing sideways and the other looking down at the ground

Black and white dog standing alert on a rocky outcrop among pine trees with mountains in the distance under a cloudy sky

black and white dog with a red harness walking on a rocky forest trail surrounded by pine trees and large boulders

Two black and white dogs moving through a rocky, pine forest with one dog approaching the camera and another partially visible in the foreground

Two black and white dogs with harnesses walking on a rocky forest trail with pine trees and large boulders around them

Sloping forest floor covered in pine needles with scattered thin trees and branches under green pine and fir trees

dense forest with tall pine and fir trees and a ground covered in pine needles and scattered branches

Forest floor covered with low green shrubs and dry pine needles surrounding tall pine and fir trees, some with bare branches

Two black and white border collies running ahead through a forest of pine and fir trees with scattered branches and rocks on the ground

dense forest with tall pine and fir trees on uneven ground, with a black and white dog visible near the right edge, moving among the trees

narrow dirt path winding between large granite boulders with pine trees and forested mountain in the background under a cloudy sky

Man wearing a black hat and vest walking near large granite boulders and pine trees with a black and white dog in a red harness looking up at him

Two black and white border collies standing near a man in a forest area with large rocks and trees

Two border collies standing on a forest floor covered with pine needles near a man holding a walking stick, surrounded by large boulders and pine trees

Two border collies in red and blue harnesses stand attentively near a large tree and rocks, looking toward a man wearing a black hat and plaid shirt in a forest setting

Man kneeling on a forest floor facing two border collies near large rocks and pine trees

A man kneeling and reaching toward two black and white dogs in a forest clearing with large boulders and pine trees

Older man in a cowboy hat kneeling on rocky ground and gently petting a black and white border collie standing beside him

Man in hat and plaid shirt crouching and petting one black and white border collie while another border collie with a red harness stands nearby among large rocks and pine trees in a forest

Man wearing a hat kneeling and petting one black and white border collie while another border collie with a red harness stands nearby among large rocks and pine trees

Man kneeling on forest ground petting a black and white border collie near large rocks and pine trees, while another border collie with a red harness stands nearby

Man wearing a black cowboy hat and a plaid shirt with a vest standing among large rocks and pine trees in a forested area

An older man with a white beard wearing a black cowboy hat, plaid shirt, and vest stands among large rocks and pine trees in a forest

Forest clearing with a mix of bare deciduous trees and green pine trees surrounded by rocky terrain and distant blue mountains under a cloudy sky

two border collies standing on large rocks amid pine trees and forested hills

Two black and white dogs standing close together on large rocky outcrops with pine trees and distant blue mountains in the background

Two black and white border collies standing alert on a large rock with forested hills in the background

Two black and white dogs standing close together on a large rock with pine trees and forested mountains in the background

Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forest with a backdrop of blue mountain ridges under a clear sky

Dense forest of tall pine and fir trees on a mountainside with a backdrop of blue hills under a bright sky

pine and fir trees densely covering a forested hillside with scattered rocks and green undergrowth

From a distance it might look unremarkable: an aging man walking behind two young border collies in a wide forest. But from inside it, it feels like something earned. Wildness held in trust. Joy without fear. Three creatures moving through ponderosa and granite, separate yet inseparable, perfectly in sync.

#bordercollie #Colorado #yolo #ponderosapine #mystoryedited

More border collie in pine forest, March 5, 2026 videos at this link.

Last week I shared a short storytelling program with students at a local school. For the first fifteen minutes, I told stories about the sea and Southeast Asia—about the Bajau Laut sea people, the bagan and rompong fishing platforms used during the dark nights of the new moon, and the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami off the west coast of Indonesia.

For the second half of the presentation, I showed photos and short videos from five trips I’ve made to the Coral Triangle. Seeing media that I had taken myself seemed to bring the stories to life, and the students and teachers were clearly engaged.

Seeing those images again reminded me how special those trips were—and it made me think I should return before I completely age out of this kind of travel. Maybe next year, once my puppy Ridge is a little older.

Natalie, one of the owners of Limangu Dive Resort on Siau Island, once told me that spring is the best time of year for calm seas around Siau. Hearing that again in my head makes the idea of another trip even harder to resist.

#siauisland #bunakenisland #indonesia #coraltriangle

Since 2007, I’ve stepped into classrooms to see if I could catch a student’s imagination and hold it for a while. Some of my stories are pulled from the dusty corners of history; others are the timeless "once-upon-a-times" of fairy tales and children's books. The variety keeps the air fresh, a constant reminder that a good story doesn't just entertain—it instructs the heart.

Today, I visited six classrooms.

We traveled to Indonesia to meet the Bajo Laut, the sea nomads who live their lives governed by the tides. We talked about bagans and rompong fishing platforms, and the harrowing 49-day journey of 18-year-old Aldi Aldilong. When his fishing hut broke loose in a storm, he drifted 1,000 miles across the open sea before his rescue near Guam.

We also revisited the 2004 tsunami. We didn't just talk about the magnitude 9 earthquake; we talked about 10-year-old Tilly Smith. Because she remembered her geography lessons, she saw the warning signs in the receding tide and alerted the adults. Her courage cleared the beach, proving to every student in the room that a child’s voice can save a hundred lives.

On other days, the stories are more whimsical, drawn from favorite books or ancient lore. But whether the hero is a real boy on a raft or a girl in a fairy tale, the goal is always the same: to spark a curiosity that doesn't end when the bell rings.

After nearly twenty years, it’s easy to let this work become a routine. But then I walk through the front doors and hear a chorus of “Hi, Mr. Jim!” echoing down the hallway. It’s a quiet, grounding reminder of what a privilege it is to be invited into their world. #storytelling #spellbinders #spellbinders.org

I’ve officially downsized. After years of providing eggs for the neighborhood, I sold off the flock, keeping only five: two friendly "pets with feathers" and three Rhode Island Reds. My neighbors might be disappointed, but honestly, there is nothing wrong with switching things up—especially with five cabin reservations on the calendar this summer and a trip to Monterey with my daughter and her husband in October. I’m done with the stress of hiring daily egg-collectors every time I leave town.

The young Leghorns were the ones that finally broke me. On warm nights, they flatly refused to sleep inside the run. They’d perch on the outdoor shelves with total defiance. I’d put them back; two hours later, they’d be right back on the same shelf with the same attitude.

Eventually, I started taking the border collies out at 10 p.m. for "predator awareness training." The dogs would chase them into the run—a chaotic routine, but still kinder than a fox.

The final departure was a full-scale production. Reynaldo showed up with a net, which is apparently the professional way to handle a chicken. It took 90 minutes of "athletic accomplishment" to get them loaded. As we finished, Reynaldo asked how I even ended up with so many hens. I told him about ordering them as chicks from Hoover Hatchery and picking them up at the post office, but I had to admit: I’ve been asking myself the same question lately.

They’re headed to a place near Colorado Springs with more room to roam. Five chickens is a hobby; what I had before was a second career. I already feel more in control of my life.

#layinghens #chickens #backyardfarmer