Published articles
Medicine for the Soul
The American Fly Fisher
Every spring for the past eight years, central Virginia’s ordinarily tranquil Rose River Farm bustles with energy and purpose as dozens of volunteers and supporters come together for Project Healing Waters (PHW)’s biggest event, the 2-Fly Tournament. The national program aids the physical and emotional rehabilitation of thousands of disabled active military...
Horse Power: Loudoun Therapeutic Riding strengthens bodies and minds through equine-assisted therapy
The Loudoun Times-Mirror
Six-year-old Ben held on to color-coded reins and told Charlie, a brown and white paint therapy horse at Loudoun Therapeutic Riding, to "walk on." On his left side, a volunteer led Charlie with a lead rope...
Kayak Fishing: The Best of Both Worlds
Blue Ridge Outdoors
There are numerous important tactical advantages of going after fish from aboard a kayak. Stealth is arguably the most important. Just as wildlife above the water’s surface tolerates your presence as you glide by, fish in the water are similarly undisturbed...
dog columns
Learning to be a dog
The Piedmont Virginian • October 3, 2018
A roaring fire fought back the dark chill of late November in rural central Virginia. The surrounding woods, quiet most of the year, echoed with laughter as friends talked strategy, traded insults, and passed bottles. This is Deer Camp. And the men stoking the fire have been coming to this spot on opening weekend of rifle season for years...
meeting max
The Piedmont Virginian • June 14, 2018
I found her in the viewfinder of my camera and snapped the shutter, somewhere in the middle of 800 other snaps of the shutter that day. I thought if my lens wasn’t fogged from being tucked into my jacket away from the rain I was going to love that photo, so when I saw her later I approached her to give her my card....
The Gravy years
The Piedmont Virginian • April 4, 2018
Each time I have brought a new puppy into my life, I have held their little heads in my hands, inhaled sweet puppy breath, gazed into their still cloudy-blue eyes and – just for a moment – become filled with the dread of eventually having to say goodbye...
Winslow: a canid interview
The Piedmont Virginian • March 26, 2019
Piedmont Virginian recently had the opportunity to sit down with Winslow, a 2-year-old Wirehaired Dachshund living in Loudoun County. Over biscuits on his front porch, we found out a bit about what makes this Teckel tick...
the basenji
The Piedmont Virginian • June 24, 2019
“Oh my God, a Basenji!” cried a grey-haired woman as she excitedly crossed the gravel lot toward the dog at the end of our leash. “A dog like this nearly cost me a thirty-five-year marriage,” she said with a jolly laugh, and a wonderful friendship was born...
dog paddling
The Piedmont Virginian • September 26, 2019
Spending a day kayaking with your dog can be an immensely enjoyable and rewarding experience. However, as with most things involving water, dogs, or especially both, smooth sailing is not guaranteed. But with the right gear and a little preparation, chances are good you’ll be able to enjoy relaxing outings on the water with your best pal...
fate's legacy
The Piedmont Virginian • December 27, 2019
The smell of shotgun smoke hung in the heavy morning air as Ripp, my friend Shawn’s young German Wirehaired Pointer, swam toward me. As he approached the pond’s edge, I knelt to greet him, watching as the white belly of the wood duck in his mouth pushed a V-shaped wake through the still water...