Center Of The Known Universe

My dear friend and fellow backcountry ranger Kelly Tjaden proclaimed the Owl Conservatory in Shugart Flats near Leavenworth, Washington as the Center of the Known Universe because of its strategic location to many wilderness areas in the North Cascades. "This place is the ideal spot for a writer's retreat," he would say.

So with his assistance and skills, along with many friends and neighbors, we constructed two tiny homes, one a tree house and another on the ground. The Owl Conservatory has become my retreat both to write and visit with our many friends and family over the years. It's also the perfect location to witness a meteor shower or a blue moon (below).

Enjoying the delightful temperatures at the Owl Conservatory for a few days, I cut and stacked a load of delightfully pungent lodgepole pine with the help of friends to bring back to Eugene to restock my wood pile for the winter months.