
Eagle takes flight in Juneau,
j.laster
It is the season of unfurling leaves. It is the time when eagles circle back to their aeries and the red tailed hawks ride a thermal into the deepest of blues.

j.laster
When I was young my grandmother, Fredericka, told me vivid stories of the deep south. We also read many books to one another. We explored an interesting blend of authors: Alcott, Austen, Bradbury, and numerous plays. She told me The Prisoner of Zenda, in its entirety, with bold gestures and mimed swordplay.

Ageless Grandmother
Ageless Greatgranddaughter
These many years later, I am struck anew by the power and importance of such ideas. I’ve always known that the most quintessential part of my education came from my grandmother. Her words now seem oddly prescient and a reminder of humankind’s many troubled times.
I can still hear her emphatically stating that courage without conviction means nothing and conviction without courage goes nowhere.

Writer Elkhound tracks Spring
j.laster
Warmth seeps into the forest. Storms brew and spill their rivers into the thirsty earth. Our mistakes have been collective and cumulative: will we have the conviction to do better? Will we have the courage, even against the odds, to try?

Raven Shadows in Flight
j.laster
Thanks to you, Fredericka is celebrated for all to recognize as timeless, gloriously compassionate and always living with quiet courage
Tusen takk!