Just like you, I’m sitting on my couch. And like King Theoden of Rohan, I’m quietly muttering “how did it come to this?”
Things were going so well since last I posted here…I had been traveling, to incredible South Africa, back to my beloved Iceland, and then snorkeling in the Yucatan a couple times. My bees were thriving. I had lots of plans…
And then, yeah. Pandemic. Murder hornets. Ice-free Arctic. Democracy in shambles. Merriam-Webster adds “irregardless” to its pages as a real word.
When will the madness stop?!
I think we can all agree that 2020 has long overstayed its welcome. But I’m looking ahead to exciting things on the horizon, nearing with the new year.
One of my 2021 resolutions (hey, it’s never too early, right?) is to return to blogging. I started this site as a way to share pictures and stories with friends all over the world. Then all my friends moved to Instagram. And Snapchat. And TikTok. No. I draw the line at TikTok. Trust me, nobody wants to see me on TikTok.
So I’ll be returning to my digital roots in the coming weeks. Until then, be well, be happy, be safe. And wear a freakin’ mask.
Gemma Tarlach 
I enjoyed reading your article about Midwest ice age pockets in Atlas Obscura. I live in northwest Wisconsin in glacial country. In the mid 1980’s I took a geology class at a local college. On a field trip we visited what are locally called “frost pockets,” which are mostly conical depressions in forested, hilly, glacial terrain. The pockets contained some remnant Pleistocene plant communities. An interesting feature of these pockets that helped identify them was the presence of common bracken fern, which require a minimum of 45 frost-free days to survive. This 45-day line could be seen in most pockets as the down-slope boundary which was roughly circular. These features are not something that could be easily located. Our instructor knew where to go.
I liked your article on the shipwrecks which you can visit. You left out one that is quite attainable when the tide is out. It’s the Peter Iredale shipwreck on the Oregon coast near Astoria, Oregon. I’ve been there a time or two. Not much is left, but worth the visit as are the many lighthouses along the scenic Oregon coast along Highway 101.
Hi Gemma,
Should you decide to release more books, you’ll have happy readers. I still think about moments in Plague Walker from time to time: unbidden, they surface while I’m walking the dog, cooking, etc.
I hope you’re enjoying yourself these days. 👋
Cheers,
Jen