I’ve always appreciated wide open spaces — the chance to be alone in nature, to listen to birds, watch an osprey hunt fish, and breathe deeply in the quiet, far from human activity. Lots of room. Crowded places where people push their way to the front of the line, talk loudly on their phones, or hurry to get somewhere can

Some people love horror: terrifying movies, distressing books, and shocking television shows. I asked my friend, Adrienne, who likes such things. “Why?” “Oh, I get such a rush,” she said. “It’s a thrill to confront my fear from a safe distance.” She clapped her hands. “Besides, it isn’t real.” “I think I understand, but I still can’t watch, listen, or

In the days of covered wagon travel, pioneers ventured west with hopes and dreams of the fertile lands of California and Oregon. It’s estimated that 1 in every 10 emigrants died on the Oregon Trail. Diseases like dysentery and smallpox claimed some. Drownings during river crossings took out others. Falls from wagons. Accidental shootings. Weather. Wild animals. Some pioneers, after