Harts Pass No. 420

On this week before Martin Luther King Jr. Day -- remembering out trip to the powerful memorial in D.C. a few springs back.

Harts Pass No. 419

#betterthanbearhugs

Harts Pass No. 418

"Out with the old, in with the new", etc. etc. I'm not really sure that this always works. How about a little institutional knowledge and some common goals/concerns for both the "old" and the "new." Agreed for sure that sometimes we need a fresh start -- and goodness know that I am hopeful for many "new" things to make 2019 a better year, but one thing does lead to another and perhaps an additive rather than subtractive process would be more productive and successful in the long term. But what do I know? Just sayin' #GRRR! #HappyNewYear!

Happy New Year!

Harts Pass No. 417

A little late in getting this on the blog, but Merry Christmas all!

Harts Pass No. 416

More species reintroduction to the North Cascades National Park... and Thor is doing his best impression of righteous indignation -- coupled with a complete and total lack of understanding what is really going on. Sound familiar? Another strip here that did not quite make the deadlines for the paper. Bonus for you if you follow along via the blog or on Instagram. Cheers!

Harts Pass No. 415

And my own lovely daughter IS super enthusiastic about many, many things. It's awesome! Keep it it up kiddo. Your energy and verve are contagious!

Harts Pass No. 414

There's always a Thanksgiving strip. Or at least there has been for the last eight years. True to form of late I was  a little tardy in the posting, but the strip did get done in time for the newspaper deadline! Thanks to all of you who follow the strip. I'm back on a more even keel with posting and look forward to wrapping up the year in style. GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 413

With so many other things going on I have not been keeping up the comic very well. So it goes. I  really do like making these so hopefully my sense of available time changes at least a little bit this week -- although we shall see :) No matter what, I'm very thankful this week for friends and family. And for big hugs and welcome returns after times away that are long or short or anywhere between. Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Harts Pass No. 412

You can watch any number of videos on YouTube or read more about it in the Seattle Times, but the relocation of an "exotic" mountain goat population from Washington's Olympic peninsula to the more appropriate setting of the north cascades was one of the more fascinating things to happen this summer. About 350 goats were relocated. The others were unfortunately eliminated by other means.

PS This comic was never published in the Methow Valley News. I drew it a little late, and it seemed less appropriate to send in the following week.

Harts Pass No. 411

So I started teaching art classes at our local high school this fall... and thusly time has been slipping ever-so-quickly through my fingers! My first week of September DID very quickly become the second week of October, and so on and so fourth. The comics are coming back though. Slowly but surely!

Harts Pass No. 410

Hard to ignore the wild fire smoke right now. Both from an "I'm living here" standpoint, and from the fact that for three years running the first several weeks of our fall XC running season (coaching for my part) have been compromised by at least 3-8 days of unhealthy air quality. This is not normal. It is not acceptable. The policy makers of the world need to wake up and pull their hands out of Big Oil and corporate-interest pockets. Its not all supposed to be about money and greed. It should not be a business-first kind of world. They need to start thinking more critically and with long-term vision about the health and well fare of the American people. GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 409

Pretty much how I've been operating of late. There is an outward projection (hopefully calm and collected)... and an internal chaos that hard to ignor. GRRR! #wolverinesarepeopletoo

Harts Pass No. 407 & 408

UHG! The wildfire smoke from Canada and local sources is hitting us HARD! Atmospheric particular matter (PMI) readings in the 400's today -- which is among the highest on the planet right now according to the air quality index listing at PurpleAir.com... We've had intermittent smoke and good/bad days over the two weeks since the first strip, but it has been consistently worse just to our south. The lack of air movement is layering it in all around and there is no real change in site. Stay inside if you can. The wolverines and other critters have far fewer options. GRRR!

The most awesome POLAR OPPOSITES reading ever!

OK, I don't really haunt the YouTubes looking for my books, but in a random search today I came across this POLAR OPPOSITES reading by the incredibly awesome Sauda for the YouTube channel, ABC Read, ABC Learn. It doesn't look like Sauda does too many of their other readings, but this one I definitely had to share. Enjoy!

Harts Pass No. 406

The strip pretty much says it all. Tim's Jalapeño chips are totally addictive. GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 405

It seems to me that free time is filled with too many practical and objective pursuits these days. I mean, its one thing if you're older and using that time to pursue a passion or to get on track with some other thing that leads to something else, and I'm all for a high bar and goals and drive... but for kids - especially kids of a younger age - they really don't need to be getting ahead on next year's school work with their summer time lazy days. Relaxed is relaxed, a wandering mind is good. A laser focus on the "next thing" or some sort of objective lesson with literally EVERY activity will only wear you down before your time.

Harts Pass No. 404

Another weather strip. PS Summer is NOT my favorite season! #wolverineworries #snowforlife #summer...

Harts Pass No. 403

I'm late in posting last week's strip -- which is too bad because I was pretty happy with it :) So many of these little comics are just a reaction to everyday normal things like the weather etc. (RE WINDY of late!) but then I get to draw some cute animals and try to find a little humor in it. As always, enjoy!

Harts Pass No. 402

Up in the mountains since the 4th of July. A summer-like tardiness to the posting of this strip but the sentiment rings true -- and perhaps even more so as we move past holiday feelings of freedom on to taking a measure of the actual freedoms that we should cultivate and encourage. Onward!