Bob Jepperson is a newly published author from Anacortes. He talks about the trail system within the town out there and his personal relationship with it.
He carries a 22-inch plastic parabolic dish sound recorder on some of his hikes through the woods. Bob describes it as a sort of headlight in reverse. His book, Wild Love Story, and the accompanied sounds, capture this analytic description well.
Bob Jepperson reads a piece from his book titled “Ritual at Dusk.” This is a special part of the book for my kids and I because Bob had described this ritual to us in person and we heard it on the trail with him. We play a couple recordings of the ritual here.
“I return to a trail I have not visited in months to see how she is doing
She is a favorite — a twisted sister for sure
Who hides surprises behind her boney knees and elbows”
The context this book offers is key. Bob tells the perfect circle of sounds, pictures and storytelling people get with Wild Love Story. A person can appreciate the pictures more with accompanied sounds or the sounds gives a perspective to a story he tells in his writing.
One of his pictures and stories is about an owl Bob followed, capturing the owl with a dragonfly in its beak. He describes watching it figure out how to consume the dragonfly. It transfers it from beak to claw for quite some time before taking it all in one swallow.
We also listen to some sounds of the Red Legged Frogs. One is a mating call of male and female and the other is what Bob describes as a mating ball.
Bob has explored the trails and waterways in what he describes as a perfect combination of species and plant life. You to can explore a wild place in your own community. Bob says to visit it often and soon you will learn the habits of the surrounding life.
Listen to the podcast here:
Rudy Giecek of Arlington is the host of the Cascade Hiker Podcast. (More about Rudy here.) You can find the entire archive of podcasts and support his work at his website. Or email him at rudy@cascadehikerpodcast.com.
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