CURRENT MISSION

Playing with Nature. Wherever I am, on a ship at sea, in a field or on a mountain top, the natural world is my compass.

ABOUT ME

I was born loving the ocean, and ended up spending my working life on the water, first as a cook on Windjammer in Hawaii, then as a cook and fisherman on fishing vessels in Hawaii and Alaska, then joined a maritime union when I got my 3rd mate's license and worked my way up to Master. All of this time I printed fish, an oriental art form, which is now my passion and business.

I worked on ships the world over, and now live about an hour from the coast in Mexico. I miss traveling the high seas, but also am now following my passion. "If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life."
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PHILOSOPHY

Eternal optimist, and ruggedly independent. If you tell me that something can't be done, you have guaranteed that I will find a way to do it. Never never give up.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I am starting to do art festivals in the US beyond Florida and want to save on hotel expenses. so am trying to find couches on my way, as well as offer what I have in Toledo.
I started hosting in Sarasota, Fl and then in Toledo, Oregon where I moved in 2012, and I am so grateful to have hosted couch surfers, who everyday expand my world. Having people from all over come into my home helps to keep the world in perspective, since aI live in a very small community.

I moved to Mexico in 2019, and now live in Comala, Colima. Lovely puebla with volcanos in the background.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Fabulous, both as a host and as a guest. I have been welcomed into many homes during art festivals, and hope that I am as welcoming for my guests. I appreciate this site immensely- it helps to keep me young!

Interests

Nature, Swimming, beachcombing. Exploring and learning. If there's a beach, any beach, there are stories that it has to tell. I love listening to a beach by walking , looking, feeling, and sensing what the shores have to share.
I started doing street dog rescue when I moved to Colima, Mexico, and work with a local group that finds homes in the US and Canada. Usually There will be 4-7 dogs in the house, so it is never quiet.

• pets
• fish
• arts
• festivals
• cooking
• walking
• traveling
• fishing
• kayaking
• swimming
• beaches

Music, Movies, and Books

ABBA is the theme music for the studio. Rod Stewart's latest as background, Enya for calming, Village people for pumping up, Sarah Brightman for inspiration, Braodway musicals for feeling light, and Israel Kamakawiwaiole (IZ) when I'm feeling nostalgic

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Worked on a ship (merchant marine) north of Norway during the winter. Northern lights that made you feel as if you were in the middle of a light storm. They were so powerful that the lights became part of your being.

I once had a pet coconut crab that I found on Pagan island in the Marianas. It used to walk all over the ship, but the crew was terrifed of it.

Teach, Learn, Share

I teach a workshop called Celebrate Seaweed, in which we go to the beach and look through the wrack line and collect seaweed and then go to the classroom and identify, learn which ones are edible, make salads if we can, and then press them for a herbarium of dried specimens.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Nature printing, I have a small studio in the second level, and love to work with and teach about the tropical leaves.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Belize, Botswana, British Indian Ocean Territory, Egypt, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Guam, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Micronesia, Federated States of, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Russian Federation, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United States, Zambia

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States

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