Leap Fearlessly.

by Lise Lozelle

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

My trailblazing ways started young, I was a tomboy, with an anti-dress policy, a heart for bringing home stray animals and a knack for doing things the hard way. In elementary school I picked cello as my instrument of choice, because it was super easy (not!) to carry to and from school every day. I loved to ski both water and snow. Growing up in Michigan, the water ski season kicked off on Memorial Day weekend in water so cold you had to wear a wetsuit. I think that’s where I learned to jump and hit it without overthinking. Snow skiing was also a cold pursuit. With no mountains in Michigan our skiing meant short runs, with lots of ice. Not ideal conditions, but a perfect place to hone your skills and prepare for mountains in the future. When it came time for college the west was calling and my parents made it clear that going to California was not an option. So, naturally I looked at a map and settled on the University of Arizona.

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52 Weeks, 52 Rivers
by Shelley Walchak

Fly-fishing a river a week, writing essays, following my passion, hoping to inspire others, and highlighting issues that affect this most valuable resource.

As a teacher and librarian, it’s been interesting to note the variety of ways people learn. There’s been a ton of research on this and it has certainly been a personal challenge over the years to address all my students and patrons (library) learning styles.

When I cast my first line in the Uintah River in Utah 18 years ago, I had never read a book or manual about the intricacies of the sport. I wanted to learn by getting my feet wet and just having fun. On the other hand, my husband told me he had read about how to fly-fish for over a year before he made his first cast. And, during the first year he fished, he never caught a single fish! Wow, to have that kind of patience.

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