Rick K

I was born in a small steel mill town in western Pennsylvania. Scholarships and student loans helped me attend college for two years, where i excelled in the sciences. I first worked as a lab technician for an industrial chemical manufacturer and then for a major research laboratory in Pittsburgh. I earned my Bachelors Degree in chemistry while working full time. After a dozen years as a professional I had attained median rank for my education and experience and saw little chance for further advancement. So virtually overnight I set out to see America while I was still young enough to do it. I traveled across the country a couple of times, eventually spending a winter homeless in the desert on an Indian reservation. I arrived in Oregon by freight train with a plan to pick edible wild mushrooms like a migrant farm worker. I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest; found and made my home in Corvallis. I keep a personal journal filled with creative tidbits, poetry and colorful sketches of my favorite places and companions. I recently added a photographic record to my writings.