It is evident from Kate's poems that her passions are family and nature.  Kate and her husband Tom Harris both love the outdoors and have demonstrated the ability to continue an active lifestyle with their two children.  This combination of spirituality, nature and family is a wonderful addition to the SpirituallyFit repertoire!  Kate is loved by many for the beauty and compassion she exudes through her poetry and her spirit.  Thank you Kate!

TOM HARRIS:  Tom's poem "Wednesday Morning" fits with this issue's theme of family and relationships as well as it supplementing his wife, Kate Reavey's, poems.  Like his wife, family comes first:

"My major focus is my family: wife Kate Reavey, daughter Maeve, and son Liam." -- Tom Harris

DAVE SHREFFLER:  Dave really deserves the credit for the conception of this special Olympic Peninsula issue.  It was Dave that submitted an email to our Chief Editor suggesting an issue highlighting Olympic Peninsula writers.  Not only was Dave instrumental in recruiting this issue's writers, but he also blessed us with his essay, "Power of Compassion".  His account fits SpirituallyFit's original mission to share spiritual stories experienced through nature.  In Dave's case it wasn't just the magnificent Himalayan mountains that evoked a spiritual deepening but, the cultural and political landscape he traversed.  "Compassion is always better than anger".  Free Tibet.

MARY MORGAN:  Because it is not a well-known fact that Mary, Tim McNulty's wife, is also a wonderful writer, we appreciated the opportunity to publicly share Mary's poems with our readers!

Like Kate and Tom, and Dave and Ann (Dave Shreffler's wife), Mary Morgan and Tim McNulty also lead a wonderful family life surrounded by friends, nature, spirituality and creativity.  Mary's "Essentials"  was written for Kate Reavey's daughter, Maeve.  Although this particular poem may not have stood by itself in this webzine, it's fitting since this special Olympic Peninsula issue is also about community and friendship.

"Sometimes when I am hiking or camping or even sitting on my front porch on a quiet evening, the state of being in which poetry takes form visits me. I've found that it is something I can't will, or force, although I can try to allow it the space to happen. Our lives in this harried world have left little space for poetry, but so many people hunger for that deep aliveness where connections reveal themselves." -- Mary Morgan

TIM MCNULTY:  "Prolific" is one word that comes to mind when thinking about Tim McNulty.  It was difficult to choose from Tim's many poems, so if you haven't had the pleasure of experiencing Tim's poetry, we're happy to entice you with a small taste and keep you coming back for more in future issues!  Tim is a delightful, humble person and speaker.  Enjoy!

"Through all my writing, I strive for a deeper connection to wild landscapes, to the non-human beings who live there, and to my immediate community within that larger context. Part of my responsibility as a poet and writer is to speak on behalf of those 'other voices.' They need to play a larger role in our ongoing discussions regarding our place in the natural world." -- Tim McNulty

PATTIANN ROGERS:  Pattiann is a favorite Northwest poet and now a regular contributor to SpirituallyFit.com!  "In Addition to Faith, Hope and Charity" was recommended by Tim McNulty. As a lover of drums and drumming, our Chief Editor immediately identified with Pattiann's metaphor of the percussive nature of our earth and its inhabitants.   We will continue sharing additional poems from Pattiann as she has blessed us with free reign to reproduce her works on our site!

LESLIE EATON:  Leslie is a mother of 8 (yes, that's 8 children she birthed!), wife, amateur writer and pastoral minister at St. Joseph's in Sequim, Washington.  When asking Leslie to submit a photo to accompany her biography she replied "A photo of my family is most appropriate since they represent so much of who I am and what's important to me". 

PAT O'HARA:  Pat O'Hara has been an environmental photographer and a leader in his profession for two decades. Based in Port Angeles, Washington, his studio is located in the forested foothills near Olympic National Park.  Kate Reavey's poetry reading was a feast for our editor as Pat was also approached about featuring his photos in this issue.  We couldn't have planned a better collection of artists for our Olympic Peninsula issue!  For more information about Pat's photos see his web site: http://www.patohara.com