Have you ever wondered what a serious research scientist writes during spare time? Such folks are not all one-track-mind nerds. This book invites you to explore the life path of a small-town Upper Midwest farm boy who unexpectedly found himself on a heady highway of education that produced a PhD-toting research geologist devoted to learning about volcanoes. Early on in this career, the main-stem joy of publishing results of his fiery-volcano research projects developed a sub-branch for writing essays on a variety of other topics. A few appeared in "gray literature" along the way. This book compiles most of these miscellaneous writings, including discussions of organized religion, global warming, piloting small aircraft, family dynamics, quirks along a path of higher education, earthy humor, and the role of serendipity in all phases of life. Sketches by Kalynn Gunderson add entertaining color to some of the tales. All readers will identify with one or more of the topics. Some folks may even become inspired to sit at a keyboard and enter their own life tales before memory fades beyond accurate recall.