Connie McDougall

3 weeks ago | 3rdactmagazine.com | Connie McDougall |David Nemetz

“Most travelers I know, they’re proud to be known as a traveler as opposed to a tourist: ‘I’m more thoughtful—I’m not just here to shop and get a selfie. I’m here to immerse myself in the culture and learn.’ That is a traveler, to become a temporary local.

Dec 8, 2024 | 3rdactmagazine.com | Connie McDougall |David Nemetz

Humorist and diehard New Yorker Fran Lebowitz rejects most technology. She does have a phone though, albeit not smart. “The telephone is a good way to talk to people,” Lebowitz observes, “without having to offer them a drink.” Clearly a useful device and one that has undergone a tectonic shift over the years. “Growing up, our black desk phone was a party line, shared with another family down the block,” recalls Bob Brodfuehrer, 77.

Aug 16, 2024 | 3rdactmagazine.com | Connie McDougall |David Nemetz

Volunteering at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo comes with some cool safari vibes, where the rewards seem to outweigh the dirty work, says volunteer Rick Hyatt, 69. “After a three-hour work party cleaning up poop behind the penguin exhibit, we got the opportunity to feed them.”Another effort, removing unwanted bamboo from Lemur Island, ended with the fun of feeding the big-eyed, ring-tailed animals, a unique behind-the-scenes privilege.

Dec 2, 2023 | 3rdactmagazine.com | Connie McDougall |Victoria Starr Marshall

It May be More Important Than Ever to Learn Skills of Self-Defense as We AgeAt 6 feet 2 inches and 250 pounds, wearing full-body protection, Alan Moe makes a formidable assailant. So it feels pretty liberating that, at 73, I’m slamming an elbow into his helmeted face then sending a swift kick to his padded groin. It’s an excellent way to practice self-defense skills without worrying about hurting him. Too much. “I can take the hits but sometimes I get my bell rung,” he laughs.

Sep 3, 2023 | 3rdactmagazine.com | Connie McDougall |Victoria Starr Marshall

Indeed, Cecile Disenhouse and her husband “Mountain Man Dave” Jette hiked with a circle of hardy friends across the globe, with journeys to Peru, Nepal, Iceland, Great Britain, Greece, and Italy, as well as hundreds of treks in the Pacific Northwest. And often, she packed her carefully curated watercolor kit—no more than one pound—to pause in the wild. To sit and look. And then, to paint. Friend and fellow hiker Toby Kramer says that Disenhouse’s painting pitstops meant there were built-in layovers.