One popular, and ironic, destination for Evergreen retreats was Fort Flagler State Park. The former military complex is on the north end of Marrowstone Island, near Port Townsend. Built at the turn of the century (19th-20th, that is), Flagler was designed, along with Fort Worden and Fort Casey, to defend the entrance of Puget Sound from enemy ships. Just in time for the introduction of the aeroplane to render the whole place obsolete.

Flagler is riddled with concrete gun batteries, bunkers, and observation boxes. During one evening at a retreat, I went into one of the observation boxes to enjoy the pleasure of smoking a fine cigar. Well, a cheap cigar. Some of my habits, like drinking black coffee, eating meat, making lame puns, and especially smoking cigars offended many of my classmates.

But then, as now, smoking a cigar is my way of meditating. You can't really do much else when you start burning one of those babies. So I'm looking out at a panoramic view of the Sound when my solitude is broken by some guy who obviously has lost the sense of smell. "Dude," he greeted me, "Can I have a drag?"

I suspect he thought I had something else, but I let him take a nice deep lung-full anyway. His response reminded me it is best not to inhale those things.