Shady Neighbors

A rural living family is threatened by imminent development of their rural landscape. At the same time, members of the family begin to notice other strange things occurring around them that seem to indicate that they have been somehow singled-out for some unknown purpose. While the family is trying to figure out how to use the unknown force, the unknown force is also figuring out how to use the family. Ultimately, an uneasy partnership forms as the forces of 'human energy' and 'a greater good' learn how to play on the same team. Baseball has long provided a metaphor for the struggles of our human condition. As one can see from the unique cover art by Guy Edwards, the author has crafted the first fictional story in human history that humorously combines bigfoot and baseball.

Thom Powell is an author, science teacher, expert kayaker, and whitewater river guide. His previous literary work, the widely acclaimed 'The Locals, ' revolutionized bigfoot/sasquatch field research when it was published in 2003. Many of the radical ideas that were first presented in this seminal volume have gained wide acceptance among today's bigfoot researchers. His new book is another first: a novel that incorporates some of Thom's unique revelations about the bigfoot phenomenon in an original and entertaining story. Thom has also been a lifelong fan of major league and youth baseball, mis-spending much of his own youth at Cleveland Stadium, watching the Cleveland Indians lose game after game. His love of the game (and the life lessons it offers) figures prominently in the plot of 'Shady Neighbors.' Back in the mid-1980's Thom was also the first kayaker in the western U.S. to pioneer the use of a new style of stunt kayak know as a 'squirt boat' that is capable of underwater maneuvers. Virtually all whitewater kayaks now incorporate design elements borrowed from these tiny kayaks that were once so radically different. Thom is known for coining the phrase 'mystery move' to describe the squirt boater's most impressive underwater maneuver. Mr. Powell is a dynamic, veteran science teacher of 26 years experience at Robert Gray Middle School in the Hillsdale neighborhood of southwest Portland. He lives with his family beside the Clackamas River near Oregon City.