By Bob Spiwak
Tim and Nancy Wezeman were riding their horses out in the West Boesel-Dripping Springs (Big Valley) area when they were aware of two pairs of large, dark ears ahead of them in the woods. On closer inspection they saw that the ears belonged to a couple of moose. Actually, they determined that these were mooselets, a couple of youngsters with no larger companions in view. The moose took off into the brush and were subsequently given chase by the riders’ dogs, out of sight. It was not too long before the canines were back to their owners, and if dogs can look abashed, this pair was.
A few days before, as we were sitting on the deck, our own new young dog took off like a shot, off the deck and down the path to where the golf course once was. We followed immediately, in time to see four wild turkeys grazing, and the dog giving chase.
The big birds flew off, one headed southwest, the others flying into the upper branches of a huge cottonwood. We could not locate any of the threesome among the limbs and leaves, probably 60 feet above the ground. Neighbor Gary Westerman later reported they had been at his place the day before, and next morning, en route to Mazama on Goat Creek Road, there were four gobblers feeding in the ditch at the Fawn Creek cutoff. They do get around.
A more stable visitor was Jeff Sandine, here for short visits with friends in the Methow. He owned Ballard Computer in Seattle in the earlier days of computers and moved to East Boesel, where he built a home high up on Boesel Creek. Ultimately there were several subsequent moves in the valley, then to Bend, Oregon, and back to Seattle, where he now has a security firm.
Here for dinner, he explained the downsides of the modern age, notably so-called Smart Phones. The scary part was the ability of hackers already devising ways to tap into phones and computers, not only with text and voice, but given the right circumstances, even able to visually spy on unsuspecting victims including friends and business competitors.
Well, just about anyone. I forgot to ask if oldies like us who still have prehistoric phones that do nothing but send and receive telephone calls are vulnerable.
He and I have canoed the Missouri in Montana, the Green in Utah and the Colorado in Canyonlands National Park. We also took some exciting road and off-road trips around the west and had planned another from eastern Montana to North Dakota.
This latest gambit has not worked out, but we are already formulating plans for a lesser excursion. So, pardon me if a future dateline emanates anywhere from Miles City, Montana, or Stanley, Idaho. Or both.
