Mazama

  The lyrics “What a Difference a Day Makes” became an earworm song in my brain on Friday (Sept. 9). What prompted the stuck tune syndrome was the bright blue sky just “24 little hours” after the worst air quality of the year for the Methow Valley, Mazama especially. Our little HEPA air purifier — […]

  Mazama is a little community with a plan. Forward-thinking Mazama stakeholders began discussing the need for a vision for the layout of Mazama’s four-way intersection commercial core in 2008. It’s a good thing because without a plan, random, helter-skelter things can happen. The flavor of a small community based on the love of the […]

  A summer rain brings with it a special odor that most people find to be pleasant. Some scientists believe that humans appreciate the rain smell because their ancestors relied on rainy weather for survival. This earthy scent that permeates the air after a rain is known as petrichor. Since raindrops themselves are odorless, the […]

  There is always good “people watching” during the warm weather months at the Mazama Store courtyard. You can watch folks wander in and imagine what their stories are, since it is my belief that everyone has a story. Recently, a small wedding party showed up. Seeing young men in suits and the bride adorned […]

The valley was lit up Thursday (Aug. 11) with the brilliance of the last supermoon for 2022. Four full moons qualified for the “supermoon” designation this year —– in May, June, July and August — by the “Old Farmer’s Almanac” broad definition that they reached 90% of perigee (the point in moon’s orbit where it […]

  Butterflies and poetry: sounds like a good name for a book. Well, maybe just this week’s topics. There is so much to learn about monarch butterflies, too much for this human-interest column. I recently listened to a radio show (NPR’s “On Point”) about them and was taken back to the joyfulness seen in my […]

Yurts have sprung up around the valley like mushrooms after a rain. (Maybe a little cliché, but yurts even resemble some round-capped ’shrooms!) We are especially fortunate to have a yurt kit manufacturer right here in the valley, employing valley residents, and building a quality product that is shipped all over the country, even around […]

It’s potpourri week! Garden greens If you are a gardener yourself, or fortunate enough to have a neighbor with a green thumb, you are most likely reaping the benefits of an abundant harvest of leafy greens. These verdant vegetables are generally associated with many health benefits. They are a healthy source of carbohydrates, typically contain […]

  The hills are alive with the sound of music! Well, they aren’t exactly singing, playing musical instruments, and dancing, but the hills and their valleys below are filled with humans basking in the summer sun and listening to other humans producing beautiful sounds in various genres. Why does music make us feel happy (or […]

This week I’m on vacation in Montana and Idaho. I thought about missing a column (which I haven’t done in 150 weeks) because I’m not living “valley life” this week. Then a series of events happened that made me realize that our valley is interconnected in many ways with what we consider the northwest region. […]