Methow

I missed my opportunity to provide a heads-up about the Apple Pie Jamboree this past weekend, a decades-long community event in Pateros that raises funds to provide valuable community programs for kids. I hope, in spite of my gross negligence, that upriver people got wind of the fun happening downriver, and came on down to […]

This story was a collaborative effort by the Valley Life columnists. So much happened in the lower valley this week. There were some raindrops, a mighty wind, and people in floaties heading down river, bobbing through the rapids. A snake ate a fish, an eagle ate a fish, and a person ate several fishes … […]

Pack up the car, pack up the kids, pack up the sunscreen, broad-brimmed hats, sunglasses and water bottles and sally forth to where the Methow River meets the mighty Columbia. Saturday, June 22, is the sixth annual Salmon Bake and Cultural Celebration at the Methow Monument in Pateros Memorial Park. Festivities start at noon. Randy […]

This time of year is filled with celebration vibes, and a wagon load of well-intentioned advice. People are either walking a graduation line or down a wedding aisle. Tables are laden with iced cakes, floral arrangements and congratulation cards scribbled with lines of well-wishes and advice. I tried to compile a list of sound, excellent, […]

As I followed the river down the lower valley in the early morning hours, pear blossoms and balsamroot shone in the morning sun. The river rapids glistened with light, while the cliffs revealed their storylines in dramatic relief in the rays of the rising sun. I tried to image what it looked like before the […]

Registration is now open for the Saskatoon Circle Primitive and Traditional Living Skills Gathering at Skalitude Retreat, located in the upper reaches of the Libby Creek drainage. The week-long experience is organized by Katie Russell Sorenson, owner of Wilderbabe LLC, and scheduled June 17 through 23 this year. For more than a decade, Saskatoon Circle […]

Any fan of Steve Martin’s hilarious comedy, “The Jerk,” will remember his uncontrollable excitement when the new phone books arrived. I re-enact that scene every spring, with slightly different words. “The new blossoms are here! The new blossoms are here!” Or, “The birds are back! The birds are back!” Or, my favorite sentiment, “The trails […]

It must be the end of winter. All the tell-tale signs are here. Robins nibble on dried-up berries and rosehips at the edges of the yard. The dogs are shedding their winter coats, leaving tufts of hair like a breadcrumb trail wherever they go. The roof shrugs off layers of snow and ice, with a […]

Long walks in the woods with friends can lead to fascinating conversations. On a recent sunny day, our footsteps crunched over freshly fallen snow. A group of friends shared how they each experienced listening to ensemble music. Some choose to close their eyes and picture a story unrolling, like a movie reel. Others enjoy the […]

Libby Creek’s Whiteout Racing Team exceeded expectations yet again this season when Christina Gibson and her dogs took third place overall at the Eukanuba 8 Dog Classic Sled Dog Race, a division of the Pedigree Stage Stop Race in Wyoming. Teams race 25-30 miles a day, attend events in the evening, and spend the night […]