Methow

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 […]

While visiting family below the Mason-Dixon line, a curious cousin leaned forward to ask an important question. In a whisper normally reserved for wakes and hospitals, she asked me what winter was like. If she were wearing pearls, she would have clutched them while asking. Instead, she put a hand to her chest in a […]

Whiteout Racing Kennel exceeded expectations last month at the dog sled racing season kickoff, the West Yellowstone Rodeo Run. The early season event gains popularity each year as West Yellowstone receives more snow than other places, albeit less snow in past years. Whiteout Racing Kennel owner and operator Christina Gibson described the Rodeo Run as […]

By Joanna Bastian The same year my great-aunt Rosie was born, her 17-year-old sister Jean gave birth to my mother Carol. Being just a year apart, my mother Carol and her Aunt Rosie were playmates and confidantes, as close as sisters. They had sleepovers and play dates, inside jokes and secrets. When we visited Grandma Jean […]

By Joanna Bastian Dear readers: After a column requesting information about Helen Louise Martin, I received a wonderful number of emails from genealogists around the Methow Valley. Everyone directed me to the website, FindAGrave.com. An entry for Helen Louise Martin contains a photo of a similar headstone, with one minor difference: the date of death. […]

By Joanna Bastian Since my column about the mystery of Helen Louise Martin’s headstone appeared in the Dec. 12 Methow Valley News, we have learned that Helen passed away in 2001 and not 2004. Thank you to Claudia Bradley for the correction; Claudia sent an email with the additional information that Helen was born in […]

Editor’s note: Since this column ran in the Dec. 12, 2018 edition of the Methow Valley News, we have learned that Helen Louise Martin passed away in 2001 and not 2004. Thank you to Claudia Bradley for the correction; she sent an email with the additional information that Helen was born in Wyoming, and lived and […]