Methow

I contracted COVID last week. Indoors, I wear my mask. Outdoors, I wear a mask in large gatherings — for instance, while at the farmers market. I’m fully vaccinated and boosted. The one place I chose not to wear my mask was the one place I acquired COVID. My symptoms began with a sore throat […]

It is that time of year when advice is doled out at graduation parties and family get-togethers. Here’s a few gems I’ve learned along the way: Wear safety glasses when doing any activity that hurls microscopic material with a velocity that could cut an eye. This includes weed eating, chopping wood, and crafting with glitter. […]

Dandelion constellations shine against the emerald green of my yard. As children, we spent hours weaving stems to adorn each other with necklaces, bracelets, rings and crowns of golden harbingers of spring. As summer grew warmer, we whispered a wish before puffing out our cheeks to send feathery seeds alight. Once upon a time dandelions […]

A case of iritis forced me to take a break from writing, and almost everything else. Iritis is the swelling of the iris. The eye turns red, has a consistent dull ache, light sensitivity and blurred vision. There is no known common cause of iritis. Left untreated, it can lead to blindness. Treatment requires prescription […]

Last week was an interesting run on the Cub Creek ski trails. Warm weather and a rainy morning had turned the groomed trails to ice. On a slick steep section, I popped off my skis and walked uphill. The hail had stopped and the clouds cleared. Blue sky and bright sun teamed up to melt […]

Welcome to Snowmagedon, 2022. Call me crazy, I love winter. Despite the scary driving, constant shoveling, high-stepping through drifts and chilly toes, I do love winter. The way the sun sparkles on a field full of snow, the songs of chickadees and juncos, and the rosy highlights of alpenglow along the ridgelines. Winter days are […]

Isn’t it odd that we use just one common word for snow when there are so many different types of snowflakes, snowfall and snowpack? Years ago, I read Peter Hoeg’s novel, “Smilla’s Sense of Snow.” The author spends entire passages describing snow in mesmerizing imagery interspersed with Greenlandic Inuit words. At one point, the main […]

It’s the most wonderful time of the year at the gateway to the Methow! Spectacular holiday lights are on display between the town of Methow and Pateros. Sweet River Bakery is open in the evenings, serving up warm beverages and dinner items. Shoreline Trail in Pateros Park is the perfect stroll to enjoy holiday light […]

During the holiday season of expressing gratitude, it is necessary for one’s own sanity to set aside time for self-care by practicing the time-honored Festivus tradition of the “Airing of Grievances.” Festivus began in 1966 as an alternative to the commercialism of Christmas. Author Daniel O’Keefe created the holiday. His son, Dan O’Keefe, popularized Festivus […]

Roscoe, the friendly chocolate lab, had his trial run at Jamie’s Place cut short when a resident slipped him an entire bag of prunes. Two months prior, Roscoe was found in Black Canyon. His life took an adventurous turn when Black Canyon residents tipped off OkanDogs to his plight. At the time, the friendly, calm, […]