Methow

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, […]

Roscoe, a handsome, senior chocolate Lab, is enjoying a new life thanks to the efforts of residents of Black Canyon and two valuable nonprofit organizations: OkanDogs and Jamie’s Place. Black Canyon resident Brian Hagenbuch was walking with his young son Ralph when he saw a pile of garbage at a campsite near Black Canyon Sno-Park. […]

Hello fall, it is so good to see you again, and to walk in a forest of brilliant colors and earthy, pungent aromas. An American Cancer Society study showed that “women who walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer […]

All week last week my news feed was flooded with weather reports of an ‘atmospheric river.’ Torrents of water were predicted to flow from the skies. I was gruntled, the opposite of disgruntled, looking forward to a pleasurable weekend filled with hot tea and book reading while rain flowed in rivulets on the windowpanes. The […]