One day a new road sign appeared on a lane off Highway 20. It said “Saw Whet Ln.” I puzzled over the name since I did not know what it meant. The only thing I could think of off the top of my head was a whetstone for saw sharpening. I remembered my dad getting […]
VALLEY LIFE
Twisp: December 2, 2020
For nearly 20 years, valley residents have been able to purchase a fresh Christmas tree from the Methow Valley Community Center Tree Sale in the Hank’s Harvest Foods parking lot. Proceeds from the sale of trees benefit the Community Center with the necessary funds to continually upgrade and maintain the historic landmark. The community kitchen, […]
Winthrop: December 2, 2020
Last week I lectured about the importance of establishing new, COVID-friendly traditions around the holidays, so I thought that I should debrief at least one of my own new practices. I was willing to forego the large gathering in exchange for connecting virtually with family and friends. I surrendered the prospect of lounging in a […]
Mazama: December 2, 2020
A farrier must be “tough as nails” given that his/her equine clients weigh upwards of 1,000 pounds and are not always obliging to stand on three legs while having nails pounded into their hooves. A farrier is not only a blacksmith with skills to fabricate, adapt and adjust metal horseshoes into the individual shape and […]
Lower Valley: November 25, 2020
Sally sat behind me in junior high band. She played the saxophone. Her real talent was comebacks. Every saxophonist has three key skills in common: circular breathing, strong opinions, and quick comebacks. That’s why they play the sassiest instrument in the band. Sally is still wonderfully opinionated and sassy. She is adamantly opposed to winter […]
Twisp: November 25, 2020
Thanksgiving grace holds the foremost purpose of Thanksgiving in our family. This year, our family will be giving grace via Zoom with 26 people in attendance. Grace is a word that carries a complex spirit. It is both a noun and an adverb. You can give and receive grace. It expresses ease of movement draped […]
Winthrop: November 25, 2020
We are a people of tradition, and almost nowhere is this more evident than in our Thanksgiving ritual. While people’s Easter traditions vary widely, and Fourth of July may or may not include fireworks, and Christmas might include midnight Mass, or opening a single present on Christmas Eve, or hanging up stockings, we all more […]
Mazama: November 25, 2020
A sobering fact: Over 250,000 people are no longer living and breathing in this country due to COVID-19 and the devastating deaths it causes. If you placed that many caskets end-to-end and started in Bellingham, headed down I-5 to Highway 2, continued over Stevens Pass on through Leavenworth, Waterville, Wilbur and Davenport, you would arrive […]
Twisp: November 18, 2020
The new world order of virtual meetings and get-togethers has led to some outrageous stories of incidental encounters. We all know the common Zoom embarrassments like the half-naked spouse walking across the background, the kids’ shrieks and interruptions, or the unmuted mic that picks up household profanity. One of the benefits of these virtual meetings […]
Winthrop: November 18, 2020
For many of us, books have been a solace during the pandemic. We’ve dived into fiction for escape; we’ve used poetry to make sense of strange times; we’ve developed empathy for others through memoir; we’ve put current events in historical perspective through non-fiction. As we head into the dark days of winter I know that […]
