Esteemed poet E. E. Cummings could have been waxing poetic on the Methow Valley when he said, “The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.” In the quiet morning, ice crunches softly underfoot while migrating birds hop about budding trees. Say’s Phoebes, swallows, orioles and robins trill their morning chorus. In the late morning sun, the sound […]
VALLEY LIFE
Driving one hour and 45 minutes from Mazama, a pit stop is usually in order. Most Methow Valley residents know the beauty of Lone Pine Fruit & Espresso 4 miles south of the Beebe Bridge. If you have never stopped there, make it a point next time traveling to or from Wenatchee or all points […]
Valley Life: Winthrop
The sound never fails to catch our attention. At home, in the office, at the library or the post office, or in the park, the scream of a siren in the Methow Valley causes us all to pause, to look and listen, to try to determine where the alarm is coming from and, more importantly, […]
Valley Life: Twisp
I am in the process of having to re-introduce myself to many of my old friends. You see, the identity I’ve been driving for the past seven years has been updated and no one on the road seems to recognize my new sleek, black look. I drive by the familiar makes and models I’ve passed […]
Valley Life: Mazama
Word and idiom origin resources all seem to agree that the phrase “bucket list,” a list of things to accomplish before one’s death, is of uncertain etymology. However, 2006, a year before the release of the popular movie “The Bucket List,” is the most stated year of origin. Bucket list is derived from the phrase […]
Valley Life: Winthrop
The Book of Shoveling: a story told in five monthly installments. November, in which the household shoveler spends the day of the first (early, unexpected, robust) storm locating snow boots, shovels, car scrapers, snow tires, winter gloves and Yak Traks. The strategy required of the first shoveling event is critical, because it determines the outer […]
Valley Life: Twisp
Powder graced the slopes at the Loup Loup Ski Bowl over the weekend for what might be the last epic dump of the season. Big thanks to Leaf Seaburg, who organized the Slopestyle competition where able-bodied shredders showed their best stuff on the jumps and rails in the terrain park. Noah Ashford, in his usually […]
Valley Life: Lower Valley
On snowy Sunday afternoons, my family would watch old movies on a local television channel. My favorite was “The Nutty Professor,” a 1963 film starring Jerry Lewis and Stella Stevens. Stella played Stella Purdy: smart, strong, and fast with the witty comebacks. Rebuffing the romantic advances of Buddy Love, Professor Julius Kelp’s ego-centric alter ego, […]
Valley Life: Mazama
My mom was a great conversationalist. She could talk to anybody and always asked the best questions. One of her classics was, “What do you do for fun?” Recipients of that question loved to answer it. Another query that dug a little deeper, “When did you lose trust?” Not everyone has lost trust, but, when […]
Valley Life: Winthrop
Have you ever had one of those days, or weeks, when you feel like you are constantly brushing up against a version of your former life? I had a Saturday like that recently. I was on my way up to Mazama to ski and as I passed the Winthrop Barn, I noticed that the parking […]
