Twisp

The Christmas season takes added celebrations and sweets when there’s merry birthdays in the mix. This article is written to honor all those merry birthdays out there whose personal birthdays are overshadowed by the overwhelming merriment of the holiday season. We have merry birthdays in our family. There seem to be a lot of merry […]

There’s a reason we sing to our babies when they cry in pain as their teeth erupt from their gums or can’t fall asleep at night. Song comforts these new and uncomfortable sensations of pain, easing the fear. Similarly, the dying often experience new and discomforting physical and emotional pain as the slip from the […]

On the first day of Christmas my first born gave to me, A night of restless worries, from a tummy full of flurries. On the second day of Christmas my second son gave to me, Two large red tonsils and head that was fevery. On the third day of Christmas my doggie ate a plate […]

New from the hills: Christmas tree hunters were out in large numbers over the holiday weekend. With low snowpack, it makes for great hunting for the most besought subalpine firs. New this year, you can get your tree permit online. Log on to openforest.fs.usda.gov or buy in person at the Winthrop Ranger Station, Monday-Friday, 8 […]

Step outside in the evening this week and you will be joyfully delighted by the spectacular night sky. The moon has been rising late, which adds to the darkness of the night. The new moon was on Nov. 26. This column is being written in advance of that date and, but it is expected to […]

I couldn’t help but notice how many blank bubbles there were on the ballot under the incumbents in our local election. While some seats were contested, most were not. There seems to be a lack of interest to govern. As the dust settles from recent elections, national attention in the media regarding civics education in […]

Chances are, this fall you’ve smelled it too. Skunk. When we first moved to the valley nearly 15 years ago, skunk encounters were rumored to be rare, or non-existent. Folklore held that the 1968 freeze annihilated the valley skunk population. But that first year, we spotted a fluffy stripped skunk happily sauntering in the snow […]

This week I am going to check in with a few valley residents currently living elsewhere and give updates on their whereabouts and on-goings.  So, here are postcards from … Mumbai, India Eighteen months ago, Methow Valley Elementary school teacher Kelly Weist boarded a jumbo jet for Mumbai, India, where she is now in her […]

Cultures the world over have commemorated death with richly complex traditions and rituals.  As Halloween approaches each year, examining the intersection between Western Christianity and the traditions around of death become more apropos. It’s no coincidence that Halloween falls at the peak of the season of death and decay in the natural world. Besides Memorial […]

Ah, the season of rapid change is upon us, and many observations of human behavior and natural phenomena are noteworthy. One of blessings of living and eating seasonally in the Methow is the color changes in our diet that reflect the bounty of the home-grown garden. As colors in the landscape shift, so too does […]