Winthrop

If you spend enough time in the Methow Valley, you’re inevitably going to run into a situation where somebody becomes aware of you needing something very specific, and then provides you with that item. Postings on the Methownet bulletin board and social media can result in speedy solutions, but I also know I am not […]

In honor of the impending approach of dead bird week — aka Thanksgiving — I thought I’d share some stories I heard at a dinner party the other night. We’re not quite there yet, but we can start getting in a festive mood for Thanksgiving with a few poultry stories, all of which took place many years ago, but […]

Last week I learned — too late to write about in my column — about the passing of my former Valley Life colleague, Sally Gracie. In other circumstances, perhaps, Sally and I would not have forged a friendship, but there is a certain esprit de corps inherently present in the small league of people who share each other’s Sunday […]

Photo by Ashley Lodato The annual Methow Valley marshmallow harvest is underway, just in time for winter and hot cocoa. It was a fine weekend for celebrations. First, former Methow Valley residents Aristides and Jane Pappidas marked their 50th wedding anniversary with a family dinner at an oyster restaurant in Olympia, where they now reside. […]

Recently I had a meeting at Rocking Horse Bakery and arrived a few minutes early. It was busy, so I nabbed an empty table by throwing my book and jacket on it, then went to stand in line for my coffee. When I returned to the table, I could read my book title from about […]

On Sunday morning, 14 intrepid survivors of breast cancer spent the morning at the Winthrop National Fish Hatchery, learning the art of fly fishing from seven members of the Methow Valley Fly Fishers (MVFF). The event was coordinated with the hatchery and MVFF by Casting for Recovery (CfR), which is a national organization dedicated to […]

I was recently at a memorial service for a longtime family friend — an occasion that is happening with altogether too much regularity in recent years. I’m at an age where my parents’ generation is failing, and these past few years have brought a steady stream of passings and, consequently, memorials, celebrations of life, and other opportunities […]

If you are a student or a parent of a student in the Methow Valley School District, you were probably aware of the rash of traffic stops last spring right near the entrance to the schools, where, presumably, drivers were receiving either tickets or warnings for speed limit violations. Reportedly, some of those tickets were […]

I was planning to write about something else this week, but as I typed in the date the newspaper would be published, I realized that it was 9/11, which deserves acknowledgement. I suspect that all of us who were old enough to be aware of the events of Sept. 11, 2001 have our own 9/11 […]

I can’t claim credit for this idea, but I can pass it along to other parents who were pleasantly surprised to show up at school registration expecting to write checks for kids’ sports, only to learn that the school has eliminate the “pay to play” sports fees. Parent Erin White (and — full disclosure — Booster Club officer) suggests […]