★READERS SHARE THEIR BEST DAYS OF 2020
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January 2021
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Contents
Share your story in
page 22
FINDING sights along the backroads
METEOR SHOWER TO LIGHT SKY Y EVENTS CALENDAR
Open for fun and adventure
READERS SHARE THEIR BEST DAYS IN 2020
ICONIC WENATCHEE TRAIL SYSTEM OPENS FOR EXPLORING
For these readers, it was the small yet deeply personal events that meant the most in a dreary year Here are some of the editor’s favorite photos from the past year, with sometimes surprising updated comments
16 skiing in solitude
Even in the empty nester years, it’s fun to strap on cross country skis or snowshoes for a trek in the quiet, snowy wonderland
18 For Chocolatier, candy is dandy
Willow Merritt was a wildland firefighter who turned her passion into a sweet business
20 the joys of dog walking
When Marlene Farrell’s daughter wanted to volunteer to walk dogs at the Humane Society, Marlene went along ... and found some mom joy
22 GOING OFF GRID DURING THE PANDEMIC
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SAVOR THE SAGE HILLS
Features
12 FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM 2020
NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE
April 2015
7
WENATCHEE VALLEY’S
Skydiving Open the door and fall — a very long way
Travel Planner Cary Ordway features great NCW getaways
Share your adventure
Life needs a little adventure. Whether you are finding yours around the corner or at the ends of the earth, The Good Life readers want to share in your passion. Tell us what you are doing and we’ll help you tell a good story.
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We encourage freelance writers to submit ideas and stories. Perhaps the story is about you, or someone you know... help us make The Good Life the local magazine readers eagerly look forward to each month.
With catering business drying up during lockdown, Valarie Gilmour and Dave Toal buy a rugged trailer and hit the backroads
Contact us at:
25 upgrading by downsizing
editor@ncwgoodlife.com or sales@ncwgoodlife.com
Tiny homes have a large variety of uses
Artist updates n What’s new with Ana Maria Spagna, Sherry Krebs, Brian Ohme and Dan McConnell, page 29 Columns & Departments 6 A bird in the lens: Just don’t call it a seagull 11 The traveling doctor: Fighting muscle loss 20 Pet tales: The joy of dog walking 28 June Darling: Setting a better-for-you goal for 2021 31 The calendar and a Dan McConnell cartoon 32 History: Rethinking some early, early local history 34 That’s life: Hairbrained New Year’s resolutions January 2021 | The Good Life
10 First Street, Suite 108 • Wenatchee, WA 98801 COLD RIDE ON DEVIL’S BACKBONE Y EVENTS CALENDAR
WINTERING IN PANAMA Y EVENTS CALENDAR
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November 2014
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February 2015
IN ThE fLOw ON ThE yUKON
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May 2015 n Cover price: $3
BEING LINCOLN
fickle days, velvet nights
Passion for 16th president turns into a teaching tool Back to the Old Sod in search of roots Boating the historic coast of Turkey
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RUNNiNg wiTh DOgS AGILITY COURSE PUTS OWNERS AND THEIR BEST FRIENDS TO THE TEST
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OPENING SHOT
Catching lightning with a drone By Ron Medeiros This photo of Saddle Rock in Wenatchee was shot with a drone. The type of photo is an AEB
photo. (AEB mode will take multiple pictures of the same scene using different exposure values.) The sky was an amazing purple/pink and this shot was a very lucky capture! I started photography about five years ago and have been having a blast capturing the Pacific Northwest. This photo I used a DJI mavic FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/NCWGoodLife
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Year 15, Number 1 January 2021 The Good Life is published by NCW Good Life, LLC, dba The Good Life 1107 East Denny Way, Apt. B-7 Seattle, WA 98122 PHONE: EMAIL: ONLINE:
(509) 888-6527 editor@ncwgoodlife.com sales@ncwgoodlife.com www.ncwgoodlife.com
Editor/Publisher, Mike Cassidy Contributors, Ron Medeiros, Candi West, Bonnie Brawley, Marilyn Sherling, Phil Cibicki, Judy Weaver, Linda and Ken Reid, Sebastian Moraga, Dominick Bonny, Marlene Farrell, Susan Sampson, Bruce McCammon, Donna Cassidy, Jim Brown, June Darling, Dan McConnell, Susan Lagsdin and Rod Molzahn Advertising: Lianne Taylor Bookkeeping and circulation, Donna Cassidy Proofing, Dianne Cornell Ad design, Linda Day
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2 pro drone.
Ron Medeiros is a local photographer, using drones to capture unusual images.
On the cover Valarie Gilmour stands on a ledge over the north rim of the Grand Canyon during a “break
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January 2021
from the pandemic” trip she and Dave Toal took this fall. “Everything was closed up and there was hardly anyone there,” reported Valarie. “Four days later they actually closed the gate entrance for the winter. It was cold and windy that day. We camped outside the park.” See their story on page 22.
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The Good Life® is a registered trademark of NCW Good Life, LLC. Copyright 2021 by NCW Good Life, LLC.
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editor’s notes
MIKE CASSIDY
Everything is beautiful and telling of mom joy We’re watching more es-
capist TV during this pandemic — a whole lot more. As the camera was panning over the brightly and distinctly painted homes backdropped by the Atlantic Ocean in St. John’s in Canada’s Newfoundland province during a detective show located on the island, I blurted out to my wife that, “We ought to go there.” Next up was a movie partially taking place in New Mexico, with night skies showing a zillion stars, and I suggested, “We ought to become snowbirds.” Another time, a movie teleported (time-ported?) people to the far distant past, and I ventured, “Wouldn’t it be an interesting challenge to live a million years in the past — like settlers in the unsettled past without all the people around?” Obviously, the stay-at-home orders have affected my brain. Maybe I’m not alone. And that’s why my pent-up wanderlust self was excited to see Dominick Bonny’s story about Dave Toal’s and Valarie Gilmour’s trailer trip — mostly on out-of-the-way backroads — across a broad stretch of the U.S., taken this past fall. They wore masks when they were called for and a trailer is an easy way to socially distance — plus food preparation was under their control. (They are, after all, owners of Ravenous Catering.) “The only place we stopped for food was a taco truck mom-andpop operation in Green River, Utah,” said Val. “Ninety-five percent of our groceries we purchased from local health food
stores on our travels. We were always aware of trying to keep it local when we did need groceries or other supplies.” I can see myself now: Hitched up to a trailer, blue skies outside the windshield, a ribbon of a highway stretching into the distance, my foot on the gas peddle… As expected, we received fewer entries this year to our “Best Day” of the year contest. But some people found bright spots in dismal 2020 in the small, personal moments. We are also publishing perhaps the first full-length poem that has ever seen ink in The Good Life. While he didn’t win the first place prize, I enjoyed Phil Cibicki’s title to his poem of Everything is Beautiful. That’s the spirit to carry into 2021. Marlene Farrell writes of an experience that nearly anyone of us could partake in, and that is being a volunteer dog walker at the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society. As Marlene says in her story, volunteering at the Humane Society with her daughter, Alice, was — for her — at first unexpected but then became a serendipitous delight. Marlene added in an email to me, “Thank you for letting me share some ‘mom joy’ through writing this piece.” If you can’t physically go where you may want, take a trip in our pages, and enjoy The Good Life. — Mike January 2021 | The Good Life
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US WOME
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ADVENTURE Life needs a little adventure. From around the corner or around the world, read what your neighbors are doing.
DRIVING HISTORIC ROUTE 66 Y EVENTS CALENDAR
WENATCHEE VALLEY’S
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LEARNING NOT TO BE A KLUTZ • EVENTS CALENDAR
WENATCHEE VALLEY’S
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September 2018
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OPEN FOR FUN AND ADVENTURE
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WENATCHEE VALLEY’S
NUMBER ONE
BUILD MUSCLES TO FIGHT AGING Y EVENTS CALENDAR
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October 2018
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PASSAGE TO JUNEAU
HOME TOUR
BRAND NEW, OLD TIME FARMHOUSE
They finally arrived! Brothers finish trek started 40 years ago
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November 2018
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LIVING LARGE IN A SMALL SPACE DOWNTOWN
plus LLamas are an aging hiker’s best friend heart disease in women: more deadLy than breast cancer
plus LIVING FULLER BY SLOWING DOWN TIME
plus PERFECT MATCH WIFE GIVES HUSBAND THE GIFT OF LIFE
RaLLYING TO pROTEcT TREES OF NaSON RIDGE
THE BIRDHOUSE MAN Y EVENTS CALENDAR
WENATCHEE VALLEY’S
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MAGAZINE
August 2018
THERE’S GOOD NEWS TODAY Y EVENTS CALENDAR
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A SPORT SO FUN IT’S CALLED ULTIMATE
NCW fuN iN the WiNter suN Y eVeNts CALeNDAr
July 2018
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MOVE TO MEXICO One more adventure: 'We felt like kids again'
becoming an american
now a citizen of where her heart belongs
plus REVISITING THE CONTAINER HOUSE NOW THAT IT’S FINISHED
plus monsterlove art: letting the freak flag fly
They Built This City: NEW DOWNTOWN IS FlOOR kING’S lASTING lEGACy
unlikely chelan home offers stunning lake views
WENATCHEE VALLEY’S
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January 2019
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MY BEST DAY
READERS’ STORIES FROM 2018 of birth, rebirth, travel & joy Second look
Some of our favorite photos from 2018
Bald Eagles
Big birds hold special place in our hearts
Bold beauty
Hillside home is grand with generous space
LOCAL Local people just like you leading an engaged and enthusiastic Life. Uplifting and inspiring articles and features 12 months a year.
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column a bird in the lens
Ring-billed Gull: The distinctive bill tells the story L
By Bruce McCammon
et’s get the trivial, nit-picky item out of the way. There are 20 species of gulls in the Northwest. None of them are seagulls. The term “seagull” is a logical association for gulls since we see them most commonly on the coast, by the sea, but you can safely (and appropriately) drop the “sea” part of the name and just call Bruce McCammon the birds is retired, color“gulls.” blind and enjoys I know, photographing the birds in north cenpicky. tral Washington. There are five gull species that are rare or uncommon visitors to areas east of the Cascades: Thayer’s, Bonaparte’s, Lesser Black-backed, Glaucouswinged and Herring. While these five species do visit the east side, you’ll be lucky to see them. The two gull species we are most likely to see in eastern Washington are the California Gull and the Ring-billed Gull. Both are medium-sized gulls (17-21 inches) with white heads. How to tell them apart? Two field marks are most helpful to separate the species. An adult Ring-billed Gull has yellow eyes and the California Gull’s eyes are dark. The most distinctive difference between the species is the bill. A California Gull (adult) has a yellow bill with red and black marks. The Ring-billed Gull has … wait for it… a dark band or ring
Whether in flight or at rest, the distinctive ring around the bill identifies the Ringed-bill Gull.
around the bill. The pictures in this article clearly show the ringed bill. Most people are satisfied to see these gray and white birds with black wing tips and quickly settle on “seagull” as a way to describe it. Since gulls are common across large areas, the term paints a
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pretty clear picture for others. If you are inclined, you can visit almost any park in our area during the fall and winter to see gulls. Find a comfortable spot and sit with your binoculars or camera to take a close look at the birds to properly identify them. Help others see the differences if you
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January 2021
have an opportunity. Early in my bird photography hobby, I was encouraged to go to a park and practice bird-in-flight photography using the numerous gulls that are likely to be present. That’s good advice for anyone who wants to get better photos of any bird in flight. Gulls fly fairly slowly and tend to fly in one direction. They are large enough to quickly find in the viewfinder and your camera has a good chance of catching focus. I’m not saying it is easy, just that gulls are easier than most other species. If you go to your park to watch or photograph gulls, take some chopped lettuce, peas, grapes or corn to feed the birds. Please avoid feeding bread to any of our wild birds. Bread is nutrition-poor and causes water quality problems. Maybe others will see you feeding food that is actually good for the birds and follow your example. We can hope. Good luck!
MY BEST DAY IN
2020
We thought it might be asking for too much when we asked readers to tell us about their best day in 2020. We mean, really? A best day in 2020? a year when many of us were just trying to survive? we had fewer entries this year compared to past years, but still — as always — some wonderful and inspiring stories came in. read on...
Am I bragging? Maybe. Am I proud? Yes. T
By Candi West
his is actually an easy one for me. Feb. 11, 2020 I started my weight loss journey because I had just let myself go. I have grandchildren that I really could no longer play with because of my morbid obesity. I started walking and could barely do a mile. Well on Sept. 20, I completed Bloomsday’s “virtual” marathon, which is a 12k. But my most memorable day was on Sept. 30 when I completed the Heather Maple Loop Trail that is up off of the North Cascades.
“The lake in the picture is Lake Ann and those mountains behind it, well that was what I hiked. I still have a hard time believing that I did it and it is a day I will never forget.”
It is deemed a HARD hike at 7.2 miles long MY B EST and an elevation gain of 2,188 feet. I had IN 20 DAY three people doubt that I could do it… but I 20 DID IT! It wasn’t easy, that is for sure, but it also wasn’t as hard as I had planned for. I gave myself eight hours to complete it are endless. and I walked out in under five hours. Am I bragging? Maybe. Am I proud? Yes. Candi West lives in the Chelan Valley where the I am now 54 years old, 65 pounds lighter scenery is beautiful and the sidewalks are endless. than when I started and due to the valley we live in, my walking and hiking opportunities }}} More Best Day in 2020 stories on next page
W I NN
January 2021 | The Good Life
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ER
BBQ, matching shirts, grandsons — what a 4th!
MY BEST DAY IN
2020
By Bonnie Brawley
We have had a 4th of July barbecue for
family and friends for over 40 years. Another event canceled because of COVID-19. Our daughter and family in Spokane (Jason, Stephanie (Landes), Alec and Josh Barthell) have property and a trailer at Priest Lake, ID. Our daughter and family in East Wenatchee (Shaila (Brawley), Shaine, Prater, and Ethan Brookover) also have a trailer. Since we all have trailers, it was a perfect way to distance from each other. We had all been very careful during the past months. So, off we went. When the boys were very young, they wore Old Navy t-shirts that marked the year. They decided they had out grown that phase years ago. This year Stephanie found marked-down 2020 shirts. The boys pretended to be unhappy, however they wore them proudly. PaPa Brawley brought one of his old shirts and posed with his grandsons. (Two 16 years old, two 18.) We barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs and built a fire. One of the residents at Priest Lake lights fireworks annually over the lake. It lasted 40 minutes and was spectacular. It was wonderful to be together. One only needs to be creative to share the “Good Life.”
PaPa Brawley and his four grandsons on July 4th, 2020.
Especially in Washington state, and in Wenatchee. It’s the best day because I wake up every day to a roof over my head, to a car in the carport, and gasoline to make it run. My best day has enough money in the
bank to buy my groceries and put some clothes on my back. It’s a best day because I have health insurance, car insurance, fire and police departments to help when I need them. I have heat in my house in the winter and cool in the summer.
The Brawleys have lived in the Wenatchee Valley most of their lives and both are retired from Chelan County PUD.
It’s the BEST Day because I live here & I live now W
By Marilyn Sherling
hat makes the best day for me? Any day at all that I wake up in the USA.
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Autumn comes to the Columbia River on the Loop Trail — a great reason to be happy to live here. | The Good Life
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January 2021
MY BEST DAY IN
I could have been born in the middle of the Crusades, during the havoc of the first century Roman empire, in the throes of the Russian revolution, in the middle of a war zone anywhere in the world. It’s a best day because I have the freedom to worship as I choose, to have friends and family to share my life with, access to education and the freedom to go where I want. It’s a best day because I live in a place where there are lakes and mountains and trees and fields and birds and wildlife right here in my backyard. There are so many times during the past history of this world and so many places on the globe that I could have been born. But, I am so thankful I wasn’t. I could have been born in the middle of the Crusades, during the havoc of the first century Roman empire, in the throes of the Russian revolution, in the middle of a war zone anywhere in the world. So many places and times where life was hard and tragic and sometimes impossible. So, it’s The BEST Day because I live here and I live now. I realize my life is privileged. I realize many people go through difficulties and tragedies I know nothing about. So, I am very thankful for my life on this very best day. Marilyn Sherling grew up in the San Fernando Valley of California, lived most of her adult life in the Seattle area and moved to Wenatchee 15 years ago, where she is very happy to have retired.
MY BEST DAY
cont’d on next page
2020
Brittle stacks line the Apricot Crisp Trail.
T
By Phil Cibicki
his poem attempts to describe “my best day in 2020” during a recent experience I had while mountain biking. I parked at the trailhead of the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust’s Horse Lake Reserve and headed up the Homestead Trail, eventually arriving at the Apricot Crisp Trail. It was here by myself that, despite the insanity of this year, I suddenly felt the presence of my very existence and as a result, everything became beautiful.
Everything is Beautiful With metal pedals churning I aim my treaded tire up the silvery trail of frost below. Coils of wet smoke swirl from my flared nostrils fogging the sunglasses that sit above them. Here, I sweat pain: clear, colorless, salty droplets of blood that soak my entire shirt and shiver me in this frigid. But I whirl onward toward that old arthritic orchard, its bare branches gnarled with apricot bones. There, I whip my wheels around January 2021 | The Good Life
and descend into hip-high straw-colored grass that sways and waves in the same breeze sighing through my swirling spokes. As I gather speed, freedom and flow fuse, melting away the fears, angers, and doubts that dwell in the skull beneath my helmet. Likewise, the landscape ahead of me blurs and smudges into a pastel painting of faded earthen tones: dying sages, burnt clays, and brittle wheats. Both the insecurities inside of me and the sights that surround me blend together until there is nothing left. Suddenly everything disappears. I am no longer mountain biking and I am no longer burdened. I am just me, right here, right now… and everything is beautiful. Phil Cibicki, 35, has lived in the Wenatchee Valley since 1996 where he loves pursuing outdoor activities like mountain biking, hiking, and skiing. When he’s not outside, he enjoys writing poetry and working on his undergraduate degree in Psychology from WSU (with plans for a graduate degree in Mental Health Counseling).
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Our stories continue: Filling a heart with joy I
MY BEST DAY IN
2020
By Judy Weaver
wrote a story that was published in the June edition of The Good Life about writing stories through the mail with my granddaughter, Camille. Camille and I had a great time March through August writing and exchanging chapters in two different stories: The Silly Dragon and The Two Friends: Rabbit and Chick. I could hardly wait to get the next chapter from Camille each week. In late August, my husband and I drove over to Seattle to pick Camille up and bring her back over to Leavenworth to spend a couple of days with us. Sadly, we were in a horrific car accident before we got back home to Leavenworth. Camille was sent by ambulance to Harbor View Hospital in Seattle. My husband and I were x-rayed and bandaged in the Monroe emergency room. Our car was totaled. Needless to say, our biggest worry was regarding Camille and her well-being. She had a broken leg and a broken finger. In addition, she had surgery to repair her pelvis with screws and a pin. It was an emotional and painful time for all of Camille’s family. Camille could not put weight on her leg for almost three months. Every week we received news that a cast was coming off, or that Camille was doing physical therapy, or that Camille was able to write again because the splint on her hand was removed. We were grateful for every piece of good news. Between August and November there was no story writing between Camille and her
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Nana Weaver and her writing companion Camille: The highlight of 2020.
Nana (me). I sorely missed our letter exchanges and our written communication. And then one day, literally out of the blue, an envelope arrived in the mail addressed to Nana and Papa from Camille. I could hardly wait to rip open the envelope. There it was… Chapter one in a new story. The new story is called: The Lazy Cow. Now this may all sound like a minor event in 2020, but from this Nana’s viewpoint, it was the highlight of 2020. Receiving the first chapter in our new
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story filled my heart with joy. It was and continues to be a reminder to me that the little every day events in our lives are sometimes more important and more meaningful than those bigger events. Now, here I am, anxiously awaiting Chapter 13 of The Lazy Cow. Oh, the joy of anticipation! Judy Weaver is a retired elementary school principal. During non-pandemic days she teaches memoir writing classes in Leavenworth and beyond.
January 2021
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column THE TRAVELing DOCTOR
jim brown, m.d.
Fighting muscle loss brought on by aging I
suspect most of you readers have not heard of the condition known as sarcopenia. This term refers to the loss of muscle mass and strength that occurs with aging. From the time we are born until about the age of 30 our muscles have been growing larger and stronger. After 30 even physically active people can lose 3-5 percent of their muscle mass with each decade. When I first started writing for The Good Life, my focus was more the travels we were enjoying in our retirement. The older we got, the exotic and adventure travels became less frequent. Now with the pandemic, they have gotten nearly impossible. I have loved the study of medicine and science as well as the practice of medicine as a physician. Now my focus on writing The Good Life articles has switched to issues, especially those dealing with how we can stay healthy, active and fit despite the declines we might experience as we age. Sarcopenia seems to speed up around age 65 and go even faster after age 75. It is a major factor in frailty and subsequent falls and bone fractures common in older adults. There is no test or specific level of muscle mass that will diagnose sarcopenia. The associated symptoms of weakness and loss of stamina interferes with our physical activity and accelerates further the shrinking of our muscle mass. Aging is not the only factor, but it can cause a gradual reduction in nerve cells that send signals from our brain to our
With work, commitment, and a plan it is never too late to rebuild, replenish and maintain our muscle mass. muscles to stimulate movement thereby reducing our muscle mass. Unfortunately, with age our levels of growth hormone, testosterone, and insulin like growth factors get lower, diminishing our muscle mass further. There is an added complication of sarcopenia, which is obesity. Many older people, particularly females who are obese, can have “hidden sarcopenia” since their muscle wasting and loss can be overlooked due to their obesity. Studies have shown these people have a worse outcome for treatment for cancer, both surgical and chemotherapy should they need it. You might wonder what we age 60-plus folks can do about this seemingly inevitable condition. Just because we have lost muscle mass doesn’t mean it is gone forever. With work, commitment, and a plan it is never too late to rebuild, replenish and maintain our muscle mass. First of all, a regular exercise schedule that includes resistance training, weights (start small) and regular daily walking
Know of someone stepping off the beaten path in the search for fun and excitement? E-mail us at editor@ncwgoodlife.com January 2021 | The Good Life
with a goal of two miles daily is a good start. For most of you, I would advise getting help from a physical trainer or physical therapist. What we eat is very important. Our muscles need protein as it is a building block. The protein in our diet breaks down into amino acids, which build muscle. The best way to increase protein in our diet includes eating fresh meat, eggs and milk while avoiding unhealthy processed meat like hot dogs, sausages, salami, cured bacon, or beef jerky to name a few. Unfortunately, these meats are appealing and tasty but harmful and unhealthy. Healthy sources of protein include lean chicken, salmon,
Greek yogurt and cooked beans. Adding protein powder containing 30 grams per serving to oatmeal, shakes and yogurt is helpful. Stay healthy and eat well. Jim Brown, M.D., is a retired gastroenterologist who has practiced for 38 years in the Wenatchee area. He is a former CEO of the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center.
ask the doctor
Are there medical topics you would be interested in knowing more about? Send your ideas to: editor@ncwgoodlife.com.
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Editor’s picks:
A few
FAVORITE PHOTOS from
2020
Some pictures are just too fun to publish only once. As the beginning of a new year is a good excuse to look back on the previous 12 months, here are a dozen photos I especially enjoyed from 2020 — with updated and expanded captions from the people in them. Like seasonal delights, these are good for a second helping. — editor Mike Cassidy
Wrenna Davidson, August, Fostering kittens: “My adventure fostering the ‘Peanuts’ litter of kittens with severe ringworm was newly underway when this picture was taken, and I had no idea about the obstacles ahead. Those challenges included round-the-clock care to save Woodstock’s life, and a greatly extended time treating stubborn ringworm, providing foster care, and awaiting adoptions. Nothing about fostering this litter of seven kittens went according to plan, and caring for them proved a perfect reflection of the chaotic nature of 2020. However, fostering kittens is also a soothing antidote to stressful times, and I find peace in a purring kitten snuggled close to my heart.” Jaana Hatton, writer of Okandogs that was founded by Tom Short and his wife, November: “So far this year they have taken in 700 dogs. They rescue a lot of puppies and many of those are transferred to other shelters, such as NOAH in Standwood. “When the heart is big and the mind is willing, good things can happen.”
Mike Caemmerer, April, Tossing in a job to chase a potter’s dream: “March 2020 may not have been exactly the best time to start a business venture. The studio I was working from at the Grünewald Guild in Plain was closed due to the pandemic, so I was forced to move Tall Tree Ceramics to the back of my garage. Since Jamie Howell’s article came out in The Good Life, I’ve managed to continue building Tall Tree Ceramics online. A full website has been developed, serving as both a gallery and a sales platform. Online sales have been slow but steady and I’ve shipped my products as far away as Perth, Australia. My wares have also been picked up locally by the Mercantile at Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort. “I remain pleased with my change of career. I’m having a lot of fun and look forward to continuing to grow Tall Tree Ceramics.”
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Lee Martin, October, Barging a French Canal: “When I asked my oldest daughter (who has heard me tell the story repeatedly) what I should say here, she said: ‘You could reflect on how the stress of that experience prepared you to steer the ship of your life through the choppy waters of 2020.’ “Obviously she said this tongue in cheek but I’m not sure she’s far from the truth. I love retelling the story of that stressful time because I think it reminds me I can get through anything with help from others. I think that’s a good reminder to myself (and maybe others) during these strange times.”
Todd Strahm, September, Surfing Lake Chelan?!: In the midst of all the craziness from 2020, I found much solitude riding my Lift brand electric foil surfboard. It was the perfect activity to stimulate the senses while practicing social distancing. “Most of my sessions were on Lake Chelan, where this particular photo was taken. “As we move towards colder weather, I will try to get out for a few rides until my thickest wetsuit no longer protects me from the elements. Then I will reminisce of the warm summer days carving above crystal blue waters until the snow melts and I can foil again.”
Susan Sampson, September, Raccoon wars: “If I were Dr. Doolittle who could talk to the animals, I would talk to that frazzled-looking raccoon draped over my fence. I could tell it, “You know when you’re beaten. You’ll never squeeze yourself and your cubs under my deck or leave your big messes there again!” Of course, the raccoon could sass right back at me with: “It wasn’t easy to shut me out, was it? You should know better than to believe everything you read on the internet. You can’t drive me away with mint or pepper. I’m an omnivore — I eat those things for lunch! “You tried coyote urine. That scares cats, not raccoons. “So you scared me away for one day with urine from a huge animal, and then installed a wire mesh fence. I haven’t gotten through it yet, but let me tell you, any rat or rabbit could burrow underneath it. I’ll just follow them in. “So before you’re sure you’ve gotten rid of me, remember what the Tampa Bay Rays said when they lost the World Series. They said ‘Wait until next year!’”
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FAVORITE PHOTOS from
2020
Lief Carlsen, October, A tiny challenge: “The tiny house (I built) remains vacant. I fired up the little wood stove for the first time when it snowed the other day (in late October). Cozy, just as I imagined it would be.”
Guy Miner, June, Me, Maverick & a camera — So much to see: “I’m a USMC veteran and a retired police officer. Walking my dog, Maverick, is physical and mental therapy for me. We walk almost every day all year. “That day Maverick and I were walking the loop trail, and were adjacent to Confluence State Park. I knew osprey had re-occupied the nest erected for them and was hoping to see them on the nest. There they were! Mav and I watched. He likes watching birds too, it’s in his nature. I’ve watched the osprey often and can sometimes tell when they’re about to leap and spread their wings. Sure enough, this one hunkered down a bit in the nest and sprang, spreading those wondrous wings just as my camera clicked. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to have captured the moment that an osprey took flight”
Jan Albin-Bullock, June, Yoga in the Yukon: Here is another photo of the same pose in a different place (at left). Some thoughts as I revisit the photo (that was published in The Good Life) and the trip on the Hart River in the Yukon Territory: Our current world has changed so much. The above photo of the same pose was on or around my 60th birthday Dec. 2019. Movement and yoga have continued to sustain me, but it’s interesting that the tools I use have been put to the test. We were unable to travel to the Yukon this year and put together some trips closer to home. I find myself longing for the vast time and space of those remote rivers and at the same time I am reminded of all that I have close to home.”
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Len and Lisa Pugsley, January, Boat refurbishing project went off course, but finally makes it to the dock: “While we had good plans to go motoring around the San Juan Islands this year, we — like so many in our Northwest, California and much of the world — were seeing out-of-control wind-driven grass and timber fires destroying homes and some entire communities. Since we had tall wild dry grass and sagebrush up wind on our property and had fires in the past, I decided to clear the land, install 900 feet of mainline pipe with three rows of sprinklers and planted grass. Doing this in the summer required irrigating the new planting two or three times a day seven days a week, throwing a wrench in our plans to spend quality time on the boat. Hopefully we’ll get out this 2021 season for some boating, when not mowing the lawn.”
Brad Brisbine, September, Sasquatch!: “I received varied reactions. Like one two days ago, a concerned reader wondered if I thought the photo was real because it didn’t look real to her. She asked someone else and they told her that yes, he thought Brad wrote it as a joke. My friend Gordy, the biologist, was concerned that someone might take it seriously and waste time looking for it, when they should be studying real animals. “Another, a Sasquatch believer, called me a ‘hoaxer,’ and sent me a bunch of famous Bigfoot photos. None of which looked more convincing than mine!” January 2021 | The Good Life
Kristen Lovene McCamey, August, Escape to the mountains: “Rattlesnake Trail was the longest day hike I completed last summer. Twenty-one miles of trees, rocks and beautiful landscape trekked with my boyfriend, Kyle Christensen, and his family dog, Sasha (the majestic Viszla). “Between May and September, I was able to hike over 500 miles and accomplish 50 new trails. Amid the pandemic and quarantine life, hiking was something that kept me active and sane. I fell in love with being on the mountains and pushing my body to new limits. “With such an extreme hobby, it was no surprise that at some point I could potentially get hurt. In mid September, I took quite a stumble while running down one of my last big hikes of the season, Bandera Mountain. I cut my knee up pretty bad and had to be rushed to the emergency room by a search and rescue team. It disabled me from hiking for a few weeks, which was extremely tough for me. “However, I am grateful for the hundreds of accident-free miles I was able to carry through last year and will never be deterred. “I look forward to another year of pushing myself, achieving new goals, and discovering new trails!”
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Solitude & skiing
An early morning mix of fog and sun at Echo Ridge creates an eerie but private world for a skier.
Even in the ‘empty nester’ years, it’s fun to strap on skis or snowshoes for a trek in the snowy wonderland Story by Linda Reid Photos by Ken Reid This is our fifth winter living in East Wenatchee, and we welcome whatever it brings. As we have already discovered, no two winters are exactly alike, but every one so far has gifted us with countless opportunities to spend time in the snow with either cross-country skis or snowshoes strapped onto our feet. About 40 years ago my husband Ken suggested taking up cross-country skiing. I had been a downhill skier in my teens, so I immediately embraced the idea. We signed up with REI for what turned out to be a grueling all-day class up at Stevens Pass. Despite that experience, we rented skis a few times that
winter, and by the end of the season, we purchased our own equipment. The next winter we were confident enough to introduce our kids (ages 5 and 8) to this new sport. They took to it like sled dogs running the Iditarod, and from then on, many winter weekends found us up in the Cascades skiing the trails, picnicking in the snow, and occasionally getting a little lost. The Lake Wenatchee and Leavenworth areas became favorite family winter playgrounds for us, even when our kids were in their teens. Fast forward to our empty nester years. We got new boots, poles and bindings and continued to enjoy our same Trek skis. Best of all, we discovered a new place to ski, with which we fell in love. Our feelings for this
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place have only become more passionate over the decades, and now it only takes us a little over an hour from our front door to drive up to Echo Ridge. We suspect it must be somewhat of a secret because it never feels crowded. We can always find a sense of solitude there. Echo Ridge is only 10 miles from the town of Chelan but has an average elevation of 3,600 feet. The forest service has created more than 25 miles of trails laid out over rolling hills circling around the ridge tops. The names alone entice you to explore these trails: Windsinger, Zippity Do Da, Whoop-Di-Do and No-Where to Hide. It has been well-designed to provide trails for multiple skill levels. Under the jurisdiction of the Chelan Ranger District of the U.S. Forest Service, it is
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operated by the Lake Chelan Nordic Club. The views are spectacular, the fee is only $10 for the day, and kids under 17 ski for free. We have found that the snow is usually plentiful (and often perfect), the trails are regularly groomed (for skate and classic skiing), and most often the sun is reliably shining because it is above the clouds that often cover the Lake Chelan Valley in the winter. Over our four-plus decades of skiing, we have enjoyed skiing in places from Mount Baker to Mount Bachelor, around the Mazama/Sun Mountain area, in the Swiss Alps and on the Olympic cross-country course near Whistler, B.C. However, we have not found any place that surpasses Echo Ridge. About 20 years ago, Ken had
another winter activity idea. He thought we should also take up snowshoeing. There were some places over the years that we had tried, but just didn’t lend themselves to skiing: Mount Rainier and Hurricane Ridge (too steep), Salmon la Sac (snow too deep), or Mission Ridge (no cross country ski trails). So, I agreed to give it a try. At first, I was not much of a fan. It felt like too much work, trudging through the snow instead of gliding on top of it. It turned out that it was an acquired taste for me. Linda finds solitude and sunshine on a favorite Echo Ridge snowshoe trail. One thing that won me over was when we with a panoramic view that is as feels more comfortable on snowfound the snowshoe close to a “winter wonderland” shoes. (It is said that “anyone trails up at Echo Ridge. as you can possibly find. who can walk can snowshoe.”) Our favorite one is called The It is a blessing that I got We invested in new snowshoes Shoe. hooked on snowshoeing because last year when the straps started At the trailhead you start off to fray. on a narrow spur pathway in the in 2017 Ken had a fall while we were skiing, which eventually So, we are ready to enjoy trees, but in less than a half mile led to shoulder surgery. He now Echo Ridge as well as the Horan you break out onto a wide trail
Nature Area, Lincoln Rock State Park, and our favorite parts of the Apple Capital Loop Trail when snow sufficiently accumulates. We will likely spend a little time on our skis as well. The winter seasons of our life have been immeasurably enriched by our “up close and personal” relationship with our natural environment. We may move a little slower each year and feel a few more aches and pains after our outings, but until we are no longer able to bend over and strap on our snowshoes we will continue to be active participants as we seek to keep living “the good life.” Ken and Linda are active seniors who love to share what they have found to be life-giving and healthy for them. For more information about Echo Ridge, including detailed trail maps and snow/grooming reports, go to Lake Chelan Nordic Club’s web site at: www.lakechelannordic.org.
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A long and winding road to doing what she loves:
Chocolatier
follows her heart By Sebastian Moraga
Some leaps of faith are longer than others. Some leaps of faith are tastier than others. Willow Merritt is a living, breathing, baking example of both. A wildland firefighter, she started making chocolates a decade and a half ago. With time, her hobby became her passion, and then, three years ago, her passion became her livelihood when she launched Rock Island’s Yeti Chocolates in 2018. For a while, she did both, firefighting in summer and making chocolates in the winter, but now, she has gone all-in on the chocolates. She still suits up for the forest service, but in an as-needed capacity, serving as liaison between helicopter companies and the service. She no longer works the firelines, preferring the heat that comes from her own ovens, instead. The challenge of being creative, the artistry of decorating the chocolates, and the desire to see her dreams come true all led her away from the firehoses to start her own chocolate business. “It got to a point in my career at the forest service where it was like, ‘I don’t want to look back in 20 years and wonder if I could have made the chocolate business work. I want to give this a go,’” Willow said. She liked firefighting, and the thought of losing that steady paycheck sounded scary. Scarier still, though, was the idea of going through life haunted by
‘I don’t want to look back in 20 years and wonder if I could have made the chocolate business work. I want to give this a go.”
ABOVE: This time of year is finding Willow Merritt working 14-hour days, seven days a week, but she relishes the chance to work doing something she loves. TOP RIGHT: One of the confections by Yeti Chocolates founder and owner Willow Merritt, named “Milk Salty Caramelicious.” This chocolate is made of milk chocolate and fleur de sel caramel. Photos submitted by Willow Merritt
regrets. “Leaving that (firefighting) job was sad but at the same time, I was going into something I really loved to do, so I didn’t feel bad about either aspect,” she said. Besides, her status as a federal employee gave her a bit of a safety net, in the form of three years of rehire rights. She figured that
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in three years she would know one way or the other if this chocolate thing panned out. And so far, although being a business owner is harder than she thought, she said she has no regrets about her choice. “The business is doing well. COVID obviously threw us all a big curveball, but I think I’m going to continue forth down this
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path,” she said. Owning her own business has its downsides, like those days when she has to deal with things that stand far and away from the toasty oven: Compliance, regulations, taxes, labels, advertising, boxes, shipping, the list goes on. She has no employees, so it all falls on her, except the taxes. “I hire that out so I don’t mess that up,” she said with a chuckle. Owning her own chocolate business has its upsides, too, like the look on people’s faces when they meet her in person and realize she can still fit through doorways. “I don’t eat a ton of product and I often get a lot of people who see me and say, ‘If I were you, I would be 500 pounds.’” Unlike so many professionals who reach the end of the workday wanting to get as far away as possible from anything related to their chosen field, Willow still enjoys a good piece of chocolate. A classics major from the University of Idaho who graduated with a minor in food sciences
“I don’t eat a ton of product and I often get a lot of people who see me and say, ‘If I were you, I would be 500 pounds.’” and then graduated from culinary school in Portland, Willow likes to make chocolate that is popular, but above all, she wants to make chocolate that intrigues and captivates people. To that end, she does not offer a plain milk chocolate or a plain dark chocolate year-round. “I know that it’s popular, but that’s just not something that I really like to offer. I like to do things a little bit different. I like to push the envelope with flavor combinations,” she said. Nothing is more disappointing than biting into a piece of chocolate that just tastes like chocolate, when the label promised orange or raspberry flavors. When Willow makes that chocolate, she wants that promise fulfilled, no matter what the flavor. Take lavender for instance. Never a big fan of the lavenderchocolate combination, Willow recently contacted a lavender farm in Tonasket that sent her some of its culinary lavender, making a convert out of her in the process. “It may have been that I wasn’t using the right kind of lavender,” she said, because the new lavender is working out well when paired up with her chocolate. “Really smooth, not overpowering, it doesn’t taste like a bar of soap in your mouth,” she said, which helps a lot during selling time, because it’s hard to sell product you don’t believe in, Willow said. One of the pieces of chocolate she believes the most in is one she has dubbed the Smith & Wesson, named after a coffee drink with creme de cacao and
From left to right: Nutty Fluff (marshmallow fluff and peanut butter cup filling, both made from scratch), Figjammin’ (homemade fig jam with fig balsamic and milk chocolate), Hazelwings (hazelnut gianduja spread and milk chocolate ganache rolled in ground hazelnuts), PSC (pumpkin, spices and milk chocolate), and Lemon Cardamom (cardamom, lemon and white chocolate.) Just a few of the confections from Willow Merritt, owner and founder of Yeti Chocolates.
Kahlua flavoring that her sister’s coworkers enjoy. When Willow heard of it, the innovative, creative part of her brain took over, and designed a curved shape for the chocolate, crowned with silvery-colored luster dust, so the candy looks kind of like a little bullet. The Smith & Wesson was her best seller until she began making salted caramels, inserting the salt inside the piece and not on top like she has seen other chocolatiers do. The other popular item is her dairy-free peanut butter cup, for which she makes her own peanut butter, in order to rid her product of all the additives in off-the-shelf peanut butter. “And I also go through a lot of peanut butter, so it’s actually cheaper for me to make my own,” she said. Now that her dream of making chocolates for a living came true, Willow has been busy developing a plan to make her dream grow. She wants to expand her production equipment so she can make more and sell more chocolates, which in turn would allow her to hire someone to take care of retail and marJanuary 2021 | The Good Life
Made
HERE
An occasional series about local entrepreneurs chasing their business dreams keting of Yeti Chocolates, allowing her to focus in the passion that brought her here in the first place. “At the end of the day,” she said. “I’m a chocolatier, and that’s what I want to continue to do.” One of the things she is not, she said, is a chocolate snob. Every so often, she will bite on a Twix or a Reese’s peanut butter cup. When it comes to her own chocolate, though, she wants to go against the grain. Americans, she said, seem focused on quantity over quality, and she wants to get away from that. “I want people to know that you can pay a little extra for something that is really good. Something that can be beautiful and also taste really good,” she said. www.ncwgoodlife.com
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Someday, those beautiful creations will have a home away from home, she said, when she decides to open a retail store. In the meantime, she’s plenty busy at home. The arrival of the cold weather signals the arrival of the busy time at Yeti Chocolates, with Christmas and Valentine’s Day the biggest selling days of the year (in that order), and 14-hour days seven days a week becoming the rule rather than the exception. From October to December in 2019, she made 8,000 pieces of chocolate. This year, she hopes to surpass that, which means even busier days. Still, it’s her choice, her passion and her livelihood, and she relishes the chance to work doing something she loves. “I would not give it up for anything,” she said. “Even during those days when it’s really hard and you wonder ‘is it really worth it, what I’m doing?’ seeing people and how much joy you bring them with something you created with your hands makes it very much worth it.” Yeti Chocolates are available online at www.yetichocolates.com or at Ye Olde Bookshoppe in Wenatchee.
PET tales
Tells us a story about your pet. Submit pet & owner pictures to: editor@ncwgoodlife.com
Joy for both dogs and humans in walking M
by Marlene Farrell
y daughter, Alice, loves dogs. Most of her friends have dogs, Chihuahuas, pointers, labs, mutts. Alice pines over Komondorok, the big white mop dogs, and the regal Dobermans. She tucks away most of her allowance in a dog fund that she plans to use in a decade. Since COVID, Alice’s caretaking skills have vastly improved. She can’t take her lizard, Puff, for a walk, but she nurtures Puff, who attends Zoom classes with Alice and cuddles on her lap or nearby on a heated rice pillow. Given her still very real longing for canine time (and that ownership is not viable for our family), we emailed the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society (WVHS), asking about volunteer opportunities. Immediately, volunteer coordinator Jenni Ulrich responded, and our journey began. I wasn’t sure if this would be about dropping Alice off while I ran errands, but discovered, because Alice is 13 (almost 14), she needs an adult to accompany
her. So now it’s our shared experience, and I’m struck with the joy it brings both of us. Remembering our nametags, we drive over a half hour from Leavenworth to the WVHS facility, which is impressive in its functionality, cleanliness and comfort for the animals. Checking in includes grabbing two fanny packs so each of us has a supply of treats and plastic bags. Alice and I always like to say hello to all the pups before we begin our official duty, “green” dog walking. Green refers to the smallest and/or calmest dogs, which are easy for new volunteers to handle. (We’ve just been trained and will soon walk “blue” dogs. Blue dogs, with their larger size and increased need for training, require us to be even more vigilant about behavior corrections and avoid over-excited encounters with other dogs that are out at the same time.) We’ve been told that if a dog is calm as you approach its kennel, you can give it a treat, reinforcing good behavior with a friendly “yes.”
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Alice gets to know Rocky, a “blue” handsome white husky. Photo by Jenni Ulrich
Some jump excitedly as we approach. We wait for the energy to subside so they can earn their treat. This sets the tone for the whole time we’re there. We’re in no hurry as we connect with the dogs, some of whom are overcoming traumatic experiences. Alice and I take turns in all our duties — retrieving a dog from its kennel, helping it learn good behavior at doors and gates, holding the leash, running laps with it in a play yard. The dogs are so needy and so pleased with our undivided attention for 20 or 30 minutes. We stuff those minutes with walking, pats, learning, playing and treats, and hope the dogs feel an
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underlying sense of calm, acceptance, safety and affection. What I didn’t expect: Alice falls in love with each of them, but, for a few, she falls hard. Like a timid dachshund with emphatically tucked tail that needed to be carried outside like a baby. Or the fluffy happy-go-lucky one that was chill on a leash but sprinted and leapt with contagious delight when let off-leash in the play yard. Also, when I participate with her in these duties, I must try to follow the rules as earnestly as she does. She is serious about this responsibility. We’re equals in terms of our volunteer status,
and we learn together. My only dog-owning experience was Cooper, who came into my life when I married my husband. I now realize that Cooper, a 120 pound Alaskan malamute, was “unique” in his vocalizing, his separation anxiety and the strength of which he was oblivious. I never spent much time thinking about obedience nor paid much attention to the wide range of canine personalities. The personality and preferences of a dog in a kennel is a mystery until we take it out. Some of the dogs do not know their names, or us, for that matter, and are driven by instinct or tempting smells. The easy dogs look us in the eye, keeping tabs on us, their temporary friend and boss. Some are shy and will look anywhere but at us. We have to wonder what made them so skittish. There’s only so many walking trails behind the WVHS
Thriving thanks to robust volunteer program While COVID-19 has impacted
the number of regular Wenatchee Valley Humane Society (WVHS) volunteers and the total volunteer hours per month, the numbers are still impressive. Fifty to sixty volunteers each month give 700 hours of time (vs. pre-COVID, about 80 volunteers gave almost 1,000 hours). Of those, 25 to 30 volunteers help in the dog program. “This includes not only our dog walkers, but morning and afternoon enrichment teams, transport volunteers who help pick up dogs from other shelters or rescues, and volunteers writing dog bios,” explained Jenni
Ulrich, WVHS volunteer coordinator. With so many dedicated volunteers, the staff is able to focus more on helping dogs in the behavior modification program, started in 2018. “Dogs in the behavior program often have a longer stay. These are the more at-risk, and are worked with to be a better dog before being moved up for adoption. This can be a behavior modification for some of our shy and fearful dogs,” said Jenni. Animals are always coming and going at WVHS. Jenni said, “The shelter intakes just under 5,000
animals annually. This ranges from cats, dogs, bunnies, chickens, ducks and even an occasional pig!” In November alone, there were 240 adoptions of 152 cats, 80 dogs, three roosters, four guinea pigs and one rabbit. To find out more about the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society, visit their website: www. wenatcheehumane.org. Donations and volunteers are welcome. Another easy way to help is with donations of clean toilet paper and paper towel tubes for the scent tubes given to dogs for stimulation and also towels for bathing.
buildings. After a few volunteer sessions, we can do the loops on autopilot. Neither of us mind. We see the open space anew with each dog as we understand both its search for joy and its plea for love. I’m so glad I’m not running er-
rands. When we enter this place, Alice and I are buddies with no strings attached, and no haste. We’re both committed to this chance to give and receive. I watch as my daughter bends to pat a dog on its head, and Alice’s long hair shines in the sun.
Then she resumes walking, and there’s a bounce in her step. Her laugh is carefree, and we talk about this and that, just random conversations. I try to keep it to myself and not be the embarrassing mom — that these times are precious.
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Taking an off-grid break during the pandemic A
By Dominick Bonny
s the owners of Ravenous Catering located in Monitor, Valarie Gilmour and Dave Toal are usually very busy people, but in 2020 the lack of weddings and large gatherings gave them time to indulge their wanderlust. The couple has always loved traveling together, and frequently talk about retiring someday to spend at least half the year in Costa Rica. But with a pandemic raging and international travel a harrowing prospect they, like many Americans, looked to domestic travel. So they purchased a recreational vehicle and hit the open road, but not in a conventional way. “We did not want to stay at RV parks or crowded campgrounds. Anywhere where there’s a bunch of people,” Dave said. “That led us to exploring different styles of off-road RVs designed to go anywhere your truck can go.” They had been doing their research for months, even years, before the COVID-19 pandemic and knew what they wanted. They found that Australian companies make the best off-road travel trailers, Dave said, but the waiting lists are long for one of those brand new. They were looking at a six-month wait for a new trailer, at least. So when Val came across a gently-used Black Series HQ15 Caravan trailer for sale in Illinois, they jumped at the opportunity. A retired Illinois state trooper put the 15-foot camp trailer for sale because he and his wife decided it was too small for
“We did not want to stay at RV parks or crowded campgrounds. Anywhere where there’s a bunch of people. That led us to exploring different styles of off-road RVs designed to go anywhere your truck can go.” them and their grandkids. They had only used it three times, Val said. So they put down a deposit and prepared to hit the road. The Black Series HQ15 is a 15foot rugged yet luxurious travel trailer with custom designed and engineered trailing arms underneath that allows each wheel to move independently. Coupled with the custom suspension and high clearance, it can cope with some pretty rough off-road terrain. It has both an interior and exterior kitchen, a queen-sized bed as well as a convertible dining table bed, and a full-sized dry bathroom. Full-sized bathrooms in travel trailers are hard to come by. “It’s like the coolest thing we’ve ever owned in our life,” Dave said. The whole trip took 33 days, starting on Oct. 12, but they made it from Cashmere to Pocahontas, Illinois, in just four. The route back home would be more
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Roy’s Motel and Café is a motel, café, gas station and auto repair shop, defunct for many years but now being restored, on the National Trails Highway of U.S. Route 66 in the Mojave Desert town of Amboy, California.
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ABOVE: The gnome Oscar Q — which became a travel mascot — looks out on a spot several miles from the bottom of Wolf Creek Pass. “A really treacherous pass,” said Val. “This is the pass where we learned that our trailer brakes did not work and half way down the pass we had to stop and that’s when we realized our brakes were smoking.” LEFT: Val Gilmour and Dave Toal dry camp in Goblin Valley, Utah, over Halloween. There was not another camper around for miles during their warm and sunny stay.
Inside the caravan trailer: The pink flamingo was a gift from family in Indiana.
January 2021 | The Good Life
circuitous, however. “Our goal was to not spend a bunch of money on campgrounds or RV parks,” he said. “And for the most part, we were able to use iOverlander and freecamp.com and do our research while we were driving. We found some epic spots for free.” In Missouri, they stayed at an Alpaca farm and bought socks that kept them warm for the entire trip, Val said. In Colorado and Utah, they found amazing, secluded spots off the grid. In Moab, they camped out in the sand dunes under the stars. “There were plenty of times www.ncwgoodlife.com
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that we chose not to have any communication,” Val said, chuckling. “Like election night. We were off the grid for two days before we decided to go and find out what happened.” Because of COVID, they were hesitant to stop at wineries or breweries and go in for tastings, Dave said. During their 33 days on the road, they only ate out once, at a taco stand in Utah. They cooked for themselves, which is where their skills as professional caterers came in handy. The greatest challenge
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GETTING OFF THE GRID }}} Continued from previous page was actually the weather. “The weather was nuts!” Val said. “Heading into 60 mph winds while pulling a trailer was a new experience for me.” There were times when it was snowing, or raining heavily, or the wind was blowing 60 to 70 miles an hour. Those were the times they said they found the nearest RV site and hunkered down until the weather passed. They also made a conscious decision to stay off the interstate and stick to the back roads, because of an experience they had in Missouri. They stopped at a gas station and asked a couple of old-timers for directions. One of the men told him how to get to the interstate, but also told him about the route he would take. “It took us maybe 25 minutes to go on this back road,” Dave said. “And in that 25 minutes we went through a couple of small towns and it was just so cool to go through slowly and look.” They made a lot of observations along the way. Taking more time and meandering through states gave them the opportunity to drink in the landscape and make observations. They learned in Kansas that the fences are made of limestone columns and not wood because there are no trees. In addition to the natural beauty of so much of the country, they also noticed how depressed some areas of the country are. “It’s pretty depressed out there. It’s pretty depressed all over,” Val said. “I wrote in my journal, ‘A lot of abandoned cars, garbage, dogs on chains…’” They also noticed the effects
Val climbed these huge rock, “and could see for miles away. I truly felt like I could reach out and grab the clouds from that high up,” she said. “The stars that night were magnificent.” This was in the Mojave National preserve.
“It’s pretty depressed out there. It’s pretty depressed all over. I wrote in my journal, ‘A lot of abandoned cars, garbage, dogs on chains…’” of climate change. Even though they were traveling in the winter, there were burn bans in almost every state they visited. They said they only made three open fires in 17 states. Dave grew up in Indiana and said he noticed a big change in the Wabash River. “I crossed the Wabash River and it was freaky. It was so low. Apparently, the drought has been severe this summer,” he
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said. “I’d never seen the Wabash like that growing up. It was always this big huge muddy slow-moving river, but now there were sandbars and it was like this meandering creek.” Although they stayed mostly off the grid, only stopping at public places for groceries and gas, they still got to interact with many locals and learn about the communities they were passing through. The pandemic combined with the winter weather meant that some of the places they stopped to see were practically deserted. They said there was no one at the Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado when they stopped to view the Puebloan cliff dwellings. They practically had the whole place to themselves. They stopped frequently at post offices to send postcards to their grandchildren. And after 33 days on the road with
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their new trailer, they were back home in Monitor. They said the trip was a good test run for a future that might include living part of the year on the road in the U.S. and part of the year in warmer, more southern climates. For the time being, however, they are preparing for a 2021 work schedule that will include most of the catering gigs and weddings that were postponed in 2020. As they prepare for what is shaping up to be one of their busiest catering seasons in recent memory, they say they are grateful they were able to take advantage of what travel opportunity they had, and spend time together. Dominick Bonny is an entrepreneurial journalist who creates written word and video stories on a freelance basis, manages social media accounts and communication campaigns. He also hosts Common Sense with Dominick Bonny on NCWLIFE.
Upgrading by downsizing Builder believes tiny homes have large variety of uses By Susan Lagsdin If 2020 was the year of staying home more than we ever intended, then 2021 might be the year of more intentionally choosing what we want our home to be. Attention has turned to tiny houses (defined broadly as a habitable residence from 120 to 400 square feet in area) as singles and seniors, couples and families are calculating what’s nice versus what’s necessary. Cosme Hernandez is the CEO of Wenatchee’s Tiny House Cribs and a strong advocate of upgrading by downsizing. In the past three years, with other Washington builders, he’s testified to state legislators and helped determine laws to guide the industry, and he’s still laboring to keep tiny houses affordable within the latest 2019 zoning and building code regulations. Coming from migrant roots, Cosme was an ambitious student but left college his senior year to scope out the world of work and find mentors. “Choosing role models when you’re looking at a career is like going to the gym,” said Cosme. “You see the guy who’s ripped and ask him what he did to get there….” He settled on housing and said his two strongest motivators are to provide homes for people, in any form, and to help his family both here and back in California. An agile entrepreneur at 28, Cosme collaborates on projects that range from fabricating trailer chassis to full-scale home construction. Currently he’s planning a
With two lofts, one at each end, tiny house owner Rudy Herrera has the flexibility to use the second one for storage or for a second bedroom. The peaked roof adds dimension, and its rustic board ceiling complements the easy-care engineered wood flooring.
small home (1,250 square foot) development in East Wenatchee in which some of the 13 main houses would have a tiny home as an accessory development unit (ADU) on the site. He’s eager to talk about the uses of a tiny house besides full-time living: a vacation retreat, an office or studio, a guest cottage, a “mother-in-law” (or adult child, or caretaker) space, a short-term rental unit, even an emergency second home after a disaster like
January 2021 | The Good Life
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a flood or wildfire. Before you meet an actual tiny house owner, here are some myth-busters. n Everything inside is diminutive: Tiny sink, tiny stove, tiny toilet, tiny bed, tiny table, tiny couch… Nope. Any of those precious items of daily living can be full size. They probably should not all be full size, or you’d eat up the floor space, but a surprising amount of comfort can be found in judicious
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A comfy corner with an antique clock, a reading lamp and a warm traditional style fireplace doesn’t mimic a real house – this is a real house. Rudy’s choice of accessories leaves him room to display favorite photos, mementos and a collection of steins.
UPGRADING BY DOWNSIZING }}} Continued from previous page choices. Will a queen bed do? Does a fold-up dining table suit you? Will you trade a slightly smaller shower for a wide-body toilet? All-in-one washer/dryer combos and big flatscreen TVs sweeten the mix, as does boat-style storage in unexpected places. n It looks like an elf house on the exterior: “Cute” is often the operative term when, for instance, cedar shingle siding meets paned window and green shutters with shamrock cutouts. Though a long rectangle is the
There’s no need to forego stylish design elements, like the tile, cabinetry and beams in this roomy bathroom. Most tiny homes give a choice of a shower/ tub combo or a walk-in shower. Baskets and hooks keep the look spacious.
typical footprint, the materials, color, door and roofline detail — just as with stick-built homes of any size — can create many different looks from a sleek metallic cube to a half-timbered Tudor, a log cabin or an adobe-look casita. n Take it on all your vacations: The trailer base and wheels that you see on a tiny house, whether on Rudy’s tiny house, pictured here before skirting the highway or on a was added, gives him sunshine, neighbors (with permanent lot, were privacy), space for parking, and minimal upkeep. probably intended Housecleaning and yardwork? A tiny amount of effor transport to the fort goes a long way. site and don’t autoaccessories that favor a permamatically make it a nent residence don’t necessarily travel trailer. lend themselves to rapid longThe materials, appliances and
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haul travel. Frequent weekend trips on the highway to the ocean or across mountain passes to a wilderness destination need a lighter camping vehicle. n Fill it full-time with a fullsize family: A tiny home (typical maximum is 10 feet by 40 feet) whether it has its wheels on or not, and which meets specific zoning and building codes, can be a permanent home. But consider your present belongings (like kitchen ware, sporting gear, clothing, bedding, books, toys, artwork, knickknacks, antiques, collections) your hobbies, the kids, the dogs and your love of hosting dinner parties before you succumb to the temptation to sell it all and go small. Two years ago, Rudy Herrera purchased a 221-square-foot residence from Tiny House Cribs
Cosme Hernandez, CEO of Tiny House Cribs, is a strong advocate for home ownership. He works with other designers and builders on a wide variety of local projects from do-it-yourself to developments. Photo by Mike Irwin
WESTERB984CF
Sold and erected by an independent locally owned builder.
Your building can be customized just the way you want! for $75,000, and he continues to live comfortably in it. Downsizing came easily to him. At 80, he’s single, he’s healthy, his five adult children are doing well, and his active, independent life includes parttime work and skiing at Mission Ridge. A video on the Tiny House Cribs website shows his home with full-sized appliances and fixtures, still-unfilled storage space and plenty of walking about and elbow room. Rudy initially placed the home on a golf course lot in Quincy (with, he shows in the video, “My tiny shed and my tiny cars, a Mini-Cooper and Ford Ranger.”)
Just this December he moved it to a different site in Ephrata, and the relatively simple portability of his full-time home proved its worth. Tiny homes may not be the tsunami of future housing, but they’re causing ripples in the market, judging from dozens of online sources and TV features. If this is an intriguing option for fulltime or flexible housing and you want to look locally, you’ll find more designs, as well as updates on regulations, on the Tiny House Cribs website. Cosme’s a convert of efficient home production — it’s his passion and his livelihood. As for Rudy Herrera’s advice to undecided tiny house lookers?
It’s encouraging: “Don’t be afraid of ’em. They’re a lot less worry, a lot less maintenance. Tiny house living is really going to simplify your life — you’ll love it.”
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column moving up to the good life
june darling
Set a better goal for a happier 2021 Some may have found 2020
useful in some way, but I am simply congratulating myself on staying alive. I am ready — maybe you are too — to shift toward having a much better 2021. How are we going to do that when there is still a lot we cannot control? First, DO make a goal about something you can control. Last year, according to YouGov, only three in 10 even planned to make a New Year’s resolution. Of that 28 percent making goals, only 19 percent were in the upper, more “mature” age brackets. We can change that. Second, consider changing the primary focus of your goals. Last year, as usual, the goals were all about exercising more, saving more money, eating more healthily and losing weight. All great stuff, no disputes there. This year, I propose a better goal. This goal could magically make all your other goals more achievable PLUS improve your sleep, attract more friends, deepen the relationships you already have, decrease stress, AND improve our community and country. What is this SUPER magic goal? It is the foundation for, if not the essence of, goodness. See if you can figure it out from this true story about James Doty. James (Jim) grew up in poverty. Family life was a chaotic situation with an alcoholic father and mentally ill mother. Jim tried to get away from his situation as much as possible by going off on his bike and fiddling around with magic tricks. One day he went to a local magic shop. There he met an older lady who warmly wel-
comed him and seemed keenly interested in him. The woman, Ruth, after a good deal of chatting, offered to give Jim some real magic, magic much better than all the shop tricks. Jim did go back to the magic shop for six weeks and learned (and saw modeled) the magic — which included what Ruth called “open-heartedness.” He used the magic to become a neurosurgeon and to make tens of millions of dollars. A few years ago, Jim used the magic to make a better world and fulfill his promise to Ruth to teach the magic to someone else. Dr. Doty founded and now directs the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, an affiliate of the Stanford Neuroscience Institute. And now you know what the Super magic goal is… practicing compassion. How does it work? Compassion (or kindness) aimed toward ourselves, helps us be good stewards of ourselves — our values, our bodies, our health and our minds without becoming self-absorbed. Self-absorption (or narcissism) leads to many nasty outcomes including losing rewarding connections to friends, colleagues and family. Self-absorption also leads to focusing on our narrow interests so that we lead meaningless, small, stress and anger filled lives. After inevitable failures, selfcompassion helps us get back up, learn a lesson, and try a new strategy. Do not belabor the definitions and distinctions among altruism, empathy, compassion, love, kindness, or what Ruth and Jim call “open-heartedness.” Essentially, they seem like cousins to me; they all orient us
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toward being “good” — seeing ourselves and others as worthy of respect, care and attention. What if this coming year of 2021, our overarching goal is to be “good” or at least “good-ish” — a better, more compassionate, kinder, more open-hearted (I like the term “warm-hearted” as a vivid image) person? We read all the possible benefits. But how would we do it? These first two ideas work for anything you want to change. Begin with what Dr. Carol Dweck calls a “growth mindset.” Teachers and coaches know all about this. We must give up the outmoded belief that change is not possible. Research supports the idea that we have an amazing capacity to change. Second, keep the benefits of why you want to change foremost in your mind. Researchers have found that if we want to make a change, we need to continually remind ourselves of our “why.” Often, compassion comes very naturally to us. We see suffering, we want to help, and we do. Sometimes, however, we get blocked. The usual culprits are apathy, anger, or being overwhelmed. n Overcoming apathy. Use your imagination to help you help others. When you want to be more compassionate simply imagine what is going on for the person who suffers — imagine their fears, their longings, their wounds. Researchers have used this simple and commonsensical technique even with psychopaths to activate their empathy. n Dealing with anger and reactivity. These are usually the result of negative judgments we make about others. Ask yourself these questions to get you back on track — What if this person is suffering (what might be
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their fears, longings, aching wounds) and doing the best they can? What in me needs compassion (what are my own fears, longings, wounds)? n Working with being overwhelmed. The big problem with overwhelm is that we get stuck in distress and cannot muster our resources to help. We begin avoiding those who might be suffering. I have been both apathetic and angry, but overwhelmed is more often my issue. When I am feeling overly distressed, I have learned to aim my attention primarily on connection, understanding, and discerning what I can do to help. Last, keep learning and practicing. Top-notch scholars and practitioners to watch on YouTube or to read include: Drs. Paul Gilbert, Stephen Post, Jamil Zaki, Thupten Jinpa, Kristen Neff, Paul Ekman, Frank Rogers and James Doty. Hang in there after inevitable screw-ups. Mistakes are a part of our common humanity. I am appalled by some of the “bad” stuff I have done in the past. This quote by Alain de Botton helps me: “Anyone who isn’t embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn’t learning enough.” No matter what is going on out there in the coming year, how might we bring some magic to it by practicing more openheartedness — being a better person, and move up to The Good Life?
June Darling, Ph.D. can be contacted at drjunedarling1@gmail.com; website: www.summitgroupresources. com. Her bio and many of her books can be found at amazon.com/author/ junedarling.
ARTIST UPDATES
Using his enhanced home studio, East Wenatchee singer, songwriter and guitarist Brian Ohme has recently produced what he calls “audiobiograpgical” material.
Catching up with 4 artists and their creations
Ana Marie Spagna’s current sojourn teaching writing in upstate New York lets her sample the hiking in older, gentler mountains than those surrounding her Stehekin home.
ANA MARIA SPAGNA
“I really loved teaching writing to college students in person.” And she’s kept on writing, experimenting ‘I’m lucky to be in a place that with poetry, publishing four more books. feels new during an era when The latest are Uplake, which was a finalist others are feeling very stuck’ for the Washington state book award, and a middle grade novel, The Luckiest Scar on Earth. Her published articles, essays and na Maria Spagna learned to love the mountains from her work for the Forest Ser- reviews have reached the 100 mark. Last winter Ana Maria served as the vice and the Park Service. Kittredge Distinguished Visiting Writer in She writes from (and often about) StehekEnvironmental Studies at the University in, where she’s lived since a summer job in By Susan Lagsdin of Montana, where she was teaching when 1990 turned into a home, a marriage, a new COVID-19 hit. She made it home, but after a career and a lifetime. t’s always a pleasure talking with artists summer gardening and writing in Stehekin, In a The Good Life interview nine years about their projects, but it’s especially nice she took a previously planned job as a visitago, she avowed her appreciation of Steto check in after a few years and hear about hekin’s solitude but said, “Sometimes I envy ing professor at St. Lawrence University in continuing growth and new directions. (far) upstate New York. big city writers who can attend readings The current professional lives of these Ironically, after moving 3,000 miles away or workshops or just meet at a coffee shop four, profiled in The Good Life in between from her Washington home, she’s teaching anonymously. Most days, it’s just me and the 2010 and 2015, remind us that successfully only online classes due to pandemic precaukeyboard.” making art in the Wenatchee Valley area, tions. But she does enjoy her favorite snow By then she’d written three books and sevespecially in this last perplexing year, takes a sports in the east’s older, gentler mountains. combination of love, labor, luck and a whole eral short essays in anthologies and journals, Ana Maria will be home in April and says, and it was clear that she and her keyboard lot of creative talent. “I’m lucky to be in a place that feels new Here’s wishing a good New Year to all our were doing well. during an era when others are feeling very Ana Maria successfully ventured from area artists! stuck. And, of course I hope to bring new her home, leading writing workshops in words to life: poetry, prose, anything, everyWenatchee and for the Whidbey Island Writers Program, but after earning an MFA, thing.” she went farther afield and taught at WhitMore artist updates man College for a year where she found,
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ARTIST UPDATES (continued)
BRIAN OHME
‘Keep your ears open; I may take another turn around the block’
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n 2010, fans enjoyed Brian Ohme’s eclectic trio SumGuy playing the naturally grown music he characterized then as “spiritual, humorous, about truth — searching, persevering, and taking chances. . .” Brian, who is a poet, singer and guitarist, was delving deeply into songwriting and “discovered a new creative spring of words, often inseparable from the music.” He said he’d coax out a new riff, and then, “I watch the little universe in my mind for ideas.” Soon, a worsening hearing loss made it difficult to collaborate on stage, and he realized he had to give up one of his greatest joys, working live with other musicians. Brian said of that transition, “I do miss the connection of performing; it was great fun to howl along with the audience, and I am forever grateful to those who came along for the SumGuy ride.” However, 10 years later, now his improved home studio in East Wenatchee with its controlled volume and headphones allows him to record a deep trove of original music, experiment with new compositions, arrange solo multi-tracks and even jam with other musicians. Pre-COVID, he also created a performing space called BYO in Wenatchee’s Warehouse 3 that he hopes to get back to. At 62, Brian has found exhilaration in experimenting as well as solace in past work. First mentored by his father, he’s been making music since his teens. “I have recordings going back over 40 years,” he said. “Hard to imagine the amount of material there is to sift through, everything from piles of cassette tapes through hundreds of digital tracks. Most of them are pretty raw, some even cringe worthy, but taken together have become sort of an audiobiography.” You can hear rough drafts of his evergrowing song catalogue at brianohme.bandcamp.com and watch music videos (“with weird slide shows”) on his YouTube channel. But personal gigs aren’t out of the question. Brian asks his friends and fans to “keep
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Dan McConnell created a graphic novel with WWII themes, which is on display at Northwestern Museum of Arts and Culture, the MAC, in Spokane — when the museum is open.
your ears open; I may take another turn around the block once we can gather again.”
the MAC, in Spokane. (The show is up until May 21 but currently closed.) Unpacking World War II involves stories from the military exploits of Flying Fortress bomber pilots and nose gunners to the harsh conditions Japanese Americans endured in the intern‘I usually do a few cartoons every ment camps. day, culminating in a Tuesday email The museum commissioned a graphic novel, full-page portraits and single page, submission to The New Yorker’ multi-panel stories. Dan said, “While other Americans were an McConnell, who regularly does dealing with the effects of the pandemic and the “Then and Now” cartoon for The Good our problems and uncertainties, I was dealLife, has been drawing for almost 40 years, ing with the certainties of World War II.” everywhere from Marvel to MAD, but he still His work received good attention, and he auditions for every other gig. thinks teaching cartooning at the MAC in He said, “If you send 10 cartoons a week 2021 is a distinct probability. to The New Yorker for a year, they’ll know Dan stays attuned to media and culture — you’re serious.” he’s created a year of COVID-related carHis 2012 interviewer wrote, “Like an untoons — and collaborates with other writers, drafted athlete, Dan waits to be discovered. editors and artists on ideas that seem to flow Unlike that athlete, Dan can do this for freely in the comic world. One good conanother decade or so if he stays healthy.” nection landed him a March Reader’s Digest He’s stayed healthy, he’s kept continuously cartoon (his third for them). cartooning with multiple and varied projects He has 10 pages left on an 88-page super— a key to “discovery” — and he found Car- hero satire slated for publication, and he’s toon Collections, a place to store and display painted a book cover and several portraits. his work. It’s akin to an online stock photo Meanwhile, Dan said, “I usually do a few bank, a potentially lucrative marketing site cartoons every day, culminating in a Tuesday for what may eventually be 6,000 McConnell email submission to The New Yorker, which cartoons. I’ve done for the past eight or more years, One gratifying recent project was for the with no sales so far... but with hope springNorthwestern Museum of Arts and Culture, ing eternal!”
DAN McCONNELL D
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SHERRY KREBS
‘I certainly am getting my money’s worth out of my house payment’
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ive years ago in The Good Life, we predicted that “It’s very possible that Sherry Krebs will never run out of energy. Certainly she will never lack for enthusiasm.” The all-around-town Energizer bunny of a musician is proving us right — in the midst of COVID-19 she’s still making music when and where she can. Sherry stepped away from long-standing roles as director and conductor for the all-district musical and Music Theatre of Wenatchee and full-time elementary school music teacher. She remains the Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra’s percussionist. (For the Jan. 30 concert, she plays in The Danzon 2 by Marquez and a novelty piece called Junk Funk.) When near-normal returns, she’ll rejoin the All Strings Considered musicians and knows she’ll say yes to requests to play in the community. She said that’s been a constant and, “Playing for only three weddings in 10
Wenatchee music-maker Sherry Krebs, seen here with a morning sip, still loves to play her instruments but is unabashedly gleeful about retirement from decades of tightly-scheduled rehearsals, classes and concerts.
months is definitely a change.” What else is happening now? The little secret that some retired people share is that sequestering at home, despite
pandemic fears, can have its own quiet pleasures. As she approaches 70 after what she called “extreme service” for almost 50 years, Sherry said she’s delved into knitting and quilting projects, kept keen on British mysteries, baked designer sourdough loaves, reconnected with friends in the U.K. and played a weekly (socially distanced) Yahtzee date with a friend. “I certainly am getting my money’s worth out of my house payment,” she said. And one of the nicest surprises for her is with everyone on the block staying home, Sherry has made good friends with her neighbors. She’s also rediscovered a once-favorite pastime. She was introduced to an online recorder presenter “who, once a week, posts music and videos of each part of the ensemble being played. One can play along on any of the parts while she plays the rest. It’s been wonderful fun.” When travel becomes possible again, Sherry is planning a trip to England to visit old friends and join her new teacher in realtime, in-person recorder workshops.
fun stuff what to do around here for the next month We want to know of fun and interesting local events. Send info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com
Please check all events to make sure none has canceled. Mission Ridge is open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Info: missionridge.com. Christmas lights will remain on until Valentine’s Day. Leavenworth becomes the Village of Lights with over half a million of them. Downtown Leavenworth. Cost: free. 1 million cups, every first Wednesday of the month. 8 a.m. Entrepreneurs discover solutions and thrive when they collaborate over a million cups of coffee. Come join this supportive, dynamic community and hear from two businesses that are between 1 – 5 years old. Discover how we can help move them forward in a positive environment. Zoom link: 1mcwenatcheevalley. eventsbrite.com. Winter Wenatchee Valley Farmers Market, Saturdays, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free.
Two Rivers Gallery opens 1/2. Wed-Sat. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m., Sun 1 - 4 p.m. Paintings by nationally known teacher of art, Jen Evenhus. She will be featured in a collection of abstract and impressionistic oils and pastels in her signature style. Hoping to continue First Fridays by this summer. Winter Snowshoeing, 1/7, 14, 21, 28, 2/11, 18, 25. Meet at 327 Division Street in Leavenworth at 10 a.m. every Thursday in January and February. Join area naturalist guides for a snowshoe stroll along the Waterfront Park Trail in Leavenworth. Snowshoes provided. Cost: free. Reservations: 548-0181 ext 5. GWATA Kick off party, 1/7, 4 - 5:30 p.m. Stop by on your way home from the office so we can send you home with a cupcake and a list of events for the first quarter. Or you can call us from your car and we’ll bring a to-go cupcake to you. We’ll also announce the winners of the UpSKill-A-Thon over livestream. Benefits of exercise and cognitive functioning, 1/9, 10 January 2021 | The Good Life
a.m. Learn how exercise improves fatigue, stress and memory. Virtual classes. Register: easecancer.org. Nutrition for life, 1/23, 10 a.m. Learn what foods fight cancer, antiinflammatory whole food nutrition and healthy options. Class is virtual. Register: easecancer.org.
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Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center is closed however, the retail spaces, Gift Shop and 90th Anniversary Women Painters of Washington art gallery are open by appointment five days a week, Tuesday-Saturday. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org/reopening or call 888-6240.
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column those were the days
rod molzahn
Ancient ancestors
Further research changes our thoughts about long ago people of the NW
The two most important
archeological discoveries in Washington State were found by accident. Neither the East Wenatchee Clovis cache nor the remains of “Kennewick Man” were found as a result of scientific exploration. Both of the finds pitted Native American beliefs against the scientific community and the courts. Moises Aguirre and Mark Mickles were digging a trench for an irrigation pipe in an East Wenatchee orchard just east of Pangborn Field. It was May 27, 1987. They were about 20 inches deep when they turned up a stone spear point. It was the first of 68 objects unearthed at the site over the next three years. When the first points and tools were found the thinking was that they were the work of local Native Americans in a more recent past. An amateur archeologist put that idea to rest when he identified the objects as products of the 12,000 to 15,000 year old Clovis culture. The artifacts had been placed on top of a layer of ash from the last Glacier Peak eruption. That allows for the conclusion that they are 13,000 years old. The trove of recovered objects includes spear points, a chopper, scrapers, prismatic blades, bifacial knives, an engraving tool, three flaked stone axes or adzes and 12 bone rods made from mammoth or mastodon limbs. The purpose of the rods is not clear. In April of 1988, a year after the discovery, Washington State University archeologist Peter Mehringer led the first significant excavation of the site and
discovered 22 objects. Five were removed. The rest were left in place. All the cutting tools, spear points, knives, scrapers and axes are beautifully fashioned from semi-precious stone — agate, chalcedony and chert. Properly flaked, these stones have an edge sharper than a surgeon’s blade. In October of 1990, Michael Gramly, a New York based archeologist, led another excavation. Gramly was known for his insistence that the Clovis people were not in any way related to modern Native Americans. He also believed that scientific excavation and study was more important than Indian cultural heritage. Colville tribal members believed that the site was very likely a burial place and that further excavation could unearth a grave with an ancestor that should not be disturbed. They organized a protest gathering at the site demanding that the state withdraw the archeological permit they had granted to Michael Gramly. When the group arrived at the dig site Gramly met and talked with them from behind a 10foot, chain-link fence. He wore a bulletproof vest. It’s not clear how or when the first Clovis people reached North America. They may have crossed to Alaska over the Bering land bridge from East Asia then down the kelp highway along the narrow band of icefree land that was the Pacific Coast. Another theory holds that they came from Western Europe by boat to Eastern Canada then spread west and south from there.
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Deep in his right hip, encased in the bone, was a stone point from either a spear or an atlatl dart. It was 2 ¼-inches long and ¾-inches wide. “The Ancient One” had lived for years with that chunk of stone in his hip. Maybe they came from both directions since it seems that they appeared in many parts of North and South America at about the same time. The only human remains ever recovered from a Clovis site was a skeleton of a male child between 12 and 18 months old. It was found at a burial site in Montana in 1968. It had been buried with a number of artifacts and sprinkled with red ochre dust thought to have religious significance. College students Will Thomas and David Deacy were floating in tubes along the left bank of the Columbia at Kennewick’s Columbia Park on July 28, 1996 watching the hydroplane races on the river. In a shallow, calm-water inlet they found a human skull on the bottom. They reported it to law enforcement. It was first thought that the skull belonged to an early white settler from the late 1800s. Archeologist James Chatters was asked to examine the skull. He quickly realized it was much
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January 2021
older than the 1800s. Chatters started searching the inlet where the skull was found and he began to turn up additional bones from the skeleton. In the course of several searches he found 350 bones, almost an entire skeleton. Only the sternum and a few small bones from the feet and hands were missing. The Army Corps of Engineers took possession of the skeleton since it was found on land in their jurisdiction. So began the more than 20-year saga of “Kennewick Man” or “The Ancient One” as Native Americans named him. “The Ancient One” was likely traveling with a group of his people when he died. They buried him on a low bench along the river. They placed him on his back with his head elevated, stretched out with his hands, palms down, at his sides. He was close to 40 years of age, about 5-foot, 7-inches tall and weighed about 160 pounds. He had all his teeth though they were well worn — mostly from an abrasive diet that included a good amount of sand and grit. One tooth was badly abscessed and that infection might have been what killed him. He had suffered serious injuries in his life, evidenced by numerous healed fractures to his head, limb fractures and five broken ribs. Deep in his right hip, encased in the bone, was a stone point from either a spear or an atlatl dart. It was 2 ¼-inches long and ¾-inches wide. “The Ancient One” had lived for years with that chunk of stone in his hip. He must have limped as he walked along the mid-Columbia
Michael Marchand, Colville Tribal chairman, expressed what all the tribal members felt. “To me, he’s one of my great grandfathers. He’s one of my blood relatives.” shoreline 9,000 years ago. Nitrogen isotopes from his bones show that for his last 20 years he ate little, if any, meat. His diet had been high in seafood — big saltwater fish and sea-going mammals. Five central and north central Washington tribes claimed a relationship with “The Ancient One” and wanted his remains reburied immediately. Archeologists and anthropologists claimed he had no relationship to the tribes and sued for the right to study the bones. The courts sided with the scientists finding that the tribes had no evidence to support their claims. In October of 1988 “Kennewick Man’s” remains were placed in the custody of the Burke Museum on the University of Washington’s Seattle campus. Dr. Douglas Owsley, physical anthropologist and lead Smithsonian Institution researcher, was given the opportunity to study the remains. Owsley found that “Kennewick Man” was physically strong and muscular with a highly developed right arm and shoulder. Bone damage in his shoulder is consistent with what professional baseball pitchers suffer over a career. He must have thrown something hard and often, like a spear or harpoon. Owsley concluded that “Kennewick Man” was closely related to Polynesians and not at all related to modern Native Ameri-
cans. In 2015, scientists in Denmark made a breakthrough in DNA research. They were given a small piece of bone from “Kennewick Man” and DNA samples from several members of the Colville Confederated Tribes. That evidence showed that, without a doubt, “Kennewick Man” was more closely related to Native Americans than any other living population. Two years later, February of 2017, after 21 years of extended legal battles, “The Ancient One’s” remains were returned to his descendants, the tribes of Central and North Central Washington. Michael Marchand, Colville Tribal chairman, expressed what all the tribal members felt. “To me, he’s one of my great grandfathers. He’s one of my blood relatives.” The following day “The Ancient One” was wrapped in buckskin and buried in the presence of 200 Columbia Plateau tribal members. Four years earlier, DNA evidence made clear that the Clovis child buried in Montana and his people were direct ancestors of many of today’s native people in North, Central and South America. The child’s remains and the artifacts found with him were reburied at his original gravesite. Historian, actor and teacher Rod Molzahn can be reached at shake. speak@nwi.net. His third history CD, Legends & Legacies Vol. III - Stories of Wenatchee and North Central Washington, is now available at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center and at other locations throughout the area.
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Hair-raising resolutions for the New Year By Susan Sampson
My mother taught my
siblings and me to observe two New Year’s Eve traditions. First, we would leave a silver coin overnight on a windowsill facing in each direction. That would ensure that prosperity would flow to us from every direction during the new year. (My brother always got an early start on prosperity. He was first up on New Year’s Day to scoop the coins off the windowsills and pocket them.) Second, we would make resolutions — we would promise ourselves to better ourselves in some way. As a teenager, I chose a resolution easily: “I hereby resolve to do a better job setting my hair this year.” A popular style at the time was “the flip” — hair was long and straight, with just the bottom edge turned up. “Long” was simple — that was just a matter of time. “Straight” was simple — that was genetic. But coaxing a curl into the bottom edge was not easy. My sister-next-in-line behind me, and I, elbowed each other out of the way in front of the bathroom mirror to do our hair. It was a one-bathroom house for six people, I might add, so we had to hold others at bay at hair-
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In my middle years... I resolved to quit back-seat driving, to quit gasping, clutching the dashboard, and stomping my imaginary brake when my husband was driving the car. setting time. We had no hair dryer, so we would shampoo at bedtime and roll up our tresses over our whole heads for the night. We used plastic mesh rollers an inch-and-a-half in diameter, or even fatter, and secured each roller in place by sticking through it with a plastic pick that braced against our scalps. Of course, it was impossible to sleep on a head full of rollers, so I discarded most of mine by morning. If I managed to leave a roller in, then the hair in it was still damp by morning, and as straight as ever. I would have made a terrible candidate for Miss America: Bert Parks (the guy who sang, “Here she comes/Miss America): What are your aspirations for the coming year?
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Me: To cure cancer, to bring about world peace, and to wear my hair in a cute flip. Wearing those hair rollers was a scarring experience. If the coroner ever has to identify my body, he will identify me by the one-inch-long part on the top of my scalp, toward the back. That’s where that roller pick rubbed me bald every night. I should have resolved to do something selfless, like cure cancer or work for world peace, but that hair resolution followed me for years. For a while, I was happy for a shampoo called “Long and Silky” until I realized that my friends with naturally curly hair or tight afros were not impressed. Now that brand-name sells shampoo for dogs. During my middle years, I actually made a more selfless resolution. I figured that world peace, like charity, begins at home. I resolved to quit backseat driving, to quit gasping, clutching the dashboard, and stomping my imaginary brake when my husband was driving the car. That would do a lot for his peace of mind. Unfortunately, as everybody knows, resolutions are made to be broken. I haven’t succeeded at that one yet. I started getting smarter about my resolutions when I made
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them easier to achieve: “This year I hereby resolve to get my hair Susan Sampson cropped off retired with short and her husband to trimmed Wenatchee in 2009 every six after practicing weeks and law in Seattle for 35 years. to lose three pounds.” I could have said 15 pounds and a trim every three weeks, but I figured that a resolution should at least sound feasible. If I say three pounds, if anybody asks how I am doing, I can lie and say that I did it — don’t the politicians call that “Credible deniability?” This New Year’s Eve, I’m going to win the resolution game. I have two tricks up my sleeve. First, I’m going to resolve to do something I want to do and would do anyway: “I hereby resolve to skip exercising on Saturdays.” Second, I’m going to accede to the inevitable: “I hereby resolve not to try to curl my hair, not this year, not ever, not for the rest of my life!” With all the aggravation that should save me, perhaps I’ll have time to work my backseat driving, curing cancer or bringing about world peace.
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