REMEMBERING A TIME BEFORE THE MUSIC STOPPED
WENATCHEE VALLEY’S
NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE
November 2020
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Contents
OH, NO,
The Good Life Magazine can’t be doing the Best Day Contest for this year, can we?
OH, YE S, WE ARE !
page 20
Rescuing dogs at Okandogs Features
7
DOING GOOD FOR OTHERS
From knitting socks for the boys in the trenches to helping out now, it’s all part of the greater good
10 grandparents answer the school bell Stepping in to help with grandkids’ education
11 Navigating a new knee
When the pain became too much, the knife was the answer. But now comes the recovery
12 RIDING THE WIND
Why you may be seeing more bright specks in the skies
14 ode to live music
Recognizing GOOD days is even more important in a BAD year. Having our readers share their best days will help the rest of us remember that good days do exist.
Share your story about when you crossed off an item on your bucket list, went on a new adventure or just stepped off your usual path and found joy.
BEATING THE BORE
DOM OF THE LOCK
16 the athletic life
Peter Graf — a man on the run
18 FOUR SEASONS ADD SPICE TO LIFE
June 2020
Fall color treks find stunning hues set against the backdrop of evergreens
22 HOME Snuggles INTO NATURE
Rock, natural wood and nature-toned paint color help it reflect its surroundings
26 DESIGNER HAS THE FEEL
Diana Hoyt’s design aptitude has led her to create over 100 north central Washington interiors
28 long talks with harriet bullitT
Werner Janssen found the conversations with the Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat founder so intriguing, he wrote a book Columns & Departments 6 A bird in the lens: A Horned Lark in full display 10 June Darling: For this good advice, say ‘Thank you’ 20 Pet Tales: Okandogs expands its help 30 The traveling doctor: Pushing away from factory food 31 Arts & Entertainment & a Dan McConnell cartoon 32 History: Ditch masters make the water flow 34 That’s life: Feasting for the holidays, revised November 2020 | The Good Life
OPEN FOR FUN
Y’S
NUMBER ONE
AND ADVENTUR
E
FLIPPING over ZambIa Kaya
Price: $3
Goathead warrior
destroying Seeking and plants painful thorn
ker finds bigg on the mighty Zamest rush bezi
A YARD IS A TERRIBLE
THING TO WASTE ON
GRASS
WENATCHEE VALLE
Y’S
NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE
Price: $3EN EN FOR
Tell us what made this day special in 200 to 500 words and maybe
win $100 in our “Best Day” Contest.
WENATCHEE VALLE MAGAZINE
October 2020
Remembering a time when the stages were filled with sound
DOWN
FUN AND ADVE NTURE
Price: $3
Barging down French canaal plus
SEND YOUR STORY – AND PHOTOS IF YOU HAVE THEM TO:
LIEF CARLSEN BUILDS A TINY HOUSE... BUT WHY EXACTLY? WENATCHEE COUPLE LIVIN G THEIR ‘LAST HURRAH’ IN MEXICO
editor@ncwgoodlife.com.
BEST DAY CONTEST
Hurry, the deadline is approaching!
Share some GOOD from 2020 and make us all feel better. www.ncwgoodlife.com
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OPENING SHOT
®
Year 14, Number 11 November 2020 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: (509) 888-6527 EMAIL: editor@ncwgoodlife.com sales@ncwgoodlife.com ONLINE: www.ncwgoodlife.com FACEBOOK: https://www. facebook.com/NCWGoodLife Editor/Publisher, Mike Cassidy Contributors, Mike Irwin, Carolyn Black, Marlene and Kevin Farrell, Marilyn Sherling, Anneka Herndon, Emily Keenan, Sarah Shaffer, Travis Knoop, Linda and Ken Reid, Jaana Hatton, Susan Sampson, Werner Janssen, 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 TO SUBSCRIBE: For $25, ($30 out of state address) you can have 12 issues of The Good Life mailed to you or a friend. Send payment to: The Good Life subscription services 1107 East Denny Way, Apt. B-7 Seattle, WA 98122 For circulation questions, email: donna@ncwgoodlife.com EVENTS: donna@ncwgoodlife.com BUY A COPY of The Good Life at Safeway stores, Mike’s Meats at Pybus, Martin’s Market Place (Cashmere) and Dan’s Food Market (Leavenworth) ADVERTISING: For information about advertising in The Good Life, contact Lianne Taylor at (509) 6696556 or lianne@ncwgoodlife.com WRITE FOR THE GOOD LIFE: We welcome articles about people from Chelan and Douglas counties. Send your idea to Mike Cassidy at editor@ncwgoodlife.com
The Good Life® is a registered trademark of NCW Good Life, LLC. Copyright 2020 by NCW Good Life, LLC.
TALL BUT why? By Mike Irwin
I
n a terrain of low contours and open sky, verticals excite the eye. Windmills, grain silos, power poles, two-story farmhouses punctuate the Waterville Plateau like exclamation points. “Look here!” they shout to passersby. I won’t attempt to bluff my way through identifying this structure or its purpose. Near Mansfield, the tower has a door and window for Mr. and Mrs. Farmer, electricity for lights and machinery, and height for … well, not sure what. Fuel depot? Pumping station? Fancy-schmancy outhouse? I skipped going inside because hornets had already nested. Otherwise, the building is yet another fine example of simple design in the middle of nowhere. It’s a stub of solidity with nary a curlicue, which means smooth
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construction, easy maintenance and muscled sturdiness against harsh weather conditions. In 15 years of wandering and photographing the plateau, I’ve come to admire buildings in which form follows function, even when I don’t know what the heck that function is. You can see more of Mike Irwin’s photographs and commentary at IrwinFoto365.com.
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November 2020
On the cover
Anneka Herndon takes a selfie while paragliding two winters ago in Colombia. She was doing a multi-day trip where another woman and she flew from village to village only using their paragliders for transportation. See her story about flying this year above the Enchantments on page 12.
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editor’s notes
MIKE CASSIDY
Can there be any ‘Bests’ in 2020? Oh my goodness.
This is normally the time of year when we ask readers to share their stories about their best day of the year. We have received stories about truly memorable bucket-list trips, about the day a parent received news their child was cured of a life-threatening illness, about a hike in the woods to celebrate the passing of a dear friend, about the first day of retirement and so many more. But this year? 2020? With each week seemingly bringing a new bout of bad news, can 2020 have had any best days? Maybe we are undefeated optimists, but we believe it’s possible to find good in this year. Recognizing GOOD days is even more important in a BAD year. Having our readers share their best days will help the rest of us remember that good days do exist. Write us an email — 200 to 500 words or so — telling us of your best day in 2020. Send along some digital photos, too. We’ll choose one of the writers for a $100 prize. But be quick... the deadline is Friday, Dec. 4. Get writing, the prize could go to you... if you’re swift! Send your story — and high resolution photos — to: editor@ ncwgoodlife.com. Share your story with the readers of The Good Life magazine about the GOOD in 2020 and make us all feel better. A couple months ago, we received this inquiry: “My name is Anneka Herndon and I bought a house in Cashmere and moved here about a
year and a half ago. “I am a paraglider pilot and relocated here for not only the amazing valley and access to the mountains but also for the world-class paragliding. It is a fringe sport and our community is quite small compared to other outdoor pursuits around the area, but this place has a deep history with paragliding. “There are more and more pilots moving here for the phenomenal cross-country flying opportunities. More people are learning to fly as well, so it’s common and will become more frequent for people to see paragliders floating around the sky in random places. “I would love to write an article on it for The Good Life…” Then a month ago, we received an email from Emily Keenan who had this suggestion for us: “I have an idea for an article for The Good Life. The article is an ‘Ode to Live Music’ in the Wenatchee Valley. During this time where musicians are leaving town, scurrying back to other jobs, and missing each other greatly, I would like to reflect on some of the outstanding moments I have had performing music in the valley.” Two different stories of people pursuing their passions… just what we are looking for in this publication where optimism rules. As Emily writes in her article, saying “yes to everything” opened a lot of doors. Enjoy The Good Life, even in this year. — Mike
November 2020 | The Good Life
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column a bird in the lens
I’m in luck: A Horned Lark in full display I
By Bruce McCammon
saw my first Horned Lark when I visited the Columbia Wildlife Refuge with a friend many years ago. Then, as a resident on the west side of the Cascades, the bird was new to me and my friend walked me through the ID process. I leaned out the car window and snapped a few photos Bruce McCammon of the bird is retired, coloras it hopped blind and enjoys around on the photographing the birds in north cenground. As tral Washington. we prepared to move on, I reviewed the images on the camera’s LCD screen and showed them to my friend. His comment was, “Maybe we can find some that aren’t standing on cow pies.” Good idea. I’ve learned since then that Horned Larks seem to prefer open areas such as plowed or stubble wheat fields or areas with short grass. The Audubon field guide says that they do well on overgrazed or abused land, which there is plenty of throughout the West. Even though they are widespread in the continental United States and Canada, Horned Lark populations are in steep decline. The North American Breeding Bird Survey estimates a decline of 71 percent between 1966 and 2015. Loss of habitat is one reason for the decline. Human encroachment is another. The Horned Lark is the only
The Horned Lark is the only native lark in North America.
native lark in North America. That is, in itself, a cause for celebration. Being able to witness a native bird species is a very good thing. Horned Larks are slightly larger than a House Sparrow (7-8 inches) but smaller than an American Robin. They travel in flocks of up to 100 birds and you will frequently see them grouped in the middle of the road as you drive around our shrub-steppe/wheat field communities. They tend to stay in place as a car speeds toward them, lifting off at the last minute. One friend of mine refers to them as “radiator birds” based on her first sighting of one in a car grill. In my experience, the birds are masters of evasion and I’ve never hit one with my car. Within the masses of small, brown birds, Horned Larks are distinctive. They have a black
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mask that extends from the bill, below the eye and down the cheek. The neck of Horned Larks is yellow that transitions to a black bib on the upper chest. Males will frequently show two small horn-like feathers on the top of their heads. Horned Larks forage on the ground for seeds and insects. They eat a wide variety of grasses and weeds as well as waste grain. They hop around in plowed fields and almost disappear between clods of dirt. When they are startled, they lift off as a group and fly away in a twisting formation. Often, the startled flock will circle back and land in the same area or nearby. You may see flocks of these birds in dirt fields or spanning the width of a dirt road. Photographically, a portrait of a Horned Lark on a road surface,
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November 2020
almost always photographed from above the bird, is never valued as more than a record shot. Finding a few on a fence is not uncommon but they will most likely be on the ground. Like a road shot, a shot on a fence or fence post is a nice record but we can hope to do better. The male bird in this photo perched atop native sage and sang away for several minutes. Extending his feather “horns” was the perfect addition for the photo. I have hundreds of images of Horned Larks but very few show the bird on native vegetation and in full display mode. I got lucky. I hope you take time to drive through our wonderful shrubsteppe areas and get to see these native birds. I wish you luck. Don’t forget your binoculars and camera.
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MY WORLD // a personal essay
Doing good for others, then and now By Carolyn Black
The year 2020 will long be
remembered for many things. Most will remember the pandemic, social distancing and face masks. It has been a learning experience for all, and for me the thought that we can’t go anywhere to get away worldwide from it, is the biggest change. Over 100 years ago, America was experiencing similar things, the Spanish Flu and the First World War. Today we felt good about doing something to help, and joined many others making things we could at home. Thousands of face masks, surgical caps and gowns have been made from fabric we had on hand, donations from fabric stores and all of us dug deep into our “stash” of material and notions, like elastic, binding and Velcro. I found the hand-written journal my paternal grandmother wrote while she and my father
went north to Alaska in 1918. He was a young teenager, 13, and she was on their way to a job, cooking at a fish cannery. He was to be her dishwasher. In the journal, she talks about Carolyn Black the trials of the journey, engine problems, Seymour Narrows challenge of the tides, huge swells from the ocean outside of Icy Straights, ice, snow and having to wait for a gasoline launch to bring the errant six passengers aboard who missed the departure time. The most interesting part for me was where the women aboard, raffled off a pair of wool socks knitted by one of the women while they had been in
transit. With the $16.20 from the raffle, they were able to buy more yarn and needles at their first stop in Ketchikan, then all the women pitched in, learned how to knit socks, and by the time their journey finished, there were 16 pairs of wool socks to send overseas to the soldiers fighting in Europe. They say a pair of warm, dry socks was beyond price. My grandmother ended her journal with this: “The numbers of pairs of socks does not add up, but beauty of the thought was what was important.” I feel this sentiment so deeply and so gratefully. I want to thank all who helped in so many ways in these last several troubling months. The donations of fabric, notions or even thread, the picking up and transporting of all these items — some many miles — made so many feel a part of the greater good in life.
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Grandparents
answer the school bell story by Marlene Farrell photos by kevin farrell
T
he pandemic has thrust some families together, with parents working from home and kids learning remotely, using a dining room or kitchen nook as a makeshift classroom. Everyone’s on their own device, doing their best to be productive. In other cases, parents are away at essential jobs and children become their own time managers. Both scenarios are rife with problems, and quality education can be a casualty. Some lucky local families are tapping into a key resource to Ori shows his grandpa, Darakshan Farber, some of the work he’s done for class. help — grandparents! This option works if fourth grader grandson, who Trust is based on good intengrandparents live nearby and comes in time to start up Zoom tions, but even the best intenfeel safe sharing a bubble with on a laptop, attend class and tions can be derailed by accidentheir younger family members. work on assignments. Ori’s older tal misunderstanding between brother has a different routine, teacher and student through working at home while his mom screens. For Darakshan Farber, his is present or at work. While Darakshan describes daily routine has changed dra“I’m only helping one child, himself as “kind of a hermit,” matically from a year ago. and it’s pretty hands off,” Darak- he’s enjoying this time with his In the fall of 2019, he was shan said of their arrangement. grandson. “I think Ori is differwandering and exploring Spain, “It took a few weeks to get the ent with me when his mom is Turkey and Egypt, four and a rhythm down. Occasionally, Ori not around, because they have half years into world travel. Back comes to me with a question, such a strong relationship. And then, being on the move was his but that’s pretty rare. I am suphe’ll come and show me a video constant. posed to keep track of when he he’s discovered or what he’s Now Darakshan has settled in should be working and when on working on.” Leavenworth; this summer he break, but that’s been difficult. After the morning work is found a small rental with a river I usually don’t hear the current done, time with other kids can view. His mornings are punctuinstructions from his teacher, so boost spirits. ated by the arrival of Ori, his I have to trust Ori’s word.” “There is a girl a little younger
Darakshan Farber
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November 2020
than Ori who lives next door. They have bonded here; they both don’t get to see many other friends,” said Darakshan. “Ori is excited to go play with her as soon as they are both free, just about every day.”
Mary and John Henri
For a decade, Mary and John Henri have called Leavenworth home, and it’s also where the families of their two daughters, Jodie and Jamie, both teachers, live with their families. The Henris have immersed themselves in nonprofit work — she’s on the board of Cascade Education Foundation and he’s on the board of Mountain Meadows — and now they are giving back in another way, by helping once a week with the remote education of their two youngest grandchildren, Cedar, third grade, and Hazel, first grade. The Henris take turns going to the grandkids’ home. “I get Cedar started at 8 a.m. and then after that, he works pretty much independently. I sit with Hazel and start the day with the ‘Ladder’ (list of things she needs to do during the day). She works close to independent but gets stuck or stalls on some tasks.” Breaks are times for snacks and playing with the fluffball of a hamster, Butterscotch. It goes pretty smoothly, but
occasionally there’s an issue. “Sometimes we work with Hazel on a task only to find out that we were supposed to watch a video to know how to do the task (cart before the horse for the grandparents),” said Mary. Cedar and Hazel are usually done with schoolwork by noon. “Unless they do not understand a task, they can plow through their work in a shorter period of time than in a classroom where there is a one on 20 or more ratio,” said John. Thus, in the afternoons, Hazel might reach into the P.E. jar and pull out an activity such as “hike at Ski Mary Henri and grandkids Cedar and Hazel hang out at Cedar’s workspace in his bedroom. Hill.” Mary feels fortunate to help, because she sees firsthand how much time and effort her teacher-daughters are putting into their work. “With the remote learning, Jodie and Jamie have set hours for school-related issues, but often it spills over,” said Mary. “They receive texts, emails and calls outside the work day which disrupts their time with their children. This is likely because other parents are trying to work around their work schedules as well.”
Judy and Tom Derpack
Judy and Tom Derpack put on teacher hats once or twice a week to teach social studies and geography to granddaughters and cousins, Cora, sixth grade, and Elliana, fifth grade. These girls are both participating in the school district’s home-based learning Home Link program. Their schedule is thus a bit more flexible and
Judy Derpack teaches a hands-on geography lesson to granddaughters, from left, Cora and Elliana and neighbor Nola. November 2020 | The Good Life
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they meet for two- to three-hour increments. Judy, with over 30 years in early childhood education, is comfortable in front of a white board or doing hands-on activities with her granddaughters. “Tom and I are a great team,” she explains. “He helps with the hunt for items we need. For example, last week we made 3D relief maps with sawdust and wallpaper paste, and he went all over town collecting supplies.” When the academics are done for the day, if there’s time, they will play games, garden or go on hikes with the girls. Judy, a Cascade school board member, knows the behind-the-scenes work to design the various remote options for families. “As difficult as the last seven months have been, I’m really proud of everyone! At the same time, I would never minimize how hard it can be for families, especially for those who don’t have extended family/friend support.” Hardships might continue for a while, but these grandparents, along with parents and school staff, are innovating, and students are learning. “This is a once in a hundred years situation,” said Judy. “We all need to work together.” The Farrells have two children dealing with home schooling. Quentin in 10th and Alice in 8th, each have their own workspaces in the office and dining room, while Kevin is upstairs in a home office and Marlene works outside the home. As older students, they work independently, but Marlene and Kevin assist where needed in the evenings, and try hard to get Quentin to go to bed at a reasonable hour.
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column moving up to the good life
june darling
For this good advice, say ‘Thank you’ If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. — Meister [Johannes] Eckhart, German theologian, philosopher and mystic (1260 – 1328)
A few days ago, I wrote a let-
ter to a dead man. The man, Dr. Larson, was one of my professors 50 years ago at the University of Tennessee. The letter described a thoughtful, courageous, unrequested act of kindness he had performed on my behalf, which resulted in me getting a “B” in a class rather than a “D” or “F.” I never thanked him properly. I decided it was time. Why? Not for him. I realized he might not be alive anymore (I found out later that he died last year). I did it mostly for me… and for you. Gratitude requires noticing something good you have received from a source outside of yourself. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism have all endorsed gratitude for hundreds of years. In the last 20 years gratitude has become a popular area of research and recommended path to the good life. A recent 72-page summary of studies links gratitude to almost every positive outcome imaginable. Want better health? Be more grateful. Stronger relationships? More optimism and resilience? More compassion, patience, humility? Less sadness and anxiety, less materialism, less envy and social comparison? How about a little relief from pain and some more energy? Searching for selfcontrol? Same answer in every case. Be. More. Grateful. With a few possible caveats. After reading this summary
of positive findings as well as a newish book called The Gratitude Project (which is a collection of essays and research findings), I dug out my old gratitude journal. I noticed that I made six entries. Hmmm. I do still mentally count my blessings often, but researchers say most people get more of a bang if we write things down. One of the newer findings is that many people get a bigger boost if they only journal once a week. Like keeping a gratitude journal, but slightly different is writing down three good things that happens to you each day. Afterwards, researchers suggest that we write about why they happened. Both of these practices get at our predicament as human beings. We get habituated to the good in our lives. We take our water, clean air, electricity, roads, homes, friends and family for granted. We must do something to shake off that unhelpful adaptation. The gratitude letter is another, powerful way to see the good. We are encouraged to mentally look back and notice those who have helped us, especially those we have never properly thanked. We write the letter and, ideally, read the letter aloud to the person we want to thank. I have known about this gratitude booster for years, and I have thought a lot about Dr. Larson. I just could not seem to make myself write the letter. It seemed awkward, embarrassing, and I was not persuaded by the older research that writing a letter would really do much for me or for the person I wanted to thank. However, after seeing large effects in later studies, I pushed myself out of my comfort zone
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so that I could tell you how it felt. How I got myself to do the letter was to tell myself to do one step at a time. It would be a step forward to simply describe and acknowledge the kindness that was shown to me. That would not be so hard. Afterwards I could track Dr. Larson down. Then I could decide if I wanted to send it or read it aloud to him. Just the writing of the letter seemed to boost my thoughts of gratitude not only for Dr. Larson, but for all those professors and people throughout my life, even those somewhat on the periphery, who have put themselves out for me. Then I did look for Dr. Larson. Turns out he became somewhat famous — authored highly regarded academic books. I thought about who he was and what it took for him to put his reputation in jeopardy to stand up for me. Thinking not only what others have done, but what they may have sacrificed on our behalf can boost our gratitude for our fellow human beings in general. I feel sad that I missed an opportunity to talk to Dr. Larson, but I have new resolve to not wait too long to write other letters. Another gratitude practice, which you may not have heard as much about, has popped up powerfully and naturally for me lately as I have aged. It has a long descriptive name, “mental subtraction of positive people or events.” It is a thought experiment. You imagine what your life would be like if a specific, positive thing had not happened to you — like meeting a person who became a good friend or a beloved spouse.
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November 2020
I find myself in bed many nights feeling deeply grateful for the main man in my life. What if I had never met him? It is easy to celebrate and appreciate having him right there beside me for 47 years (this month). However, I did mention caveats earlier. Some people fear being overly grateful could keep us from addressing injustices, make us stay in abusive relationships too long, keep us laboring in unfair working conditions. That is something to consider for sure, but research so far has not found that to be a likely outcome. Also keep in mind that looking around and finding the good can provide us with inner and outer resources including the physical and psychological energy to move forward. It is a normal part of being human to look back on our lives, even our collective history, and see more headwinds (challenges) than tailwinds (blessings), but we can change that by practicing gratitude. If you are curious about your current level of gratitude, google “gratitude quiz,” some of the best ones pop up first. If you are ready to jump right in, dig out that gratitude journal, or write a gratitude letter, or imagine your life without the positive, or try out your own idea. If you need more motivation, you may want to read The Gratitude Project. How might you take this month of Thanksgiving to experiment with boosting your gratitude and move up to The Good Life?
BREAKING IN A NEW KNEE When the pain becomes too much, going under a knife is the option
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By Marilyn Sherling
used to hike a lot. My favorite place is the Pasayten Wilderness where you can go for miles and miles and not see another person. But those days came to a stop. For the past 15 years, the arthritis in my knees has steadily advanced. A couple of years ago I received Cortisone injections in my knees. That worked for a while and the pain was gone. But when the injections wore off, I had more pain than before. I knew then that it was time to really fix the problem. At the end of September, I had a total knee replacement of my left knee at Central Washington Hospital. Today, post-op day 10, I had my first check-back appointment with the surgeon, and I passed with flying colors. Here are a few reflections on the experience. 1. It’s called total knee arthroplasty. Why did I do it? To be able to walk. To sleep through the night without knee pain and swelling. To go up and down stairs. And, most definitely, to go hiking again. 2. Every BODY is different. Even though the general surgical process is the same, you won’t have the same experience as your Aunt Elizabeth in Yakima or your life-long friend who lives in Spokane.
Marilyn Sherling finds frequent short walks are one of the keys to recovery.
A medication chart can be a reminder of when to take what.
3. Plan on spending the night. To go home the same day (which some folks do), the physical therapist has to clear you on certain goals, like walking down the hall and navigating stairs. If you flunk PT (as I did, by fainting), you spend the night and try it again the next day. 4. Order room service. Gone are the days when an orderly pushes a cart of meals down the hall, all containing the same bland, uninspiring hospital food. Now you get a menu and call Room Service for your meals, and they are good! 5. Don’t be discouraged if you November 2020 | The Good Life
can’t sleep very well. It doesn’t last forever. It’s OK to cry. 6. Make a chart of your medication schedule. Put alarms on your phone so you take your meds on time. It’s important. 7. Move. Every hour get up and walk around the house, or around the driveway or down the sidewalk in your neighborhood. Yes, you will use a walker. They inject a pain block in your knee during surgery, which lasts up to two days. This is so they can get you moving right away in the hospital. Movement is important. It prevents stiffness and scar tissue and blood www.ncwgoodlife.com
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clots, three things you DON’T want. 8. The exercises are HARD. Do them anyway. Start small and gradually work up. Consistency is the key. My physical therapist says, “It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” 9. Ice, ice baby! After exercise and walking, get the ice pack out of the freezer and apply for 15-20 minutes. Get your leg above your heart. Don’t sit in a chair with your legs down and don’t go in the kitchen and decide to clean it up unless you want swelling and pain. Walking is good! Standing is not! 10. You really can’t do this alone. After surgery, you need someone at home with you for a week or two at least. You won’t be able to drive. You won’t be able to stand in the kitchen and fix a meal. I was very fortunate to have my daughter, Amanda, here with me. I absolutely could not have done this without her. 11. Would I do it again? Absolutely! In fact I plan to in the spring on my other knee when the snow is gone. Marilyn Sherling is retired and enjoys exploring the outdoors. Hopefully, a new knee (or two by springtime) will make that easier.
Riding the wind
Anneka Herndon flies at about 9,500 feet. with the Enchantments in the background.
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By Anneka Herndon
erhaps you have looked up in the sky during the spring, summer or fall months and seen colorful balloon looking specks in the sky. If you don’t know what you are seeing, then this article will shed light on these mysterious floaters, and if you do recognize these as paragliders then this piece will hopefully explain a bit more as to why you might be seeing more and more of these engineless aircrafts in and around the Wenatchee Valley. I was one of the kids with a wild imagination and endless sense of adventure, and I was also one of those kids who tied four corners of the bed sheet together and began jumping off
things. I was sure if I tried hard enough and used all of my concentration, that I could fly. Maybe you were one of those kids too, they are out there, and they know that gravity is a tough nut to crack. Little did I know at the same time that I was trying to fly off a ladder with a bed sheet, some of the first paragliding flights in the world were actually happening around the Wenatchee Valley. I never let my flying dreams go, and eventually I found paragliding, and for me, I had finally found the solution to my gravitational pull from the earth. Let me explain. Paragliding is a slightly obscure adventure sport done all over the globe.
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The glider itself is a lightweight, complex structure made from nylon. The canopy stays inflated by air filling cell openings in the front of the glider, and a set of long, thin lines attach the canopy to the harness with the pilot sitting in an upright position. These gliders are foot launched into an upslope breeze and have no engine. Pilots are able to attain altitude by circling in rising columns of hot air, known as thermals, basically mimicking the actions of soaring birds. By gliding from thermal to thermal, (as birds also do) pilots can fly hundreds of miles in a day, riding the thermals and the wind. Landing can be done by choice or sometimes when flying
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cross-country, a pilot can lose the thermal lift or encounter unforecasted winds which will force them to land in any suitable open space available. Paragliding is truly an unparalleled way to interact and experience the geography from the sky, giving views that cannot be seen any other way. Thirty years after my childhood flight attempts, I found myself poised on top of Tumwater Ridge, a well-known feature in Leavenworth. My orange and purple nylon paraglider spread out before me, my flight instruments firmly attached. I was suited up with a windproof down coat, battery powered gloves, radio, in reach tracking device, inflight snacks, a compass, and an iPhone with a solar
charger battery pack. Within my harness was my sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent, stove, food and a book. Wow, how far my flying attempts had come from jumping off a ladder hanging on to the corners of my bed sheet. I watched with patience for a perfect thermal cycle to come gently blowing up the hill, and when it arrived, I pulled gently on my risers and inflated my wing as I have done hundreds, maybe even thousands of times. The wing came overhead and progressively took my weight as I stood under it and with one step, I broke free from gravity. I used a vario — a flight instrument used in aircrafts to measure the rate of climb and descent — and its beeps to track my progress as I turned upward in the thermals lifting off the warming mountain slopes. As I turn, I climb higher and higher over the Tumwater Ridge giving way to views of the Enchantments, the North Cascades and the higher I climbed the more expansive the views became. Once I climbed to 8,000 feet or so I glided over to Icicle Ridge where I spotted hikers on the classic lookout over town and gave them a wave. I followed the reliable birds upwards and made my crossing to Wedge Mountain. I climbed higher still as the terrain pushed upwards. It was silent except for the chirp of my vario, and the sound of the wind on my face. It was so peaceful, the sky and the Enchantments laid out before me. I pushed on past Heart Lakes. Oh my! Looking down on the emerald lakes dotting the high granite terrain of the Enchantments is one of the most stunning images I’ve ever seen in my life to this day. I passed McClellen and got a good peek at little Annapurna and at the end stood the mighty Mount Stuart. The wind was pushing strong in from the west, so I decided to take my height, about 10,000
I climb higher and higher over the Tumwater Ridge giving way to views of the Enchantments, the North Cascades and the higher I climbed the more expansive the views became. feet and turn back for a big, long glide, sliding back over Leavenworth and on to climb up in thermals over Eagle Creek. I worked my way up the drainage to Raptor Ridge, one of the original paragliding launches in the area that always gives up a strong tall climb. Once I was back up to the bottom of the clouds I would make my way to check out the views around the town of Plain. I had a snack after being in the air for a few hours, which can always provide a bit of solo comedy. Trying to shove an entire granola bar into your mouth without letting go of the controls can get a bit tricky and sometimes messy. Eating and drinking water in flight is incredibly important, just as any athlete would do on a long mountain ascent or run. Though flat landing fields were abundant in Plain, I was high up, tucked up under the clouds, and was simply enjoying myself too much to return to earth. So I followed the clouds that were forming, marking the thermals, mapping out the path in the sky to Wenatchee. As I passed Cashmere, I spotted my house, which is always a treat to spy from the sky! I linked up Blag Mountain to Tibbets then pushed onto Burch Mountain, which always presents strong boisterous thermals. November 2020 | The Good Life
I took Burch’s wild ride to the top then decided it was time to turn back to the southwest and head on home. I adjusted my heading south towards Cashmere and glided out over the valley and spotted my house with a large field next to it. After circling downward, I touched down softly, balled up my glider and threw it over my shoulder and walked out of the field to my yard, where I checked the mailbox as I passed by and then folded up my glider feeling so satisfied and lucky to call this place my home. I moved to the valley in May of 2019 after a flying trip to the area the year prior. I decided to commit to buying my first house in Cashmere. I knew from the first time I visited here to fly, that this place was special. It has been only over the past year of exploring and spending time with the local flying community that I have begun to understand what makes the Wenatchee Valley so exceptional for paragliding. The dramatic hills and mountains that make up the Wenatchee Valley, as well as the low elevation and dry conditions, make for amazing thermals during the summer months. The top of thermals can reach 12,000 feet, and generally light wind days are abundant. Local climber and well known resident, Mark Shipman, has the first paragliding descent from Icicle Ridge in 1987, and has been an avid pilot pioneering many of the first launches in the area. He has helped pave the way for many more to come. Raptor Ridge, a small launch up Eagle Creek outside of Leavenworth, held the first National Paragliding competition back in the early 1990s. Competition paragliding in the United States got its beginning there, and eventually migrated a bit north to Chelan Butte in the mid ’90s where National Competitions are still held every year. It was not just pioneers and www.ncwgoodlife.com
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top-level pilots that found the valley to be an exceptional flying destination. Hay Canyon outside of Cashmere is the home to one of the best paragliding schools in the country. It is a unique place tucked up in the grass covered hills, providing safe launches, flat landings and consistent winds for beginner pilots learning to fly a wing for the first time. Denise Reed has been teaching and running Aerial Paragliding at what is known as “The Ranch” for nearly 20 years. The Ranch was discovered by a couple of pilots in search of the perfect paragliding school venue, and was spotted by one such fellow flying a trike over the area. In 1995, the large area of land was purchased by a private party who has preserved the area just for paragliding and it is as such to this day. If visitors or locals crave to have the paragliding experience without going through the process to become a licensed pilot, Leavenworth Paragliding offers stunning tandem flights where the passenger can sit back and take in the stunning views of the Enchantments. With a rich paragliding history in the valley paving the way, and as more locals go through Aerial Paragliding’s school and pilots such as myself discover what a gem the area is for flying, more colorful gliders can be spotted floating above the length of the valley. We may launch with hopes to fly to the far off reaches of the Cascade Mountains, or to east edges of the Chelan flats, but sometimes we will touch down close to home. We are all friendly, sky-loving folk, so come say hi and ask about the flight. I am sure you will get an entertaining story. Anneka Herndon grew up in Southwest Colorado. When she is not flying, she works at her hat company in Cashmere called Recaps. (www. recaphats.com) She also mountain bikes and skis.
Ode to live music Remembering a time before the music stopped
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By Emily Keenan
ust last year, together with my bands, we sang amongst the beauty of the vineyards. We attended parties, weddings, grand openings and hippie festivals. We played alternative covers at church functions and sang gospel after hours at the bar. At times, we were showered with praise and once we were showered with grapes thrown by a mischievous little boy. We dressed up in costumes and closed out the night for a sweaty mass of ski bums. We have learned to protect our microphones from over-zealous fans and steer them toward the nearest karaoke. We have been gifted instruments by fans. We’ve played outside in the bitter cold with frozen fingers that quit working. I once played a six-hour long performance solo. The memories blend together into a whirlwind of nostalgia. Knowing that concerts and live music are one of the last things to reopen, a lot of musicians have packed up and left town. We are getting by, exploring other options, but certainly missing music. Meanwhile there is some time to reflect on what we had — the music scene we enjoyed in our own backyard. Joni Mitchell is right: You don’t know what
Chumlilies: From left, Adina Scott, Emily Keenan, Christina Winter and Molly Elder. Photo by Ariahna Jones
you’ve got ’til it’s gone. Leavenworth may not be on the map of top musical destinations in the country, and we have yet to produce any hit singles or Grammy winners (prove me wrong?), but we have a healthy musical community and for those of us who participate it is a joyful affair. Our people love music. We play on the porch, attend concerts, and support, hire and host musicians from around the world. We generally agree that live music is a necessity. In Leavenworth’s busiest season, a beer garden with live music has the competitive edge over a beer garden without. Pre-COVID, on a busy Saturday, there were often 10-15 options within walking distance of
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Was I really that person who reached for what she wanted and grabbed life by the horns? each other where you could find someone playing music. Jazz at the Alley Cafe, Bluegrass at the Brewery, Rock bands at Stein, and Electronic dance music leaking out into the streets from under the door of some underground hotspot. When I first came here, I climbed onto an open mic stool in Cashmere and let some chords ring out to the small, mostly musician audience.
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I met people and started seeing them perform full sets in Leavenworth. I thought that if I worked my act up a little bit, maybe I could do that. I got my first “gig” at Der Hinterhof (RIP) when a musician friend double-booked himself and needed someone to cover. Soon I was playing at the Farmer’s Market, Eagle Creek Winery and Icicle Brewing Company. I said “yes” to everything. Like many hopes and dreams, when they start to materialize, they change. I decided what I wanted next, and that was collaboration. Bluegrass music is built around jams where musicians play in a group, passing the lead in a circle and singing harmonies.
Emily Keenan and Trevor Wire play along the river. Photo by Mike Curtis / Riverbooty Photography. River Dog Shakedown: From left, John Meriwether on fiddle, Emily Keenan on guitar, Trevor Wire on banjo. Photo by Jessica Alderson
At my very first jam I met Trevor Wire, a banjo player with really good posture. We started playing music together with a band named River Dog Shakedown. Now we are engaged, but that is a whole different story. There is a great community of bluegrass musicians and fans centered around Cashmere. We attended the Cashmere Community Concert Series and the Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival. We met local instrumentalists, luthiers, and songwriters. There were musicians twice our age who stayed up twice as late picking out tunes and refusing to acknowledge the need for sleep. Were they cranky the next
day? No. They did it all over again. Were they cranky on Mon-
day? Probably! A few years went by, our band grew and changed, and I took up playing bass guitar. This instrument felt powerful and connected me straight to the vibe of the song and the entire room. River Dog Shakedown had lots of sit-ins and rotating band members and my dream of collaboration was coming to life. We sat in with Sergio Cuevas, Sean “Rib” Horst, Seth Garrido and other local favorites. I wandered around town one night and came upon Christina Winter (guitar) and Molly Elder (banjo) playing a set together. November 2020 | The Good Life
Later that week I approached Molly, cool as a cucumber. “So, do you ladies’ need a bass player?” Along with Adina Scott on the violin, a brand new all-female band, Chumlilies, was created in February 2019. We had an incredible first year together. We had a weekly show at Yodelin, some very enthusiastic fans, and a lot of momentum. We developed each other’s original songs and have now finished recording an album that will be available soon on all of the major musical outlets (Spotify, iTunes, etc). Check out “Chumlilies!” We have been polishing up our River Dog Shakedown setlist this summer with a five-piece www.ncwgoodlife.com
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lineup including John Meriwether on the fiddle, Owen Wickenheiser on the drums and Aviathar “V” Pemberton on the keyboard. Our weekly practices have been a highlight of my socially distant summer. Check out “River Dog Shakedown” on facebook. Now that we are through a whole summer of canceled music, the memories feel like a distant dream. Was I really that person who reached for what she wanted and grabbed life by the horns? Am I really so lucky to have friends like the Chumlilies? Will we be able to start where we left off? I think we will and I hope you will join us when the time is right.
The Athletic Life
High elevation adventures with Peter Graf — a man on the run By Sarah Shaffer
Once I got comfortable running for fourplus hours everything changed: I felt like I could go anywhere on foot and see some really amazing places.
I had heard that Pete Graf
runs all over the place, up high mountain peaks (that I have hiked and they are steep) and that he can run for hours. So we wanted to learn more about Pete, what running accomplishments he has had, what his interests are, and what is the best thing he has seen on the trail. Question: Pete, please tell us a bit about yourself. Answer: I am originally from Illinois, but I moved west as soon as I could and have never looked back. I love the mountains and try to get out running, biking, or skiing as much as I can. These days the highlights of my outdoor life are with my son Bishop, 8, and daughter Stella, 7. They love skiing, biking, camping and really any adventuring outside, so my job is to get us out the door and let’em loose. Question: What do you love about running, and how did you get started with it? Answer: As a family, we often have debates around the dinner table over which is our favorite sport; biking, running, skiing, hiking, etc. As a general rule, skiing is No. 1. But for me, it’s hard to top running because of the freedom and simplicity it offers. I love running from the front door, unencumbered by gear or roads or trails. I wish I had discovered running earlier in life. I started running in 2013 when we moved to Wenatchee. Prior to living here, my wife
Peter Graf and his son, Bishop, enjoy on the top of Mount Bryant on Poet Ridge.
and I were really into racing bikes, mostly on the road. But we had Bishop and road racing no longer seemed like a great idea for us. It was too much time, and I kept ending up in the emergency room. So I started to run for the exercise. Three mile runs turned into five miles, then 10, 20, etc… The foothills and mountains
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in our area were my inspiration to keep running farther. I’d run to the top of Sage Hills or Castle Rock and look west and want to keep going. So I just kept going to see more and explore. Once I got comfortable running for four-plus hours everything changed: I felt like I could go anywhere on foot and see some really amazing places.
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Question: Do you train year around for your runs? Do you do ultra-races? Answer: I run year around, but much more in the spring and summer. In the winter I’m trying to ski as much as possible, but I keep running because it’s become a morning routine that I don’t like to break. Plus I’ve learned as I get older that if I stop running, starting up again is really rough. I do race ultras (races from 35 miles upwards to 100 miles and more) occasionally, maybe one or two races a year. It’s motivating to have something on the calendar to build toward. I try to pick an event that looks interesting or is in a location that the family would enjoy and make a little trip out of it. Question: What is the longest run you have done in a day? Answer: My longest run was a 100k (63 miles) race near Lake Tahoe with about 16k in elevation gain. It took me about 13 hours to finish. It was a great run, a really difficult course at high eleva-
tion with beautiful views of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The good news was that I felt awesome for the first 50 miles. I had a plan to take it easy for the first 20 miles, then start to pick it up and really race the middle section hard, and then hope it all worked out in the end. The plan mostly worked. I made a big move at mile 25 and was feeling great, but the middle section was all at high elevation, around 9,000 feet, and I started having trouble getting calories in. I just wasn’t hungry and everything tasted gross. It caught up with me at mile 50, and I really struggled from there. I was a mess. My wife, Cody, joined me at mile 50, so she got to witness my meltdown. I got it done, but wish I would have finished stronger. Question: What kind of diet/ nutrition do you keep while training? Answer: I don’t have a strict diet. I’m an omnivore. I eat a lot of veggies, and I avoid sugar because I don’t have a sweet tooth and it really affects my blood sugar levels. I try to start all my runs on an empty stomach and then fuel from there. I bonk really easily, and starting my runs on empty seems to help keep my blood sugar stable. Question: What does your weekly training consist of? Answer: It varies with the seasons, but generally I try to run six days a week. My normal morning runs are about one to one-and-a-half hours (I tend to track by time rather than distance because some runs are flat, some are steep hikes). In the spring and summer, I try to get a long run on the weekends,
injury prevention.
I was so happy for (my son), and proud of him, and it made me so excited for a future where I can do these things I love with my kids and experience it with them. which is typically around three to four hours, sometimes hard, sometimes easy. In the summer and fall, I mountain bike as well, and in the winter I ski at Mission and in the backcountry. When the biking or skiing is good, I back off the running. I also lift weights about two days a week for joint stability and
Question: What is your favorite piece of running gear. Answer: My wife would probably say shoes, because I have a lot and can’t seem to part with any of them. But I’d say mini water filters. There are a number of different brands available, I’ve used a Sawyer and Katadyn. They are great for grabbing water from streams or lakes while on a run. One of these small filters, plus a few bars, all fit in my shorts pockets and I’m good to go for hours, no pack or running vest needed. Question: What has been the most memorable thing you have seen or experienced while running in the mountains? Answer: I ran a 10k trail race with my son when he was 6 and he crushed it. On that run I saw an inner drive and competitive-
ness that I had never seen from him. I also saw a sense of accomplishment and something like a glow or bliss that I feel after a really long, hard run. That too was something I hadn’t seen in him, and for him something I don’t think he had experienced before. I was so happy for him, and proud of him, and it made me so excited for a future where I can do these things I love with my kids and experience it with them. Question: What is your favorite run to do around the Wenatchee foothills/mountain areas? Answer: I love running up Devils Gulch from the trailhead on Mission Creek Road. It always feels cooler and moist back there. It’s a great summer respite run and has easy access to water for me and Pronto, my fourlegged running partner. Further away, I think Poet Ridge above the Little Wenatchee Basin is a really special place. It has great views with an intermittent trail and great scrambling opportunities. Question: Favorite life quote? Answer: I have a preadventure quote and a during adventure quote. Before adventure: “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for,” and during adventure: “I’m going where the climate suits my clothes...”
About this photo, Peter said, “It was on a ledge below the final pitch to the summit of Mount Stuart and my feet were killing me. “ I’m happy to run and scramble on mountains, but true rock climbing really isn’t my thing. I don’t own rock climbing shoes so I borrowed a pair from my friend Kate Bonnett. She swears they were the right size for me, but I guess my feet are not accustomed to being jammed into climbing shoes (or they were three sizes too small, which seems more likely to me). “At this point in the climb I just wanted to get it done and get those shoes off. “Fortunately my climbing partner, Zack Hambleton, is an experienced climber and led me up the whole way. He also kindly allowed me time to rest my feet on this beautiful ledge.” November 2020 | The Good Life
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This story also appears on Wenatcheeoutdoors.org — the site covers such topics as hiking, biking, climbing, paddling, trail running and skiing in the region. Sarah Shaffer is the Executive Director of WenatcheeOutdoors.
Four seasons add spice to our lives
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Story by Linda Reid Photos by Ken Reid
hen we moved from the west side of the state in 2016 after living in Seattle for over 60 years, we were (and still are) asked the same question by people on both sides of the mountains, “Why did you move to Wenatchee?” Like a mantra, we recite our reasons: more sunny days, less rain, less traffic, lower cost of living, a smaller community, and yearround outdoor activities within easy reach. We had one more reason that seemed to surprise some of our inquirers. We wanted to experience living in a place that had four distinct seasons: the crisp, cold, snowy winters, green hillsides full of Red vine maple glows with morning dew. When you are at Lincoln Rock State Park, be sure to look up! yellow balsamroot and purple lupines in In the long-ago days of capturing images the spring, the reliably warm (and even hot) on film, Ken tried to limit his high-volume summer days, where the moon and stars are photo-taking, but once the digital age arvisible more often than not, and the unsurrived, there was nothing to curb his enthupassed brilliance of the fall colors. siasm. Of course, Western Washington has seaPrints hung on our walls so we could celsonal changes too, but over here they are ebrate autumn year-round. They beckoned more obvious, more intense, and cannot be us to take virtual pilgrimages to his favorite ignored. The snow actually sticks around, fall vistas. spring explodes, summer morning sunrises After our move to Wenatchee and my and balmy evenings are common-place, and retirement from teaching, I was free to autumn’s sunny days and cold nights intenaccompany Ken on his fall color treks. We sify the broad array of colors, thus prolonglove the Cascade passes with their stunning ing our favorite season. colors set against the backdrop of everThat brings me to our annual fall discovgreens: White and Chinook passes to the ery tours. south, Snoqualmie, Blewett and the North Ken is dedicated to capturing autumn in Cascades, each welcoming autumn in its his photos. This has been a passion of his for own unique way. decades. In our opinion, the incomparable Stevens When I returned to teaching in my classPass is the best place to view an informal room every September, I was unable to find version of an “autumn leaf festival,” nature’s the time or energy to continue our summer “art exhibition” displaying every color in camping trips, so he would go alone. Usually October’s palette. those trips took him into the Cascades and On the east side of the Cascades, some then on into NCW. of our favorite fall-color-hunting-grounds I got to live vicariously through his picinclude the Methow Valley, Winthrop (intures: the deep red vine maples and hucklecluding Pearrygin Lake, Mazama and Sun berry brush, the yellows of the poplars, birch Mountain), the Okanogan, Leavenworth and larch trees, the variety of hues from and Plain, Lake Wenatchee and Lincoln orange, to burgundy, to brown, and rarest of An entire “autumn leaf festival” is on display in one Rock State Parks, and the Apple Capital all, colorful, frozen leaves touched by overvine maple bush. Loop Trail. (Ken has more fall pictures night frost when fall and winter collide.
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Riverfront Park in Wenatchee provides a path to walk, run, or bike in the heart of autumn.
Fall colors frozen in time during a frosty fall morning hike at Lake Wenatchee.
taken at Lake Wenatchee than any other place.) Thanks to our pop-up trailer, complete with its little furnace, we can comfortably camp well into October. We immerse ourselves in the varied shades of scarlet, tangerine, bronze, nutmeg, and lemon. I try to capture it all with words, but Ken comes much closer with his photography.
The visions around us spice up our lives like cinnamon added to apple pie or hot-spiced cider. September and October speak to our souls, and we embrace them with all our senses. The autumn season is one more reason life is good. Ken and Linda enjoy sharing their adventures with readers of The Good Life through their words and pictures and are grateful for the positive feedback.
OH, NO, The Good Life Magazine can’t be doing the Best Day Contest for this year, can we? OH, YES, WE ARE! Recognizing GOOD days is even more important in a BAD year. Having our readers share their best days will help the rest of us remember that good days do exist.
A YARD IS A TERRIBLE
THING TO WASTE ON
GRASS
WENATCHEE VALLE
Y’S
NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE
Share your story about when you crossed off an item on your bucket list, went on a new adventure or just stepped off your usual path and found joy.
October 2020
Price: $3EN EN FOR
FUN AND ADVE NTURE
Price: $3
Tell us what made this day special in 200 to 500 words and maybe
win $100 in our “Best Day” Contest.
SEND YOUR STORY – AND PHOTOS IF YOU HAVE THEM TO:
editor@ncwgoodlife.com.
BEST DAY CONTEST
Barging down French canaal
BEATING THE BORE
DOM OF THE LOCK
DOWN
WENATCHEE VALLE
Y’S
NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE
plus
LIEF CARLSEN BUILDS A TINY HOUSE... BUT WHY EXACTLY? WENATCHEE COUPLE LIVIN G THEIR ‘LAST HURRAH’ IN MEXICO
Hurry, the deadline is approaching!
June 2020
FLIPPING over ZambIa Kaya
OPEN FOR FUN
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Price: $3
Goathead warrior
destroying Seeking and plants painful thorn
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Share some GOOD from 2020 and make us all feel better. November 2020 | The Good Life
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PET tales
Tells us a story about your pet. Submit pet & owner pictures to: editor@ncwgoodlife.com
Okandogs: Rescuing dogs — and now, feeding starving cattle T
By Jaana Hatton
om and Jan Short have a wonderful home in Cashmere, right on the Wenatchee River. It’s grand enough to be a resort. In a way, it is — for dogs. The Shorts are the founders of the Okandogs dog rescue. It all started in 2014. “After my retirement we started walking the dogs at the Humane Society (in Wenatchee),” Tom, a former Air Force and commercial pilot, said. While volunteering, they learned that the Okanogan area has no humane societies or animal rescues of any kind. The Shorts became that much needed entity. “Wenatchee has been very helpful,” Tom said, referring both to individuals and businesses. Okandogs is a non-profit organization, relying on donations to keep going. Their mission is to “help dogs in the Okanogan region of Washington State… to rescue, spay/neuter, provide
emergency veterinary care, and adopt out or transfer dogs to West-side rescue organizations.” “The money situation is okay right now,” Tom explained. “We need volunteers, such as admin help and dog walkers.” The adoption, which costs $150, is a bit more than just a cash-and-carry scenario. “We are picky,” Tom pointed out. “The adoption form is five pages long. We do our best to make it a good match and find a good home.” On the day of the interview, I watched an adoption in progress. The new owner-to-be was beaming with joy, as any new parent would. The dog seemed equally happy. He was not quite physically perfect, with only three legs, but clearly blessed with an upbeat personality. After some final rounds of walking on the property, they headed home to start a new chapter in life for both. Tom watched them go with a pleased smile; one less homeless dog in
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Tom Short loves dogs and dogs love him. Even though Tom is well into retirement, his Okandogs rescue mission keeps him busy all day, all week long. Many an unfortunate canine has embarked on a new, happy life with Tom’s help.
this world. “We have a good working board,” Tom explained further. The board consists of Tom Short (President), Jan Short (Vice President), Chancey Crowell (Attorney), Suzi Ochoa (Treasurer), Sue Johnson (Secretary), Penelope Varn (Community Outreach), Stephanie Kraemer (Board Member), Colleen Hoverson (Board Member and boarding kennel owner). With rescue dogs, there are often medical issues. Okandogs has a donor-based Emergency Vet Fund, and so far it has been adequate to cover the needs. “A vet bill can add up to $7,000,” Tom said.
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“We have a special program called “Mom’s Last Litter,” he said. This means that when entrusted with a pregnant female, Okandogs will pay for the spaying of the mother after the litter is born. Fortunately, the Shorts have a strong support network and are able to keep the rescue work going. Their needs aren’t tiny — rather, they are notable. With food, equipment and transportation for the dogs, there are considerable expenses. Okandogs are grateful to be the owners of a large transportation van, donated by Hans and Cindy Koch. The donors dedicat-
ed the van to their late pet dog. Considering that Okandogs has taken in some 3,800 dogs since 2014, good transportation is sure to help. At 75 years of age, Tom wants to make sure the rescue work is carried on even after he and Jan are too old for it, or no longer around. “We are looking for a place somewhere between Wenatchee and Leavenworth to establish a facility, to leave a legacy,” Tom explained. Currently, the Shorts have 20 dogs in their home; a couple of permanent residents but mostly temporary rescues, which means the work is never-ending. Besides rescuing dogs, Okandogs has taken the work a step further: helping the Okanogan area with their need of feed hay. This year’s fires caused tremendous damage to the hay supply and animals in the area are starving. “On Friday (Oct. 9), we will be happy to deliver 15,000 tons
Not all dogs are perfect on the outside, but it’s the inside that counts. This happy pup is missing one leg but was fortunate to find a welcoming home with a goodhearted adopter.
of hay to the Okanogan area,” Tom said. “We haven’t spent any money on the trucks, gas or drivers — the truck owners have donated it all. Even the hay was donated.” When I asked what the highlight of this year was, he said there were too many to pinpoint just one. “Bringing dogs back from the edge of death is always a good feeling,” he said. Yes, indeed. And bringing a dog to the peaceful, caring sanctuary that the Shorts’ home is a good end to many a sad story. Know of someone stepping off the beaten path in the search for fun and excitement? E-mail us at editor@ncwgoodlife.com
November 2020 | The Good Life
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Leavenworth mountain house had a home team advantage J
Sited respectfully away from neighboring properties, this house takes advantage of views from its steep slope. Rock, natural wood and nature-toned paint color help it reflect its surroundings. Photo by Mike Irwin
Story by Susan Lagsdin Photos by Travis Knoop
ust a few miles off the Chumstick Highway northeast of Leavenworth, this oneyear-old Northwest Mountain style beauty directly faces the peaks and folds of Cascade foothills. Backed by timber but open to those views, the steep, 1.15-acre lot in an area of other large, wellsituated houses fulfilled the need of owners James and Rebecca Grandin for sunlight and privacy. They hired Tacoma architect Jill Sousa and then contracted with local Carlisle Classic Homes to create a place to enjoy family vacations now with their young daughters, share with others, and possibly live in after their retirement.
The full length deck is a natural for good-weather meals or hunkering down to enjoy rain and snowfall. The green paint was chosen to blend with growth on the site’s timbered hillsides.
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Carefully selected colors and textures warm this tall, spacious great room, while subtle touches like the curved beam and live edge mantle soften the architectural lines. Coordinated rockwork in and outside extends the room.
Project manager Chris Groby, framing the mountain view, said working on this home was a pleasure, and that key people placed a lot of trust in each others’ judgement. Photo by Mike Irwin
Project Manager Chris Groby took on the building task a year after he’d been asked by his employer, Carlisle, to open this satellite branch of their Seattlearea company. He’d vacationed often in Leav-
enworth from the west side and was edging toward moving here, so the position was a win-win for both parties. The Grobys bought a home in town, his wife Emily found work at Sleeping Lady, their sons November 2020 | The Good Life
made an easy school transition, and Chris’s job stayed intact and expanded. Chris said, “I spent almost my first year here interviewing subcontractors, learning who’s who in the business.” There’s a finite pool of good tradespeople in the region, most of whom work for various contractors, and he said the personal contacts served him well. “When we started this house, I didn’t have to suddenly look around for electricians, plumbers and framers…” East Wenatchee builders A&G Brothers broke ground and started foundation work on the 4,000-square-foot structure in the fall of 2018. Because he’d learned his trade on the west side, Chris added a special “footing drain” at the 10-foot-tall, bermed back wall of the house. “It seems like a dry climate,” he said, “but it’s really wet up here in the spring and www.ncwgoodlife.com
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“It’s really good to have 12-18 months working with a family, learning their likes and dislikes...” I wanted to make sure all that snowmelt drained far away from the basement.” Another structural need was one that James wisely caught before the next year’s move-in. The north-facing driveway, not long but surprisingly steep, froze hazardously in the first winter; the solution was including heating coils under the asphalt and on drains to prevent ice buildup and deflect resulting runoff far to the side. The rest of the project, Chris said, went really smoothly.
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Leavenworth mountain home }}} Continued from previous page Smoothness is the essence of his job, and he loves it. “It’s really good to have 12-18 months working with a family, learning their likes and dislikes, feeling like a part of their lives,” he said. Currently he’s fine-tuning four other area new builds, one just up the road, their progress expediently staggered from juststarted to wrapping-up. Some exceptional features he likes in this house are the great room’s 10-inch by 10-inch laminated fir beams with a slight bow in the center, serving roofsupport function and giving the lodge look the owners wanted. At first skeptical of the plan for industrial-look gray cement floors in the basement living
Sky blue island cabinetry adds personality to the sleek, chic contemporary kitchen. Family and guests can easily prepare meals in this uncluttered and very scenic environment.
area, Chris now notes how attractive and easy-care they are. He’s also pleased with the fullsize windows and exterior doors
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as well as the well-matched rockwork inside and out, both designs that open the refined interior to its mountain surroundings. The Grandins depended on Diana Hoyt with Deep Water Home & Electronics, a Chelan interior design firm, to make choices on everything from furnishings to paint and art, fixtures and flooring. Though she ordinarily meets with new owners regularly, in this case conflicting schedules meant they did all their work by phone and email, with Chris often acting as intermediary. The results are a combination of refined city chic and warm country lodge. Dark-grained “Lifeproof ” floors — resistant to wear and easy to maintain, are a wood look alternative. Warm white and deep chocolate wall and trim colors soften the height of the main room. Custom-painted cabinets in blue tones add a pop of personality to the white kitchen and gray toned bathrooms. The home’s multiple levels give the family and their guests several options. A large master suite on the entrance floor offers convenience;
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another bed-bath combo up in the loft level offers views. On the lowest level two bedrooms with baths flank a media room plus a wall of built-in bunks for kids (designed by the owner), and there’s easy access to the patio area and a hot tub. A wine cellar, mechanical room, mudroom, laundry room and storage all find a convenient place in the three-floor home. One fun feature is a vividly painted kids getaway cubby with Dutch door that’s tucked under the lower staircase. The Grandins enjoy their new house now, with 2020’s more mobile school and work possibilities allowing them all to occupy it a generous few weeks on and a few weeks off. The dreams and the drawings started in May 2018 and took a good team just over a year to build. Whether it remains a multigenerational vacation getaway or serves as their future fulltime home, the house set solidly into its rocky hillside is bound to be there quite a while, ready and waiting for them.
6 builders show 8 homes in virtual home tour T
Firewise and built for views, this contemporary Sadler Construction cabin (above two photos) is up the Entiat River.
This compact Real Homes rambler (above two photos) in a new Malaga neighborhood features light, bright easy care finishes. November 2020 | The Good Life
By Susan Lagsdin
he Carlisle Classic Homes retreat that’s featured here is just one of eight on November’s first-ever virtual Tour of Homes, presented by Sangster Motors and Building North Central Washington. Dealing with COVID-19 restraints this year meant exceptional changes to the annual tour. Interim BNCW CEO Amy Gustin coordinated the overall concept and the filming and marketing of the video tour. She was aided by new membership coordinator (a veteran of the local building scene) Rachel Beardslee and by executive assistant Kim Fenner, who between them secured builders and sponsors, scheduled personnel, created the tour website, managed ad sales and social media and worked closely with designers and printers. This year there’s no driving, no getting lost, no parking way down the hill, no crowds or little blue paper shoe covers — you’ll be able to visually walk through each home without interruption. You can comment and critique at will with the freedom of your phone or favorite computer screen. Here’s how to take the 2020 Virtual Tour: n Any time between Monday, Nov. 9, and Sunday, Nov. 15, log in to www.buildingncw.org/ Tour2020 to view this year’s homes. n You’ll see each house in “House Hunters” style format, a room-by-room walkabout with Eric Granstrom of NCW Life and the builder. Videography is by NCWLife. n When you’ve viewed all the www.ncwgoodlife.com
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homes, as in past years you’ll have an opportunity to vote for your favorites in different categories. n On the same site you can also see still photographs of the homes taken by Travis Knoop, floor plans, and biographies and contact information for both the builders and their sponsors. Six local builders and their related sponsors are offering recent projects for your perusal: n Carlisle Classic Homes, a tri-level family vacation home in Leavenworth (sponsored by Berggren Pool and Spa) n Lenssen Homes, a Northwest Modern Mountain home at Ravenwing Ranch south of Malaga (sponsored by Wenatchee Valley Glass) n Real Homes, two ramblers, both in Malaga (sponsored by Valencia Fencing and by Marson and Marson) n Roberts Construction, a modern rambler in East Wenatchee (sponsored by Artisan Flooring) n Sadler Construction, a Northwest Modern Mountain home in the Entiat Valley (sponsored by Laura Mounter Real Estate) and a Northwest Craftsman at Crescent Bar (sponsored by Native Network) n G.L. White Construction, a tri-level lake house on the south shore of Lake Chelan (sponsored by North Meridian Title) For updates on the Tour, go to Facebook @BuildingNCW or www.buildingncw.org. >> RANDOM QUOTE
You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will. Stephen King
Designer has the feel for space D
By Susan Lagsdin
iana Hoyt, the interior stylist with Deep Water Home & Electronics, designed much of the Carlisle Classic Builders entry in the 2020 virtual Home Tour (see related story). When asked, “What’s your very favorite all-time project to date?” she quickly answered, “The one I’m working on right now!” And then she added emphatically, “Always.” It’s that passion for performing her personal best, every single time, that has won her several awards at both Wenatchee’s annual home show and at online idea generator Houzz. She even collaborated on designs for Hotel Impossible on the Travel Channel. (You can find top ratings from dozens of recent clients on the Houzz website, as well as more samples of her work.) But the essence of her job is assuring that people are happy in their own environments. “I’ve probably worked on 100 homes in my career,” she said, “and I’ve learned is that if a room seems even slightly ‘off’ to me, the owner will probably never feel comfortable in it. “From the time friends started asking me for advice on improving their own homes, I realized I had an aptitude for interior design,” said Diana. Her own home became a
Diana created a solid traditional look in this Orondo home, with enough weight in the furnishings to complement the rock wall and structural ceiling beams. Quality leather, wool and marble were chosen to look good for years.
kind of DIY lab while she room and there’s no place learned to tile, lay floorto plug in a lamp, you have ing, refinish furniture and a problem.” paint. “I believe by now I She cited an array of can step into a room and electronic options in rightfeel what it wants to be. I’m now houses: heat and air, like an artist with a blank shades, lights, refrigerator, canvas.” She said with a doorbell, cameras, dog smile, “I used to think evtreat dispensers, fireplace, eryone could do that.” security, garage doors, It seems that an innate grills, indoor and outdoor sense of style is crucial. AV speakers and screens With the encouragement and more. of mentors, about 20 years It is possible to coordiago Diana became certinate all that with features fied in interior design and like a peaceful bedroom, worked for herself, in retail a right-sized dining table, shops and even in the good seats for the game, flooring industry, in addia comfy reading spot and tion to some stints in wine a pleasant patio. And of hospitality. Four years course, all the glamour ago, she began partnering and atmosphere that Diana Hoyt’s design aptitude, honed by her varied with Deep Water, headcomes with Diana’s expert experience in the housing industry, has led her to quartered in Chelan, after create over 100 north central Washington interiors choices in color, furnishpersuading them that their for newly built and remodeled homes. ings, art, accessories, expertise in high-tech window treatments and systems could be compleare all integrated into a warm surfaces. mented with harmonious home and welcoming space,” said Who uses a professional interiors. Diana. “You can have the most designer? Diana’s not coy about “Today’s home buyers are rehigh-tech house in the neighthe cost. An owner can typically ally interested in technology. I borhood,” she said, “But if the expect to pay from $35,000 to make sure that those systems couch is in the middle of the $55,000 for consulting and fur-
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For a poolside vacation cottage in Chelan, Diana traded northwest tradition for a bit of Scandinavian-toned sleekness: this combination of defined lines, midcentury style and vibrant colors offers the comfort and ease of care.
nishings, maybe lighting. Accessories and hard and soft surfaces (i.e. flooring, drapes) are extra. Diana’s learned from budgeting her first long-ago projects that everyone, wealthy or not, wants top value and optimum use from their investment. “I never believe it when someone says, ‘Money is no object.’ Everyone has a figure in their head.” Clients appreciate that she can save them time and money because of her friendly working relationships with builders and contractors and her deep, reliable sources of design ideas. To stay current, she’s assiduous about corresponding online with fellow professionals, attends the biannual World Furniture Mart in Las Vegas and travels to Highpoint, North Carolina, still the epicenter of the country’s furniture industry. “It’s not easy sourcing materials here in north central Washington, especially during the pandemic, so I have to work hard to meet deadlines,” she said. “There have been so many delays in shipping; I wish I could alleviate my clients’ frustration.” But, despite those slowdowns, Diana said, this half-year has brought a surprising number of eager homeowners to Deep Water. She’s happily swamped. “I’ve worked on 14 projects this summer. Half are new homes
and remodels, about half are second homes.” She speculates that despite COVID-19, a second design office in her hometown of Wenatchee could probably do very well, meaning more “favorite all-time projects” using her astute eye for what looks just right.
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Werner Janssen writes about the intriguing life of Harriet Bullitt By Werner Janssen When I retired as manager of Holden Village after 20 years of being involved in the development of the facility and community, our family moved to Leavenworth, which had become an unofficial next-step community for numerous individuals and families leaving Holden after serving as employees or volunteers. As a result of Holden contacts, I was invited to meet with Harriet Bullitt in 1993 to discuss the possibility of joining Harriet — who was the new owner of what was known as Camp Field — and Reed Carlson, a former Holden volunteer, as a member of the Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat Development and Construction team. This began a 10-year association with Harriet as an employee. Working with Harriet is a community or almost family experience rather than a job. It is an opportunity for many conversations that have nothing to do with the project or job performance. It had more to do with enjoying conversations over a meal or enjoying a glass of wine. Conversations are a good time for ideas to develop and flow as stories are shared about the challenges of life. It was during these conversations that I became intrigued with the interesting life Harriet had lived and the challenges she had experienced working through her education. The more I worked with Harriet the more I wondered why her life story had not be documented. After I retired as general manger of Sleeping Lady Mountain
Retreat in 2003, I approached Harriet about writing a book about her life. She graciously agreed. Harriet grew up in the exclusive Seattle Highlands where her grandparents lived alongside William Boeing, founder of The Boeing Company, the Nordstrom family, Harriet’s grandparents, the Stimson family of lumber fame and fortune as well as Harriet’s mother, who developed the KING Broadcasting company. Her initial school was in a one-room school house within the Seattle Highlands. Her initial exposure to religion was attending the small Episcopal church, the only church in the Highlands. Education became a challenge for Harriet while attending several private schools in the East. She began her university schooling at the University of Washington. Her interest was science and engineering but because she was the only girl in the School of Engineering, she was banned from using the library because “she was a distraction to the boys” who were all involved with ROTC and bound for military service. Young women during the years Harriet was in school found it difficult to break in to areas normally considered for men. It is ironic that Harriet’s father was a Democratic organizer in the days when the Democratic
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Party in Washington State was almost non-existent. Her father Scott, to a great extent, created the Democratic party in the state. Breakfast conversation at home growing up discussed the need to provide more opportunities for women in school and the workplace and keep children out of the mines. After her father’s death when she was only seven, her mother, Dorothy was asked by the governor to serve on some of the state committees dealing with labor disputes. Harriet’s mother was the only woman on the committee and those who were involved with the labor disputes threatened to kidnap Harriet, her brother and sister unless the committee was
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Werner Janssen was the general manager of Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat when he began to see the need for a book about Harriet Bullitt.
disbanded. Their home was outfitted with bars on the windows and a night watchman to protect the children. Harriet didn’t finish her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Washington until she was 40 years old. Her degree was in Zoology and because of her love of nature she initiated the publication of the magazine, Pacific Search, and operated the
She considered this area along Icicle Creek and into the Icicle Canyon as her spiritual home... publication for 23 years. The publication was unique in many ways but also became a launching point for some famous people such as Gary Larson of the Far Side fame as well as artists such as Art Wolfe and Tony Angell. Because of her concern for her employees, many who were volunteers, she perhaps had the first workspace in Seattle that was smoke-free. When Harriet was advertising for additional help, the Seattle PI newspaper would not run her help wanted ad because she advertised her work space as smoke-free. Following the sale of Pacific Search and her involvement in KING Broadcasting, Harriet moved to where her heart and life was the happiest, that being to the family acreage along the Icicle Creek in Leavenworth. Camp Field, the Catholic Youth Organization camp, was being sold and with Harriet being the neighboring landowner, the Yakima Diocese offered the potential to Harriet.
She considered this area along Icicle Creek and into the Icicle Canyon as her spiritual home and felt that she needed to purchase the Catholic property to protect it from any development that might desecrate the property. Harriet greatly admired Father Joe O’Grady, director or Camp Field and also wanted to maintain some sense of the spiritual nature and ambiance that had been created by Father Joe. The development of Sleeping Lady was the result. I have just completed a book titled, Conversations with Harriet Bullitt – The Development of Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat. It covers in more detail the life of Harriet Bullitt and the unique development of a space that shares art, music and a facility allowing for connection to the earth and fine dining. The book will be available in several of the locally owned bookstores as well as through the North Central Washington Library and Amazon. Werner Janssen is a former general manager of Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat, a former Chelan County Public Utility Commissioner and a lay pastor of Faith Lutheran in Leavenworth.
November 2020 | The Good Life
Werner Janssen writes that over the years, Harriet Bullitt involved community members to help guide the development of Sleeping Lady Mountain Retreat.
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>>
column THE TRAVELing DOCTOR
jim brown, m.d.
Enough of eating factory food So much of what is on packaging has no real meaning
Not long ago Lynn and I
were returning from southern California from our son’s home. For several miles, we smelled a sickening stench and wondered what it might be. As we got closer it became obvious. There were two huge cattle feed lots, each filled with over a thousand cattle fenced in and crammed together standing in filthy mud and feces. They were there to be fattened up for slaughter with a highly unnatural diet of grain and corn. They are also routinely given antibiotics and hormones to help them gain weight faster and keep them alive under otherwise miserable conditions. As it turns out over 86 percent of the meat produced in the United States is produced by four companies that use massive feed lots like this to fatten their beef. Texas Tech University suspects drug resistant bacteria found in feedlots can become airborne and lead to hard-to-treat infections. The Center for Communicable Disease and Prevention says that two million people annually get antibiotic resistant infections, and of those, 23,000 die annually. I am not blaming feedlots for these illnesses, but I do question the common indiscriminate use of antibiotics given prophylactically to feed lot animals without any medical justification. I realize this is a “business” and the goal of business is to make a profit. Lynn and I both felt disgusted
to see animals treated in such an inhumane way. This has made us question our own personal consumption of the meat in our diet. No, we didn’t become vegan, but we wanted to find a way for the food we eat from animals at least be from animals who had been treated humanely in their lifetime. The question was how can we do that. We humans currently eat on average 200 pounds of meat per person per year. For 2.6 million years, humans have been meat eaters. Prior to that time, our distant human ancestors who originated in Africa subsisted on a diet of fruits, seeds, leaves, flowers, bark and other plants. Eventually this changed. The African savannas supported grazing animals. During times of drought these animals frequently died, and then our distant ancestors started eating the meat of the dead animals. Eventually they became hunters, and around 2,000,000 years ago meat became the staple of their diet. Our brains consume about 20 percent of our body’s total energy. Scientists say that switching the diet to meat is what made our ancestors more human. Meat provides a high quality energy that caused their brains to grow rapidly. Once humans started cooking with fire, it made the meat easier to digest quickly and efficiently. Now, most of us crave meat in our diet. That said, my wife and I have decided to try to buy meat that is raised in a more humane way if possible. It seemed buying meat that was advertised to be “grass fed”
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or “pasture raised” was a way to do this. It sounds good. Right? These terms suggest that these animals were free to roam in open spaces eating grasses in the sunshine and in fresh air. Unfortunately that is not the case. There currently are no legal or government regulations to ensure that this claim is true and no legal definition for “free range’ or “pasture raised” meat in the U.S. These animals still spent most of their time in restricted environments and crowded pens in “factory farms.” “Free range” is really a marketing term, and its use is almost entirely decided by the producers. It does not reflect how these animals were actually raised or treated. The USDA has no definition for “free range” beef or pork. In the U.S., the USDA “free range” regulations only apply to poultry. For poultry to use the label free range, the chickens have to have some ability to be outdoors although there is no oversight to the quality of that environment or the time that the chickens might have access to it. I have seen videos of so-called “poultry factories” where hundreds of chickens were crammed into tiny cages where they couldn’t even flap their wings. It was depressing. As to the eggs, we love to eat the term “organic eggs,” according to the USDA, are from laying hens fed organic food, have access to the outdoors and cannot be raised in cages. Our dilemma now is how to find beef and other meat products, including poultry, that has been produced in a humane way rather than in a cattle or poultry “factory” type environment. I have looked at the meat counters in the two East
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Wenatchee local grocery stores plus Costco. It is nearly impossible to find meat with a “Humanely raised” label. Some meats have a “natural” label and say no hormones or antibiotics were used. Again “grass fed” and “pasture raised” labels to me are meaningless. Rarely some of the ground beef labels have a USDA organic label. It is very hard to find meat that doesn’t come from the big four meat U.S. producers. I was previously not aware of the nonprofit organization Humane Farm Animal Care or HFAC that certifies meat, chicken, pork, eggs and pet food or other dairy products that meet their guidelines for these products to be humanely raised. They are dedicated to improving the lives of farm animals in food production from birth through slaughter as well as expanding consumer awareness for more responsible farm animal practices. The only place I could find that offered the kind of meat we were looking for is the company called Crowd Cow, started in Seattle. They sell beef only raised on smaller Northwest farms that are raised humanely and not fattened up in giant feed lots. They ship their meat products to individual members. I joined and am hopeful that the five-star reviews are accurate. Time will tell. 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.
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 have been canceled. Chelan County has moved to phase 2 with the following businesses open with limited restrictions: • Bowling • Libraries • Movie Theaters • Museums • Restaurants • Weddings, funerals and memorial services • Town Toyota Ice Rink for private ice for practice and instruction 1 million cups, every first Wednesday of the month. 7:45 a.m. sharp. 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. Ski Hill Volunteer Work Day, 11/1. Getting Ski Hill ready for winter season. Info: skileavenworth. com. Libraries open, 11/2, Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Ferry and Okanogan Counties. Info: ncrl.org. Virtual Career Expo Series: Family and consumer sciences, 11/3, 9 a.m. – noon. Promote careers at your business to thousands of students. Sign up: info@ gwata.org. Pybus University: Olive Oil Health Benefits, 11/3, 7 p.m. Learn everything from what extra virgin olive oil means to reading product labels ensuring you get the best olive oil available and learn about the health benefits of olive oil. Class is virtual. Register: pybuspublicmarket.org. Nature Writing workshop, 11/7,
9 a.m. – noon. Write on the River presents this writing workshop as a fundraiser for the Wenatchee River Institute. The focus will be on nature writing and how to bring a place to life with your words. If you would like your writing critiqued anonymously please submit poems or 200 words of creative nonfiction addressing the workshop theme to wotrcom@gmail.com. Visit writeontheriver.org to register. Live-streamed chamber music, 11/8, 1 – 2 p.m. Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir (cello), Oksana Ejokina (piano) and Elizabeth Dorman (piano). Works from Ludwig van Beethoven and Richard Strauss. Free concert on the Icicle Creek YouTube as well as their website. Info: icicle.org. Pybus University: Bring me that left handed hammer, 11/10, 7 p.m. Can hammers really be right or left-handed? Curious about flint-knapping? Want to learn what an early vegetable scraper looked like? Join the Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village in an evening of discussion, conversation and hands-on activities geared toward collapsing the millennia between us and our ancestors. Class is virtual. Register: pybuspublicmarket.org. Land Trust Annual Celebration Virtual Event, 11/12, 7 – 8 p.m. Update from Chelan Douglas Land Trust leadership on how the year has gone, accomplishments made possible by the support of members, and a sneak peek at the year to come live via Zoom. Cost: free. Info: cdlandtrust.org. Pybus University: Endocannabinoid system education, 11/17, 7 p.m. Learn about the endocannabinoid system/ECS, the largest neurotransmitter system in your body that is considered one of the most important healthcare discoveries of the last century. The class will highlight the political history of industrial hemp, describe the ECS, review the health benefits of CBD and CBG, overview health studies and address safety and quality concerns. Class is virtual. Register: pybuspublicmarket.org. Birding Monitoring at Mountain Home Preserve, 11/19, 7 :30– 11 a.m. Would you like to spend a weekday morning hiking, viewing wildlife, wildflowers and snow-capped mountains, while November 2020 | The Good Life
being part of a small team collecting bird species data? Learn more about becoming a CDLT citizen scientist volunteer by contacting Susan Ballinger at susan@cdlantrust.org or 667-9708. Live-streamed chamber music, 11/22, 1 – 2 p.m. Oksana Ejokina (piano), Elizabeth Dorman (piano). Works from J.S. Bach and Franz Schubert. Free concert on the Icicle Creek YouTube as well as their website. Info: icicle.org. Indigenous language class, 11/24, 12/1, 8, 15, 29. Join Annette Timentwa, Language Curriculum Coordinator for the Colville Confederated Tribes Language Department, for a 5-week basic introduction class on the nselxcin language. The class will cover Moses-Columbian language history, phonetics/ orthography, vocabulary and grammar. Must register: wenatcheeriverinstitute.org. Turkey Run 12k and 5k and kids race, 11/26. Walla Walla Point Park. Info: runwenatchee.com Live-streamed chamber music, 12/6, 1 – 2 p.m. Hoorig Poochikian (violin), Christie Chen (cello), and Oksana Ejokina (piano). Works from Francis Poulenc, Gabriela Lena Frank, and Felix Mendelssohn. Free concert on the Icicle Creek YouTube as well as their website. Info: icicle. org.
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Local museums have started reopening The Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center (WVMCC) will be open to the public five days a week, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., starting Nov. 3. The museum will be offering limited capacity timed ticketed entry. Reservations may be made on the website at wenatcheevalleymuseum.org or by calling the Museum’s Guest Services at 888-6240. The museum is showing a new featured exhibit, “Raising Our Voice: Empowering Women,” celebrating the centennial of women’s suffrage in the United States. The newly relocated Greater Leavenworth Museum is now open to residents and visitors. From the Wenatchi First Peoples to the present, visitors can learn about the community’s unique history. Open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily at 735 Front Street, right above The Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum.
>>
column those were the days
rod molzahn
Ditch masters
Shotwell brothers often called upon to bring water to thirsty orchards
Mike Horan described the
Wenatchee Valley of 1889 in a 1906 Christmas Edition of the Republic newspaper. “To begin with, there was all the sunshine you could use, lots of land that was worthless, plenty of water with no way to get it to the land, and no money … While all of us knew that the place ought to be alright, there seemed no way to make it so.” The Shotwell brothers, Jake, Joe and Harvey were determined to get water to the land and make it “alright.” Irrigation was the answer and ditches were the means to make it happen. Irrigation ditches came in all sizes and lengths from less than a mile to the Highline Canal at 16 miles. Some were the work of an individual farmer built to water their fields and no more. Most were built by groups of neighboring farmers using their own dollars and labor to serve up to five or more homesteads. No public funds were used to construct any of the ditches in the Wenatchee Valley. Small ditches were often no more than a trench hand dug with pick, shovel and muscle power. Larger projects made use of horse drawn scrapers and plows. There was no power equipment or electricity. Water couldn’t be pumped from the rivers so the systems had to be gravity powered. A civil engineer was often needed to determine how far up a stream the water needed to be diverted to provide a downhill route to the river level farms at the end of the ditch. If the ditch had to cross gullies and canyons or skirt around a rock face, as was often the
The men began with enthusiasm. The work broke their shovels, picks and plows but not their spirit. They reached Cashmere before losing the will to go on. case, wooden flumes were built to pass water over and around obstacles. On rare occasions piping was used in place of a ditch, though that was expensive. The Shotwell brothers were involved in the construction of several irrigation ditches in the upper Wenatchee Valley. Harvey Shotwell was superintendent, engineer and surveyor for the construction of the 12-mile long Peshastin ditch that took 12 years, 1889 -1901, to build. The ditch takes water from the south bank of Peshastin Creek, two miles above its mouth. It irrigates farms down the south side of the Cashmere Valley. The ditch and flume system was constructed by farmers served by the ditch. They got shares in the ditch in exchange for their labor. In 1891, Jake Shotwell homesteaded 160 acres on the north bank of the Wenatchee River just below Brown’s Flat (Monitor). That same year he began construction of a ditch from the Wenatchee River to his land. Wendall Stevens, who owned a mercantile store on Miller Street in “Old Town” Wenatchee, had a ranch below Shotwell’s and prevailed on Jake to extend his ditch to the Stevens’ land.
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A deal was struck when Stevens agreed to provide food for the construction crew throughout the project. With well-fed workers, the ditch was completed by the end of 1891, delivering water to both ranches. Jake had a lot of water available, much more than was needed for his and Stevens’ lands. After preliminary surveys done by Jake’s brother, Harvey, it was clear that the ditch could be extended to bring water to all of Burch Flat, below Ohme Gardens and, with a pipe on a trestle bridge across the Wenatchee River, water could also be delivered to the north end of the Wenatchee Flat. It was also clear to Jake that he couldn’t afford to do that by himself. Jake presented his plan to real estate developer, Arthur Gunn, who owned much of the Burch Flat land. Gunn was impressed and very interested in increasing the value of his land. He presented the plan to J.J. Hill and the Great Northern Railroad. Hill also liked the plan and agreed to provide financing for the project. What was good for the town was good for the Great Northern. The Gunn Ditch to Burch Flat and the pipeline across the Wenatchee River were delivering water by 1898. A year later 5- and 10-acre tracts with water rights were selling for $140 per acre. Everyone was happy. In 1895, Jake Shotwell bought 320 acres of excellent land on the north side of the Wenatchee River between Cashmere and Monitor called Warner Flat. With a southern exposure and a gentle slope to the river it was prime agricultural land if it could be irrigated. Without
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water it was not worth much. Jake had a plan. He divided the land into 20acre parcels and sold them in exchange for the buyer’s labor on the biggest ditch yet in the Valley. Jake’s brother, Harvey Shotwell, did the surveys for the proposed canal. It ran from a headgate on the north (left) bank of the Wenatchee River a quarter mile west of Dryden to just above Monitor. It was a sizable undertaking. The men began with enthusiasm. The work broke their shovels, picks and plows but not their spirit. They reached Cashmere before losing the will to go on. Ben Chapman, one of the 20acre men, summed it up. “What broke our backs was the hill opposite to Cashmere. To build a flume around that mountain, or tunnel through it would have taken a lot of money which we did not have.” The work stopped and the ditch went unused for nearly two years until M.O. Tibbets arrived on the scene. Tibbets purchased several tracts of land of considerable size on the north side of the Wenatchee River above Cashmere. He acquired, from Jake Shotwell, the rights to the ditch including the out-take at Dryden to its end at Cashmere where he rerouted it to his newly purchased acreage. With that water, Tibbets developed fine orchards and pastures. Jake Shotwell had to wait several years before an opportunity came for him to profit from his
The out-take was one mile above Cashmere and the ditch, as planned, would be a short, easy one-and-ahalf miles long. They hadn’t gone far when they were approached by a contingent of farmers from the Monitor area. 320-acres on Warner Flat. In 1899, Alonzo Collins Jones, soon to be Cashmere’s first mayor, bought a small orchard in the midst of what would grow to be Cashmere. He saw quickly that Mission Creek would not supply enough water for his trees. “What water we had came from Mission Creek, which had a habit of leaving our ditches dry when the need of water was most urgent.” Jones knew he needed help and went to propose the plan to Joseph Shotwell, brother to Jake and Harvey and uncle to Jake’s son Harry. Joe Shotwell had settled in the Cashmere area in the late 1880s and had some of brother Jake’s land on Warner Flat. Joe Shotwell borrowed surveying equipment from his brother, Harvey, and A.C. Jones did the survey
and drew plans for the ditch. The out-take was one mile above Cashmere and the ditch, as planned, would be a short, easy one-and-a-half miles long. They hadn’t gone far when they were approached by a contingent of farmers from the Monitor area. Their orchards were growing larger, their trees were getting bigger and their water needs were growing with them. They wanted Jones and Shotwell to extend the ditch by 5.5 miles to their ranches. That added distance was over difficult terrain needing expensive flume work. The Monitor men swung the deal when they offered to provide labor and financing for the extension. The work began in earnest. Water was delivered to Cashmere lands on June 7, 1902. By the spring of 1903 the seven-mile ditch serving 700 acres reached Monitor. During the same years that the Jones/Shotwell ditch was built, the Highline Canal was also constructed. It used the same out-take near Dryden that Harvey Shotwell had found and followed the same route surveyed by Harvey for brother Jake’s 320 acres on Warner Flat. 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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Feasting for the holidays, revised W
By Susan Sampson
ith winter holidays approaching, but with a pandemic still rampant and social isolation still de rigueur, I’m re-envisioning my plans for holiday feasts. I don’t foresee a 22-pound golden-brown turkey presented to a crowd of relatives seated around the dining table like models for a Norman Rockwell painting. With the family scattered from Alaska to Arizona, Washington state to Washington, D.C., I see a wimpy Cornish game hen for just my husband and me. Afterwards, instead of a cutthroat Scrabble tournament, we’ll kick back and listen to music that’s nostalgic, like Metallica or Led Zeppelin. This isn’t the first time that many of us, children of the comfort food era of the 1950s, have resisted tradition, but found our way back to it. My husband spent his early teens in Rio de Janeiro, where a holiday meal meant the Brazilian national dish, feijoada, a stew of black beans and mixed meats, chased with a shot of cachaça, sugar cane spirits. He’d still prefer it to turkey. However, traditionally it’s made with pig tails, trotters and ears, and I won’t be cooking that. For many of us, the break in
Home for vacation, (my sister) studied Diet for a Small Planet, crowded into the kitchen with Mom (who said it was a “one rump kitchen”), and labored for hours to make us a soybean dish. tradition came when we left home for college. My sister Sandy was artistic. When she got her own first apartment, she tried decorating a cake. We’d had cake at home, but plain, not decorated. Sandy’s cake tasted fine, the frosting tasted fine, but the frosting looked like a pile of green worms, and nobody would touch it. Sandy was attracted by the ecology movement. She became convinced that we should eat more vegetables and less meat. The idea wasn’t bad: Eating vegetables was more efficient and better land use than feeding plants to cows, turning the cows into meat, and eating the meat. Home for vacation, she studied
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Diet for a Small Planet, crowded into the kitchen with Mom (who said it was a “one rump kitchen”), and labored for hours to make us a soybean dish. Mom pursed her lips like she did when she scolded a bad kid, and served the soy at dinner, next to a platter of pork chops fried in Wesson oil. When my younger son came home from college for a holiday, I did my best doting mother act, and offered him anything he wanted to eat. I was thinking of shrimp cocktail, green salad with vinaigrette dressing, baked potato with all the fixings, and rib steak. Without hesitation, he asked for the classical menu of college kids, food that was quick, inexpensive and filling: Top Ramen, with Jello for dessert. When I offer my nieces copies of my mother’s 1950s recipes, they laugh uproariously about spaghetti made with hamburger and Campbell’s tomato soup, chili made with hamburger and Campbell’s tomato soup, beef stroganoff made with hamburger and Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, and casserole made with hamburger, onions, carrots, potatoes, and Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup. They eat millennials’ food, like tofu. Surely that can never become a tradition.
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I have never cared for mushroom soup, but frankly, I like some Susan Sampson other ’50s retired with dishes, like her husband to my mother’s Wenatchee in 2009 tamale casafter practicing law in Seattle for serole: 35 years. n Slice a couple of cans of tamales into 1 inch segments to cover the bottom of a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan. (I use about six great big frozen tamales from Costco.) n Mix together a can of Campbell’s tomato soup, a can of beans or chili, a can of creamed corn, and a can of black olives, drained. n Pour it over the tamales and top with 4 oz. grated cheddar cheese. n Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until it’s warmed through. I could have sworn that the original recipe called for dusting the top with cornflakes, too, but I don’t see that on my mother’s stained old recipe card. With just two of us at home for the holidays, this recipe will still deliver a benefit of family traditional cooking that we haven’t given up — leftovers!
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