Good Life March 2013 by The Good Life

FALLING INTO PUPPY LOVE Y EVENTS CALENDAR

WENATCHEE VALLEY’S

NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE

March 2013

Price: $3

on the move again

A new journey calls out, and they decide to answer

Tell us a story about

your best day

A new look at energy savings Take advantage of rebates on: • energy-efficient windows • insulation • ductless heat pumps

in the past year, and perhaps win a prize

Coming this spring: • cash for your old refrigerator • appliance rebates • manufactured home duct sealing

See us at the KPQ Home and Garden Show March 8-10

facebook.com/LightlyNewsAndTips

As The Good Life celebrates another birthday this spring, we’re curious... it has been a good year for us, has it been good for you? Selected stories may be published in the June issue Aim for 200-400 words per story, and include photos

Send your stories to: editor@ncwgoodlife.com

10 First Street, #108, Wenatchee, WA 98801 • 888-6527 www.ncwgoodlife.com

www.chelanpud.org

Contents

page 27

exposed! a tiny, tiny home

Features

running up the stairs

Douglas County firefighter Seth Ellis is dressed and ready to speedily climb 69 floors — 1,311 steps — as if the building is on fire

8 packing for a new journey

Ralph and Candice Reed are willing to travel light when a new adventure calls

10 vacation rentals by owners

Lance Stegemann went looking for a place to stay — and found a new way of looking at vacation rentals

Celebrate our local wineries at

WENATCHEE WINE WEEK

12 they call it puppy love

Finding a new dog to replace the almost perfect Duffy was no easy task for grieving pet owners

14 thawing out in death valley

Plenty to see in Death Valley beyond the rays of the sun

16 wild about ivy wild

Owners Richard and Ashley Kitos have made a business and a home-away-from-home in a historical Wenatchee house

ART SKETCHES

March 11-16

The Week of March 11th is a celebration of the award- winning wines that are produced in our own back yard! We have a week of tasting events, a winemaker's dinner, and a Shamrock Wine Walk planned for all wine enthusiasts to have a chance to enjoy local wines!

Schedule

March 11 - Happy Hour at the Grape Wine Bar

n Miniaturist Rosie Shipman, page 27 n Author Fred Melton, page 31

March 12 - Jazz Night at Caffe Mela with Red Blend tasting March 13 - Sensational Syrah Night at Tastebuds

Columns & Departments 20 June Darling: In the flow, feeling fine 23 Bonnie Orr: Onions make meals tastier 24 The traveling doctor: Having trouble sleeping? 26 Pet Pix: Oh, Stella, what a big baby you are 27-31 Arts & Entertainment & a Dan McConnell cartoon 32 History: Diseases arrived before the white man 33 The night sky this month: Watch for comet 34 Alex Saliby: Where do flavors in wine come from? March 2013 | The Good Life

March 14 - A winemaker's dinner at the Wine Thief March 15 - Cabernet Sauvignon tasting at The Wine Thief March 16 - Shamrock Wine Walk, 1-6 pm. For more information call

(509) 669-5808

or go to www.wenatcheewines.com

www.ncwgoodlife.com

OPENING SHOT

Year 7, Number 3 March 2013 The Good Life is published by NCW Good Life, LLC, dba The Good Life 10 First Street, Suite 108 Wenatchee, WA 98801 PHONE: (509) 888-6527 EMAIL: editor@ncwgoodlife.com sales@ncwgoodlife.com ONLINE: www.ncwgoodlife.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com/pages/ The-Good-Life Editor/Publisher, Mike Cassidy Contributors, Sy Stepanov, Candice Reed, Lance Stegemann, Lisa Therrell, Lief Carlsen, Donna Cassidy, Bonnie Orr, Alex Saliby, Jim Brown, June Darling, Dan McConnell, Susan Lagsdin and Rod Molzahn Advertising sales, Lianne Taylor and Donna Cassidy Bookkeeping and circulation, Donna Cassidy Proofing, Dianne Cornell Ad design, Rick Conant 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 10 First Street, Suite 108 Wenatchee, WA 98801

fawns in a fresh field I

n the spring, it’s natural to see newborns in the wild.

And while Chelan photographer Sy Stepanov actually took this photo in August a few years ago, it still feels like a spring photo, which is what we are looking forward to here at The Good Life. Sy said, “I was driving back

Phone 888-6527 Online: www.ncwgoodlife.com To subscribe/renew by email, send credit card info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com BUY A COPY of The Good Life at Hastings, Caffé Mela (Wenatchee and East Wenatchee), Walgreens (Wenatchee and East Wenatchee), the Wenatchee Food Pavilion, Mike’s Meats, Martin’s Market Place (Cashmere) and A Book for All Seasons (Leavenworth)

from Rainy Lake as I came upon an alfalfa field with a scattered herd of deer. “I was taking some images when I decided to see what reaction I would get if I yelled at them. The two fawns quickly gazed in my direction and I took the shot.” He took the photo using a Nikon D700 and 70-200 2.8 lens. You can see more of Sy’s photos — which cover the year around from his Chelan vantage point — at www.stepanovphotography.com. He also has posted a collection of time-lapse footage taken in and around beautiful Lake Chelan Valley at http://www.youtube. com/watch?v=lNpZtIP5v9Y. He has a video from the 2013 Chelan Winterfest at https://vimeo.com/57910386.

On the cover

ADVERTISING: For information about advertising in The Good Life, contact advertising at (509) 8886527, or sales@ncwgoodlife.com

“We took this photo this winter at the house here in Chelan,” said Candice Reed, who is joined by her husband, Ralph. “It was the first snow and we ran and got dressed, grabbed the tripod and some wine and took our own photo.” The couple liked the photo so much they sent it out as a Christmas card.

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

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| March 2013

editor’s notes

MIKE CASSIDY

Ever notice that ‘what the hell’ is usually the right decision? In our teens and early 20s, we

learned the value of saying “No” even as our hormones and thrillseeking side screamed “Yes!” But, like a lot of stuff we learned in our younger lives, that knowledge has become dated. I can type on a manual typewriter and my left hand automatically reaches up to return the carriage; I can develop Kodak film and print photos on an enlarger in a darkroom, I can multiply 12 times 8 in my head

without checking the calculator on my cell phone. These skills are not valuable now, and they needed to be replaced with new skills. Just like at some point in your life, a person needs to learn the new skill of saying “Yes!” as the first response. I borrowed the headline for this column from a birthday card I recently gave a friend. The photo on the card’s cover shows a teen racing toward a riverbank while leaping with gusto into the air.

March 2013 | The Good Life

Recapturing that zest for life — as many of our writers at The Good Life have learned — is to say “Yes.” By doing so, they are finding their lives richer and more meaningful. Candice Reed and her husband Ralph are this month’s poster couple for this attitude. It’s difficult to read her story on page 8 and not come away wondering what happened to your own individual spirit of saying “what the hell.” Though, Candice does admit to worrying sometimes. “I’m a writer and the checks never come on time so that freaks me out... but other than that, I was born with the happy gene. My husband was as well. “He did however say yesterday that if the France thing works out (read Candice’s story to see what she is referring to) he is ready to go… but the older he gets he worries about adventures a little more than he used to. Guess that’s why he married someone 10 years younger!

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“Besides, at this point there’s nothing I can do but enjoy the life I was given!” Speaking of living with gusto — What was your best day in the past year? Maybe it occurred during a trip of a lifetime, a change of careers, welcoming a newcomer to the family, or finally striking out on that long-held dream. Or, maybe you overcame adversity to find a new road to travel. Send me an email, 200 to 400 words or so in length, telling the story around your Best Day. If you have photos, include a few. We are putting together a fun prize to award to the writer of one of the stories. And while prizes are nice, the real joy comes is reliving and remembering your best day. And, using that experience to aim for more Best Days. Work on the skill of saying “yes” more often. Enjoy The Good Life you have in your hands. — Mike

WHAT TO DO see COMPLETE LISTINGs BEGINning ON PAGE 28

Time, you’re a friend of ours W

ith the coming of Daylight Saving Time on March 10 and spring (officially on March 20), there’s more evening time to enjoy the indoors and more light to enjoy outside activities. Here’s a sampler of fun ideas selected from our What To Do list: Music for the Heart and Soul — Entertainment by The

Old Time Fiddlers, Village Voices, Columbia Chorale, Common Bond 5, Wenatchee Apollo Club, Appleaires and Mariachi Huenachi. Proceeds will benefit Mobile Meals of Wenatchee, a United Way non-profit organization that provides hot meals to clients that qualify to remain in their homes. First United Methodist Church, 941 Washington Street, Wenatchee. Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Info: 665-6254 or mobilemealsofwenatchee.org. 7 p.m. Friday, March 8.

Hoping for wind: Entiat Kite Festival Saturday, March. 30. Wenatchee Wine Week — A

St. Patrick’s Day Parade —

celebration of the award-winning wines that are produced locally. A week of tastings, a winemaker’s dinner and a Shamrock Wine Walk. Info: wenatcheewines.com. Monday through Saturday, March 11-16.

The shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade Route in the World. One block long at the corner of Orondo and Mission Street, Wenatchee. 5ish p.m., Sunday, March 17. Cashmere St. Patrick’s Day Parade — Riverside Center,

Annual Benefit Dinner and Dessert Auction — Catho-

lic Family & Child Service of Wenatchee celebrates St. Patrick’s Day at this annual dinner. Guest speaker will be Clayton Holmes, a former defensive back for the Dallas Cowboys and three time Superbowl winner. (Clayton is also a former cover subject of The Good Life.) Dinner is catered by The Ivy Wild followed by an auction of delectable desserts by distinguished

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Cashmere. Info: wenatcheevalley.org. 7ish, Sunday, March 17.

Oh joy! Not one but two St. Pat’s Day parades.

local culinarians. Music by All Strings Considered. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Kuykendall Hall. Cost: $30. Info: 662-6761. 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16.

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| March 2013

Entiat Kite Festival — Free

kites for kids. Food vendors, kite related paraphernalia and a kite fighting team will demonstrate their skills. Kiwanis Park in Entiat along Highway 97/A. Cost: free. Info: Alan Moen 784-5101 or alanmoen@nwi.net. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 30.

Volunteers

Racing up stairs like a building is on fire Why would anyone want to

walk up the stairs of the tallest office building in Seattle — 1,311 steps, 69 floors, 788 vertical feet — much less charge up those stairs to reach the top in about 12 minutes? And, do the climbing while wearing 40 pounds of firefighter gear? There’s one local firefighter who wants to do exactly that. And, he’s pumped for it. Seth Ellis, a firefighter for Douglas County Fire District #2 in East Wenatchee, is competing in the Scott Firefighter Stair Climb along with about 1,550 firefighters from around the world with the goal of raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Seth is one of 21 local firefighters who plan to raise money by competing in the event held at the Columbia Tower in Seattle on March 10. “If I were to describe to my peers why I do the climb I tell them I have the strongest desire to make myself be in the best physical shape possible,” said Seth. Firefighters worldwide die young from the stresses of the job, with heart attacks and strokes being the biggest killers. “By doing this event I can inspire others to compete with me, train with me and hopefully prevent what kills us the most,” said Seth. “Its funny to tell people what you are training for because they think it is the worst sounding competition ever. I tell them the event is the easy part, the training for the event is the part that is brutal!” Seth said he enjoys participat-

ing in local fundraisers. While he hasn’t needed the services of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, just knowing the aid they provide has driven him to be one of the top fundraisers for the event by raising over $2,500. “Our six-man team from Douglas County Fire District #2 has set our goals to raise $10,000,” he said. Seth trains year Seth Ellis waits for his turn at last year’s Scott Firearound, hiking such fighter Stair Climb. trails as Saddle Rock, Rooster Comb is 69 floors. You start on floor and Thimble, “and just picking a 4. You end on floor 73. Who in steep hillside and going for it.” their right mind wouldn’t think He snowshoes in the winter it started on floor 1 and end on at Mission Ridge, trains on floor 69? Seemed logical to me. equipment at the fire station, “Little did I know, I saw floor plays hockey in a men’s league 59 in the stairwell and said to and eats healthy while trying myself — in between gasping to avoid any sickness, illness or for my breath — ‘I have 10 floors injury. to go!’ I gave it everything I had This will be Seth’s fifth stair left in my tank, just to get let climb. down by the ‘cheerleader’ in the “My first year I learned a valu- stairwell at floor 69 telling me, able lesson,” he said. “The climb ‘Almost there, push harder, only

March 2013 | The Good Life

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four more floors!’ Talk about being let down!” Seth climbs in his firefighting gear, consisting of leather boots, bunker pants, bunker coat, helmet, gloves, SCBA (air pack) and mask which attaches to the SCBA. “We are dressed as if we were to enter into a burning building and run up the dreaded stairs!” he said. Seth also carries one more piece of gear: his iPod with a stair climb music mix to get his feet pumping. The general public can participate in the same grueling event without firefighting gear on the Sunday after the Firefighter Stair Climb. For information, visit www. bigclimb.org. For information on how to sponsor Seth in his climb, visit: www.firefighterstairclimb. org; click on: Donate Box; under participant enter: Seth Ellis.

update

Up for something new again A new journey beckons, and, you know, why not? By Candice Reed

It’s been almost four years

since my husband Ralph and I left San Diego, selling our longtime home under duress for a job and a rental in Chelan. Gone were the big writing paychecks from corporations and syndicated newspapers. Gone was my husband’s longtime career in the health food grocery industry and along with it, health insurance. We never really thought we would leave San Diego, having both been born in the Southern California city, but we spoke endlessly about moving to a small town. When times became too tough and I was offered a writing job on a lake I couldn’t even pronounce correctly, we thought, “Why the hell not?” We planned to stay for two years and stayed twice as long. We have traveled around the state trying to discover as much as we could. We went snowshoe-

ing in Winthrop and drove over the Cascades in every type of weather. We found a B&B under the shadow of Mount Baker and a fancy hotel on the Sound. We always traveled with our passports, a toothbrush and our bathing suits — just in case we decided to keep driving. We crossed the border into Canada and savored the wine up and down the Naramata Bench. Friends came to visit and we showed off our new home. I called Wenatchee “The Big City,” and appreciated it more than I thought at first sight. We drove to Spokane, Idaho and Montana and to Seattle and over to the Hood Canal. We bought a fiberglass boat and spent practically every summer afternoon floating on Lake Chelan scouting for big horn sheep, brown bears and cougars. We waved to the Lady of the Lake tourists as she cruised past and met up with friends, watching the sun set behind the Cascades from our boats while

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listening to country music and drinking beers. Many afternoons Ralph would ride his bike to the nearby 25-Mile Creek campground and kayak to the other side of the lake. I would write on deadline for various publications and pause to look up from my computer to watch him paddle to a beach and hike up into the trees. Hours later he would paddle by again and yell for me to pick him up at the campground — and to bring a bottle of wine. Summers end way too soon when you live on a lake. Now we find ourselves packing again. “I hate packing,” my husband Ralph repeats over and over, but I ignore him. He wasn’t ready to leave Chelan last fall when I was itching to move on. In January, when my mother who lives on Orcas Island mentioned she would be wintering in California, it only took me five minutes to hatch an idea.

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Candice Reed’s story of leaving a mortgage and a home behind for a new adventure on Lake Chelan was the cover article of the September 2010 issue.

“Hey, you want to house-sit my mom’s house until July and then figure out another place to land?” I asked. My husband looked up. “Free rent?” he asked with a smile. I nodded. “What the hell, let’s do it.” Money has always been tight, but when I convinced my husband to retire when he turned 62 it became more so. Somehow it doesn’t matter. We save our pennies to travel to meet friends and family and to find new adventures. Whenever a writing job disappears I find another. Ralph has taken over the

chores of cleaning and often cooking. He works in the yard trimming trees and caring for the lawn and hikes and bikes around the lake until we both get the urge to jump in the car and find a pub or a café in an unknown part of Washington. Now we have the opportunity to move to Orcas Island so we pack the family photos once again. I ignore my husband’s muttering because I know he’s secretly thrilled to save money for six months while playing on the island. Friends often look at us like we’re crazy because we no longer have a house to call a home, but we’re deliriously happy we don’t have a 30-year mortgage staring us in the face every month. We have one credit card and hardly any bills, two older vehicles that are paid for and a little money in the bank. I can write anywhere there is Internet so we can pack for a trip whenever the paychecks arrive in the mail. A new journey is calling out to us. A storage unit is the new home for my couches and pot and pans until we decide where we’re going after our stay on Orcas. Central California is a good bet being that it’s near enough to family and friends, but it’s also an area that we haven’t yet discovered. New hiking trails, beaches and forests and lakes to enjoy. Restaurants, wineries and real Mexican food is starting to entice us back to our home state. Then again, there might be an opportunity to house-sit in another city or state, even France. Recently, I applied to house-sit a chateau in Normandy, France. The owner wrote back and I showed my husband the website of the Napoleon III chateau situated on 50 acres, 90 minutes from Paris. The owners need a retired couple to help with house and the grounds. “Go for it,” Ralph told me as I emailed the owner that we are interested.

Moments later my brother-inlaw from San Diego called and I heard my husband excitedly tell him of our move to the San Juan Islands and the possibility of a move to California or France. “He doesn’t get it,” my husband told me when he hung up. “He can’t imagine leaving the only city he’s ever known. He won’t even travel more than five hours on a plane.” He sighed, sad for his brother’s lack of adventure and then smiled again. “If the France thing doesn’t work out look for something else, you never know, we could move to Spain or Italy,” he said. “Are you up for something completely new again? I stopped packing my grandmother’s china and looked up at the man I have been married to for more than 30 years and grinned at him. “Why the hell not?” Candice Reed is a freelance writer and co-author of Thank You For Firing Me! and Stealing Homes.

March 2013 | The Good Life

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A NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT

VACATION RENTALS By Lance Stegemann

coming ambiance of our rustic retreat. Trudging in from bout four years the cold night air and ago my wife and I were with snow covering the attending my older somewhat obscure stone brother’s wedding in walkway, we found the Bayview, Idaho, about fireplace inside already 225 plus miles east from lit and throwing out an where we now live in abundance of radiant East Wenatchee. heat. We were brainstormOpening the front ing on where we might door was like entering find a place to stay since a tropical climate that a hotel room was out of contrasted sharply with the question. As with the chilly temperatures most wedding plans, my outside. Shedding off our brother and sister in-law heavy winter gear, the to be had enough on snow and ice immeditheir proverbial plate, so ately began to melt from we wanted to spare them the packed lug soles of the extra burden of find- This vacation cabin was a surprising find in St. Regis, Montana where writer Lance Stegemann our boots and formed a ing us a place. and family stayed for New Year’s. small puddle of water at That’s when we started our feet. perusing the Internet and came the place seem much larger than narrow the field. Nearby conveniences and your budget is also Once settled in, we were hapacross the VRBO website. VRBO it actually was. The kitchen something to consider, so depily enjoying the comfort of our stands for Vacation Rental by was fully stocked with all the pending on what you’re looking new found sanctuary. The dogs Owner, which has proven to be domestic appliances we might for, there are plenty of choices were pleased as well and quickly a valuable asset when it comes need including various pots, that address both. made themselves at home near to finding that home away from pans, utensils, knives, coffee Our most recent trip found the warmth of the stove. home, or in some cases even maker, electric skillet and even a Barbara and I in St. Regis, The owner had thoughtfully better than home! waffle maker. It was as if we had Montana for New Year’s Eve. My left us a plate of delicious cookThe place we had found in brought our kitchen along with brother Shannon and sister inies on the counter with a welBayview lived up to all our us; all we needed to bring were law Este from Spokane decided come note and several phone expectations and was located the groceries. to go with us. numbers if any issues should on the second floor of a very We were instantly sold on this We loaded the car down arise. contemporary looking condonew way of looking at travel acwith all the usual assortment She also had a list of the local minium. commodations. of wear-worthy gear and apattractions, maps and mileage It had a nautical decorative We started looking into variparatus to make it through a to nearby towns, the ski resort theme with a great view of the ous locations we might want to three-day weekend of recreation and hot springs. We had literbay and surrounding mountains. visit and plugged in the nearest and leisure. We had also packed ally found the Shangri-La of the From our living room window town and state. A list of homes, mountains with the Clark Fork we could watch the boats as they condominiums and cabins filled enough food and clothing to supply a much larger group than River within walking distance of came and went and each eveour computer screen. what our own diminutive party our front door. ning the sky produced a stunEach one had several interior consisted of plus ample supplies The neighbor and caretaker of ning display of color as the sun and exterior photos, a brief for three extremely energetic the place also paid us a visit to made its way over the distant description of amenities and canine companions. see how things were going. Talk horizon. nearby attractions, along with By the time we arrived at the about some first rate service! The rooms were extremely posted reviews from guests who cabin about three miles east of Once settled into the cabin, comfortable and well furnished. had stayed there. The reviews we spent the next couple of days The vaulted ceilings, open floor are a good indicator on what you St. Regis, we were once again exploring some of the nearby plan and hardwood floors made can expect, and it really helps to pleasantly surprised by the wel-

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| March 2013

... a soak in the local hot springs and a hot meal was the perfect antidote for some exceedingly sore leg muscles. trails. The hiking was somewhat difficult and steep but there were plenty of scenic observation points to keep us pushing to go higher. We saw several mountain sheep negotiating the steep rock cliffs just the other side of the Clark Fork River. I wanted to take a few photos but didn’t have the right lens to keep the sheep from looking like small dots on a large rock face. By the end of the day we were pretty much spent from all the hiking in the snow, so a soak in the local hot springs and a hot

Shannon, Barbara and Este share a warm cup of coffee along the trail.

meal was the perfect antidote for some exceedingly sore leg muscles. Evening found us quietly relaxing at the cabin collapsed in an overstuffed armchair or lazily dozing by the fire with one of the various books from the owner’s eclectic library. It was truly a life of luxury and

our three-day stay had gone by much too quickly. On our way home we were already discussing where our next destination might take us. My wife Barbara’s vote was to unquestionably go somewhere a bit warmer and much farther south; maybe Florida or Arizona. Despite the variation in our

location preference, we are both in agreement as to the type of places we like to stay. Usually we try to pick something with a scenic view, roomy open floor plan, a user-friendly kitchen, and central to the activities or sights we are considering. I can’t say that traveling by using VRBO is for everyone, and there may be some negative experiences out there, but we have been pleasantly surprised by what we’ve discovered so far. In our experience, the homeowners have been the added bonus with a willingness to make our stay pleasant and share in a wealth of local knowledge and information. We will certainly be looking forward to our next trip and what other unique places are out there to visit. You can find VRBO by going to http://www.vrbo.com. Lance Stegemann and his wife Barbara are residents of East Wenatchee. They enjoy traveling and outdoor recreation with their two Australian Shepherd dogs.

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CALL 509-667-7507 FOR AN APPOINTMENT VISIT US ONLINE AT WVMEDICAL.COM March 2013 | The Good Life

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Susan walks Duffy on the east side loop trail. Duffy was a recognized regular and greeted many friends there, human and canine, over the years.

THEY CALL IT

PUPPY LOVE By Susan Lagsdin

This isn’t going to be a sad

dog story. It’s going to be a happy one. Well, OK, a little sad at the start. Our Duffy dog died a year ago, after 13 years of being young, half a year of being old, one week of feeling lousy and one day dying. The first Standard Poodle that Mike and I had ever met, Duffy, had all the qualities that poodle aficionados love: brains, grace and charm — which were so obvious we never bragged about him; we’d just murmur “thank you” and pass on the compliments. Now our hands and hearts were empty, and for months nothing floorward in our house held any interest. Once I wept in the pet aisle at Freddies, my comeuppance for deliberately squeezing a stuffed hedgehog throw toy. At first, I’d hold a big dogsized pillow when I read or watched TV, and it took months before either of us could look at the front yard gate left open without “Oh no! Where’s Duffy gone?!!” We healed our grief gradually and decided last summer it was finally time for another dog to

FOUND! A puppy to fill holes in a couple of hearts.

share our home. We really wanted a Standard Poodle again. Their good nature is hard to beat and the fact that they don’t shed — not a hair, nary a dander — was good for

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both the allergic spouse and the mediocre housekeeper spouse. Now, our Duffy wasn’t a rescue dog, but he did come from a somewhat sketchy environment when we got him as a teenage

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pup (too many dogs, too many kids, one had to go, it wasn’t going to be a kid). We decided this time around to step up in the dog world and actually approach respectable poodle breeders. Ever notice when you overresearch an item sometimes you learn too much? We realized we were in deep unknown waters as we searched for a “pet quality” purebred puppy we could afford — the criteria for ownership were stringent, and the guarantees on the dogs were equally impressive (guarantee? you ask, on a dog?) Our first eye opener was CHIC, the Canine Health Information Center that serious dog people depend on. It’s a registry of blood test and X-ray results that predict the likelihood of breed-specific disorders. Not in the puppy, oh no — in the parents and grandparents on both sides! I scoured the websites of breeders and exhibitors of purebred show dogs. At one, the legal documents for ownership included verification of the date of neutering and the brand of puppy food it must eat, and stringent rules for staying germfree at the first vet check. Another stipulated a coownership arrangement if/when the dog is professionally shown. One offered a special rate, which

The average price was like a new refrigerator... included airfare, to hand deliver a new puppy anywhere in the country. I learned that often a buyer doesn’t “pick” a dog from the “litter” (there goes the “pick of the litter” myth) but the breeder may, after a personal interview and application, choose the dog that can go home with you. Once I couldn’t in the tiniest of fine print detect anything like a purchase price. When I finally weaseled it out of the breeder and almost fainted, she explained there are no “pet quality” dogs because all her dogs were of equal value (though presumably a buyer might persevere and show the dog at Westminster?) One lady, a 50year veteran of the show circuit, bred only blacks, seeing other colors as an abomination. So she gasped when I jokingly asked her stance on Labradoodles and other poodle wannabe’s. Mike and I simply wanted another “pale male” Standard Poodle puppy. We scanned myriad photos of very cute litters of chubby black pups snoozing and older brown ones romping (“Still available! Only 50 weeks old!”) Some were tempting, but usually far away and not quite right. And expensive. The range

we saw was $850 up to (really!) $2,500. The average price was like a new refrigerator or an extended weekend at a fancy beach resort. We anxiously awaited an affordable August litter in Spokane, with the news that “she didn’t take — false pregnancy.” Then another in Missoula: “We were sure we’d have males — she gave us five females.” In November, from Portland: “I’m sorry; the last of the litter was just claimed.” As summer turned to fall, with few new litters our quest felt hopeless. We were about to give up and postpone our dog search until spring. Or later. Or never. And then, one phone call came from a friend. She had a neighbor with a poodle. The neighbor knew a person. The person knew a litter. Hurray! It was Carla, a local dog groomer and poodle owner we trust. She had insider information on puppies in Moses Lake due in mid December. Her stud dog

March 2013 | The Good Life

had recently bred with a daughter of her previous dog (unrelated — it matters even with dogs) and she thought the owners might be willing to sell one. Good phone conversations ensued with two gracious gentlemen, Ram and Jeff. Hurray again! They are not professional breeders, not show people. And though they love and value their few poodles, they offered us one of that particular litter when the time came. During the winter holidays I called them again for news of the impending birth. Stormy, their glamorous white mom dog with movie-star eyes, had just given birth the day before, on Christmas morning. And there were puppies. It was her first litter, and sadly but not untypically, three died in passage, one shortly after. But the vet gave a thumbs up to the three lovely little critters who finally shared her whelping box. We drove to Moses Lake in a blizzard for a first peek when

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the pups, at 10 days old, were squirmy and shut-eyed. Like a Three Bears lineup were a tiny male, a medium sized female and a chubby chowhound who’d obviously learned to wrestle the rest for his mama’s favors. We looked them over and tentatively picked out Big Boy as our own (the name will change). We returned three weeks later. Our beige-y bread loafsized puppy, still the biggest, romped and cuddled with us, then settled into Mike’s lap for a snooze. After our final decisive YES came a deposit and a handshake. Dazzled and dreamy, I danced a little on the sidewalk, cried a little on the drive home, and started a shopping list of items for our canine layette. At eight weeks of age the puppy would be ready to leave his mom and siblings come home with us, his brand new human family. And that’s the start of part two of puppy love.

By Lief Carlsen

Thawing out in Death Valley

hen we left Chelan on Jan. 16 there was a foot of compacted snow (which I dubbed the Continental Ice Sheet) on the roof of our fifth-wheel trailer. The temperature in Chelan was 23 degrees. We had one thing on our minds — warmth. I suggested Death Valley, the hottest place on earth. Mary said that sounded good to her so we pointed our rig south and off we went. The Continental Ice Sheet didn’t even start to melt until we crossed into California. By Redding there were still remnants on the roof. We worried that perhaps a Honda Civic or Geo Metro might get too close behind and take an iceberg through the windshield. We don’t think there were any casualties but I can’t really see what’s behind the trailer that well. Death Valley was a soothingly warm 70 degrees and sunny when we arrived — far below the world-record 134 degrees (in the shade!) that was recorded there on July 10, 1913 but it seemed like a different planet to a couple of Chelanites from the frozen north. When our dog, Vera, was allowed out of the truck, she rolled and wiggled on her back in the sun-warmed sand. I thought about doing the same. That sun felt soooo good! After a quick visit to the Death Valley Visitor Center where I gathered an armload of free brochures and a couple of books on hiking trails and geology, I stitched together a grand strategy for exploring the park. The plan was to set up successive

Mary Carlsen hikes through the narrows in V-shaped Titus Canyon.

base camps at Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells from where we could launch daily forays to outlying areas. My concept of Death Valley prior to actually exploring Death Valley was along the lines of sand dunes, shimmering mirages, and perhaps a human skeleton propped against a cactus.

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I was right about the sand dunes and I don’t doubt the presence of mirages in summer but those features are mere distractions compared to the real charms of Death Valley. The valley is more than 100 miles long and surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges. Numerous canyons, unlike any

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| March 2013

canyons I have ever seen, cut deeply into these mountains. Instead of the typical “V”shaped valleys found elsewhere, the canyons of Death Valley are more like cracks — narrow chasms with vertical sides called “narrows.” Some of these narrows are hundreds of feet deep and perhaps only 10 feet wide. And then there are the rocks. The variety of rock colors, shapes and textures at your feet in the canyons is staggering. On our hikes into the canyons I often faced the dilemma of choosing between casting my eyes down or up. Up, were the canyon walls with their countless grottoes, colored strata and twisted spires. Down was an endless variety of gorgeous rocks. If you have ever seen what you considered a “pretty” rock while on a hike then you are the kind of person who would enjoy Death Valley. No other place on earth offers the selection of rocks — and they’re everywhere. Each day, from our base camp at either Furnace Creek or Stovepipe Wells, we hopped in our truck and drove out to one of the canyons for a hike. Most of the hikes were between four and 10 miles in length and followed the floor of a canyon. The grade was almost always constant and gentle. You don’t need to be an athlete to hike Death Valley. If the “Old West” interests you, there are many former mining sites and artifacts spread all through the valley. Gold, silver, lead and borax were mined here in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The famous 20-mule-team wagons that hauled borax 160 miles across scorching desert

Lief fiddles with abandoned mine equipment — gold, silver and borax were mined in Death Valley in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

are still to be seen in several locations. Most impressive to me were the seven-foot wheels on the wagons and the 1,200-gallon iron tanks of water required to keep the mules alive. At the northern end of the valley is an attraction of a different sort. The incongruously luxurious Scotty’s Castle is a vacation villa built in the Spanish colonial style during the 1920s by a wealthy Chicago couple. Although on a smaller scale, it has the same ambiance of furnishings and architecture as the famous Hearst Castle on the California coast and its presence in spartan Death Valley is star-

... we were “strafed” by two jets so close to the ground I could have reached up and touched one... tling contrast to say the least. An unexpected bonus during our 12-day stay was an almost daily impromptu air show courtesy of fighter jets from nearby Nellis Air Force Base. These “Top Guns” apparently find the long, wide valley with

March 2013 | The Good Life

Pretty rocks abound on a walk around Death Valley.

its dry lake bed ideal for their mock-combat exercises. One morning on our drive to a hike we were “strafed” by two jets so close to the ground I could have reached up and touched one with a bamboo fishing pole (if I’d had the presence of mind — they scared the bejesus out of me.) We pulled over to the side of the road and watched them chase each other up and down the valley until they disappeared up a side canyon. The next night we witnessed the flames of their

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exhaust and heard their thundering engines in the night sky. At times they appeared to actually stop in flight for several seconds before peeling off at a sharp angle to elude another jet coming from behind. It was all very thrilling to a couple of fighter jet fanatics like Mary and me. So, by all means, if the Wenatchee winter has you stove up, go to Death Valley for the warmth. Once thawed, you may find much more to keep you there.

The ninth life of Ivy Wild

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ABOVE: The “cafe room,” with its sophisticated mix of very old and very new, adjoins the more formal dining room. Either makes a good spot for a vacation breakfast. LEFT: It’s been here for 82 years relatively unchanged, but this Tudor Revival inn has missed the eye of some Wenatchee drivers zooming by.

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Archways, golden oak floors and stairs, plasterwork, radiators and ironwork railings throughout maintain the otherera flavor of the Ivy Wild Inn.

Story by Susan Lagsdin Photos by Donna Cassidy

Richard Kitos gave a special

The fireplace surround was remodeled from flat brown tiles to become this stylish and welcoming focal point of the big front room. March 2013 | The Good Life

gift to his wife Ashley on Dec. 27. A dimly lit storage space near the dining room, gradually gathering junk, had become a source of irritation. So, with a little help from his friends, over two days he emptied it of anonymous stuff, pulled up carpeting, painted, decorated and shined up the big windows. TA DA! Ashley’s 41st birthday surprise that evening was the “café” room with two tiny tables, an antique sideboard, a favorite five-by-eight foot abstract artwork and two sides totally open to light. The walls were painted Charleston Grey, her favorite decorating color. Generally, the only way to pull off this kind of surprise is to have one’s spouse gone for a few days. But Ashley was at home all

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Monica Simmons and Cyndy James with Claret Design have repurposed family antiques and added their own touch. Other bedrooms are painted in dark jewel tones.

The NINTH LIFE of Ivy Wild }}} Continued from previous page the time, mostly caring for the couple’s lively daughters, partly caring for the couple’s lively catering/event business. The Kitos residence is actually on Chatham Hill. But the home undergoing the re-do (a kind of second home, a home-away-

from-home, Richard’s hangout, their business) was their beloved The Ivy Wild Bed and Breakfast, a haven of genteel serenity just a few yards off Wenatchee’s busy Miller Street near Fifth. Ivy Wild shares similar roots with homes in the larger neighborhood (on Miller, First and

Garfield streets) designed by Everet Hinshaw. The late 1920s brought an economic growth spurt and building boom to Wenatchee, and buyers were seeing photos of popular house styles in national magazines. Many, like this 1930 Tudor Revival style, came complete with basic drawings. Hinshaw, one of few local architects, was able to use those designs, customizing

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the floor plans for individual owners and employing mostly the same local materials, builders and craftspeople in all of them. The home had several owners — eight in all — before Richard and Ashley bought it in 2006. It was simply a large private family home for decades; then the previous owner enlarged the kitchen and utilized the dormant third story and basement in hopes of attracting B&B guests. That didn’t work out, but it was all ready for the energy and creativity the Kitos brought to it. Richard and Ashley, from Los Angeles, were visiting her Wenatchee family and realized this was the perfect town to settle in. He was a chef with a large scale catering concern, she had been in the film industry, and they wanted to start a new simpler phase of their life and raise a family in a sensible environment. Ashley said, “I remember coming up one week, seeing this place for sale, and saying, ‘Fly up!! I’ve found our house!’” They knew enough about

historic homes to basically leave the structure alone. They’ve kept all the good parts and highlighted many 1930’s style features (some of those mimicking 16th century motifs), that give the house its immediate visual impact and its inherent charm. The fairy-tale gables, the metal casement windows (almost all with original small panes or diamond pattern), the coved ceilings and built-in light mahogany bookcases, even the replaced-but-period earth tone roof slates are clear clues of 1930 architecture to a house history buff. Richard and Ashley initially tore up carpeting to reveal floors full of golden oak planks. They painted main floor walls in neutral colors to bring the strong bones of the rooms into play. They swapped out seating from a third floor expansion. “It was made into a home theater, complete with 30 movie-house seat in rows. Nice looking, but they were really uncomfortable,” Richard said. Couches lounge in that room now. The basement has been outfitted with a small overnight living space for Richard, who’s on-duty and breakfast chef when B&B guests are in the house. Over the years, they’ve added their own antique treasures, many from Richard’s L.A. connections and Ashley’s love of Asian artifacts, and have filled the house with pieces that matter to them. Just this winter, professional designers arranged art pieces and refreshed all the bedrooms in lush fabrics and deep wall colors: teal, aubergine, rust. Kimonos displayed next to modern art, gold upholstery wallpaper, sleek window treatment abutting a battered dresser, it’s all calculated but surprisingly homey. “We like the new sophisticated look of the rooms,” Ashley said. “Monica (Simmons) and Cyndy (James, both of Claret Design) have done a super job.” Ivy Wild’s big industrial

strength kitchen is perfect for bed and breakfast guests, not quite to code for catering or restaurant meals. Ashley said she envisions even more private parties and small conferences on the site, which offers four regular B&B rooms, “with room for more if we spread out sleeping bags” (as visiting sports teams and big family parties have done.) Looking at Ivy Wild from Miller Avenue, it’s impossible to know that the big back yard features a deep patio and deck, with a tree growing out of the center. That pavers the size of couch cushions meander through a rose garden, that a gazebo with stairs is ready for a wedding, that an eight-foot diameter birch sweeps over the big back lawn, or that the original cement swimming pool waits discreetly behind a tall wood fence. In fact, the entrance to the Tudor Revival style house, with its fairy-tale roofline and stuccoed ivy-clad walls, is surprisingly understated itself. In a com-

Richard and Ashley Kitos enjoy some rare sit-down time together — a welcome treat in their busy day.

mercial zone, at a busy intersection near the college and with a miniscule front parking area, it doesn’t shout out “Historic Home!” And the discreet B&B sign at the sidewalk announces but doesn’t promote. Ashley and Richard and their girls, in and out of the place,

part-time and part-family in a typical hectic week of B&B business, plan that someday Ivy Wild can be their very own family home, just for themselves. Until then they are content to live elsewhere, and to welcome and to accommodate guests in a house they love.

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column moving up to the good life

june darling

In the flow, feeling just fine Have you ever had

the experience of totally losing track of time? It could be a good thing. This happens for me sometimes when I am writing or involved in a great conversation. Being lost in time can be a sign of total absorption, deep engagement. When we are totally absorbed we may even feel ecstatic. We are totally worry-free, fully “present in the moment.” We have lost concern about what others think of us or what we think of others. This state of total absorption, full engagement, has sometimes been called “flow” by psychologists. Here are several reasons why it is a good thing. Engagement is associated with positive emotions like happiness. People Norm Meyer, above, feel good when they are made 1,000 cutouts in flow. on this Ferris wheel Flow also often leads to project that won a mastery; that is, becomspecial prize at the ing really good at a percounty fair. formance (for example, Norm’s kitchen I have a good chance of counter is crowded becoming a good writer if with such items as I am often in flow when I this napkin holder write). he gives away as Researchers suspect, presents. and are finding some strong indications, that flow may impact physical health. It may reduce chronic also improving depression, selfpain, alleviate gastrointestinal esteem and resilience. difficulties and lower blood Though he may have never pressure. heard of the term, “flow,” Norm Deep engagement is associMeyer, 88, spends much of his ated not only with reducing life in it. stress, anxiety and boredom, but A reader of The Good Life

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wanted me to interview Norm because she was impressed with him. Two things got her attention. First how resilient and happy Norm is despite a number of physical challenges. Second the

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creative projects he has made particularly with his scroll saw. The reader was not sure which angle the article should take… about Norm’s resilience, his cheerful attitude, or about his scroll saw creations. If you look at the benefits of flow, you can easily guess that Norm’s good mood, resilience and scroll sawing may be inseparable. Norm’s story of resilience is primarily around health challenges. He has had his hip replaced and three heart surgeries. Without going into detail, Norm simply says that his “whole insides have been re-vamped” because of radiation treatment following prostate cancer. But Norm is not all that interested in talking about his surgeries and treatments. Norm is much more focused on his work. He wants to show his scroll saw projects. And they are, indeed, something to see. If you are not up on woodworking, scroll sawing is fairly popular as a way to express one’s creativity (the saw cuts intricate curves and joints). Norm has made almost anything you can think of including clocks, Ferris wheels and large pieces of furniture. But is there something we learn from Norm? Yes, we can see “flow” in action. How it works.

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Being in the flow can make even grumpy people happy }}} Continued from page 24 When Norm looks through magazines, he chooses patterns that interest him and seem at about the right level of difficulty for him. And evidently, he is pretty good at judging that. Norm says, “I just go out to do a little work and before I know it Lois (his wife) is calling me for lunch!” That is flow. Flow builds Norm resilience — buffers him against “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” and helps him cope with his health challenges. Engagement helps Norm be an allaround happy guy. Researchers know the conditions that promote flow. Two of the most important conditions — and ones that Norm manipulates easily — is to pick a task that interests him and is at the right level of difficulty so that he

is challenged. If you want to experience more flow in your own life, notice those places that interests you, places where you are already experiencing some flow. Then consider if it would improve your life if you did more of these activities. (I put a cautionary remark here because playing video games to achieve flow may ultimately not be a good path for life satisfaction, but perhaps I am biased). Second, just look around at any task you are doing and think how you might adjust it to the right level of difficulty. For people in the second half of their lives, it may mean purposely making tasks more challenging. Flow has so much going for it, but here are two reason why I really like it and why you may want to give it a whirl. It is a great way for even grumpy people to get happy. And, best of all, you never get tired of it (as you will get tired of your new outfit, your new car, maybe even your new romantic partner). One big aspect of the good life is being totally absorbed in what you are doing, operating at full capacity. If you are interested in moving up to the good life, maybe it is worth a little reflection to see when time flies for you. You might also consider how to make the work you do, the songs you sing, the recipes you cook, the mountains you climb more engaging. How might you move up to The Good Life by becoming more engaged? June Darling, Ph.D., is an executive coach who consults with businesses and individuals to achieve goals and increase happiness. She can be reached at drjunedarling1@gmail. com. Her website is www.summitgroupresources.com.

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column GARDEN OF DELIGHTS

bonnie orr

Invite the onion family to a tasty meal the butter and oil. Stir to coat. Use low heat, and stir every once in a while until they are brown for about 40 minutes. Add the stock and the wine, salt and pepper. Simmer for 20 minutes. Garnish with savory. Serve with crusty bread and cheese.

always knew it was spring when the cow’s milk tasted like onions. Wild garlic appeared in meadows in the spring, and the cow relished the first greens of the season. All “onions” are a type of lily known as Alliums. Plan to plant many types of “onion” this 24 tarts, 45 minutes year. The greens are attractive in flowerbed Your favorite pie crust borders, and the dainty 6 shallots peeled and minced flowers sway in the 2 tablespoons butter breeze. 2 large eggs Leeks are planted in 3/4 cup half-and-half Shallot tarts and the easiest ever onion soup are two tasty dishes made with members of the 2 tablespoons flour the spring, wintered Allium family, which include onions, shallots, leeks and scallions. salt, white pepper over and harvested the 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg next spring — or earlier, If leeks set a flower stalk, they Shallots can be finely chopped 1 teaspoon paprika if you’re not patient. will become tough. and frozen — so you can skip Shallots are planted in the Cook shallots in butter until soft but Chive flowers are peppery and the peeling and chopping step spring. Garlic is planted in the not brown — about 5 minutes — let garlicy. when you are trying to fastfall and harvested in late July. cool a bit. When the flower head is forward meal preparation. Soak Wild garlic, various garlic Roll out pie crust into 4-inch circles. completely filled with small, the shallots in very hot water bulbs, leeks, ramps (small wild Place each circle into a small muffinpink flowers, harvest them. Cut for three minutes to make them leeks), shallots, chives, garlic pan cup. the flowers free from the head, easy to peel. chives, scallions (green onions) Mix all the other ingredients except rinse, dry and pop into a freezer Browning shallots makes them paprika and blend well. red, white, yellow and Walla bag. bitter. Add the shallots to the batter. Walla sweets — each adds a They do not become soggy Pour 1/12 of the batter into each distinctive taste to a dish. nor lose their pep in the freezer. cup. Sprinkle paprika on top. A long cooking time reduces You will have the perfect salad, Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 min“onions” to mild and sweet. utes or until the batter is set and the omelet or stir-fry complement Remember the fad for 40-garlic pastry is lightly brown. all winter long. For the best flavor, make this a day chicken about 30 years ago. Serve warm or cool. Shallots, red, white or purple, ahead of serving. All the “onions” can be pickhave long been used in Europe; led or made into marmalades or No matter which Allium you 6 servings jams. Slicing cold “onions” under they only have been readily choose to grow and cook, you 1 hour available in general grocery water eliminates tears. We eat will be pleased with the variety stores here for about 30 years. only the bulb and the leaves 6 large white or yellow onions sliced of tastes. Shallots are both strong and generally, but the flowering I do think the freshly harvestmellow; minced finely they help into thin rings parts add zip to salads. 4 tablespoons butter ed “onions” are sweeter and less create a delicious salad dressA flower shoots’ long stem is 2 tablespoons olive oil strong, so that is one advantage ing. If a recipe calls for shallots toped by a curved flower bud 4 cups chicken stock. to growing them in the garden don’t substitute onion because called a scape. These scapes are 2 cups white wine or getting them from the farmthe dish will not be as sweet and yummy omelet toppings or sauSalt/ white pepper er’s market. (1 teaspoon fresh chopped savory) téed to be oniony garnishes. Just mellow. There is no advantage to using Bonnie Orr — the dirt diva — cooks chop them finely and use raw or shallots in long-cooked stews. In a large, flat pan, put the onions in and gardens in East Wenatchee. lightly steamed.

Shallot tarts

The Easiest-Ever Onion Soup

March 2013 | The Good Life

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column THE TRAVELing DOCTOR

jim brown, m.d.

Having trouble sleeping? You’re not alone A

good friend of mine has had sleep trouble for over 20 years. He would wake up in the middle of the night and could not get back to sleep. Consequently, he would get up to read, write and study for a few hours and then, if lucky, he might be able to fall asleep for a couple more hours later in the morning. Over the years he sought help from various physicians. He was thought to have insomnia, thus he was given various sleeping pills and sedatives. None of these seemed to help. He was sure he had something wrong with his sleeping mechanism that was different than insomnia. Nevertheless, he could not convince his physicians to send him to a sleep center to be studied. In 2010, he developed atrial fibrillation, a heart arrhythmia. As a consequence, further heart testing showed he had developed a cardiomyopathy (a heart muscle disorder) and had evidence of heart failure. This led to sleep studies revealing a form of sleep apnea. He was put on a Cpap machine, which did not help. He had a different type of sleep apnea called central sleep apnea, which is now being helped by a Bipap machine. Not long after that he passed out on a hike, which led to his getting an implanted combined pacemaker and defibrillator. He is now improving, has less fatigue, more energy and is showing improvement in his cardiac output. He is convinced that his underlying heart issues were related to his long history of sleep apnea. In the past 20 years there have been significant advances in

Something to read if you can’t sleep The Mayo Clinic sleep center recommends several tips for getting better sleep. These include sticking to a regular sleep schedule by going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time every day including weekends. If you don’t fall asleep within 15 minutes, get up and do something else until you are sleepy. Try to avoid going to bed hungry or too full, and avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol in the evening before going to bed. Create a bedtime ritual with lights dimmed, read a book or listen to soft music. Make your bedroom conduthe evaluation, accurate diagnosis and treatment of what are known as sleep disorders. Sleep disorders are very common and can be associated with significant morbidity. When not diagnosed or misdiagnosed, they are of significant cost to society. The most common sleep disorders are obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), insomnia, narcolepsy, hypersomnia and restless leg syndrome. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is particularly important because of its high prevalence, occurring in 2 percent of females and 4 percent of males. It is associated with potentially serious medical problems if not treated. OSA patients have intermittent upper airway obstruction in their pharynx at night. The pharynx is the lower part of the throat just above the esophagus and larynx. OSA is now known to increase the risk of developing heart disease, heart arrhythmias, hyper-

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cive to sleep. It should be cool, dark and quiet. If necessary, consider room darkening shades and use earplugs. If needed, take a daytime nap, but it is best to limit it to 30 minutes. Try to include physical activity in your daily routine, but avoid it too close to bedtime. If you have too much to do and too much on your mind, your sleep will likely suffer. Try to manage stress by getting better organized, setting your priorities and delegating tasks. Before going to bed, write down what is on your mind and set it aside for tomorrow. tension, congestive heart failure, stroke and certain pulmonary complications. It is now often recommended that patients with certain heart disease, particularly those with atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure, be screened for OSA. The treatment of OSA has been revolutionized by the use of Cpap machines (continuous positive airway pressure). Since alcohol decreases the neuromuscular tone of the upper airway, OSA patients are advised to decrease their overall alcohol intake and especially avoiding it within several hours of their bedtime. OSA patients, often obese, need to lose weight. Over 20 years ago a friend of mine, here in Wenatchee, was thought to have narcolepsy. He was referred to Seattle for sleep studies that were not then available in Wenatchee. On his drive to Seattle he fell asleep at the wheel, crashed and was killed. We were all saddened

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and shocked especially since this was a potentially treatable condition. Narcolepsy is a chronic condition that affects an estimated 0.06 percent of the population and commonly starts in the second decade of life. It is characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness and episodic sleep attacks. It may include sleep paralysis, loss of muscle tone, vivid dreams and inattention. The average delay in diagnosis of this condition is over 10 years. Often it is thought to be attention deficit disorder or to be caused by insufficient nighttime sleep. Without treatment, narcolepsy is associated with a decreased quality of life as well as a cause of motor vehicle accidents and job injury. The diagnosis of narcolepsy is made through a careful interview followed by diagnostic testing in a sleep center. There are successful treatments for this disorder. Idiopathic hypersomnia is a disorder of unknown cause characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness without other manifestations of narcolepsy. Since these patients fall asleep a lot during the daytime it is frequently thought that they are not getting enough sleep at night. That is not the case. These patients typically have prolonged nighttime sleep as well as excessive non-refreshing daytime napping. This condition also contributes to a poor quality of life as well as auto accidents and work injury. It is often accompanied by mood disorders, and frequently

lack of sleep linked to heart trouble

Dr. Dave Daniel started the Sleep Center at the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center many years ago. A sleep center requires rigorous accreditation by the American Academy of Sleep whereas sleep labs are not accredited. Trained in internal medicine, pulmonary disease and critical care medicine, Dr. Daniel says that currently 50 percent of his practice deals with sleep issues. The sleep center studies over

100 patients a month with 95 percent of the studies being done for obstructive sleep apnea and about 5 percent for narcolepsy. Dr. Daniel said that patients with obstructive sleep apnea have a three times increase incident of stroke, as well as an increase in congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation. Cardiologists now refer many of their patients with these issues for sleep studies.

“Finish each day before you begin the next, and interpose a solid wall of sleep between the two.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson these patients are treated for what is erroneously thought to be depression. Antidepressants themselves alter sleep patterns, so an accurate diagnosis is imperative. The restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a common sleep disorder. This condition occurs equally in males and females in 10 percent of the population. Restless leg patients have a subjective discomfort in their lower extremities that worsens at night. Patients report a need to move their legs in bed or during prolonged periods of seden-

tary inactivity, such as airline flights and long driving trips. These symptoms may cause insomnia as well as involuntary jerks during the night while asleep. The diagnosis is made by the history, which is often given by the spouse. Sleep studies are not necessary for this diagnosis. Various medications have been shown to be helpful. Insomnia, a worldwide sleep problem, is a persistent difficulty in initiating sleep or maintaining sleep. Insomniacs have impaired

March 2013 | The Good Life

well-being and decreased quality of life. This is associated with increased healthcare utilization, absenteeism and accidents. People with insomnia feel chronically fatigued, lack energy and frequently have a depressed mood. They can have memory issues, decreased ability to concentrate and are often irritable. Some 40 million Americans currently take some kind of sleep aid drug. Recently the FDA has required manufacturers of sleep inducing drugs that contain zolpidem to cut the dosage in half. This includes popular drugs , including Ambien, which have been shown to impair driving and tasks that require alertness, the morning after their use. Unfortunately when these drugs have been used regularly for longer that six weeks they can become addictive. Currently insomnia is best treated with cognitive behavioral therapy rather than drugs. How much sleep do we need every day anyway? Infants need 14-15 hours, toddlers 11-12 hours, school age children 10-11 hours and adults 7-9 hours per 24 hours. Older adults seem to sleep more lightly and awaken more frequently than younger adults. This may result in a need for daytime napping. If sleep is frequently interrupted or cut short, you are not getting quality sleep, which is as important as getting the necessary quantity of sleep.

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A link between lack of sleep, appetite and obesity has been shown in several studies. People who habitually average less than seven hours sleep a night frequently are obese. This is in part a result of two hormones, ghrelin, released from stomach cells, and leptin , released from fat cells, that have opposing effects. Ghrelin stimulates appetite, fat production and body growth whereas leptin acts on the brain suppressing appetite and stimulates energy expenditure. People who have chronically decreased sleep release more ghrelin and less leptin into their blood stream. This combination leads to an increased appetite, increased food intake, decreased energy production, all of which lead to weight gain and obesity. Sleep is a natural and necessary component of our health. In the past 20 years there have been significant advances in the evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders. Sleep disorders are common medical problems, which can adversely affect one’s quality of life as well as lead to significant health problems. Patients with sleep problems need to discuss them with their physician for appropriate evaluation and treatment. 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.

PET PIX

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y dog Stella is the biggest baby ever, and being a Pit Bull, she is very athletic and she is very obsessed about her ball. She will wait for you to throw it again, and again, and again. And you will get tired of her ball before she will! She is my world and she makes me happy when I am feeling down. I love her with all my heart. — Tarina Ferrel

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ittle Sweedie is a sweetie. She is a four-year-old Shih Tzu. She’s nothing but love and kisses. She originally belonged to Fred Marker, who passed away at age 94. Fred’s family members could not take her. Their loss is our gain. Sweedie loves to play with her toys and gives nose bumps to the cat. After Sweedie’s first week here, Alfalfa, the cat, came out from under the bed and dog and cat made up. She loves to be held like a baby and get tummy rubs from my wife, Margaret. — Jan Theriault

THE GOOD LIFE PET DIRECTORY

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| March 2013

HER TOWN

very, very, very small

o picture this: here’s a nice group of ladies around a big table silently laboring away on the tiny details of the most precious craft hobby you can imagine, when sweet-faced Rosie Shipman shouts, “That’s it! I’m about to say the F - word!” In her group of miniaturists and dollhouse crafters, the Fword is a good thing. It means “FINISHED!” Rosie has been building and decorating miniature environments (“dollhouses”) for 30 years, and is her own stern taskmaster when it comes to completing a project. There are plenty of people, she said, who buy the kits, set up their work table, lay out their tools and never quite get around to doing anything. They never finish. Rosie is not one of those people. She said, “I have a fellow miniaturist who was admiring one of my award-winning houses. She said ‘I would love to win a blue ribbon some day.’ Well, gosh, to do that you have to work at this. I go up to my shop every single day!” When Rosie was a young girl in eastern Canada, her dad made her a dollhouse, just an orange crate up on its side, with two stories. She remembers it fondly,

Rosie points to a family barbecuing at a summer beach house.

Rosie Shipman: Finding humor among the precision in crafting small homes. March 2013 | The Good Life

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and admits that it might have sparked an early interest in what has turned into (almost) an obsession. But school, marriage, kids, moving around, a career in obstetric nursing and her husband Mark’s medical residency all filled her adult years until one day about 30 years ago. She had helped her mother in Victoria assemble her first dollhouse, and then in 1984 bought her own kit. “I remember it was $5 off from the Sears catalogue — it only cost $24.95!” Rosie giggles at the recollection, with a memory as precise as the craft that she loves. That was the beginning of a hobby that has filled her life and the upstairs of a large storage area (“The Roost”) behind the Shipman’s Wenatchee home. Coming into Rosie’s work place at the top of the stairs is like drifting into a fantasy world, a Maurice Sendak set. Hundreds of Plexiglas display boxes, globes and bell jars edge each other on tall shelves, and protected within each one is a single perfect, miniscule structure. Some pieces are left un-glassed, and Rosie quipped, “It’s OK — we all know dust forms a protective

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WHAT TO DO

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Wenatchee First Fridays, 3/1, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Walk downtown for art, music, dining and entertainment. Downtown Wenatchee. Two Rivers Art Gallery, 3/1, 5 – 8 p.m. Featured artist Russ Hepler plus over 40 local and regional artists. Wines by Wenatchee Wine Country, refreshments and live music by harpist Suzanne Grassell. 102 N Columbia, Wenatchee. Cost: free. Tumbleweed Bead Co., 3/1, 5 p.m. Meet artist Vicki DeRooy with her original hand drawn colorful pieces. Refreshments served. Cost: free. Info: tumbleweedbeadco.com.

From a table lamp to flowers on the mantle, Rosie seeks strict accuracy.

}}} Continued from previous page coating on miniatures.” The heart of the room is Rosie’s huge square worktable, richly layered with stacks of templates, tools and fabrics. This is where, she says, “I get out all my tension, any anger. I lose track of time when I’m doing my miniatures — I just love to be up here working.” The focus on precise handwork, some done with magnifying instruments, is so compelling that she’s graduated to the most difficult of scales. Rosie progressed from one foot equals one inch scale (the usual garden variety miniature where a 12 foot room wall becomes 12 inches wide) down to one foot equals one-quarter inch scale (where a 12 foot room wall becomes 3 inches wide) and even smaller. Rosy excels in the replication — in perfect scale — of the mundane items you’d find in a house: a tossed Kleenex, an open magazine, venetian blinds, a garden rake, an unfinished letter. Strict accuracy in architecture and cultural history are self-imposed criteria for all her work. It’s not just precision (in construction and history) but humor that characterizes Rosie’s

work. “Finger Food” shows a woman in formal dress with 10 olives on 10 fingers at a tray of empty martini glasses. “The Waiting Room” at Buckingham Palace has royal robes and uniforms laid out for a state appearance, but the title refers to a Corgi on a leash, watching the door for his mistress. One living room scene features a little girl kneeling at the front of a tiny dollhouse. Though each finished miniature that Rosie coaxes into life brings ooohs and aaahs from people who see them, they are not for sale. Income is not the point of all this. Her art work is a labor of love. Rosie’s a regular at the annual convention of The National Association of Miniature Enthusiasts and shows like the Seattle Doll House and Miniature show in March. She brings her favorite pieces and competes for prizes, shares techniques, attends workshops, re-unites with friends and buys incredibly small interior décor items by the sackful. And then she goes back up to the Roost to make each new design original and touched with her own brand of whimsy. — by Susan Lagsdin

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The Columbia Chorale, 3/1, 7:30 p.m. Presents Franz Joseph Haydn’s Mass in C Major. Holy Apostles Church, East Wenatchee. Info: pacwen.org. Karaoke and Dancing, 3/1,8,15,22,29, 9 p.m. DJ Chelan, Heidi Neal hosts a night of karaoke and dancing. Come early and eat Buddy’s Burger and Freedom Fries. My Buddy’s Place Saloon, downtown Manson. Cost: free. Info: 630-3115. Bubbles & Heels, 3/1, 5 p.m. and every first Friday of the month. What could be better than sipping bubbly, chatting with new and old friends and wearing your favorite shoes? One Wines, Inc. 526 E Woodin Ave, Chelan. Cost: $10 per glass. Info: onewinesinc.com. Grease, 3/1 & 3/2, 7:30 p.m. Eastmont High School will perform Grease. Eastmont High School, East Wenatchee Info: pacwen.org. A Taste of Chelan, 3/1, 5 -7 p.m. Treat your taste buds to some of Chelan’s best restaurants during the Taste of Chelan, a restaurant walk. This First Friday event is a partnership with Chelan High School’s Five Star Club (a leadership group). Cost: $25 provides a taste at each of 8 downtown Chelan restaurants and proceeds benefit the students, helping with travel expenses for a state competition. Purchase tickets at Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce.

7 p.m. Every Tuesday night with theater games for novice and experienced players. Fun, casual and free. Riverside Playhouse. Cost: free. Info: mtow.org. Cashmere Art and Activity Center, needle art every second Tuesday, 1 p.m. Pinochle every fourth Tuesday, 1 p.m. Hat Group every Thursday, 1:30 – 3 p.m., knitters, crocheters and loom artists welcome. On 3/9, 1-11 a.m. will be serving a free brunch. Featured artists are Ann Bixby Smith, a glass artist and Arlene Delzer an oil artist. The spotlighted artist is Ruth Mattson. Second Saturday a reception with the artists will be held. Info: 782-2415. Business and Professional Women, 3/6, noon. Business meeting focusing on Women’s History month. Cascade Autocenter. Info: auchytil@skileavenworth.com. Wenatchee Chamber’s Annual Banquet, 3/7, 5:30 p.m. Entertainment, dinner, live and silent auctions and awards. Wenatchee Convention Center. Cost: $45. Info: wenatcheechamber.com. MOPS dinner and silent auction, 3/7, 5:30 p.m. All you can eat Olive Garden dinner, silent auction and raffle. Free Methodist Church gym, 1601 5th St., Wenatchee. Cost: $8 adults, $4 children 3-12 presale, $10 adults, $5 children at the door. Info: Colleen Miller 9914390. KPQ Home & Garden Show, 3/8, 9 and 10. Kids activities, master gardener seminars. Friday noon - 7 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Town Toyota Center. Cost: Free. Music for the Heart and Soul, 3/8, 7 p.m. Entertainment provider by The Old Time Fiddlers, Village Voices, Columbia Chorale, Common Bond 5, Wenatchee Apollo Club, Appleaires, and Mariachi Huenachi. Proceeds from the concert will benefit Mobile Meals of Wenatchee, a United Way non-profit organization that provides hot meals to clients that qualify to remain in their homes. First United Methodist Church, 941 Washington Street, Wenatchee. Cost: $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Info: 665-6254 or mobilemealsofwenatchee.org.

Special Olympics, 3/1-3. Nordic skiing Special Olympics event hosted at Icicle River Nordic Trails on the Leavenworth Fish Hatchery property. Spectators welcome.

Live music with Stephen Sharpe and Sergio Cuevas, 3/8,15,22, & 29, 8 p.m. South, 913 Front St. Leavenworth. Cost: free.

Improv/Acting Workshop, 3/5,

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| March 2013

sunday

March 31, 2013 Celebrate this Easter holiday with a hearty, family-style Brunch. complete menu & Pricing available at sleepinglady.com

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March 2013 | The Good Life

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WHAT TO DO

We want to know of fun and interesting local events. Send info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com

}}} Continued from page 28 River Academy’s Benefit Dinner, 3/9, 6 p.m. Wenatchee Convention Center Grand Ballroom. Info: 665-2415. Book Signing, 3/9, 1 – 3 p.m. Celebrating 21 years of independent book selling with authors Deb Lund, Dinosoaring, and Erik Brooks, Who Has This Tail, with refreshments and prizes. A Book For All Seasons. Cost: free. Info: abookforallseasons. com. Outdoor Extravaganza, 3/9, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Games, crafts and teaching kids about the outdoors. Activities including tent set up races, fire building competitions and learning animal tracks. A Camp Fire event. Walla Walla Park shelter 1. Info: Michelle McKinley 663-1609. Night of Improv with Ryan Stiles, 3/9, 7:30 p.m. Comedy show. Performing Arts Center. Cost: $45 adults, $40 seniors, $35 students. Info: pacwen.org. March Madness Wine Week, 3/11-16. Check out wenatcheevalley.org for participating winery events. NCW Blues Jam, 3/12 & 26, every second and fourth Monday, 7:30 p.m. – 11 p.m. Clearwater Steakhouse, East Wenatchee. Info: facebook.com/NCWBluesJam. Movie and popcorn, 3/12, 7 p.m. Icicle Brewing Co. Leavenworth. Cost: free. Info: iciclebrewing.com. Alzheimer’s Café, 3/12, 2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. Mountain Meadows Senior Living Campus hosts a cafe the second Tuesday of every month. This is a casual setting for folks with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, their loved ones and caregivers. Desserts and beverages will be served free of charge. Entertainment and activities for those wishing to participate. Join us to meet new friends and share experiences. Located at 320 Park Avenue, Leavenworth. Info: 548-4076. Cheryl Strayed: Wild Mountain Memoir Retreat, 3/15-17, Keynote speaker Cheryl Strayed, author of the #1 New York Times Bestseller, Wild, will talk about memoirs’ big deep things: how writers make meaning in memoir, excavating the layers within a narrative, and a writer’s use of intuition. Candace Walsh, Suzanne

Finnamore, Ariel Gore, EJ Levy and Theo Pauline Nestor will teach 10 different classes focusing on the craft of literary memoir writing, the genre’s ethical and logistical challenges, and strategies for overcoming memoirs’ most common obstacles. Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort, Leavenworth. Info: icicle. org. Annual Benefit Dinner and Dessert Auction, 3/16, 5:30 p.m. Catholic Family & Child Service of Wenatchee celebrates St. Patrick’s Day at this annual dinner. Guest speaker will be Clayton Holmes, a former defensive back for the Dallas Cowboys and three time Superbowl winner. Dinner is catered by The Ivy Wild followed by an auction of delectable desserts by distinguished local culinarians. Music by All Strings Considered. St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Kuykendall Hall. Cost: $30. Info: 662-6761. Book Signing, 3/16, 1 p.m. Bruce Bjornstad author of On the Trail of the Ice Age Floods: A Geological Field Guide to the Mid-Columbia Basin. A Book For All Seasons, Leavenworth. Cost: free. Info: abookforallseasons.com. Dinner of Hope, 3/16, 6 p.m. An American Cancer Society Fundraiser with dinner, drinks, music, dancing and a silent auction. Also a co-ed fashion show with some of the latest fashions featuring cancer survivors. Purchase tickets at Cozart Moreau Law, Banker Chiropractic, or online atbrownpapertickets. com. Info: Visit the Mad Hatters Relay for Life Team on Facebook. Red Lion, Wenatchee. St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 3/17, 5 ish p.m. The shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade Route in the World. One block long at the corner of Orondo and Mission Street, Wenatchee. Cashmere St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 3/17, 7ish. Riverside Center, Cashmere. Info: wenatcheevalley. org. Compassionate Friends, 3/18, 7 p.m. Meeting for anyone who has lost a child. Grace Lutheran Church, 1408 Washington St. Info: 6650087. Environmental Film Series: The Salmon Forest, 3/19, 7 p.m. A look at the temperate rain forest between Vancouver Island and the Alaskan border. Sponsored by Trout Unlimited Washington Water Project. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Info: 888-6240. Snowy Owl Sampler, 3/21: Andre

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Feriante and special guests: 3/22: The Romantic Spirit: An evening of piano masterpieces; 3/23, Musical theater; 3/24 Paul Bannick; 3/25, Icicle Creek youth symphony spring concert. Cost: $5. Info: icicle.org. Icicle Creek Chamber Players, 3/22, 7:30 p.m. Schubert, Sonata for Piano in A Major, D.959 Chopin, Selected Mazurkas Scriabin, Sonata No.3 in F-sharp Minor, Op. 23. Canyon Wren Recital Hall, Leavenworth. Cost: $25, $16 senior, $8 students. Info: icicle.org. Dancing under the stars gala, 3/23, 6 p.m. Enjoy an elegant evening of dining, wine tasting, silent auction and dancing to live music from the Wenatchee Big Band. Wenatchee Golf and Country Club. All proceeds benefit the Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra. Cost: $70. Info: wenatcheesymphony.org. Leavenworth Young Life Benefit Concert, 3/23, 7 p.m. Blues and Gospel music by Tuck Foster and the Mossrites. Leavenworth Festhalle. Cost: $15. Info: leavenworthyounglife.eventbrite.com. Live music with Erin McNamee, 3/24, 7 p.m. Icicle Brewing Co., 935 Front St. Leavenworth. Cost: free. GWATA Innovator Awards Luncheon, 3/26, noon. Honoring entrepreneur of the year, tech savvy business of the year, future technology leaders, and innovative use of technology in the classroom.

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| March 2013

Wenatchee Convention Center. Cost: $25 members, $30 non-members. Info: gwata.org or 661-9000. Business and Professional Women, 3/20, noon. General meeting with Brenda Abney from the Wenatchee Valley Museum. Community Foundation. Info: auchytil@skileavenworth.com. Jeff Dunham, Disorderly Conduct, 3/20, 7:30 p.m. Live performance. Town Toyota Center. Info: towntoyotacenter.com. Easter Egg Hunt, 3/24, 2-4 p.m. Eastmont Community Park, East Wenatchee. Info: east-wenatchee. com. Entiat Kite Festival, 3/30, 1 – 5 p.m. Free kites for kids. Food vendors, kite related paraphernalia and a kite fighting team will demonstrate their skills. Kiwanis Park in Entiat along Highway 97/A. Cost: free. Info: Alan Moen 784-5101 or alanmoen@nwi.net. Dummy Downhill, 3/30, 3 p.m. Participants in this quirky event use their creativity to present a nonhuman dummy on either skis or a snowboard. Entry must be in either human or animal form and weigh no more than 100 lbs. Awards given. No motorization or explosives allowed. Entry fee: $5 youth, $15 adult. Mission Ridge on the hill behind the ski school building. Info: lessons@missionridge.com.

The Art Life

// SKETCHES OF LOCAL ARTISTS

The long journey to crafting a story for the printed page

“I don’t need the master’s (of fine arts), I just need the learning.”

Fred Melton: Taking the steps to become a better writer.

I toss the first shovelful of crumbling dirt in the grave. They say it’s an honor to be first, like throwing out the first baseball of the new season. Snow swirls and twists its way into the dark rectangle as if sucked into the earth’s gaping void.

hose compelling lines open Fred Melton’s “Counting,” published in The Best American Mystery Stories of 2002. Fred never considered himself a mystery writer, still doesn’t. The honor of inclusion in that collection was so unexpected that Fred said, “An hour after the editor called me with the news, I had to call him back: ‘Did I hear you correctly?’” The prestigious selection for that annual volume came right in the center — not the pinnacle — of this Wenatchee writer’s journey to authorship. Fred has invested 20 years into his dream of being a writer. His dominate theme, reflecting a lifelong love of absorbing other people’s own stories, is relationships and how the world affects them. Scenes are often water-based; his youth in New Mexico and Texas made Northwest waters especially enchanting, and he fishes them when he’s not writing. But he’s writing most of the time. He said about his writing life, “Initially, I liked the idea of garnering some sense of immortality. I’m over that now.” And, “I write because if I DON’T, I become insufferable (even more so than I already am).”

It’s possible that you know Fred Melton as your family dentist, or you’ve seen his name in front of his Fifth Street dental clinic. That’s all changed; he’s a part-timer now, an employee. It may be news to you that Fred, for all his aw-shucks wit and soft-toned jocularity, is a very serious writer. Serious enough in 1993 to sell the lucrative dentistry practice he’d built to try his hand at writing, when he realized he’d been working at a career he doesn’t love to care for the people he does. Serious enough, after (softly) March 2013 | The Good Life

hitting an artistic wall and going back into dentistry, to sell the practice once again last October. Fred is serious enough about his writing that at age 57 he recently made the leap into two years in a selective Master of Fine Arts degree at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. With a BA in Latin American Studies as well as his dentistry doctorate, he said of the intensive writing program, “I don’t need the master’s, I just need the learning.” He’ll stay on campus twice a year for 10 very full days. The www.ncwgoodlife.com

rest of the time, at home in Malaga with his wife Elizabeth, he’ll read and analyze dozens of novels and write, revise, write, revise and write some more under the guidance of top professionals. Fred has been doing the hard work of writing for years. His longhand drafts, once he’s typed them on the computer, may undergo seven complete revisions before he even submits them for his peer group’s review or reads aloud at local “Four Minutes of Fame” writer’s evenings. He’s learned the lessons of a few decades of writing workshops, conferences, prizes and nominations. And he’s also been buoyed by the critical support of his mentors like Claire Davis of Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho and Bruce Foxworthy and others in his Wenatchee Writers’ group. This new venture — the MFA program and all it entails — may be ennobling or humbling, or both, but Fred knows what this decision offers him is rare high-risk freedom to work at his craft, the one he loves the most. Fred’s targets are in a clear line of sight. He’d like to publish a collection of his short stories on completion of the Pacific program. And, he’s been nominated nine times for the Pushcart Prize, awarded by the nation’s small presses. (That’s like an Oscar for short story writers.) He figures that it’s probably time he won it. — by Susan Lagsdin

column those were the days

rod molzahn

White man’s diseases devastated natives The native population in

the Wenatchee Valley, as did all the people along the Columbia, suffered severely from the first smallpox epidemic to reach the river. In 1782-83, 30 years before white men arrived on the upper Columbia, smallpox spread from the headwaters of the Missouri River across the Rockies and down the Clearwater and Snake rivers to the Columbia. When Ross Cox, early fur trader, encountered the Snake Indians in 1811, the damage of the disease could still be seen clearly on the faces of the survivors. Cox described it as, “a deadly venom fastened on the Snake Indians.” When the epidemic reached the Snake/ Columbia confluence it turned upriver to the north and westwards towards the Pacific. At the same time the disease was sweeping across western Washington, spread by the European and American trading ships that stopped along the coast. From there it moved up the lower Columbia where it collided with itself coming down from the Snake. During the same years smallpox also spread north from the

“We had no belief that one man could give it (smallpox) to another, any more than a wounded man could give his wound to another.” Missouri headwaters into eastern Canada. Saukamappee, a Piegan chief, related an incident to explorer and surveyor David Thompson. He and his men raided an enemy camp, cutting open the tents and found only dead and dying. They had no concept of contagion and, seeing the moment as an opportunity, did not hesitate to loot the camp, taking blankets home along with other prizes. Within days their own people were sick and dying. Saukamappee said, “We had no belief that one man could give it to another, any more than a wounded man could give his wound to another.” The epidemic crossed the northern Rockies into the

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Kootenai country of British Columbia where it began its destructive descent of the upper Columbia River to merge with the sickness coming upriver. Even the Wenatchi people, secure in their valley, could not escape. It has been estimated that in two years that first visitation of smallpox may have killed half the population of tribes along the upper Columbia. That was just the beginning. Smallpox came again in 1800 and 1825. Between 1830 and 1832 a malaria-like fever raged upriver from the lower Columbia where it exacted a huge price in lives. Smallpox returned in 1836 and 1846 and in 1847 an outbreak of measles was the devastating killer all along the Columbia. The final onslaught of death gripped the people when smallpox, again, settled along the river in 1852-53. All told, 70 years of diseases introduced by whites had reduced the population in the Wenatchee Valley to about one-quarter of what it once had been. To the south only a few hundred Sinkuise people remained in the village at the Rock Island rapids. They were all that were left of what oral tradition held had been a tribe of 10,000 ranging from the Cascades east to Spokane and south to the Umatilla River. Along with the toll from smallpox, measles and fevers, syphilis also killed hundreds of Indians along the Columbia. George Gibbs, a geologist and ethnographer with the 1853 McClellan railroad survey, reported that the major village at The Dalles had been completely depopulated and that the entire course of the Yakima River was “lined with the vestiges of

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| March 2013

former villages now vacant.” Dr. J.G. Cooper, also a member of the railroad survey, wrote that “whole tribes have been exterminated by it (smallpox) on the Columbia River. In the midst of the 1853 epidemic bodies of the dead were often left lying on the ground. The few people still alive could not keep up with the task of traditional burials.” Smallpox lives in the air. It lives on blankets and clothing — a highly contagious, invisible, silent death that could spread through a village in days. It showed no favorites. Smallpox turned healthy, strong men, women and children, old and young into terrified sufferers covered with open, running sores. Overwhelmed by itching, the sick in winter plunged into freezing water desperate for relief. The result was usually a quick death. Medicine men, traditional religious leaders, revered for their power over disease, were powerless in the face of the new scourges. The people’s confidence in them drained away. A distrust of fundamental, traditional religious beliefs grew. The gods had surely turned against them. When white men arrived they found a weakened, diminished population with a nagging suspicion that whites were, somehow, the cause of their greatest sorrows. Historian, actor and teacher Rod Molzahn can be reached at shake.speak@frontier.com. 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.

Comet could put on a great show in March By Peter Lind

Marketplace

the night sky this month

here are many things visible in the night sky each month, and I have found that most people have an interest, and would like to know what’s happening out there. This is a short account of things to see in the March night sky. Check the western sky after sunset to see whether Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS) puts on a great performance. This visitor from the solar system’s depths could be the brightest comet in several years. By March’s second week, PANSTARRS should be a fine binocular object and could appear bright to the naked eye. It reaches perihelion (its closest point to the sun) March 9, when it lies 28 million miles from our star. It should shine brightest around then. On March 12, look due west a half-hour after sunset, and you will see a slender crescent moon hanging about a fist’s width at arm’s length above the horizon. The comet’s head, or coma, lies just to its left in the sky. You’ll likely have to wait for twilight to deepen before the coma comes into view, and you still may need binoculars. Then, as the sky darkens, the comet’s dust tail should come into view. Even if PANSTARRS fizzles somewhat, the binocular view still should be impressive. Jupiter, the giant planet, currently lies in the constellation Taurus the Bull. Grab your binoculars and enjoy the incredible sight of Jupiter, flanked by the Pleiades (M45) and Hyades star cluster, (the face of Taurus the Bull),

both visible and obvious with the naked eye. The view gets even better on March 17 when the crescent moon passes some two fingers width south of Jupiter. Looking at Jupiter with decent binoculars will show the four Galilean moons — the moons that Galileo discovered with his telescope around 1610. Saturn rises in the southeast sky before midnight local time all month. It shines at high magnitude in mid-March and ranks among the brightest objects in the sky. This month you’ll have to wait until early morning for Saturn to climb high enough to show crisp views with a telescope. Although Saturn’s moons are fainter than Jupiter’s quartet, several show up. Titan, the largest, glows brightest and will look obvious through any size instrument. Saturn’s trio of small moons typically show up through fourinch telescopes The five other planets besides Earth will barely be noticeable. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Uranus and Neptune all spend the month within close range of the sun, which, unfortunately will wash out most views of them. All objects mentioned here are easy to find on any star chart. Go online and search for “the night sky” and you should find plenty of charts to help you discover the items mentioned here.

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The Good Life

Extra copies Fre For sh ide the as ho me

iNsi

September 2011

Cover price: $3

THE doN’T WAIT PRoJECT ®

overcoming sadness with action plus GoLd FEVER!

Peter Lind is a local amateur astronomer. He can be reached at ppjl@ juno.com.

Hastings, Caffe Mela, Wenatchee Food Pavilion, Martin’s Market Place, A Book for All Seasons, Walgreens & Mike’s Meats

Know of someone stepping off the beaten path in the search for fun and excitement? E-mail us at editor@ncwgoodlife.com March 2013 | The Good Life

HoAmt

WENATCHEE VALLEY’S #1 MAGAZINE

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column ALEX ON WINE

ALEX SALIBY

Why do wines have different flavors? She asked politely, “Where

exactly do all those flavors come from?” She was young and curious and seemed anxious to learn about the wine. She and her partner, an equally curious though less talkative young man, had stopped at a tasting room where I was working that day. Hers was not the first such question I’ve fielded over the years, both at private wine events and at tasting rooms around the area. Depending on the wine being tasted, I’ve been asked: “Did someone add raspberry juice — or black cherry or grapefruit juice or lemon to the wine?” Perhaps this column will help answer the question: Where does that flavor come from? I’ll try to break the answer down into the essential components of a wine’s aroma and flavor profile: the wine writer, the grape, the yeast, the winemaker(s), the barrels and finally, the cellar. The Wine Writer: All those descriptive phrases provided by the wine writers come directly from the writer’s imagination and creative juices. For certain, one of the components of all wines is acids. And in some instances, the acids are indeed identifiable as being similar to the olfactory characteristics of lemon, lime, pineapple and grapefruit. However, identifying the acid, as one writer described the wine: “Hints of Meyer lemons fresh from the groves near Temecula” is a display of the writer’s creative side. In this case she, and it was a she, got the lemon part, but that whole Meyer-grown-in-Temecula thing

Two barrel manufactures go so far as to specify they can toast a barrel in such a way as to impart aromas of cooked bacon on the finished wine. was pure imagination. The Grapes: This component is more complicated. As an example, I offer these as typical aromatic and flavor characteristics of the grape Cabernet Sauvignon: berries, black cherries, black currant and plum. Other characteristics commonly identified, such as herbaceous and green bell pepper odors, seem to be more an aspect of less ripened fruit than of ripe grapes themselves. The yeast: Renowned wine writer and judge Jack Keller said it best: “The process of making wine is simple. Single cell plants of the genus Saccharomyces consume sugar in grape or other fruit juice and transform it into approximately equal parts of alcohol and carbon dioxide. “It is the single celled plants that we commonly call yeasts that are the real winemakers. The humans who usurp the name winemaker are largely technicians.” Jack Keller should also have added that the choice of yeast affects the final aromas of the wine. The Winemaker: Prof. Roger Boulton of the University of

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California’s Davis campus in the Department of Viticulture and Enology summed up the role of the winemaker this way: “All a winemaker is doing is preventing spoilage, introducing some style characteristics and bottling it.” What Boulton seems to downplay, though, is the importance of those style characteristics in determining the wines aromas and flavors. Change the winemaker’s decision on which oak barrels or for how long the oak should age in the barrels, and you change the final product. The Barrels: Perhaps the most important style characteristic the winemaker introduces is in the selection of oak. It begins with the choice of using oak or not, and continues on to which oak and how much, and new versus prior use. Millions of gallons of wine are made in vats or tanks other than oak. In fact, unoaked Chardonnay is all the rage these days. But the fact is that oak plays a role in the vast majority of wines made both here at home and all around the globe. Technology has grown sophisticated enough in the barrel making and toasting business that the wineries can order barrels guaranteed to provide the wines with detailed aroma and flavor profiles. Two barrel manufactures go so far as to specify they can toast a barrel in such a way as to impart aromas of cooked bacon on the finished wine. The next time you identify those aromas: vanilla, mocha, coffee, licorice, chocolate, violets, you’ll know those characteristics came to the wine in the oak barrel.

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| March 2013

The Cellar: We need to spend a few minutes on the wine bottle that’s in the wine cellar because it is in that final environment where the finishing touches are developed in the wine’s aroma and flavor profiles. Three important changes occur in the bottle, assuming the wine has been stored at temperatures at or slightly below 60 degrees F: n the color of the wine lightens because the tannic acid molecules have affixed themselves to the pigment molecules and the newly formed polymers settle out of the wine; n the tannins that remain in the wine become less bitter and less astringent with time in the bottle, n and the aromas of the fruits change from freshly picked fruits to dried fruits. The plums become prunes, if you will. One final note, life in the cellar is not eternal. All wines, inexpensive ones and reserve, pricey ones have a cellar life. The less expensive one: two to three years maximum. Most of the best of the best, 15 to 20 years tops for that lifecycle. But what you really want is to open the bottle when it’s at the top of its quality/complexity curve. For most Washington top reds, that’s around the 8 to 10 year period. As you can see, the answer to “Where do all those aromas and flavors come from?” is not easy to explain.

Alex Saliby is a wine lover who spends far too much time reading about the grapes, the process of making wine and the wines themselves. He can be contacted at alex39@msn. com.

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