Good life May 2015 by The Good Life

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Contents page 36

two for the show: paul and kelly atwood

Features

facebook for parents

the dirtbag way

Another way to track the little darlings and their indiscretions Getting comfortable — really comfortable — with dirt

back from panama

In reality, moving to Central America is not for this Chelan couple

11 agility trials for dogs and humans A course of exercise and fun puts owners and pets to the test

14 castles & caves

From deep underground prehistoric art to fortresses in the sky, a different way to see France

16 fantasy paves the streets

A farmer’s dream of fantastic creatures has created an artful new reality for poor rural villagers in Mexico

18 our frAncE house

What’s a person to do who loves France and its countryside, but lives in the foothills of Wenatchee?

ADVENTURER CALLS HIMSELF A ‘mathlete’ A severe case of wanderlust propels teacher around the world

26 the unexpected peru What the guidebooks don’t tell you

ART SKETCHES

n Theater people Paul and Kelly Atwood, page 36 n Poet Dan Sconce, page 41 Columns & Departments 28 Bonnie Orr: Keen on quinoa 30 June Darling: Any good in adversity? 32 The traveling doctor: Our finals days 35 Pet Tales: A cat for each arm 36-42 Arts & Entertainment & a Dan McConnell cartoon 39 The night sky: Saturn at its best 43 History: Okanogan settlers had plenty of moxie 46 Alex Saliby: Enjoying local Viognier wines May 2015 | The Good Life

A NUMBERS MAN WITH A HEART OF GOLD B

y all measures Ron Hupp is a numbers man. He has 28 years of experience in governmental accounting in Chelan County. He has been a board member for Numerica Credit Union for 5 years, a teacher of business education for 10 years, and was on the Numerica Audit Committee for 6 years. Ron has also been married for 31 years, has 2 kids, and 1 grandchild. His life is filled with numbers. One special number, however, his 20 years volunteering for Special Olympics, is where we see the numbers man shine with a heart of gold. “Volunteering helps to make our community stronger and more connected,” say Hupp.“It [volunteering] provides good role models to our youth. I have been a longtime volunteer for Special Olympics. We started working the hospitality table for the basketball event and my entire family has been involved. Even years later, volunteering is something that the whole family can enjoy.” It is this balance between numbers and the heart that attracted Ron to Numerica Credit Union. Ron had been a member of North Central Credit Union (NCCU) before its merger with Numerica. Ron understood from an early age the importance of a credit union’s focus on members (not customers) and better rates for borrowing and saving. Ron was recently elected Chairman of the Board of Directors for Numerica. He takes the helm from Dave Shriver, who served as Chair for the past 26 years. “I have big shoes to fill,” Ron says. “I am confident that I am well prepared. I have a long history of credit union involvement and numerous years of leadership in credit union activities. I am excited about the opportunity to be Chair of the Board of Directors of this outstanding and community-minded financial institution.” While Numerica’s administrative headquarters may be located in Spokane, Numerica is definitely a local credit union and is doing many great things for the Wenatchee Valley. Numerica has supported various community causes including being a major sponsor of the Applesox, support of Solomon’s Porch helping the homeless teen population and even acquiring the naming rights to the Performing Arts Center. Numerica continues to grow and support the Wenatchee Valley and has just re-opened its rebuilt East Wenatchee branch, located at 477 Grant Rd. The new branch feels more like a high-end coffee shop versus a typical financial institution. The branch has an inviting design to help members with their financial needs, their goals and their future plans. Staff are “universally trained”, meaning they can assist members with requests varying from deposits/withdrawals, to opening new accounts and performing loan transactions. “My wife and I are delighted to be residents of the Wenatchee Valley, supporters of the PAC and even more proud to be longtime Numerica Credit Union members.” Paid Advertisement

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OPENING SHOT

Year 9, Number 5 May 2015 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: https://www. facebook.com/NCWGoodLife

A sojourn in the sky

Editor/Publisher, Mike Cassidy Contributors, Marc Dilley, Cary Ordway, Eron Drew, Jack Davis, Katherine March, Alan Moen, Mary Schramm, Wendy Schramm, Jessica Creel, Maureen Stivers, Donna Cassidy, Bonnie Orr, Alex Saliby, Jim Brown, June Darling, Dan McConnell, Susan Lagsdin, Peter Lind and Rod Molzahn Advertising manager, Terry Smith Advertising sales, Lianne Taylor and Donna Cassidy Bookkeeping and circulation, Donna Cassidy Proofing, Dianne Cornell Ad design, Clint Hollingsworth

ne of my favorite local areas for spring wildflowers is Camas Meadows, above the Blewett Pass Highway. Administered by the Department of Natural Resources, Camas Meadows is a 1,987 acre preserve, which is at least half a boggy marsh covered with lilies in June. As such it is sensitive to traffic and one must walk around the edges. In addition to the lilies there are three protected species: the Wenatchee Mountains Checker Mallow, Wenatchee Larkspur and Tall Agoseris. There are glorious riots of other flowers in both the boggy and dry sections this huge and complex meadow and the show continues for months. Because of what I have seen at Camas Meadow over the years, Camas Lilies are one of my favorite photographic subjects. I had worked for quite awhile to create an iconic or definitive image of the lilies as they live on the Meadow and after years of struggle realized it wasn’t going to happen. I realized there isn’t one picture that could depict all

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 For circulation questions, email: donna@ncwgoodlife.com BUY A COPY of The Good Life at Hastings, Safeway stores, Walgreens, Mike’s Meats at Pybus, Rhubarb Market, Martin’s Market Place (Cashmere) and A Book for All Seasons (Leavenworth) ADVERTISING: For information about advertising in The Good Life, contact advertising at (509) 8886527, or sales@ncwgoodlife.com WRITE FOR THE GOOD LIFE: We welcome articles about people from Chelan and Douglas counties. Send your idea to Mike Cassidy at editor@ncwgoodlife.com

By Marc Dilley

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they were, or at the least I didn’t have the talent to make that shot. Currently I get up to the Meadow every year, enjoy poking around and shoot what I see. And there is always something new to see, and a new way to see it. This image, which I call A sojourn in the sky, was shot just before a lucky colorful sunset. It struck me that the Camas Lilies were marching forward into the larger group ahead, in prepara-

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May 2015

tion for perhaps a visit to the sky. A bit fanciful name perhaps, but the arrangement of the flowers gives a sense of forward motion that suggested the title.

On the cover Katherine March and her dog, Coulee, speed through an agility course at Confluence Park. Photo by Les Korcala, Dog Action Photography

editor’s notes

MIKE CASSIDY

Could you be a secret dirtbag? The first time I heard the

term “dirtbag,” I was hiking up Saddle Rock with Mary Lou Guerrero to take a photo of the long distance trail runner as dawn broke over the Wenatchee Valley. I was huffing, but she was talking freely, and said something like: “If I hadn’t bought a house before I got into trail running, I would have become a dirtbag.” By which, she explained, she would have spent her days running trails, and her nights sleeping in a van, following the trail running circuit. Apparently, I guessed, enough outdoor sports enthusiasts so thoroughly follow their passion to the exclusion of a “normal” life that there’s a name for them. How to become a dirtbag is explained this month in an essay by Eron Drew of Leavenworth. See her story on page 8. In pitching her story, Eron wrote: “There are so many of us that are nearing our 40s, have been raising kids, building our careers and have accidentally migrated away from the outdoor pursuits that we love. I am hoping by writing honestly about my own experiences, I can inspire others in a similar situation to re-discover their outdoor passions.” What passion would get you to hit the road — fishing, hunting, sailing to Alaska, surfing the 10 best beaches in the world, golfing in every state, hiking the Pacific Crest Trail... Maybe under your placid surface is a dirtbag itching to break out. A couple who did hit the road to follow their passion are Jack

and Dorothea Davis, who wrote in the February issue about wintering in Panama. Before they left, the couple — both in their 70s — stopped by The Good Life office to talk about how they were up for one more great adventure in their lives. Maybe moving to Panama would be just the ticket. Well, not so much. The couple have returned to their beautiful Chelan home. Jack talks about their adventure — and their reasons for returning — in a follow-up story on page 10. What’s that saying? — “Better to have loved and lost than not loved at all” — perhaps applies here. The award goes to the ones who try, not those who poohpoo. Food columnist Bonnie Orr traveled to Peru recently, home of the potato (my spud-loving Irish ancestors are spinning in their graves as I write that). She came back with fun stories and a rock. No, Peru is not the home of rocks, any more than any other country. However, this rock was rubbed smooth from the lapping current of the Amazon River some 25 million years ago. She let me hold the rock and as I glided my thumb over the patina surface, she explained how this came to be. See her article on page 26, followed by her recipe column using a trendy grain from Peru.

Retirement Doesn’t Mean You Retire from Life. Maybe your idea of retirement is having a second career or working part time, volunteering or indulging in your favorite hobbies. Doing the things you want to do is what retirement should be all about.

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Maybe you wouldn’t ravel in the dirt for it, but there are many ways to enjoy The Good Life. —Mike May 2015 | The Good Life

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fun stuff a full LISTING of what to do begins ON PAGE 37

It’s festival time, with a fine pick of fun events

Come take a tour and see for yourself the life you can put back in your years, Let us take care of the small things like cooking and housekeeping. Freeing your time up for some fun! Walking groups, exercise classes, Facebook and e-mail classes, games, social and happy hours, group bus trips to different destinations, making new friends and so much more.

ith the weather we’ve been having, it’s difficult to remember we’re still celebrating spring and the blossoming valley as we warm up for summer. While the heat may be early, the annual Wenatchee Apple Blossom Festival is right on time, with a packing shed full of fun events. Here are a few that caught our eye:

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Apple Blossom Fun Fly — Model aircraft of all shapes and sizes including, military, civilian and historic. Also a scale model of The Miss Veedol. Wenatchee Red Apple Flyers Field, East Wenatchee. Info: appleblossom. org. Saturday and Sunday, May 2 and 3, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m Apple Blossom Grand Parade — Starts at Triangle Park,

goes down Orondo then left on Wenatchee Ave and ends at 7th St. Saturday, May 2, 11 a.m.

starts at Eastmont Community Park runs down Grant Road turns right on Wenatchee Valley The Tour de Bloom bike race will roar through Mall Parkway until downtown Wenatchee May 2. 9th Street. Friday, May 1, 6:30 p.m. Tour de Bloom Race — Hill Car show, Saturday, May 2, noon – 5 p.m. at Eastmont Com- climb between Squilchuck State Park and Mission Ridge Ski Remunity Park. Cost: free. Info: sort, a criterium in Wenatchee east-wenatchee.com. and a road race on the Waterville Plateau. Register: usacyApple Blossom Cruiz-in — cling.org. Saturday and Sunday, Open to anyone with a cool car. May 2 and 3. Wenatchee Ave. from 2nd St to Palouse. Info: Jim McDonald, TOUR DE BEER — Watch the 670-0542. Friday, May 1, followTour de Bloom criterium from ing the Classy Chassis Parade four beer gardens from downuntil 9 p.m. town Wenatchee. Sites are at the corner of Wenatchee Avenue Monty Python’s Spamalot and Orondo Avenue, Memo— An Apple Blossom musical by Music Theatre of Wenatchee. rial Park, at McGlinn’s Public House on Orondo Avenue and Riverside Playhouse. Tickets: numericapacwen.org. First three on Wenatchee Avenue between Palouse and First. Saturday, May weekends of May. 2, 2:30 to 9 p.m.

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May 2015

My world // CARY ORDWAY

FACEBOOK FOR PARENTS A ‘FRIENDLY’ WAY TO SNOOP... OOPS, WE MEAN KEEP UP WITH YOUR TEENAGERS’ INDISCRETIONS

h, what hath Mark Zuckerberg wrought with this creation that ties networks of people together like some big electrical grid? Even though Facebook is so 2004, we parents are only now beginning to realize the infinite possibilities we have for gathering good intel on our little darlings. Back in the day, messages were between two people, a sender and a receiver, and the only place you put your message out in the public domain for all to see and exploit was your class yearbook. It was there that one could find a true measure of the graduating student’s character with messages such as: “Especially loved that Valentine’s Day party where you downed a fifth of Scotch in 25 minutes — awesome, dude!” When WE were kids, we’d quickly hide our yearbook deep in some storage closet where it wouldn’t be seen again until we were grown-up, professional, retired and checking out the best deals on nursing homes. But nowadays those messages are on Facebook, offering those

pesky job recruiters an opportunity to look deep into our kids’ souls and pronounce them eternally unfit for duty in the workplace. Now you try and tell your kid that and, being a kid, the message enters one ear, flows through and around his brain, down his intestinal tract, back up through his circulatory system and out his nose, never to be heard from again. How do we know this? Why, surveillance, of course. If you want to know every secret your kid ever had, “friend” him on Facebook. At first he may be cautious in his musings but, before long, he’ll forget that you’re his friend and get back to spewing personal information like he had entered some contest to see who could reveal the deepest secrets. Who needs the NSA, when your kid’s broadcasting his latest indiscretions not only after the fact, but often in real time? Some kids have caught onto parental friending, but the sneakier parents simply use a fake Facebook account. What teenage boy would turn down a friend request from a gorgeous

May 2015 | The Good Life

female even if he didn’t know her from Adam? It’s true, some parents can be quite devious. We, of course, do not intentionally spy on OUR kids and grandkids, and we don’t seem to be stumbling onto anything nefarious. They’re either good kids, or they took classes on How to Fool Your Facebook Parents while we thought they were at summer camp. But as we spend more and more time on Facebook, we are learning about the rules of the road, as it were, and can now pass along a few tips to help you avoid problems in your own usage of Facebook: Be careful who you friend. Okay, this is obvious but the reason to exercise caution is that your friends’ comments end up on your timeline and then somehow magically appear on your kids’ timeline, which you will recall you friended in order to spy on them. Old college drinking buddies have a way of putting stories on Facebook about you that, even 30 years after the fact, will have the ring of truth — and a certain air of tacit permission — to your kids. Be careful who and what you like. We recently “liked” a photo of our teenage daughter and her friend, posted by her friend. “I saw you liked my friend’s picture, Dad. She was wondering who this Creeper was out there who was liking her picture.”

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Don’t take it personally if nobody likes you. The game on Facebook is to see how many people “like” your comments and, with us, it’s kind of hit and miss. For some reason, my businessrelated postings sometimes land with a giant thud and I have a friend in California who loves to point that out to everyone with his own post on my timeline. “I saw you only got three likes on this. I’m not feelin’ the love — I think you better come back to California.” Thank you, Rick. That sure makes me feel better. Don’t have intimate family discussions on Facebook. We have one friend who seems to communicate with her daughter only on Facebook. “I do not like what you did. You are an ungrateful brat and have no idea what your father and I have done for you. As of now you are dead to me.” Okay, the dead part isn’t really what she said, but I’m still wondering if maybe the oldfashioned, face-to-face, mom-todaughter talk isn’t a better way to handle the situation than to post her displeasure in the Class Yearbook of the 21st Century – Facebook. Chelan resident Cary Ordway produces The Good Life’s quarterly travel section, Central Washington Experience, publishes NorthwestTravelAdvisor.com and plays rock and roll with Wenatchee’s classic rock group, the Chargers. Oh... and he’s on Facebook at Facebook.com/cary.ordway.

The DIRTBAG WAY in 9 easy steps By Eron Drew Becoming a well-seasoned dirtbag is a skill acquired over years of intentional fun-seeking away from the boundaries of the urban corridor. Although it is best to start at a young age so that the intricacies of living on the road become second nature, anyone has the potential of aspiring to future dirtbag status. (A quick explanation: Dirtbag is a selfdescribing term adopted by those who have spent years exploring the out-of-doors. Dirtbags are men and women who are serious about their outdoor passions and often choose new experiences and adventures over stability, security or social standing. Admittedly, this is a term of endearment that some people may not understand.) The following is an easy step-by-step guide to the conversion of a sane, high IQ individual on a promising career path into a lowwage earning, high-velocity, free-spirited, dirtbag. Results will vary among individuals. Step 1 — Develop a love for a sport or activity where destination travel is a key component. The love of travel is not a prerequisite but it does aid the transition process from responsible student/adult into carefree adventure seeker. Suggested activities and/or careers that will gain you dirtbag experience points include snowboarder/back country skier, climber/mountain guide, mountain/dirt/ adventure biker, surfer, kayaker/rafter, long distance hiker/runner, fisherman, anything involving a sail, park service employee, outdoor education major, nature photographer/ writer, geologist, biologist and journeyman anything.

ABOVE Raising a future dirtbag — Eron takes her daughter Ingrid on a family excursion in Death Valley. Photo by Willy Stockman LEFT How it all started — Life on the road as a climber has taken Eron around the world on many adventures. Photo by Nels Reese

ket. Be able to brush the dirt off of an item and think of this as “cleaning.” Step 4 — Cook out of a can or be able to craft gourmet meals using free and/or scavenged ingredients. This may mean opening a can and eating the contents with your fingers or a modified utensil (crackers) with or without heating up the contents of the can before consumption. Some items to consider ingesting include tuna fish, ramen noodles, ketchup soup, dried fruit, blocks of cheese, chocolate chip cookies, coffee with cocoa packets and salami sticks. When in doubt, be able to identify the local bakery or brewery to fill in where your Step 2 — Be (and remain) idealistic. Ideal- personal talents fall short. Add +5 to your ism makes up for the lack of working capital experience points when your camp stove (i.e. cash) that upholds the self-esteem of the meal incorporates vegetables and possibly, responsible folks. chopping. When cash fails, ideals blossom. Have ideStep 5 — Be able to efficiently pack your als about politics, religion, the environment, under-sized, under-powered Toyota Camry society. Have ideals about love and family, with all equipment necessary for a multiwar and peace, and good literature. week excursion with or without pets/coStep 3 — Be comfortable around dirt. This pilot. means, be comfortable around your dirt, This usually requires the purchase of mulother people’s dirt, being dirty and plain old tiple Rubbermaid Roughneck totes that have dirt. Be able to lie in the dirt, without a blan- been black sharpied with duct tape labels | The Good Life

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May 2015

Raise future dirtbags. Fill your kids’ heads with propaganda like “Camping is Fun!” or “Jump around and you’ll warm up.” such as: clothes, camping, food, cooking, gear and emergency. Or skip the bins and the efficient packing and aim for the “scatter and dig” approach, maximizing the entire storage capacity of your trunk but requiring excess parking lot space for actually finding that missing piece of gear. Add to your life’s goals: purchase all-wheel drive Subaru (or possibly Toyota Tacoma with modified bed turned sleeping compartment/gear storage). If dirtbag is only a persona you don on weekends due to job constraints where personal appearance and mode of transportation invite judgment from co-workers and neighbors, consider the Honda Element as a more suitable urban substitute. Step 6 — Practice improvisation and creativity. As a dirtbag you will be called upon to improvise such necessary items as tent poles, shelters, splints or slings, can openers, and any number of items that may be missing, broken, lost or forgotten. It is your ability to think creatively that will keep you cozy, dry and safe in nearly any conditions presented. Step 7 — Don’t forget some reads, a journal and a good camera. Travel with a compendium of obscure publications and dogeared maps. Old guidebooks, copies of the Alpinist, Frequency or Taproot are always welcome companions when wifi service becomes non-existent. Develop an eye for natural beauty or that perfect descent and capture it on film. Draw, paint and create on your rest

Sandy fun: Shells plucked from the beach.

days. For your non-dirtbag friends, art can be the window into your world. Step 8 — Love yourself. You became a dirtbag because of your passion for the interesting and beautiful places in this world. Be comfortable being you, even when those around you are not comfortable with you being you. Learn to convey your passion to others through words, photos and essays. You may be surprised how many other people secretly long to be dirtbags too. Step 9 — Raise future dirtbags. Fill your kids’ heads with propaganda like “Camping is Fun!” or “Jump around and you’ll warm up.” Make rhetorical statements like, “Well, we could go out to eat but wouldn’t you rather stay here and have a fire?” Bribe them with marshmallows and their very own headlamps. Let them choose the hike out of the book. Stack the family tree; introduce your dirtbag

friends to your kids as “aunt” and “uncle.” Be prepared for these future dirtbags to grow up to become tax attorneys, investment bankers or fashion editors instead. And, if dirtbagging it just isn’t for you anymore, there are alternatives. There’s always the home in the sprawl, the lawn to mow, 15 pounds of potato chips and beer hoping to join your midsection and a fully televised sports schedule waiting to engulf you. If you have found yourself inadvertently stalled out on this side-adventure, remember that it is never too late to get back out there. The dirtbag life is always calling and the rest of us will still be here, waiting for you. Eron Drew lives in Leavenworth and, on the cusp of turning 40, remains a self described dirtbag. She enjoys writing honestly about her own experiences in nature and hopes to inspire others to re-discover their passion for the outdoors.

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• Sports Biomechanics • Physical Therapy • Video Gait Analysis • Orthotics • Functional Testing • Pool Therapy • Massage Therapy • Work Related Injuries May 2015 | The Good Life

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following up burn as it is close to the equator and the sun is as hot as the sand. With all of those things going for that area of Panama, readers

we are back Panama has its charms, but realistically it’s not for us By Jack Davis

orothea and I are home in Chelan now after spending the winter months in Panama where they do not have winter, but rainy and dry seasons with a constant temperature of between 75 and 90 degrees the entire year. Here are some follow-up thoughts of our adventure that we wrote about shortly after arriving in a Panama printed in the February issue of The Good Life (“Wintering in Panama”). After we arrived at the Seattle airport on our return from Panama, Dorothea and I decided that we were getting too old to be traveling and enduring the long lines at check in, immigration, customs, rechecking baggage and baggage claims. We used to enjoy the adventure of traveling by air but the thrill has worn thin for us. The travel and an accumulation of more minor things about living in a foreign country led us to the decision to sell our house in Panama and not sell our beautiful house overlooking Lake Chelan. There are many things about Panama that we will miss, however, such as some really good restaurants and considerably lower restaurant prices. As an example of restaurants we enjoyed was the Fish House in Boquete, the small town near our home. Dorothea, being from Germany, likes Schnitzel and there it was on the menu in a fish house. I, on the other hand, enjoyed their excellent fish and chips. We went to Leavenworth after

we came home and Dorothea ordered Schnitzel at one of the most popular restaurants there and found it was not nearly as well prepared and cost 100 percent more. We will also miss the warm weather and nice breezes in the mountains that kept our house just about the right temperature without heat or air-conditioning. We also found a really goodtasting German-style sausage from Spain in the Costco-type store in the nearby city of David called PriceSmart. Some German residents of Boquete sold them as Bratwurst on grills at the local Tuesday market. We looked here at Costco when we got back to see if they carried them and were not able to find them. We have some neighbors in the small housing development in Panama that are from Georgia who we became well acquainted with while sitting on their deck watching the local birds fly around while we drank wine and also watched the sunsets over the ocean about 25 miles away. They live in both Georgia and Panama and switch places every three months, primarily so the husband can fish in Panama from his 37-foot boat. We also found a church with an English-speaking pastor from Texas that we felt very comfortable with. The beaches in Panama are beautiful but they are too hot to spend time on, unless you have limited time to get a suntan, or

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may be wondering why we would sell our new house there. Our ages (late 70s) and the travel as previously mentioned are dominate, but some other reasons contributed to our decision. Some of these are the language barrier and the judicial system that in our case came together as revealed by a minor incident with the next door neighbor’s car at a grocery store. It is complicated to explain but in essence we found that even with an interpreter we were not able to negotiate what they use for a court system. We found out later that part of the problem was that the country had just installed a newly elected president for his five-year term and that most of the government employees are new to their jobs, being replaced by the new president and his administration. We were there just as the changeover occurred and it was chaotic. The language difference is not

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May 2015

generally a problem at stores and general getting around but in a legal or social level it is a formidable obstacle, especially at our age. One of our favorable impressions of Panama from earlier visits was the people were very friendly and welcoming, especially school-age children including teenagers. The teenagers were very respectful of older people, unlike what we see as a general rule in this country where by and large they don’t see older people, or at least don’t pay them any attention. On the other hand we had hoped to include some native Panamanians in our circle of friends but the older ones, around our age, generally don’t speak English so the language barrier was very evident. The younger generations generally speak some English. As a result we were with Americans and Canadians most of the time. When we went to a Sunday brunch at the local German restaurant, there many people of German decent gathered but most of them were actually from the U.S. or Canada either living or visiting Panama. In summary we would recommend a move to a foreign country no later in life than your 60s. At that age you are more mobile and adaptable to the different situations and long travel commutes you encounter. For short-term vacations it is just fine but moving the entire household is challenging. We will now concentrate on our kids and grandkids more than ever and enjoy the “good life” here in Chelan and the U.S. We will be traveling to the East Coast this summer to see more kids and grandkids but this time we will leave the flying for the birds.

Betsy Metcalf guides Sundew over the teeter-totter at an agility event in Moses Lake. Photo by Les Korcala, Dog Action Photography

Putting dogs and humans to the test Agility trials teach new skills and further deepen the bonds between best friends By Katherine March

sk your friends what they want to do when they retire, and it would be rare to find any that tell you he/she wants to teach people how to put their dogs through tunnels, over teeter

totters and jumps, and through weave poles. Betsy Metcalf is one of those rare ones. Every Thursday afternoon and evening she is doing just that at the Wenatchee Kennel Club (WKC). To prepare for this volun-

May 2015 | The Good Life

teer dream job Betsy spent her childhood showing horses and dogs in 4-H, and later followed with a career in physical therapy with school Special Education students. She started teaching agility in 2002, when the WKC opened its training center in East Wenatchee.

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Betsy’s passion grows with the sport she loves: “Teaching agility is a fun challenge,” she said. “This includes figuring out how each dog learns and what rewards that dog so he is having as much fun as we are, teaching people to understand their body

}}} Continued on next page

Agility trials are fun for humans and doggy friends }}} Continued from previous page language that the dog is reading, taking into account each handlers physical abilities, making sure each dog and handler are working within their abilities, learning new skills, and improving their speed and accuracy. “Different breeds have different strengths and weakness that must be considered,” Betsy added. Increasing mental and physical challenges as well as the associated expansion of skills make the sport more exciting all the time. Betsy finds it easy to get excited when she sees a team she has schooled doing well. Any dog can do agility, especially if it likes running and eating. My first agility partner, Bobbie Jo, a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon now retired from the sport,

taught me well, and I now run with Coulee (aka Beast Mode), another Griffon. Training starts slowly and gently, first with focus that allows the dog to work off-leash, then with simple obstacles that increase in challenge as the dog progresses. Students come to class with pockets full of treats and toys —anything from manufactured goodies to liver, which some of us can’t carry around without gagging. Betsy emphasizes positive reinforcement, which is rewarding correct work, and gently trying again if something needs more work. Most dogs are eager to “play” on the obstacles, and the rate of learning can lead one to believe that soon dogs will be doing arithmetic. In class we find that mistakes are most often “pilot error.”

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Betsy Metcalf runs with Sundew on the A-Frame/six-foot climb at Confluence Park. Photo by Les Korcala, Dog Action Photography

Every dog-handler pair progresses quickly, by leaps and bounds, to the point that a dog will turn tight corners, learn the names of obstacles and take cues from the handler’s body

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language. The training greatly firms up the bond between the two, and influences behavior outside the kennel club training room. We all enjoy a dog that comes when

...of course you have to laugh when your male dog marks an obstacle as “his” or picks up the obstacle number cone to play with. called, and stops when we stop. Running a dog in agility, whether it is in training or in an agility trial, does requires a sense of humor. There are dogs that get so excited they make up their own courses, hunting dogs that know their jobs are to search out the pigeons, cats and geese that frequent an arena, and of course you have to laugh when your male dog marks an obstacle as “his” or picks up the obstacle number cone to play with. Dogs are also forgiving when the handler runs into jumps, falls down and forgets the pattern of a course at a trial. We are then reminded why dogs have been top-notch domestic companions for centuries and no matter what happens, we are still best friends. My sense of humor has passed the agility trial test well. Coulee went off course once, jumping the fence to go to our tent near the ring where we competitors park ourselves with our dogs, their treats and crates during the trial. Some of his buddies had been visiting him there, and he found it necessary to check on things. He determined that his den was OK, so jumped back in and finished the course in spite of an unquestionable disqualification. Coulee is a gifted bird dog, and any nice arena or park is attractive to birds, and maybe rodents and cats. One of many times his hunting instincts have floated to the top, he was seriously snorting around the edge of the ring

Cody jumps through the tire with the coaching of Jan Flatten at the Metcalf Ranch. Photo by Katherine March

instead of showing his athletic skills and hours of training, when the judge came up beside me and laughed saying, “He’s hunting.” I am not one to say words that are socially unacceptable, plus foul language gets the pair excused from the ring, but in some circumstances one speaks in the vernacular. To the judge I said, “So, I can say $%$# now?” By this time Coulee had done a great job of disqualifying, so she said, “Sure.” Later that day as she judged Coulee and me in another run, I did not have to ask her what I could say while Coulee again went into his bird dog act. Just like, without permission, you can say that word when your dog takes a bathroom break in the ring because that activity is a disqualification anyway. Betsy has her own stories. “My dog was on the dog walk and suddenly goes into warp May 2015 | The Good Life

speed — toward the rabbit that has just entered the ring, but the rabbit escaped under the cyclone fence just before my dog gets there. When my dog saw the rabbit was not coming back, she finished the course with me. “Then there was the time I crossed in front of the A frame climbing obstacle with my eyes on the dog… opps I was not where I thought I was as I splattered into the A frame.” Some handlers come to work with Betsy for a weekly play break, and others work for competitive agility trials. Some do both, such as Lynda Phesant who started her rescue Australian Shepherd for fun, then went to a trial, then another and wanted to get one title, then the next title was so close and ended up with the highest agility title of Master Agility Champion, which means Lynda and Annie love to play together. Betsy and her sister, Suzanne, www.ncwgoodlife.com

share the family horse ranch just outside Wenatchee where they often invite students for agility play days. Their four Rhodesian Ridgebacks are the descendants of their first RR they got in 1978, the dogs compete in conformation, agility, obedience, tracking, lure coursing and just about anything a dog can do. Whatever one chooses to do with the skills, the training is the same. Non-members are welcome to take classes at the Wenatchee Kennel Club. Even mix breed dogs can compete in agility trials, so there is no limit to how far a pair can go in the sport, and of course no limit to the good times. For more information check out wenatcheekennelclub.com, Wenatchee Kennel Club Facebook, or contact Betsy at 663-3635. WKC has an agility trial the second weekend in October at Confluence Park, Moses Lake has a trial each year in March, and WKC has a fun match at Walla Walla Park May 23.

Castles

& Caves

a view of the past and the way, way past in France By Alan Moen

ur trip to France this spring had a lot to do with four teenage boys and a dog. In September 1940, as the boys looked for buried treasure rumored to be in a hidden tunnel in the Dordogne Valley of France, their dog Robot discovered a sinkhole in the ground. After enlarging the opening to investigate it, they suddenly dropped 50 feet down a shaft into an underground cave. There they discovered the most amazing cave paintings ever found on earth. The Lascaux Cave contains over 2,000 large-scale paintings of prehistoric bulls, horses, stags and other animals over 17,000 years old. It was first opened to the public in 1948, but the paintings became seriously damaged over the years as a fungus and a black mold formed on them, caused by carbon dioxide, heat and humidly from many people entering the cave. So in 1963, the French government closed the cave, and a faithful reproduction of it, Lascaux II — accurate to within one millimeter — was created just 200 meters away. Lascaux II was opened for visitors in 1983. Unlike other prehistoric caves in the nearby Vézère Valley,

which seem quite likely to exist in a region of many overhanging limestone cliffs, Lascaux is located in an area of forested hills where caves are more infrequent. My wife and I drove up to its elaborate visitor center and parking area and joined some French schoolchildren and our guide for an unforgettable journey into the recreated past. As an artist, I’ve always been fascinated with prehistoric paintings, having seen many before in trips to Spain and South Africa. But nothing prepared me for the scale and beauty of the Lascaux works. In the Hall of the Bulls, CroMagnon people used local materials to draw and paint giant aurochs (primitive bulls) and bison on the cave walls in all their massive glory. No one knows exactly why this was done (only one crude stick figure of a human has ever been found in Lascaux). But if there’s a Sistine Chapel of cave art, this is it. We found other caves to visit in the nearby Vézère Valley as well. Chief among them were the Grotte du Font de Gaume and L’Abri du Cap Blanc. The former — with passageway so narrow that I had to duck my head and sometimes turn sideways — contains real paint-

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The painting of a bison at the Font De Gaume Cave is fading but still visible.

ings of bison, horses, and deer up to five or six feet long. The latter is actually a oneroom rock shelter where carvings of horses and other animals have been fashioned from natural rock formations. They are just as old as those at Lascaux, and just as enigmatic. Unfortunately, they too have suffered from exposure to recent human exploitation, and the number of visitors permitted each day to view them (cameras

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and backpacks are not allowed) is now very limited. It was still a magical experience to see that long before the civilizations of Sumer, Babylon and Egypt existed, humans were making art and seeking to understand the world around them. Outside the caves, the Dordogne area is also studded with dozens of medieval castles built during France’s Hundred Year War (1337-1453) with England.

King Richard the Lionheart once lived at the Beynac Castle.

Looking down on the Dordogne River from the ramparts of Beynac Castle. Photos by Alan Moen

The most spectacular one we visited was at Beynac, perched on a massive cliff 450 feet above the Dordogne River. Richard The Lionheart took the castle and lived there for two years as the two nations struggled against each other to control the region east of Bordeaux. Wandering the old castle from its kitchens, dining halls and royal apartments up to its guard towers and battlements, we walked into the mostly unrestored remains of the past. From the castleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highest wall, it was a dizzying drop to the small village below with its many cafĂŠs and tourists shops. I thought of how impregnable the castle must have been to an enemy attack, even though solders could ride a ramp past a drawbridge right into its inner courtyard. Rusty swords were stuck in a rack in a soldiersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; dining hall, with a mass of crossbows hang-

ing from the ceiling. Useless as these weapons are now, it seemed that a medieval figure might step out of the shadows at any moment and try to wield them. In some cases, only ramparts remain of these ancient fortifications, such as at the village of Domme, which now has a fine view of the landscape around it but not much else. It seemed that every hilltop in the region had some kind of fort or castle â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in fact, some 900 of them once existed. While the villages below them sport the trappings of the modern age such as automo-

biles, electricity and the Internet, these castles may have lost their former power, but not their presence. Driving on to the south in the Lot River Valley, we explored another ruined castle in the dramatic village of St. Cirq-Lapopie, which clings to a high cliff above the river. The spectacular views, narrow cobblestone streets and charming cafĂŠs of this very vertiginous medieval town combined to make it the most beautiful of all those we visited. Its charm draws many travelers from around the world, but being there in the off-season

allowed us to enjoy it without the claustrophobic crush of an overwhelming gaggle of other tourists. As we sat sipping coffee at a sidewalk cafĂŠ there and talked with a friendly French couple also touring the town, I thought about how much the visible history of France had increased our deep love for this amazing country, one that was so instrumental in the founding of our own. From its caves and castles to its immense contribution to modern art and politics, France has always been a vital part of our own human heritage.

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Paving the streets with art wild dream of fantasy figures creates art industry and brings economic progress to Mexican village By Mary Schramm

or 18 years we have traveled to Oaxaca, (wah HAH kah) Mexico. The spring trips began as shopping trips for Jubilee, our Fair Trade Store in Leavenworth, but now we continue to go there once a year for our “artist’s fix.” Oaxaca, the capital of the state by the same name, is 300 miles south of Mexico City. An old, colonial village, this charming town is far from beaches and at 5,000 feet, lies in a valley of mountains, surrounded by small villages known for weaving, woodcrafts, baskets and black pottery. The highlight of this year’s trip was our visit to the sculptors and painters of San Martin Tilcajete, whose beautiful wood carvings are known throughout the world. The Zapotec people in this village have their doors open to visitors, and we were invited to enter any house that had the door sign, “Artesanias de Madera” (wood artists). As we went in and out of homes we saw the skill and patience needed to produce the great variety of animals, insects, nativity scenes, humans and fantasy figures. When we visited here in 1995, San Martin was a tiny, sleepy village with dirt roads and much evidence of poverty. But the richness of re-discovering wood sculpting has transformed nearly every aspect of this community. They are proud of their homes and the ancient church is slowly being refurbished. Roads are paved.

The schools are alive with the sounds and laughter of the village children. The women, especially, have become wonderful artists. Men have another option for their lives instead of only agriculture. The story is told that one morning, a Mexican farmer awakened from a vivid dream, filled with amazing fantasy figures. He knew he needed to create these creatures for others to enjoy. These figures set the tone for many of the carvings, now in the area of central Oaxaca. In one of the homes, we were hosted by Jacobo and Maria Angeles. They employ families from four surrounding villages who work together in the patios of the Angeles home. They graciously took us through the process of their craft. Copal wood is cut from the surrounding area and while it is still green, is carved into a figure using a machete and kitchen knife blade. It can be filed into a porcelain-like finish. It is set on a shelf to dry for 10 to 12 months and then any cracks that develop are filled in with slivers of the copal wood and sealed. One young man worked to finish the ears on the head of a large rabbit. “It’s an order from Playboy,” the carver told us grinning. As we watched, another carver was creating two identical cats, each two feet tall and weighing about 10 pounds. “We found that putting the carving in a freezer for a few weeks, destroys the eggs of

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The wood carvings of San Martin Tilcajete can be large, such as this horse with a flowing mane. Photos by Wendy Schramm

insects in the wood,” the man said. “After the piece has dried, it is dipped in gasoline and an insecticide before it is ready to paint.” According to the carvers, there is a distinction between the female tree that has white pulp and the male Copal tree that has a reddish hue. The community has strict requirements about re-planting trees that have been limbed or cut down. All of the paints come from natural dyes. If you have the background of a chemist, making paints may seem obvious, but for us it was like watching magic. The bark from the Copal tree

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is ground until it looks like cocoa powder or finely ground coffee beans ready to brew. Our host put some of the brown powder in his palm, added a small bit of lime juice, a few drops of honey and a rich, maroon paint appeared. He added baking soda and other chemicals for deep indigos or green. Pomegranate seeds mixed with the Copal bark created a yellow paint, and red is produced by grinding Cochineal insects from cactus plants and mixing them with calcium. (We learned that the Western Tanagers, that winter in Southern Mexico, eat the same insects,

APRIL 24TH THRU MAY 10TH, 2015 Artists work in studios, which often are the homes of local supporters. This man is creating a fierce cat, about two feet tall.

Coyotes, turkeys and chickens, mermaids ... are very popular. which causes them to have red head feathers.) Depending on the size of the wooden figure, the painter may spend six to eight weeks painting with a very fine brush. We watched as a young woman consistently dipped her brush in water, then squeezed it out between her lips before dipping it into a tiny jar of paint. Our host took us into the last patio where he proudly showed us a large owl. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This figure has been purchased by the museum in Mexico City,â&#x20AC;? our host ex-

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plained with a big smile. The outspread wings were decorated with many rows of Zapotec symbols indicating rain, mountains, vocation, health, family, community and other life experiences. Coyotes, turkeys and chickens, mermaids as well as fantasy figures are very popular. The half hour ride that cost a few pesos on a second-class bus from Oaxaca to San Martin provided us a look at a unique kind of art gallery in the homes of very hospitable Mexican families. Now it is difficult for us to look at a tree and not see an owl or the figure of a woman inside waiting to come to life. There really is magic in the trees. May 2015 | The Good Life

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Bringing Where You Love to Where You Live By Maureen Stivers Part 1: Confessions of a Francophile

have always had a love affair with France. Actually, that’s not true. In seventh grade I had a hate affair with the language and with Jean-Paul, the unfortunate Frenchman charged with teaching it to us after school. We were a classroom of junior high school students who had just spent the entire day in classrooms listening to teachers. This was our parents’ idea, not ours. In high school, maturity and good taste began to take over. During my freshman year, my parents forced me (yet again) to take another language: Latin. My sophomore year, I enrolled in first year French. It turned out that Latin’s rigorous grammar proved to be an asset and French came to me easily the second time around. At graduation, my parents gifted me a summer trip to France with a student group,

ABOVE: The floor of the entire house is tiled in the French fashion, which is frequently some variation of red. Walls are often painted in yellows. AT LEFT: The dining and multipurpose table is at the center of most French homes which, are usually of a more modest size than modern American houses.

PHOTOS BY DONNA CASSIDY

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ABOVE: The Earthenware, Terre e Provence, was purchased in France. It continues the home’s color theme of red and yellow. AT RIGHT: While most Southern French kitchens have open shelves, the wood cabinets were kept in place. Many French touches have been added such as the large sink, dish towel by Oliviers et Compagnie and a decorated ceramic olive oil cruet.

Our France House }}} Continued from previous page which included homestays, French language and cooking classes and lots of travelling around by train. This is when I fell head over heels. I recall with amusement my numerous postcards sent home from every city, town and hamlet we visited stating, at the tender age of 18, “I think I’m going to retire here.”

I returned home in the fall with two goals: 1) begin a successful college career and 2) get back to France. My junior year, I had the undergraduate advisor of the Speech and Hearing Department adjust my classes so that I could take two quarters off to go to France. I spent my first three months in an intensive French program while soaking up the

Parisian life. Thanks to all the friends I had made and my family’s contacts, I stayed on another three months working for and visiting French people. The majority remain among my dearest friends to this day. I returned to the University of Washington not only fluent in French, but, thanks to a relentless phonetics teacher and

NCW Home Professionals

the coincidence of my major in Speech, with enviable pronunciation. After completing graduate school and spending a year at my first job, I went on vacation to France for a month. The next year, I went again. I broadened my travel horizons for several years, but in 2001, it was back to France. Sacre bleu! The addiction had taken hold. Part 2: Molding my family into Francophiles Our daughter was 22 months old when we first whisked her off to France. Protest was not an issue. She learned quite quickly that everyone there found her extremely cute and when she said “merci” in that darling little voice, she got all the sweets and attention she could handle. Leonora is now 10 years old and has been to France three times. All she had to say upon our return to Wenatchee from France this past August was, “Why do we have to live in such a boring place?”

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Our shutters opened and closed: All shades of blue and lavender functioning shutters seal out the intense sun of the Provence summer. Mosaics often adorn the tops of windows.

Prior to meeting me, my husband Carl had been to France once, in 1990, en route to Africa. He didn’t remember disliking it. After our three family trips, spent seeing historic things, being wined and dined nightly by my, now our friends, and being sucked up by the charm of it all, he was also hooked. Although I think the cheeses and pastries by themselves would have been sufficient. One of the things he loved most was the iconic look of the southern French country houses. He ended up wanting one just as much as I did. Part 3: How to acquire a Southern French country house It turns out that there is more than one way to do this. The obvious thing is have one built just like you want it. We had the land in Wenatchee and hired designer Richard Congdon, who designed Jan and Kyle Mathison’s home, (featured in the November 2014 issue of The Good Life) to design it. He seemed to genuinely enjoy the project, which was different than anything he had done before. We looked at lots of pictures,

had numerous discussions and emphasized the three big things: 1) a brownish-red tile roof, 2) stucco siding and 3) a red tile floor. Other necessities included functioning bright blue shutters over all the windows, an open floor plan with the dining table at the center of things, a fireplace with a stone chimney and lots of wood inside. And then came the detailed estimate. WAY more than we were thinking! Rich was a bit shocked as well. The construction company told us that they could bring the cost down by eliminating 1) the tile roof, 2) the stucco siding and 3) the red tile floor. And, of course those functioning shutters, stone chimney, wood, etc. I need not explain why this was completely unacceptable. We decided instead to buy a house that would suit our family, and pursue construction of our dream France house down the road. We were in no hurry and looked for several months. We finally found a house that was in a lovely rural setting with the right number of bed and bathrooms. And lo and behold, it came with a brownish-red stone tile roof. We realized quite quickly that May 2015 | The Good Life

this 1980’s Miami Vice-style place could be converted into our France house with no structural changes. It had an open floor plan, fireplace and wood everywhere. The transformation took place project-by-project, year by year, over the next seven years.

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Part 4: Living in a Southern French country house We now have the right roof, stucco siding, a red tile floor, functioning bright blue shutters and exterior blinds over all the windows, several mosaic

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ABOVE: The classic house of Southern France — stucco siding that matches its surroundings, a reddish brown tile roof, bright blue functioning shutters and shades and a stone chimney. Photo by Maureen Stivers AT RIGHT: Maureen Stivers and her daughter Leonora stand in the front doorway below the colorful stone design with the word “Bienvenue,” meaning “Welcome.”

Our France House }}} Continued from previous page window trims, a fireplace with a marble surround and painting above, a stone chimney, and a large farm-style kitchen sink and soapstone countertops. There are numerous decorative details with which one can be more flexible, but suffice it to say, that our house is full of

French things. The music of Charles Aznavour, Barbara, Souchon and Jacques Brel can frequently be heard during dinner preparations. Our bedrooms have the classic wooden armoires and clothing chests. There is a seven-foot wide Coeur en Hiver motif (the

Heart in Winter, and symbol of the Alps) painted over the master bed. Lavender is planted everywhere outside, rosemary dominates the herb garden and Classic Greco-Roman statues are beginning to make an appearance. The stone trim above the front door reads “Bienvenue” and welcomes all who enter. A rustic chandelier hangs over

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the centrally located dining table, where as in France, our life happens. Family and festive homecooked meals are all eaten here. Homework is done, discussions are held, games are played, and taxes are filed. Friends are entertained, cookies are cut out, bills are paid, writing pieces are completed and tea and wine are shared. In July, we will be hosting our second French daughter of a friend. It always adds some verisimilitude when French is spoken about the place. If ghosts are going to make themselves known, they will be of Marcel Pagnol and the like — not those Miami Vice characters Crockett and Tubbs. We are not ready, and may never be, to make our home in France. But we have certainly brought a place and lifestyle we love, right to where we live.

‘Mathlete’ A severe case of wanderlust propels middle school math teacher to rip into the world By Rachel DiLorenzo

ometimes, it all comes down to a bowl of chocolate ice cream. At least, that’s how Jeff Permin equates his love of teaching middle school math. “It’s like liking chocolate ice cream, you just enjoy it. I guess I just love the kids’ zest for life, and enjoy being around such positive attitudes.” For his students at Pioneer Middle School, the feeling is mutual. Seventh-grader Lucinda Wright explains that students are fascinated by their teacher’s appetite for adventure travel. “Mr. Permin” has shared photos of himself climbing what looks like a frozen waterfall, swimming among ice chunks and riding on an elephant’s head. “You never know what to expect in his class,” Lucinda adds, “He’s my favorite teacher.” As for his wanderlust, Jeff explains, “I’ve surely had a bad case of it all my life. Because my family didn’t have much money, I had never been able to travel. In my 17 years at home, the furthest trip away was my

grandma’s house. I longed to get out and see the world. I took off the first chance I got, and never looked back.” In a case of history repeating itself, Jeff credits his own middle school teacher, Mr. Erickson, as a big inspiration. “He loved his job,” Jeff remembers, “and every summer, he would go out and have amazing adventures traveling, climbing and backpacking. I decided I wanted the same kind of life. I knew that I could never experience life the way I wanted, if I only got two weeks off a year.” His travels have taken Jeff from the Wenatchee Valley to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. “There are so many favorite places,” he reminisces. “The Mayan temples in Tikal, Guatemala... the beaches and laid back Rastafarian life in Caye Caulker, an island off the coast of Belize (I was there getting my scuba diving license, but ended up staying longer).” He continues excitedly, “There was the Inca Trail, and the people you meet from every country

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Mathlete ‘I met a Buddhist monk named Bhopa. He took me for a motorcycle ride into the country to meet students in a rural village school’ }}} Continued from previous page on the planet along the route to Machu Picchu in Peru. “There were the incredibly friendly people in the villages in northern Thailand… the castles along the Rhine River in Germany...the Roman ruins throughout Italy and the incredible church spires in Prague, Czech Republic. You know,” he pauses, “I could talk for hours about this; maybe I should quit now...” Following high school, Jeff left his hometown of Woodland, in southeast Washington, and entered the Army. After ROTC training, he received an officer’s commission in 1987. He completed airborne school and paratrooper training. Then, he was promoted to tank company executive officer. “My time in the Army really made me appreciate the simple things in life: like a shower, enough food, time to sleep and a place to call my own.” Along the way, he earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Jeff offers this account of best travel experience: “It was last summer in Cambodia. In Siem Reap, I met a Buddhist monk named Bhopa. He took me for a motorcycle ride into the country to meet students in a rural

village school. It was just a half-shed. It was open on two sides, with crude wooden benches and stools. There was one workbook for each five kids. “The ‘teachers’ were older middle school kids who had a couple of years of education under their belt. The students, some as young as 8 or 9, brought their younger siblings. Imagine having to babysit a toddler in diapers, while attending class. “Meanwhile, chickens and dogs had free run of the ‘school.’ But while they were living in grinding poverty, they were some of the happiest kids I have ever met. They were very polite and eager to learn. This really made me appreciate what we have here in the States.” Jeff visits Machu Picchu, Peru in June 2013. There were younger older, instead of climbing the years spent doing a lot of mountains, I mainly enjoy lookcrazy things. ing at them from flower-filled “I rock climbed, ice climbed, meadows. Instead of jumping off skydived and bungee jumped,” bridges, I now just walk across and he jokes, “I even attempted them, without much urge to to bake 20-minute brownies jump off. My climbing buddies in 10 minutes... Now, as I get

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and I got ourselves into some tough situations years ago. We learned that we are, in fact, mortal, and that tomorrow is not a given.” In addition to recognizing one’s limitations, there have been challenges and cultural lessons. There was a food poisoning incident in Morocco. “Everything was in Arabic. I couldn’t make myself understood that I needed doctor, and did not trust the one I found. So I ended up taking a ferry to Spain, across the Strait of Gibraltar. Imagine having a rolling stomach while ferrying on rolling waves. Not a pretty sight.” While traveling in the Ama-

“I still want to go to Egypt, when the political situation cools down. I want to hike the Manaslu Circuit in Nepal and visit China’s forbidden city.” zon basin, Jeff’s guide bet him he would not eat a worm. “He then proceeded to pull a huge larvae out of a rotten stump. He just chopped up the stump with his machete, and handed it to me. I argued that a larvae was not really a worm. But I finally yielded to peer pressure, and ate it. The hope was to get it down quickly. Unfortunately, they are quite chewy. The critter had to be chewed in order to be swallowed. Yuck!” he recalls, then adds, “Later in the day, we ate

termites…” Jeff proudly calls son Tyler, 16, and daughter, Brandi, 13, “the most important people in my life, and my finest achievements. They are not outdoor enthusiasts like me. “But every summer, they humor me with a trip somewhere in the U.S.” He also feels fortunate to have devoted friends. “They offer so much encouragement to me, to pursue my dreams. They are okay with me being the ‘weak link’ in just about every endeavor,” he adds humbly, “Just about every outdoor friend I have is a better climber; and is bolder and more proficient than me. I have learned a lot from them.” Why does this spirited globetrotter choose to call Wenatchee home? “I love living in Wenatchee because we have ice climbing, rock climbing, mountaineering, backpacking and snowshoeing, all in our backyard.

“I spend a good portion of each summer in the Alpine Lakes area and the North Cascades when I am here. I have been visiting these areas for over 30 years, and there are still many places I have not yet been to.” As for what the future holds for the self-described mathlete, “I still want to go to Egypt, when the political situation cools down. I want to hike the Manaslu Circuit in Nepal and visit China’s forbidden city. “Right now, some friends and I are training for the Seattle Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon in June and hiking through the Swiss Alps this summer.” Jeff sums it up this way: “I like to play outside! Live life to the limit! As Jim Whitaker (first American to climb Mount Everest) says, ‘If you are not living life on the edge, you are taking up too much space.’” Rachel DiLorenzo loves meeting new people, and enjoys dancing to the Bee Gees.

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5 things that

guidebooks forget to mention about Peru By Bonnie Orr

I have been a traveler for

most of my adult life sustained by the motto, “There are no bad time times just unexpected adventures.” I love spending months reading about my destination, examining maps, digesting novels set in my chosen exotic local, delighting in vintage travelogues and reading every guide book available. I particularly look for areas, often off the tourist route, where I can bird watch or look for unusual plants. I depend on Lonely Planet, even though it seldom features birds and flowers. I only recently began to sign up for guided tours, mostly to get to areas that are not accessible on public transportation. My most recent trip was to Peru. I combined my independent travel with tour groups that focused on bird watching. I was delighted with five surprises that no travel book mentioned.

❶

Potatoes are more varied than I could imagine. I knew potatoes originated in Peru and were introduced to Europe by the Spanish conquerors. In the last 20 years, U.S. grocery stores have added Yukon Gold and purple potatoes to the classic selection of reds and russets, the mainstay of the potato market. Years ago I read a Smithsonian Magazine article about potatoes and mused over the photo that illustrated 20 various color and shapes of Peruvian potatoes.

The soups were exquisitely creamy not because of the milk product but because of the texture of the potato. The potatoes are actually even more colorful and numerous — 3,800 types — than the photo illustrated. The meals featured the more “gummy” types of potatoes as opposed to the American standard of light and fluffy Burbank Russet bakers. They were more filling and more satisfying and carried the flavor of the sauces more effectively. The soups were exquisitely creamy not because of the milk product but because of the texture of the potato. The best surprise was the number of restaurants that featured fresh-made potato chips — bright yellow, deep fried, very thin and flavored with mint or marjoram. A guide told me the best tasting potatoes are harvested, left out to “freeze” — think 32 degrees — and then boiled and mashed.

❷

It hardly freezes at 12,000 feet in elevation. I found Epidendrum orchids and vanilla orchids at 7,000 feet at Machu Picchu.

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During the dry season — which is how Peruvians refer to fall and winter — it can get cold at the end of June, about 32. Thousands of people live and garden in the Altiplano, the area of the Andes Mountain Range up to about 14,000 feet. The Altiplano weather year-round varies from the low 30s to the high 60s — 72 degrees is a heat

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May 2015

wave. (Think Ireland without the altitude.) I saw small plots of potatoes in all stages of growth from just planted, to full bloom to harvest all in February near Cusco at 10,000 feet.

❸

So many of the plants grown as annuals in Wenatchee are

❶

Top right: Potatoes came in a multitude of colors in Peru.

❷

Far left bottom: Vegetation grows luxuriously at 14,000 feet.

❸

Lower right: Plants familiar to Wenatchee gardeners grow in the high attitudes of Peru.

❹

Far left: a flooded creek leading to the Amazon lifted boaters closer to the birds high in the trees.

❺

Middle right: An Uranium Moth settles on thick beach sand some 480 miles from the nearest ocean.

perennials at altitude. Why is this? Peru is 12 to 16 degrees south of the equator. It is a tropical dry climate. The prevailing winds come from the ocean, bringing warm air that condenses to create the hundreds of inches of rain that fall in the Andes and are the source for the water for the massive Amazon River.

❹

The Amazon is REALLY a big river. The area where my group was bird-watching was on Ucayali and the Maranon tributaries that form the Amazon near Iquitos; the Amazon is already two miles wide, and it gets wider and wider for the next nearly 4,000 May 2015 | The Good Life

miles; the river is over 150 miles wide at its mouth. In February, the end of the rainy season, the river that I visited was 45 feet deeper than normal. It is mind-boggling to think of a river 45 feet above flood stage. It was advantageous for the little skiffs filled with birdwatchers, who were watching birds from nearly half way up the canopy rather than straining their necks to see little blobs flitting at the top of the 100 foot tall trees. The river is chocolate-mocha colored. On our riverboat home, we showered in river water, which left a layer of silt in the bottom of the shower at the end of our bathing.

❺

The past is part of the present. I have suffered from rock lust all my life, thus have had an www.ncwgoodlife.com

amateur’s enthusiasm for geology. I pick up little rocks wherever I go. None of the guidebooks mention that the Amazon River use to flow entirely across South America from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Granted, this was more than 25 million years ago before the Nazca Plate was subducted under the South American Plate to created the Andes. Outside of the town of Iquitos, an industrial town originally based on the rubber industry, are large deposits of thick, white sand. This area is 480 miles from the current Pacific Ocean. The deposits are ocean beach sand. I picked up some white smooth sand and one very lovely small sea-polished pocket rock. What a pleasure to hold something 25 million years old. Unexpected travel revelations appeal to me. I appreciate the touted museums, historical sites, archeological treasures and such, but most of all I love being surprised. Truly, as Robert Lewis Stevenson, said, “… better to travel hopefully than to arrive.”

column GARDEN OF DELIGHTS

bonnie orr

Keen on South American quinoa Q

uinoa, (keen-wa, many people have trouble pronouncing it) is a versatile grain-like seed related to the popular garden plant, Love-Lies-Bleeding. This amaranth is also related to a number of weeds and other small blooming annual plants. I wanted to grow quinoa but discovered that our summer days have too many hours of light, and quinoa does not tolerate temperatures over 90 degrees. Home gardening would be a novelty; it is not going to become a grain crop since it must be treated after harvest to remove the bitter seed coating. The plants produce varied colored seed bracts, purple, green, pink, yellow, orange, greeny-

Quinoa comes in many colors. This dish was made with red quinoa. This Inca quinoa is layed with potatoes, tuna, quinoa and avocados.

gray, and in the fall, the entire plant turns brilliant rust colored. Quinoa is a possibility for an ornamental plant in our area, especially if we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t plant it until July. Nearly all the quinoa we buy at the grocery is imported from Peru or Bolivia. Because its growing popularity in the U.S. has

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If you use it as a substitute for pasta in a salad, your salad will not be as large and bulky... made it into a new cash crop for South Americans, I was told that this basic food has become almost too expensive for Peruvians to buy. On a recent trip to Peru, I purchased an 8-oz. bag of fancy mixed types of quinoa at a grocery store in Puno, Peru. It costs nearly $3. The regular quinoa was $2 a kilo — the minimum wage in Peru is $66 a month. I am always concerned about the true impacts of world food distribution. I had no idea how versatile this seed is. I enjoyed eating it in many forms. It is puffed like wheat as a breakfast cereal, substituted for rice or polenta in casseroles, used in place of potatoes as a thickener for soups and as an alternate to pasta for mixed green and fruit salads. If you use it as a substitute for pasta in a salad, your salad will not be as large and bulky, but it will be more filling with the quinoa. Some of the darker-colored quinoa has more of a nutty taste than the lighter seed. Quinoa should always be rinsed before cooking it to remove any traces of the natural bitter seed coating. A half cup of quinoa grains simmered in oneand-a-quarter cups water makes one and a half cups of cooked grains. That is enough for two servings. Quinoa cooks in about 15 minutes. Let it sit in the cooking pan for another 10 minutes until all the moisture has been absorbed.

Inca Quinoa This recipe is based on an authentic, delicious Peruvian dish. I translated

The pretty growing quinoa could be an ornamental plant in local gardens. it from the package of Inca quinoa. It is a layered dish that is ideal as a cool summer dinner. This can be made the day before. Serves 6 40 minutes prep; 1 hour cooling 5 large Yukon gold potatoes 1/2 cup raw red or white quinoa 1-1/4 cups water 1 onion finely chopped 2 cloves of garlic minced 7 oz. can albacore or tuna fish drained 1/3 cup lemon juice Salt/white pepper Olive oil 2 boiled eggs, shelled and sliced (optional) 2 avocados peeled and sliced

eggs, avocado and another layer of potatoes. Continue layering until all the ingredients are used. Top with potatoes. Chill for an hour or so. Un-mold on a plate decorated with salad greens and red pepper slices.

Quinoa Omelet This dish can be served for breakfast or lunch. It can be folded in heated tortilla shells for a more substantial meal. Serves 6; 35 minutes 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa 4 eggs, beaten 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or arugula

Boil, peel and mash the potatoes fluffy. Cook the quinoa, onion and garlic in the water until all the moisture is absorbed. Stir together in a bowl the quinoa mix, fish, onion, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Oil a decorative mold or a deep bowl into which you will layer the ingredients. Line the mold with a layer of mashed potatoes. Add a layer of the quinoa mixture, May 2015 | The Good Life

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1 onion, finely chopped 1/2 cup grated cotija or farmer’s cheese 1 cloves garlic, finely chopped oil salt/ pepper Stir the ingredients together in a bowl. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and carefully pour in 1/3 of the ingredients. Cook until solid, and turn or flip the omelet so both sides are slightly browned. Keep warm while you cook the other two portions. Serve with sliced avocado. Bonnie Orr — the dirt diva — cooks and gardens in East Wenatchee.

column moving up to the good life

june darling

Can there be any good in adversity? What doesn’t kill me

makes me stronger? Seriously? Fredrich Nietszche isn’t the only one to throw around this view of tribulations. Ancient philosophers from many cultures subscribed to the concept. Over 50 years of scientific research tells us this is not always true, however. We know that many people develop debilitating conditions in reaction to adversity. They do not get stronger. They become depressed, panicked, and broken. Yet adversity can be beneficial. In the last few years modern day psychologists, like Jonathan Haidt, are attempting to give us a fuller picture of how adversity

can positively affect us. According to Haidt, some people may use adversity, setbacks, even suffering and trauma to reach their highest levels of strength, fulfillment, and personal development. He outlines the three primary ways that adversity can be helpful. The first benefit is around strengths development and resilience. Most of us believe we simply could not endure some adversities. When tragedy strikes we may become numb, but somehow we keep putting one foot in front of the other. We realize that we are much stronger than we thought. We gain confidence about what we can endure. We seem to become inoculated to future stress.

A number of religious leaders have often pointed out this exact benefit of suffering. The Dalai Lama said: “The person who has had more experience of hardships can stand more firmly in the face of problems than the person who has never experienced suffering.” The second way we benefit involves relationships. Part of the benefit is about having some people come forward — feeling profoundly comforted by their support. Recently I browsed through some images of last year’s wildfire in the Carlton Complex. Many scenes involve people rushing to others’ aid and hugging each other. Another part of the relationship benefit is more along the lines of having a greater sense

of appreciation for others in general. An increased ability to be more tolerant and loving with others despite their differences, warts, and quirks may spring up after adversity. The third common benefit of setbacks and suffering is that we may change our priorities in ways that are more likely to make us happy and fulfilled. Years ago I knew a woman who was given a terminal prognosis. Within a few months she had sold her house, quit her corporate job and jumped on a plane to Europe with a plan to live out her last few months plein air painting. The terminal prognosis was

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When we are not inordinately fearful of setbacks, failures and painful struggles, we are more likely to push our boundaries. not so imminent after all. The woman eventually opened an art gallery. Adversity transformed her life into something much closer to her ideal. What can we do with this research about adversity? Let me start with what we should not do. We should not be overly bold in throwing Nietszche’s dictum around. Tragedies do hurt people. Suffering should not be celebrated. We should not be insensitive to others’ pain. Telling someone who has just received a cancer diagnosis about all the benefits of adversity is not helpful. What we can do is broaden our perspective on adversity to see that it isn’t always all bad. When we, or our loved ones, experience an adversity, we can remind ourselves to look around and notice what benefits may be wrapped into the setback. We can embrace and be thankful for the good in the bad. A fuller perspective of adversity may also allow us to loosen up and be a bit more adventurous with life. When we are not inordinately fearful of setbacks, failures and painful struggles, we are more likely to push our boundaries. We bounce back more quickly from life’s knock-downs. This research may also help us adjust how we parent. We want our children to be safe, but sometimes we can become overly anxious about potential failure. We may become protective to

the point that we are stunting our children’s growth. A couple of years ago, I met a lady who said to me, “Oh, yes, I know you. You’re the mother who almost let her son drown in the Cashmere pool.” The lady was talking about an incident that happened more than 30 years ago. Honestly, I did not let my son almost drown. What I did do is let my fiveyear-old keep struggling to swim across the pool until he finally made it. It seemed like an eternity. And it took all the control I could muster not to jump in to the rescue. Looking back (though it evidently gave me a questionable reputation as a mother) I’m glad I did it. My son’s confidence increased and he became an accomplished swimmer. Bad stuff happens. It causes pain; it can be useful. Shakespeare probably has it more right than Nietszche: Sweet are the uses of adversity Which like the toad, ugly, and venomous, Wears yet a precious jewel in his head. How might you broaden your understanding of adversity to move up to The Good Life? June Darling, Ph.D. can be contacted at drjunedarling1@gmail. com; website: www.summitgroupresources.com. Her books, including 7 Giant Steps To The Good Life, can be bought or read for free at Amazon. com.

>> RANDOM QUOTE

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column THE TRAVELing DOCTOR

jim brown, m.d.

Thinking about our final days In recent weeks as a result of

a previous article I wrote in The Good Life, two people recommended that I read the book, Being Mortal by Dr. Atul Gawande. Dr. Gawande is a general and endocrine surgeon in Boston, the son of an immigrant from India. He writes that he had learned little about aging and dying when he was in medical school and that he felt ill prepared to help those who became old and frail. As I thought about it, I don’t recall any specific classes or teaching about that subject when I was in medical school or in my residency either. At that time most aging patients were under the care of family physicians and internists. Eventually

many dying patients were under the care of their various specialists. However, a majority of deaths that occur in aging patients don’t fall into certain specialty categories. Dr. Gawande’s grandfather’s death was typical of those in countries like India where the elderly are revered and are cared for at home by their extended families. On the other hand his mother-in-law’s death in America was more typical of what many experience here. She was an independent widow who moved into an assisted care facility and then eventually into a nursing home. She disliked the nursing home and felt like it was more of a prison where she had little

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I am not obsessed with the subject death and dying, however I am realistic about its inevitability. or no control of her life until her death. I am not obsessed with the subject death and dying, however I am realistic about its inevitability. We humans have a shelf life, which is different for all of us. I only have to check the local obituaries every day to realize that there are more folks dying lately that are younger than I to

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know that my time here is also limited. There isn’t a lot we can do by our mid 70s to change the inevitability of our life span. By then most of our preventive health behaviors have already been done or our unhealthy life styles have taken their toll. Dr. Gawande writes that doctors and patients often avoid talking about dying. It is not a pleasant subject for sure. Not talking about it however can lead to more treatments and procedures that do little good and rarely prolong the life but might prolong the suffering. We Americans rarely die a “natural” death. In fact most of us don’t know what that means anymore.

We don’t see death certificates anymore that list the cause of death as “natural causes or old age.” The practitioners best equipped to deal with many of these issues are in the relatively new field of geriatrics. They are specialists in the final stages or end of our human journey. Unfortunately there are only 300 geriatricians coming into practice annually in our country despite the fact that our elderly population is increasing. Taking care of the frail elderly does not pay very well. In our society that emphasizes youth, vitality and active living, caring for the frail elderly does not attract many young practitioners. Most of these patients are on Medicaid or Medicare that generally does not reimburse enough to cover one’s expenses let alone offer a competitive income. Younger doctors who graduate now days are often saddled with debts averaging $250,000. Obviously they are attracted to specialties that allow them to work down their indebtedness. I think it behooves each of us to become proactive for ourselves on this issue. All of us, especially the elderly, want to be treated or cared for in a way that preserves our sense of control and dignity. Some 70 percent of deaths now occur in hospitals or long-term care facilities. We are not dying at home very often for many reasons. Our families are smaller and more often than not our children, once grown, leave home, move to cities or other states for jobs and more stimulating life styles. There aren’t many left at home to care for their moms or dads. In addition, parents after retirement often move to active senior communities in warmer climates further separating themselves from their families. Assisted living facilities became popular in the early 1990s and are now a booming industry. They offer an attractive

how a local couple handled death: ‘we were honoring our wedding vows to the very end’ S

even out of 10 Americans surveyed would like to die at home. Before WWII, this is what happened for most of the time, but by the 1980s only 17 percent died at home. Recently Barbara Gibbons died at home. Jerry and Barbara have been our friends since 1970, and he has been a mentor to me ever since I joined the Wenatchee Valley Clinic in 1970. In recent years, Jerry and Barbara had discussed with their family what they wanted to do about their deaths when it might come to them. They both wanted to be at home surrounded by family if at all possible. When Barbara was diagnosed with a terminal illness, their family rallied around her and Jerry and were supportive of their decision to live out her life at home. alternative to nursing homes — a form of care that gives elderly seniors a semblance of independent living with their own apartment and some control over their lives. Studies show that the elderly focus more on simply being, rather than planning ahead. They want to center their lives on family and close friends. Aging people surprisingly have been shown to be more emotionally satisfied than younger people. Realizing that their time on earth is limited, they tend to enjoy every day. Assisted living facilities also give some sense of comfort to the families. Most assisted living facilities have transition units to a nursing home environment and memory units that may become important at some stage in the final journey, especially considering that by age 85 about 30 percent have some degree of dementia. Knowing that their loved ones are being helped when needed is comforting to their families. However, assisted living facilities are not inexpensive. The average cost in the U.S. is about May 2015 | The Good Life

Jerry cared for her for most of the time and then had a caregiver come three mornings a week giving him some time for shopping, exercise and food preparation. In the last few weeks of her life, someone from the family was with her at all times. A hospice team came out near the end providing suggestions, medications and support. Friends brought food and comfort. She died peacefully with all her family, including all 11 grandchildren at their home with Jerry continually at her side. If at all possible, this is the way I want my final days to be, surrounded by those who love me. Jerry never had any doubts saying, “we were honoring our wedding vows to the very end.” The entire Gibbons family have been a wonderful example for all of us. — Jim Brown

Aging people surprisingly have been shown to be more emotionally satisfied than younger people. $3,500 a month. The average age of assisted living residents in the U.S. is 87, with females outnumbering males by a three to one ratio, and an average stay is 28 months. My parents lived independently into their 90s until my mom fell, breaking her hip. When she was in rehab, it became apparent that my father’s memory issues were worse than we thought when mom was not there to care for and guide him. At that point we helped them move to a nice local assisted care facility. As Dad’s memory issues worsened, he was moved to the memory unit. I insisted that every afternoon he be taken to my mom’s apartment for three www.ncwgoodlife.com

hours, which was good for both of them. I felt fortunate that they were right here in Wenatchee, and we could stop by and see them several times a week. I was there to be with each of them when they died after brief illnesses. Lynn’s parents lived in Lincoln, Nebraska. Her dad had a major stroke that paralyzed him confining him to a wheel chair. They were fortunate that with home care he was able to remain in his own home still mentally alert until his death at home at age 91. After his death, Lynn’s mom moved to The Green House, a place that was a new idea for care of the aged. Dr. Bill Thomas, a New York geriatrician, had created the Green House project, a radically new approach to long-term care where nursing homes were replaced with small home-like environments in residential areas. He felt people would do better in a more homelike atmosphere. Green Houses are limited to no more than 16 residents. Residents have private rooms

}}} Continued on next page

Dr. Jim Brown: Thinking about our final days }}} Continued from previous page and there is a community living room for everyone with a fireplace and television. Everyone, including caregivers, share meals together around a large table. The kitchen is open and the residents can sit and watch the food preparation and cooking while communicate with cooks and helpers. I was impressed by the staff and the care that Lynn’s mom received there. It was a pleasant place to visit. Hospice care focuses on emotional and spiritual needs of the chronically ill and terminally ill patients who are expected to die within six months. Hospice allows those who wish to die comfortably at home with nurses providing palliative care

A sharpened focus as the end approaches

“There is no time for anything inessential. I no longer pay attention to politics or watch the nightly news. “Over the past 10 years or so I have become increasingly aware that my generation is on the way out. There is no one like us when we are gone. “When people die they cannot be replaced. It is our genetic fate that every human is unique, to find his/her own path, to live their own life, to die their own death. “I cannot pretend I am without fear, but my personal feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved. I have been given much and I have tried to share as well. I have been a thinking animal on this beautiful planet and that in itself has been an enormous privilege.” To this I say, Amen and thank you, Oliver Sacks. — Jim Brown

On Feb. 19, noted author Dr. Oliver Sacks

wrote an article in the New York Times titled My Own Life after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. He said: “One month ago, I felt I was in good health, even robust health. But my luck ran out. I found out that I had multiple metastasis to my liver from a recurrent melanoma that had originally been removed from my eye nine years previously. “It is up to me to choose how to live my remaining months. I plan to live in the richest, deepest and most productive way that I can. “Over the past few days I have been able to see my life as from an altitude, as sort of a landscape, with a deepening sense of all its parts. This does not mean I am finished with life. I feel a sudden clear focus and perspective. and comfort. Hospice includes care from social workers, chaplains and volunteers who provide companionship and respite for family members. Hospice patients are

less likely to use hospitals, experience less pain and live longer than patients receiving “standard” care. Those in hospice care realize they are facing death and have

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shown the courage to act on it. Unfortunately, 28 percent of hospice users were enrolled for three days or less even though they were eligible for months prior to that. All Medicare services, including pharmaceuticals, received by a hospice patient is covered by Medicare. Hospice care has decreased Medicare costs, by reducing emergency room visits and hospitalizations. According to a study by AARP, the top three states for long-term care are Minnesota, Washington and Oregon. The bottom three are Alabama, West Virginia and Oklahoma. My purpose in this article is to familiarize readers about their options and suggest that we all think about how we want our end of life to be dealt with when that time comes to each of us. Only 20-30 percent of Americans have advanced directives or living wills. I encouraged all our readers to be sure that they have theirs in order so their wishes might be known by others. 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.

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May 2015

PET tales

Tells us a story about your pet. Submit pet & owner pictures to: editor@ncwgoodlife.com

Diva came into our lives

Photo by Kathie Teeley

hen Kitty and Panda were at the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society shelter no one was interested in adopting them because they were older cats, they had been together their entire life, and needed to stay together. I adopted them both and I am so glad I did. They are wonderful in every way and are even helping me train my foster dog Pulga!

a few months ago and was the best rescue dog I could ask for. Even though her life was short-lived with us we will be forever grateful for all I have learned from her. There will always be good days and there will be bad days. But at least every day of mine has dogs in it, so it can’t ever truly be that bad. — Joanne Renteria

— Michelle Straus WVHS Volunteer

May 2015 | The Good Life

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Paul and Kelly Atwood: Carting in their talents for the Apple Blossom musical comedy Spamalot.

Crank it up! For Paul and kelly atwood, there is no such thing as ‘too much’ when it comes to theater By Susan Lagsdin

“Louder, faster, funnier…”

There aren’t too many artistic endeavors for which this is the prime directive. But musical comedy demands it, and for dozens of productions over the years from Chicago and Big River to Hairspray, Annie, Gypsy, A Chorus Line and many more, Atwood and Atwood have brought it on. The dynamic duo (Paul and Kelly) are currently teaming up as director and producer, respectively, of Spamalot, the Apple Blossom Festival musical at Riverside Theater. Paul, a fifth generation orchardist fully committed to the family’s 60 acres of cherries, pears and apples, is also drama advisor and director at Wenatchee High School and bi-annually takes on Wenatchee School District’s all-ages musical.

Kelly, who grew up in Portland, handles orchard business, heads the Apple Blossom Arts and Crafts Fair, and every summer directs children in Short Shakespearians. Their prime combined focus most years is Music Theatre of Wenatchee. Each were bitten by the theater bug in high school; they discovered they were darned good performers. Paul and Kelly were cast together as comic leads in an operetta at Washington State University, where they found each other and found common ground working with mentor Paul Wadleigh. After testing the waters of the Seattle theater scene after graduation, they came home to the orchard to raise their family. They quickly realized that in the Wenatchee Valley they could use their drama degrees and their passion for the | The Good Life

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stage to do as much theater as the theater could stand. And that’s been good for local audiences since 1998. Both of them sing and dance, and both get plenty of quality time on stage. Paul’s often the face you’ll recognize. “I can’t send him to the store — it takes too long; he’s always talking to people,” Kelly said. She’s by design more the chameleon, happily disguising herself in a role and unwilling to be in the spotlight in “real life.” The energetic humor of their rapid repartee and pitch-perfect bickering is a trademark of their teamwork. But when they’re responsible for producing and directing, the couple shares a serious demand for excellence and they collaborate closely to fine-tune each of their shows to

May 2015

“Never underestimate people’s capacity for giving just a little bit more. It is all about trust — in that sense theater is a team sport like no other.” perfection. “Paul’s the big-picture guy,” Kelly explained. “I’m the ‘fixer.’” That means on a typical twoperson gig like Spamalot, he sets all the blocking and choreography, the actors learn songs and script, and then Kelly comes in to coach the subtle (for dramas) or not-so-subtle (for musicals) character moves. She believes in “bits a’ plenty” and helps actors incorporate the body language, gestures, expressions and inflections that can mean the difference between the pitter-patter or the roar of audience applause. Paul and Kelly are students of musical theater; they know what’s do-able in Wenatchee, what’s new and risky and what audiences love to watch. They look for credentials like Tony nominations, “But if you only choose a show to sell tickets, there’s no point in it.” Kelly said. “We never do a show we don’t love!” Their children were raised in the theater, from baby packs at rehearsals to stage roles. “The best family vacation we ever had was four days in New York City — we saw six Broadway and offBroadway shows,” Kelly said.

Paul’s directed all three kids, and cherishes watching them meet artistic challenges. If and when Allie, Maddie and Mason go off in their own directions, the Atwoods know that immersion in theater has given them untypical cultural savvy and open-mindedness. Paul and Kelly tend to surround themselves on stage and backstage with people who share their standards and will push themselves to their own potential. “Never underestimate people’s capacity for giving just a little bit more,” Paul said. “It is all about trust — in that sense theater is a team sport like no other.” He marvels at the quality of talent and labor, all volunteer all the time that fuels local theater. For the last big “what if?” question (dream time), Kelly mused and then declared, “If we had all the resources in the world… I’d think I’d just keeping doing theater all day long, all the time.” Spamalot, “Lovingly ripped off” from the classic Monty Python film, runs April 30-May 16 at the Riverside Theater. See mtow.org for details and ticketing.

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NCW Blues Jam, every second and fourth Monday, 7:30 – 11 p.m. Columbia Valley Brewery, 538 Riverside Dr, Wenatchee. Info: facebook. com/NCWBluesJam. 2 Left Feet, every Thursday, 7 – 9 p.m. 2 Left Feet is a loose organization of local dance enthusiasts who would like to see more dancing in the Wenatchee Valley. Beginner lesson at the top of the hour followed by carefree social dancing. No partner necessary to join in the fun. Dance style will be 1940s swing with a bit of salsa, blues, waltz or tango thrown in. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Sage Hills Trails open until 12/1. Pack Walks, every 4th Saturday, 9 a.m. Bring your friends and dogs on leashes and walk the riverfront trail. Meet on the loop behind Pybus Public Market at the boat launch. Info: wenatcheefido.org. Wenatchee Farmers Market, every Saturday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. Pybus Public Market. Entertainment in the Park, through 5/3. Live music during lunch and dinner and all day on weekends. Food, arts and crafts booths too. Memorial Park, Wenatchee. Funtastic Shows Carnival, through 5/3. Wide array of rides and games for all age groups. Wenatchee Riverfront Park. Extraordinary Ordinary People, 5/1, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. A national exhibit. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Live music, 5/1, 6 – 8 p.m. Carolyn

The

Wenatchee Racquet & Athletic Club

Classy Chassis Parade, 5/1, 6:30 p.m. Parade starts at Eastmont Community Park runs down Grant Road turns right on Wenatchee Valley Mall Parkway until 9th Street. Car show 5/2, noon – 5 p.m. at Eastmont Community Park. Cost: free. Info: east-wenatchee.com. Apple Blossom Cruiz-in, 5/1, following the Classy Chassis Parade until 9 p.m. Open to anyone with a cool car. Wenatchee Ave from 2nd St to Palouse. Info: Jim McDonald, 670-0542. Apple Blossom Promenaders Square Dance, 5/1-3, 7 – 10 p.m. Free to watch, $30 to dance. Vale Elementary School, Cashmere. Earthquake Geology of Central Washington, 5/1, 7 p.m. and field course 5/2, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Wenatchee River Institute, 347 Division, Leavenworth. Info and registration: wenatcheeriverinstitute.org. Seattle Opera Presents: Our Earth, 5/1, 7 p.m. Live performance. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Info: numericapac.org. G.S. Long’s Hell on Hooves: Roughstock rodeo, 5/1-2, 7:30 p.m. Town Toyota Center. Info: towntoyotacenter.org. Two Rivers Art Gallery, 5/1, 5 – 8 p.m. All new show, featuring over 50 artists and a special presentation by Manson artist Michael Detering. His works include mixed me-

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www.wrac.org 662-3544

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Radar Station Gallery, 5/1, 6 - 9 p.m. Wenatchee artist Chad Yenney will display his collages, hand made from vintage magazines, one night only. Radar Station Gallery, 2201 Grant Rd #A. Cost: free.

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DAYS OF May 2015 | The Good Life

Cruso performs. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free.

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}}} Continued from previous page dia, collage, painting and sculpture. Music by harpist Suzanne Grassell. Wines by Wedge Mountain Winery and complimentary refreshments. 102 N Columbia, Wenatchee. Cost: free. Info: 2riversgallery.com. Merriment Party Goods, 5/1, 5 – 8 p.m. Snacks and beverages. 23, S Wenatchee Ave. Cost: free. Info: facebook.com/merrimentpartygoods. Tumbleweed Bead Co., 5/1, 5-7 p.m. Devan Nichols owner/creator of Contour Creative will show her prints, cards and tees. Refreshments served. 105 Palouse St. Cost: free. Info: tumbleweedbeadco.com. Small Artworks Gallery, 5/1, 5 p.m. Local artists works will be on display at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Info: wvmcc.org. Lecture Series: Matt Taibbi, 5/1, 7 p.m. American author of The Divide, American Injustice in the Age of the Wealth Gap and journalist, Matt Taibbi will speak. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $20 advance or $24 at the door. Info: icicle.org. Monty Python’s Spamalot, 5/1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 16, 7:30 p.m. 5/9, 16 2 p.m. An Apple Blossom musical by Music Theatre of Wenatchee. Riverside Playhouse. Tickets: numericapacwen.org. Downtown Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, 5/2, 6:30 – 10:30 a.m. Pancakes, eggs, ham, juice, milk and coffee – all you can eat. Triangle Park. Cost: $6 advance or $7 at the gate. Each ticket entry for $750 gas giveaway. Info: appleblossom.org. Apple Blossom Festival 5k and 10k fun run, 5/2, 9 a.m. Wenatchee Triangle Park. Info: appleblossom.org. Friends of the Library Book Sale, 5/2, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Pybus Public Market. Apple Blossom Fun Fly, 5/2-3, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Model aircraft of all shapes and sizes including, military, civilian and historic. Also a scale model of The Miss Veedol. Wenatchee Red Apple Flyers Field, East Wenatchee. Info: appleblossom.org. Tour de Bloom Race, 5/2-3, 10

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May 2015

a.m. – 9 p.m. Hill climb between Squilchuck State Park and Mission Ridge Ski Resort, a criterium in Wenatchee and a road race on the Waterville Plateau. Register: usacycling.org. TOUR DE BEER, 5/2, 2:30 to 9 p.m. Watch the Tour de Bloom criterium from four beer gardens from downtown Wenatchee. Sites are at the corner of Wenatchee Avenue and Orondo Avenue, Memorial Park, at McGlinn’s Public House on Orondo Avenue and on Wenatchee Avenue between Palouse and First. Local craft beers, including ones from Icicle Brewing, Badger Mountain Brewing and Iron Horse Brewing. Apple Blossom Grand Parade, 5/2, 11 a.m. Starts at Triangle Park, goes down Orondo then left on Wenatchee Ave and ends at 7th St. Wenatchee Urban Mile, 5/2, 6 p.m. Downtown Wenatchee along the Tour de Bloom’s criterium course. Info: runwenatchee.com. Classic Music Series: From Strauss to American Vernacular: An Evening of Songs for Voice and Piano. Canyon Wren Recital Hall, 5/2, 7 p.m. Leavenworth. Cost: $20 advance or $24 at the door. Info: icicle.org. Live music: The Chargers, 5/2, 7-9 p.m. Pybus Public Market. Cost: Free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. The Four Freshman, 5/2, 7:30 p.m. Four parts harmony, a twist of elegance with a splash of swing. Live performance. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $21-$29. Info: numericapac.org. Apple Pie and Dessert BakeOff, 5/3, 10 – 11 a.m. Cash prizes awarded. Drop off at Apple Blossom Festival Office, 2 S. Chelan Ave. Info: appleblossom.org. Horse Lake Trail Run Training, 5/5, 6 – 8 p.m. Join Adam Vognild on a trail run at Horse Lake for the race scheduled on the 9th. This run is for beginner and intermediate runners. Meet at the Inner Circle Gym to carpool to Horse Lake. RSVP: cdlandtrust.org. Macbeth, 5/5, 7:30 p.m. The Seattle Shakespeare Company will perform live. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $10. Info: numericapac.org. Film Series: The Hard Problem, 5/7, 7 p.m. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $10 advance or $13 at the door. Info: icicle.org.

WHAT TO DO

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

Live music, 5/8, 7 – 9 p.m. The Bucket List Blues Band plays at Pybus Public Market. Grand Coulee Ice Age Floods Tour, 5/9, 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Join Wenatchee River Institute for this chartered bus natural history tour of the Grand Coulee corridor. Cost: $40. Info and registration: wenatcheeriverinstitute.org. NCW Dahlia Society Tuber Sale, 5/9, and 5/16. 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. $3 a tuber. Pybus Public Market. Horse Lake half-marathon and 5-mile run, 5/9, 9 a.m. Exercise, competition, beautiful views and supporting the Land Trust – what’s not to like? Fundraiser for ChelanDouglas Land Trust. Horse Lake Reserve. Sign up: runwenatchee. com. Voyageur Canoe Trips for Families, 5/9, 10 a.m. Introductory paddle through the estuary at Wenatchee Confluence State Park. Info: wenatcheepaddle.org. Maifest, 5/9 -10. All day. Parade, dances, live music, battle demonstration, plant sale, Village Art in the Park, bouncy house, climbing wall and more. Downtown Leavenworth. Cost: free. BBQ Championships, 5/9, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Pybus Public Market. Mother’s Day Wine Walk, 5/9, noon – 5 p.m. Pick up your wine glass and walking map at Out on a Whim or Davis Furniture. Downtown Wenatchee. Cost: $20 online or $25 at the door includes 14 tastes and souvenir glass. Info: ncwwines.com. Opera Series: Season Grand Finale: The Marriage of Figaro, 5/9, 7 p.m. and 5/10, 2 p.m. Central Washington University presents Marriage of Figaro. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $20 advance or $24 at the door. Info: icicle.org. Art Loves Sunday, 5/10, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Meet and visit with local artists who are practicing their craft. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Umi Garrett, 5/11, 7:30 – 9 p.m. Live performance. Wenatchee High School Auditorium. Cost: $20. Info: Arlene Jones 884-6835.

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column the night sky this month

Peter Lind

Saturn at its ringing best A

s we head into summer, the nights get shorter in the northern hemisphere but there’s plenty to see as the darkness comes later. And at the top of the list is Saturn, which puts on a great show all night long as it reaches opposition and peak visibility. But first let’s see what’s going on throughout the month starting shortly after the sun sets on May 1. Look to the west-northwestern horizon about 45 minutes after the sun goes down, and you should spot Mercury in the fading twilight. Binoculars will make it very obvious if you don’t see it with your naked eye. Through binoculars, look for the Pleiades star cluster (M45) just to the north of the planet. On May 6 Mercury reaches greatest elongation, which means it is the farthest away from the sun from our viewpoint. It will be about a fists width above the horizon, as high above our horizon as it will get this year. As you hunt for Mercury you’ll see a bright object high in the western sky. Venus dominates the whole evening sky, shining bright and getting brighter by the end of the month. Venus spends most of the month in the constellation Gemini the Twins, and on the ninth moves close to the open star cluster M35, a nice combination through binoculars. Jupiter is the second brightest planet in the night sky this month. It shines just a little dimmer than Venus, but can’t be missed, high in the sky throughout the month. Late evenings would be a great time to grab a pair of binoculars and see how many moons are showing. The small moons May 2015 | The Good Life

The dark Cassini division that separates the outer A ring from the inner and brighter B ring is easily seen through a six-inch telescope. The same scope will reveal four of Saturn’s 62 known moons. Fifty three Saturn’s moon Mimas looks enough like a giant battle of these moons weapon from Star Wars to be called the “Death Star.” have names. This sounds like change from night to night, and a lot of satellites, but Jupiter’s count is five more than Saturn. sometimes from hour to hour. Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, A thrilling event happens on had a probe land on it, the Euthe night of May 27/28 when ropean Space Agency’s Huygens the shadows of two of Jupiter’s lander carried to the moon by moons — Ganymede and Io the Cassini spacecraft. Titan’s — appear to merge on Jupiter’s “earthlike processes” and thick surface. This is caused by Io, atmosphere were the things the inner moon, having a faster that attracted scientists to this orbit and catching up to Ganymoon. Ethane and methane rain mede. from the atmosphere and flow Saturn is the feature planet on the surface. this month as it reaches opMimas, another of Saturn’s position on May 22. The ringed large moons, has been called world comes up around 9:30 the “Death Star” because of the p.m. May 1, but takes quite a similarity of the large crater to while to get above the souththe machine from the Star Wars eastern horizon. reality. The 88-mile wide-crater, It sits in the stars of Scorpius, and can’t be missed by its bright named the Herschel Crater, is about a third the diameter of the orange glow. When it reaches moon itself. opposition it pops above the May is shaping up to be a great eastern horizon at dusk and is month for binoculars and the in the sky all night, reaching night sky, lots to look at and Zenith at midnight. plenty of darkness to enjoy it in. The planet shines brightest Don’t forget to check out our at opposition and also appears own moon with your binoculars, largest when viewed through a as it holds many treasures to be telescope. discovered. The tilt of Saturn’s rings go through a 15-year cycle, right Peter Lind is a local amateur astronnow we are close to maximum omer. He can be reached at ppjl@ tilt which gives us stunning juno.com. view through any but the smallest telescope. www.ncwgoodlife.com

COMING UP AT

ICICLE CREEK

WHAT TO DO

CENTER FOR THE ARTS IN LEAV ENWORTH LIVE ON STAGE

CLASSICAL

MAY 2, 7PM

LECTURE

MAY 1, 7PM

MATT TAIBBI

CYNDIA SEIDEN, JENNIFER BOWMAN

VOCAL/PIANO

OPERA FILM

MAY 9, 7PM & MAY 10, 2PM

NT LIVE

MAY 7, 7PM

SEASON GRAND FINALE

THE HARD PROBLEM

THE MARRIAGE

OF FIGARO

THEATER

MAY 13, 7PM

FILM

SEATTLE SHAKESPEARE PRESENTS

MAY 14, 7PM

ROMEO AND JULIET Educational Programs

ON ANY SUNDAY:

THE NEXT CHAPTER

MUSIC

CLASSICAL

MAY 15, 7PM

MAY 16, 7PM

ALICE DIMICELE

KEYBOARD CAPERS

Icicle Creek Center for the Arts offers a variety of educational opportunities for youth to adults. You'll find everything from Guitar Euphoria for professional guitarists and aficionados, to a new young film makers camp, to the popular summer symphony camp, and just about everything in between. Learn more at Icicle.org

ICICLE.ORG (509) 548-6347 7409 ICICLE ROAD, LEAVENWORTH, WA

th 0 1

Writers Conference AL ANNU

WRITE ON THE RIVER

RIGHT HERE, WRITE NOW

Saturday & Sunday, May 16 & 17, 2015 ON THE WENATCHEE VALLEY COLLEGE CAMPUS

Agent & Editor Appointments

14 Fiction & Nonfiction Workshops

“Fundamentals Workshops” - Writing World Basics

10th Anniversary Party & Attendee Book Signing - Saturday!

Sunday Morning Intensive Fiction Workshop with William Kenower

www.writeontheriver.org or call 509-293-9215

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seniors. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Special exhibit launch event May 15 at 5 p.m.

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Live music, 5/15, 7 – 9 p.m. Erin McNamee will perform. Pybus Public Market. Cost: Free.

Theater series: Romeo and Juliet, 5/13, 7 p.m. Seattle Shakespeare Company presents the classic tale of young lovers caught between warring families. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $20 advance or $24 at the door. Info: icicle.org.

Columbia Basin Iris Society Show and Rhizome Sale, 5/16, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Local iris society members will have a large display of iris. Rhizomes of these iris can be ordered, too. Pybus Public Market. Cost: Free.

Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest, 5/14-17. Birding field trips, guest speakers, art and music activities. Wenatchee River Institute, 347 Division, Leavenworth. Info and registration: leavenworthspringbirdfest.com.

Live Music: Alice DiMicele, 5/15, 7 p.m. Drawing from a rich musical background including folk, jazz, funk, rock, and soul DiMicele’s acoustic music incorporates many styles creating a fresh funky stew all her own. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $15 advance or $17 at the door.

Film Series: On Any Sunday: The Next Chapter, 5/14, 7 p.m. The film shows the passion for riding motorcycles. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $10 advance or $13 at the door. Info: icicle.org. Outdoor film festival, 5/14, 7 – 9 p.m. Sportsman’s Warehouse. The DON’T WAIT History Project Exhibit, 5/15 through 6/5. Exhibit uses innovation and technology through in-depth interviews, photographs, video, print and social media to the stories of local

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May 2015

Wellness Day: Aging with Ease, 5/16, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Meet and visit with health care provides wellness specialists, elder care experts and other in the senior health field. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. CrosSport Warrior Challenge, 5/16, 9:30 a.m. Adventure mud race for kids and adults. Walla Walla Point Park. Info: athletepath. com.

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The Art Life

// SKETCHES OF LOCAL ARTISTS

Becoming what it will The journey of a Wenatchee poet through bad times and good By Susan Lagsdin The frozen sky, gray and dense, passive and heavy with unfallen snow. Once, chilled Pacific mist Full of promise and rivering east…

hese first two stanzas of Dan Sconce’s Sleeping Apples are a window into his wider body of work, which he says has remained unchanged in style and intent for the 14 years since he moved to Wenatchee and started practicing the art of poetry. He stays simple. “My poetry is 90 percent observation and 10 percent introspection,” he calculated, and his task is clear: “I see something that I think is remarkable and I tell people about it.” Primarily a visual artist, for years he’d made a living in the Bay Area creating oak and glass clocks, painting with oils and crafting mixed media installations. However, he needed to make a sudden change of arts from the tactile and visual to the literary, a more sedentary pursuit. Necessity was in Dan’s case the mother of invention. A diagnosis of multiple sclerosis at age 45 meant re-evaluating his physical life and immediately seeking less physical work and demanding pleasures. Ten years later, he retired from a closet-design job in California and moved to Wenatchee to join his brother

Poet at work: “I see something that I think is remarkable and I tell people about it,” said Dan Sconce.

(who, he often jokes, immediately moved away). Buoyed by a year-long period of remission from the MS on his arrival, Dan admits now that he probably indulged too strenuously in hiking, biking and skiing, the Wenatchee trifecta. A relapse ensued and seems to have settled in, making painting increasingly difficult to do. Realizing it was no longer lucrative nor satisfying for him, he was ready to stop. So in 2001 he turned his talents almost exclusively to writing and never looked back. He studied and wrote, helped establish Write On The River, joined a critique group, wrote a novel (which he still rewrites intermittently) and self-published three books of poetry. He also gained May 2015 | The Good Life

a measure of regional fame. The Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA) is a venerable Seattle-based organization with high standards — and sometimes 1,000 entries from around the globe — for its annual writing competition. PNWA judges have twice awarded Dan Sconce first place in the Poetry Division, in 2004 and again in 2014, an unprecedented double win. Those twin accolades came just at the start of his serious attempts at the craft and then again very recently, after a decade of writing. In his 10 years of dedication to this art form, Dan has developed strong feelings about poetry, favoring clarity over pretense. He resents the need for multiple readings and the struggle to www.ncwgoodlife.com

access meaning, or poems with themes or language elevated beyond recognition. Anything in his daily life can become a poem. Sometimes he’ll jot down a quick idea on a slip of paper and keep it near the computer; then he explores the concept, often extending it metaphorically “…like a seed that blooms,” he said. He’s been pleased with the local reception of his work, and three times has entertained audiences with readings at the Wenatchee library. A bit of a showman, he focuses attention on the poems with a refreshing blend of biographical tidbits and visual artistry. Dan, now 65, has completed 468 poems, neatly catalogued in ring binders. He said that all of his poetry tends to look the same on the page: short lines with less than a half dozen three-to-four-line stanzas. Usually in a regular metric pattern, they are replete with internal rhyme and alliteration, often with a signature couplet by the end. When queried about their overall quality, Dan paused for the right words — a poet’s prerogative — then replied unabashedly, “Frankly, I’d say most of the poems are wonderful. The rest are just good.” For his Black Stone, one of the winning PNWA poems, he remembers, “I went out to the mailbox one morning, and glanced down at some round pebbles on the ground. A particular dark one drew my eye, so I picked it up and began to think about how it looked in my hand.” The rest is poetry. In my hand, a small dark stone, smoothed by the river’s passing. In my hand, a lifeline drawn, grooved by the constant grasping…

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}}} Continued from page 40 Contain Yourself, 5/16, 10 a.m. – noon. Learn tips and tricks for successful vegetable and flower container gardening. Plus, tool sharpening workshop. A Chelan/ Douglas County Master Gardeners event. Community Education Garden, 1100 N Western Ave. Cost: free.

Fishing in Heaven 5k fun run, 5/16, noon. Benefit for the Michael Terry Brown Fund. Mountain View Elementary, Quincy. River Ramble, 5/16, 10:30 – 7 p.m. Build a tipi, play Native American games and sports, meet the Reptile Man, learn about the Wenatchi tribe, enjoy Native American drumming and dancing, storytelling and eat at Mama D’s Kitchen. Rocky Reach Dam Visitor Center. Info: chelanpud.org. B.A.C.A. 100 Mile Child Abuse Awareness Ride, 5/16, 10:30 a.m. Ride begins at Jack’s Motorsports ends at The Rock Bar and Grill, Rock Island. Cost: $15 rider and $5 passenger donation, 50/50 and basket raffles. Info: bfcwa.org/ event/baca-100-mile-ride. Writers Conference, 5/16-17, 8 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Agent and editor appointments, 14 fiction and nonfiction workshops, party and book signing, fundamentals workshops and intensive fiction workshop with William Kenower. Wenatchee Valley College Campus. Info: writeontheriver.org. Piano Concert: Keyboard Capers, 5/16, 7 p.m. Artists: Lisa Bergman and Dr. John Pickett, duo pianists. Canyon Wren Hall, Leavenworth. Cost: $20 advance or $24 at the door. Info: icicle.org. The Goonies, 5/21, 6:30 p.m. Monthly movie on the big screen. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $5. Info: numericapac.org. Film Series: Awake: The Life of Yogananda, 5/21, 7 p.m. Biography about Hindu Swami who Know of someone stepping off the beaten path in the search for fun and excitement? E-mail us at editor@ncwgoodlife.com

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brought yoga and meditation to the West. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $10 advance or $13 at the door. Info: icicle.org. Live music, 5/22, 7 – 9 p.m. Norman Baker performs. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Dog agility Fun Match, 5/23, 10 a.m - 2 p.m. The Wenatchee Kennel Club will hold an agility class for those who have been working with their dogs with new distractions. Handlers and dogs will be given a pattern to follow on a course of obstacles and work on precision and speed. Observers are welcome. Walla Walla Park. Cost: free. Cruise-In, 5/23, 4 – 8 p.m. Have a hot rod, rat rod or muscle car? Bring it down to Hot Rodzz’s Expresso. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Superhero 2k & 5k Run, 5/23, 9 a.m. Columbia Valley Girls on the Run hosting this event. Register at: cvch.org/superhero. Cost: $15 and $20. Proceeds benefit Columbia Valley Girls on the Run program including scholarships for girls that cannot afford the registration fee. Pybus Public Market. Info: Marlen Mendez 661-3623.

ary Butte and the Icicle River Valley, 5/29, 7 p.m. and filed course 5/9, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wenatchee River Institute, 347 Division, Leavenworth. Info and registration: wenatcheeriverinstitute.org. Live music, 5/29, 7 – 9 p.m. Gavin McLaughlin and Kelsey Lockhart – The Distance will perform. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Wells House Fundraiser Luncheon and Tea, 5/30, noon – 2 p.m. Wear your best hat. Wells House. Cost: $25. Info: 888-6240. Relay For Life, 5/29, 3 p.m. 5/30, 10 a.m. Eastmont High School track. Sign up: relayforlilfe.org/chelandouglaswa or 783-1574. Leavenworth Film Festival, 5/30, 5:30 p.m. Showcasing the best recent independent short films with a focus on outdoor pursuits and the natural world. Leavenworth Festhalle. Red Devil Challenge Trail Run, 5/31. 10k and 25k. Cashmere. Info: reddevil.eventbrite.com. Echo Valley Trail Runs, 5/31. 10k, half marathon, 50k, 50 mile. Chelan.

Pear, 5/23, 7:30 p.m. A Canadian duo will perform alternative, pop and country music. Denis Dufresne is the musical backbone while Lynae Dufresne is the songstress. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $19-29. Info: numericapac. org.

Wenatchee River Institute Legacy Banquet, 6/4, 5:30 – 9 p.m. Silent and live auction and dinner. This year’s theme is connecting people, communities and the natural world. Cashmere Riverside Center. Info: wenatcheeriverinstitute.org.

Film Series: The Immortalists, 5/28, 7 p.m. The story of two eccentric scientists struggling to discover medical breakthroughs to create eternal youth. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $10 advance or $13 at the door. Info: icicle.org.

The Courage to be Blind, 6/6, 1 – 3 p.m. Book signing with author Juanita Vedder. Hastings. Costs: free.

Glacial Geology of Bound-

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Kevin Nealon, 6/6, 7:30 p.m. Live performance. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Info: numericapac.org.

column those were the days

rod molzahn

Settling the Okanogan Valley took moxie Wild Goose Bill Condon’s

front yard was the gateway to the Okanogan country in 1886 when the Moses Reservation was opened to non-Indian settlement. Condon’s true name was Samuel Wilbur Condit. He was the namesake for the present town of Wilbur on Highway 2 just southeast of Grand Coulee Dam. Condon roughed out a wagon toll-road from Wilbur to the Okanogan River below Omak. He built a ferry of logs lashed together to cross the Columbia River about five miles upstream from Chief Joseph Dam. It was a two horse-power ferry. A team of horses was harnessed to the log raft and swam the Columbia

Anna Greene recalled a terrifying crossing that took five days in 1885. pulling the ferry from bank to bank. That winter, 1886/87, Condon stretched a 1,000-foot steel cable across the frozen Columbia, strung it over a tower on each bank and anchored each end to a “deadhead” buried in the ground. Condon more than doubled the size of the raft so that it could carry two teams and wagons. Wild Goose Bill completed his

toll-road with a crude bridge across the Okanogan River. The toll for use of the road was collected at the Columbia River ferry crossing where travelers had little choice but to pay. Indian canoes were the only means of moving wagons across the river before the Condon ferry. Anna Greene recalled a terrifying crossing that took five days in 1885. Her family had several large wagons, each with a six-horse team. They were bound for a ranch in the Sinlahekin Valley near Loomis. The wagons were unloaded then taken apart. All the freight, passengers and wagon parts were carried on two, lashed together, dug-out canoes. It took five crossings to move every-

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thing. Anna Greene called it, “a perilous and awesome undertaking. The river boiled down stream at an unbelievable speed.” The family’s horses, colts, mules and six pure-bred bulls swam the river. “The whole herd being swept far down the river before they gained the opposite bank.” There the wagons were re-built and re-loaded. One of the first white men to enter the Okanogan country after the 1886 opening was a 19-year-old Danish immigrant named U.E. Fries. He headed west from Chicago on a Northern Pacific emigrant train. He brought a revolver and two

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Those where the days: Settling the Okanogan Valley

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suitcases filled with belongings and a supply of crackers, cheese and prepared meat. Fries settled on land north of Brewster. In August of 1886 Leonard and Mary Malott with their four children — Claude, Ida, William and Rueben — traveled from California to Portland by boat then by train to Ellensburg. They packed their belongings in a wagon and crossed Colockum Pass to Wenatchee where they ferried across to the east bank of the Columbia. From there they went up and over Badger Mountain and reached the Okanogan River on Aug. 12. They camped that day near the mouth of Chiliwist Creek. It was hot. The oldest son, Claude, just two weeks short of his 15th birthday, went down to the bank of the Okanogan for a swim. He didn’t come back. Loop Loop Jim and other Indians recovered the body. The family wrapped the body in a blanket in the back of the wagon and returned to the town of Douglas on Badger Mountain where they had passed by a sawmill. There they got lumber for a coffin and buried Claude in a small cemetery south of Waterville. The family returned to the Okanogan, settling near Chiliwist Creek to raise cattle. The first post office in the area was in the Malott home with Leonard Malott as postmaster and the first school was held in their cabin. Others arrived in 1886 as well. John Campbell took up a squatter’s right claim on Salmon Creek where he raised cattle. On one trip driving cattle from the coast to his ranch he brought along a young doctor he had met named J.I. Pogue. Pogue had left his wife in Iowa and come west to Tacoma on an emigrant train. His plan was to

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Pogue had left his wife in Iowa and come west to Tacoma on an emigrant train. His plan was to raise cattle. He quickly realized he was in the wrong place... raise cattle. He quickly realized he was in the wrong place for that and joined John Campbell on his cattle drive to the Okanogan. Dr. Pogue found the bunch grass filled valley more to his liking and staked out a claim on a flat about three-and-a-half miles north of where Okanogan stands now. Then he went back to Iowa to bring his wife, Marian, to the new promise land. They raised some cattle and in 1888 planted an apple orchard. When the saplings had arrived from Iowa in January they were frozen solid. Pogue had them buried in the ground where they slowly thawed. They were planted in the spring, the beginning of what would become one of the finest orchards in the valley. For many years Pogue was the only doctor in the area serving as dentist as well. “Pard” Cummings also arrived in 1886. Born in Maine he served in the army, briefly riding with General Custer. He settled south of the Pogue homestead and opened a store in the fledgling town of Alma (Okanogan). Over the years Cummings was involved in mines, sawmills, stage lines, cattle ranches, orchards and warehouses, lumber yards and general stores. Thomas Murray came from

Yakima to the Okanogan in 1887 and started a tree nursery that served orchardists in the valley for years. In October of 1888 William Baines, a 19-year-old straight from London, rode trains across the country to Sprague, just west of Spokane. There he joined up with H.G. Champneys, another Londoner, for the trip to the Okanogan. They had four pack horses and one saddle horse. They took turns riding and walking. Baines claimed land on the Similkameen River between Chopaka and Palmer Lake where he ranched for 10 years

The overwhelmed father traded the five youngest children... He got 17 horses for the children. before starting the Okanogan County Abstract Company. George Carlton came to the Okanogan in 1888 under unusual circumstances. His mother died at his birth leaving nine children for his fa-

ther to raise. The overwhelmed father traded the five youngest children, including George, two sisters and two brothers to the Kahlow family living at Okanogan. He got 17 horses for the children. Homesteading in the Okanogan Valley continued at an increasing pace until it got a good boost at noon on Oct. 10, 1900. On that day the north half of the Colville Reservation, 1.5 million acres east of the Okanogan River and south of the Canadian border, was opened to non-Indian settlement. Ninety-five homesteaders filed claims that day. William Moore

was the first in line. Included in the other 94 was Georgonna Warren, a 21-year-old single woman, who rode 20 miles in an hour and nine minutes to be sure no one else claimed the land she had chosen. In 1916 the south half of the reservation was also opened to white settlers. 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.

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ALEX SALIBY

Viognier: A light white with intense flavors The Viognier grape remains

somewhat shrouded in mystery regarding its origins. Many hold to the belief that the grape had its origins in Dalmatia (now Croatia, where the grape is known as Vugava Bijela) and was brought to Gaul (now France) by the Romans. In 2004 the University of California Davis DNA efforts suggest the grape is related to the Freisa grape of Piedmont, Italy, and that grape is a cousin to the famous grape of that region, Nebbiolo. No word yet if the Freisa or the Nebbiolo too originated in Dalmatia. In any event, from wherever or whatever the grape’s source or origins, it’s a grape that has become one of my favorite white

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wines. Viognier, a white-wine grape, has a world-wide reputation for producing wines of pronounced aromatics and luscious mouthfeel. I dislike those write-ups which describe in great detail what aromas and flavors one should expect to experience when drinking a wine, so I’ll spare you that kind of description here and jump right to the point that the finest, richest Viognier wines hail from the Condrieu growing area in eastern France. The grape also may find its way into the red wine of the region, their Syrah. Syrah is deeply colored, dark, flavorful and tannic and the Viognier is said to add both aromas and texture to the red wine. Wineries are permitted to blend as much as 20 percent white Viognier into their Syrah, and in most cases, though not in all, the grapes are co-fermented so that even the white grape juice of the Viognier becomes colored by the pigments in the skins of the Syrah grapes. There’s no agreement among the so-called experts regarding the ability of a Viognier wine to age. Some experts say drink it young, within the first three years after bottling, while a few other suggest the wine will cellar well for eight to ten years, and then are those who view a well made Viognier as being capable of aging beautifully for longer periods. In our home, we’ve had the pleasure of forgetting we owned a California Viognier. When we uncorked and drank it, it had been in the cellar for eight years and was a two-year-old vintage before it was cellared. It had aged beautifully, providing all the qualities one would expect

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from a top quality wine. We’re fortunate here in NCW because some brave souls had the courage to plant some Viognier grapes in their vineyards. The grape has a reputation of being difficult to grow because of the plants apparent fondness for a powdery mildew, so it does require some care and attention in the fields. From my point of view, I think that extra care and attention are well worth the efforts because wines made from the Viognier grape can indeed be special. Better yet, not only have we Viognier grapes available for winemakers in our region, we’ve actually have winemakers creating wonderful wines from those grapes. Here’s a short list of some local Viognier, in alphabetical order. Benson Estate Vineyards 2012 Viognier: Benson is a bit unique among the 65 wineries in that the winery is one of a few in our area growing its own grapes, truly an estate wine. From the very first vintage, Scott Benson, the winemaker, has produced a wonderfully fruity Viognier. This wine is lighter in both color and texture than I expected it to be, but both aromas and flavors are intense and delightful. Chateau Faire le Pont 2013 Viognier: Again, a classic beauty from winemaker Doug Brazil, this Viognier will please the fussiest of Viognier critics — wait, that’s me — and I’m certain of this wine’s ability to please. I hate to be so repetitive, but here to, the wine expresses all the fruit and charm and texture of a beautifully made Viognier. Try it; you’ll like it. Malaga Springs 2013 Viog-

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nier: As in the Benson Estate wine, this Viognier is also estate grown right there atop the hill in Malaga. Al and Kathy Mathews have carved out a small piece of Eden up on that hill, and Al’s wines are deserving of being served in Eden. His Viognier is also on the lighter side, but here too, Al is himself bowing to no master, and his Viognier has a small percentage of residual sugar, .65 percent. Now, don’t let that alarm you. It simply means the yeast died as the alcohol reached a level in the mash they could no longer survive in. Best of all, the wine is not sweet; it’s crisp, acidic and bright. Wedge Mountain Winery 2014 Viognier: This is Charlie McKee’s first Viognier, and a delicious wine it is. Perhaps my favorite, this is a deeply rich wine that reminds me of my first wine from the Condrieu AOC. The wine has depth of color, silky textured viscosity and complex aromas and flavors. I’ve no intention here in my praise of this wine to detract from the qualities of other Viognier wines in NCW, and I ask you to keep in mind, as with opinions of all the wine “experts,” that these things always boil down to personal taste and choice. This is my choice; it doesn’t mean it should be yours. Get out there and try some of the many Viogniers now being produced here in NCW. Who knows what you’ll discover? 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.

April-May: Wenatchee Wild Playoffs TBD

April

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May

Jordan World Circus Triple Crown Sheryl Crow Travis Tritt Wolves Camp

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G.S. Long’s Hell on Hooves, Roughstock Rodeo 8th-10th - The Best Pucking Ice Hockey Tournament 9th JSL’s Touch a Truck 22nd-24th - Wild Camp 29th Figure Skating Exhibition 30th WHS Prom

June

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July

EHS Graduation WHS Graduation NCW Sports Awards WVC Graduation Figure Skating Exhibition Apple Ice Classic Figure Skating Competition

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SummerFest Run SummerFest Wild Camp EHE Sunburn Classic

5th 15th 22nd -

Steve Miller Band Yard Sale Wenatchee Wine & Foods Festival

August

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River Ramble Saturday, May 16

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Together, we’ll learn how wildlife and plants have created traditions that have been passed down from the vibrant peoples who once thrived along our rivers Build a tipi • Play Native American games and sports • Meet the Reptile Man Learn about the Wenatchi tribe • Enjoy Native American drumming and dancing • Storytelling Eat at Mama D’s Kitchen

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