Good Life June 2012 by The Good Life

STRAWBERRIES A JOY FOR JUNE Y EVENTS CALENDAR

WENATCHEE VALLEY’S

NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE

June 2012

Open for fun and adventure

Price: $3

BEST DAYS Readers share stories from the past 5 years

Contents

Stay cooler in summer, warmer in winter – and get money back

page 18

Known for his mustache and motorcycles

Step 1 Install energyefficient windows or insulation.

Step 2 Get a check for a portion of the cost from the PUD.

Step 3 Keep on saving - month after month, year after year - on your energy bill.

Features

Best day in the past 5 years

Learn more about Weatherization Incentives on our website or call (509) 661-8008.

Readers relate their favorite stories — some are awe inspiring, others ahhh inspiring

14 catching up with cover stories

The people who have graced the covers of The Good Life magazine are still on the go

20 orphans of belize

A happenstance discovery leads woman and her family to a continuing commitment to help children grow into meaningful lives

24 A TUSCAN DREAM

Couple build a “green” retirement home on the hill, and then surround it with acres of grapes

33 publishing ‘blues’

A successful writer decides to publish her own book — what was she thinking?

ART SKETCHES

n Bluegrass lovin’ Marie Vecchio, page 37 n Author Dennis Willard, page 39 Columns & Departments 22 Alex Saliby: Books pair wine and food 29 Bonnie Orr: The joy of strawberries in June 30 The traveling doctor: Down Under in Tasmania 32 June Darling: Come on, get happy 33-39 Arts & Entertainment & a Dan McConnell cartoon 40 History: When game ran wild 42 Tweets from the bush: June is for nesting in June 2012 | The Good Life

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OPENING SHOT

Year 6, Number 6 June 2012 The Good Life is published by NCW Good Life, LLC, dba The Good Life 10 First Street, Suite 108 Wenatchee, WA 98801 PHONE: (509) 888-6527 EMAIL: editor@ncwgoodlife.com sales@ncwgoodlife.com ONLINE: www.ncwgoodlife.com FACEBOOK: facebook.com/pages/ The-Good-Life Editor/Publisher, Mike Cassidy Contributors, Lynette Smith, Teresa Wendel, Alan Moen, Donna Cassidy, Bonnie Orr, Alex Saliby, Jim Brown, June Darling, Dan McConnell, Susan Lagsdin, Rod Molzahn and Matt Radford Advertising sales, John Hunter, Lianne Taylor and Donna Cassidy Bookkeeping and circulation, Donna Cassidy Proofing, Joyce Pittsinger Ad design, Rick Conant TO SUBSCRIBE: For $25, ($30 out of state address) you can have 12 issues of The Good Life mailed to you or a friend. Send payment to: The Good Life 10 First Street, Suite 108 Wenatchee, WA 98801 Phone 888-6527 Online: www.ncwgoodlife.com To subscribe/renew by email, send credit card info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com BUY A COPY of The Good Life at Hastings, Caffé Mela (Wenatchee and East Wenatchee), Walgreens (Wenatchee and East Wenatchee), the Wenatchee Food Pavilion, Mike’s Meats, Martin’s Market Place (Cashmere) and A Book for All Seasons (Leavenworth)

Cheery cherries Wenatchee photographer

Lynette Smith sent us this luscious photo of local cherries ready to pick. Said Lynette: “I was driving along a road I pass daily near Appleatchee and saw the brilliant colors of the fruit on the trees and decided to stop and take some photos of them and their vibrant red color right before they were to be picked. “There is a lot of hard work that goes into the orchards in

our valley and when you’re in the middle of that hard work you appreciate it even more. I worked in the tree fruit Industry for over six years and loved every moment of it. That said, my biggest appreciation is for our orchardists in the valley and all their hard work that puts the beautiful fruit on the tree, on our tables.” Photography has always been a passion, added Lynette. “My first camera was given to me by my parents when I was 5 years old and it taught me to see the world from a different perspective. Every click of the shutter is a unique opportunity to cel-

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

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ebrate the moments of life.” Lynette is a Wenatchee based wedding, event, portrait and agriculture photographer. You can learn more about Lynette by visiting www.Lynettesmithphotography.com.

On the cover

The Good Life editor Mike Cassidy took this photo of Chad and Heather Fasching and their twins, Taydon and Bria, on her Daddy’s shoulders. Chad’s story about the twins won first place in the magazine’s “Best Day in the Past Five Years” contest. See his story on page 7.

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editor’s notes

MIKE CASSIDY

Crowdsourcing — Us being trendy C

ongratulations to Chad Fasching for winning our “Best Day in the Past 5 Years” contest by writing an “ahhh… so sweet!” story about the twins his wife, Heather, gave birth to. The moment we read this story, we said: “That’s gotta be the one!” See Chad’s story on the facing page — I bet you will agree with us. Chad and Heather won two really awesome prizes: a gift certificate to Sleeping Lady Resort for an overnight stay, dinner and breakfast the next morning, plus a 90-minute couples massage package from Solstice Spa & Suites in Leavenworth. I visited with Chad, Heather and the twins for a few minutes to take the photo on the cover. The youngsters seemed like awfully nice children, but if memory serves me right of when we were raising children that age, a little time off from parenting for a day or two of pampering could be welcomed. We are publishing a dozen or more of the “Best Day” stories — plus updates from four people who have been on our June covers from the past five years as we celebrate the fifth birthday of The Good Life. Honestly, I originally planned on running the cover updates and three or four stories from readers — but like eating salted peanuts, I just couldn’t stop with just a few. Hope you enjoy the stories as much as we did. I recently ran across the new tech buzzword of “crowdsourcing,” which, according to Wikipedia, “is a process that involves outsourcing tasks to a distributed group of people…

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(where) a task or problem is outsourced to an undefined public rather than a specific body, such as paid employees.” Crowdsourcing is our secret ingredient here at The Good Life. Instead of a staff of reporters dreaming up stories at the office, or relying on press releases from government bodies, we ask our readers: “What have you been up to that gives you a buzz?” Their answers become stories that fellow readers enjoy enough to return to the magazine month after month. Imagine that: a print publication on the trendy edge. That’s us — thanks to your help. We applaud the businesses that provided prizes for our “Best Day” contest: Solstice Spa & Suites and Sleeping Lady Resort. We asked Julie Hamstreet, owner of Solstice Spa, what was her best day in the past five years, and like many a small business owner, her thoughts turned to the workplace. “I’d have to say Jan. 26 of this year, when we were awarded a 2012 Traveler’s Choice Award as #7 of the Top 25 Relaxation & Spa Hotels in the United States, putting us in the Top 10 for the second year in a row! “Not only is this the highest honor a hotel can receive from the TripAdvisor community, it is a source of great pride for everyone that works so passionately to make Solstice an amazing business…” Create a new “best day” for you, and enjoy The Good Life. — Mike

Readers share their stories about

their best day in the

past 5 years, and what stories they are! They were not fully developed and needed a lot of attention. To give you an idea of how small a 2-pound baby is, look at your cell phone, cut it in half, that was the size of their diapers. My wedding ring could fit over one of their legs. The best day of my life was Jan. 14, 2009 — I was too afraid to change their diapers, the day my twins came home. thinking I would break the small bodies. On Oct. 10, 2008, my wife, Heather, went My wife spent the next two months in and to her doctor appointment as we were havout of the hospital spending as much time ing twins, a boy and girl. When she went in with them as she could and I would come on they told her that she was dilated and ready the weekends. to have the babies. On Jan. 14, 2009, they were released at 6.5 At 25 weeks into the pregnancy, we were lbs. and in good health. pretty freaked out. They are three years and five months old We were sent to Central Washington now. Hospital in Wenatchee and from there we My son Taydon, is 39 inches tall and were flown to Spokane. We were rushed into weighs 36 pounds His regular doctor said he Sacred Heart Medical Center and my wife would be between 6-foot to 6-foot 4-inches was put into bed, where she laid for the next as an adult. 31 days. He is healthy and smart. We had him During this time, she had about 30 to memorizing words like cat, stop, dog and go40 nurses and four different doctors. The rilla at the age of 2. He learned to recognize nurses were on 12-hour shifts and the docwords at the same time he was learning to tors were on one-week shifts. talk. He is my little buddy and is the sweetShe went back into labor and had a C-sec- est little boy. tion on Nov. 11, 2008. My twins were born at My daughter, Bria, is 36 inches tall and 2 pounds, 6 ounces and 2 pounds, 7 ounces. weighs 31 pounds. She rules the roost. She

has beautiful blue eyes, blonde hair and dimples. She is also very healthy and FULL of energy. She is the one that knows what she wants, and is going to get what she wants, when she wants it. She also knows at the age of 3, how to get Daddy to say yes. She melts my heart. Oh, her future husband is in for it. — By Chad Fasching

THE WINNING STORY

Coming home

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Window of opportunity This country is so great! A person can go from disaster to a road to success in a short time. Take me for example. I broke my ankle in an accident and recovery took several months. When I was able to return to work I lost my job. Not having any prospects for work I wondered if I could succeed in working at something that I knew how to do. So I took a chance and on June 30, 2010,

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}}} Continued from previous page began my own business in the community that I lived in. I had a name for my business in mind — Eric’s Affordable Window Service. I am now in my second year of a successful business that continues to grow and be a joy to work at every day. — By Eric Opel

Condor in the heavens Sometimes life just exceeds your expectations. After two gloomy days with frequent drizzle we woke up to our first clear day in the Patagonia region of Argentina. Our son, Gordy, had precipitated the excursion by deciding to leave college this semester to “learn Spanish,” primarily, it seemed, by trekking to the beauty spots in the mountains of South America. As dutiful parents, the least we could do is check in on him mid-trip. This day (March 12 of this year) promised to be crystal clear after the rain and gloom the day before. On the advice of several park rangers, we were bypassing the most popular trails to climb the 3,300-foot ascent up the Pliegue Tumbado, a viewpoint on the crest of a ridge. As we walked out of the town of Chalten and started up the trail, almost immediately the peak of Mount Fitzroy, a granite massif jutting 10,000 feet above the town, appeared, peeking above the foothills. Unlike the other trails we had been on, we shared the steadily building view with few fellow travelers. We stepped out of tree line abruptly with 1,000 feet left to climb.

An Andean condor takes flight against a spectacular backdrop in Patagonia.

As vegetation diminished, the trail disappeared, leaving us to follow cairns and posts in the rocks. The crisp air made the glacier hanging off the truncated top of Mount Solo glisten. Distance evaporated as we felt we could touch Fitzroy and its fellow peak Cerro Torre, so sharp were they in the cool mountain air. Gordy, veteran of several Andean treks so far, was as impressed as we were. Having walked spread out, we hiked stepin-step up the last steep pitch to the top of Tumbado. From there we could see the immensity of the spires of Fitzroy massif and the large glacier pouring between several peaks into Lago Torre. As we turned to enjoy the view of these spectacular mountains, an Andean condor

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soared out on an updraft to literally complete the picture. We felt almost as weightless as the condor. After a joyful hike down we completed the day in a cute little restaurant by an open fire enjoying “bife de chorizo” and a “copa de Malbec.” In other words, enjoying the good life, Argentina style. — By Peter Bauer

Flower power One of my best days of the year comes every May 1 when our family delivers May Day flowers to the doors of people who have touched our lives in meaningful ways. A week before May Day we search the area

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their lives and made it better like their teachers or babysitters. But the really amazing piece is, my children don’t care if they get the credit for this. Of course they think it is fun to knock on someone’s door, leave flowers on the porch and run. But they understand that part of the tradition is to leave the gift and not take any recognition for it. We start making our list of recipients in early April. Last year, we delivered 12 bouquets and this year we’ve added another four. It takes us almost an entire day to deliver our sweet surprises. May Day fell on a Tuesday this year so we had to be pretty creative to find a way to get it all done. But it was worth it to know someone special received a secret gift that brightened their day. — By Jerrilea Crawford

Ella Crawford: Flowers for nice people.

hills and collect wild flowers, arrange them in Mason jars, and attach a card that reads, “April showers bring May flowers. And what do May flowers bring? Happy thoughts and sunshine smiles and wishes for a happy spring.” What makes me so proud about my children’s part in this activity is they always think of someone who deserves this special gift. They don’t choose friends but rather people who have helped us like the secretary from their school who brought us dinner when I was down with knee surgery. They choose people who have touched

with 2,000-plus other women who had just completed the three-day, 60-mile Susan G. Komen for the Cure Breast Cancer walk. It was an overwhelming day for me. I was filled with pride in my accomplishment, filled with love for my family and their unwavering support and filled with AWE for all the people I had met during those three short days. My life is forever changed because of this walk. I initially signed on thinking this would be a good way for me to “celebrate” my first year “after” cancer surgery and to stay in shape. It became such a journey of discovery in “others” and listening to their stories. It was bonding too. I am forever in the sisterhood. Looking back, I can honestly say this was one of my BEST DAYS! — By Joyce Vognild

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Walking with the sisters I love the idea of a contest to relive your best day in the last five years! I thought about all the wonderful travel Jon and I have done in the last five years, but when it comes right down to it, my best DAY was on Sunday Sept. 9, 2007. On that day I marched into the Seattle Center stadium

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Debbie Gallaher, rear, and Joyce Vognild share a pink tent during the Cure for Breast Cancer walk.

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Emergency stop My best day of the past 5 years involves what my husband did a couple weeks ago. Jim, a local retired fireman and orchardist, was driving to Dryden to meet our son. Instead of driving on the main highway — like he always does — he chose to go Easy Street where he saw an older man lying in his driveway, obviously in trouble. Jim stopped and performed CPR for about 15 minutes until the ambulance, which he had called, arrived. The paramedics continued CPR and transported the man to Central Washington Hospital. He survived. The man and his wife will be celebrating their 60th anniversary together because of what Jim did. Life is precious. Live the “Good Life.” — By a very proud wife, Kathy Hampton

Time for tea Five years ago, on a beautiful June day, my husband Ian and I experienced our best day when we opened our doors and our lives to welcome guests into our home. It all started as a dream to own and operate a bed and breakfast. In 2007, we purchased a Wenatchee 1940’s apple growing homestead on a lot surrounded by a white picket fence. Our vision was to provide a cozy and comfortable respite to tourists and travelers visiting the Wenatchee Valley. What’s not to love about a job that lets you work at home, get a tax break, and meet interesting people? We chose our name, The Huckleberry Haven Bed and Breakfast, from our passion to annually harvest huckleberries in

Robin Bruggeman Fowler and her daughter, Paige Fowler, are frequent tea house guests.

the Cascade Mountains. We featured these Washington-grown wild fruit gems in our home’s painted murals, our logo and daily cooked delicacies. Over the years we met hundreds of guests, served up homemade breakfasts using our valley’s bountiful fruits and fresh vegetables and herbs from our garden and made many lifetime friendships. Then, the economy declined, gas prices rose, travelers became less frequent and our bed and breakfast became more seasonal than year-round, a new idea emerged. We had already been inviting local friends to our oasis to sip tea poured from antique teapots into treasured teacups. (These were passed down to me from my grandmother. I was born in the famous tea party city of Boston where my grandmother and I enjoyed our tea parties. Ian’s family is from Scotland.) We developed a plan to attract local people

to escape from their hectic pace of life to a relaxed setting with teatime traditions at the bed and breakfast. Local guests began filling the pages of our reservation book. We offered guests carefully selected fresh loose-leaf teas from a 100-year-old Northwest tea company, MarketSpice, located in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. We provided tea courses, which included freshly-baked scones, finger sandwiches and delectable sweets, all prepared fresh daily. We made the decision to close the bed and breakfast and open The Huckleberry Haven Tea House. In September of this year we will celebrate our second anniversary serving up over 45 varieties of tea from around the world, offering monthly high tea events, afternoon tea courses and take-out scones. After all, this heritage of teatime was a tradition in our families.

Baseball in Wenatchee

Exhibit opens Friday, June 1 at Wenatchee Valley Museum www.wvmcc.org | 127 S. Mission | 888-6240

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My grandmother, a daily green tea drinker, lived to 100 years. Each year, along with memorable tea parties, she presented me with a treasured teacup from her collection to celebrate my birthday. Our guests have marveled at seeing the entire collection displayed on the Christmas tree each year. Ian’s Scottish family traditions always included daily tea as a ritual. Ian loves to recall stories of having a “cuppa tea” with his father, a Bagpipe Major in the Gordon Highlanders of Scotland. I guess you could say “we found our cup of tea.” — By Ruth Leslie

The fun and celebration we had for surviving 60 years together was a trip to Stehekin, a special place at the head of Lake Chelan, for a three-day holiday stay in the Lake House right by the lake. All of our family attended plus other relatives and grandchildren. The weather was perfect, the ride on the Lady of the Lake plus ice cream cones and bakery visits, games and hikes gave us a great send off. — By Patricia Swanson

Let’s go to the game, Grandma

Welcome home The best thing that happened to me in the last five years was the day my daughter, Angela, moved back to Wenatchee. For years, she had been transferred up and down the West Coast as property manager for a major hotel chain. When she moved to California for her job, she took my eightmonth-old grandson with her. My second grandson was born in San Louis Obispo, CA. I got to see my daughter and grandsons only a couple times a year. In 2008, when her second son was 8 years old, she decided to move “home” to Wenatchee. It was the best day of my life to see her pull into town with a loaded moving van. I now get to see my daughter and grandsons several times a week, and I love spending time with them. I hired my daughter to work in my office, and the boys spend a lot of time at my house, helping in the yard and garden. — By Sherry Gustin

June 2, 2010 will forever be a fond memory of a very special day spent with my two grandsons. The boys, Justin Bailey, 13, and Tyler Ueltschi, 18, planned a day trip just for the three of us. I was visiting them in Yakima, so I could attend their baseball games. One night at dinner they were bursting with excitement to announce their plans to take me to a Mariner’s game. I’m a Mariner fan but had never been to Safeco Field. My daughter-in-law had the car serviced and ready to roll. The boys planned the day from start to finish. Before leaving Yakima the boys used coupons to purchase our Mocha Frappes. Justin had recently watched the Travel Channel announcing the top 10 places to eat hamburgers. The number one place was “The Red Mill”... having won Best Burger in Seattle Weekly 10 years in a row. So, that’s where we had a burger before the game. It was interesting to watch the boys work with their budget for the day. As grandmas

Patricia and Dave Swanson: 60 years and smiling.

60 years and still fitting in wedding dress I would say that Aug. 28, 2008 was a very good day. My husband, Dave, and I celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary. We dressed up in our very best… Dave in his tux and I in my wedding dress and had our family take pictures. We did a similar thing at our 50th and I have now put my dress in “moth balls” and won’t try the zipper for the 65th coming up in another year.

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}}} Continued from previous page do, I offered to help pay but they insisted they had it all under control. Tyler had made a trip the weekend before so knew where to park for free. We arrived early so the boys could watch the teams practicing and both were able to obtain a baseball. While the boys were getting their curly fries and sodas, the cameras were panning the crowd, catching a good view of me and putting me up on the big screen, they missed my short moment of fame. The Mariners played a good game, beating the Chicago Bears 8 to 1. The boys went to a lot of effort to plan a day with their grandmother — it will always be my most favorite memory since 2007. — By Kathy Litch

A great Day of the Dead

Connie Mehmel and granddaughter Maria Teresa Gonzalez at a Zapotec temple.

I celebrated my 60th birthday in 2010, and my granddaughter, Maria Teresa Gonzalez, celebrated her 15th. To honor these significant birthdays we traveled to the Mexican state of Oaxaca for two weeks to celebrate the Day of the Dead. These were amazing days. We built an altar to my father. Maria never met him, but the altar was my chance to tell her stories of his life. We visited beautiful cemeteries, honored the dead of many families, and visited the ancient cities of Mitla and Monte Alban. I have a picture of Maria and me at a prehistoric Zapotec temple in Mitla showing some detailed geometric stonework. This was a journey of a lifetime for Maria and me. I envision her someday traveling to Oaxaca with her own granddaughter and building an altar to me. — By Connie Mehmel

Perfect day between the rain storms Best day? There have been so many both here at home and away on traveling adventures.

Every time I tried to focus, I kept coming up with best moments, like a scrapbook or collage of “bests.” But a trip in 2010 to Great Britain did keep coming back, especially a certain busy day that began with the makings of a disaster. I suppose that is why I hold it so close — it is the perfect combination of sheer luck and an incredible location. The day began early in the morning, catching a train out of Edinburgh for Carlisle. It was gray, cool, and threatening to rain. My friend Kim and I had started this adventure in Budapest with a study group and when that portion of the trip ended, we traveled on. This leg of our adventure was a one-night stay in the village of Haltwhistle in Yorkshire in order to tour the ancient Roman sights in the area and especially see Hadrian’s Wall. And now the day was beginning with the prospect of weather ruining our plan. But it didn’t. Our luck that day was amazing — every time we were outside, the weather held. Every time we ventured undercover for meals, museum displays, gift shops and the bus rides, the rain came down. Yep, it was as if the weather was reading the Hadrian’s Wall bus schedule and noting our arrivals and departures! We saw the ruins of the Roman garrison and supply depot at Vindolanda. We were almost alone there, under some patchy blue sky, amid ruins dating back over a thousand | The Good Life

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years. It was breathtaking. Our final stop of the day was at Houstead’s, the remains of an actual fort built right along Hadrian’s Wall. Here there were more people, and sheep dotted the surrounding hills. We walked through the remains of ancient gates, saw foundations for barracks and supply structures, and looked out over the valley to see the line of the actual wall running like a crumbling spine along the hill and cliff tops. We hiked for a bit along a trail, away from the ruins, just to get close to the wall itself. All this while the clouds scudded around, but the rains never came. We eventually got to stand by the wall and touch it’s stones — and while all of this is incredible enough, worthy of a “best day” as is, the most remarkable thing — for me — was that the gray skies we feared all day long made the green fields look so much more green, and the contrasting shades of black, white and gray of the ancient stones all around us gave the entire landscape a haunting look, strong and sad all at the same time. I am not sure I will ever be able to forget that entire day. — By Tammy Grubb

The gift My grief over losing Polly — my Himalayan cat of 17 years — and the guilt was just overwhelming. She had been in and out of the open patio door all evening. We were sure she was inside when we retired for the night. We searched everywhere when we realized she was gone. But after several days I realized my beloved companion would not be back. Then, four weeks later, almost to the day — June 5, 2010 — The Miracle happened. In the twilight, in the driveway lay what appeared to be a clump of dirt. As I went closer to investigate I discovered what looked like a dead newborn kitten. He was covered in gravel and crawling with ants. I reached to touch him and he made a faint noise. He was so cold and so close to death. I picked him up and began to search for his mother, to no avail. I wrapped him in a clean cloth and held him close. “I don’t know if I can save you but I will do my best,” I promised with tears in my eyes. I think I knew he was a gift, a new chance, a gift from Polly.

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tion and peace I receive while exploring. One of my greatest journeys so far has been to Machu Picchu, Peru. Taking the adventure to get to Machu Picchu can be an exciting exploration — with the last flight needing a tight turn to land at Cusco, Peru, which happens to be approximately 10,000 feet above sea level. Arriving without puking and the ability to breathe is quite remarkable. Once in Cusco, a nice walk or taxi ride to the Peru Rail is next on the list. The threeand-a-half hour train ride brings passengers to the town of Aguas Caliente. Passengers walk through the local market for one last stop on the main road to get a bus ticket and then ride the zigzagging bus up the mountain to the paradise. Standing approximately 8,000 feet above sea level peering out over one of the most amazing sights of my life (so far), I got to Machu Picchu: Always in the memory bank. breathe in the air, history and beauty of Machu Picchu, Peru. It was Saturday night — $100 for a vet call. weeks but he has become a beautiful memMachu Picchu was built as a home for the ber of our family — a retriever cat and a cat No matter. I was already committed. The Inca emperor Pachacuti around 1400 AD and who can open the patio door. tiny black newborn was tucked under my is commonly referred to as the “Lost City of His name, Simba, is from the Lion King t-shirt to keep him warm for the 10 miles to the Incas.” story and the Circle of Life. Cascade Vet Clinic. Standing at Machu Picchu, taking photos, Maybe my beloved Polly decided to return We were met by Dr. Marco who examined is the best thing I have done in the last five as a black tomcat — she loved to retrieve him, tied off his umbilical cord and fixed years. also — who knows? him a bottle of warm kitten formula. Just looking at my photos takes me back But this I do know: Finding Simba was not By then the baby was crying and moving. to that day. I can stare into each photo and an accident. He was meant to be a gift and He immediately sucked the milk down and take a nice deep breath and it’s like my heart I’m so grateful. began purring. starts to race in excitement all over again. — By Ramona Cole I was in love and committed to saving him. All the peace and joy I felt that day, fills my “If he can get through the next few days he soul making it a good life. may have a chance.” Dr. Marco said. — By Star Downey Home we went and my days and nights became mixing formula and feedings every two hours around the clock, washing his bottom and doing everything a mother cat would do. Traveling near and far teaches me to be We had a few ups and downs the next few thankful for the life I have, and the educa-

High on Machu Picchu

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Once on the cover

still on the go

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; catching up with cover people from past June issues Every year seems like the best yet By Sara Urdahl Five years ago, Mike Cassidy approached me about a new publication he was launching, and, after describing his target audience, suggested that I contribute an article. It was a transitional time for me: I was pretty solidly in the half-century mark, and had just begun working outside the home after our third son had departed for the military. With large blocks of leisure time at hand after our son left the nest, I was free to indulge motorcycle touring and historical research and reenactment (two very unrelated hobbies indeed). When Mike came to me with his ideas for The Good Life, I was still reflecting on the end of our time as â&#x20AC;&#x153;hands onâ&#x20AC;? parents; indeed, our third son, John, was serving in Iraq. I thought a bit and wrote a story that co-mingled one of my two favorite pastimes (motorcycle touring) with one of the biggest transitions of my life to that point: the leap from active parenting to standing on the sidelines watching the launch of each of our sons into adulthood. As I have grown older, one of the great life lessons

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Having never grown past a passion for playing dress-up and pretend, Sara Urdahl models tunica, stola, and palla: traditional garments of an ancient Roman matron. When not arrayed in motorcycle costume, she is often found teaching classes on Roman daily life.

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I have learned is that emotions are often a cocktail blend: joys are often mixed with an angostura-like drop or two of sorrow. My husband, Mark, and I were free to saddle up our motorcycles and both figuratively and literally ride off into the sunset, leaving our booklet of parental lectures, advice and orders behind. However, another manual for parental roles took its place, and the freedom we felt was tinged by fear for one son in harm’s way, uncertainty for the future career of another, anticipation for the married life of the third, and resolve to get on with this next phase of our own lives. In the interval since I found myself the unlikely cover girl of The Good Life’s inaugural issue, our youngest son returned from the Marine Corps and, after facing his own transitional demons, is on the verge of launching a new career in National Parks Law Enforcement. Our middle son has similarly launched a new career in teaching. Our eldest son has given us two granddaughters — and probably has his own manual of Active Parenting well in hand. Every year I have lived generally feels like the best year yet. It is good to pass the laurels of parenting on to our children, and especially sweet to see the third generation arrive on stage. I’m often found dressed up in some costume or other — either motorcycle gear or the garb of an ancient Roman matron, and about as likely to break out into verses of Latin poetry as I am to don gloves and a helmet and throw a leg over my motorcycle. These days I feel an urgency in my drive to learn new things (or re-learn ancient things). I want to ride off into the sunset still — but I keep finding so many things that need to be thought of or accomplished before that sunset arrives.

Well, in 2009, we got an Enchantments permit with some friends for a September trip. We made it up Aasgard Pass and into the Leprechaun Lake area and set camp on a nice flat piece of ground. That night a big storm came in with strong winds, rain and lightning. Our tent was blowing over, so we went out and put Editor’s note: Eric and Catha Link were on the cover of the June 2008 issue, hold- rocks on all the stakes, then went back in to continue to hold up the sides. ing a cute little lamb. Inside the magaLater we had to pee, so we unzine they told the story of their zipped the door to the vestibule, cheese making operation and saw our clogs floating in our and farm on the road to vestibule. Blewitt Pass. We recently We had set up our tent in the caught up with Eric, and outflow of a dry lake, which was asked him what they have not dry anymore — it was overbeen up to since. flowing. So, out we went to pull all the What major activities have rocks off the stakes, pull the you engaged in since appearstakes up and move the tent, in ing on the cover? the darkness, in heavy winds. Last year we got to work trade The tent was like a sail with the rain driving for January and February near sideways. Kona, Hawaii on a flower farm. In 2009, we We managed to wedge it between two drove down to Cabo Pulmo, Baja Sur, Mextrees on higher ground, get back into the ico, with our two children and two dogs in tent, to then find Catha’s down bag comour Ford Windstar van. pletely soaked. So she crawled into my We sell at three farmers markets weekly during the season, Leavenworth (Thursdays synthetic mummy bag with me for the rest of the evening, each of us facing opposite 4-8 p.m.), Wenatchee (Saturdays 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Roslyn (Sundays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). directions with our hands holding up the sides of the tent. We are lambing as I write this in early Eventually morning came, and the temApril, and expecting around 100 lambs to be perature had dropped significantly. It was born in the next few weeks. In 2009, a handful of us started a commu- snowing as we made the decision to cut our trip short by one night and hike out from nity farmers market in Leavenworth. the Enchantments to our car at Snow Lakes What interests you the most now? Making food the way it should be made, so trailhead. Eventually, after hours of positive visuwe don’t forget how good food makes us feel. alization on the trail, we ended up at Los Can you tell us a story about the neatest day in your life since you were on the Camperos for food and margaritas. cover? }}} Stories continue on next page

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Still in the game By Dave Graybill

(Dave wrote the original story about Rollie.) I get the chance to keep up with the life of Rollie Schmitten as we are frequent fishing companions. He travels from his home at Lake Wenatchee, transfers his gear into my truck, and away we go. I am always eager to learn where his next meeting with the International Whaling Commission will take place. Rollie serves on the U.S. Whaling delegation and in the past five years he and his wife Barbara have traveled to Chile, Italy, Saint Vincent, and Grenadines, Jersey, UK and will go to Panama this year. Whaling can be a hot issue with some nations still actively commercially fishing for whales, and I love to hear how he represents the U.S. interests. Rollie has had plenty to relate on fish and wildlife issues in Washington State, too. He

Rollie Schmitten: Keeping an eye on whaling.

was appointed by the governor to the Fish and Wildlife Commission. While 40 years of his life has been dedi-

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cated to fish issues, Rollie has particularly enjoyed getting involved in wildlife management of cougar, bear, deer and elk. The introduction of wolves into North Central Washington was an issue that occupied much of his time. One of the experiences Rollie shared with me on one of our fishing trips occurred while he was doing a two-week bowhead whale survey out of Barrow, Alaska. He was working shifts of four hours on and four hours off in temperatures that ranged from 14 to 42 degrees below zero. The ice was forming to the point where ring seals were beginning to appear. Everyone in his party was carrying firearms, and one morning a polar bear sow and two cubs appeared out of nowhere, just 20 feet from their survey stand. Rollie will never forget that surprise. I am always amazed at the pace that Rollie maintains, now that he has been retired for several years. He has talked about cutting back on something or another. But he has a new granddaughter and many

| June 2012

grandsons to entertain. His wife Barbara is his companion in his travels and at home at Lake Wenatchee. As he says, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s having fun, living in the best place in the world (and he has seen a lot of it), doing what he wants, with a great wife, what would he change?

Flying in Nepal By Stefan Mitrovich Since appearing on the cover of the June 2011 issue of The Good Life, I went to Pokhara, the second largest city in Nepal for a couple of months and flew paragliding tandem flights for a local company there. We flew people from all over the world multiple times a day â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it was usually a blast! It is quite busy in the high season of October and November for trekkers and travelers so they flock to the adventure town of Pokhara. Being slightly unimpressed by the amount of commercialism there though, a few friends and I decided to open up a not-for-profit paragliding business with all of the proceeds going to help local children get a better education. The point being that children there only receive a fifth grade education at best unless their parents have enough money to pay for more schooling. It is a very poor country and most kids end up working at home their entire lives without ever learning about other cultures. Another highlight in Nepal was fixing up a rundown school in the tiny village of Luhruk

Stefan Mitrovich flies a glider with a Russian passenger over the countryside of Nepal.

with the help of several people from other countries. We came together with the villagers and shared our own stories over tea and dahl baht (the local meal consisting of curried lentils and rice). I also learned a bit of Russian since many of the people I worked with flying paragliders were from Russia or neighboring countries. All in all it was a great experience in many ways. I feel very fortunate to get out of my comfort zone and experience another part of the world and different cultures. As far as the future goes, I will continue to fly my tandem paraglider locally for all those

who want to experience the joy of flight. I am also helping Habitat for Humanity build a home near Rock Island using my architecture and building skills on that project. Other than that I continue to be thankful for the people in my local community to learn from and to give back to. We have a great community here in Wenatchee valley. One of the greatest experiences last summer was when I took a young lady on her 90th birthday for a flight over Leavenworth. The great thing was that, unbeknownst to her, her entire family was waiting in the landing zone for her as a surprise birthday party! Amazing day all around.

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Known for his mustache & motorcycles Both are about individuality and freedom for Phil Griesse By Alan Moen

hil Griesse, a retired carpenter who lives in Cashmere, has two prominent obsessions: his motorcycles and his mustache. Phil’s motorcycles include a vintage 1967 Harley-Davidson ElectraGlide with a 74-cubic inch engine and his own custom trike style bike, built in 2002. His mustache, white with each side over 18 inches long, curls elegantly around his face like a perpetual smile. Phil has achieved quite a bit of notoriety in North Central Washington for both his passions. His bikes have won him best of show prizes in Manson and Wenatchee; his mustache has won the best mustache contest at the Lava Love bikers’ rally in Soap Lake for the past five years running. For Phil, both are about individuality and freedom. “I don’t belong to any motorcycle clubs,” Phil said. “Lots of times, I go with other riders who are friends. Most of them are retired, too. I just like to ride. I like the freedom and the wind in your face.” Speaking of wind, Phil rode his bike to Sturgis, South Dakota — the biggest bike rally on the continent — in 2003 without a windshield, to the amazement of other bikers there. “I wore cutoffs all the way, too,” Phil laughed. “It gets hot down there in August.” Phil, 67, grew up in Nebraska, and moved to the Northwest in 1958. He spent 30 years as a carpenter and union organizer with the International Brotherhood of Carpenters, working on many Northwest dams, before

Building this trike that’s powered by a 2.8-liter, 2835 cc. V-8 Chevy engine was a five-year project for Phil Griesse.

he retired in 2002. He and his wife Sandy moved to Cashmere in 1987, where she works with mentally challenged children for the Cashmere School District. They have two grown sons and three grandchildren. “I got my first Harley in 1964 or 1965,” Phil recalled. “It was a 1946 model with a foot clutch. Cops used to stop me all the time (for running stop lights) in Seattle because it was hard to operate on the hills.” With his classic bikes and signature mustache, Phil is hard to miss on the street or highway, and he has been stopped many times by traffic police. “Once I was stopped riding my trike for not wearing a helmet,” he remembered. “But I don’t have to under Washington State law, because the engine is in the back, unlike normal motorcycles. I got a helmet anyway, and a reduced fine.

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Entiat to roar and play on June 16

A motorcycle rally is just one of many activities planned for the Entiat Summerfest, to be held at Entiat City Park on Saturday, June 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be arts and crafts booths, food vendors, a beer and wine garden, kids’ games, and boat rides as well. Entiat High School class reunions and a performance by the Wenatchee Youth Circus will follow. For more information, contact the Entiat Valley Chamber of Commerce at 784-1500 or visit their Facebook page.

“And my old Harley is an antique, so I really don’t have to wear a helmet when I ride that

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| June 2012

one, either.” Phil is proud of his craftsmanship on building and restoring bikes, particularly his trike, which has a 2.8-liter, 2835 cc. V-8 Chevy engine. He inherited the project from his father–inlaw, and used tractor canopy parts to construct the hood and storage chamber on the back. With a front end made from a 900 Honda, the trike took five years to build. Right now he’s working on anther Harley for Sandy — a 1952 K model with a 45 cc engine, of which only 1,800 were made. “It was Harley’s first small bike,” Phil said. Getting parts for antique bikes can be very expensive, though, and Phil regularly searches craigslist and eBay on the Internet to find them. “A taillight that cost $6.99 in 1952 is over $300 now,” he said. But Phil works on restoring cars, too. He said his next

“I can drive all the way to my property on Grand Coulee and back on a weekend to go boat camping for only about $20.” project is rebuilding a 1969 VW convertible, also for Sandy. For Phil, giving rides to others is one of the joys of owning motorcycles. For the past eight years, a week before Wenatchee’s Apple Blossom Festival, he’s given rides to the elderly at the Riverwest Motorcycle Extravaganza at the Riverwest Community center in Wenatchee. He laughed about a 94-year old woman called “Queenie” who had trouble hanging on, and eventually wound about grabbing his groin. Phil’s still not sure if that was intentional

or not. With these days of high gas prices, Phil’s happy to be riding his Harley (51 mpg on the highway) or his trike (30 mpg), “I can drive all the way to my property on Grand Coulee and back on a weekend to go boat camping for only about $20,” he claimed. “I can’t do that in a car.” Phil loves to participate in community and charity events, such as Cashmere’s Founder’s Days and the Swallowfest in Ardenvoir. He was the Grand Marshal at this year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in Cashmere, and dyed his mustache green for the occasion. Phil is looking forward to participating in the motorcycle rally at Summerfest in Entiat on June 16. If you’re there, he’ll be hard to miss. Look for the man with a classic bike — and an equally classic mustache. Alan Moen is the owner of the Snowgrass Winery in the Entiat Valley, a favorite ride for many bikers during the summer.

An adventure in reading every month. For $25, ($30 out of state) you can have 12 issues of The Good Life mailed to you or a friend. Send subscription to: Name _______________ Address _____________ City _________________ State ______ ZIP ______ Mail check & info to: The Good Life 10 First Street, Suite 108 Wenatchee, WA 98801

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Volunteers

Finding room in the heart for orphans of Belize By Donna Cassidy

hree years ago while Beryl and Garth Comm were driving in Belize on vacation, they noticed a long line of children walking in school uniforms. Turns out these children were coming from an orphanage that was of the 7th Day Adventist Church — the same faith as Beryl and Garth. We stopped at the orphanage to see if they needed anything. And the need was great, said Beryl. “Sixty children were living in a 4,800-square-foot building. We were handed a shopping list. We set out and purchased $500 worth of rice and beans. And then it hit me, this was only enough food for a few days.” Since then Beryl and Garth’s vacations have been spent helping at The King’s Children’s Home in Belmopan, Belize in Central America. “My goal was to bring proper nutrition to the children. They were only getting small amounts of vegetables and fruit five times in a week. Now they are getting fruit and vegetables at every meal,” said Beryl. “It takes all day to shop. You have to go to six stores to get what you need. There is no storage and one small refrigerator at the orphanage. Shopping is non-stop and then you have to cook.” Each child has a sad story that pulls at your heartstrings, said Beryl. “They have nothing. The children have one small box of personal belongings. “We noticed a boy wearing a dirty, old shirt. He wore that same shirt everyday while we were there. He wore it because it was the only thing left of his father,” said Beryl. There are 60 children from infants to 20 years of age. The children are welcome to

Beryl Comm holds one of the children from The King’s Children’s Home in Belize.

ABOVE: Director Leonie Herrera-Gilham. LEFT: Brenda Mandelis and two of the orphans.

stay in the home (it is their only home) as long as they are helping out and going to school. All of the children have been abused, abandoned or orphaned. All 60 live in a small building with a small playground. Garth has been down to Belize four times in one year helping with construction work. Brenda Mandelis, who is Beryl’s daughter, has been to the orphanage four times in the last 18 months. Beryl’s grandsons, cousins, nephews and nieces and their spouses have also volunteered at the orphanage. Friends, church members from Wenatchee and an employee of Local Tel have all had a hand in volunteering. | The Good Life

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Brenda says she does all the marketing, web page and some of the fund raising. “I had the pleasure of coming to the realization that one can serve in the mission field in a foreign country without leaving home, thanks to the Internet,” said Brenda. Brenda says she works from home answering emails and returning phone calls to people who inquire through the KCH website about mission trips and volunteering. “I help them understand just what the project is and what to expect if going to volunteer at the home. I design and print their brochures, project booklets and other material that are mailed out to people inquiring. I

| June 2012

also oversee the donations that come in on the website as well as help maintain and update the content on the website. My work for KCH is like doing a part-time marketing job with a bit of travel agent thrown in,” said Brenda. In the past three years, “We have made a lot of small but valuable improvements within the home,” said Brenda, “like adding new showerheads, so they now have water instead of a trickle. We have increased the shelf size in the pantry so when people do come to visit and buy food, they have a place to put it. “We have sorted through many bags and boxes of items that have been donated in order to help organize the items so they can get used. We have put in a new electrical outlet so one doesn’t have to move a heavy microwave to use it. Mom has contacted local Belizean businesses to donate or discount food to the orphanage. “There is no excess money from anyone in Belize to help the orphanage, but... local people do come by and help, they donate any extra food items,  hold small canned food drives, people come by and help tutor from time to time,” said Brenda. In a typical day, the home goes from situation to situation, just getting by. “When we go, we can see the things that have been neglected and we take the time to do something about them,” said Brenda. A new 22,000-square-foot facility is being built to house the orphanage on a donated 40-acre site that will include an orchard of bananas and avocados. The Wenatchee group has done a lot of hard labor on the new construction, including digging ditches for the footings and tying rebar for the supports. “Dad worked on building the road to the new home as well,” said Brenda. Still, the orphanage needs a well dug, an irrigation system, a tractor, food, supplies and money to complete this project, said Beryl.

Only about half of the children can fit into the living room. Others are lining the hallways.

“We are willing to make a difference. It is a part of our lives and it is so rewarding. They are family and this is a lifetime commitment,” said Brenda.

‘A meaningful life’ for each child

eonie Herrera-Gillham has been a mother to over 650 children in the past 26 years.

June 2012 | The Good Life

Leonie is the founder of The King’s Children’s Home in Belmopan, Belize in Central America. Leonie is not only the founder and mother but she gives her unconditional love, support, housing and Christian upbringing to all the children who have been abandoned, abused or neglected by their parents, said Brenda Mandelis. “Each child should have the

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opportunity to live a meaningful life in a safe environment,” said Leonie. And in this she is passionate as she said she was abused as a child. In addition, Belize faces many issues: n One in five children suffers from malnutrition. n 33 percent of the population lives below the poverty line. n The majority of rural households lacks adequate sanitation. n Belize has the highest prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Central America. n Belize has a high level of crime, violence, human trafficking and domestic violence. n 50 percent of the population is under the age of 19. n A high level of students drop out or repeat grades. Only 25 percent continue on to secondary education. The King’s Children’s Home is a non-profit organization that runs primarily on donations. For more information, visit www.kingschildrenshome.org.

column ALEX ON WINE

ALEX SALIBY

Matchmaking: Books pair food & wine Scores of books have been

written giving advice on what food to prepare and serve with which wines. My favorite author of such books is wine writer Hugh Johnson, but I confess to enjoying Hugh’s work not so much for his wisdom as for his wit. He amuses me. Under the heading Wine and Food Pairing in one of his books, his suggestion for a beverage to pair with guacamole is Mexican beer. He then humors those of us with no taste buds who insist on wine with such foods by suggesting a wine that might work. In the case of that guacamole, his choice is a two star Califor-

nia Chardonnay. Mind you, this is a man with a five-star rating system, so by suggesting the consumption of a two-star rated wine, he’s pretty much letting you know you are an idiot for drinking wine with the food. The insult, though, is softened if you consider that he is kindly helping you save money by attempting to prevent you from wasting a five-star wine. However, if I adjust for Mr. Johnson’s entertainment factor, I find his suggestions are dictated too much from and by an old world wine-snob attitude. I’ll not bore you with details about why I believe that about some of his thinking and mandates. In contrast to that old world stuffiness is California’s wine enthusiast Karen MacNeil. Ms. MacNeil is the author of the best selling book, The Wine Bible. I loved that title when first I saw the book at Leavenworth’s A Book for All Seasons. The title demands you accept its wisdom because it is, after all, biblically authoritative. Karen, if I may call her that in this public format, is also the author of Wine, Food & Friends, a cleverly organized, easy to understand guide. Following the informative introduction by the author, Chapter II introduces Matchmaking, the new guide to pairing wine and food. This chapter consists of brief descriptions and explanations of the author’s 13 pairing principles to follow when pairing a wine with any food. Principle one, for example, is “Consider Complexity.” The focus of this discussion is on flavor and aroma complexities in some wines and some recipes. Simple foods like grilled tenderloin of beef will better

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Wine is food itself: it is, after all, only grape juice in which the natural sugar content has been converted to alcohol... complement the flavors and aromas of a more complex wine like Karma’s Zen or Eagle Creek’s Bacchus Vineyards Cabernet. The simple food will not have complex flavors that overpower the wine. More complex dishes, such as beef stew, will tend to overpower a complex and usually more costly wine. What a waste of a complex wine. Complexly flavored dishes are best served with simple quaffing wines like St. Laurent’s Lucky Red. We have other such books, such as Savoring Leavenworth, and Savoring Chelan penned by Wenatchee resident Morgan Fraser, who has compiled recipes meant to highlight local wineries. While none of the other authors has the international reputations of Mr. Johnson or Ms. McNeil, all the books offer recipes guaranteed to please your palate so long as you follow the advice given and eat the food recommended while consuming one of the recommended wines. Truth be told, most of the authors have been accurate in that respect. Chef du jour and I have on numerous occasions tried various recommended recipes and were happy with the results. I’m compelled by journalistic honesty, though, to out Chef du www.ncwgoodlife.com

| June 2012

jour for her manipulations. She doesn’t blindly recreate a recipe, regardless of which chef recommends the dish; she’s a taste-and-amend chef. She reads the recipe, alters it to suit her tastes, then samples and adjusts to her own liking, and to the wine chosen to accompany it. Most often the adjusting has more to do with her familiarity with the wine she knows we’re about to drink and enjoy with the meal, although there is always that touch of personal preference that enters the equation. Wine is food itself: it is, after all, only grape juice in which the natural sugar content has been converted to alcohol under controlled conditions. But it is a food with its own profile of flavors and aromas. As a food element, it can be made more enjoyable when consumed with other foods that don’t fight it or overshadow it. A wrong pairing might not destroy the wine, though that too is possible, but it might keep the wine from showing you its real flavor and aroma profiles. Important aspects of the enjoyment of any meal are the elements of time and place, and the attitude of the diner at the moment of the meal. Ms. McNeil offers this bit of advice on the topic: “If experience teaches us anything, it is that the right mood is probably at least as important as the right wine and food.” Alex Saliby is a wine lover who spends far too much time reading about the grapes, the process of making wine and the wines themselves. He can be contacted at alex39@msn. com.

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Tuscan touches abound with pergola, stucco, roof tiles and tower. The look is pastoral Sienna hill town, the engineering is Northwest new-tech.

Slow but steady to A TUSCAN DREAM home Story by Susan Lagsdin Photos by Donna Cassidy

amela Pasquale was adamant about this: “If you ever decide to design your own house — the key is not to rush. Take your time every step of the way.” When they were ready to move on from their familyraising years in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, she and Craig Rainwater definitely took their time.

Sarah Susanka’s Not So Big House was a guide as they researched small houses and pored through Tuscan and Provence design books for a true European countryside feel. Toting their binder full of ideas, they consulted three architects within the same firm by the time their plans were finalized (“We didn’t wear them out — we just used their expertise,” she explained.) Going slow was rewarded with a personalized home that suits

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them every day, every season. High above Sleepy Hollow Road, backed up to Chelan Douglas Land Trust’s Horse Lake hills, this structure with its discreet footprint hugs the windswept sage and is a model of sensible sustainability on many levels. It was meant as a quasi-retirement home base, but Internet difficulties made that cumbersome, so Craig enjoys an earlier retirement than planned. On small sections of their

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| June 2012

steep 15 acres they’ve planted wine grapes, Vioginer and “Barberra,” said Craig, “which comes from the Piedmont region, where Pamela’s family roots are.” The vineyard will stay small, using land and water-preserving tactics like maintaining native grasses between the rows. River rock, flagstone steps and arid plant gardens curve around the base of the house, with one notable indulgence — moist green lawn on a small terrace above the garage. Craig said,

ABOVE The deliberately uncomplicated kitchen is fine for a small family, but can feed crowds. A welcoming, open room that flexes for multiple use is just what the couple had hoped for. LEFT Pamela and Craig said they appreciate their architect asking all about themselves and their lives first, instead of showing a portfolio of designs. TOP MIDDLE The master bedroom balcony is a relaxing vantage point year-round, with morning sun, afternoon shade and the ever-changing quilt of distant orchards.

“We needed just one soft place to walk on occasionally, to play bocce — and friends really enjoy tenting here.” The house is comfortably multi-generational, with a 400-square-foot mother-in-law apartment abutting the main hall, a home within a home to Craig’s 8o-year-old mother. In it, a window-flanked cubby for the bed offers a 180-degree view of the Wenatchee Valley. The room with its own tiny

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TUSCAN DREAM

The master bedroom view shows the need for careful plastering around door and window edges — no wood trim cover-ups allowed.

}}} Continued from previous page kitchen and bath is separate enough for independence, close enough for compatible family activities. The slow deliberate steps to completion took four years. The land was purchased in 2004, with the move-in date January 2008. The site itself was tricky to develop, with the road and utilities the first big hurdle. When construction started, Pamela and Craig’s desire to build and live green meant a slow but steady learning curve for the contractors working with a unique new building material. Durisol blocks, hollow inside,

are formed from wood chips and concrete slurry. They stack in sections similar in dimension to straw bales, but every one is crisscrossed with both vertical and horizontal rebar, then filled with wet cement. A little more expensive than stick-built, trickier to work with, Durisol creates 12-inch walls with a 30-plus energy rating, it uses recycled materials, it’s easy to plaster, and it will not burn. The roof material is lightweight stamped steel, meaning less bulk and engineering to hold up terra-cotta tiles. Window frames are fiberglass, and there’s minimal trim wood used

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| June 2012

Soft wildflower and grass tones color the walls of the main living space, where a small fireplace centers the room. A familiar old sideboard is tucked into the kitchen.

inside and out. Add stucco siding treatment and the result is maintenance-free surfaces and fire-proof security built in. Temperature control matters in this climate: the Italianate bell tower sans bell serves as a heat transfer in summer — fans help hot air rise to flow out its high screened windows, and

deep eaves shield windows from south sun. Ironically, “Our wood stove is actually too efficient — it confuses the floor thermostat on the coldest days,” said Pamela. The green construction ethic is fulfilled in other ways: the house is deliberately compact, only 2,000 square feet.

The entry hall accesses a spacious utility/mud room. “We were surprised to find how often we use that space every day — for storage, for cleaning up, for dealing with garden vegetables,” Pamela said. Atop a tiled stairway the landing accommodates office

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NCW Home Professionals

>> RANDOM QUOTE

Never try to tell everything you know. It may take too short a time.

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Norman Ford

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TUSCAN DREAM }}} Continued from previous page gear, and a guest/craft room and modest master suite complete the second story, all floored in cost-effective bamboo. Some of the details of sustainable construction are more subtle and more about ambience than R facto, GPM, or price per square foot. The “Italian look” meant that plaster went exactly

to the visible edges of openings and the cement tile floors — no wood door and window trim, no baseboard. And no exotic woods, just the simplicity of pale alder doors and pine ceilings. Wall and exterior paint colors mirror the home’s surroundings. It’s probably rare for a paint dealer to see this kind of tangible, hands-on color matching:

Ingenuity prevailed when designing for this sometimes windy hillside. Tucked into the lee of the front entrance, this sitting area offers sunny views of Burch Mountain.

Pam and Craig didn’t look first at paint swatches, instead they brought in handfuls of sage, buckwheat and bunchgrass, so that the blue grays, pinks and tans of the acreage continue into the house. All rooms are intentional and intensively used, but the great room is emblematic of the whole plan for this Wenatchee life that Pamela and Craig have made for themselves. With a sitting nook to one side, and an open L-shaped kitchen on the two opposite walls anchored by a long farmhouse table, that central living space is the unpretentious heart of the house. Favorite furniture lives on here: a beloved and functional antique sideboard was factored into the room’s dimensions. Clean, white subway tile, a deep farmhouse sink and a faded flowered tablecloth enhance the

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| June 2012

Clean, white subway tile, a deep farmhouse sink and a faded flowered tablecloth enhance the kitchen’s oldworld look. kitchen’s old-world look. Craig tells the story of their first housewarming party. “We were in the ‘great room’ cooking, drinking wine, and gradually people started moving the furniture around, angling the couch, bringing in chairs, hanging out here all together. I realized at that minute that Pamela and I were finally home… and all our friends were definitely feeling at home!”

column GARDEN OF DELIGHTS

bonnie orr

Colorful, tasty strawberries a joy in June egar and black pepper. Stir thoroughly. Let sit for 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Stir a few times. 2. While the berries marinate, cook the rice using your favorite method. 3. Sprinkle the lime juice, oil, salt and pepper over the shrimp and stir. 4. If you don’t like raw peas, microwave them for 2 minutes —so they are hot and bright green 5. Serve the rice on plates. Top with shrimp, peas, then, the strawberry sauce.

If it is June, it must be straw-

berry season. The Northwest provides the most fragrant, sweet strawberries. Those blousy, steroid-sizedberries grown in other states might look tempting, but they never taste as good as ours. The fruit is available only for a short time and worth growing. The decorative groundcover, Pink Panda, even provides a few luscious berries. Plant a berry that is daylight neutral, and you will have berries all season. June berries put out a big crop in June; Everbearing plants produce a crop in June and then another one in September. Probably, if you grow berries, most of them will not get into the house to be used in a recipe; what a delight to stand in the garden to eat sun-warm fruit. Fresh berries are used as toppings for crepes, French toast, chocolate cakes, rice pudding, etc. I like just a bowl of sliced berries with superfine sugar and a bit of fresh orange juice. Preserved berries provide the aroma of strawberries all year. I make a jam with two, early summer fruit. Using the apricot jam recipe on the package of Surejell, I combine half strawberry and half apricot. The jam is colorful and very fragrant and harkens early July on my January toast. The sorbet recipe calls for finely ground, fresh ginger. I have a coffee grinder dedicate to grind herbs and spices. I also use the grinder to make super-fine sugar. Superfine sugar is so finely ground that it is white and powdery (Don’t confuse it with Powdered Sugar that is a combination of sugar and cornstarch.)

Strawberries start coming on in June and if you can get them from the garden to the house, make a nice Shrimp and Strawberries evening dish.

Superfine sugar dissolves instantly without any granular residue.

Strawberry Sorbet

Inspired by Roxanne Gold, from the book: Healthy 1,2,3 Serves 4 Preparation time 20 minutes plus 2 hours freezing 1 1/2 cups ripe strawberries 1 inch piece of fresh ginger 1/3 cup sugar pinch salt 1/4 cup water 1.Puree the strawberries in the food processor. 2. Peel and grind the ginger with the dash of salt until it is a paste. Use a mortar and pestle or grinder. 3. Boil the water and sugar. Use the superfine sugar to see how fast it dissolves. 4. Add the ginger paste and then the strawberries. 5. Put the mixture into the freezer until it is slushy. 6. Take it out; Whir it slightly in the food processor to fluff the mixture but not melt it. 7. Re-freeze until almost solid, and re-fluff the mixture. Re-freeze until you are ready to serve it. It should be June 2012 | The Good Life

slightly soft.

It is June, and this means the peas are ripening. I love this sweet, little vegetable and eat most of them out-ofhand in the garden. If you manage to get both peas and strawberries into the kitchen, try this recipe. This is a summer evening dish that is both hot and cold.

Shrimp and Strawberries

Preparation time: 35 minutes Serves 4 1 1/2 cup strawberries sliced 2 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 1 pound cooked shrimp, peeled, washed and blotted dry 1/3 cup lime juice 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and pepper 2 cups green peas, shelled or edible pea pods finely sliced 1 cup basmati rice 1 1/2- 2 cups water Salt and pepper 1. Combine the berries, sugar, vinwww.ncwgoodlife.com

Northwest Berry Cookbook by Kathleen Stang suggests this unusual strawberry soup.

Midsummer Eve Strawberry Soup Serves 4 Preparation time: 10 minutes, plus cooling 3 cups whole strawberries 4 whole berries 1/3 cup sugar 2 teaspoons corn starch 1 cup cranberry juice cocktail 2 teaspoon red wine vinegar 1 cup buttermilk Puree the berries. Stir the cornstarch into the sugar. Stir the mixture into the cocktail juice. Heat the juice until it boils and thickens. Add the berries and cook for two minutes. Cool in refrigerator. Stir in the buttermilk and serve in bowls garnished with a whole berry and burnet leaves if available. Bonnie Orr — the dirt diva — gardens and cooks in East Wenatchee. Know of someone stepping off the beaten path in the search for fun and excitement? E-mail us at editor@ncwgoodlife.com

column THE TRAVELing DOCTOR

jim brown, m.d.

Tasmania: The strange becomes familiar “Every time you leave home, another road takes you into a world you were never in. New strangers and other paths await, new places that have never seen you will startle a little at your entry.” — from The Traveler, a poem by John O’Donohue

erein is our story about a recent trip to Australia. Our nephew Jon fell in love with Olivia, from Australia, when they were both working as civil engineers in New York City. When she returned to her home in Melbourne, Jon followed, and when they announced their wedding plans, we thought this was an excellent reason to travel to Australia. With the help of a trip planner who grew up in Tasmania, we embarked on a month-long selfguided tour “down under” which included, of course, the wedding but also a week in Tasmania beforehand. As a pre-med student majoring in zoology at the University of Nebraska, I was fascinated by marsupial mammals, particularly those of Tasmania. Tasmania always sounded like an exotic place that I hoped to visit some day. It is an island state of Australia named after Abel Tasman, a Dutch explorer who landed there in 1642. Later England claimed this continent, likely our planet’s first continent, as part of the British Empire. After a 14-hour flight from Los Angeles, we landed in Sydney where we would spend three days. Sydney is a beautiful city located in the world’s second largest natural harbor with its 144 miles of shoreline. We stayed

The Tasman Arch formed over thousands of years when waves eroded the softer layers of rock from below, leaving the stronger top layers.

in the “Rocks” area where the first settlers founded this town which now is a city of over 5 million. This was a perfect location to explore Sydney’s waterfront, walk across the huge Harbor Bridge, visit the many parks including the wonderful Botanical Park and the famous Sydney Opera House. From here harbor sight seeing cruises leave every hour. Vibrant Sydney seems filled with active young people including a plethora of runners everywhere. Obesity here was noticeably

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absent. Most of the people we talked with who were working in our hotel and the various restaurants were all recent arrivals on one-year work visas from Italy, France, Ireland, England and even Nepal. Unemployment in Australia is a low 5 percent. The minimum wage is $18.03 per hour in US dollars and double that on weekends and holidays. Some restaurants close on weekends as they can’t afford the help. Australia is one of the most expensive places we have

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| June 2012

visited and the exchange rate also works against our dollar ($112 USD = $100 AUD). Australia has a land mass similar to the US but with a population of only 23 million who live mostly in coastal cities. We found Aussies are universally friendly, helpful and interested in their tourist visitors. The people we talked with universally admire our President Obama. With their gasoline price at about $7 a gallon they envy our “cheap” $4 gasoline. They seem to love their national health insurance plan. They are also appalled (as am I) that there are over 50 million without health insurance in the US. Australia has a two-tiered health insurance plan, with a basic plan called Medicare covering everyone and paid for through a 1.5 percent tax on income. This covers their basic healthcare needs and hospitalization at public hospitals. There is an optional private insurance supplemental plan. Apparently about 40 percent of the population enroll in this supplemental plan, which allows them quicker access to specialists, private hospitals and private surgical centers. A park ranger who I talked to, a single 30-year-old female, said she pays $45 a month for her supplemental coverage. We flew from Sydney to Launceston, Tasmania. After we picked up our rental car, I had to relearn driving on the left side of the road. Learning a new skill is supposed to forestall dementia so that was good for me; however my wife’s stress about my driv-

The pasture came alive with numerous marsupial animals including wombats, a chubby pig-like burrowing creature... ing probably subtracted a few years to her life. “You are too close on the left,” or “left, left, keep left,” she would say. “Just keep your eyes on the road, and I will tell you if I see anything interesting.” After a couple of days driving on the left became quite natural. Our first stop was in Evandale, a small town about the size of Monitor. We stayed that night in “The Stables,” and yes, they were originally stables built in 1843. There were only two places to eat in this town, a noisy pub and a small cafe across the street that made delicious pizza. We bought a bottle of wine in the pub and crossed over to get a pizza. We were sitting at a small table eating our pizza in front of the cafe when a man with his carry-out pizza stopped, and we exchanged greetings. A few minutes later he returned and said please bring your pizza and wine and join us for dinner at our place. Ian and Linda had both retired from Newcastle University on the mainland, he a professor of taxation (accounting). We spent about three hours together for a most enjoyable evening which ended with them pointing out the Southern Cross in the night sky, seen only in the Southern Hemisphere. Our next stop was in Bicheno on the east coast where we would spend two nights at the Diamond Island Resort on the water. A highlight there was an

Tasmanian devil. Cute, eh?

evening guided walk in the dark along the rocky shore where the “fairy” penguins return from their day at sea feeding and come onto shore to spend the night in their burrows to sleep and mate. It was thrilling to see these cute little creatures waddling up toward us and then stand patiently looking at us as we stared at them. Driving down the east coast of Tasmania, there are wonderful view points and hikes to beaches and through forests. In many ways Tasmania reminded us of our own Puget Sound islands. We were headed for Koonya where we were to stay two nights in the Cascade Colonial accommodations. Owned by the Marcus Clarke family who have farmed here for five generations, these stone buildings were formally part of the convict penal system in the 1800s, and this was a former rehabilitation station. The Clarke family, with some federal preservation funds and their own money, have refurbished and preserved the buildings, turning them into tourist lodgings on the sea. One evening after dark Marcus drove us in his AWD pickup into the hills nearby to a large pasture bordered by forest June 2012 | The Good Life

and stream. We walked through the pasture guided by Marcus and his powerful searchlight. The pasture came alive with numerous marsupial animals including wombats, a chubby piglike burrowing creature, echidnas who looked like a cross between a porcupine and a hedgehog, large bushy tailed opossums, bandicoots and numerous wallaby. This was a magical evening. In order to see Tasmania devils one needs to visit a protected conservation park. The animals are an endangered species. Their numbers have declined by 80 percent due to a facial cancer thought spread from devil to devil by biting, when fighting over food or during mating, which is pretty violent as we witnessed. The jaws of these small animals are as powerful as an alligator’s, and they eat everything including fur, hide, bones and flesh. Tasmanian devils help clean up roadkill. They have poor eyesight, but they are said to smell a dead animal over a mile away. A visit to Port Arthur, an Australian penal colony, is mandatory for any trip to Tasmania. In the early 1800s, England started transporting a total of about 70,000 convicts to Australia for minor crimes as minimal as stealing a coat or a few coins as well as serious criminals convicted of murder. Children as young as 7 were tried as adults. In the early years of transportation many convicts did not survive the eight-month sea www.ncwgoodlife.com

voyage. Later the ship’s doctors accompanying these convicts were paid for each convict that survived the voyage, and the death rate plummeted. This might have been the first example of paying doctors for results, an idea we in the U.S. are currently exploring with Medicare patients. It worked back then, why not now? Across the bay of Port Arthur is the Boy’s Prison, where children age 9 to 17 were kept. This was the first juvenile “reformatory” in the British Empire. Their goal was to rehabilitate these young men by teaching them skills that would provide them with work once out of prison. However, looking at the solitary confinement cells and the cells in total darkness, there was a significant amount of punishment taking place as well. Transportation stopped in 1853 and the prison at Port Arthur was closed in 1877. About 70 percent of fourth and fifth generation Tasmanians trace their lineage to these convicts, and many do so with pride. Our last night in Tasmania was spent in beautiful Hobart, the largest Tasmanian city located on a large harbor. We enjoyed our walks around the harbor taking in all the charming shops and restaurants. That night we ate at one of the best Italian restaurants ever called Da Angelo’s. Angelo is the son of Italian immigrants who landed in Tasmania over 30 years ago. Poet John O’Donohue — whom I quoted at the beginning — was right. We left our comfort zone of home and entered a world where we had never been. The foreign became familiar and strangers became friends. This is what the good life is all about. 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.

column moving up to the good life

june darling

Come on, let’s get happy Y

ou can be happier, but... maybe happiness doesn’t appeal to you. Maybe you may think intentionally working to be happier is superficial, not a very worthy goal. Perhaps you even believe that, in a world full of ills and suffering, it is wrong to be happy. Happiness might even lead to doing nothing but eating chocolate cake all day. Happiness is largely misunderstood and underrated. Happiness is a tremendous resource that not only helps individuals, but also families, communities and society at large. The benefits of happiness include higher income and superior work outcomes, more satisfying and longer marriages, more friends, stronger social support, richer social interactions, more energy and bolstered immune systems, lowered stress levels, less pain and even longer life. The literature also suggests happy individuals are more creative, helpful, charitable, self-confident, have better selfcontrol and coping abilities. Maybe you believe happiness is the result of genetics or having fame, fortune and good looks — which leaves you out. Most happiness scholars like

Happiness researchers tell us that happy people are not focused solely on their own gratification. An over-focus on self is a recipe for unhappiness. Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky and Dr. Ed Diener, two of the world’s most renowned researchers in happiness, believe that genetics influences happiness to some degree, perhaps even up to 50 percent. Fame, fortune and good looks may also influence our happiness, but not nearly so much as other things. Diener and Lyubomirsky believe there are probably hundreds of things which influence our happiness. The researchers are most interested in those things which significantly, reliably and sustainably influence our life satisfaction and positive emotions (a high level of satisfaction with life and positive emotions com-

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prise what researchers consider happiness). Maybe you don’t know the 12 happiness interventions that can raise life satisfaction and positive emotions. These interventions predictably and sustainably raise happiness for a number of people. (Many of the interventions look almost like spiritual injunctions and advice from our elders). Express gratitude: Count blessings or convey gratitude and appreciation to others. Cultivate optimism: Imagine your best possible future and practice looking on the bright side of every situation. Avoid overthinking and social comparisons: Use methods such as distraction to shift your attention away from dwelling on problems and comparing yourself with others. Practice acts of kindness: Do good things for others, either friends or strangers. Nurture relationships: Invest time and energy in cultivating and enjoying one or more relationships. Develop strategies for coping: Write in a journal, learn breathing techniques, take a walk to recover from stress. Learn to forgive: Let go of resentment and anger toward those who have wronged you.

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Journal writing can help. Do more activities that truly engage you: Choose activities in which you lose track of time because they are challenging and absorbing. Savor life’s joys: Pay close attention to life’s pleasures and joys, share them with others, replay them in your memory. Commit to a goal: Pick something that is truly significant and meaningful and follow your progress. Practice religion and spirituality: Become more involved in your church, temple, mosque, or reading and pondering spiritually themed books. Take care of your body: Engage in physical activity, laugh and smile (act happy). Maybe some of these happiness interventions leave you cold. Researchers have found that some of these happiness strategies or interventions work much, much better for various people. They call this the person-activity fit. One person may become tremendously happier by practicing gratitude while others may find practicing gratitude a bit strange or corny, but become vastly

Darling: Let’s get happy happier by taking care of their bodies. If you want to get the best results, say the researchers, choose those activities which a) seem like a natural fit for you, b) that you will enjoy, and c) that you value. Don’t choose an activity simply because you feel guilty about not doing it or because someone else wants you to. Vary the activity in a way which keeps it fresh and interesting for you. Maybe you misunderstand happiness. Some think happiness equals hedonism without regard for the larger picture of meaning and purpose in attaining life satisfaction. Happiness researchers tell us that happy people are not focused solely on their own gratification. An over-focus on self is a recipe for unhappiness. Super-duper happiness is not always appropriate. People who are exceedingly happy all the time may miss signs of threat or danger. Others may fail to appreciate times for sadness, anger, fear, disappointment and grief. Understanding happiness, taking happiness benefits seriously and practicing happiness interventions that work for you, build your vitality, capability and generosity. Happiness is a good thing for you, for your family and for our community. How might you move up to The Good Life by intentionally practicing happiness interventions?

ARTS

& BOOK PUBLISHING BLUES entertainment

OR, How I became a self-published author

BY TERESA WENDEL

y knack for stringing words together doesn’t earn me a living wage. I do receive compensation, however, for the lonely hours that my fingers are poised above the keyboard writing essays and short stories — a craft that I truly love. So why did I, a woman who earns from $300 to $3,000 per story, pay a publisher a wad of bills within that monetary range to print my words in a paperback? I am not the kind of wanton and wasteful woman who kisses her money good-by and throws it out the window. I shop the sales. I clip coupons. I own three pairs of shoes. I am not ignorant to the fact that, according to statistics, self-published authors sell only 50 to 100 copies of their book. The royalties from such sales wouldn’t even approach my outof-pocket. There would be no advance, no guarantees, and no assurance that my book would fare better.

LEFT: The book jacket of Belly Button Blues. RIGHT: The author as a girl in braids.

Well… the book is a “labor of love.” I might justify, but that expression, to a writer, is so cliché. I can think of no other words, nonetheless, to describe my motive. The 44 interconnected essays that relate the events of one wondrous summer of my childhood are so dear to me that I was willing to write out that check. I was also prepared to stoop to what misinformed folks consider the dishonor of becoming a self-published author. Such discrediting claims, however, cease to be valid.

June Darling, Ph.D., is an executive coach who consults with businesses and individuals to achieve goals and increase happiness. She can be reached at drjunedarling@aol.com, or drjunedarling.blogspot.com or at her twitter address: twitter.com/ drjunedarling. Her website is www. summitgroupresources.com. June 2012 | The Good Life

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The stigma of self-publication is eroding. Even best-selling authors are embarking on that route. They’re known in the book world as “indie writers,” an almost rebellious title. And now, I march amongst them. I have joined a publishing revolution where the author calls the shots, the author retains the rights, and the author pockets a bigger royalty… but only if their book sells. And most don’t. My childhood buddy, Fred Koenig, met for lunch last summer. All but forgetting the

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Blues book: From my fingers to Amazon.com }}} Continued from previous page food on our plates, we leaned across the restaurant table as we exchanged remembrances of our incredible childhood. Because competent adults neither had planned nor presided over our outings, we had the swaggering confidence and the run of the neighborhood that was the birthright of our generation. We engaged in every manner of mischief, took life-threatening risks, and never thought of consequences. Back then, the world was ours, we owned everything in it, and just about anything could be fixed with a Band-Aid and a thorough cleansing with diluted Lysol disinfectant cleaner. Fred encouraged me to write about our enlivening adventures, but, in fact, those stories had been perking in my mind for years.

It seemed like my mind had been taken over by an alien life form — an intelligent, wry, and funny little creature who was totally the opposite of me. As an adult, I had gained insight into the happenings of that period, but the book, I decided, would preserve the imaginings, fears, confusions and questionings of the precocious nine-yearold Teresa who had a limited understanding of life and relationships. By means of email, I enlisted the aid of siblings and old playmates, entreating them for their remembrances. With their help, I scribbled out lists of the folks who had lived on Jennings Road: n Leo, handyman and moonshine distiller, dispatched outrageous and appalling newsflashes. n The gone-astray garb beneath Opal’s dress was just the beginning of her fashion blunders. n Emmett, an aged, wrecked relic, was fond of solitude, strong drink and scratchy whiskers. n Violet divulged details about her dates and the wily ways of young men. n The mysterious Basil had joined the Navy, joined the circus, or joined a religious order. n Whether it was a solitary shoe, a broken toaster, or a pan of burnt brownies, if Gram didn’t know where to put it, it got tossed into her back bedroom. n Mr. Cannon watched over the pint-sized patrons of

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his store as they assessed the mouth-watering merits of each lowly sweet that would set them back only one cent. n Virgie kept a loaded gun hidden beneath her apron to keep the Friday night poker players in line. n Mark and Kenny’s wondrous creations were fantastic feats of architecture with trapdoors, windows that shuttered closed, and rooftop balconies with incredible views. n Unlike the other mothers, Winnie would bust out laughing when a child dared to act wayward, wicked, or unwise. One memory brought forth another. The stories spilled out of my fingers and onto the keyboard even before I’d plotted out the storyline. It seemed like my mind had been taken over by an alien life form — an intelligent, wry and funny little creature who was totally the opposite of me. That is not to say, however, that the writing was easy. I agonized and rearranged until the nuance of each sentence and paragraph was just right — an arduous, and sometimes frustrating, process. A good writer must be a good editor, I maintain — a perfectionist in love with words. With the essays completed and logically arranged, I gave thought to having them printed as a collection. But despite my credentials as a magazine writer, a publisher would hesitate to take me, an unknown author, aboard. Compared to a best-selling novelist, I am a business risk. Going the traditional publishing route could take years, and I wanted a book in hand yesterday. I typed “self-publishing” into an Internet search engine. Choosing a company that would fit my needs out of the hundreds of websites listed was a daunting task that took nearly a week.

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Many publishers “print on demand.” Whether it’s one book or 100, the paperbacks are produced with each individual order. The author isn’t required to buy 500 books up-front and hope to sell them. That option appealed to me. Representatives from these websites hovered over their phones, anxious to guide me through the publishing process and to sell me additional “packages.” Such extras include ghost writing, copyediting, interior and exterior design teams and marketing services. Given these options, even a novice writer can come out with a quality product if they’re willing to pay for it. CreateSpace, an Amazon.com company, was my final choice. I designed the layout for the cover and back cover of my book and snapped the photos. I laid out the book interior, chose the font and decided where the chapters should begin and end. I opted to pay a design team to format the book. The outlay almost made me hedge, but it made for a more professionallooking product. I’m a perfectionist, so that was important to me. As soon as I approved the setup, Belly Button Blues was listed on Amazon.com in paperback or Kindle-ready. My friends and family members purchased their copies, so I immediately met the selfpublisher’s quota of selling 50 books. It would be a lie if I said that’s good enough. I would like my book to be a commercial success. In the sometimes lonely and always solitary profession of writing, it’s validation that someone is listening to me. Belly Button Blues is available locally at Amanda’s Bookstore, Hastings, A Book for All Seasons in Leavenworth and Riverwalk Books in Chelan.

WHAT TO DO

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

Art on the Avenues, 6/1, 4:30 p.m. A brief dedication ceremony will be held to honor artists and supporters of the arts. The newest sculpture purchase by Art on the Avenues, Reemergence will be unveiled and a new plaque mounted on its base. Performing Arts Center on Wenatchee Avenue. Wenatchee First Fridays, 6/1, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Walk downtown for art, music, dining and entertainment. Downtown Wenatchee. 2 Rivers Art Gallery, 6/1, 5 – 8 p.m. Wine, refreshments and live music. 102 N Columbia, Wenatchee. Cost: free. Gallery 4 South, 6/1, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. Join us as we say “Thank you” to our customers and over 50 Northwest artists who have graced the gallery these last two years. Enjoy the art, conversation and refreshments during the June Wenatchee First Fridays ArtWalk. History of Baseball, 6/1, 5 p.m. The exhibit includes photos and baseball memorabilia from the museum collection and private collections. The displays will include the Wenatchee Chiefs and AppleSox as well as other Wenatchee/ Leavenworth area amateur teams throughout the years. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Info: wvmcc.org. Dancing Divas, 6/1, 6:30 p.m. It’s time to grab your girlfriends for a night out. Food, dancing, DJ, dancing, decorations, dancing and adult beverages. Local restaurants, local wines, photo shoots and door prizes. Put on your snappy shoes, your little black dress and dance the night away. Performing Arts Center. Cost: $25. Info: pacwen.org. Lone Star by Mission: Improv, 6/1, 7:30 p.m. 1971, out back of Angel’s bar in Maynard, Texas — Roy and Ray, brothers, spend most Friday nights drinking, re-telling stories of better times and howling at the moon. Roy’s pride and joy is a 1959 pink Thunderbird convertible. When his biggest hatred; walking social disaster Cletis T. Fullernoy — arrives on the scene, Roy’s world is turned upside down in a series of comical twists. Written by James McLure. Hurricane Lounge, 240 Wen. Ave. Cost: $12. Info: pacwen.org.

Book Signing, 6/1, 7 p.m. Jane Kirkpatrick, inspirational speaker and award-winner author, shares heartwarming stories. Leavenworth Library. She will be at A Book For All Seasons, 6/2, 1 p.m. Cruizin Chelan, 6/1 – 2. Classic and muscle cars, street rods and pickups. Stroll downtown, view the classic cars, participate in themed activities, enjoy free entertainment, view arts and artists in action, create crafts, talk with members of various community groups and savor tasty treats and meals. Downtown Chelan. Info: cruizinchelan. com.

hospital in which they reside. Hurricane Lounge, 240 Wen. Ave. Cost: $12. Info: pacwen.org. The Live for Adventure Race, 6/2, 1 p.m. A community adventure stage race with three stages. Cardio (bike), sports/games and, strength/agility (obstacle course). Participants can win money for any school club, sport or activity. Three-member teams race in the Wenatchee Apple Bowl. Kids and adults welcome. Seats for viewing and concessions available. Info: www.live4adventure.org.

VIP Dinner, 6/1, 5 p.m. Lecture followed by book signing. An evening with Dr. Andrew Bacevich with his book Re-Considering American Global Policy. Sleeping Lady Retreat Center. Info: 548-6344. Willow Weekend, 6/1-3. An opportunity to explore the wide range of techniques that are willow basketry. Join three willow instructors, each specializing in their own aspect of willow weaving, for a weekend filled with presentations and workshops. Entiat Grange. Cost: $50 per day plus materials. Info: nwbasketweavers.org. Bavarian Bike & Brew Festival, 6/2. IMBA sanctioned XC bike. Info: dasradhaus.com. Naturalist Hike at HORSE LAKE, 6/2, 8 a.m. – noon. Neal Hedges will lead an exploration of the habitats and wildlife of the Horse Lake Reserve. The property is home to many different reptiles, mammals, birds and plant species. Neal will lead the group on a search for species and offer insight on their behaviors and habitat. Info: cdlandtrust.org. The Village Musicians, 6/2, 5 p.m. Come listen to the voices of some talented young men from Yakima. They will make you get on your feet and dance the evening away. Vin du Lac of Chelan, 105 Hwy. 150. Info: vindulac.com. Leavenworth Wine Walk, 6/2, 1 – 7 p.m. Enjoy tasting local wines while strolling through shops, galleries and restaurants in downtown Leavenworth. Cost: $30 pp. Info: visitwashingtonfarms.com. Private Wars by Mission: Improv, 6/2, 7:30 p.m. Gately, Silvio and Natwick fight, drink, play pranks, discuss sex, underwear, poetry and life while they avoid returning to life outside of the VA June 2012 | The Good Life

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Red Devil Challenge, 6/3, 9 a.m. 20K trail run and relay. Devil’s Gulch trailhead in the Cascades just south of Cashmere, 3,000foot elevation gain on course. Info: runwenatchee.com. Underground Blues Jam, 6/4, 7:30 p.m. Every first Monday of the month. 10 Below, 29 N Columbia St. side B. Info: Joe Guimond 6644077. Improv/Acting Workshop, 6/5, 7 p.m. Every Tuesday night with

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WHAT TO DO

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

}}} Continued from previous page theater games for novice and experienced players. Fun, causal and free. Riverside Playhouse. Info: mtow.org. Tunnel Hill Vineyard Tour, 6/5 and every Tuesday through September. Guided tour of the vineyards with breathtaking lake views. Wine 101 seminar every Tuesday

also. Info: tunnelhillwinery.com. Geology Trip, 6/5, 7:45 a.m. Geologist Brent Cunderla will point out evidence of the glacial history of the Lake Chelan area: ice lobes, moraines, melt water channels, erratics, terrace levels, haystack rocks and more. The bus will travel up the west side of the Columbia to Navarre Coulee, Chelan and Manson, then return along the east side where features of the Ice Age Floods can be seen. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water and plan on purchasing lunch at a local winery.

Meet at Food Pavilion parking lot off Easy St. Cost: $20. Info: 8886240. Chelan Evening Farmer’s Market, 6/7 and every Thursday, 4 – 7 p.m. Expect tomatoes, peppers, herbs, plums, peaches, cherries, apples; the unexpected: hummus, goat cheese, lavender and other flowers, gooseberries, currants and wool. Entertainment too. Riverwalk Park, downtown Chelan. Info: lakechelan.com. Westside High School Open House, 6/7, 5:30 p.m. In addition to tours of the facility, one on one time with the faculty, and hot dogs and refreshments, attendees will receive free tickets to that night’s AppleSox baseball game in the adjoining ballpark. 1421 Ninth St. Wenatchee. Happy Hour Piano Jazz, 6/7 and every Thursday, 4 – 6 p.m. $5 a glass, cheese plates and winemaker Guy Evans playing jazz piano in the waterfall garden. Tunnel Hill Winery, 37 Hwy 97A Chelan. Info: tunnelhillwinery.com. Eric Burdon and the Animals, 6/8. Live music with Eric Burdon and the Animals with Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone. Deep Water Amphitheater, Manson. Echo Valley Mountain Bike Race, 6/9. The race will be held at the scenic and smooth flowing trails of Echo Ridge/Valley above beautiful Lake Chelan. Info: nwepicseries.com Birding at Horse Lake, 6/9, 6:30 a.m. – noon. Join master birders David and Beth St. George on a citizen science birding trip at Horse Lake Reserve. The group will look and listen for beautiful spring migrants like Lazuli Buntings who visit the Reserve each year, as well as year-round residents like Western Meadowlarks. Tallies will be collected and added to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology e-Bird database to help track the patterns of migrating birds. Info: cdlandtrust.org. Laura Love and Orville Johnson, 6/9, 7 p.m. Live music. River Haus in the Pines B&B. Cost: $25. Info: 548-9690 or riverhausinthepines.com. Apple Run Car Show, 6/9, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 6/10, 9 a.m. to noon. Any car or truck built before 1975 is eligible for entry. The registration fee includes a baron of beef dinner for two on Saturday. Giveaways: new Chevrolet 350 V-8 engine, 3 transmissions. Raffle: Traeger BBQ

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| June 2012

grill, Friday night cruise to Tom, Dick and Harry’s. Eastmont Parks & Recreation, East Wenatchee. Info: wenatcheevalleystreetrods.com Cusick Cup Doubles Tennis Tournament, 6/9-10. Entry fee $55 includes 5 match minimum, 4 meals and event t-shirt. Wenatchee Racquet & Athletic Club. Info: wrac. org. WA State Omnium Stage Race Championships, 6/9-10. The Criterium is traditionally held in downtown Wenatchee with spectators lining the streets to watch the racers feverishly speed around a 1 Kilometer/4 corner course that offers all kinds of thrills as the riders jockey for position. Info: bikewenatchee.org Bavarian Bike and Juice, 6/9, 9 a.m. The event includes kid’s bike races and clinics, BBQ lunch, fun family activities and 100 percent juice. Fun bike courses for ages 12 and under. Don’t forget, your bike, helmet, water bottle and your smile. Leavenworth Ski Hill. Tires on the Turf, 6/10, 11 a.m. Car show. Food available or bring a picnic lunch. Parties on the Green, Quincy. Info: partiesonthegreen. com. Cooking from Your Garden, 6/12, 5:30 p.m. Ivy Wild Inn. Cost: $40. Info: theivywildinn.com. Alzheimer’s Café, 6/12, 2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. Mountain Meadows Senior Living Campus hosts a cafe the second Tuesday of every month. This is a casual setting for folks with Alzheimer’s, Dementia, their loved ones and caregivers. Desserts and beverages will be served free of charge. Entertainment and activities for those wishing to participate. Meet new friends and share experiences. 320 Park Avenue, Leavenworth. Info: 548-4076. Leavenworth International Accordion Festival, 6/14 – 17. Celebrate accordion music from ethnic to jazz. Features performances in the Festhalle, Grange, and gazebo, competitions, workshops, jam sessions, and free accordion lessons. Info: accordioncelebration.org. The Tyee and Rat-Hatchery Fires, 6/14, 7 p.m. Photographer and biologist John Marshall and research ecologist Dr. Paul Hessburg will team up to present The Tyee and Rat-Hatchery Fires: Rare event or harbinger of things to come?

}}} Continued on page 38

The Art Life

// SKETCHES OF LOCAL ARTISTS

Gather At The River: Mountain Music and Marie Springtime. Profuse wild-

flowers, the Blewett slopes in full green and the sound of music in the air. Where but Marie Vecchio’s steep forested acres could you absorb fast fiddling in the sunlight, a lifetime of hard work, a love of music, a family of performers, a funky-comfy woodland home, and artistic promotional savvy all in the same golden morning? Marie’s a contented woman. She’s met her life goal of leaving the city to find a cabin in the woods (“That must have been a ’60s thing,” she said) and a husband who enjoys the same lifestyle. If she looks familiar, maybe it’s from seven years as a pinchhitting postmistress at Coopers Store up the Entiat River, or 10 years serving at McGlinns restaurant. That’s one public persona. Another is a happy amalgam of art and music. “My dad was a commercial artist… I’ve always done something with art.” Schooled in California in graphic design, she’s created posters, fliers, ads and websites. And more recently she turned to playing the violin (or in her hands, the fiddle, which takes a different bowing and fingering technique). “I had never played a musical instrument in my life… but I could always hear the melody in music. I picked up fiddle playing quickly. Then I started violin — classical stuff — but after a few lessons my teachers realized that I just naturally wanted to play bluegrass.” That realization came when

Marie Vecchio fiddles on the mountainside above her home: “I just naturally wanted to play bluegrass.”

she was 45. She became a devotee of music that celebrates the roots of America’s acoustic tradition, echoing from the hills and hollows of the mountain South. Soon, Marie’s promotional skill and her instrumental interest led her to 13 years of a leadership role in local bluegrass activities, the Cashmere Community Coffee House and its bigger-than-life offspring The Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival. As in any smooth running organization, it takes dozens of people months of hard “backstage” work to create a welcoming ambience, and Marie is graciously reluctant to steal even a tiny shaft of spotlight from them. June 2012 | The Good Life

Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival, 6/15-17. Chelan County Expo Center, Cashmere. Info: cashmerecoffeehouse.com.

Her director job (she jokes that she’s just “Queen of the Campground”) is supported by sound and music man Chuck Egner’s co-leadership, a working board of directors, and a cadre of long-time and ever-eager event planners. Wenatchee Valley bluegrass musicians strum and pick on banjos and fiddles and a smattering of other old time instruments year-round at the Riverside Center, but the culminating event that draws people from all over the Northwest is the festiwww.ncwgoodlife.com

val every third weekend in June at the county fairgrounds. The Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival keeps on growing — compare last year’s 225-plus campers to 30 in 2003, the inaugural year. But it stays relaxed and friendly, with a reunion vibe. All day long there’s music in the hall, on the lawn, wherever two or more are gathered together. It’s lively but serene. Toddlers are safe to roam, teens trade texting for Turkey in the Straw, and from campsites old-fashioned voices ring out lyrics high and loud. Here’s a snapshot Marie shared. “Two little boys about 10, headed across the lawn for a workshop, marching along, looking so earnest… each of them clutching an instrument. Every once in a while they’d spontaneously stop on the spot and suddenly play the most amazing tune, or part of one, and then turn around and rush to class again. They were fearless. Absolutely fearless.” Family and fellowship strongly connect these musicians — groups of friends have caravanned the summer festival circuit together, some for years. Big names in professional bluegrass (this year, Kenny and Amanda Smith, Runaway Train, the Callenders and others) come from afar, and are treated a little like royalty but mostly like part of the family. What makes Marie happiest, what makes the work and planning a pleasure, is the smiles. She recalled, “That very first year, people came up to me when they were leaving, big grins on their faces.. and just said ‘thank you for doing all this.’ That’s what makes it all worthwhile. Every time.” For information about the festival and coffee house events, visit www.cashmerecoffeehouse. com. — by Susan Lagsdin

WHAT TO DO

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

}}} Continued from previous page Paul will kick off the evening with a presentation that highlights key changes in the ecology of wildfires in eastern Washington. John will present his repeat photographic studies of the 1994 wildfires. Barn Beach Reserve, Leavenworth. Info: cdlandtrust.org. Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival, 6/15-17. Chelan County Expo Center, Cashmere. Info: cashmerecoffeehouse.com. Book Signing, 6/15, 7 p.m. Bestselling true-crime author Gregg Olsen shares his new novel: Envy. Leavenworth Library. Spring Swing Golf Tournament, 6/15, 9 a.m. A 4-person best ball Texas scramble plus multiple side games. Mulligans and strings may be purchased separately or in a super ticket. Raffles, card games and a putting contest. Colockum Ridge Golf Course, Quincy. Cost: $75. Info: 787-3531. Book Buzz, 6/16, 1 p.m. Authors Bernadette Pajer, Gregg Olsen, Kathy O’Brien and Billy Mays dazzle with electric mysteries, paranormal young adult, a journey through loss into love, and the true recollections of a cold war spy. A Book For All Seasons. Rotary Pike Minnow Derby, 6/16. Info: Mark Spurgeon 8849606. Farmer’s Market Community Day Event, 6/16, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. An opportunity for the public to meet many of the local non-profit groups, businesses and organizations that support our community making Wenatchee Valley the great place it is. Palouse and Columbia Streets. Cost: free. Info: 663-8712. Andrew York Lineman Rodeo, 6/16, 8 a.m. See the best power linemen in the Northwest and beyond compete on skill and safety. There are team and apprentice lineman events, plus free activities for the whole family. Walla Walla Point Park, Wenatchee. Proceeds support the Andrew York Memorial Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are active in preventing drug and alcohol abuse. Info: ayrodeo.com. Anything Goes, 6/16, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Melissa Miller Port and

the Fabulous Feet Dance Studio students aged three through adult will be performing tap, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, ballet and contemporary routines to music from all eras. Performing Arts Center. Cost: $16.50 adults, $13.50 seniors and students. Info: pacwen.org. Thompson 30 Race, 6/19, 9:30 a.m. This 30-mile club paddle begins on the Columbia River at Beebe Bridge and ends at Lincoln Rock State Park. There also will be a 10-mile mini-race with the start at Entiat and the finish at Lincoln Rock State Park. Info: bentsendj@ gmail.com. Geology 101, 6/19, 6 p.m. A twopart class on the geology of the Wenatchee River Valley and surrounding area. Kelsay Stanton will discuss the kinds of rocks found in the region as well as how plate tectonics shape what we see. A field trip is scheduled for 6/23. Info: cdlandtrust.org. Entiat Summerfest, 6/16, 9 a.m. A motorcycle rally is just one of many activities planned for the Entiat Summerfest, to be held at Entiat City Park. Arts and crafts booths, food vendors, a beer and wine garden, kids’ games, and boat rides as well. Entiat High School class reunions and a performance by the Wenatchee Youth Circus will follow. Info: 784-1500. Echo Valley 10k, half marathon, 50k and 50 mile Trail Run, 6/16. The courses will be well marked with streamers and arrows at intersections. Raffle prizes from sponsors, fully stocked aid stations along the way, music and a wide selection of post race grub at the finish to fuel you up. 1700 Cooper Gulch Rd, Chelan. Info: evergreentrailruns.com. Summer Rose Care Seminar, 6/16, 1 – 3 p.m. Bonnie Orr, Master Gardner, aka: Dirt Diva will present on the care of roses during the summer season. She will provide a demonstration of late season pruning and discuss insect, disease control and fertilizers. The rose garden will be in bloom for visitors to examine. Garden access is free and open to the public every day. WSU Master Gardener Community Education Garden Western and Springwater Streets, Wenatchee. Info: Debi Hamilton, Rose Garden Chairman 688-2417. Ride the Miniature Train, 6/1617, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. The little train in Riverfront Park runs on a figure-8 course of rails, bridges and trestles

| The Good Life

along the Columbia River. Cost: $3 adults, $2 kids. Info: wvmcc.org. The Art of Nature Journaling, 6/17-22. Discover and nourish the life-long joy of creating an illustrated nature journal. Drawing, painting, writing and field records will unleash the intrigue of the out-ofdoors. Each retreat is unique for the time of year, habitat explored and workshop classes offered. The retreat includes all meals, lodging, art and nature instruction, birding field trips, most art supplies and a musical concert to top it off. Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, 7409 Icicle Rd, Leavenworth. Info: icicle.org. Cascade Golf Classic, 6/18, 9 a.m. Enjoy a day of fun, food, competition and prizes. Dinner/awards banquet following game play. Leavenworth Golf Course. Info: foundation@cascademedicalcenter.org. Compassionate Friends, 6/18, 7 p.m. Meeting for anyone who has lost a child. Grace Lutheran Church, 1408 Washington St. Info: 6659987. Super Summer Adventures, 6/18, 9 a.m. – noon. Register your child for classes in art, science, cooking, music, photography and more. Six sessions run MondayThursday, 9 a.m. to noon, each offering several choices for different ages. Sessions begin June 18, June 25, July 9, July 16, July 23 and July 30. Children entering grades 1-7 may sign up for one class per session. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost: $70 per class. Info: wvmcc.org. The MOMologues, 6/21-23, 28-30

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| June 2012

& July 1, 7:30 p.m. A one-act play that follows four women through the first chapters of motherhood — attempts at conception, pregnancy, labor and delivery, and adjusting to life with a newborn. Riverside Playhouse. Info: 663-2787. Chippendale Dancers, 6/22. 7:30 p.m. Deepwater Amphitheater, Manson. WV Chamber of Commerce Golf Classic, 6/22, 11 a.m. Registration includes lunch, goodie bag, 18 holes of golf, shared cart, range balls, free admission to AppleSox game and dinner. Many prizes. Three Lakes Golf Course. Cost: $120 individual or $440 team of 4. Info: Wenatchee.org. Apple Ice Classic, 6/22 – 24. All day event featuring over 130 local and regional skaters. Town Toyota Center. Info: towntoyotacenter.com. Chelan Century Challenge, 6/23. The challenge consists of three loops, each between 30 miles and 40 miles in length, combining challenging hills with captivating scenery. Each loop has an elevation gain of more than 2,500 feet with all three loops totaling 8,600 vertical feet of elevation gain. Don Morse Park, Chelan. Info: centuryride.com. Chelan Cycle de Vine, 6/23, Don Morse Park, Chelan. The ride of 30 miles will visit a number of the area wineries that will host a ride Rest Stop. Info: cycledevine.com. Leavenworth International Dance Festival, 6/23-24. International Dance showcas-

WHAT TO DO

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

ing groups from throughout the Pacific Northwest and representing such countries as Croatia, Mexico, Hungary, Ireland and Leavenworth’s German Dance group. Front Street Gazebo, downtown Leavenworth. Info: leavenworthinternationaldancefestival.org. Jazz Concert on the Lawn, 6/23. Stormy Lodge Vacation Rentals, 13537 Entiat River Rd. Info: stormylodge.com. Founder’s Day, 6/23. The 34th Annual Founders’ Days celebration honors Cashmere’s founding families while packing the day with family events. Children’s events are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with L-Bow the Clown performing at noon. Arts and crafts fair, joined by food vendors, kicks off at 10 a.m. The annual ping-pong drop is at 5 p.m. Grand parade is at 7 p.m. Info: cashmerechamber.com. Deputy Saul Gallegos Memorial Run, 6/23, 8 a.m. 3K/5K walk or 5K/10K run. Proceeds benefit an education fund for slain Chelan County Deputy Saul Gallegos’ four sons. Singleton Park, Manson. Cost: $15. Info: 667-6848. Icicle Creek Summer Symphony on the Meadow, 6/24-31. An engaging, intensive and fun week designed for young musical artists looking for symphony and ensemble experience. Conductor, educator and artist Dr. Nikolas Caoile joins music director Dan Jackson, Kara Hunnicutt and a host of Pacific Northwest musical coaches. Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, 7409 Icicle Rd, Leavenworth. Info: icicle. org. The Lovin’ Spoonful, 6/27. 7:30 p.m. Live performance at Deep Water Amphitheater in Manson. Leavenworth Wine and Food Festival, 6/27, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Taste local wines paired with food prepared and presented by our local restaurants. Sample spirits distilled by local distillery. 20+ wineries and 10+ restaurants. Cooking demonstrations. Festhalle. Cost: $35. Info: 782-0708. Book Signing, 6/28, 7 p.m. Heather Barbieri presents a potent love story: The Cottage at Glass Beach. Wenatchee Library. On 6/29 Heather will be at the Leavenworth Library at 7 p.m. and 6/30, 1 p.m. at A Book For All Seasons.

The Art Life

// SKETCHES OF LOCAL ARTISTS

When the excuses ran out, Dennis became a writer “What do you do?”

If it weren’t for perceptive teachers, if life in the Northwest forests hadn’t involved a heap of really close calls, and if his software design team hadn’t recently dissolved, Lake Wenatchee resident Dennis Willard might have a different answer to that question. As it is, stacks of journals, project proposals and story starts, a steady work ethic and a respectably published first book all add up to his confident response: “I’m a writer.” Dennis always knew he was pretty good with words. English teachers through high school and college told him so. But a focus on music, a complex family life, and 27 years in the maze of a software corporation all conspired to keep writing on that metaphorical back burner that holds the dreams of many of us. A wildlife biology degree led Dennis as a youth straight into the U.S. Forest Service, followed by years as an independent forestry consultant. Working throughout Washington, Oregon and Idaho gave him a naturalist’s insight and appreciation, and fuel for hundreds of outdoor adventure stories. Dennis realized that telling tales with his friends around the campfire wasn’t enough. A few nonfiction magazine articles satisfied his storytelling need, but the themes and memories of a decade of woods work lingered. He’d kept journals of observations on the job, especially key moments when the power of nature collided with the will or June 2012 | The Good Life

To actually get his finished book in his hand was quite satisfying for Dennis Willard.

the sensibility of man. Then came some free time (job loss) that he considers a blessing. He said, “I finally had no more excuses not to write, so I did.” That desire to get it all down culminated in the September 2011 publication of a book based heavily on North Central Washington experiences, Working in the Northwest Woods. Being published in a statewide publication in sixth grade (and 50 years later placing in the 2012 Write On The River/Alcoa Writers Competition) have been bolstering brackets in Dennis’s writing life. But hefting his first published book was a high point. “Actually getting the book in my hand was so satisfying. I had finally done what I said I would do.” And now at 63 he’s moving on and up. Tentative talks with editors have encouraged him to develop a book analyzing corporate mismanagement strategies, and another book about an African friend’s deathwww.ncwgoodlife.com

defying escape from a warzone. Topics are no problem. “I have a list of projects that likely exceeds my years left on this earth,” said Dennis. Acutely aware of the dangers of talking about writing instead of actually writing, he’s honed a daily regimen: he starts right after dawn with fast zero drafting, which means no editing, no internal critic. Then he takes a break “to make myself civilized” (bath, food, clothes) and writes about four more hours. Often he’ll hit the draft in the evening, sometimes going until

midnight. “I can write continuously for 10 hours and look back and wonder where all that came from. There are so many ideas — sometimes I just have to step aside and let them flow.” A few far-flung writing friends are initial readers of completed pieces. That’s essential, but scary, and he admits to anxiety over how others will receive his work. “Writing groups teach a person to accept, and to use, honest criticism, but also to weigh it against your own gut feelings,” he believes. Dennis initially fell in love with this area climbing Castle Rock and exploring the Icicle, and bought his first getaway place on River Road near Lake Wenatchee in 1986. And now, with the luxury of time and choice, he’s using his days both here and in the family home in Everett to be what he always wanted to be when he grew up: A writer. — by Susan Lagsdin

column those were the days

rod molzahn

A time when wild game was abundant O

n a late August evening in 1812, Ross Cox, a clerk with the Pacific Fur Company, was fashioning a sleeping place along a dry pond bed somewhere between the Snake River and the Spokane River. He had been lost for nine days — without food, fire or weapons. As he lay down on his bed of rushes with a stone for his pillow, “A large rattlesnake coiled, with the head erect and the forked tongue extended … caught my eye immediately under the stone. I instantly retreated … but soon dispatched it with my stick. On examining the spot … a large cluster of them appeared under the stone, the whole of which I rooted out and destroyed.” The first accounts of native animals in the upper Columbia basin come from fur traders of the Pacific Fur Company and the Canadian North West Company who worked along the Columbia in the early 1800s. Rattlesnakes in large numbers were common along the river, according to Cox, for 400 miles above Celilo Falls. He recalled an encounter near the Walla Walla and Columbia confluence where more than 40 snakes, all beneath one rock, were shot. He claims, “There was scarcely a stone in this place which was not covered with them.” Wolves of great size and numbers roamed in packs across much of the territory. Cox refers to them as, “immense – sized … very large and daring and in great numbers.” Fur trader Alexander Ross recounts a story of white wolves killing Indian horses near the Okanogan River. He set traps around the carcass of a horse killed the previous night.

Two unidentified fishermen with display of fish in a photo taken around 1900. Photo from Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center #78-218-179

In the morning one trap was gone, one had a foreleg in it and the white wolf in the third trap was shot then weighed at 127 pounds. Large bands of coyotes – called prairie wolves by the traders – were also common. Cox describes a pack, “between 200 and 300 strong,” working together to surround and attack a large herd of horses. Spanish horses had migrated to the Columbia Plateau about 1730 and by 1800 significant wild herds roamed the plains. Cox recalls herds of a thousand and more and Alexander Ross describes, “the plains … literally covered with horses, of which there could not have been less than 4,000 in sight of the camp.” Herds of deer were common as well. Cox recounts “numbers of small deer” in the Okanogan and Ross wrote of the P’Squosa (Wenatchee) Indians hunt-

| The Good Life

ing deer from horseback and killing several one day at the Wenatchee/Columbia confluence in 1811. Sixty years later Okanogan pioneer, “Dutch Jake” Neiderauer told of deer everywhere, “so tame they would not stir at the sound of a gun.” It was the promise of beaver pelts that had brought the fur hunters to the Columbia territory. Beaver populations were impressive. Alexander Ross wrote that in April of 1812 the first winter harvest of beaver from the area around Fort Okanagon numbered 2,500 pelts. Harvests were even larger in following years. The number of beaver skins shipped to China from Astoria, though huge, is little compared to the number of salmon caught each year to sustain the Indians living along the Columbia and its tributaries. Ross observed that a single

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| June 2012

Columbian Indian with a spear could kill 100 salmon a day, each weighing from 15 to 40 pounds. D. C. Linsley, engineer and surveyor for the Northern Pacific Railroad, explored the Tumwater Canyon in 1870 and described, “Great quantities of salmon,” in the Wenatchee River. Twelve years later Frank Streamer visited a camp of 200 Indians at the forks of the Icicle and Wenatchee rivers where he saw as many as a thousand salmon drying on racks. The Indians relied on wild game as well. Gabrielle Franchere, another early trader, listed the indigenous game along the Columbia and included elk, deer, black, brown and grizzly bear, wolf, panther, catamount, mink and fisher. For birds he added, “The eagle, turkey buzzard, hawk, pelican, heron, gull, cormorant, crane, swan, pigeon, woodcock, pheasant and a great variety of wild ducks and geese.” D.C. Linsley noted sage hens and blue grouse in large numbers and “Dutch Jake” remembered grouse in the Okanogan, “so thick they could be killed with stones.” Bears were regularly hunted by Indians. Cox wrote that bears “are found in considerable numbers in the vicinity of the woods and lakes.” Ross describes a large gathering of Indians in the Kittitas Valley in 1814 that included, “chained bears, tied wolves, grunting and growling; all pellmell among the tents…” Mountain goats and bighorned sheep are mentioned by all the fur hunters and in 1891

... goats were everywhere on the cliffs â&#x20AC;Ś and that men would shoot them from rowboats. N.W. Durham, steaming up Lake Chelan, wrote that bands of a hundred or more goats were everywhere on the cliffs â&#x20AC;Ś and that men would shoot them from rowboats. The lake was also rich with Dolly Varden and Cutthroat trout that supported a com-

mercial fishing industry in the 1890s. Local people claimed the lake could never be fished out. They also believed, as did the Indians, that the wild game was inexhaustible, that the land would always be filled with deer and elk, bears, mountain goats and sheep, beaver and wolves and that every summer the rivers would fill with salmon. 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.

An unidentified man and his dog with a bear killed in hunt, around 1900. Photo from Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center #85-0-245

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John Hunter (509) 699-0123 Lianne Taylor (509) 669-6556 June 2012 | The Good Life

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column TWEETS FROM THE BUSH

Birds nest in for June F

or many of us, June is a month for travel plans. We search MapQuest, clean the camper and figure out our gas budget for summer vacations to see family, friends, and great attractions. Conversely, our feathered friends are content to settle in, stay close to home, and not travel in June. It is a time to build nests, lay eggs and raise young with voracious appetites. These domestic responsibilities, which birds are so very good at, provide many wonderful bird watching opportunities in and around the Wenatchee Valley in June. Many species (more than any other month) can be viewed building nests, collecting food, feeding young and protecting those young. Canada Geese, which hatched eggs in April, are now protecting fledgling goslings, that canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite fly yet. They can be seen in virtually every waterway and park up and down the Columbia River corridor. Ospreys, an exclusively fish

MATT RADFORD

eating raptor, are sitting on nests and raising young on top of several of our Wenatchee Valley bridges. One of the more easily viewed nests is on the black bridge, on the south end of the loop. The Turkey Vulture, another common resident is a scavenger and feeds almost exclusively on carrion. To find food to take back to the nest it uses its keen eyes and sense of smell, flying low enough to detect the gasses produced by the beginnings of the process of decay in dead animals. Want to see a turkey vulture? Look overhead on a warm day. You might see one floating overhead looking for carrion. In June, take time like I do to observe our feathered friends in and around the Wenatchee Valley. Their many entertaining activities will make you glad you did. Matt Radford is the owner of Mad Rooster Photography and Marketing and lives in East Wenatchee with his three children.

Turkey Vulture in the tree: Looking for something dead to eat.

Wanted: Your favorite pet photos Pet Pix is a new feature beginning in the July issue of The Good Life. Readers can submit a favorite photo of themselves with their pets... and share in a sentence or two what makes their pet special. 42

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Send photos of pet and owner to: editor@ncwgoodlife.com Remember to tell us something fun about your pet!

| June 2012

Services include programs to assist Seniors, Disabled Adults and Family Caregivers