July 2020 The Good Life by The Good Life

COUNTING WILDFLOWERS ON MOUNT RAINIER HIKE

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July 2020

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Contents

During these challenging times, caring for our loved ones takes on a new meaning.

Epledalen is here.

page 20

Caden Stockwell: driven to excel

Chuck and Barb Dronen

Features

Administrators

8 harnessing the wind

A “Let’s do this someday” idea turns into an awe-inspiring tour of a massive wind farm

12 sailing during the time of covid-19

First, they abandoned their dream of traversing the Panama Canal, then it was all they could do to stay ahead of the pandemic

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15 counting the wildflowers

Could outdoorsman-extraordinaire Andy Dappen slow down enough to appreciate the flowers on a hike at Mount Rainier?

18 not so secret lives of bees

It’s an activity that the entire family ... umm... gets a buzz over

20 this athletic life: caden stockwell

“Every race is a challenge because everyone has that hunger to win”

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22 a reluctant pickleball champion

Ex-Chelan tennis champion once said: “There’s no way I’m going to play that rinky-dink, backyard sport’

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24 PROJECT HOUSE

Health Alliance Northwest, six years and counting.

Buyers were looking for something easy... but instead they found a house they loved that needed lots of loving work

30 living history: jim loudon

Remembering how it was 70-plus years ago at a small apple orchard Columns & Departments 6 A bird in the lens: 2 Doves of a different coloration 27 Pet Tales: Baby and Koda 28 June Darling: Use gentle words during a crisis 29 Traveling doctor: It’s healthy to talk with strangers 30 Living history: Remembering a long-past apple industry 31 Calendar & a Dan McConnell cartoon 32 History: The Southside, a little piece of paradise 34 That’s life: Men, women, marriage and COVID-19 July 2020 | The Good Life

Call today to learn how you can enroll in Health Alliance Northwest 1-877-561-1463 (TTY 711) Daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time Voicemail used on holidays and weekends, Apr. 1–Sept. 30 Health Alliance Northwest is a Medicare Advantage Organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Health Alliance Northwest depends on contract renewal. Other pharmacy/providers are available in our network. Health Alliance complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. Spanish: ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, servicios de asistencia lingüística, de forma gratuita, están disponibles para usted. Llame 1-800-965-4022 (TTY: 711). Chinese: 注意：如果你講中文，語言協助服務，免費的，都可以給你。呼叫 1-800-965-4022 (TTY: 711). MDMK-genad20WAC-1019 • H3471_20_82518_M

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OPENING SHOT

Year 14, Number 7 July 2020 The Good Life is published by NCW Good Life, LLC, dba The Good Life 1107 East Denny Way, Apt. B-7 Seattle, WA 98122 PHONE: (509) 888-6527 EMAIL: editor@ncwgoodlife.com sales@ncwgoodlife.com ONLINE: www.ncwgoodlife.com FACEBOOK: https://www. facebook.com/NCWGoodLife Editor/Publisher, Mike Cassidy Contributors, Phil Roddy, Linda Reid, Ken Reid, Sharon Podlich, Andy Dappen, Sebastian Moraga, Michelle McNiel, Sarah Shaffer, Jaana Hatton, Jim Loudon, Jim Brigleb, Bruce McCammon, Donna Cassidy, Jim Brown, June Darling, Dan McConnell and Rod Molzahn Advertising: Lianne Taylor Bookkeeping and circulation, Donna Cassidy Proofing, Dianne Cornell Ad design, Linda Day TO SUBSCRIBE: For $25, ($30 out of state address) you can have 12 issues of The Good Life mailed to you or a friend. Send payment to: The Good Life subscription services 1107 East Denny Way, Apt. B-7 Seattle, WA 98122 For circulation questions, email: donna@ncwgoodlife.com EVENTS: donna@ncwgoodlife.com BUY A COPY of The Good Life at Safeway stores, Mike’s Meats at Pybus, Martin’s Market Place (Cashmere) and Dan’s Food Market (Leavenworth) ADVERTISING: For information about advertising in The Good Life, contact Lianne Taylor at (509) 6696556 or lianne@ncwgoodlife.com WRITE FOR THE GOOD LIFE: We welcome articles about people from Chelan and Douglas counties. Send your idea to Mike Cassidy at editor@ncwgoodlife.com

One minute of brilliance C

helan resident Phil Roddy sent us this photo of a brilliant morning sky. “This was taken sitting in my

| The Good Life

hot tub at 5 a.m. before the sun comes up,” said Phil. “This is looking at Fourth of July Mountain on the north shore of Lake Chelan above Manson. “There’s about a one minute window before the sun comes over the mountain that these brilliant colors can be seen.”

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July 2020

On the cover

Chuck Podlich watches the dolphins playing in the bow wake of the Top Cider. Photo by Sharon Podlich.

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July 2020 | The Good Life

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column a bird in the lens

Two doves: One native, one an intruder By Bruce McCammon

e have two types of doves in north central Washington: Mourning Dove and Eurasian Collared Dove. I hope this article helps you keep them straight. The native Mourning Dove is one of the most commonly seen birds across the United States. It helps that they come to backyard bird feeders. They can be observed Bruce McCammon is retired, colorin most open blind and enjoys habitats photographing the including birds in north cenforests, farmtral Washington. lands and suburbs. They are frequently seen sitting on overhead wires or on the ground where they pick up seeds and rocks to aid with digestion. They may produce up to six broods of young each year, more than any other native bird species. They can also be long-lived. The oldest documented Mourning Dove was over 30 years old when it was killed. The Mourning Dove is a graybrown, medium-sized bird measuring about 12 inches in length. They have slender tails, small, rounded heads and a prominent white eye ring.

13 inches in length, they are slightly larger than the Mourning Dove. They also lack the black spots on their wings but substitute a black slash across the back of their necks. When Collared Doves take flight their tails show a flash of white but they lack the whistling sound the Mourning Dove makes. Collared Doves tend to fly upwards to a point and then glide down to perch. Their common call is much rougher and louder than the soft cooing of the Mourning Dove. Studies about competition between the two dove species are limited but the worry about Collared Doves replacing Mourning Doves has not been shown to be a credible concern. Time will tell. Keep your eyes on the overhead wires as you walk, hike or drive and you are likely to see Mourning Doves or Eurasian Collared Doves perched as inTwo similar doves: The one with the black stripe on the neck is the Eurasian Collared Dove and the one with the black spots on the wings is the Mourning Dove. dividuals or in small groups. The distinctive black spots on is its mournful cooing (https:// Look for the long, slender, their wings can be a key mark www.xeno-canto.org/species/ pointed tail and then scan for to help distinguish the MournZenaida-macroura). the black spots on the wings toing Dove from the non-native The non-native Eurasian Colward the back of the bird or the Eurasian Collared Dove. lared Dove has been rapidly adtelltale black stripe on the neck. When a Mourning Dove takes vancing across the United States A profile view will easily show flight, their wings make a dissince 1986. the curved head and a dark, tinctive, whistling sound. They The Collared Dove favors downward-curved beak. fly fast and in a straight line. areas that have been heavily If it is safe, stop and spend a Perhaps the most recognized influenced by humans so we see minute or two with them. Good signature of the Mourning Dove them in urban areas. Measuring luck.

| The Good Life

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July 2020

editor’s notes

MIKE CASSIDY

Seriously, this is no time to stop imagining Yes, we know there is some

serious stuff going on in the world. Even though many people are so “past it” when it comes to the coronavirus, the death toll worldwide keeps rising. In our own family, we have had a son laid off and a daughter furloughed then laid off due to the shutdown of businesses. Thankfully, neither are losing the roofs over their heads, or suffering food shortages, but we know many, many people are. And the Black Lives Matter movement has become so much more real with local marches. So, are we tone-deaf here at The Good Life by publishing stories of individual adventures of sailing or counting wildflowers or playing pickleball? In these all-so-serious times, can’t we be more serious, too? Well, we are not totally in la-la land. We have a full page ad on the inside back cover this issue from the Chelan-Douglas Health District about basic rules to follow as we reopen safely, and on page 11, Associate Administrator Carol McCormick of the CDHD writes about how that agency sprang into action when COVID-19 became real locally. Former Orondo apple grower Sharon Podlich writes this month about how sailing plans were detoured during a time of COVID-19 and Jim Brigleb has a humorous take on a situation many of us find ourselves in — spending a lot of time with our spouses. Still, our mission here at The Good Life is to take readers out of their ordinary world — to show them what “could be”

if they would just get off their couches. During this time when we are being actively encouraged to stay home in order to stay safe, we love to feed the imaginations of our readers. This is the serious business of The Good Life.

I think it’s clever to have a whimsical theme to add pizazz to a trip. I once read a story from a traveler who visited every piespeciality restaurant along her route. She spent months on the road, eating at one pie restaurant, talking to fellow diners to get recommendations for her next stop, and then traveling on. In one, she found an elderly bachelor farmer who claimed he had eaten a piece of pie for breakfast every day of his life. (Perhaps he took seriously the advice of: “You never know what the future holds, eat dessert first.”) Abiding by a theme allows the traveler to gain insights he wouldn’t get just by passing through. That’s exactly what happened with Andy Dappen, who is writing this month about a hike he and his wife took at Mount Rainier last August. Noticing the guidebook description of carpets of wildflowers, Andy saw a challenge — a theme — that could add to their enjoyment of putting one foot in front of another. Writes Andy, “For people like me who often walk as far or as fast as possible, this hike might be a lesson in slowing down to smell the flowers.” And so, just like that, Andy turned a hike into a journey of July 2020 | The Good Life

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Sold and erected by an independent locally owned builder. discovery. Find a theme to see differently the glories around you — and grab a piece of pie. Enjoy The Good Life. — Mike

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

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Harnessing the wind at Wild Horse

149 wind turbines are spaced out over 10,000 acres of shrub-steppe vegetation at the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility and Renewable Energy Center.

A long-held wish to visit the wind farm finally turns into a wind-chill reality Â

story By Linda Reid photos by ken reid

Something about those other-worldly

wind turbines that dot the landscape has always fascinated me. In our travels across Eastern Washington (and beyond), my husband Ken and I have always shared this preoccupation with wind farms whenever we see them, especially when they are turning in their hypnotizing rotations, like not-quite-synchronized, 3-winged, prehistoric birds. We watch them on the distant hillsides coming off the southwest side of Blewett Pass. We have encountered them in the Blue

The sustainable power of sun and wind. | The Good Life

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July 2020

Wind power old and new on display at Wild Horse Renewable Energy Visitor Center.

Wind turbine blade (129 feet long) “show and tell” with tour guide, Kristin.

The tour lasts for 60 minutes and every minute of it is interesting and educational — a field trip for all ages.

Mountains of southeast Washington where they are planted in the wheat lands, or in pastures where flocks of wild turkeys gather. The largest, most impressive cluster of wind turbines we have ever seen was in the California desert, coming into Palm Springs from the west. However, our favorite view of these modern windmills is from the Wild Horses Monument Scenic Viewpoint off westbound I-90 just east of the bridge across the Columbia at Vantage.

season, on Oct. 31. Happily, there was not even a charge for the tour, and no reservations were required. They did require that we wear closedtoe shoes and be able to walk on uneven terrain for about a half mile. It was strongly suggested that we dress for the weather since the wind-chill factor could be substantial in late October (which it was!). We began our visit at the Visitors’ Center where on a clear day you can enjoy the 360-degree panorama that includes views of

Whenever we stop at this viewpoint, we repeat the following dialog: Ken, “I would love to take a tour of that wind farm.” Linda, “We should do that sometime.” Ken, “I’m going to call and look into it.” Linda, “I know they give tours. Mary and Dan took one years ago.” Then we get back in the car and that is that. But last fall he actually called the Renewable Energy Center at Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility and we managed to get there for the last tour of the July 2020 | The Good Life

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Mount Rainier, Mount Adams, Mount Hood and the Columbia River Basin. It is also a great vantage point from which to see the 149 wind turbines carefully spaced out over 10,000 acres of shrub-steppe vegetation that comprises the Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility and Renewable Energy Center. The tour lasts for 60 minutes and every minute of it is interesting and educational — a field trip for all ages. Our guide, Kristin, was a very

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Harnessing the wind }}} Continued from previous page

“Late this afternoon I spent a most enjoyable 2 hours reading and absorbing the latest Good Life... I thought ‘What a fun and enjoyable magazine about the fascinating lives of our area’s residents...’ We all need this positive diversion in our live’s, especially now...” — Jim B.

knowledgeable intern from Central Washington University in Ellensburg who impressed us with her people skills, her scientific knowledge regarding wind energy technology, her passion for the sage-steppe and its flora and fauna, and her own personal connection to the land (she grew up riding horses there) and her respect for the traditions of the Native Americans who have lived on this land for centuries. Kristin made an enjoyable experience even more so. Our guided tour provided opportunities to explore the solar array (with its 2,723 panels), have a close-up look at a wind turbine blade (129 feet long, each weighing 7 tons), see a turbine generator and gear box, and look inside the base of an active wind turbine. (The towers are 221 feet high, weigh 104 tons, and are set in 32-foot-deep cement). Getting a first-hand look at how these elements are turned into electricity is awe-inspiring. The facility can generate up to 273 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to serve an average of 60,000 homes for a year. One of the most interesting things I learned was that electricity from the turbines can be produced with wind speeds as low as 9 mph. Full operating capacity is reached when the wind ranges between 28-56mph. If winds are at a constant 56 mph or more, the turbines must be shut down to prevent damage. This Puget Sound Energy facility came on-line in 2006 and expanded to what it is now in 2009. There are no further expansions planned. Altogether, there are 20 wind Got a good story to tell? email: editor@ncwgoodlife.com

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A highlight of the tour for Ken and Linda included a visit inside one of the wind turbines (ground floor only).

farms in the state with three of them belonging to PSE. Our state continues to be a leader in generating power from renewable resources. At the same time there are benefits to the surrounding communities such as job creation, lease incomes for landowners, and significant local tax revenue. Oct. 31 was a blustery day up on the ridge at Wild Horse, but that only enhanced our experience. Walking under these towering giants and listening to the rhythmic sound of their blades swooshing through the air made this place come alive for us. We were not just “blown away” by the ingenuity behind this wind energy but by the stark beauty that surrounded us. PSE has managed these 10,000 acres with careful stewardship making sure wildlife habitats are

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July 2020

well protected while allowing certain areas for recreational activities such as hiking, horseback riding and bird watching. Although the property opened for recreational use on the fifth of May this year, the Visitor Center and the guided tours will not re-start until the state reaches Phase 3 of the reopening criteria. When they do reopen, please do yourselves a favor and put this “field trip” on your “to do” list. We both give it a 5-star rating. For more information, or to book a tour (hopefully, later this summer), email wildhorse@pse.com or call (509) 964-7815. Linda and Ken live in East Wenatchee and enjoy the infinite possibilities for exploring their own backyard in NCW.

July 2020 | The Good Life

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Chuck and Sharon Podlich sail downwind on the Top Cider with the main sail out and the red spinnaker fully flying.

Sailing in the time of COVID-19 Editor’s note: In the March 2018 issue, Sharon Podlich wrote about how she and her husband, Chuck, retired from growing apples in Orondo, bought a 44-foot sailboat they named Top Cider, and went on a sailing adventure off of Baja, Mexico. They have continued sailing the past two winters.

By Sharon Podlich

Our 2019-2020 sailing

season definitely ended much

differently than we anticipated at our fall start. Last October, we arrived in Chiapas, Mexico, excited to travel the coast of Central America, arrive in Panama in the spring and leave our boat there for the summer. We would return next fall and traverse the Panama Canal to start exploring the Caribbean. The first portion of our travels went as predicted. We enjoyed stops in Bahia del Sol, El Salvador, and Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua. We had a great inland tour

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of El Salvador and Guatemala. We arrived in Costa Rica and spent time in the northern region until returning to our home in Orondo for the holidays. We returned to our 44-foot sailboat, Top Cider, in late January and began our journey southward. By early February we realized we were not enjoying our travels. We recognized that something was just not right. But what? Several cockpit discussions later, we realized the goal we had been espousing for the last

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July 2020

three years — crossing through the Panama Canal — was not really what we wanted to do. Somehow, this item on our bucket list was not really ours. As we continued exploring the Costa Rican coast, we wrestled with our feelings about changing our stated goal. Eventually, we created a plan of how far south we would go and where we really wanted to end our season — back in Mexico. We contacted friends who were scheduled to join us on the

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Why two retired apple growers sail By Sharon Podlich

I grew up in northern Vermont.

Spent lots of time on lovely lakes, but never sailed. I like relaxed journeys. I resemble the description a friend once gave of his wife — “Jane likes sailing when there is no wind.” My husband, Chuck, grew up on the Chesapeake Bay and started sailing at age eight. He spent much of his youth racing small sailboats. He calls out sail trimming instructions to me while tinkering on his project de jour. He thinks high winds, full sails, heeled 20 or more degrees is our boat’s sweet spot. What drives the two of us to live and travel on a 44-foot sailboat for part of the year? The list is quite long. A day of sailing can include so many events. Typically, I start my day in the cockpit with a cup of tea — one of my favorite times. I watch the happenings in our anchorage. What is on shore? Are there other boats anchored nearby? Who is out and about on land or vessel? When Chuck joins me, we may plan for the day, if so motivated. Some days we kayak or snorkel to explore our new “digs.” Planning to sail involves checking the weather and wind apps, calculating the distance to our destination, and figuring the best time to pull the anchor. Once out of the anchorage, we will raise the best sails for the wind speeds and direction and get into the rhythm of cutting through the waves and keeping everything adjusted for optimum speed. Strong winds will have my hus-

Sailing with friends from Chelan: “A major factor in our enjoyment of this lifestyle is having friends and family visit to share these fun experiences,” said Sharon Podlich.

band “yee haaing” at the wheel and me white knuckle gripping a hand hold, while some item or two we forgot to stow flies across the salon below. Sailing weather like this rarely brings out the marine life. We will get where we are going quickly or even in “record time.” After heavy sailing days, we are pleased with our well-built boat. Today the water is truly azure. The white caps are small, which indicates that the wind is blowing a steady 15-18 knots. Sailing speed of 6-7 knots, a fair fuel harvest for this tack. Heeled at about 10 degrees. This is my kind of sailing. In these conditions, I am often at the helm. These are the days the sea creatures come out to play. Up head I notice a spurt of water — whales. I stay our course as they cross ahead of us, then breach 150 yards to our starboard. An hour or so later, I hear breathing alongside us. A pod of dolphins is playing in our bow July 2020 | The Good Life

wake. Sunlight flashes off shiny orbs on both sides of us. We have met a herd of turtles. That seagull who looks like he walks on water is hitching a ride. I like to arrive at an anchorage early enough to enjoy a margarita in the cockpit and watch the sunset. Mexican sunsets are stunning. A secondary treat is the 360 www.ncwgoodlife.com

degrees of pink that will follow a few moments after the sun has sunk into the sea. A little dinner and it is almost time for the rays to start flying out of the water, thinking they are birds before they splat back to the surface. What a sweet day it has been for two retired apple growers out at sea.

Sailing in the time of COVID-19

Beaches were closed and patrolled by armed guards.

}}} Continued from page 12 sail to Panama and informed them we would be heading north instead. They were game. They came aboard in Quepos, Costa Rica and 12 days later they got off at Playas del Coco, Costa Rica. In between we day sailed to anchorages, hiked to freshwater falls, visited small towns, saw monkeys, breaching whales and met some friendly, interesting Ticos (friendly slang for Costa Ricans). Meanwhile, back in the US and countries around the world COVID-19 was starting to make its presence and potential devastation known. With our Costa Rica visa ending we needed to exit. There was no COVID in Central America at that point. We decided to return to Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua and spend a few days at this small, charming marina in an estuary. That also allowed us to reconnect with our friend, Laurin Dodd the captain of Second Wind, who had been there for over a month, working on getting a sail repaired and awaiting parts for necessary engine maintenance. We joined him for a tour of some inland sights. And what are the odds, but we ended up at a BnB on an island in Lake Nicaragua with an owner who had just returned from visiting family in Italy. COVID was getting closer. By the time we returned to the marina, Panama, Guatemala and El Salvador had closed and Costa Rica was threatening to. Communication with the marina in Chiapas, Mexico indicated they would welcome us with open arms. We decided to go for it and arrived three days and two nights later.

Sharon and Chuck had plans of traversing the Panama Canal (lower right), but decided instead to sail north from Costa Rica, and after stops along the way, eventually reached the tip of Baja California.

Worldwide things were worsening, and Washington was a hotspot. A round of phone calls with our daughters resulted with the consensus we were better to stay aboard our boat and not fly home through Seattle at that time. We would wait a month or so and assess the situation then. So, should we stay in hot Chiapas for the next month and leave the boat there for the summer as originally planned? Or sail 1,500 miles north into the Sea of Cortez where we could optimistically start a great adventure in the 2020-2021 season? Well, we are a sailboat — so off we went. Once there, we stayed in a couple of anchorages, but people who went into the marina learned the government had sent a notice stating if a boat goes into a marina they would not be allowed to leave. Confusion ran rampant on the various Facebook pages for cruisers in Mexico. Nobody, foreigner or national, was supposed to be out recreational boating. Beaches were closed and patrolled by armed guards. Restaurants closed, though some offered take out. All this started just before the Easter week, one of Mexico’s biggest tourist seasons of the year,

| The Good Life

when most of the population crowds the beaches. It was eerie to see places that had been filled with swimmers, sunbathers and happy sounds at this time last year now empty, with only rows of fishing boats in the sand. Remote villages in the northern portions of the Sea of Cortez asked that cruisers not come this year fearing that, as often the last in the supply chain, they would not have enough to provide for their citizens and share with visitors. We made it to Acapulco where we went ashore to Walmart. We wore the masks I made from a pillowcase and scraps of upholstery fabric, sewn with red thread. It is what I had on board. Thankfully, I had brought a sewing machine this season. We walked there but took a taxi back. We declined several taxis that already had one or two people in them. Our next boating stop was Zihuantanejo where we waited almost two weeks for some southerly winds or at least light winds from the north, so we did not have to bash through the waves to our next destination. In Ziahua, we ordered parts for our water maker and received them — in 50 hours from San Diego. Here they only allowed one person per boat ashore and

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July 2020

only one in a taxi at a time. On the way to Banderas Bay (Puerto Vallarta), we ordered parts for our dinghy motor to be delivered to the sail maker, who also agreed to repair our sail while we were there. We left Banderas Bay on a straight course to Puerto Escondido, on the Baja Sur. That allowed us one anchorage stop at Isla Isabel. The rest of the way we were far from shore and continued non-stop for 72 hours. We only raised the sails for 12 of those hours, the rest we motored. We never had the right winds for our repaired sail. We dropped anchor in a neighboring bay in the moonlight at 2:30 a.m. When we woke up, there was the email informing us our May 9 flight back to Washington was canceled. Luck was with us and we were able to arrange a flight out of Cabo San Lucas also on May 9. The wife of the fellow caretaking our boat drove us the six hours south to the airport. Our flight had only 30 people, one dog and our cat aboard. We are glad to be home, near our daughters’ families and look forward to sharing more time with them as we maneuver the stay at home-social distancing experience on land. Things we reflect on about this season are how far we traveled — over 2,500 miles — how many more overnight sails we did as a twosome than previously and how long we were onboard without going ashore. Overall being socially distant or self-isolated on a sailboat was not too difficult for us. We are incredibly grateful that we could jump off our boat to swim or kayak in an anchorage and that we were able to get provisions.

Generalists just call this Indian paintbrush. Botanists would have a more specific name because at different elevations and in different soil types, there are different species of paintbrush.

Yellow mountain monkeyflower, the minority monkeyflower seen during Andy’s hike.

The Fryingpan Fifty How many wildflowers can be seen on a stroll at Mount Rainier? Let’s count among a rainbow of colors

by Andy Dappen

t’s known as one of Mt. Rainier’s most spectacular hikes. Some love it for the inyour-face views of The Mountain, others for the diversity of terrain visited as you gradually climb from lush old-growth into barren lands above timberline. The description of wildflowers, however, catches my attention. The hike along Fryingpan Creek to the old stone structure at Summerland and beyond to the high pass at Panhandle Gap is described as a walk through a carpet of wildflowers or a stroll through a rainbow of colors. For people like me who often walk as far or

A sweet flower (Jan Dappen) on the trail returning from Panhandle Gap. In the background, the biggest flower of them all (Mount Rainier) displays her white bloom.

as fast as possible, this hike might be a lesson in slowing down to smell the flowers. Rather than racing through the area, my wife and I decide we will amble up to Panhandle Gap identifying wildflowers. In fact, finding 50 different wildflowers has such a nice ring to it that this becomes our quest. On a day in mid-August last year when the wildflowers are exploding in the high-country, we go in search of the Fryingpan 50. The initial two miles through old-growth forests of Douglas firs, cedars and hemlocks July 2020 | The Good Life

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are dark. Relatively little light hits the forest floor and the understory is sparse. Among the dead logs and duff are the green leaves of Western trillium, queen’s cup, Canadian dogwood, vanilla leaf and pathfinder. All of these plants have bloomed earlier in the summer so we cannot claim them as flowers. But identifying flora without flowers takes even more knowledge of the plant, so I give us a half-point for each of these finds.

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Cliff paintbrush: A short form of Indian paintbrush found at higher elevation and in rocky soil.

Elephantheads, a type of snapdragon. Look at this Mountain sorrel, often found above timberline and flower closely and you’ll think you’re being charged among rubbles of rock, the spike of this plant is by a herd of pink elephants. covered with tiny, scaly flowers.

The Fryingpan Fifty

Suddenly the ground is painted with all manners of colorful spots. Moments ago we thought finding 50 flowers might prove impossible; now we’re thinking this will be simple. }}} Continued from previous page We stroll up the trail letting our eyes take In the dark forest, we do see twinflower in the colorful splotches of Cascade asters and false Solomon seal blooming. We and subalpine lupines (purple), broadleaf also use our guide, Wildflowers of Mount arnicas (yellow), fireweed (magenta), cliff Rainier, to identify three bloomers that are paintbrush (orange), Sitka valerian and new to us — a diminutive saxifrage named bistort (white), tall bluebells, and crimson foamflower, an orchid with a rattle-like head Columbines. named rattlesnake plantain, and a heath We soon realize that while these fields are family member that is oddly lopsided named profuse in the number of flowers produced, one-sided wintergreen. the same suspects are blooming over and Along the way, my wife and I pass several over. The diversity of species is actually streams where abundant light and water cre- small. ate good growing conditions. We slow down I wander off-trail looking for hidden specito examine the crop here. mens. Soon two hikers pass nearby on the We claim two extremely similar flowers trail. belonging to the composite family that have The competitive side of me kicks in — I unique leaves and very different properties don’t like any hikers, much less ancient ones — the cow’s parsnip is edible while the water like those two, passing me. hemlock is poisonous. I take a deep breath. The quest today is We see other old friends that are common to focus on the details of the landscape throughout the Cascades: thimbleberry and rather than its broad strokes. I go back to salmonberry from the rose family, pearly my search and the due diligence pays off — I everlasting and edible thistle from the com- find a cluster of sickletop louseworts and posite (daisy) family, and Devil’s Club from some lonely harebells hiding in plain sight. the evil family. I return to the trail and we keep walking. At the 5,400-foot level, the trail crosses While concentrating on upping our flower Fryingpan Creek on a log bridge and wanaccount we hardly notice how steadily the ders onto more open slopes. trail climbs.

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We pass some shrubbery — a mixture of mountain ash, currants, white rhododendrons, and rosy spirea; then we are high enough to encounter pink mountain heathers, Western anemones, false hellebores, magenta paintbrushes and bog mountain gentians. About 4.5 miles into our walk and just above the stone structure built by the CCC at Summerland, the trail enters an open bowl where multiple streams cascade downward. Lining each of these streams are millions upon millions of magenta flowers — Lewis monkeyflower. Interestingly, the odd yellow mountain monkeyflower blooms as well but it is certainly the minority monkeyflower here. Along other streams in the Cascades we’ve seen the opposite — places where yellow mountain monkeyflowers flourish and only the odd magenta monkeyflower grows. What mechanism causes one or the other of these varieties to dominate? The other bloom heavily punctuating the realm of the monkeyflowers is coiled-beak lousewort. I discover these spikes of creamcolored snapdragons provide a shapely and colorful foreground for photographing Mount Rainier in the background. The trail continues climbing above this flowerful bowl and pierces timberline. Before we know it we’re zig-zagging through acres of stones laid down by lava

July 2020

Is this bracted lousewort (pedicularis bracteosa) or coiled-beak lousewort (pedicularis contorta)? After careful study Andy was confident (like, 60 percent sure) it’s the latter.

flows of old. Looking uphill we see colonies of plants peppering the boulder fields but we’re worried these barren lands will leave us wanting. Our list is still at least a dozen species shy of our goal. We climb on and stumble into a cluster of white mountain heather, sporting a distinctly different flower and leaf than the pink mountain heather seen earlier. We’re also seeing cat parts around us — Alpine pussytoes and pussypaws but unfortunately no cat’s ears. As we walk on we note that while the

This cluster of Cascade asters was found in the clearings of the subalpine zone. Also seen was its cousin, the Alpine aster, above the timberline.

amount of vegetation in these rocky, sandy, wind-blasted soils may be sparse, the diversity of flowers found here is greater than down below. We happen upon Alpine golden daisies, small-flowered penstemons, elephantheads, Alpine asters, Elmera, smooth-stem willow herb, Davidson’s penstemons, Alpine lupines, sprawling cinquefoil, Cusick’s Veronica, partridge foot, goldenrod, yarrow, shortbeaked agoseris and spreading phlox. By the time we reach Panhandle Gap we are a few flowers over the top. We cross the

pass and take a seat on the southern slopes to lunch. At the 6,800-foot elevation of Mount Rainier these south-facing slopes are lusher and more hospitable than the northern slopes we just ascended. I start scanning the slopes around us for new flowers, but my eyes are drawn to the dots of blueberries. I pick a few. “These are symbolic,” I say offering them to my wife. “How so?” she asks. “The fruit of knowing flowers is sweet.”

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The not-so-secret lives of bees Story By Sebastian Moraga photos by michelle mcniel

Blame it on Mexico.

Back in 1999, during a retreat in a Benedictine abbey in Mexico, East Wenatchee’s Michael McNiel’s duties included tending to the monastery’s bees, and he got stung. Not literally stung, that would come later, many, many times. Just stung with the idea of raising bees. He came back home and he did it for about 10 years in his East Wenatchee home alongside his wife, Michelle, starting around 2004. At one point, they had five hives, with about 50,000 bees per hive. They raised bees until about 2012, when their youngest daughter was about 2 years old. “I was just worn out,” Michael says of why he took a break from the bees. Now the 2-year-old is almost 10 and the bees are back, with the 10-year-old as a budding bee-whisperer. “Kayleigh has always really enjoyed it,” Michael said. She’s the youngest person in the house, but when it comes to bees, she’s old-school. Sometimes she goes to tend to the hive without a veil or anything. All that’s missing is a cigar dangling from her mouth, to help the smoke keep the bees away like the old-timers do it. She’s been stung, Michelle said of her youngest, but she remains fearless, which makes Michelle happy, although Michelle herself hasn’t been so lucky. Every sting has hurt worse than the time before. One time she couldn’t tell her knee from her ankle, it was all so swollen. So now she’s happy to remain in the

Kayleigh McNiel and her dad, Michael back in the early 2000s, learning the intricacies of beekeeping. Kayleigh is now 10 and a budding apiculturist in her own right.

background as the beekeepers’ photographer. As members of the Orthodox Church, each one of the McNiels has a patron saint. Kayleigh’s patron saint is Saint Abigail, who is of course the patron saint of beekeepers. “That was by accident,” Michael said. “We had no idea.” Living with and raising bees is a leap outside a person’s comfort zone, Michael said. When 250,000 bees surround you, you find out pretty quickly what you’re made of. The first time, that time in Mexico, Michael struggled quite a bit. “At first, it really is terrifying,” he said. “And that’s part of the attraction, conquering a certain aspect of you that’s completely rational and wanting to get away from it.” Getting started takes a couple hundred bucks for a starter box and some bees. A normal

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Ten-year-old Kayleigh McNiel, the youngest of the McNiels’ three children, has shown a remarkable aptitude for beekeeping. Her family refers to her as their “bee whisperer.”

package of bees is about three pounds’ worth of them, about 10,000 bees, Michael said. It’s a good idea to spend time

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July 2020

with bees and watch someone take care of them before you decide to try it yourself, Michelle said. And it’s not all about the

“At first, it really is terrifying. And that’s part of the attraction, conquering a certain aspect of you that’s completely rational and wanting to get away from it.”

Michael McNiel of East Wenatchee working with the bees in his yard. Next to him sits a drawing of St. Abigail he made. In McNiel’s faith, St. Abigail is the patron saint of beekeepers.

One of the beehives in Michael McNiel’s East Wenatchee home. Bees, McNiel says, are fascinating creatures with personalities, habits and quirks.

honey. When raising bees, the honey is a side benefit. The real plus happens in the day-to-day interaction between human and bee. Whether it’s when the McNiels’ church’s youth group comes over to harvest honey, or when Michael put marbles on a tarp and then put water on the tarp. The bees would come in, land on the marbles and drink. The tarp would get kind of green after a while, though, so now the

sprinklers do the pouring and the bees drink off the grass. Then, there’s the potty ritual. Bees don’t go potty at all during the winter’s coldest days, choosing instead to hold it in. Then, on the first day they get when the temperature hovers around 55 degrees, it’s like halftime at the Super Bowl. “They all fly out, take a dump and then fly back,” Michael said, while Michelle chuckled and quipped, “T-M-I!” July 2020 | The Good Life

“They are really cool to watch, and then there’s that factor of overcoming your own fear,” Michael said of the bees. “Learning to work with them in such a way that it’s kind of a partnership.” He then added, “I don’t know if they view it as a partnership, but I do.” And if you have a garden, well, you’ve just got yourself an army of eager pollinators. Just treat them well. Plant plenty of stuff and give them plenty of water so they don’t have to go wandering around and become nuisances at your neighbors’ birdbaths and swimming pools. Bees have defined personalities, they require attention and time, they communicate with one another, and they have a notorious caste system among themselves. There are queen bees, drones and worker bees. The drones’ job is to, um, get to know the queen bee, and eat honey. The worker bees’ job is to do everything else, and that includes kicking the drones’ freeloading selves out after they have mated with the queen. Take note, ladies. Not only do they have personwww.ncwgoodlife.com

alities, but they have moods, too, Michael said. When you approach a hive and the bees are in a bad mood, it’s best to walk away. “Just like with your wife,” Michael said, with Michelle chuckling next to him. Take note, gentlemen. Two other gentlemen have grown with the McNiels and their yellow-and-black hobby. Their two older children, Patrick and Calum. Having three children in a house surrounded by moody, armed bugs is not a challenge if you learn what irritates the bees and refrain from doing that, Michael said. Don’t stand in front of the hive, don’t throw things at it, and certainly don’t crash your tricycle in front of it. Patrick McNiel did that and one, single, irritated bee reminded him not to do that the only way it knew how, right between Patrick’s eyes. “He could have gotten really stung” by a bunch of irate bees, but it was only one, Michelle remembered. Now the kids are so comfortable that they once ate their breakfast cereal on the kitchen table, with a newly-purchased box carrying 10,000 bees or so doubling as a (very) temporary centerpiece. “They are family, man,” Michael said, later adding, “If you respect them, they will respect you.”

Caden Stockwell races through the streets of Old Ballard at Ballard Criterium, which consisted of laps around a closed circuit.

The Athletic Life

Caden Stockwell: ‘Every race is challenging because everyone has that hunger to win, not just you’ By Sarah Shaffer

I first met Caden Stockwell

when one of our WenatcheeOutdoors team members bought a road bike from him. We were coming back from skate skiing and Caden said he skate skis, too. I learned that Caden is a determined athlete who enjoys a variety of activities but his favorite is road biking. This guy doesn’t mess around when it comes to being competitive and driven. Whether it is mountain biking, skate skiing or road biking Caden brings his all to the table. He also cares a great deal about community and giving back, so I asked for an interview to learn more about this strong athlete. Question: Caden, please tell

us a bit about yourself, such as your hobbies and interests. Answer: I am a mechanical engineer, newly wed, and I inherited two cool dogs, a Frenchie and a Yorkie as part of the package. Outside of work, I love spending time with my wife, family and friends. I’m a go-getter as I enjoy spending my time being busy and productive. You’ll often find me out in the garage fixing things, out on my bike or hiking or climbing somewhere. My wife keeps me in check, and often reminds me to slow down and relax once in awhile. She balances me out and I’m thankful for that. I am a competitive athlete and my main focus is road racing, although I race cyclocross and mountain bike once in a while.

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Question: We have heard you started a type of competition for those of us who are unable to road race compete due to COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. Answer: This idea started as a grassroots effort between myself and a couple of other folks. We were wondering how we could combine our passion for cycling and integrate that into something that will not only challenge people, but give back to the community, all while maintaining social distancing guidelines. This was accomplished through using the app, Strava, which is a cycling/running application for athletes. We would create multiple segments, specify a day, and athletes would go out whenever

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they want during that day to complete the segments. We went out and bought gift cards from local businesses as prizes for the challenge. For our first event, we had 23 participants of all different ages and skills. Prizes were given out to top male/female, age groups, top 50+ master, top Clydesdale and laterne rough (last place). Our latest challenge took place over Apple Blossom weekend and we had 45 participants. Many stepped up and bought gift cards to go towards the prize pool. We have an amazing cycling community and this challenge enabled people to stay healthy, have fun and most importantly, support small local businesses all while practicing social distancing. We don’t have any plans to

further continue the Strava Challenge as people are pretty much over the whole staying at home deal and are starting to ride in group again. Question: With the COVID-19 restrictions easing, what’s the next big event you are looking at? And, what will be the challenge there for you? Answer: It is unknown right now when races will resume, but I am for sure racing the Tour de Bloom Omnium scheduled for Aug. 15 and 16. Without any definite races on the calendar, the challenge there will be how my fitness will compare to others and the training that they’ve been doing. It will be a very interesting race dynamic, because at that point in the season, people tend to be burnt out. For me, staying fresh mentally and not burning out now is the key to success that late in the season. Question: What is your favorite piece of road/gravel biking gear?  Answer: My favorite gear is my Specialized helmet with ANGi sensor, which provides live tracking, crash detecting, and safety beacon. It is cheap insurance that gives me and my wife peace of mind when I am out, knowing that she can track my ride and be notified in event of a crash. Question: What is the longest or biggest bike event you have done?  Answer: My longest one day ride was 207 miles, biggest climb in one day was a little over 10,000 feet. Longest race was 75 miles. Question: What race or outing has challenged you most?  Answer: Every race is challenging because everyone has that hunger to win, not just you. Every outing is as challenging as you want to make it. That is the beauty of cycling.

Caden and his wife, Kelly, take a moment for a photo at Colchuck Lake on top of Aasgard Pass.

Tour de Bloom is probably the most challenging, because I would love to win the overall some day. It consists of a Friday road race, Saturday time trial and criterium and a Sunday road race. You have to be very well rounded and have good team support and tactics to win the overall. Question: Why is biking your favorite activity?  Answer: I was born in Vietnam where the main modes of transportation are bicycles and moped. To the point, biking makes me happy and is a stress reliever. It’s freedom, travel, goal setting, achievement, challenge, friendship, health and adventure all in one. Biking has taken me to many incredible places and the people I have met through cycling have brought a passion and happiness to my life that is incredibly satisfying. July 2020 | The Good Life

Being driven, cycling has allowed me to pushed my limits both physically and mentally. Question: Before bike season, is there anything you do to prepare?  Answer: Building a solid base or foundation is the single most important thing you can do during the off-season. Base building is the foundation upon which everything else rests. During the winter months, I spend six to 10 hours a week on an indoor trainer building my aerobic endurance combined with strength training. I’ll then transition into higher intensity workouts late in the winter and then race specific workouts in the spring. There is a lot of planning and preparation that comes with racing, but I love that aspect of the sport. Question: How often do you work out, and what types of activities do you do other than www.ncwgoodlife.com

road biking? Answer: During the offseason I work out for six days a week with one rest day. I like to do anything active such as climbing, backpacking, kayaking, etc… I skate ski in the winter as part of cross training for race season. Spending hours on the trainer can be mentally tiring and skate skiing allows me to increase my fitness and enjoy the outdoors. Question: Favorite life quote?  Answer: “Faith Moves Mountains.” I have that quote engraved on my emergency band that I wear 24/7. Faith is what keeps me rooted and grounded in life. The full version of this story appears on Wenatcheeoutdoors.org — the site covers such topics as hiking, biking, climbing, paddling, trail running and skiing in the region. Sarah Shaffer is the Executive Director of WenatcheeOutdoors.

A reluctant pickleball champion Ex-Chelan resident once said: ‘There’s no way I’m going to play that rinkydink, backyard sport’

By Sebastian Moraga

ighteen years later, Tyson McGuffin still remembers. He was 12, and with his family’s athletic talent coursing through his veins, he used to sneak into the tennis courts of Darnell’s Resort in his old hometown of Chelan, and paddle a pickleball around, until the owner or the security staff would boot him out. The years that followed brought state appearances in wrestling and state titles in tennis, always representing the Chelan Goats. Now at 30, Tyson is writing another chapter in his sporting logbook, one that has him coming back to his hometown as host of an athletic camp next year, as part of his continued efforts to spread the gospel of his new passion: Pickleball. Where? At Darnell’s. “The owner still remembers me as a 12-year-old trying to sneak in,” Tyson said. Tyson, now living in Idaho, travels the nation competing as a professional pickleball player, having achieved extraordinary

Tyson McGuffin, the youngest of seven of a Chelan sports family, is now ranked among the five top pickleball players in the world.

heights. He’s ranked among the five top pickleball players in the world. Quite the feat for a guy who once felt way out of his element with a pickleball paddle in his hand. About five years ago, Tyson was working as a tennis pro in Yakima, and one of his clients blew out his shoulder and took up pickleball instead. Tyson says the man, then in his mid-60s bugged him nonstop to join him. “I was pretty consistent with my answer,

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‘There’s no way I’m going to play that rinkydink, backyard sport.’ Six months later, he relented and tried pickleball at an aging YMCA court with occupants to match. “Average age was like mid-60,” Tyson remembered. “I really didn’t like it off the bat, mostly because I was getting my (rear end) kicked by older folks.” He learned the game and kept playing, first in doubles, then in singles, then in a singles tournament, then winning a tourna-

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ment in Coeur d’Alene, then turning pro six months later. He finished second in his first pro tourney. By then, he was well on his way to falling in love with the sport and trading in his tennis rackets for carbon fiber paddles and the fuzz of the tennis balls for the plastic of the pickleballs. “The biggest hook for me was I still had the competitive fire to compete in tennis but I wasn’t getting the results that I wanted,” he said. “Having a whole new outlook in a different sport and knowing I could get better, and having success early on helped catapult me through the rankings.” The average tennis player takes about a year or two in finding his or her footing in pickleball. The fact that it took Tyson much less also helped with the transition. He hasn’t picked up a tennis racket since, he said. Played in a court smaller than a tennis court, pickleball allows for a more social atmosphere than tennis. Etiquette has a smaller role in pickleball than in tennis, and it has little to none of the “catty, cliquish” feel that sometimes surrounds tennis events, he said. His tennis friends “fully disowned me” when he switched to pickleball, he says. In a bit of cosmic payback, a lot of those tennis pals are now playing pickleball, too. “They are very appreciative that I introduced them to the

Tyson went from tennis to pickleball and found much to enjoy.

sport, but it took a couple of years to get ’em over the hump,” he said with a laugh. As a man who has learned and taught both, Tyson says his sport is easier to pick up and get into than tennis, as well. And since the players are closer together, it’s a little easier to talk a little trash, too. “It’s catered to all demographics and all ages and all levels,” he said. “And it’s super embracing of beginners.” A player learning tennis could

take months in experiencing his first rally, the term used for a string of back-and-forth shots between two players. A pickleball player could have one during his or her first day. “The learning curve is much quicker, and from a coaching standpoint, it’s much more satisfying for me to do,” he said. Pickleball is growing thanks to an influx of racket-sports players who are making the switch from their old sport into pickleball. Ping-pong players, racquetball

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players, and of course tennis players have crossed over to “the dark side” as Tyson puts it. Places like Naples, Fla., Phoenix, Ariz., and Palm Springs, Calif., have become pickleball hubs. Not coincidentally, all three cities serve as home for legions of retirees. Asked if pickleball would ever be an Olympics sport, Tyson said a lot has to happen with different countries needing their own organizations and homegrown players. In the meantime, Tyson has plenty to look forward to, Olympics or not. He continues growing his customer base, with his own line of pickleball camps, TM Pickleball; he continues expanding his know-how of the game by playing in tournaments all over the U.S., continues spreading the word about pickleball by hosting his own podcast, and expanding his family, with his wife expecting their third child. “I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing if she wasn’t as patient and as awesome,” he said of his wife. “I wake up every day and I tell myself how lucky I am.” Looking back, the former state tennis champion and standout wrestler relishes the path he took, even with all the twists and turns. “The man that I am today has been kind of carved through my background,” he said, “Being the youngest of seven and coming from a wrestling family, it’s definitely made me who I am.”

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It’s a project When house hunting intentions were upset by love, these new owners got to work By Jaana Hatton

e went on a house hunt in the fall of 2019. This was the criteria for the new home: small, one-level, move-in ready. It was time for something easy for the retirement years. We looked at one house after another, and none of them were right; too big, too run-down, too poorly located. Whoever coined the term “Happy house hunting” obviously never did such a search himself. It’s not a happy undertaking — it’s downright exhausting. And then, we found the one for us! We smiled! As soon as we stepped into the two-story, three garage house it felt perfect. This was the one.

It didn’t meet any of the initial specifications we had listed — but when you fall in love, it can change everything. My husband was excited about the expansive garage space and the potential of setting up his radio antenna on the side yard. I was equally taken with the large deck taking up most of the back yard and the possibility of an art room inside, just for me. I hadn’t had a room of my own since childhood. The interior offered space, light and yes, an upstairs. That AT RIGHT: “Although we had initially decided on one-level living, it is actually nice to have the bedrooms upstairs and the living areas on ground level. The stairway itself is a delight to the eye,” said Jaana.

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When I first saw the word “vinyl” adhered to the flooring description, I almost turned away. Seriously, vinyl?

The family room became alive with the contrast of blue walls and white trim, versus the original pale, flesh-colored wall.

means two levels, not one. We suddenly didn’t mind that. We looked at the pinkish rosebud wallpaper in the downstairs powder room and the wide floral wallpaper border decorating the front entry. They immediately signaled “project” to us. The pale, flesh-colored wall paint all over did not do the house justice. The tint created a subdued, tired feeling. Again, July 2020 | The Good Life

the house called out “project.” We were okay with that. Now, as far as projects go, the list was going to be long; wood rot along the side of the deck, chipped paint and holes on the walls. Outlets that had become so worn over time that anything plugged in simply fell out. And more. Yet, it seemed the house was simply begging for us to stay www.ncwgoodlife.com

and take care of it. And so we did. We moved in on Dec. 17, 2019. The main renovation was going to be replacing the old carpeting which obviously had witnessed all of the 30 years of the building’s existence, proudly displaying spilled coffee stains and worn spots. We hired help to remove and re-install two-story’s worth of flooring. Lowe’s did it all, from pulling and removing the now brittle carpet to installing the vinyl planking we had decided on. When I first saw the word “vinyl” adhered to the flooring description, I almost turned away. Seriously, vinyl?

}}} Continued on next page

IT’S A PROJECT }}} Continued from previous page We then chatted further with the professional at Lowe’s and did our own research: vinyl planking is an easy-maintenance, easy-on-the-feet, readyto-install option. That checked all the right boxes for us. The installation process was a weeklong horrendous mess during which we stayed at a hotel. Coming home was like entering the aftermath of a war; a thick layer of dust covered everything and the furniture was scattered all over the place. I had covered as much as I could with large sheets of plastic, but renovation dust is its own entity, defying conventional protective measures. After the initial shock and a weeklong cleaning, things were looking good again. What a difference flooring makes. Even before the floor work, I had already started painting

the walls. It was easy to do as I didn’t have to worry about the old carpeting, which was going to be removed. The family room was first on the list, the most-used room. Since the exterior of the house is a pale blue, I decided to mostly continue with the theme. I chose a soft, gray-toned blue, which created a nice contrast to the brown-toned flooring to-be. The dining/living area is a soft green now. With the wall color, the house took on a new, perkier personality. There was much more painting to do, two floors worth and some high spots due to the ceiling-to-floor entry. We went to Lowe’s yet again and purchased a monster of a ladder. Up I went, like a mountain climber, and tried to keep the long pole of the paint roller steady. I mostly managed to get

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The master bedroom closet is big enough to be a small bedroom. “We took down the old, bulky wooden shelving and replaced it with new, wire-type shelf and rods. Painting always makes a difference. We covered the window with a vinyl, stained-glass look film which lets in light but still keeps the privacy. We applied the same film on the dormer windows and the doorway, all of which face the street, to give the house a unified look,” said Jaana.

the paint where it needed to go. There is a great sense of accomplishment in doing things that at first seem impossible. I have continued adding color to every room, happily watching the pale skin tone vanish with every brush stroke. The last one of the bedrooms received its coat of blue on May 2, and the work was much easier and cleaner than the initial family room effort in January. I am an expert in painting by now. I decided to play a little, too, painting frames directly onto the wall to highlight some of the wall décor. It looks rather nice, but also determines the size of any other item that may be placed there in the future. The worst part was removing old wallpaper in the guest bath and some other areas. Talk about tearing, spraying and scrubbing like never before. It

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was a hard task, indeed. Now, with the floors and walls taken care of, the old window treatments needed sprucing up. They were flimsy and faded, like old rice paper. We decided on white, two-inch wide vinyl (yes, enter vinyl once more) blinds and what a refreshing change that was. With the base molding and the door jambs all white, blinds in the same color were the perfect choice. With the intense restoration we have gained a sense of love and ownership of this house. What’s more, we can pat each other’s backs after each completed project and smile proudly. We can do this! House projects are a blessing in disguise — even wallpaper removal. They elevate your soul and the appearance of your home.

PET tales

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

Koda is a three-year-old Blue

Jessica Jacobo of East

Wenatchee was out walking her dog Atom. Atom is a 10-month-old Yorkshire Terrier. Jessica said she got Atom from a breeder in Puyallup. “Atom is very sweet and he likes flowers so I let him smell them,” said Jessica. Gunner, a seven-month-old Zuhlke Hunting Lab was out walking with his owner, Corey

Linscott. Corey said he likes Gunner’s hard headedness.

Heeler mini Australian Shepherd mix. Maria Vander from East Wenatchee was walking her 9-month-old baby and Koda in

Got a good story to tell? email: editor@ncwgoodlife.com July 2020 | The Good Life

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Riverfront Park. “Koda believes my baby is her baby. She is very loving and energetic,” said Maria.

column moving up to the good life

june darling

Gentle words to get through a crisis C

ovid-19 continues to wear on us. My husband and I have experienced some health concerns for ourselves and others, as well as some economic worries. What has impacted us the most, however, is taking care of three grandchildren as parents work. Along with some very funny and fulfilling moments, I have had moments of wanting to tear my hair out. We have had to develop new skills, figure out how to acknowledge our emotions and care for ourselves, as well as how to compassionately communicate with each so that we can work better together. A few days ago, I could feel myself getting angry at my husband, John. My internal vigilante wanted to point out how little he was doing, how exhausted I was. In fact, John was doing a lot. He was going for groceries, helping with cooking and clean-up, mowing our lawn, paying bills, tutoring one of the children with math, bug hunting and jumping on the trampoline with the younger ones. Still I wanted him to do something else… to give me a break. But how was he to know? Though he is a smart and sensitive guy, mind-reading is not one of his strengths. How was I going to tell him exactly what I needed? I needed to get clear on it myself first. What I wanted, valued, and needed was to get on the treadmill for 40 minutes around 3 p.m. every day. I needed to move my body and clear my head in the afternoon so I could keep going. You would think that would be simple to state (I just did), then

Nasty words and conflict would be of no use when we needed to have a strong, resilient team. request his help. It was not. Why was this so hard I mused to myself? Why did I want to throw in all that other stuff about how tired I was and how he was not doing enough? Maybe I wanted to get some empathy. Maybe I wanted a hug, a pat on the back. I am not so silly, however, as to think I would get that hug, nor his cheerful help, if I approached him with complaints and accusations. After a quick mental sort, I was clear. Though the hug would be a nice bonus and might on other occasions be exactly what I wanted, what I wanted more than anything these days was a 3 p.m. walk on the treadmill. I pondered how to effectively ask John for his help while considering and respecting that he had his own agenda — his own things to get done, his own wants, concerns and needs. Thankfully, a helpful memory came to mind. Eli, our three-year-old, was sitting at the dining-room table a few days ago. Kids were wanting this and that, the usual dinner time chaos. Smiling, Eli turned to me and asked, “May I have a little milk, please?” “Of course!” I replied as I scooted off to get it. When I returned with his milk, he looked up, said “Thank you,” and then added “You got it for me because I used gentle

| The Good Life

words, right?” “Gentle words.” Gentle words were what I needed a lot more of in my life — especially right now when I wanted to honor my own emotions and needs and had these unhelpful accusatory words that wanted to pop out. Nasty words and conflict would be of no use when we needed to have a strong, resilient team. I knew where to look for help. American psychologist Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, the founder of compassionate and non-violent communications, was a master of gentle words. I re-read his story and reminded myself of a four-step process he popularized. I will not go through the steps in detail, but the first idea is to strip away your accusations and judgments and stick to the facts. “Yesterday, I was hoping to get on the treadmill around three, but there was no one to care for the children.” It can help to let the other person know what emotions you are dealing with (sad, mad, disappointed) without pointing a finger. Then most importantly, state simply what you want and how they can help. When I tried the process out, it was not exactly right, but it worked out. I said something like “I know you are working your butt off, John, but today I did not get to get on the treadmill. I feel so much better when I can do that. If you could help me do that, it would be great.” John replied, “I’m not working my butt off, but it’s hard for me sometimes. I just cannot play with kids like you can in this environment.” (His wheelhouse is on a lake, in a kayak, on a trail, playing ball at the park.) “Go ahead and get on the tread-

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July 2020

mill now while they are jumping on the trampoline.” Epilogue. I did not get on the treadmill, it was time to make dinner. We did make a deal for the next day and I was in love with him again. We discussed outside things to do that were more of a fit for him. During this month of July 2020, as COVID-19 hangs around, I will be celebrating the 4th by honoring our American resilience and ability to work together through challenging times. I invite you to join me in reading more about psychologist Marshall Rosenberg. Let’s continue making America stronger by learning how to use more compassionate communications. How might you use more gentle words and move up to The Good Life? June Darling, Ph.D. can be contacted at drjunedarling1@gmail.com; website: www.summitgroupresources. com. Her bio and many of her books can be found at amazon.com/author/ junedarling.

>> RANDOM QUOTE

Sometimes it takes a heartbreak to shake us awake and help us see we are worth so much more than we’re settling for. Mandy Hale

column THE TRAVELing DOCTOR

jim brown, m.d.

Don’t tell mom, but I talk with strangers Most people are not very

comfortable starting a conversation with strangers, but there are many benefits in speaking with others and hearing their voices. It helps us realize that they too have a life of thoughts, feelings and experiences much like we do. Many of us were told by our parents, especially our mothers, “don’t talk with strangers.” This is pretty good advice to young children, but I think it suggests to them that strangers are bad people whom we cannot trust. It is true there are mean and dangerous people out there, and parents are only trying to protect their children. Hopefully, in adulthood we have learned to differentiate people with good intentions from those with not so good intentions. As adults, despite learning to tell good from not so well intentioned people, we are still influenced by our well meaning parental advice from our childhood. For some, the thought of approaching a stranger and initiating a conversation makes them nervous. I am not suggesting that we walk up to a total stranger and ask them if they would like to talk. However, we are often in groups of people, at a meeting or in church, when someone is an obvious stranger to us. In those circumstances, if we have the courage to walk up to them and introduce ourselves, they are often relieved and happy to talk with us. Who knows, we might find we have things in common and that might lead us into a strong friendship. In my second year of medical school, we started taking medi-

cal histories from hospitalized patients and doing rudimentary physical exams as well. We then presented our findings to the attending physician for a critique. Taking a medical history includes current symptoms and concerns, when they started, how they have affected them, their past medical history and their family’s medical history. I found taking histories enjoyable, informative and crucial. I found out how much I enjoyed talking with these “strangers” who no long were strangers but were my patients and friends. I think because of these experiences, I ended up taking a residency in internal medicine and later gastroenterology rather than a specialty with little patient contact. To this day I enjoy talking with strangers, some of whom are now friends. I remember years ago when I was working at the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center, a few of us went to a national meeting of leaders of medical groups around the country. I’ll never forget my good friend, Dr. Pres Bratrude, from Omak, who was a board member and who accompanied me to these meetings. Pres was a very gregarious person and naturally outgoing politician. The first night, about 50 of us were out on the lawn socializing. I didn’t know any of these people nor did Pres. After we shared a glass of wine, Pres said, ”I am going to have to leave you now. I need to go and work the crowd.” It didn’t take him long before he made several new friends that evening. I was impressed as to how easy it was for him. In 2012 my wife and I decided to visit Australia for a month. Since we didn’t know anything about that country, I found an July 2020 | The Good Life

Australian trip planner who planned our entire itinerary, including two flights within Australia, our car rentals, lodging, snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef and many other exciting adventures we would not have known about or experienced without his guidance. We prepaid for everything except our meals. It was the trip of a lifetime. The first day we flew one hour from Melbourne to Launceston, Tasmania where a rental car was waiting for us. We drove about one hour to the tiny town of Evandale, best known for its Penny-Farthing Annual Bike Race. A penny farthing bike has one huge front wheel and a tiny rear wheel. We settled into our B and B that night in “The Stables,” and, yes, each unit was a former stable and quite cozy. This town was so small it had no restaurant, but it had a noisy pub and across the street from the pub was a small mini-grocery that also made pizza. We ordered a pizza, which we planned to eat at one of three tables they had on their sidewalk. I went over to the pub and bought a bottle of wine. As we started to eat, a man came out of the store with a pizza in hand, stopped at our table, introduced himself and asked us where we were from. Then he left. A few minutes later he came back and said, “Why don’t you bring your pizza and wine and come to our place?” We accepted the invitation. He rented this place, called “Grandmother’s Cottage” every year for a month. We spent about three hours with him and his wife and had a very enjoyable introduction to Tasmania. His name was Ian, and he was www.ncwgoodlife.com

an economics professor at Queensland University on the mainland. He wanted to show me his new Sony Cybershot camera that he was enjoying. I was so impressed by that camera that Lynn bought me one for my birthday. Later Ian and I started regularly sharing photos of our own areas. Since then, we have been emailing each other at least weekly. He has been particularly interested in our current political scene. Even though we only met one evening, I feel like he is now a very good friend. I would love to visit him some day or have him visit here, but at our ages now that seems unlikely. Nevertheless, our friendship is permanent. When talking with strangers, I always look for some kind of connection which might be where we grew up, activities we like, teams we follow, golf, hiking, pickleball, fishing, etc. Once you find a connection, it is easier to develop that into a friendship, and who knows, it might become lifelong. Obviously, it is easier to make connections with people who share similar experiences that you understand, for example teachers with teachers, doctors with doctors. From a health standpoint, we know that having friends is good medicine for physical and mental health. 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.

LIVING HISTORY

My first experience in apple packing and changes in the Washington apple industry By Jim Loudon My first real exposure to growing and packing apples was in 1943 when I was around 14 years old. My folks rented the old Charlie Campbell place, located in the Methow Valley about three miles south of Carlton, that included about four-and-one-half acres of younger Red and Golden Delicious apples. Dad, who had experience packing apples, decided to pack the apples ourselves and save some money. He located a four-foot long rag wiper that was a wood cylinder about six inches in diameter with rags protruding out, maybe four to five inches, the length of the cylinder and powered to turn by an electric motor to remove residue, including spray, from the apples. Dad built a little ramp about three feet by three feet reduced to eight inches wide to feed the rag wiper. He then built a padded bin four by four by two foot to receive the apples from the wiper. This is where Dad would size and pack the apples. He would normally pack about 100 boxes a day depending on apple sizes, quality, etc. My mother would sort out the culls where the apples came off the wiper into the bin. Among my duties was dumping the apples into the wiper and stamping the required information on the box. The lidding apparatus was a foot operated press that I would place the packed box of apples and lid on and squeeze the lid snugly to the top of the box and

nail four nails in each end of the lid to secure the lid to the box. I also would stamp the variety, grade and size on the packed box. The sizes in each packed box were a mystery to me, so my Dad wrote the sizes and the pattern visible on the top layer on an empty box side for my assistance. For example, a top layer showing two apples wide, then three apples wide by two rows of five apples and three rows of four apples lengthwise equals 22 apples per layer; with four layers in that box equal to 88 apples or size 88. When we accumulated 264 packed boxes, we would load them on a truck and ship them to Wenatchee. Packing about 1,500 packed boxes in the orchard by our family was a somewhat unusual practice for the time. Most apples in 1943 were trucked to larger packing houses that had mechanical apple sizers and packed there. However, packing apples without major mechanical packing equipment, at the orchard site, was a common practice in early years of commercial apple growing in Washington State. Looking back in history, one obvious change in the Washington apple industry would be in the apple varieties. Apple varieties in the 1920s and ’30s included Winter Bananas, Stayman, Arkansas Black, Spitzenburg, Ben Davis, Winesap, Common Delicious, Jonathan, Rome Beauty and others. Current varieties have changed completely with many new varieties developed and

| The Good Life

being grown commercially. Today, Red Delicious (34 percent), Gala (19 percent), Fuji (13 percent), Granny Smith (12 percent), Golden Delicious (10 percent), together total about 88 percent of Washington apples shipped. Today’s orchards are larger with the typical orchard 20 to 100 acres and several Jim Loudon: A life among apples. orchards over 1,000 acres. With the development of In the fall, apples were picked controlled root stock, trees can into a wooden apple box conbe grown smaller and planted structed from pre-cut finished much closer together. Trees were pine or fir lumber, called shook, larger in the 1920s and ’30s, typi- and were nailed together at the cally nearly 15 feet high when orchard site during the summer. mature. Apple boxes were used to pick Thinning and picking was acthe apples into at harvest and complished mostly from a 10 or reused to pack the apples into 12 foot wooden orchard ladder. for marketing. Trees per acre varied from 50The majority of the apples 100 trees. Today’s trees are usuwere picked from a ladder and ally smaller, with trees planted placed into a picking bag or much closer, ranging from 100bucket holding approximately 1000 and more per acre. an apple box full, and hauled out In earlier days spraying the of the orchard on a stone boat or trees was accomplished with a wagon. sprayer and hose and human opMost apples were originally erated hand nozzle. The sprayer, packed near the orchard site consisted of a tank (typically and cleaned by hand wiping, but 200 gallon wooden tank with soon were cleaned by a machine metal bindings), and a pump with rotating rags or brushes to and motor mounted on wheels, remove the residue. pulled by a team of horses or a Apples were then sized, initractor. tially by the packer and later by Today, spraying is done mostly some type of sizing machine. with a mechanical sprayer The apples were then indipulled through the orchard by a vidually wrapped in 10-12 inch tractor. Today growers endeavor square paper and placed into to minimize spraying by practhe previously picked-in wooden ticing integrated pest manageapple box with a given number ment. of apples in the box depending

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July 2020

on the size of the apples, the larger the apple, the fewer total apples in the box. Sizing had to be quite accurate as the boxes were normally required to weigh 42 pounds of apples in the box. If much more than 44 pounds of apples were packed into the apple box, the apples would be bruised in nailing on the box lid. The lidded box was stacked on its side as the fullness of the box resulted in a bulge or crown where the lid was nailed on. A registered individual box label was pasted on the box prior to shipment. The attractive box label would normally have information of the shipper’s name, content in the box, and an artistic design as each packer or shipper would have at least one personal apple label. There were hundreds of different Washington State apple box labels and today they are a collector’s item. Today, the label is printed on the fiber carton by the carton manufacturer. Apples are now picked into reusable wooden or plastic bins holding about 800-900 pounds of apples and handled by mechanical means. The bins are hauled to the packing house and placed into refrigerated or controlled atmosphere storage. Eventually, they are taken out of storage and packaged mostly into fiber cartons with apples nested into four or five molded trays in a carton with a net weight of about 40 pounds. A smaller percentage of apples are packaged into three to five pound polyethylene bags or smaller molded apple trays. Today packing and shipping Washington apples is highly mechanical, including sorting and packaging the apples. In larger modern packing operations human hands do not touch the individual apples. Jim Loudon is a 90-year-old former fruit co-op manager and orchardist living in Wenatchee.

fun stuff what to do around here for the next month

Due to the coronavirus, the order for social distancing and other measures in effect to prevent the spread of the virus, very few items are confirmed for the calendar. We hope to be back next month with lots of fun stuff to do around the area. Please check all events to make sure none has canceled. Leavenworth Community Farmers Market, Thursdays, 4 – 8 p.m. Local eggs, meats, cheeses and bread, fruits, prepared foods, local crafts and more. Alpine Lakes Elementary School. Info: leavenworthfarmersmarket.org. Village Art in the Park, Thursday, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Outdoor village art show sponsored by local non-profit organization provides scholarships for art education using a venue that supports amateur and professional artists. Downtown Leavenworth. Cost: free. Info: villageartinthepark.org. Chelan Evening Farmers Market, Thursdays, 4 – 7 p.m. Riverwalk Park.

>> RANDOM QUOTE

Wenatchee Valley Farmers Market, Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Plant starts, early produce, fish, cut flowers, baked goods and more. West parking lot of Pybus Public Market. Cost: free.

Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create. Roy T. Bennett

Quincy Farmers Market, Saturdays, 9 – 1. Quincy Valley Museum grounds.

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column those were the days

rod molzahn

The Southside: A little piece of paradise B

y 1889/90, all the usable land in the valley bottoms of north central Washington had been claimed, squatted on, homesteaded and settled. Some of the last lands to be homesteaded in the Wenatchee area were the southern foothills of Badger Mountain. The area was part of the ancestral lands of the Sinkiuse, Moses’ people. Their lands reached from the Rock Island Rapids to Badger Mountain and from the Columbia River to the Moses Lake/Ephrata area. The southern foothills of Badger Mountain were the gateway to pastures of natural grass for horses and upper areas where the camas root and bitterroot grew. Late homesteaders faced the choice between buying land on the valley floors or searching out unclaimed but tillable land farther out. One area that gained favor in those years came to be called “Southside.” Lindley Hull, in 1929, described this little piece of paradise high up on the south side of Badger Mountain. To reach this country one has to first cross the Columbia from Wenatchee to the East Wenatchee side, “and

follow a winding road through deep canyons and around steep hillsides, climbing higher and ever higher until reaching (at about 1,700 feet above the Columbia) the outskirts of a fine, rolling country, not unlike some of the eastern prairies. In size it may be estimated as an average of six miles in width and eight to 10 miles in length. The soil is of good depth and exceedingly fertile.” It looked to be the ideal place for dry-land wheat farming and stock raising. Hull added that Southside had the finest view of the Cascade Mountains to be found anywhere. The first homesteader to settle in Southside was Fred Kamholz in 1886. In its July 21, 1926 obituary of Mr. Kamholz, The Daily World remembered that, “At the time Mr. Kamholz located on his ranch he was about the first settler to locate on Badger Mountain. “His ranch was the so-called stockman’s paradise, and considered the choicest land in the valley. (Mr. Kamholz) engaged in farming and stock raising, and through industry and thrift he accumulated several hundred acres of land and herds of cattle and horses.”

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Kamholz was joined by the Paris Kern family in 1887. Kern began raising cattle, grain and hay. The 1889/90 winter killed most of his cattle. After that, he earned a fine reputation for the Clydesdale work horses he bred and raised. The year 1888 was a boom time for Southside. At least five new families began to turn Southside into a community. That year, brothers Frank and Wilson Bromiley crossed Colockum Pass and explored the Wenatchee Valley up to the Old Mission area. At Brown’s Flat (Monitor), they met Deak Brown who, on learning the brothers were unmarried, expressed his feeling that they should look elsewhere for homesteads since the Wenatchee Valley, “was already too full of bachelors.” Perhaps in a search for friendlier neighbors, the Bromileys crossed the Columbia and claimed separate homesteads in Southside. Frank Bromiley, in later years, described the difficulties of getting their rail car load of wheat crop across the Columbia to the rail terminal at Wenatchee. 1894 was a record flood year and the cable ferry normally used to move sacks of wheat

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across the river was out of service because of high water. “I was compelled to move the wheat across the river in a rowboat, with the help of Mr. Patterson (the ferry owner) and Zeb Parrish. From the rowboat we had to pile the sacks on the ground, and from that point carry them to a wagon that could finally reach the warehouse. “For all this fun and exercise I received the magnificent sum of 30 cents per bushel, and the gunnysacks cost 10 cents each. But we were young in those days and hardship didn’t count so much.” William and Ida Ball, with their three sons, claimed a homestead on Southside in 1889 just before the onset of the Hard Winter. They raised some grain but mostly engaged in raising cattle and dairy cows. In an interview with Lindley Hull, Mr. and Mrs. Ball recalled early times and concerns in the community that was growing on Southside: they would need a school, how barbed wire fences became the lines of the community phone system, how everybody wanted a post office but no

one wanted to be postmaster. The Balls were asked why people chose the remote Southside to homestead. Mr. Ball explained that timber and water were nearby and that most of the houses were built near productive springs. Homesteaders continued a slow flow into Southside over the next 10 years. In 1898 the families asked Douglas County for a school. The county approved and District #49 began to take shape. In June of 1899 John Doneen, Southside’s largest landowner, donated land for the school. Construction on the “Dry Flat” school began immediately with donated materials and labor. The school board approved the purchase of needed supplies including: 12 desks at a total cost of $61.50, a three-foot by ninefoot and a three-foot by 10-foot blackboard for $1.80 per square yard and one Webster’s Dictionary and stand. Teacher salaries were $40/ month for women and $50/ month for male teachers. As a young man, John Doneen spent several years in Virginia City, Nevada during that silver town’s boom days. His grandson, Mike Doneen, told John’s story in a recent interview. After leaving Nevada, John and a brother traveled to eastern Washington looking for prospects. They settled in Oakesdale, a small town between Spokane and Pullman in the midst of the Palouse wheat country. There they established a general mercantile store that did very well. Sometime during the first two years John Doneen bought, sight unseen, 160 acres of wheat land in Southside. In 1889 Doneen traveled to Southside for the first time to see the land he owned and, perhaps, to establish a mercantile store there. During that time he met his wife to be, Margaret Greelish. John Doneen’s time in the Palouse had made clear the profit to be had raising wheat.

He was very pleased with his Southside land and began buying adjacent acreage, a practice he followed until he had accumulated 5,000 acres that he farmed with mules and plow. He continued to keep his store in Oakesdale with his brother though he built a fine home on his Southside land where he and Margaret raised five children. The home and land are still in the Doneen family. The ranch did well and John invested in Wenatchee real estate. Southside was filling up. Hull claimed that by the year 1900 it had, “reached full occupation and development.” Southside was not a town. It didn’t have a store, or a livery stable, or a blacksmith or a sheriff. Nor was it a settlement since homes were not clustered. Everyone’s home was somewhere on their ranch more likely decided by available spring or well water than proximity to neighbors. Southside was a community without even a meeting space until the school was built. It was a strong community of families with similar concerns and interests. Everyone grew dry-land wheat and depended on rain and snowfall for success. In the wet years they all prospered together. In the dry years, and there were many, they all suffered and bore up under the same conditions. Mike Doneen grew up there. He says it was a good place to live, but if Southsiders needed supplies and services they had to go down the hill and across the Columbia to the growing town of Wenatchee until 1908 when irrigation water arrived in East Wenatchee and a store came with it. Historian, actor and teacher Rod Molzahn can be reached at shake. speak@nwi.net. His third history CD, Legends & Legacies Vol. III - Stories of Wenatchee and North Central Washington, is now available at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center and at other locations throughout the area.

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the back page: that’s life

Men, women, marriage & COVID-19 D

By Jim Brigleb

espite COVID-19, there is still Good Life to be had. What do being newlyweds and “Stay Home — Stay Healthy” have in common? I know, I know. This sounds like a reach. But follow this for a minute. When a couple first gets married, well, remember that phrase, “The honeymoon is over,”? My wife certainly does. She claims that during our five-year courtship, I always let her have the last bite off my plate, with a cheerful attitude. But, she claims, that after marriage, when she tried to do so, I held my fork in a menacing position, and said something about how I always saved my favorite bite for last, and resented the times where she deprived me of that savory bit. She’s lying, but she recounts this falsehood over and over. The point is, after the nuptials, behaviors begin to materialize that make both parties wonder, “Did I sign up for this?” And now, with “Stay Home — Stay Healthy,” we enjoy the same opportunity for rediscovering many of those idiosyncratic behaviors that we distanced ourselves from due to the busyness of life, and the many distractions that put the noticing of spousal weirdness on the backburner. Quarantining has changed all that. When in our 20s, my wife’s favorite Bible verse was “Don’t let the sun go down on your anger.” I tried desperately to avoid arguments before going to bed. But when I failed, we’d be up until 2 or 3 a.m. working out a disagreement. In the wee hours, I’d surrender to just about anything. Now in our 60s, with cabin fever and whatnot, we both go to bed agitated about something

or another. We talk a lot in the middle of the night again. Deja vu. Critical to me is the correct installation of a new roll of toilet paper. Assuming the household employs the use of a roller, TP can be put on one of two ways: the right way or the wrong way. The correct installation finds the loose tissues coming from the bottom of the roll; one pulls from the bottom and the top of the roll rotates toward the wall. The incorrect installation finds fresh sheets coming from the top, with the top of the roll rotating away from the wall. Critical? Yes! Because a cat, or say, a toddler will unroll countless sheets of TP that are difficult to recover — simply by using gross motor skills to slash at the roll. On the other hand, when installed correctly, rotating the TP roll as a cat or toddler will do — i.e. pulling down from top — will yield an entertaining continuation of the rolling, but no paper will be wasted. For the record, my wife does this incorrectly. Next, the toilet seat. Does it remain up or down after usage? My wife trained me long ago that it was to be left down. And I obeyed. When my adult son, a boomerang child, moved back in, I instructed him in the household rule. He was incensed. “Totally arbitrary!” he complained. “Women can put it down before use just as easily as we can put it up… and then down again!” Egalitarian? Maybe. But, if your wife ends up in “the drink” well... equal rights goes out the window. Laundry: As a modern man, I thought it important to contribute to domestic duties — inside the house. So, I made it a point

| The Good Life

to help out with the laundry. While my wife enjoyed this overture, there were (and still are) tensions. You see, when my wife disrobes, the clothes come off inside out. Underwear ends up entwined with the pant leggings, as she will remove both undergarment and pants simultaneously. If the launderer — me — returns clean clothes to said spouse inside out, with underwear still embraced within the pants, this is taken as a sign of “lack of love.” What I thought an effort to teach her how to remove her clothing, leads to me being in trouble. Take note newlyweds, this is 44 years after being happily married. Discussions: My wife, my three daughters, granddaughters and their female friends can talk for hours. About anything. Me? The same conversation takes at most two minutes. The difference? The females in my life start from the beginning, and then commence in examining every detail. For instance, let’s say they were talking about a trip to Costco wherein toilet paper wasn’t available. In my wife’s world, one CANNOT jump to the conclusion — “Costco was out of toilet paper.” The weather, the music on the radio, the intention of the outing, the line awaiting entry, the mood within the store, the items that were indeed available, the approach to the toilet paper area, the realization, the emotions therein, the looks on eyes and eyebrows above masks of other shoppers, the mood that then resulted, the checkout, the person checking the receipt, the sad march back to the car, the drive home, the announcement to other family members and their reactions, and the consequences of not having toilet paper — all of these would be essential inclu-

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July 2020

sions in the discussion. For me, I might say, “Costco was out of toilet paper.” That would be it, and my wife would look at me as if Jim Brigleb is a rethere was tired teacher living just so much in Wenatchee who loves writing as an more to the outlet. His books story, and I can be found on had really Amazon by using failed our the search term “Brigleb.” marriage. My wife is a big fan of Charlton Heston. Not because he was the greatest actor ever. But because she watched him on a talk show once, where he was asked how his marriage had withstood the peculiar pressures of Hollywood. Heston intoned, “I long ago learned the three most important words any man can say to his wife.” The host interjected, “I love you?” Heston smiled and responded, “No. The three words a wife wants to hear above all else are ‘I was wrong.’” And so my wife made me memorize the lesson that the mighty “Ben Hur” and “Moses” imparted. So, similar to when I was first married, “Stay Home — Stay Healthy” has served to renew our wedding vows in making us review many of the behaviors that may have been irreconcilable differences. I had my wife review this article. She asked, “What are the three most important words any husband can say to his wife?” Years ago, I would have said, “I’m always right.” But the sun is about to go down, and I want to go to sleep.

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