October 2016 The Good Life by The Good Life

STRANGE LETTER FROM SWEDEN Y EVENTS CALENDAR

WENATCHEE VALLEYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE

October 2016

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Contents

Features

7 is this another bad idea?

Sick, nervous and about to fall out of a plane

10 A STRANGE LETTER FROM SWEDEN With an unexpected revelation about family

TEACHING SPANISH IN BAVARIA

Talk among yourselves

14 trusting spirit

Giving abused horses their mojo back

16 four minutes of fame

But first comes the hard writing work

23 Fall travel planner

Fun ideas from travel guru Cary Ordway

page 20

26 faux log cabin

taking advantage of the bounty of the valley

But nothing fake about rock solid, edge-of-Cascades location Art sketches n Scary doll creator Susan Mitchell, page 34 n Science fiction author Ben Seims, page 37

30 June Darling: 5 ways to get past modern fears 32 The traveling doctor: “Natural” vs. “Organic” 34-39 Arts & Entertainment & a Dan McConnell cartoon 40 History: Railroad payroll gave Wenatchee a boost 42 Alex Saliby: New plantings and a fresh restart

Columns & Departments 18 Pet Tales: Born with a love for horses 22 Bonnie Orr: Cooking with fall’s colorful foods

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Year 10, Number 10 October 2016 The Good Life is published by NCW Good Life, LLC, dba The Good Life 10 First Street, Suite 108 Wenatchee, WA 98801 PHONE: (509) 888-6527 EMAIL: editor@ncwgoodlife.com sales@ncwgoodlife.com ONLINE: www.ncwgoodlife.com FACEBOOK: https://www. facebook.com/NCWGoodLife Editor/Publisher, Mike Cassidy Contributors, Marc Dilley, Molly Steere, Morgan Fraser, Nancy Murphy, Jaana Hatton, Marlene and Kevin Farrell, Maureen Stivers, Cary Ordway, Cameron Wood, Donna Cassidy, Bonnie Orr, Alex Saliby, Jim Brown, June Darling, Dan McConnell, Susan Lagsdin and Rod Molzahn Advertising manager, Terry Smith Advertising sales, Lianne Taylor and Donna Cassidy Bookkeeping and circulation, Donna Cassidy Proofing, Dianne Cornell Ad design, Clint Hollingsworth TO SUBSCRIBE: For $25, ($30 out of state address) you can have 12 issues of The Good Life mailed to you or a friend. Send payment to: The Good Life 10 First Street, Suite 108 Wenatchee, WA 98801 For circulation questions, email: donna@ncwgoodlife.com BUY A COPY of The Good Life at Safeway stores, Walgreens, Mike’s Meats at Pybus, Rhubarb Market, Martin’s Market Place (Cashmere) and A Book for All Seasons and Dan’s Food Market (both Leavenworth) ADVERTISING: For information about advertising in The Good Life, contact advertising at (509) 8886527, or sales@ncwgoodlife.com WRITE FOR THE GOOD LIFE: We welcome articles about people from Chelan and Douglas counties. Send your idea to Mike Cassidy at editor@ncwgoodlife.com

OPENING SHOT

an image with intentions By Marc Dilley

here is a swimming hole just inside the mouth of the Icicle Canyon, popular in the summer heat with climbers and tourists. On this lightly overcast day however, there was only myself and the brilliant leaves of October. While the thermonuclear golds of Bigleaf Maple trees lined the road side, at the river shore were the shrubs and herbs: Red Osier Dogwood, Willow, Currant, Horsetail and grasses as depicted here. Usually I am attracted to the bright reds and golds of the shrubs, but on this day the shoreline bunch grass was hypnotic. I just about tripped over myself to set up a shot. But still, I made myself slow down to compose the image. I like to “have something for the eye to do” besides just look at one object. In simplest terms, for example, looking at an alpine lake surrounded by trees is less interesting to me than having other picture elements in the image. I would compose the image so that the eye would be attracted to one part of the scene and move through other elements of the picture. This dynamic principle is well known and I use it when I can. One common variant of this technique is called leading lines

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and is exemplified by strong vertical lines meandering up to the top of the image. The idea is that the eye will begin at the bottom of the image and follow the lines upward. It helps if there is an element of interest at the base of the image. At Water’s Edge is constructed as a simple, composition of this type, even though you don’t really see any leading lines. The slowly receding grasses, curving away along the shore in the distance, function as the leading lines. The largest, closest grass

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October 2016

clump serves two purposes: 1) It is part of and the start of the leading lines. 2) It is the “element of interest” at the lower base of the leading lines. For more of Marc’s photos, visit marcdilley.com.

On the cover

Donna Cassidy took this photo of Mike Mallory leaning into his log house (he doesn’t mind “faux log house”) that he’s been planning and building for the past 18 months in Leavenworth. See his story on page 26.

editor’s notes

MIKE CASSIDY

When treasures come unexpectedly T

he best item that comes in the mail each month is The Good Life magazine, naturally, but except for our magazine and four or five regular bills, all the rest that fills our USPS container is junk mail. A couple of the mailers use a typeface similar to hand writing for the addresses, which fools me into opening the envelopes — and when I do, I’m doubly angry: once for the worthless message inside and once for being tricked. My experience isn’t unusual — probably everyone gets more trash than treasures in the mail. So, it’s no wonder when Nancy Murphy received what appeared to be a personal letter from Sweden, with a startling suggestion, she was tempted to toss it out. But then… Well, for the “then,” check out Nancy’s story beginning on page 10. It almost makes you suspended your disbelief about what will show up in tomorrow’s mail. The last time Nancy and her husband, Al, were in The Good Life (August 2008), they were a cover story about how they and their RV’ing friends constructed the Murphy’s home on Badger Mountain. “We had four fifth wheels out here for four months,” Nancy said in the story. The result was a 2,400-square-foot home that saved the Murphys half the price of the finished house. The Murphys have “paid back” by helping others with building projects. “We did help with a couple of other homes that were built,” said Nancy in a recent email. “One was for our friends’ daughter up in Omak area. It was, once again, a great experience.

“The group also built another home for the parents of a friend, but we were out of the area at the time they did that one. “We also helped rebuild the homestead barn (with the original wood) on the farm of our boy and his wife who farm in Walla Walla. “Then we went to Utah/Arizona border and helped one of our sons and wife build on their vacation property. In fact, we are headed there again in October to help them start building their new venture... Ecolux Camping. It is those fancy tents on a platform that people stay in,” added Nancy. “It really is a lot of fun and a great experience to work with your kids when they are adults. Their biggest concern has always been: Are you sure you guys want to work this hard? We absolutely love it and it is amazing the sense of self-satisfaction when it is done.” Found treasures arrive in different fashions. While Nancy’s came in the mail, Maureen Stivers often finds her’s at the front door, when neighbors drop off excess bounty of the Valley. Check out how Maureen becomes a human processor during the fall, preserving free and foraged foods of the valley. See her story on page 20. Maureen even sent us a photo of herself with a sign hanging around her neck, simply saying: “Cuisinart.” Take a chance on the serendipitous and enjoy The Good Life. — Mike October 2016 | The Good Life

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fun stuff a full LISTING of what to do begins ON PAGE 35

October rocks with fun all around

around the Cashmere area. Maps available at the chamber office at 103 Cottage Ave. A grand prize giveaway will be awarded for completing the map tour. Find the secret numbers and add them to the map. Info: cashmerechamber.org. During the month of October.

Say “October” and the mind

thinks of harvest, Halloween and getting in that last summer hike. This month’s calendar has plenty of those events and more — plus opportunities to do good, such as the Make a Difference Day later in the month. Here are a few items that pop out this month — but really, there are dozens and dozens of fun happenings around here in October. Get out, because as they say, winter is coming.

Lake Chelan Crush Festival — Visitors

Leavenworth Oktoberfest

— Live music, German food, arts and crafts and activities for the whole family oh yeah and beer! Downtown Leavenworth. Cost: $10 Fridays and $20 Saturdays. Info: leavenworth.org. The first three weekends of October. 6 p.m. – 2 a.m. Fridays, noon – 2 a.m. Saturdays. Wings and Wheels Festival — Eastmont Community

Park. Car show, radio controlled

Instead of guarding the fields, this scarecrow got wrapped up in biking downtown Cashmere. Up to 150 scarecrows are expected to haunt the Pioneer Village during October.

car meet, swap meet, vendors and entertainment, carnival. Helicopter rides at Pangborn Airport. Friday through Sunday, Sept. 30 - Oct. 2. Scarecrow Display — 50 to 150 scarecrows will be on display

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can take short hops between local wineries to observe first-hand steps involved in grape harvest and wine production, including the opportunity to interact with the growers and winemakers and sample wines of the region. Info: lakechelanwinevalley.com. The first two weekends of October.

Mahogany and merlot hydroplane races — On the

water boat show, classic cars on the shore along with vintage unlimited hydroplanes from the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum in Seattle. Vintage inboard limited class hydroplanes and

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October 2016

antique and classic mahogany runabouts from the golden era of pleasure boating. Races start early Saturday morning. Chelan Waterfront Park and Lakeside Marina. Cost: free. Info: mahoganyandmerlot.com. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 1-2. Fire Ecology Interpretive Hike — Join Dr. Paul F. Hessburg,

Research Landscape Ecologist, on a journey to learn how fire works in forests. This 2-mile hike follows the new bike trail at Squilchuck State Park - Discover Pass required for parking. Info: cdlandtrust.org. Sunday, Oct. 9, 1 – 3 p.m.

Custer’s Fall Arts and Craft show — Over 100 northwest

artisans, fine art, hand crafts, jewelry, pottery, woodworking, painting fiber, photography, metal art, seasonal décor and specialty foods. Town Toyota Center. Info: towntoyotacenter. com. Friday through Sunday, Oct. 14-16, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Make a difference day — To submit project ideas, list your planned activities or learn how to participate, call coordinators Laurel Helton 663-6662 or Margie Kerr 670-5684 or visit: wenatcheemkdd.com. Saturday, Oct. 22.

Is this another Bad Idea? By Molly Steere

As my husband, Toby, runs

to the bathroom to throw up, I take another hit off my inhaler, pop some Sudafed, and come to terms with the fact that today will go down as another one of

Molly Steere shows off her molars as she experiences the exhilaration of free fall with instructor Todd Higley. horrific cold, a crippling fear of heights, and anxiety issues. So we’re going skydiving! We originally signed up to jump with my dad last October — it was our birthday present to him — but had been weathered

my Best Bad Ideas. I’m known for them. They usually involve terrible decision making and provide endless entertainment for others. Case in point, Toby woke up with a stomach bug and I have a

out. This is our do-over. We are determined, regardless of the circumstances, to jump today. When Toby finishes throwing up we hop in the car, pick up dad,

}}} Continued on next page

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Another bad idea? }}} Continued from previous page and head toward the Chelan Municipal Airport. As I drive, I have the uneasy feeling that we’re being irresponsible. What if something goes wrong and my seven-yearold son witnesses both parents fall to their death? I look in the rear view mirror and ask him if he’s nervous about watching us jump. “My dream is coming true! Dad is going to barf on his instructor!” he responds gleefully. I desperately hope he’s not right. As soon as we arrive at the airport we re-sign waivers, and record a video stating we won’t sue if we are injured or die. I obediently read the script. I won’t sue. I’m of sound mind. I’m beginning to question the last part. After a quick refresher ground school with other jumpers, Toby and I are told to suit up. Everything is happening so fast that I don’t have time to get anxious. Apparently, we’re actually doing this. I’m assigned to Todd Higley, one of the owners of Skydive Chelan. Todd becomes my new best friend to whom I now trust my life. In less than 30 minutes from the time we parked, we

Enjoying the climb to altitude in a Cessna 182.

are packed into a Cessna 182. As we climb to altitude, I press my nose against the window, enjoying the view and the beautiful day. There’s hardly a cloud in the sky. Toby and I chat with our instructors for a bit, and before we know it we’re at altitude. Todd secures me tightly to him in what is essentially an adult-sized Baby Bjorn. He reminds me what is going to happen, step by step, as we all shift into position. I watch Toby and Ryan swing their feet out of the door and then drop from view. The plane tilts, and then steadies. Sweet fancy moses, my time has come. We shuffle toward the door as one unit, and I clumsily work to get my feet out on the platform. The wind pummels me from

the side, and 10,000 feet below the ground looks like an elaborate museum diorama. “Move forward” Todd says in my ear. But I’ll fall, is my first thought and then I remember that’s the point. I shift forward a bit, feel Todd push off and then we’re falling away from the plane. For the first few seconds I’m disoriented by the wind, our attitude (headfirst), and the fact that we’re hurtling toward the ground. I get the tap to spread my arms. We stabilize and I remember to breathe. We are now flying and it is absolutely exhilarating. I can’t stop grinning as I look around at the view, the plane above us getting smaller. Todd gives me a high five and I continue to grin. It’s pretty much all I’m capable of at this

My cheeks are trying to escape my face in a cresting wave of flesh... moment. I am so thrilled to be falling from the sky. Todd indicates that I should mug for the camera on his wrist. When I get home and look

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Molly and Toby celebrate having another successful Best Bad Idea in the books.

on his instructor). We both want to go up again, agreeing that it all went by way too fast. By the time we walk across the runway to the hangar, Todd has already grabbed a new chute and is getting into the plane with my dad and another set of tandem jumpers. I wave as they taxi off. Enjoying the buzz of having done something completely out of my comfort zone, I stand in the sun, shielding my eyes to watch Dad’s plane gain altitude. I see both sets of tandem jumpToby Steere pretends to be Superman as he flies through the air with instructor Ryan McDonald.

through the 300-plus photos that were taken during my jump, two things stand out. 1) my stoke level is through the roof, and 2) moving through the air at 120 mph turns me into silly putty. My cheeks are trying to escape my face in a cresting wave of flesh, and ripples of neck skin nestle near my ears. I am the reflection in a fun house mirror. Suddenly, I’m jerked up into the air. The canopy is deployed and I’m surprised that 40 seconds of free fall has already passed. For the next five minutes we have a completely unobstructed view of one of the most beautiful drop zones in the country. The colorful sails of the Regatta dot the blue waters of Lake Chelan. I watch the Columbia unwaveringly carve through the rolling topography as Rainier and

Adams stand proudly on display. It is stunning. Todd points up and I see Toby and his instructor above me. YES! That means I was in free fall longer than him! Not that I’m competitive. But my free fall was longer. We wave and hoot and holler at each other as Todd maneuvers us over the airport. As we get lower, I wave at my son, in-laws, and dad who are outside the hangar watching us. Suddenly we’re in a tight turn, dropping altitude. It feels like we’re coming in hot, but we glide in gently and come to a rest, the canopy floating down beside us. “That was so awesome!” I exclaim repetitively, like an annoying wind-up toy. Todd and I high five and watch Toby and Ryan come in for a landing. Toby is as pumped as I am (and thankfully, didn’t puke October 2016 | The Good Life

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ers leave the airplane, plunging toward earth, and I’m jealous. I want to be back up there as I imagine the rush Dad is feeling during free fall. His canopy deploys and I grin, experiencing a vicarious thrill as he floats through the air. Most of my Best Bad Ideas aren’t worth repeating, but this one is. Molly Steere is a local freelance writer who is always in search of her next Best Bad Idea.

A strange letter

from Sweden

leads to surprising discoveries about

family

By Nancy Murphy

About five years ago, I

received a letter from Sweden that started with “we might be related”… and my first thought was, “Sure… and if I send you $5,000, you’ll send me a huge inheritance.” I read the letter and it seemed like the letter writer had some information about my Grandmother Bessie that was not known by many people at all. And she used the name of one of my aunts, Emelia, as well. Emelia was a favorite aunt who never married and had no children. However, I always thought I was Norwegian, not Swedish so I still wasn’t sure about this letter. My older brother Dave received a similar letter, but threw it away thinking that it was just someone wanting money. My husband, Al, and I both read the letter again and started to believe this was for real. So, being on the cautious side, we sent an email (as she had included her email address) with a very simple: “Yes, we may be related… tell me more.” Well, we certainly got more. My cousin, Anne-Marie, had been looking for us for over 50

years. The Swedish family’s last contact with their American relatives was 1963, with my Aunt Emelia, who passed away in 1967 at 96 years old. So, back to the beginning. It was the mid-late 1800s and times in Sweden were very bad. Crops had failed, there was no work and many families had lost hope. My great, great grandfather had 11 children. Two of them died as children, two stayed in Sweden, and seven immigrated to America. The seven who immigrated ranged in age 17 – 21. One of them was my great grandmother, Josefa. They did not all leave at the same time so they were not traveling together. Individually and in small groups, they walked 150 kilometers from Bondstorp to Gothenburg, Sweden where they got on the first ship that took them to Hull, England, where they worked until they had enough money to travel to London — where they worked again — until they could afford the trip to America. When the first ones arrived in America (New York and Boston), they traveled to the Chicago

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Tools used on the farm made by Nancy’s ancestors.

Artifact found on the farm dated to 2000 BC.

area. (We don’t know why, but it is assumed someone else from their village was living there). Two of the brothers eventually moved to South Dakota, one stayed in the Chicago area, one went to San Francisco, Josefa (my great grandmother) stayed in the Chicago area and one sister and one brother we have not been able to track at all. My grandmother, Bessie, was born in Chicago to Josefa and Anton Christensen. Anton had emigrated from Denmark about the same time as Josefa came from Sweden.

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October 2016

They lived in Illinois where they had two daughters, Bessie and Laura. Josefa died when Bessie was 4 years old and Laura was 2. We do not know what happened to Anton. Both of the girls were “adopted” by two of Josefa’s brothers. Bessie went to live with Gustav and eventually moved to South Dakota. Her sister, Laura, lived with Justus who stayed in Chicago. Justus was Aunt Emelia’s father. So, now to more current times. Since sending the original let-

One of the early buildings.

Family home built in the early 1900s with a new roof.

The family home from the 1800s with a new porch.

ter, Anne-Marie, and her husband, Stefan, have been sharing information and photos with us. Then we were invited to a “family gathering” (or family reunion as we would call it) scheduled for this summer. The cousins all get together every five years at the homestead, Kanshestraryd. Kanshestraryd is about 50 acres of farmland and forest. It has been in the family since the 1600s. At the “family gathering” we met 110 relatives I did not know I had. It was pretty unbelievable and wonderful. Most of the

young people spoke fluent English and the middle-aged folks spoke relatively good English so we were able to talk with them easily. The house that my greatgrandmother was born (1848) and raised in is still standing at Kanshestraryd. Much of the furniture is still in the house. The two brothers (my cousins) who live at Kanshestraryd saved all the hand-made tools that were made by my ancestors, several of whom were blacksmiths. A newer house was built in the early 1900s where the two brothOctober 2016 | The Good Life

Bondstorp Swedish Lutheran Church.

ers live. One of the most interesting things to me was that when the original house from the 1700s burned in 1800, the church put out a call to help rebuild. As they were gathering the lumber that would be needed, the old floors from the original Swedish Lutheran Church of Bondstorp were donated for use in the new house. The original church was built in the late 1400s. My husband, Al, is a forester and he estimated the tree the lumber came from was 200 years old when it was cut for www.ncwgoodlife.com

the original church. That would make the wood plank floors in the homestead date to the 1200s. In the forest surrounding the property, there is a tree that has been called “The Black Death” tree. It is a Norway Spruce. A Swedish forester found it when they were authenticating everything on the property. It was very intriguing for Al to go see this tree and walk through the boggy wet area of the forest where the tree is located. It was called the “Black Death Tree” because it was alive

}}} Continued on next page

A strange

letter from Sweden }}} Continued from previous page when the plague that devastated Europe hit during the 14th Century. It was great fun to meet the two oldest living relatives: Ingrid and Maj-Britt (94 and 93 years young). They were delightful and so excited that my cousin, Anne-Marie, had found us. They did not speak a bit of English and we did not speak Swedish, but we had no trouble communicating our joy of spending time with them. For many of our conversations, my cousin, Anne-Marie was an interpreter. Ingrid reminded me of my mother in her manner-

Nancy and Al pose with 93 years young Maj-Britt.

isms and conversation. Another fun happening was when we were looking at the old family pictures and we saw a picture from the 1800s of a young boy. My husband pulled out a picture of one of our grandsons, Luke, and everyone gasped because they looked so

The Most Important Meeting of the Day...

much alike. We talked a lot about what it must have been like when the young people left the only home they had ever known. As we sat on the hill and imagined what their parents must have felt when their sons and daughters walked down the road and out of sight, knowing they would never see them again. Those leaving had no hope if they stayed in Sweden but could hope their lives would be better in America. I have a new appreciation for family ties. From the moment we stepped off the train at Nassjo and met Anne-Marie and Know of someone stepping off the beaten path in the search for fun and excitement? E-mail us at editor@ncwgoodlife.com

Stefan, it felt like we had known them for years. The bond between the four of us happened almost immediately and all four of us recognized it. The first day, we spent hours sharing stories and it never stopped for the two weeks we stayed with them in Skillingaryd. Stefan’s sense of humor matched Al’s so we laughed a lot as well as learned a lot. While both Al and I have always enjoyed history, this trip gave us a whole new perspective, especially as it relates to my family. (Oh, and a word why I thought I was Norwegian, not Swedish. I remember sitting at Grandma and Grandpa’s dining room table and whenever Grandpa did not want us kids to know what he was talking about, he spoke in Norwegian. It always seemed to me that Grandma understood him so I thought she was also Norwegian. Grandpa was born in Norway.) I’m not sure what impressed us the most by meeting the family I didn’t know I had — the history lessons or my cousin’s Swedish meatballs. Yes, we enjoyed authentic meatballs made in Sweden. They do not call them Swedish meat balls there… just meat balls. They were delicious and yes, we brought the recipe home with us. Nancy and her husband, Al Murphy returned to the Wenatchee area when they retired and built a home on Badger Mountain.

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Cinco things I learned by teaching Spanish in Bavaria W

By Morgan Fraser

hen I moved back to north central Washington from Panama two years ago, I moved to Leavenworth for the same reason that many others do: proximity to hiking trails, the river, and a lot of other outdoor enthusiasts. When someone posted in the local Facebook group seeking a Spanish class, I realized that my years abroad could come in handy in a way I hadn’t expected. I had dabbled in teaching Spanish before, but never to the extent I did last fall in Leavenworth, and never to kids. Although I ultimately found that I loved teaching, there was also quite the learning curve. It’s not just the students who learn in Spanish classes; at least in my case, I had much to learn, too. When you’re not a native speaker, it’s easier than you might think to confuse your slang. I have lived in Spain, Mexico (several times) and Panama. Yes, I have a degree in Spanish, and can read, write and speak really well… for a non-native speaker. However, I was often reminded that I wasn’t a native speaker. It’s the little things… like forgetting the word for excited in Spanish does not translate directly. One of my students tried to tell a Spanish-speaking coworker that she was excited about my Spanish classes, but instead she

accidentally told him she was turned on. In Mexico especially, you see, excited is not exitada; it’s emocionada. You should be able to pee after you give birth. For any mother — or father, for that matter — this is likely common knowledge: before you get the go-ahead to go home after bringing a child into the world (or before the midwife will go home,) you have to be able to empty your bladder. Of all the unlikely places, I learned this as I was teaching commands to my advanced Spanish class. The students were in pairs, instructing their partners about scenarios they encountered in their professions. One student, a midwife, did her due diligence after coaching her partner (an older gentleman) on how to give birth by gently reminding him he had to be able to pee before she could leave. It’s really hard to be gender neutral in Spanish In Spanish, nouns are either masculine or feminine — adjectives also change depending on the gender of the noun they’re referring to. In one of our classes we played a version of The Dating Game. Each team created a character and had to come up with answers to several questions about what the person did, what they looked like and other personality characteristics.

To pull this off, Pat had to answer every question as both a man and a woman: soy alta y soy alto. (I am a tall woman, and a tall man.) One group decided to immortalize Pat, a character from Saturday Night Live that no one is quite sure is male or female. To pull this off, Pat had to answer every question as both a man and a woman: soy alta y soy alto. (I am a tall woman, and a tall man.) Sometimes, the shoes win out. In one of the conversational classes I taught, students chose a vocabulary word out of a box and created a sentence about it.

When one woman got zapatos, she informed the rest of us that when her husband dies she is going to dedicate an entire room to her shoes. Sometimes, things don’t translate directly. One of my students played the part of a womanizer with multiple wives in The Dating Game when we played as a group. In another class, when he tried to tell everyone he was married, he said “Tengo una esposa,” but directly translated, that means “I have one wife,” which only made everyone think of the many wives he boasted having before. Morgan Fraser is a digital marketing specialist, writer and Spanish teacher. She is the author of two regional wine-pairing cookbooks and the travel memoir Confessions of a Travel Addict: Travel Stories from Around the Globe, available at A Book for All Seasons in Leavenworth. To learn more about Morgan’s Spanish classes, go to leavenworthspanish.com.

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restoring trust While it would be easy to be overwhelmed with sadness at her horse rescue ranch, Claudia Trapp finds the good in helping mistreated animals

story and photos By Jaana Hatton

s you walk through the gates of Trusting Spirit ranch in Orondo, curious horse faces will peek over the fences to greet you. Looking at the healthy, happy animals, it is hard to believe they came here from horrible conditions of abuse and neglect. Trusting Spirit owner, Claudia Trapp, knows all of their sad pasts and is doing her best to help make them heal. “The ranch is my church and the horses are my angels,” she said with a smile. Claudia works as the postmaster of Entiat and the rest of her time is devoted to horse rescue, and most any other animal in need of help. Running a horse rescue requires strong arms and a steady mind. Claudia has witnessed some nightmarish situations, where the horses were nearly dead from neglect. “It sometimes just takes your breath when you see the horrible situation. Then, you make the mental switch to the task at hand, and focus on the rescue. The emotions tend to hit me later, when all is done and I stand here watching the horses on the ranch.” With all the suffering horses Claudia has seen, she still doesn’t want to blame anyone. “It is so easy to point a finger and be angry at someone. I have learned not to judge,” she said firmly. “I don’t know anything

about that person when we go to a rescue site. And, many times there has been mental illness involved, where the owner simply didn’t understand they were mistreating the animals.” Claudia recalls a case where the horse owner had been slowly overcome by Alzheimer’s disease and truly believed he was taking good care of his horse, an old companion. But, he missed many a feeding and forgot about the overall care of the animal. The Wenatchee Humane Society got involved and made the effort to contact the man’s daughter, who began checking on the horse as well as her father. “I try to understand people, to walk a mental mile in their shoes. We will take the horses when needed, but judging is not my job,” Claudia said. In rehabilitating an animal, the start is never easy, and the end result unpredictable. There is hard work and maybe still failure, endless effort and a possible relapse. “We had one horse that was horribly malnourished and had some kind of a severe, old injury to his chest. Slowly, with good nutrition and meticulous care, he started to come around at Trusting Spirit. After a while, his coat was as shiny as they get and he had put on a good amount of weight,” Claudia explained with a happy smile. “Suddenly, he took a turn for the worse again. We saw the weight loss and weakening, but couldn’t do anything to stop it.

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Finally, he could no longer stay on his feet and we had to call the vet to end the horse’s suffering.” Claudia looked away: she always feels bad about the endof-life decisions. She says that is the worst part, having to choose

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October 2016

between life and death. For her, the brief time when she waits for the vet to come is always too long; it gives her the opportunity to doubt and second-guess herself. “The vet did an autopsy afterwards, and discovered masses

“I treat them well here on the ranch, with good nutrition and care. I want to see that trusting spirit come through again”

ABOVE: Claudia pets Mighty Mouse, who is slowly going blind. He still remains a happy, playful horse, who will sneak in a little nip at your shirt if you aren’t watching. BELOW LEFT: Claudia checks on her goats. The baby, Calico, was born at Trusting Spirit and loves all the attention from humans. Claudia uses the goats’ milk once the baby has had her fill.

and masses of cancer around the old chest injury, and all throughout the horse. We had no idea until then. We learned that as we were feeding the horse, we were also feeding the cancer. It was a relief to know we made the right decision to give him his final rest when we did.” Trusting Spirit has become the home of many mistreated horses. While the idea is to have the horses there to recover and then find new homes for them, many are still waiting. “It is so rewarding when a

There is always hay to move and many other chores. Claudia gets her “ranch workout” every day.

horse begins to recover and connect. I treat them well here on the ranch, with good nutrition and care. I want to see that trusting spirit come through again,” Claudia said softly. They don’t always come back to the physical or mental state where they are reliable for riding. For those who do, it can still be a slow process to make the match with the appropriate new owner. Claudia does not release her animals before carefully considering the situation. “The best thing in this work is when an adoption takes place,” Claudia said without hesitation. Trusting Spirit withholds the right to recall an adopted horse for a year afterwards, as well as visitation rights during that year, to make sure there is no further neglect or abuse. “We haven’t had to claim back a single horse yet,” Claudia said. October 2016 | The Good Life

Besides human bonds, the horses make friends among themselves, too. That, again, takes some observation first. If horses share a pen, the match has to be a good one. Otherwise, there can be a lot of nipping and kicking going on. Trusting Spirit has one pony that is slowly becoming blind. It is obviously frightening to the animal when at times it cannot find the water trough or the hay bucket. But he is paired with a gentle mare who keeps him calm and oriented and Claudia makes sure the pony gets his fair share of hugs and kisses. Claudia also has her own horses on the ranch, three rescue llamas and a goat, plus Claudia’s own goats and hens. And the cat, the self-appointed warden of the property. She loves each one. “There is so much that needs www.ncwgoodlife.com

doing besides the twice-a-day feeding and water. Things need repairing, new structures should be built, and there is weeding and overall maintenance. I am truly grateful for the volunteers who help me out.” Many volunteers come a few times and then quit, because the work is hard. They don’t always realize they will be working on a ranch: scrubbing water troughs, scooping manure, carrying armloads of hay. The horses need that kind of care, not just gentle brushing. Of course, that has its place when the vital work is done. The reward for those who help is being in the attentive, almost magical presence of a horse. They are sensitive animals who see right through a person, and will quickly let you know if they are uneasy. It makes you adjust your thinking from grumpy to happy and change your walk from a stamp to a stroll. While the rescue horses benefit from the care, the reverse can also happen: the people involved feel better. “It keeps me going when other people offer to help. The load gets lighter, and it also reinforces my belief in the rescue work I do,” Claudia said. If you are interested in volunteering at Trusting Spirit in Orondo, contact Claudia Trapp at (509) 881-8075. She is happy to find the most suitable tasks for each person. Jaana Hatton is a native of Finland, a globetrotter of 25 years and finally a resident of Wenatchee. She is an enthusiastic outdoor person, enjoying biking and hiking, and is a horse rescue volunteer as well as a rider.

e m a F

Four minutes of By Marlene Farrell Photos by Kevin Farrell

t the entrance to O’Grady’s outdoor dining patio on an August evening, people arrived alone or in small groups for an event with the provocative, if not a bit scary, title of “Four Minutes of Fame” (FMOF). “Fame” was offered to local writers who filled the 16 reader spots to share their work with fellow writers, friends and family. Write on the River, a nonprofit organization, began Four Minutes of Fame events in 2008 for the sake of gathering writers together to meet, share their art and learn from one another. It’s a unique opportunity, given the nature of our work. Like most writers, I spend vast amounts of time typing at my computer or scribbling with notepad in hand. I am alone but for my companion, the coffee cup. With the portability of notepad or laptop, I can relocate my office anywhere. If I dare go to the library or coffee shop, I must keep my head down to avoid eye contact, because this is solitary work. I get together with a few writing friends for critique sessions. We pass out copies of three pages in need of perfection, printed on recycled paper. After reading and discussing them, the pages come back with notes in the margin in several styles of shorthand. FMOF is different. This is a chance to dress up, be social with old and new friends, and

Marlene Farrell gets her four minutes of fame.

talk about writing with people who actually care. Most importantly, if I read, this is an opportunity to polish a short piece until every superfluous word has been cut, every turn of phrase brings a nod of understanding (as opposed to a crinkled brow of confusion), and hopefully the totality of the piece evokes an emotion and insight in the audience. The spoken word is distinct from the written word. To have an engaging reading, in the days before FMOF I

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There is instant camaraderie among the readers, even if we’ve never met before. We are all taking a risk. practice it over and over again. To myself, and to my husband, since he’s willing. I make sure it fits in the four-minute time slot. I tinker with the cadence

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October 2016

to figure out which words are spoken quickly and which are emphasized. Memorization isn’t necessary, but it should be familiar enough that I am free to look up and smile at the audience. The audience is always rooting for the reader; they want us to succeed. To look at them is to get immediate feedback from the expressions on their faces and to acknowledge their importance. That’s why we have sweaty palms and almost trip on our way up to the podium. We wouldn’t be nervous if we were reading to an empty room. Many writers read an excerpt from a novel or memoir. They have the extra task of giving a succinct prelude to their piece so we, the audience, are dropped in with enough knowledge to immediately catch on. There is instant camaraderie among the readers, even if we’ve never met before. We are all taking a risk. We wouldn’t share a piece unless we were proud of it and felt it would resonate with others. I love listening to the poets, who know how to give each word its just measure. There are experts at writing dark, chilling tales or steamy romance scenes that I could never do. We celebrate our diversity and our continual pursuit of better writing. Susan Sampson, one attendee, said, “Those attending the latest FMOF ranged from a 17-year-old Running Start student, whose mother drove her to the event so she could check it out, through

“I keep hoping I can absorb some talent from other folks just by rubbing elbows with them.” people apparently older than I, and I have just entered my 70th year.” When FMOF began, Write on the River was already offering an annual conference where writers attend workshops on craft and the business of writing. Susan Lagsdin, one of the founding members of Write on the River, explained, “FMOF was called Rapid Readers the first time. The consensus was to limit it to short timed readings. That keeps up interest throughout the evening and allows multiple readers, and, for some, it’s a healthy editing challenge.” FMOF happens three times per year, at changing venues, thanks to the generous support of various cafés. The most recent events have been at O’Grady’s Pantry at Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort in Leavenworth, Milepost 111 in Cashmere and the Eastside Coffee Company in East Wenatchee. Susan Lagsdin added, “Though we’re proud to offer activities all year long that foster and encourage writers (our avowed mission) some of us say these open mic readings are ‘the most Write-On-The-River thing we do’ because they are so accessible and supportive.” Susan Sampson, a Wenatchee poet, has participated in five FMOF, including the one at O’Grady’s. “I chose pieces that I thought would be easy for an audience to grasp upon hearing it read for the first time. For that reason, I tended to choose narrative pieces with rhythm or rhyme. I also tried to choose pieces that were light or humorous in tone.” She signs up to read about once a year because, she said, “I

like the format. It lets me get a composition out before an audience, and I am a show-off. “I keep hoping I can absorb some talent from other folks just by rubbing elbows with them. Invariably, the audience is composed of people who listen well.” Jim Parker, another regular attendee and reader at FMOF, said, “I can’t say I feel anything special before I read. I usually am caught up with what others have to say. After I read, though, I am gratified, of course, if someone comments on my effort. “This last time I indulged myself by sharing the loss of my brother. This may have not been strictly within the spirit of the meeting, but I wanted to share, and so I did. One time I was uncomfortable after reading and realized it was because it wasn’t what I really wanted to write. I consider this okay. Reading to the group helped me understand my own writing.” Four minutes goes by quickly when I’m at the podium with my beloved words in hand. A couple times I’ve read from middle grade novels in progress, but this time my piece was about a recent decision to backpack for a week instead of watching the Olympic track and field events (tough for this life-long runner). I tried to convey how both are inspiring, as well as the preciousness of pivotal moments, like those of the Olympians, but also mine, with my kids, growing faster than I can fathom, together in the wilderness. A timekeeper uses various signals to indicate time is up. The signals get more pronounced when the occasional reader heedlessly carries on. But four minutes feels just right to most of us, getting our turn at “fame” and then passing the mic to the next courageous reader.

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PET tales

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

Born with a love of horses gene W

By Cameron Wood

hile some are simply along for the ride, Laura Wagner of Peshastin takes the reins and gallops through life.   Laura’s equine enthusiasm first sprung into existence on a countryside family car ride, in which she gazed out her window in awe of the passing horse-filled pastures. “I remember begging my father to stop and let me out of the car to get up to the fence line. Before the wheels came to a complete stop, I jumped out running as fast as I could to get over to where the horses were. I jumped up on the rail and tried to get over the top and in with the horses but my dad caught me before I was able to do so. ” “Through the years I’ve wondered if that incident had any

Laura sorts with the Appleatchee team cattle sorters. She’s been doing it since the team was created five years ago. She’s won a jacket and buckle (1st place series prizes). Sorting involves partnering up on a random draw with another rider, then the pair must work together to sort the cattle. Photo by Kathryn March

Stephanie Allphin, DVM (formerly Stephanie Johnson,) is accepting new patients at

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October 2016

Old Chief: His Story Arnold Cleveland, a Wenatchi band descendant and member of the Colville Confederated Tribes, shares stories about growing up Native American on and off the reservation at 7 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center. The free talk includes original music by Cleveland.

Laura Wagner, right, and her friend, Heidi Stoller, pause during a ride to Chiwawa River.

relation to the decision my parents had made to purchase horses.”  She was just under the age of five at the time of this initial experience, and her love would only continue to flourish. Today, Laura involves horses in as many aspects of her life as possible, riding for fun, teaching lessons, training horses and taking part in cattle sorting.   “I’ve said before that I think some of us are born with the love of horses gene, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s been a gift of God in my life. When the day is just beginning and I go to the barn to feed and clean, it is something that I thoroughly enjoy,” Laura said.  Although a major part of horse ownership is developing relationships with the horses themselves, Laura has also formed some of her most meaningful friendships with other riders along the way.  “There has been so many elements and chapters of sharing my life with horses. (Through it), I have come to fully realize and appreciate the importance of relationships with people.”  Laura hopes for this to remain a constant in her life for as long as possible.

“I am now 65 years old and I’ve been asked — especially by my kids — if I am concerned about the potential of getting seriously hurt. While I know with horses that it is always a possibility, seriously I feel much safer on a horse than I do in a car. Wisdom does prevail and I have cut back on too much speed on my horse, but as the pillow on my bed says, ‘Life without horses I think not’.  “So I will go on as long as possible and when I can no longer ride I will watch from the bleachers and reflect on the good old days,” said Laura.

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A swelling tide of produce rolls in And what’s a person to do but pick, pit, peel, chop, blend, freeze and can like crazy

Jams made from homegrown and foraged fruit: apricot, elderberry, cherry and peach.

By Maureen Stivers

have spent the last three months functioning as a human Cuisinart. This is nobody’s fault but my own. I am not a farmkitchen girl at heart, but I can’t stop myself from picking, pitting, peeling, chopping, blending, freezing and canning. A huge variety of produce has been landing in our house from all directions and I have turned none of it away. This would not be an unusual summer scenario for a person who worked in food processing, had a substantial edible garden or made regular hauls from the local farmers’ markets. But save for a few herbs, we didn’t sow a seed or sink a plant. And all of it was free. So where did the fruits for my labors come from? I suspect my subconscious desire to acquire the best food possible and the natural phenomenon of a Wenatchee Valley summer. Here are the sources:

September. But our first and most prolific crop, heirloom Lamberts, comes in over about two weeks providing us with luscious fresh cherries, fruit for the winter, jam, desserts and social events when friends come to pick. Cherry season has become a much anticipated annual event.

THE GREAT WENATCHEE VALLEY PRODUCE EXCHANGE

Whether you realize it or not, you are likely participating in this. It’s the boxes of peaches, apples and pears that land on the breakroom table. The calls and emails to take fruits and vegetables, the plea to come pick. The neighbor at your door bearing armloads of corn and zucchini. We give away our excess and receive what we do not have. Even if one has nothing to Nine years ago we bought offer in exchange, folks are our house on 1.25 acres bealways pleased to give away cause we loved the structure Barterers at the gate — Penny and Pete Headman exchange produce with Maureen at to avoid rotting and spoiling. and the foothills setting. a gate in the property fence. (I would love to put tracking The landscape happened devices on everything hometo include cherry, peach and maintain fruit bearing vegetagrown around here to see where cherry tomatoes volunteer year pear trees, raspberry vines and tion went from zero to 60 during after year. it ends up. Can you imagine the blueberry plants. We also found the first summer. crazy web it would weave on the And while we do share the a hidden Italian plum tree and We get better each season and cornucopia (see next section), map?) wild strawberries that we moved 2016 marked our best yields yet. Our lovely next door neighthis all makes for, well, much around to create a patch. Our herb plants winter over and necessary processing and I’m bors, Penny and Pete Headman, Our learning to care for and spread while our once-planted and our dear friends, Ruth and pretty tired of it by the end of

OUR OWN PROPERTY

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October 2016

Scott Parsons, put us to shame every year with their amazing vegetable gardens. We are the lucky beneficiaries of their production. Fortunately, we can reciprocate with fruit, preserves and various concoctions. The other day Pete told me he thought their garden was too big. I assured him that as neighbors this was not a problem for us at all.

FORAGING

So, if I’m complaining about being overwhelmed during the food growing months, why am I going out of my way to seek more? Because, I am a born forager. Actually, we all are. But unless you count rummaging through the shelves at Safeway, this is not how most of us acquire our food. In my case, foraging pre-dates all of the above. I grew up picking wild blackberries with great enthusiasm, getting pricked and poked all the while. My brother and I went to great lengths to get those high-up juicy fellows that my mother would transform into cobblers, pies and jam. I spent summers digging buckets of clams and collecting other sea foods on Bainbridge Island. There was something addictive about going out and finding your own free food. And it tasted so good. I believe most of this was subliminally passed on to me from my mother, who being born in 1929, was raised during the Depression when one accepted, gathered, fished and hunted for any food to be gotten at no cost. (Although I distinctly remember my father leaping out of the car on Highway 101, somewhere near Monterey, and pulling limpets off the beach rocks with his pocket knife and eating them raw, with gusto.) My love of hiking with the right people introduced me to the joys of mushroom gathering. Note: I did not say hunting.

Above: The last peach tree on Maureen’s property survived the strong winds to provide an unusually large yield. Two large pear trees behind it may have protected its last fruit bearing branch. right: Puffball mushrooms gathered from the hillside above the house went into a risotto dinner for the family.

We prefer the “don’t look for it, it will come to you” approach: go hiking, where you think certain species may grow, enjoy your day or overnight, and see what pops up in your path. I’ve made this observation: mushroom hunters don’t typically hike to high elevations and avid hikers rarely pick mushrooms. Wonderful specimens can always be found right next October 2016 | The Good Life

to trails and we are unable to resist them. We pack out all we can carry which, in addition to amazing pasta and risotto dinners means, well, more processing. Not one for drying, it’s usually cooking and freezing. (Read: more work.) And what to say of elderberries. They grow in abundance here and make the most flavor (and labor) intense jelly we’ve www.ncwgoodlife.com

ever tasted. It is a group project and juice extraction involves a contraption called a Visor. It’s a multi-day process which I halfdread, half-rush to. A friend who lives nearby on many acres told me of some old now dry-land apricot trees at the top of their property. I donned a full-sized backpack stuffed with large Tupperware containers, bungeed a step stool and wire hangers onto the back and bushwhacked up. Two hours later, scratched and exhausted, I returned triumphantly with over 25 pounds of apricots. I repeat this every year and probably compartmentalize the additional work it means. For weeks we eat these small flavor-packed delicacies and make amazing jam, helped by a bit of cognac. I first convinced our daughter to ride the entire Loop Trail with the promise of gorging ourselves on blackberries and mulberries at the north end of Walla Walla Park. Next spring, I am determined to make rose petal jelly with my friend Hannah from those ubiquitous wild pink roses. The self-inflicted barrage of fresh produce is not over yet. I still face two trees laden with pears, fall mushrooms, huckleberries, fresh herb pesto and whatever else comes our way. And I will (grudgingly) process it all. Why? Because I believe we can eat as well as anyone, anywhere. So we can enjoy our bounty in preserved form until the next growing season, when we begin it all again. Because we would never miss our fresh herbs at Thanksgiving or our favorite Beef Wellington at Christmas with its porcini mushroom stuffing and elderberry flans for dessert. To make a fresh Anjou winter pear tart for our friend Greg’s December birthday. And, to ring in the New Year with our own flaming Cherries Jubilee.

column GARDEN OF DELIGHTS

bonnie orr

Cooking with fall’s colorful foods Many people tell me that

October is their favorite month — the cool nights, the sunny days, the colorful trees and the abundance of fresh garden produce. The fall gardens are producing a new crop of peas, lettuce, radish and spinach and Brussels sprouts. The Concord grapes will be ready to harvest as soon as there are some frosty nights. I asked a number of my friends, “What foods signal that fall is here?” Amazingly, I received only three answers: apples, nuts and pumpkin/winter squash. Cooking apples apply to those that are slightly snappy such as Granny Smith, Pink Lady, or Piñata. I think the sweet apples such as Fuji or Gala are too watery and too flat when cooked in a main dish. Walnuts are plentiful here. In the past I have written about blanching them to reduce the juglans acid, which irritates some people’s mouths. If the nuts are blanched and slightly toasted, they are ready to add to many delicious dishes. Hazelnut or filbert, which is my dream tree, is my favorite nut to cook with — especially with chocolate. Jack-o’-lantern pumpkins are OK for pies but are not firm enough nor flavorful enough for a main dish. Their cousins include gourds and the wide variety of winter squash — and everyone seems to have a favorite type — are great keepers throughout the winter. When you harvest or purchase a winter squash or pumpkin from the farmer’s market be sure it still has some of its stem attached. If the stalk is missing, the squash will rot.

Nut patties with winter squash and applesauce create a fragrant starter for a meal.

I like to cut an entire winter squash into quarters, remove the seeds and fibers and then bake it. Then I cut it into cubes and freeze the squash in quart bags so it is ready to put into any dish that I am assembling. Also, the squash can be peeled, cut into large chunks, steamed and pureed for sauces and soups. Doing this in advance saves hours of on-the-spot preparation. Why not create the ultimate fall delight?

Apple walnut pumpkin bake If you do not like walnuts, you can use almonds or hazelnuts or pistachios. Select mild bulk sausage. Smoked sausage or highly seasoned meat will overwhelm the subtle taste of the remaining ingredients.

2 tablespoons flour 1 cup grated pumpkin/winter squash Oil for the frying pan 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese 1 cup applesauce 1/4 cup sour cream Salt/ pepper

1 pound bulk sausage 2 large tart apples, cored, peeled, chunked 4 cups cubed raw pumpkin/squash 2 tablespoons oil for the baking dish 1 cup toasted nuts 1 cup chicken stock or apple juice Salt/pepper Fry the meat and drain well. In a large greased casserole dish, stir together all the ingredients. Cover the baking dish. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes until the squash/pumpkin is tender.

Hazelnut patties with blue cheese My friend Cheri Nevue makes delicious nut patties and was the inspiration for this recipe. 30 minutes preparation 12 patties

2 cups coarsely chopped hazelnuts 3 eggs stirred to blend the yolk and the whites Salt/pepper 1 hour preparation and baking 1 small onion finely chopped Serves 6 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs 22 | The Good Life www.ncwgoodlife.com | October 2016

Mix all the ingredients except for the oil and cheese. Heat a large frying pan and add oil to barely cover the bottom. Make patties and fry them a few at a time on both sides. Take them from the pan and sprinkle some blue cheese on the top. Keep warm. Fry the remaining patties. Dab each with sour cream. Serve with applesauce.

Nearly all my friends seem to have a favorite curry pumpkin soup recipe. There is an attraction to the spicy heat of the curry, the smooth sweet winter squash/pumpkin and the sour cream. You can make an interesting accent for the soup from polenta. Many people make polenta — which is the Italian name for cornmeal mush. After making polenta and cooling it, roll it into little balls and bake them crispy at 400 degrees. The entire process takes about an hour, so should be done ahead of time. The polenta balls are essentially a baked hush puppy and can be used as a topping for a variety of soups, stews and baked casseroles. Bonnie Orr — the dirt diva — cooks and gardens in East Wenatchee.

s ’ y a w d r O y r Ca CENTRAL

WASHINGTON

Experience

Couples Fall is great time for that special romantic escape by Cary Ordway

ummer’s gone, the kids are back in school and it’s time to plan that extra special getaway with your Significant Other. Instead of looking for someplace loaded with activities to keep the kids happy and busy, now’s the time to think about romance.

Tihe “tiny houses” near the Columbia Gorge offer a unique chance to stay overnight in a gorgeous vineyard setting

Glamping

Stehekin

Maybe this is a good time to try glamping in one of Washington’s most scenic vineyards. Destiny Ridge Vineyard and Alexandria Nicole Cellars offer glamping -- in other words, glamorous camping. They feature “Tiny House” glamping.

If quiet seclusion is what you’re looking for, a great option is to plan a trip to Stehekin in North Central Washington. Stehekin is a tiny village at the northwest end of 55-mile-long Lake Chelan. It’s a mecca for people who love the outdoors.

These 400-square-foot houses are in the middle of the vineyard situated all by themselves. They each have great views, a deck and even wine on tap depending on which house you rent.

You get there by boat or floatplane -- there are no roads to Stehekin, although there are some roads the locals use in and around the area. You can cruise to Stehekin by boarding the Lady of the Lake in Chelan. A few hours later you’ll be in the heart of the North Cascades.

They’re quite simply appointed -- a mini-fridge, a gas stove, a few amenities such as a French press for your morning coffee. The object here is to enjoy a quiet respite with your significant other in surroundings that are beautiful and quite romantic. The tiny houses are located in Paterson, Washington, near the Columbia Gorge. Visit www. anctinyhouses.com or phone (509) 786-3497.

You’ll be able to stay overnight at the North Cascades Lodge at Stehekin, which features accommodations and

dining for people who want to spend some time in this remote village. Nearby are lots of trails for you and your Significant Other to take even further into the wilderness, as well as fishing, horseback riding and other activities. You can learn more about the North Cascades Lodge at Stehekin by visiting www.lodgeatstehekin.com. Phone (509) 682-4494. Salish Lodge Another great place for couples is Salish Lodge, which is located next to Snoqualmie Falls. The Salish is less than an hour east of Seattle on Interstate 90. The falls are actually 100 feet higher

Cary Ordway is publisher of NorthwestTravelAdvisor.com and host of Exploring the Northwest, heard at 6:27 a.m. and 4:27 p.m. weekdays on KPQ 560 AM, Wenatchee. Central Washington Experience is made possible by the sponsors appearing in these articles. Email: getawaymediacorp@gmail.com; Twitter: @

Nearby is the Salish Lodge, which always ranks highly among quality hotels in the U.S. The lodge opened in 1913. Today you’ll enjoy spacious rooms, massive king beds, and real fireplaces. The lodge also is known for its spectacular breakfast. It is all organic and prepared by a gifted chef and staff that have made the day’s first meal nothing less than magical. You’ll want to order the restaurant’s famous four-course breakfast and enjoy it in a window seat overlooking the spectacular falls. For more information, call The Salish Lodge & Spa at 800-272-5474 or visit www.salishlodge.com. Boatyard Inn The Boatyard Inn is a lodging that looks like an old boatyard and is right Continued on page 25

getawayguy

FALL 2016 | THE GOOD LIFE | Central Washington Experience |

than Niagara so it’s no wonder that people are impressed.

ith summer weather not that far behind us, it’s hard to imagine that in just a few weeks the majestic mountains of North Central Washington will be white, the temperatures will dip and many of us will be looking for that ideal winter getaway heading into the holidays.

Sun Mountain Lodge Consistently named ‘Best Lodge in NW’ -- and it’s easy to see why

The Methow Valley Ski School offers expert instruction for all levels of skate and classic skiing. You pick the time, place and instructor. Private lessons are available for any level from beginner to racer, and quality equipment is available for rent.

One great option is closer than you think. The viewers of Seattle’s KING 5 Evening Magazine last year chose Sun Mountain Lodge as the Best Lodge in the Northwest and, fortunately for Wenatchee Valley residents, the lodge is just a twohour drive north. Located on a mountaintop close to Winthrop, Sun Mountain Lodge offers a commanding view of the Methow Valley and the North Cascades. The lodge is surrounded by the Okanagon-Wenatchee National Forest, a true winter wonderland. Whether you enjoy cross-country skiing, sleigh rides, snowshoe adventures or just sipping wine in an award-winning mountain-top restaurant, Sun Mountain Lodge offers a very special and unique winter escape. After a short closure each November, the lodge reopens late in the month to roll out all of its varied winter activities. October’s a great time to make your reservations for the winter season ahead, and you’ll start by choosing one of the cozy guestrooms either in the lodge or in nearby buildings. Lodge guestrooms feature either stunning views of the North Cascades or sweeping territorial views of the Methow Valley and the National Forest. All of the guestrooms are tastefully appointed with original artwork and hand-crafted wood furniture made by local artisans. Services and amenities include free WIFI access, daily housekeeping service, telephones with voicemail, coffee makers, CD

The Mazama trails cover flat and rolling terrain through farms and woodlands, making for scenic day tours, while the Rendezvous trail system caters to more advanced skiers with elevations climbing from 4,000 to 6,000 feet.

Sun Mountain Lodge is located near Winthrop in a Winter Wonderland

players, hair dryers and lighted make-up/shaving mirrors. Similar amenities are available in the Gardner Lodging rooms, where you’ll also find log-hewn beds, bent willow furniture, seating areas with fireplaces, and exposed timber beams. You can take in the views including Mt. Gardner from your own private patio or deck. Or you can opt for one of the Mt. Robinson luxury guestrooms, which are Sun Mountain’s most elegant accommodations and feature king beds, whirlpool baths, sitting area, refreshment centers, gas fireplaces, private decks and stunning views of Mt. Robinson. Cabins are also available at nearby Patterson Lake.

Once you’re checked in, it’s time to get out and enjoy your surroundings. The mountains here beckon backcountry skiers with the promise of fresh powder while cross country skiers take delight in making first tracks in newly groomed snow. Families strap on their snow shoes for a walk in snow-covered woods or climb aboard a horse-drawn sleigh just to see what dashing through the snow really feels like. The Methow Valley Nordic ski trails span the entire valley with three separate trail systems totaling 200 kilometers of inter-connected, precision groomed ski trails. The Sun Mountain trails offer the most diverse terrain available with something for everyone. You can ski right from your door and enjoy 60 kilometers of pure fun.

FALL 2016 | THE GOOD LIFE | Central Washington Experience |

Snowshoeing, snowmobiling and alpine skiing are also available in the area. Or how about a sleigh ride to get out and enjoy Nature’s beautiful winter views? The wrangler tucks you into the sleigh under a thick , warm quilt and you’re off – gliding through the snow behind the mammoth draft horses, nose tingling in the crisp winter mountain air. As you round the corner and clear the top of the hill, a postcard-perfect vista of snow-covered mountains emerges in front of you. Eventually you arrive at an old-fashioned packer’s tent where you will be welcomed with your choice of a hot cup of cocoa or a fabulous homemade dinner. Speaking of dinner, the lodge dining room has won the AAA Four Diamond Award for 25 years and, partly because of its amazing wine selection, has been named the Restaurant of the Year by the Washington Wine Commission. The restaurant is committed to farm-totable freshness. When you put it all together -- the spectacular location, the award-winning amenities -- we in North Central Washington are fortunate to have Sun Mountain Lodge so close by. For more information on Sun Mountain Lodge, please phone 1-800572-0493 or visit www.sunmountainlodge.com.

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Fall is great time for couples... from page 23 on the water near Langley on South Whidbey Island. The ferries run every half hour from Mukilteo to Clinton, at the southern tip of Whidbey Island and from there it’s a short drive to Langley. Langley is a charming and very small town. With its historic main street and eclectic shops, it’s no surprise that this little berg is a magnet for artists and people who feel a rejuvenation of the spirit. The

St 1st

views across Saratoga Passage are breathtaking, both from downtown and from the Boatyard Inn. The Boatyard is a unique and comfortable place to stay located on the water just a quarter mile or so from downtown. The studio suites are ideal for couples. With their high ceilings, these rooms seem more spacious than most and feature updated furnishings, top to bottom. The rooms come with mini-kitchens and, interestingly, the beds are elevated so you can fall asleep with views of the water.

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Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a short stroll from the garage up to the main house with its wrap-around porches and carport. Many boulders still rest on the property.

Real mountain dreams and a faux log cabin Story by Susan Lagsdin Photos by Donna Cassidy

hen Mike Mallory retired from Southwest Airlines after flying for 36 years and

AT e HSPoONm SOR

sought the perfect site for his permanent home, he exhibited the focused precision that made him a safe pilot on thousands of cross-country trips. The thoroughness of every pre-flight checklist is reflected in his seven

unalterable requirements for a new property: n Sunshine at least 200 days a year n Evergreen trees on property n Mountain view n River, stream, or lake

n No power lines n Seclusion but near a town n A Home Depot or Costco in the area Then he found it in Leavenworth. Check and doublecheck. Mike knows that prior prepa-

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October 2016

his co-pilot on this Washington search mission, stepped onto this property less than a mile down Icicle Creek Road. He said “Yes!” immediately. Each of his requirements was met, and the land — a rockbound 2.19acre lot at the foot of Tumwater Canyon — possessed some bonus features he couldn’t have dreamed of. Standing on the west-facing porch Mike pointed to the massive cliff, the headwall of Icicle Ridge, straight across the Wenatchee River from his home and said, “That’s the Cascade Mountains — right there.” Leavenworth is definitely out of the foothills, but in only a few neighborhoods is a corner of our mountain range a stone’s throw away. The precise siting of the main house gives him a peek of the very latest snow visible at the far tip of the canyon as well as sumptuous sun several months of the year. A previous owner seemed to

}}} Continued on next page

Porch railing is still in the design stages, but take a precipitous peek at the Wenatchee River and Tumwater Canyon. The next best views are from both bathroom windows on the north side.

ration is paramount for any big project, but he didn’t go straight from the wild blue yonder to a home building venture. Following extensive knee surgery from a heli-skiing accident, in 2006 he hiked the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada, solo. A year later he bicycled Canada to Mexico, enjoying the symmetry. Then, also

alone (and in a self-built boat) he sailed around the world, dock to dock from the Bahamas, in exactly two years. The man is accustomed to preparing and executing high-risk endeavors. And he’s also pretty sure when he’s right. After he’d traveled to eight states looking for his home site, Mike and his sister, who was

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A faux log house }}} Continued from previous page have grand plans for the difficult site. The curved driveway and parking strips, the excavation and re-placement of major Mount Stuart granite boulders and some deep pre-dug pilings and footings provided, literally, a firm foundation for the new two-structure project, which Mike started in April 2015. Mike said, “The geology engineer that inspected the site told me this rock’s around 90 million years old.” Up to code. For years Mike had visualized building a log cabin for himself, but he knew those iconic homes can suffer from poor insulation, insects, uneven settling and the problem of electrical and plumbing routes. Intensely practical, he decided to combine the very best

Log facing (identical to the exterior) will soon be applied to all of the interior walls on the perimeter of the house, exactly matching the dovetails and boards where they converge at the edge of the doorway.

features of current log-look technology with high quality

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traditional materials and found that Payette River Lumber in Idaho had just what he needed. Trucked-in lumber and local labor made it happen. The result is a two bedroom, two bath house (1,380 square feet) with a deep porch and deck, plus a carriage house — a separate double garage topped with guest quarters totaling 1,000 square feet. The two structures look like traditional hewn-log buildings, but in this case the square logs are almost an optical illusion. In actuality, the timber frame structure — built by Mike with his brother’s help — was insulated and then overlaid with horizontal live-edged fir planks, only two inches thick but about a foot wide, that meet on the corners of the house with their full-sized, square-cut dovetails. The wood is a naturally stained, gold-colored fir, and the soft gray chinking will be a new breed of adhesive and stretchable mortar. For contrast, the exterior window and door trim comes from

www.ncwgoodlife.com

October 2016

the old Lake Coeur d’ Alene dock. Mike described 150-yearold cedar trees soaked in lake water for 100 years, then dismantled and dried for 20, creating a clear, fine grain lumber that’s distinctively stained from iron bolts. When the time came to make the house into a log cabin, Mike was advised to enlist local builder Shane Covey to handle the unique siding. Shane said, “I totally underestimated how much work that was going to take. But it’s a neat house, and Mike essentially had it built by the time I joined him.” Especially labor intensive was the need to eyeball and hand choose each long “log,” because thin ones next to each other meant too much chinking, and wide ones meant too little. Then, after Shane stapled the siding temporarily on, came the tricky placement of 3,000 screws cinching down the fir planks from the inside. But the results were worth the hard work and the steep learning curve.

Mike demonstrates the difficulty of choosing the just-right board to put next — they range from an ideal 10 inches with many 8 and 12 inch ones in the batch, and he and builder/ helper Shane Covey became adept at estimating.

“After a solo circumnavigation, unless you can get yourself into space, you’ve already had the ultimate adventure.” And Mike has more than a sturdy house. He has a granite wall looming behind the fire pit, sunning decks galore, a rock path to the swimming hole, photo-essay views out every window. There’s total visual privacy in a relatively dense neighborhood, and a good cup of coffee, or brats and beer, just around the corner. Finishing and furnishing should go quickly now that the jigsaw of the not-quite-log siding is complete. Mike’s been living in a fifth-

wheel RV on site during construction and expects to be inside long before snowfall, but he isn’t going to just sit by the

fire or relax on the deck. “After a solo circumnavigation, unless you can get yourself into space, you’ve already had

the ultimate adventure. And the PCT is going to be hard to beat,” Mike said. “But I’ll do some hiking again, maybe in Europe, and I plan to spend December to April on the boat in the Bahamas.” The new place is intended to serve for generations, so it will be enjoyed very soon and also appreciated far into the future. His five siblings (and many nieces and nephews and their own growing children) can visit this very special mountainside home, whether Mike’s here to host them — or off on another adventurous ramble.

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june darling

any of us seem to have become unglued with unruly emotions running amuck. A very adventurous couple recently told me they had given up some of their favorite activities because they didn’t want to go anywhere near crowds. The fear of being killed by a suicide bomber kept them close to home. Listen in. Our conversations are not nearly enough about adventures, but rather about zika, climate change, earthquakes, loss of Social Security, loss of jobs, loss of health care. Add to the fear of all these ghoulies and ghosties, the terror of the upcoming presidential election, the anger and disgust with politics and polarization, and anxieties about children, parents, money, and health… and you start to see what’s happening. Our world has morphed into a nasty, haunted house inhabited by all sorts of long-leggedy beasties. Don’t get me wrong. We need to be serious about our local and global challenges. I’m very concerned too. But here’s the deal — I’m sick and tired of all this coming apart at the seams. We need to pull ourselves back together into

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October 2016

the land of the brave, adventurous and strong. Researchers in various disciplines have outlined solid ways of getting people into firmer emotional shape. Here’s a basic regimen made up of five practices. Three of the practices engage the body. One involves connecting with others. The last one requires some mental reframing. Practice One — Move. Physical activity is good for just about anything you can think of… looking good and being physically healthy, and it’s also essential for being in a good emotional place. Any sort of cardiovascular exercise for 30 minutes is helpful. I like to run every other day. Okay, I waddle more than run, but it works for me. On the off days, I aim for walking with four sets of 30-50 jumping jacks dispersed along the way. Then I force myself to do a few pushups. But anything that gets us moving, pumping blood and oxygen helps. Practice Two — Sleep. If we are more active during the day, it’s easier to sleep well. Staying on a regular routine of bedtime and wake-up times is also helpful. Some people need more or less sleep, but I’m like most adults and need about seven or eight hours at least. That also means not drinking too much water a couple of hours before bedtime, going easy on the booze, and not reading on the computer, phone, or tablet at

least 30 minutes before bed. Practice Three — Relax. Many people have various practices like meditating, praying, listening to soothing music, reading, or relaxing breathing. In a previous article, I wrote about the square breathing exercise, which is advocated by many who are routinely in stressful situations, like the Navy Seals. Square breathing involves breathing out from the belly to a count of four. Hold your breath for four counts. Inhale in from the belly to a count of four. Hold your breath for a count of four. Repeat. Aim for at least five minutes per day of square breathing or some other relaxing practice. Practice Four — Socialize. Tons of interesting research has been done on how humans are positively affected by just being near other living creatures. Being with and talking with down-to-earth, fun folks boosts our spirits. Friendly handshakes or hugs from our friends also helps us feel good. If you are one of those folks who can’t stand people, go for animals. Dogs, cats, birds, horses and even watching fish in an aquarium have been found to boost our positive emotional reservoirs. Practice Five — Be okay with not being okay. Accept that discomfort is a part of life. This is probably the hardest practice and also one of the most helpful. The human experience is not always hunky dory. Everything isn’t always just the way we want it to be, nor are we always the people we want to be. Maybe that’s just fine. Discomfort can help us grow and develop. Being in tough, difficult places can bring forth our best. The most “together” people see crises not as catastrophes, but as possible catalysts for igniting genius and transformation. Exercise, sleep, relax, socialize and be okay with discomfort.

Doing just one of these can help you beat the beasties. And, if these practices leave you cold, try something else. This morning I read research about “mindful dishwashing” (focusing on the smell of the soap, the shape of the dishes, the warmth of the water) for six minutes could lower anxiety levels by 25 percent. Others have told me that reading history or talking to people who have been through wars, earthquakes, or various difficulties helps them gain perspective on their circumstances. Experiment, see what works best for you. How might you get into better emotional shape and move up to The Good Life?

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column THE TRAVELing DOCTOR

jim brown, m.d.

Organic, natural or health food What’s the difference and does it matter how the food packaging reads?

Organic foods have become

big business in our country. Sales of organic foods have increased from $11.5 billion in 2004 to $36 billion in 2014, according to the Organic Trade Association. Organic foods are the fastest growing food category, increasing by 8 to 11 percent annually compared to around 2.5 percent for conventional food sales. Organic foods also cost consumers more. They are more expensive to grow and harvest. The land available for organic crops makes up only 1 percent of U.S. farm acreage. Transitioning land from conventional farming to organic farming takes several years and it is costly. So-called virgin land ready to grow organics is scarce and costly. Despite these barriers, companies such as Costco, Walmart and Kroger have become some of the nation’s biggest sellers of organic food, which have exceeded sales of so called “natural“ food retailers like Whole Foods. In recent years the term organic, when applied to food, has

come to mean it is grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers or chemical pesticides as well as being free from chemical injections or additives such as antibiotics or hormones. The term organic actually refers to the way farmers grow and process agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy and meat products. Organic farming is designed to encourage the conservation of water and soil and to reduce pollution. All are good causes. Organic farmers do not use conventional synthetic fertilizers and chemical pesticides but emphasize use of natural fertilizer from animal or vegetable products that feed the soil. Regular rotation of crops helps to reduce weeds. The USDA has strict government standards for organic certification, although producers who sell less than $5,000 of organic food annually are exempt from that certification. When buying food, look for the “USDA Organic” label to be certain these standards were met. Products that contain less than 70 percent organic ingredients cannot use the word “or-

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ganic” on their product label. Foods labeled as “all natural,” “free range,” “cage free” or “hormone free” should not be confused with the term “organic.” What about the nutritional value for organic foods versus conventionally grown foods? A recent study examining the past 50 years worth of scientific articles comparing the nutritional value of “organic” with “conventional” foodstuffs found no difference in their nutritional content. This makes one wonder why there has been such an explosion in the production and sale of organic food products if it is more expensive and no more nutritious. Organically grown produce has significantly less synthetic pesticide residue than does conventionally grown produce even though neither exceeds current government standards. One reason is that organic regulators bar or severely restrict the use of food additives, processing aids and fertilizer agents commonly used in non-organic foods including preservatives, artificial sweetener, coloring, flavors and monosodium gluta-

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October 2016

mate (MSG). MSG is a flavor enhancer commonly added to Chinese foods, canned vegetables, soup and processed meats. Although probably safe, MSG remains controversial. Many people buy organic because they believe, correctly, that these foods are more beneficial to the environment. When I was a resident in Internal Medicine decades ago at the Mayo Clinic, one of the oncologists who I worked with suspected that many of the lymphomas and leukemias that he saw in farmers and agricultural workers were related to the chemicals and pesticides used in farming at that time. He was ahead of his time. A study done in Canada, published in 2007, reviewed the literature documenting associations between pesticide use and cancer. They concluded that non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia showed a positive association with long term pesticide exposure. Many studies showed an association of brain cancer, prostate cancer and other solid tumors to long-term pesticide exposure.

’S !

These studies did not look at pesticides and synthetic fertilizers used in farming but looked at workers exposed to these products on a regular frequent basis. Many who read these articles now take extra precautions

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month Post-Mastectomy Care by Claudia Baken, RN, CFm

ered by some to be more beneficial beyond a normal healthy diet required for human nutrition. There is no precise objective evidence that has been validated by any regulatory agency that so called “health food” is any more healthy than other similar conventional products. So what is my personal take on this subject? I can see advantages to using USDA labeled “organic” foods, particularly for families with young and growing children. From a purely nutritional standpoint, there is no evidence to favor more expensive “organic” food over conventionally grown food, but I am all for anything that helps keep our en-

vironment safer, uses less water and improves the soil that we grow our crops in. Many of the additives added to foods are not necessarily unhealthy but we are not entirely sure about them. My advice is to be selective on the food you buy and feed your families, yet be somewhat leery if the main attraction to the food you buy is said to be “natural,” “all natural” or “health” food. If buying “organic” foods, look for the USDA/Organic label.

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2012-2015

Not just another pretty face (this artist profile is not for the faint of heart)

By Susan Lagsdin

hen Susan Mitchell was a youngster in Southern California, she delighted in taking the partial jawbone of a long-dead sheep to her elementary school classroom for show ’n’ tell. Her much older brother brought her road kill frogs and other unmentionables that would have sent some little girls into hysterical squeals, but only fascinated her. Presumably, baiting her own fishhook or emptying a mousetrap would have been no problem at all. Susan, now 52, doesn’t know when her lack of squeamishness turned into a fascination with the macabre and the morbid, but she did declare, “I’ve always loved horror movies, but frankly none of them has ever scared me. Well… Silence of the Lambs and The Shining came close.” In the year 2000, an unusual birthday gift to her dear childhood friend who shared her sensibilities was a baby doll complete with bobcat teeth and spooky glass eyes, the first of many spontaneous gestures of…

Susan Mitchell and some of her creepy creations: Lack of squeamishness and a love of horror films.

horrid ickiness?... that would stem from her creativity. Susan wasn’t always a purveyor of creepiness. She dutifully learned a trade right out of high school, and worked as a registered dental assistant for several years — but what’s a girl to do

| The Good Life

when her day job becomes tedious and she’s restless for a new direction? What Susan did was walk around the corner to her local mortuary while investigating career opportunities, and soon

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October 2016

she was in the funeral trade, “I did everything. They had me picking up bodies from hospitals and rest homes, driving to cemeteries. “But mostly I got really good at restoration, re-sculpting people’s faces if necessary and applying

“I took special pride in making an animal look beautiful in death.” makeup so they looked natural.” Soon she parlayed those manipulative skills into taxidermy, starting with one single quail. Though she’s not a hunter and has never killed an animal, she said, “I took special pride in making an animal look beautiful in death.” She read up on the craft and worked for others, and then opened her own business when she and her husband Scott lived in Lake Tahoe, but that venture was short-lived. “Frankly, the work was really difficult, and it was pretty smelly,” she said. A huge bearskin rug was her last-straw project. “It took a really, really long time to make. I realized taxidermy just didn’t pay enough for how hard it was….” A chance encounter with some gorgeous big boulders and a good position in radiology for Scott precipitated the couple’s move to Leavenworth. They are both accomplished technical rock climbers and boulder-ers (they tackled Yosemite’s Half Dome in a day) with a waybeyond-vertical climbing wall in their attic. Living in this mountainous community gives them long days of strenuous climbing with their friends within just a few miles’ drive. And Scott’s good position in radiology at Cascade Medical gives Susan time to create; for the last 12 years she has worked at her craft whenever the spirit moves her. “I just sit at my couch to sculpt, and I only have the one real tool that I use all the time.” She held up a metal dental pick with a spatula end. Smiling slightly, she admit-

ted, “And if we suddenly had to evacuate the house, I’d grab it first.” The technology’s simple: she sculpts with a favorite polymer clay that’s baked in her kitchen oven before she applies paint. Often she’ll incorporate parts of (found) animals and her taxidermy skills into a figure, like “Jessica,” a squirrel head on a calico-dressed body, or the tiny vole with trousers and suspenders that’s in her current queue. Some popular dolls are original sculptures, like her Bette Davis doll or the popular Oompa Loompa doll from Willy Wonka. One custom order is an almost indescribable creature from Hispanic folklore, Chupacabra, which will feature a foxlike head with albino raccoon eyes, and she sold a modified Chucky doll to a British horror film producer, which in 2015 played the title role in Robert. Her online customers have learned they can find the perfect unconventional gift, and now she’s hoping to interest regional retailers in a few of the models. On a day with no work in progress or samples set out for a photo opportunity, the Mitchell’s cozy tree-shaded home on East Leavenworth Road is not spooky at all. Unless you find unsettling an extremely lifelike three-quartersized badger, with luxuriant fur and long claws, leaping out from a plaque high on the dining room wall. Or a large and lovely sepia-toned, Victorian-era portrait over the mantel of a young boy which — (hold it … move over a little bit … to the right…) almost imperceptibly acquires fangs and striking white eyeballs. It’s just a hologram, a trick of light. It’s all in good fun, and Susan Mitchell, with her own sweet smile and pleasing personality, is enjoying every minute of it. To view more of these unusual and eclectic creations (perhaps in time for Hallowe’en?) go to susanscustomcreepydolls.com October 2016 | The Good Life

WHAT TO DO free (other than a smile). Info: Joel Rhyner 387-0051.

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

Village Art in the Park, through Oct. 18, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Outdoor art show sponsored by local non-profit organizations dedicated to provide scholarships for art education using a venue that supports amateur and professional artists. Downtown Leavenworth. NCW Blues Jam, every second and fourth Tuesday, 7 p.m. Riverside Pub at Columbia Valley Brewing, 538 Riverside Dr. Info: facebook. com/NCWBluesJam. Upper Valley Running Club Runs, every Tuesday night. Check in between 4:30 – 6 p.m. for a marked 3 mile trail route. Run or walk. Complete 10 or more and earn an incentive. Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort. Info: sleepinglady. com. Weekly Club Runs, every Thursday check in between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. at Saddle Rock Pub and Brewery. Either a 5k or 10k walk or run on the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail. Complete 10 weekly runs and receive a free shirt. Cost:

2 Left Feet, every Thursday, 7 – 9 p.m. 2 Left Feet is a loose organization of local dance enthusiasts who would like to see more dancing in the Wenatchee Valley. Beginner lesson at the top of the hour followed by carefree social dancing. No partner necessary to join in the fun. Dance style will be 1940s swing with a bit of salsa, blues, waltz or tango thrown in. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Leavenworth Community Farmers Market, every Thursday evening, 4 – 8 p.m. Local eggs, meats, cheeses, bread, produce, fruits, prepared foods, local crafts and more. Lions Club Park. Cost: free. Game Night, every fourth Friday, 7 – 9 p.m. Board games, card games or any games you would like to bring. Open to all and all ages. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Wenatchee Farmers Market, every Saturday, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

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}}} Continued from previous page and Wednesdays, 3 – 7 p.m. Pybus Public Market. Pack Walks, every 4th Saturday at 9 a.m. Bring your friends and dogs on leashes and walk the riverfront trail. Meet on the loop trail behind Pybus Public Market. Info: wenatcheefido.org. Friends of the Library Used Book Sale. 9/23 thru 10/2, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Weekend hours for Fri. and Sat.: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Corner of 8th St. and Commercial St in downtown Leavenworth. All books $1 - $3. Proceeds benefit the Leavenworth Library programs. Leavenworth Oktoberfest, 9/30, 10/1, 7, 8, 14, 15. 6 p.m. – 2 a.m. Fridays, noon – 2 a.m. Saturdays. Free transportation, live music, German food, arts and crafts and activities for the whole family oh yeah and beer! Downtown Leavenworth. Cost: $10 Fridays and $20 Saturdays. Info: leavenworth.org. Wings and Wheels Festival, 9/30 - 10/2. Eastmont Community Park. Car show, radio controlled car meet, swap meet, vendors and entertainment, carnival. Helicopter rides at Pangborn Airport. Skyfest, 9/30 – 10/2, 9 a.m. – 10 p.m. 100s of skydivers building large flying formations, record attempts, wing suit formation flights, tandem skydives and more. Scenic adventure flights too. Lake Chelan Airport. Info: lakechelan.com. Scarecrow Display, 10/1 – 31. 50 to 150 scarecrows will be on display around the Cashmere area. Maps available at the chamber office at 103 Cottage Ave. A grand prize giveaway will be awarded for completing the map tour. Find the secret numbers and add them to the map. Info: cashmerechamber. org. Fall Salmon and Naturalist Walk, 10/1, 9 a.m. – noon. Walk along the Entiat River to witness salmon’s incredible journey from the Pacific to the Entiat with fish biologist Chuck Peven and biologist and land steward Phil Archibald. RSVP required: hillary@cdlandtrust. org or 667-9708. Fall Family Day Hikes, 10/1, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Join the Land Trust and the City of Wenatchee Parks and Recreation Department for a fun

free. Info: wvmcc.org.

morning walking in the Foothills. Learn to use a nature journal to express yourself and learn about nature at Saddle Rock. Info: cdlandtrust.org.

throughout each day. Instructor: Angie Ploch, Certified Health Coach. Pybus Public Market. Preregistration required. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org.

Leavenworth Marathon, 10/1, Half and full marathon start near the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area. Loops through the Icicle Canyon through riverfront trails. Info: teddriven.com.

Upper Valley Museum Annual Tea, 10/6, 1 p.m. Theme is Harvest Tea. Chumstick Grange on Front Street in Leavenworth. Cost: $30. Info: uppervalleymuseum.org.

Norman Baker, 10/7, 7 – 9 p.m. Live performance on the Rail Car at Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org.

Film series: First Monday in May, 10/6, 7 p.m. Behind the scenes insights into the world of high fashion at the 2015 Met Gala. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $10, students $7. Info: icicle.org.

Met Opera live in HD: Tristan und Isolde, 10/8, 9 a.m. Wagner’s masterpiece of overwhelming and all-consuming love, which defies society and the law. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $22, students $12. Info: icicle.org.

Lake Chelan Crush Festival, 10/1, 2, 8, 9. Visitors can take short hops between local wineries to observe first-hand steps involved in grape harvest and wine production, including the opportunity to interact with the growers and winemakers and sample wines of the region. Info: lakechelanwinevalley.com. Mahogany and merlot hydroplane races, 10/1, 2. On the water boat show, classic cars and vintage unlimited hydroplanes from the Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum in Seattle. Vintage inboard limited class hydroplanes and antique and classic mahogany runabouts from the golden era of pleasure boating. Races start early on Saturday morning. Chelan Waterfront Park and Lakeside Marina. Cost: free. Info: mahoganyandmerlot.com. Wenatchee Valley Symphony: Coming to America, 10/1, 7 p.m. Live performance of music of European born composers who traveled to America to compose. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $18 $37. Info: numericapac.org. Loop Trail Geology, 10/2, 1 – 3 p.m. Join geologist Kelsay Stanton on an easy walk on the Apple Capitol Loop Trail to discuss the valley geology and what we see from the trail. Walk from the north of the Odabashian Bridge to the sand dunes on the east side of Columbia River. Info: cdlandtrust.org. Princess Cruise Line Presentation, 10/3, 5:30 – 6:45 p.m. Discover why Princess has been awarded “Best Cruise Line Itineraries” nine years running. Best of all, take advantage of reduced deposits, onboard spending credits and other special offers on select sailings. AAA Wenatchee, 221 N. Mission, RSVP 665-6299. Pybus University: Eating for Energy, 10/4, 7 – 8 p.m. Nourishment includes the food we eat and our daily life choices. Learn how to choose the right foods to nourish your body and give you sustained energy to be and feel your best

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Peter and the Star Catcher, 10/6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 7:30 p.m. 10/16, 23, 2 p.m. Live performance by the Music Theatre of Wenatchee. Riverside Playhouse. Cost: $18. Info: numericapac.org. CVCH Foothills Hiking challenge Guided Hike, 10/7, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Join the Land Trust, Columbia Valley Community Health and Team Naturaleza for a fall Foothills Hiking Challenge Hikes. These hikes are led in Spanish and English and offer a great way to get out and explore our local trails. Also learn about the local plants and animals along the way. Dry Gulch. Info: 667-9708. First Friday locations and events: *Two Rivers Art Gallery, 10/7, 5 – 8 p.m. Featuring minimalist abstract expressionist Robert Wilson. Music by harpist Suzanne Grassell. Wines by Horan Estates Winery. Complimentary refreshments. 102 N Columbia, Wenatchee. Cost: free. Info: 2riversgallery.com. *Merriment Party Goods, 10/7, 5 – 8 p.m. Showcasing our very own Merry Makers art. Some great items for your home or backyard. Sips and snacks available. 23, S Wenatchee Ave. Cost: free. Info: facebook.com/merrimentpartygoods. *Tumbleweed Bead Co., 10/7, 5-7 p.m. Local artist and educator Ellen Smith creates woven wall hangings using her own handmade looms. As she explores the use of natural, synthetic, and hand-dyed fiber as an artistic medium, her work varies in size, color, and texture. Refreshments served. 105 Palouse St. Cost: free. Info: tumbleweedbeadco.com. *Small Artworks Gallery, 10/7, 5 p.m. Regional High School Art Show artists works will be on display at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost:

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October 2016

*Robert Graves Gallery, 10/7, 5 – 7 p.m. Spectrum paintings by John Bissonette. Wenatchee Valley College, Sexton Hall. Cost: free.

Friends of the East Wenatchee Library book Sale, 10/8 – 9, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Wenatchee Valley Mall, East Wenatchee. Fall Family Day Hike, 10/8, 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Animal tracking is the theme for this morning walk at Jacobson Preserve. Info: cdlandtrust. org. Connect with Us!, 10/8, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Visit with people from the Chelan County PUD during Public Power Week. Great speakers and prizes. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Mill and Railroad Historical Walking Tour, 10/8, 10 a.m. – noon. Walk is about 2 hours long. Tour guides are Bobbi Ferg and Bob Stroup. Upper Valley Museum, Leavenworth. Cost: $3 donation. Info: uppervalleymuseum.org. Stehekin Harvest Festival, 10/8, 10 a.m. Pick and press apples for cider, potluck with chili and all the fixings, lemonade, cider and coffee at 1 p.m. Music by Agnes on Fire. Info: lakechelan.com. The music of Abba, 10/8, 7:30 p.m. From Sweden one of the most popular and bestselling ABBA tribute show bands in the world. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Info: numericapac.org. Fire Ecology Interpretive Hike, 10/9, 1 – 3 p.m. Join Dr. Paul F. Hessburg, Research Landscape Ecologist, on a fascinating journey to learn about how fire works in our forests. This 2-mile hike follows the new bike trail at Squilchuck State Park - Discover Pass required for parking. Info: cdlandtrust.org. WORKING Group Theatre: Out of Bounds, 10/10, 6:30 p.m. Humorous, thoughtful and honest this performance weaves together

}}} Continued on page 38

The Art Life

// SKETCHES OF LOCAL ARTISTS

Rising from trauma, writer imagines what-if futures By Susan Lagsdin

He’s done. My arm is being carted away by a couple of government stooges in more self-contained bio suits. My gut wrenches and cramps. I double over and grit my teeth, holding the writhing stump of my tarry arm, growling through the pain… — (from chapter one of After Day One)

Writer Ben Seims, whose

own backstory fuels his fiction, finds that science fiction (a speculative or “what if ” perspective) with living, breathing, realistic humans is the best way he knows to connect with readers, because an imagined future both masks reality and expands its possibilities. He’s finishing up a sci-fi trilogy. The first book with main character John Howe, set in 2096 in a region very much like ours, was published last summer, and the second is due out in October. After the third, he looks forward to pitching a new five-book series. There’s a perception that much great art comes from great pain, that confronting our demons in dance, music, painting or writing can be cathartic. Ben, 36, knows all about that. The Wenatchee-raised full time father of three teenage sons is a cardio nurse at Central Washington Hospital and a National Guard officer. But starting around 10 years ago, he suffered through the fallout from a twoyear deployment to Iraq and a difficult divorce, followed by the suicide of his brother, a fellow writer who’d served in combat

with him in the same company. Ben was always a storyteller. Even on active military duty, he was spinning tales and recording his observations. He described campfire camaraderie and storytelling on his Army posting and the rambling email journalings he sent to friends stateside. Coming home was a trauma. “I crashed and burned for about a year when I got back, and hitting rock bottom was really transformative. I started writing again — it became a huge outlet for me, and I never looked back. I wrote a book right after that.” Then he added candidly, “It was an awful book.” How did he know it was so bad? “Well, it was entirely unedited. Nobody read it through, and people would change the subject when they saw me.” It was a partially autobiographical military romance, from a short story that earned him a “D” when he first wrote it for a college English class but made readers cry. He recalled, “It was the first thing I’d ever written that actually triggered emotions.” That piece of bad fiction (Splintered Promises) written in 2008 turned out to be very good for him. He realized one of the obligations of a writer is to make a story easy to read. “People invest time and money in a book, and they’re always optimistic that it’s going to be good. If you don’t work at your craft, you are doing them a disservice.” He started working at his craft, first attending Write On October 2016 | The Good Life

ies. But technology has opened up the world for writers, so he’s also exploring comics, video games and writing for TV. “My goal is Ben Seims: In fiction, the good guy wins. simple,” he said. “I want to get my stories out to the most possible people. I want them to get so wrapped up in a story they can’t put it down.” He can track his writing growth over the years. “I used to just hurry through drafts, and they were always rough. I had to re-write and re-write. Now I’m more careful on my early drafts — I’d like to get them so they’re almost readable.” Generally, that means fast The River conferences for prowriting early in the morning — fessional advice on everything from drafting and editing to ap- the creative brain work — and revising that piece later in the pealing to agents and editors. evening. And if he encounters a As his involvement in writing temporary roadblock? “Easy,” he picked up speed, his confidence said. “I just switch stories.” grew. Ben has plenty of tales to tell, Meeting writers at more conand he’s learning to wrap true ferences and reading at open life in a gripping version of the mic events assured him that he future that people will want to did indeed have an audience, read about. “In reality, the hero and eventually joining a highdoesn’t always come out ahead. powered local writers critique In fiction, the good guy wins group gave him the candid and — and I think that gives people responsive help he’d been seekhope.” ing. His trilogy character John Ben also became savvy about Howe, in this continuation of book publishing, first trying an author-assist site that chose and the opening passage, is a good example of the rebounding hero. funded his work, then turning …The pain recedes. Reduced to the trickier world of self-pubto a numb electric feeling. I let lishing. my new arm fall to my side, and He’s going to try a traditional wiggle my tingling fingers as the brick and mortar company for final tissues finish building it his series, with the goal of print back. books rather than on-line cop-

“People invest time and money in a book... If you don’t work at your craft, you are doing them a disservice.”

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}}} Continued from page 36 graphic illustrations and interviews to tell the stories of kids stuck on the outside and the adults who feel powerless to help them. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $10. Info: numericapac.org. Pybus University: Detox your life, mind, body and spirit, 10/11, 7 – 8 p.m. Find out how to

November 11, 2016 CONFLUENCE HEALTH FOUNDATION along with Armada Corp presents the

SPIRIT OF A.Z. WELLS

Spend an extraordinary evening at the Wenatchee Convention Center

improve your body’s elimination and assimilation, two keys to our health. Instructor: Dr. Lara Plecher ND. Pybus Public Market. Pre-registration required. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Bird ID Skills Building, 10/12, 26, 11/9, 23, 12/7, 21, 7:30 -9:45 a.m. Come along with naturalist and Land Trust conservation fellow Susan Ballinger for an outing for birders of all levels, from beginner to expert. Hone your field ID skills and learn to contribute to the online birding tool eBird. Walla Walla Point Park. Info: cdlandtrust.org. or Susan at susan@cdlandtrust.org. Film Series: Return of the River, 10/13, 7 p.m. A look at the largest dam removal project in the history of the U.S. and the extraordinary effort to restore an ecosystem and set a river free with filmmaker Jessica Plumb. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $10, students, $7. Info: icicle.org. Custer’s Fall Arts and Craft show, 10/14-16, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Over 100 northwest artisans, fine art, hand crafts, jewelry, pottery, woodworking, painting fiber, photography, metal art, seasonal décor and specialty foods. Town Toyota Center. Info: towntoyotacenter.com. Encanto: Jose Iniguez, 10/14, 6:30 p.m. Live performance by Mattawa based opera tenor who has a unique blend of Opera Arias with traditional Mariachi Boleros. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $10. Info: numericapac.org. Mike Bills, 10/14, 7 – 9 p.m. Live performance on the Rail Car at Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Oktoberfest Rail Run, 10/15. 8k and 10 mile plus a free kids race. Leavenworth Ski Hill. Info: runwenatchee.com. Chelan Chase, 10/15, 9:45 a.m. 5k race/run/walk. Riverwalk Park Chelan. Info: chelanchase.com.

Honoring Jim Wade