The Good Life April 2020

HOW TO GET MORE GOOD SLEEP Y EVENTS CALENDAR

WENATCHEE VALLEY’S

NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE

April 2020

OPEN FOR FUN AND ADVENTURE

A turn of the

wheel

Tossing in a job to chase a potter's dream

plus ARE YOU NEVER TOO OLD TO EXERCISE? HOT SPRING ADVENTURES IN WASHINGTON STATE

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Contents

14 dipping into washington’s hot springs

Travel writer Cary Ordway checks out the warm waters bubbling up from deep underground

16 the joys of opening day

Fishing starts in April, and for fishing guru Dave Graybill, the most fun comes with carrying a camera

18 Big but comfortable

When a local builder decided to build his own home, he didn’t hold back

page 31

dangerous women take on the fight for the vote Features

8 I’ll exercise... tomorrow

At age 84, Constance Bean heard the call of the easy chair and allure of a good book. Her doctor and her children had a different idea

10 a turn of the wheel

Mike Caemmerer had a job in the arts, but he wasn’t making art, so he tossed in his job to follow a potter’s dream

Art sketches n Violinist Michelle Vaughn, page 24 n Filmmaker Jeremiah Higgins, page 28 Columns & Departments 6 A bird in the lens: Pretty but deadly American Kestrel 22 The traveling doctor: Ideas to put you to sleep 23 June Darling: Not to be fooled again 24\-31 Arts & Entertainment & a Dan McConnell cartoon 26 Pet Tales: Taking Baby to the park 32 History: Hard rock gold mining wasn’t easy 34 That’s life: The new old dump truck

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March

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COWB OY From to yee-quiet scient

GRATEFUL. For Our Patients. For The Communities We Serve.

ist horse- hawing riding man

Grateful for the Opportunity to Serve. +

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We are Grateful each day for the opportunity to improve the health and quality of life of our friends and neighbors. It’s the daily encounters with members of our community that mean the most.

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OPENING SHOT

®

Year 14, Number 4 April 2020 The Good Life is published by NCW Good Life, LLC, dba The Good Life 1107 Denney Way, Apt. B-7 Seattle, WA 98122 PHONE: (509) 888-6527 EMAIL: editor@ncwgoodlife.com

sales@ncwgoodlife.com ONLINE: www.ncwgoodlife.com FACEBOOK: https://www. facebook.com/NCWGoodLife Editor/Publisher, Mike Cassidy Contributors, Jean O’Keeffe, Constance Bean, Jamie Howell, Dave Graybill, Cary Ordway, Mike Irwin, Carolyn Black, Bruce McCammon, Donna Cassidy, Jim Brown, June Darling, Dan McConnell, Susan Lagsdin and Rod Molzahn Advertising: Lianne Taylor 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 1107 Denney Way, Apt. B-7 Seattle, WA 98122 For circulation questions, email: donna@ncwgoodlife.com EVENTS: donna@ncwgoodlife.com BUY A COPY of The Good Life at Safeway stores, Mike’s Meats at Pybus, Martin’s Market Place (Cashmere) and Dan’s Food Market (Leavenworth) ADVERTISING: For information about advertising in The Good Life, contact Lianne Taylor at (509) 6696556 or lianne@ncwgoodlife.com WRITE FOR THE GOOD LIFE: We welcome articles about people from Chelan and Douglas counties.

Send your idea to Mike Cassidy at editor@ncwgoodlife.com

The Good Life® is a registered trademark of NCW Good Life, LLC. Copyright 2020

by NCW Good Life, LLC.

Bird Folly Local Wenatchee artist-pho-

tographer Jean O’Keeffe loves to create artwork using a variety of computer software programs to develop her creative expressions.

Typically, Jean will start with one of her photographs on a computer “blank canvas,” similar to how a painter begins.

From there, layers and images

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are added to create her unique vision.

Bird Folly is an example of her favorite composition technique.

This artwork began as a single photograph of a tree trunk.

Jean added individual layers for the background, sun and birds, which were separately enhanced with texture, filters, color changes, shape, or design.

Each layer was then arranged on the canvas to create a blended photo-composite image. With all elements in place, the final artwork is a reflection of Jean’s definitive artistic style.

DRIVING HISTORIC ROUTE 66 Y EVENTS CALENDAR

WENATCHEE VALLEY’S

NUMBER ONE

More of Jean’s work can be seen at Two Rivers Art Gallery in Wenatchee, or on her website www.macroabundanceart.com.

On the cover

Mike Caemmerer enjoys his time at the wheel after trading in long days at the computer for long days in the pottery studio.

See his story on page 10.

NCW fuN iN the WiNter suN Y eVeNts CALeNDAr

MAGAZINE

August 2018

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NuMBer ONe

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January 2019

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October 2018

READERS’ STORIES FROM 2018 of birth, rebirth, travel & joy

now a citizen of where her heart belongs

Second look

Some of our favorite photos from 2018

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PASSAGE TO JUNEAU They finally arrived!

Brothers finish trek started 40 years ago

plus LLamas are an aging hiker’s best friend heart disease in women: more deadLy than breast cancer

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Bold beauty

unlikely chelan home offers stunning lake views

Hillside home is grand with generous space

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Bald Eagles

monsterlove art: letting the freak flag fly

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NUMBER ONE MAGAZINE

MY BEST DAY

becoming an american

WENATCHEE VALLEY’S

April 2020

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column a bird in the lens

American Kestrel — a very pretty, expert hunter

By Bruce McCammon

... I had a smile on my face as I walked the short distance back to my house. If people only knew what was openly visible to them.

Known by the Wenatchi/

P’Squosa peoples as “Liklik,” the American Kestrel is America’s smallest falcon.

Falcons are known for their flight speed. The Peregrine Falcon is the fastest bird in the world, capable of diving at 175 miles per hour.

The American Kestrel is much slower as it hunts for Bruce McCammon prey on the is retired, colorground. blind and enjoys They prefer photographing the birds in north cento watch tral Washington. from high perches and are commonly seen on power or telephone wires. If perches are not readily available, they will hover as they scan the ground for small mammals, birds or reptiles.

Once prey is seen, the American Kestrel will quickly swoop in for the catch. My experience watching them tells me that they rarely miss.

Classified as a medium-sized bird, kestrels are 9-16 inches in length (tip to tail) — about the size of a Mourning Dove.

They are, perhaps, one of the prettiest birds we get to see.

They have a distinctive dark stripe extending down from their eyes, like black tears. A second dark slash extends from behind the eye and down to the shoulder. Their breast tends toward an orange color and has spots. The male kestrel have slate-blue wings while the female’s wings are reddish brown.

American Kestrel: They watch, watch, watch and then swoop.

I have seen American Kestrels in every state of the United States that I’ve visited. Most of the time, they will be found outside urban areas where there is a reduced threat.

I have a friend in the Denver, Colorado area, however, that is lucky to watch them nest through a window in her house.

Because they are fairly common birds, some orchardists encourage them to nest in their orchards as a deterrent to birds that damage their fruit.

I found this male kestrel

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hunting over a small retention pond in my neighborhood and watched as it flew out to hunt and return to the oak tree along the road.

I went home to grab my camera and tripod, hoping that the bird would remain long enough to get a few images. Cars were going by and people were stopping near the tree to access their mail. I figured that my chances were slim but a kestrel on vegetation is always worth the try.

I returned to find the bird still sitting at the top of the oak

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April 2020

scanning the area around the dry pond. I set the tripod up and waited for the bird to pose so that its eye caught the sun to create a nice catch-light.

The bird kept up its routine and appeared to be totally unconcerned about me or other activity in the area. I took photos until I knew I’d exhausted the opportunity.

I’m sure that people driving by were wondering about what I was doing but I had a smile on my face as I walked the short distance back to my house. If people only knew what was openly visible to them.

Keep your eyes on the power lines as you drive around our area. If you see a bird with a plump-looking body and long, bobbing tail, slow down (safely) and look closely as you go by. If you can, stop to look at the bird using your binoculars.

If you’re lucky, the bird will be in nice light and you’ll have your camera along. Grab the shot.

Maybe next time you’ll be lucky enough to find one perched on something natural. Good luck.

If you want to learn about the important role that the Kestrel, Liklik, plays in local Native American lore, pick up a copy of the book Red Star and Blue Star Defeat Spexman by Randy Lewis and William Layman. Copies are available for sale at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center.

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editor’s notes

MIKE CASSIDY

Good

Don’t panic, the good life is still waiting for us

+

A

s we put the final touches on this issue of The Good Life, the news on the state, national and world front keeps getting more and more dreadful concerning novel coronavirus.

It has the nature of a panic, the way people, the stock market and governments are behaving.

I wish we could offer a cure for this virus, but we can’t. However, we can suggest that people remember this is not the first time we’ve been through a personal and/or national crisis.

It’s easy to jump from one bad scenario to the next bad scenario, and maybe the worst will come true.

But, experience tells us probably not.

Be smart, be safe, think of your neighbor. Don’t be a hoarder, appreciate the good work others are doing, don’t spread rumors.

And now that many of us are stuck inside, take a little extra time to read The Good Life — and remember the good in life.

We kicked off last month our campaign to convert non-paid subscribers to paid, and we’ve received an encouraging response.

We’ve also received some nice comments, a few which are replicated here.

Thanks, everybody!

To remind you, during the next few months, we will be asking people on the free introductory mail list to become paid subscribers. The cost is $25 for 12 months of magazines — the same as it has been since 2007.

How do you know you are getting the magazine as an intro-

Local

As you can see, my label says “or Current Resident.” I have been a member of this delightful magazine for some time now & I will continue to love the magazine. .I tion d a c i bl an is pu y issue n to h t o hl for pay e mont pass it o t en th py d hap ard to over, th lose m ’ c I w c n r E fo e. r to look it cove y! azin g a o read s to enj great m r othe ks for a ar. n Thanks for ye Tha for 1 k c this article. che

in my g n i send y do I m a I wa o N . p. U R k o c t e s h c o you t t n a w est ! b e h t

Never did know how we were receiving this great magazine.

Here’s our check.

Thank you Mike Cassidy, Susan Lagsdin & others for a great job... Enclosed is my subscription.

ductory offer, you ask.

Check out the address box on the cover. If the line below the name reads OR CURRENT RESIDENT, then you have been one of the fortunate ones.

April 2020 | The Good Life

See the box to the far right on how to subscribe.

Don’t let The Good Life pass you by.

— Mike www.ncwgoodlife.com

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The introductory time is coming to an end.

If you’ve been receiving The Good Life at no charge, it’s time to become a paid subscriber.

At only $25 a year, you can keep The Good Life arriving at your home every month. To stay on our mailing list, subscribe at www.ncwgoodlife. com OR, mail a $25 check (for 12 issues, in-state addresses) to: The Good Life subscription services 1107 East Denny Way Apt. B-7 Seattle, WA 98122

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MY WORLD // a personal essay

At age 84, why in the world would I want to exercise?

A

By Constance Bean

s senior citizens, we are told by our doctors, children and friends that a program of regular exercise is very good for us.

The way this information is shared one might think it is the magic cure for all that might ail you from head to toe.

But being fair to these well-meaning folks — and exercise is truly good for us all as it does much to improve our flexibility, our moods and our bodies overall — yet at my age of 84 there is just something so comfortable about spending a few extra minutes in a warm bed, a few hours in a comfortable chair with a good book, writing an inspired next article or watching a favorite TV program.

After participating in a busy day, I tell myself that I deserve this much awaited rest time in my favorite chair.

To get up a bit earlier on the cold winter days, bundle up and head out the door becomes less and less desirable the older I get.

I confess to being one of these procrastina- Constance Bean goes through her exercises at the SAIL class. tors about getting the appropriate regular exercise these past years. Everything hurts But this last year I had a wake-up call that and was saved only because a dear friend, in the morning, bed is warm, the chair feels said directly to me, Connie, you must plan Nancy Focht, was sitting next to me on my so good and I am almost through a favorite an exercise program. couch and insisted I needed help, and off to book — I might begin exercising tomorrow.

I had a third-degree heart blockage in May the ER I was sent.

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It was very scary to attend my first class as I knew I had poor endurance and at my age didn’t want to be a poor participant in the class.

With the loving support of my children and a new pacemaker, I did not cross Jordon on Mother’s Day. In fact, I was given strict orders by my youngest daughter, Jill Cordell, this was NOT the day I was to make this crossing.

All I could say, was OK — and put my life and care into the hands of a most capable Dr. Linn at Confluence Health.

After a very successful new pacemaker implant, recovery and gaining of strength the old question came up once again from those who love me: When are you going to start exercising?

With an appreciative expression on my face in response to these well-meaning folks, I shared: “Very soon.”

In the meantime, I knew just where I wanted to be to make this happened: At Carol Wardell’s SAIL class in East Wenatchee at 10 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

I had heard about SAIL (Stay Active Independent for Life) and had many friends enrolled throughout the valley. But Carol was my late husband’s Jay’s SAIL instructor and he loved going to her class. She was a marvel in keeping him motivated and I knew this is what I needed.

Carol has faced huge health challenges yet here she is giving back to all of us, encouraging us, and giving her time to help make us all healthier mature adults.

It was very scary to attend my first class as I knew I had poor endurance and at my age didn’t

want to be a poor participant in the class.

Since I look so healthy, I assumed everyone would wonder why I could not do all the exercises just fine. But I got myself geared up for the first day, and off I went.

Carol was clear to state what she felt I could do and most important was to listen to my body and slow down and do what I needed to do to feel safe and comfortable.

The ladies were welcoming and there were ladies I knew already in the class. All seemed happy to have a new member.

I loved it all. I tried everything and when the class was over, I was so proud of myself. I came home, found my easy chair, and congratulated myself the rest of the day.

I looked forward to the next class and now believe I am totally hooked on being part of this marvelous program offered here in our valley.

I encourage ladies, men too, to check out a SAIL class close to you to work on strength and balance.

You do need your doctor to sign off on you attending and trust me, my doctor was thrilled to learn I had taken this step.

So much reinforcement for participating and the best part is when some well-meaning family member or friend asks, ‘Have you thought about an exercise program?’ I can proudly answer, ‘YES! I attend SAIL classes and I am loving it.”

My instructor is the best.

Carol helps us all be our best and only wants us to enjoy the good life, be healthy and well and be able to do what we like to do each day.

Let’s exercise everyone!

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(509) 66-SUSHI

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8 N Wenatchee Ave “Wenatchee, Thank You for supporting us over the last 9 great years!

We look forward to the next 9 years!”

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Contact us today at The Good Life.

More information about SAIL can be found at www.sailfitness.org. If you are interested in finding a local SAIL class to attend (many have waiting lists), or being an instructor, contact Erin Cass at sailwithmeec@gmail. com or (509) 393-9113. Training and equipment is provided.

Lianne Taylor ~ 669-6556

Constance B. Bean is a retired educator living in the Wenatchee Valley.

April 2020 | The Good Life

lianne@ncwgoodlife.com

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Mike Caemmerer handles some of his new creations in the pottery studio at the Grunewald Guild in Plain.

THE WHEEL KEEPS ON TURNING Tossing in his day job promoting the arts and returning to actually making art

By Jamie Howell

“Idiocy. Great word,” says

Mike Caemmerer. “I’m good at it.”

Hands covered in drying clay, Mike sits with a potter’s wheel spinning quietly between his legs reflecting on a big decision he made a few months back — to walk away from a full-time job with benefits that he’d held for more than half a decade to do … what? Throw pots and write screenplays?

Actually, it sounds brilliant to me — to most people, I’d wager.

Quit your job, leave behind that flickering computer screen to pursue the heart’s most creative desires? It’s the stuff of movies.

I’ve come up to the Grunewald Guild’s Pottery Studio in Plain to learn a bit more about how this recent leap into unemployment is sitting with him. Plus,

Quit your job, leave behind that flickering computer screen to pursue the heart’s most creative desires?

It’s the stuff of movies. he’s promised to show me how to throw my first pot.

Getting into the buff Mike lofts a blob of clay called Vashon Buff into the air and catches it, sensing its weight, pressing it into and out of new shapes, working it.

Mike’s a big guy at six-footsix, so when he throws the clay down onto the pottery wheel it flattens with real force.

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Mike throws a pot for one of the Tall Tree Ceramics collections.

He dips each hand into a bowl of water, presses a foot pedal to set the wheel in motion and then cups the mound as if he’s

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April 2020

protecting it from the wind. I see the clay begin to alternately flatten and grow tall according to the pressures he applies.

A completed set of mugs plus some nesting bowls thrown by Mike.

Mike has been working in ceramics since 1988, but he’s been around the arts his entire life.

His parents, Liz and Rich-

ard Caemmerer, founded the Grunewald Guild, a nonprofit arts education and retreat center, in 1980. Mike and the Guild matured at the same time — the Guild from a single deserted Grange Hall into a bustling 14acre campus with 10 buildings, and Mike from a lanky, Cascade High School student, into a fullgrown theater director and artist who also happens to be the current president of the Guild board.

He hands me the doomed blob of clay. Three pounds of sand and mud, the same stuff that humans have been seeking out since prehistoric times from which to create everything from pee pots to staggering works of art, that I am about to demolish through a series of novice errors and generalized impatience.

I borrow an apron to catch the errant splatter, wet my own hands and feel the mound as it spins in place, coating my hands in a slippery gray.

I try not to think of Demi Moore and the late Patrick Swayze making sensual pottery studio love in the 1990 blockbuster Ghost — but it’s too late.

Unlike what I’m about to do, Mike likes to make things that are “right,” and he has strong opinions about what exactly that means. He pulls a reddish, unfired bowl down off a wire shelf April 2020 | The Good Life

I try not to think of Demi Moore and the late Patrick Swayze making sensual pottery studio love in the 1990 blockbuster Ghost — but it’s too late. and rolls it around in his hands, testing its heft. “I don’t like this one,” he concludes and passes it over to me. “It just doesn’t feel right, you know?”

Handling it myself, it’s clear that I don’t know. It feels fine to me, strikes me as an impressive piece of pottery.

Mike has moved on to another, a tall, inward-sloping vase that he has hand-textured down the sides. “Now this, this just feels right, you know?”

Again, I don’t. But that’s a central piece of what makes an artist an artist — the ability to hold a singular vision, something the rest of the world may not see, and bring it into reality.

Mike knows what he wants out of his pots and he feels his way toward it, patiently pressing and caressing, until what’s in his mind materializes on his wheel. www.ncwgoodlife.com

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And it was, in no small part, the desire for that experience that led him to quit his job.

Creative drift “Now, I don’t make much money,” he says. Mike is as pragmatic about his choice as he is philosophical.

For close to six years, he worked as the Director of Program Development at Icicle Creek Center for the Arts in Leavenworth, booking performances, taking professional touring artists into local schools.

“But the job was too consuming to be serious about anything else,” he says. He could throw a pot every once in a while, or possibly muster the energy to write a snippet of theater but, “I could really feel my creative side drifting off.”

In the summer of 2019, he made the risky and, to many a casual observer, ostensibly irrational move away from financial security to step into the creative unknown.

Mike wasn’t entirely without a safety net thanks to his wife, Adele, a talented painter herself who is currently working as an art teacher for the Wenatchee School District. He refers to her as his patron for the moment, but it’s clear to anyone

}}} Continued on next page

THE WHEEL KEEPS ON TURNING }}} Continued from previous page who spends any time with them, they are really just long-time sweethearts willing to help one another in any way possible.

And then things started to flow. Two stage plays, one screenplay, a short story and shelf upon shelf of artfully glazed ceramics have issued forth in the nine months since he left, a clear indication to Mike that there was something very right about his move. He had gone from working for the arts back to working in the arts.

Not only that, there are some new rivulets of money beginning to form. He has created an online catalog called Tall Tree Ceramics where he makes his “wheel-thrown stoneware” available (http://bit.ly/talltree-ceramics). He’s taking on students in the studio. There’s a trip to L.A. planned to do some read-throughs of his work with his daughter and another wellknown actor. There’s a sense of something building.

The wisdom of getting it wrong My three pounds of clay have

Unfired pots known as “greenware” await glazing in the pottery studio at the Grunewald Guild in Plain.

virtually disappeared, sloughed off into the surrounding bowl by my fumbling fingers. I don’t care. I’m having fun and Mike is being kind by not actually trying to fix all the things I’m doing wrong. It’s counter-intuitive — having fun getting it wrong.

But isn’t that exactly what we so often dream of doing? Bailing out of financial management to start a new life as a chef; joining a band; running away with a circus; going a little Johnny Take This Job and Shove It Paycheck on your boss and walking out the door; taking a real risk and feeling alive again in the bargain.

Mike doesn’t know how long he can make this last. It’s cer-

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tainly not without hard work and self-discipline. But, he says, “I’m having a lot of fun, so at this point there is no reason to stop.”

When he digs deeper, his decision doesn’t feel like idiocy at all. “If you think about it, the real lunacy lies in being a creative and not creating. Right now I’m really happy piecing this creative life together.”

And with that he cups his clay-covered hands and leans back into the wheel that just keeps on turning.

THROW YOUR OWN POTS

Care to discover your own creativity at the pottery wheel? In

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April 2020

addition to individualized classes by Mike Caemmerer through the spring, the Grunewald Guild in Plain offers an extensive selection of week-long arts workshops every summer and a regular open pottery studio (twice a month on Wednesdays from 4 to 7 p.m.).

You can find out more at: The Grunewald Guild grunewaldguild.com Open Pottery Studio - https:// grunewaldguild.com/openstudios/ Tall Tree Ceramics - http://bit. ly/tall-tree-ceramics Classes from Mike Caemmerer, inquire at mpcaem@gmail. com

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s ’ y a w d r O y Car CENTRAL

WASHINGTON

Experience

Hot water:

Places where you get soaked

by Cary Ordway

W

hether it’s summer or the dead of winter, most people find the thought of a relaxing soak in a hot spring -- or just hot water, for that matter -- a happy place to go as they dream of a special getaway that will long be remembered. Fortunately, Washington state has several options to choose from.

We’ve found some great places to soak -- some of them hot springs, some with nice warm water to soothe those body aches and drift off to a place of bliss. Some of these spots have resorts built around them, while others are in the woods where many visitors cannot resist the temptation to go au naturel. Some boast amazing medicinal qualities, while others seem more to emphasize the chance to have a hot soak in a natural setting. Here are a few examples: Soap Lake The Soap Lake Natural Spa and Resort emphasizes the natural healing power of the lake. Dating back to when this North Central Washington lake was frequented only by Native Americans, the lake has always been regarded as a sacred body of water. It was considered a natural cure for cirrhosis, arthritis and poor circulation among many other ailments.

The lake actually has some of the highest naturally occurring mineral content of any lake in

The pools at Doe Bay Resort in the San Juan Islands

the world, as well as some of the highest mineral diversity found naturally occurring in a body of water. Today visitors come for the water, all right, but also because the resort promotes a holistically healthy lifestyle.

The resort attracts many naturists, bird watchers, hikers and hunters and is easy to reach because of its central location in the state. The resort offers many different type of accommodations, in various price ranges, and has pools at the resort for your total immersion in your new healthy lifestyle.

For more information, please visit www.soaplakeresort.com or

phone 800-524-0558, ext. 100.

Doe Bay Resort Some of the most amazing waterfront in the San Juans is located at Doe Bay on Orcas Island, and the Doe Bay Resort and Retreat takes full advantage of their 38 acres of prime waterfront to offer amazing views with your hot soak. The soaking tubs and sauna at this resort are its absolute best features.

The spa features three outdoor soaking tubs (clothing optional), a dry sauna and outdoor showers. You can also get a message in one of their on-site massage cabins.

Cary Ordway is publisher of NorthwestTravelAdvisor.com and host of Exploring the Northwest, heard at 6:27 a.m. and 1:25 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 SPRING 2020 | THE GOOD LIFE | Central Washington Experience |

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The resort offers rustic luxury, and its various accommodations can be quite simple.

You can get everything from a rustic studio style cabin to a three-bedroom luxury cabin, and still other choices include yurts and tent camping.

The activities at Doe Bay also are a big draw and guests can enjoy yoga, guided kayaking excursions, hiking trails in nearby Moran State Park and fresh, local food at the Doe Bay Cafe.

For more information, please visit www.doebay.com or phone 360-376-2291.

Sol Duc Hot Springs A luxurious spa experience awaits you at Sol Duc Hot Springs on the Olympic Pen-

Places to get soaked...

From page 14 insula. The resort is at the northwest corner of Olympic National Park, and about a 3.5-hour drive from Seattle.

There are three mineral soaking pools that are set between 99 and 104 degrees, with a fresh-water pool nearby. There is a restaurant on the premises and you can choose from a variety of accommodations -- lodge-style, cabins or RV campground spaces.

Visitors have been coming to Sol Duc for a long time -- the waters are said to have curative properties which were well known to the Quileutes and other inhabitants of the Olympic Peninsula in history.

Keep in mind the resort isn’t open during the winter months, but everything is cranked up and ready to go in March of each year for their busy season, which lasts through October. It’s a great place to get out and hike, whether you prefer longer or shorter hikes.

For more information, please visit www.olympicnationalparks.com or phone 888-896-3818.

Goldmyer Hot Springs Relatively close to Seattle is Goldmyer Hot Springs, nestled in the Cascade foothills. It’s about

An example of the cabins available at Soap Lake Resort

25 miles east of North Bend and requires a bit of effort to get there. Visitors reach the resort via a 4.5-mile hike, so you need to pack in -- and pack out -- all your supplies.

Once you get there you’ll find an open-air cabana at the hot springs pools as well as campsites with food-hanging lines and containers, two stocked outhouses, two public picnic tables, and a bike rack. And beware: you’ll be going off the grid with neither phone nor internet service available.

The object of all your work getting there is a crystal clear geothermal hot spring which is owned and managed by the non-profit Northwest Wilderness Programs.

The surrounding area, of course, is spectacular and you’ll enjoy hiking

through old growth forest and gorgeous waterfalls on your way to the springs.

Be prepared to encounter some free spirits on your visit to Goldmyer -- clothing for the hot spring is considered optional.

For more information, please visit www.goldmyer.org or phone 206789-5631.

Carson Hot Springs Near the Columbia River Gorge in Southwest Washington is Carson Hot Springs, a resort with its own hot spring that feeds water into the resort’s bath house. The resort promotes the health benefits of the hot springs, suggesting that soaking in the hot mineral water can help with a number of different ailments.

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Relaxation is a big deal at Carson and the resort claims that simply being in the hot water can alleviate stress, pain and discomfort and improve your circulation.

Carson Hot Springs is a vintage resort, meaning it has the look and feel of someplace people might have vacationed a century ago. The lobby is located in the original St. Martin’s Hotel, and the Bath House is from the 1920’s.

Accommodations are more modern.

There are plenty of activities for the outdoor enthusiast, including rafting, fishing, hiking and biking.

The resort has a newly renovated golf course, Elk Ridge.

For more information, please visit www.carsonhotspringsresort.com or phone 509-427-8296.

Central Washington Experience

Sweet joy of a child’s first fish Opening day with a camera in hand

T

New boat to serve Stehekin

T

he mountain hamlet of Stehekin just got a little closer to civilization with the recent announcement that a new Stehekin-based passenger-only ferry service is beginning operations May 6.

Stehekin is located at the northeast end of 55-mile-long Lake Chelan. With no roads to Stehekin, the village has long been an escape for outdoor enthusiasts who love the extraordinary scenery and isolation. Now, with the additional service, passengers will have more options and convenience when planning their trip to the backcountry.

The 50-foot, 32-passenger SunnyJo joins the Lady of the Lake II and the Lady Express in offering regular service to Stehekin.

The new SunnyJo is a catamaran and will ply the waters between Stehekin and Fields Landing -- the upper part of the lake. The other boats, operated by Discover Lake Chelan, will continue to operate between the city of Chelan, Fields Point Landing and Stehekin.

The new service, operated by Backcountry Travels, will depart Stehekin daily at 10:40 a.m., reaching Fields Point Landing at 12:30 p.m. The return trip leaves at 1 p.m. and arrives at Stehekin Landing at 2:45 p.m. The new service will be year-round and passengers can pre-arrange stops at other locations between Stehekin and Fields Point.

The SunnyJo is a new sleek design that allows it to reach speeds of 20 knot and is designed to cut through the water, creating a smoother ride. The interior is airline-style seating. The SunnyJo was built by Thain Boatworks in Everett and has twin 200-hp outboards.

For more information, please call Stehekin Reservations at 509669-5045 or visit www.stehekinferry.com.

By Dave Graybill

he last weekend in April is one of the biggest events in state.

Hundreds of thousands of friends and families gather together, some of them for the only time of the year.

What’s the occasion?

It’s the statewide opening of the lowland lakes to trout fishing. This celebration of the longheld tradition of casting a line in the water with the hope of attracting a trout to a baited hook, still remains one of the primary reasons that causes people to spend time outdoors.

For many years, my wife Eileen and I spent the first day of the weekend traveling to our area lakes. We didn’t take a fishing rod. Just a camera to capture the festivities.

We would encounter large groups of people that were camping at one of these lakes.

It was not uncommon for us to meet three generations of a family that had been coming to the same lake for opening weekend for 30 or 40 years.

Rain or shine, they keep returning. It is where memories were born, and each year more are added to the fabric of these families.

What started all of this? A trout.

The first trout caught by a youngster under the guidance of a father or grandfather, it caused that thrill, and it is a thrill that has been passed down through generations.

My mother used to tell a story about me when I was just two years old. I was missing from

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the house, and she looked all over, even the outbuildings. She finally found me standing on a rock in the middle of Mission Creek, holding a stick like I was fishing.

I must have seen people fishing. Watching the fun they were having, I wanted to experience it.

There is nothing like seeing a youngster catch their first fish.

The emotions range from apt joy to terror.

Some kids can’t wait to get their hands on the fish, while others shrink from the wet wiggly thing.

I have been involved with many fishing events for kids from Moses Lake to Leavenworth. I have witnessed hundreds of kids land their first fish. I think I have as much fun watching them catch that fish as they have doing it.

I have always felt that these events were the best way to get kids, and their families to add fishing as an activity. Unless they have a family member already involved in the sport, there really is no other way to start them on this path, that takes them outdoors and rewards them. When they have success, they can later learn the basics of tying knots and casting — along with lots of patience.

I was fortunate. My father loved to fish, and to take us with him. I remember a day that he rented a boat at Fish Lake, and loaded it with my brother, sister and me. He anchored the boat and we caught a bunch of perch.

What makes me remember this day is that we didn’t use rods. He handed each of us a reel. He had tied on a hook and

There is nothing like seeing a youngster catch their first fish. The emotions range from apt joy to terror. a sinker at the end of the line.

He told us to lower our baited hooks to the bottom and when we got a bite, give the line a jerk and pull the fish in hand-overhand.

He was very clever. There is nothing worse than having three little kids in a boat, all trying to cast. He avoided the flying hooks and tangles that would have resulted. We had a blast and didn’t miss having a rod in our hands at all.

I remember the first fishing reel that I bought myself. It was a Mitchell 300. It served me well for years. That was the beginning of my purchases.

Now the number of spinning rods, casting rods, fly rods and the reels that go along with them just keeps growing. I mean you need a different rod and reel for bass, another for walleye, some for trout and others for salmon, etc. There is a good reason for having each and every one of them — really.

It doesn’t take a big investment to get started. There are many rod and reel combos available at local sporting goods stores at very reasonable prices.

Hooks and sinkers aren’t costly; add a jar of Power Bait or a tub of nightcrawlers and you are ready to hit a local lake.

Here’s a tip. Use a slip sinker method when casting from shore. Slide an “egg” sinker on the line, then tie on a swivel.

Put three or four feet of leader below the swivel to the hook.

When the fish bites the line slides through the sinker. They don’t feel the weight and won’t spit out the bait before you see your line twitch and you can set

One of Dave Graybill’s favorite kids fishing moments came when seeing Karin Lenare with her fish at Rock Island.

the hook.

It is getting more and more difficult to get kids and their families involved in fishing.

When youngsters aren’t on the baseball diamond, soccer pitch or basketball court they have their attention focused on a computer screen.

Youth sports are great, but they don’t offer the same kind of outdoor experience that fishing does. Watching an osprey snatch a fish off the surface of a lake is as much a part of the joy in a day of fishing as landing a fish.

The anticipation of what to come while driving with the family to their favorite lake, and the trip home re-living the day, provides the quality time that is in such short supply these days. Not to mention the fresh fish meals that can be enjoyed together.

I look forward to this opening April 2020 | The Good Life

weekend again this year. I garner real pleasure from observing all those anglers crowding the shores of the many great fishing lakes we have here.

It often appears as barely controlled chaos, but there are squeals of joy, laughter and, “Wow, look at the size of that one!” overlaying the noise and

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frantic activity.

I can’t wait to get out and soak it all in.

Dave Graybill has a popular web site focused on fishing here in Central Washington. He also has a popular Facebook page that keeps people up to date on current fishing opportunities in the region.

Comfortably livable inside, and with its dock all ready for summer boating, this riverfront home’s decks, pool, fencing and landscaping are still under construction.

BIG but comfortable When a builder builds a home he is going to stay in, where are the limits?

Story by Susan Lagsdin Photos by Mike Irwin

H

ere’s a puzzler: How much house could a builder build if a builder could build his house?

Andrew Lange might say the sky’s the limit.

He has incorporated unique,

high-quality features in the many homes he’s built in the last seven years, and he’s currently busying Lange Construction on a dream project — a really big house of his own on a riverbank site between Chelan and Entiat.

He purchased the lot in 2016 and started building two-and-

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a-half years ago while he and his partner Vicki Smith and her young son lived in a renovated garage/guest suite abutting the construction site. They moved into the house late last October.

Well, they’d actually been in it for a while longer. “But it was all sawdust and paint and ‘this isn’t working yet’ for a while,” said Vicki, who saw last Thanksgiving’s big family celebration in the rigorously vacuumed and spiffy-clean house as a landmark occasion.

The day of this interview, a crew with their big rigs was pouring concrete for an extensive retaining wall to allow buildup of the street side driveway and yard. The scene appeared to an outsider loud, massive, laborious and hazardous but was just one of the tasks that must happen in rigid order, on time, for a successful build-

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April 2020

ing project.

As Andrew walked around chatting with the foreman, glancing at his ever-beeping phone, he demonstrated a trait that employees appreciate in a contractor: keeping an eye out without sticking his nose in.

Vicki explained, “He’s always checking on projects, he’s got so many at a time — usually six or seven. Andrew doesn’t have to lift a hammer anymore, but he needs to know what’s going on everywhere.”

Andrew got his start in the family business installing fencing and moved quickly on to houses, and he’s become not just a multi-tasking master but fastidious about detail from the ground up.

“I admit I am a perfectionist.

Whenever I show in the Tour, I want to be sure it’s my house people see,” he said, “so some-

LEFT: Despite the wide and high expanses, the scale is right. A thoughtful use of light, line, color and texture gives this great room a cozy feel.

LOWER LEFT: One reason for choosing this site five miles north of Entiat was the unobstructed view down the Columbia River, seen here from the upstairs family room.

times we live in them ’til they’re ready and I sell them afterward.”

“The Tour” is Building North Central Washington’s Home and Remodeling Expo. The September event is a valuable showcase for builders, and Lange Construction won the People’s Choice award in 2017, but Andrew’s adamant about holding back this particular house.

Andrew will show no house before its time. “Oh, no… it’s not going to be anywhere near ready

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for this year. I’m aiming at 2021,” he said.

The hardscaping (the driveway, retaining wall, fencing, balcony, patio, pool and surround) as well as the landscaping should be pitch perfect in 18 months.

Vicki is very close to the construction as both a real estate agent and a partner on the desk side of the business. She pointed out a few interior items that need to be fine-tuned. As to final decor, her home-building specialty, she said she’ll be judicious about adding artwork and accessories to the space.

Building a 6,000-square-feet house (which includes garage storage for his restored 1960’s cars) wasn’t daunting for Andrew, but Vicki was at first skeptical. “I always said I didn’t want a big house,” she said, “But once we got settled in, this place started to feel really comfortable.”

And, after seven moves in three years, Vicki is fully prepared to make it their long-term residence.

}}} Continued on next page

big

but comfortable }}} Continued from previous page Their master suite is on the main floor, while their son has a bedroom and bath upstairs.

That upper floor has three bedrooms, two with en suite baths, and a living/dining/kitchen area in the center. An adjustment to the original plan (Andrew’s never met a blueprint he hasn’t varied) is the second-floor wine room and an enlarged balcony, which will eventually have spiral stair to the lower patio.

Vicki had worried about scale in the main living area but agreed that the sectioned windows, built-in cabinets and rock work at the fireplace, the tongue and groove ceiling and dark beams visually broke up the expanse.

She prepares meals in a chef ’s kitchen with a gas range and double-capacity refrigerator.

The dramatic vertical cabinetry posed a question: the very top space houses an indirect lighting source, but how about storage? “Easy,” Vicki said. “I just put the everyday things on the lower shelves.”

The white quartz on wide expanses of countertop was field tested by her personally “I took a sample and tried to make it stain. Beet juice, red wine, tomato paste — not a trace.”

One of the distinctive features of the interior is the consistency in tone and style throughout.

The rustic engineered wood plank flooring (everywhere except in carpeted bedrooms), soft gray walls, white quartz, the 11-foot ceiling height, dark alder trim and metal window casings all unify the look.

The two-level guesthouse is connected to the boat and RV garage near the entrance to the

Longtime partners at home and in the construction business, Vicki Smith and Andrew Lange have coordinated their separate skills on many houses, but this one’s the keeper.

property. It was their former digs during building and uses all the same good materials and design choices as the main house.

Built on a .82-acre lot, with neighbors on both sides, the house keeps its orientation to the waterfront, the long dock and views up and down the Columbia. Andrew and Vicki both appreciate that it’s strategically situated in the center of their working lives.

He’s building an eight-home development in Entiat and has started to build more houses in Chelan, and she works throughout the region concurrently for the company and a nationwide realtor (on Facebook she’s The Lange Group, powered by Windermere.)

On any weekday, after their son’s been driven to school five minutes away, they both might work on the couch or in office online, head off on different enterprises, or perhaps travel together to job sites. Vicki knows

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Even this side hallway past laundry room, half-bath and storage area shows the workmanship and coordinated choices of material that are found throughout the house.

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April 2020

this pace is much calmer than when they were first starting the business.

“After five years, Andrew just needed to pump the brakes a little,” she said, “and it’s been good for all of us.”

Taking a breather is a relative term, of course; with major construction happening in his own backyard, Andrew’s not inclined to be a couch-sitter even on an off day.

Nothing the couple needs to do for work is very far away, and though the schedule might be hectic when they’re both juggling multiple projects, they’ll always have a good house — and plenty of it — to come home to.

Have an idea for a home we should feature?

In the master suite’s bathroom a quartz surround serves as a bench, and the glassed shower (tiled in three styles) is color-coordinated with the concrete soaking tub.

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If you’d like us to consider your remodel, a new home, or historic, unique, grand, or otherwise intriguing house, please submit a brief project summary to Susan Lagsdin at sjlagsdin@yahoo.com.

>>

column THE TRAVELing DOCTOR

jim brown, m.d.

Ahh, good sleep! How to get more As I said in last month’s

article, getting adequate sleep of seven to eight hours a night is vital to our health, longevity, regulating our appetite and helping to control our body weight.

The latter is of vital importance considering we are a nation of obesity where 34 percent of adults and 20 percent of our children are considered obese.

We humans are not the only ones who need adequate sleep.

Every living species sleeps, including insects like flies, ants, bees, as well as fish and even worms sleeps.

When I have watched and marveled at the whales in the Sea of Cortez and Bandera Bay in Mexico, I wondered how they coped since they need air now and then. What I didn’t know is that whales do sleep but when they do, only one half of their brain sleeps at a time, amazingly allowing them to live and feed around the clock.

Most people have heard of REM sleep (rapid eye movement) in which we dream and replace our memories. REM sleep in a sense has a healing quality for our worries and anxieties.

REM sleep actually starts in the uterus in the third trimester for babies before they are born.

NREM or non-REM sleep starts when we first fall asleep and cycles with REM sleep every 90 minutes while we sleep.

NREM sleep is responsible for making fact-based memories permanent. Sleep improves our ability to learn, memorize and make logical decisions and choices.

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

I know a teacher in our valley who teaches an “intervention” class of ninth graders. Most of these students have been sent to her class by other teachers because of behavioral, motivation, learning issues and disruptive behavior and teachers couldn’t deal with them in their own classrooms.

At times, she has shared with me the problems she has to deal with her students. At first I thought this must be a result of their home environment or lack of parental involvement, supervision or caring.

I now suspect that a major contributor to their problems is lack of adequate sleep. Many of these kids are up late at night, even as late 4 a.m., playing video games, on Xbox or on their phones. They often come to school and fall asleep. It is nearly impossible to teach or learn in situations like that.

Without adequate sleep, it is hard to retain information. Even college students who cram the night before a test or “pull an all-niter” the night before are doing exactly the opposite of what would bring them the best test results.

When I was in pre-med and later in medical school, I didn’t know anything about the role of sleep in learning. I tried to study as much as possible in the afternoon and early evening in the school library. By about 9 at night I just told myself “I am tired and I just can’t pack anything else into my brain” and went to bed.

I see now in retrospect I was lucky as this is probably the main reason I got though the eight years of college and med school.

Two readers of my last article about sleep asked me the question, “How do we get this ad-

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equate sleep that you are telling us we need?”

First of all, we need to have a sleep schedule of going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. For me that is about 9:30 at night and awakening about 6:30 a.m. It is hard to adjust to frequent changes in sleep times. Stick to a regular schedule as best as you can.

It is important to have your bedroom cool and as dark as possible. I wear a soft, comfortable sleep mask to insure absolute darkness.

Don’t keep your computers or iPads in your bedroom. If feasible, get a comfortable mattress and pillows.

I love exercise in all forms and know how good it is for my body. It is important to avoid exercise two to three hours before bedtime.

Another issue is the use of caffeine, alcohol and nicotine before bedtime. This includes coffee, colas, black tea and chocolates, all of which contain caffeine.

It takes up to eight hours to metabolize caffeine from our body. This is particularly true as we age because with age it takes more time to metabolize caffeine.

I love my morning coffee but I rarely drink coffee after noontime.

It is important to avoid alcohol near bedtime. It might relax or sedate you, but it does not produce natural sleep and reduces valuable REM sleep.

We also should avoid eating a large meal and drinking excessive beverages of any kind especially late in the evening.

Avoid sleeping pills! Studies of over 10,000 participants in one and another of 20,000 participants taking sleeping pills regularly over a two-and-a-half year

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period showed that those taking sleeping pills regularly were 4.6 times more likely to die over this short time period than those not using sleeping pills.

Another study comparing heavy users of sleeping pills, taking more than 132 pills per year, were 5.3 times more likely to die compared to a control group not taking sleeping pills.

Naps are OK in the afternoon but should be avoided after 3 p.m. since they make it harder to sleep later.

Try to relax before bedtime by reading a book or magazine, but not on a device that will interfere with your natural melatonin production.

It is good to take a hot bath or shower before bedtime. Afterwards, as your body cools down, it is easier to fall asleep.

Don’t lie in bed awake. After 20 minutes if still awake and anxious, get up and do a relaxing activity. The anxiety of not falling asleep might keep you awake.

There are numerous over-thecounter sleep aids on the market, most of which contain the antihistamine diphendramine including Benadryl. They may be OK for occasional use, but if used regularly they don’t produce good deep sleep and tolerance to them can develop.

Sleep is one of the most important things we can do to have better health and a longer life expectancy.

Sleep well. Pleasant dreams.

Jim Brown, M.D., is a retired gastroenterologist who has practiced for 38 years in the Wenatchee area. He is a former CEO of the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center.

>>

column moving up to the good life

june darling

We’re too smart to be fooled again!

U

plifting new research strongly indicates that human beings, both as individuals and as groups, show profound wisdom in decision-making.

We are largely free of bias and cognitive errors.

Moreover, researchers point out that we humans repeatedly show objectivity and use solid data to ascertain facts. We readily and easily find the flaws in our own reasoning.

Our emotions work together with our intelligence to help us respond ethically and flexibly even under stress.

Do I need to say it? Surely, you’ve guessed the punchline.

APRIL FOOL. Mark Twain said, “April 1. This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other three hundred and sixtyfour.”

In case we forget our foolishness (on those not April 1 days), researchers are coming to the rescue.

Many books in the last 15 years — the latest one being David Robson’s The Intelligence Trap — have been showing us examples of how we humans repeatedly fall into thinking traps.

For example, look at this short snippet of a court proceeding: Lawyer: Now, Mrs. Johnson, how we your first marriage terminated?

Witness: By death.

Lawyer: And by whose death was it terminated?

Scratching your head? Read it again. Then try this one.

How many animals of each species did Moses take on the ark?

The answer is not 2. The answer is 0.

It was Noah, not Moses who built the ark. Yes, I fell for that

How many animals of each species did Moses take on the ark? The answer is not 2. The answer is 0. one (my brilliant husband confessed that he did too when he read this article.)

Why do we make these sort of errors?

The technical term for our affliction is “cognitive miserliness.” We find ways to conserve our effort. We take shortcuts. In can be funny.

It was a humorous, April 1, 1957 video clip from BBC that got me musing. It’s called The Spaghetti-tree Hoax.

You can watch it on YouTube.

You will see a Swiss family in early spring harvesting, drying, cooking and serving their own delectable, home-grown spaghetti.

Many viewers were irate to find out this segment was joke.

They were calling in to find out where they could buy their own spaghetti trees!

Yes, it can be funny. It’s also a big problem beyond just looking silly.

Our thinking shortcuts include things like stereotyping, jumping to conclusions, looking only at data which support our beliefs. Then we top off our lazy thinking with a heavy dose of arrogance.

To add to our cognitive miserliness and arrogance issues, we are notoriously bad at dealing with our emotions. When we are angry, sad, frightened, we become disconnected from our full brain apparatus.

We think in contorted ways April 2020 | The Good Life

and often do dumb things.

What are the implications?

We can accept that we are ALL quite capable of being foolish, of making mistakes. We can use some tools to protect ourselves from tragic consequences. Here are two simple, highly successful practices.

Use self-distancing. Self-distancing is a way to get a wider, more objective, less emotional perspective on whatever problem we are trying to understand.

In your mind step back from your situation and imagine yourself as a third person observing and factually describing the problem.

Consider how it might be approached and solved. It’s a type of self-distancing technique to ask yourself what advice you would give to another in your situation.

It’s also a type of self-distancing to pretend you are someone else looking for flaws in your thinking.

Manage emotions. We make better decisions if we are in a relaxed, alert state.

We can refrain from interacting and making decisions when we are not emotionally stable (read that again while I hammer it into my own head).

If you are emotionally out-ofwhack stop — don’t type that email.

Get yourself together first.

Try things like taking a breath, going for a walk or run, taking a nap, listening to music, petting the dog, talking to a wise friend, and especially labelling your emotions (experts have found that if we name our emotions — e.g., anger, sadness, jealousy, we can more quickly and effectively increase our emotional awareness, decrease biases, and improve cognitive processing). www.ncwgoodlife.com

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April is the perfect time to accept our foolishness.

To celebrate your budding awareness, you may want to track down that BBC clip of the spaghetti-tree hoax.

If you, like me, want to guard against tragic consequences of foolishness, you can experiment with those two simple techniques — self-distancing and managing emotions.

If you are motivated to become more educated, to go deeper into understanding thinking pitfalls, and to get more tools; read, in addition to The Intelligence Trap, books like Blunder: Why Smart People Make Bad Decisions by Zachary Shore; Blackbox Thinking, Matthew Syed; Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman, How We Decide, Johah Lehrer, Biased, Henry Priest, Predictably Irrational, Dan Ariely, and Influence, Robert Cialdini.

How might you accept your foolishness, guard against tragic consequences, and move up to The Good Life?

June Darling, Ph.D. can be contacted at drjunedarling1@gmail.com; website: www.summitgroupresources. com. Her bio and many of her books can be found at amazon.com/author/ junedarling.

>> RANDOM QUOTE

Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.

Willie Nelson

Violinist and Wenatchee Symphony concertmaster Michelle Vaughn plays whenever and wherever she can; here she’s found a sunny spot in her backyard forest. Photo by Mike Irwin

Picking up the violin ‘The violin is my job, it’s my hobby, it’s the way I volunteer...’

M

By Susan Lagsdin

ichelle Vaughn was 11, giddy about the orchestra recruitment assembly at her elementary school, where she’d heard junior high students ably playing the Pink Panther theme song.

She wanted in. No problem.

When her mom came to her room one day with, “I’m going to the store to buy your instrument. A cello’s too big. Do you want a viola or a violin?” the choice was easy. Since the fearless fifth grader hadn’t heard of the former, she chose the latter.

Now the girl-grown-up, Mi-

chelle is frank about the instrument’s role in her life. “The violin is my job, it’s my hobby, it’s the way I volunteer, the way I challenge myself.”

With a hard-won master’s degree in performance and pedagogy from Central Washington University, she plays first violin for the Wenatchee Valley Symphony for its four or five concerts a year. That means an infrequent but intense rehearsal calendar, maybe 15 weeks a year of late nights, many more hours at home preparing and practicing.

She also serves as the symphony’s concertmaster, so she must be familiar with every part,

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every note of the score and then every nuance conductor Nick Caoile brings to the piece.

During the week, she teaches violin in four of Wenatchee School District’s elementary schools.

Michelle’s played the violin for most of her life, minus one mentally excruciating month of enforced hiatus. Over-extending her arm while practicing Tchaikovsky too strenuously in grad school lead to pain and numbness of her whole left side.

“The awkward setup of this instrument is awful from the body’s perspective,” she said. “I do a lot of preventative work to keep injuries at bay.” But with

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that work at Central, she feels, “I saw huge growth. It prepared me for everything I’m doing now.”

Four years ago, she and her husband Kevin moved to Wenatchee and purchased from his parents the remodeled Crawford Avenue home he grew up in.

Now, Michelle the violinist is also Michelle the mother of two toddlers. It’s a family choice she values, but it means creatively pilfering and plotting time to play music.

She and Kevin are making it work; they’ve sectioned off, visually if not audibly, the end of the long living room of the home, and Michelle keeps her music

“Brahms. Violinists love him… the music is so lush.

He makes you work the instrument in really satisfying ways.” stand and drawers and files of musical literature in that dedicated space. It abuts the kitchen and an appropriately toy-scattered family room, a symbol of her full and fruitful life.

She has finally approximated her past schedule (playing daily up to three to four hours) this last year after the initial babycare interlude, but still yearns for time to delve into music that she’s not practicing for public performance.

Michelle displayed carefullystored pages of some Bach dance scores written expressly for the unaccompanied violin, including a copy of his own hand’s notations. “I would play them just for myself; they’d only have to be ‘presentable,’ not perfect,” she said.

What symphonic music would she wish not to play, ever? A quick answer. “Sousa. It’s repetitive, loud. It grates me in an illogical way.”

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And, if world law made only one composer playable? “Ahhh…” she smiled. “Brahms. Violinists love him… the music is so lush.

He makes you work the instrument in really satisfying ways.”

Michelle would like to meet with four or five other instrumentalists to play chamber music (literally living-room music) but says it’s hard to pull people together.

She generally doesn’t listen to classical selections at home, except, she said, whatever recorded version Caoile prefers of what the symphony is playing next.

But she admits she’ll sometimes ramp up her ’90s teen tunes just to rock out around the house.

And, though she’s declared her children can go their own ways in the arts… or not, she does take them to a weekly Music Together class (“Kind of a ‘Mommy and Me’ for music lovers,” she said.) “We sing songs, we beat on drums. It’s exhausting.”

Musically? Critically? “No — no … nothing like that,” she said.

“Sometimes when we’re dancing around, I have to hold them — and that’s 80 pounds of kids in my arms.”

It’s a full and becoming-balanced life with some gardening in their huge, landscaped triplesized lot — a new venture for her — plus cooking and baking, which she’s already good at.

She’s a veteran violinist. And a mom. Michelle at 34 is pleased to be bringing maturity to her music and harmony to her household.

We provide over 600 guidebook posts for human powered outdoor sports in and around the Wenatchee Valley.

www.wenatcheeoutdoors.org April 2020 | The Good Life

fun stuff what to do around here for the next month Editor’s note: This listing was prepared prior to Gov. Jay Inslee’s emergency order to close all restaurants, bars and places of entertainment and recreation statewide in an attempt to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. It is a good idea to check event websites where possible to make sure the event has not be canceled or postponed.

Homegrown Oldies Jam, every first and third Monday, 7 to 10 p.m.

Riverside Pub. Cost: free.

NCW BLUES JAM, every second and fourth Monday. 7 – 10 p.m. Riverside Pub. Cost: free.

Wenatchee Paddle Club, every Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. open paddle, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 p.m. novice kayak paddle group, Saturdays, 7 a.m. masters crew rowing.

Info: wenatcheepaddle.org.

Upper Valley Running Club, every Tuesday, 4:30 – 6 p.m.

Check-in at the gravel lot across from O’Grady’s Pantry. Maps will be available for a marked 3-mile trail route, partly along Icicle Creek. Run or walk, by yourself, with a friend or with your family. Participate 10 or more times and earn an Upper Valley Running Club tech tee. Info: sleepinglady.com.

1 million cups, every first Wednesday of the month. 7:45 a.m. sharp.

Entrepreneurs discover solutions and thrive when they collaborate over a million cups of coffee. Come join this supportive, dynamic community and hear from two businesses that are between 1 – 5 years old. Discover how we can help move them forward in a positive environment, fueled by caffeine.

Coffee provided by Mela Coffee Roasting. Wenatchee Valley Chamber office, 137 N. Wenatchee Ave. Conversations around death/ death conversations group, meets every third Wednesday, 9 – 10:30 p.m. Does your family really know what you want? Do you have a current will? Who gets what?

This is an information group that is looking at what our family should expect upon our passing. Chelan Senior Center. Cost: free. Info: Concie Luna 630-2972.

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Shrub-steppe poetry podium, every last Wednesday, 5 – 6:30 p.m. A free, public, poetry-only reading. Read your own poems or the work of a favorite poet. Socializing at 4:30, reading starts at 5.

Riverhouse Cigar Bar, 527 Piere St, Wenatchee, adjacent to the Riverside Pub. Info: sfblair61@gmail. com.

Weekly Club Runs, every Thursday check in between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. at Pybus Public Market south entrance. 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: free (other than a smile).

Chelan Lanes Throwback Thursday Bowl, every Thursday, 1 – 10 p.m. Bowl for $3, food and beverage specials. Chelan Lanes.

Info: chelanlanes.com.

NCW Beekeepers Assoc. every 2nd Thursday. Meet at a local restaurant for bee chat. Details: ncwbees.org.

Game Night, every 4th Friday.

Board games, card games or any games you bring. Open to families and all ages. Hosted by Pacific Crest Church. Pybus Public Market.

Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket. org.

Jam at the Crow, 7 – 10 p.m.

Every first Sunday. The Club Crow in Cashmere, 108 1/2 Cottage Ave. Cost: free.

NCW Beekeepers Assoc, every 3rd Sunday, 5 p.m. Douglas County PUD bldg. Info: ncwbees.org.

Bilingual nature-themed storytime at saddlerock shelter, 4/2, 10 a.m. – noon. Link bus will pickup patrons at 9:45 a.m. at the Wenatchee Public Library. A bilingual story will be shared during the ride to Saddle Rock. A librarian will lead a bilingual story on a short nature-journaling hike. At noon the bus will provide transportation back to the library.

Ladies night out, moved to 6/4, 4 – 8 p.m. Hosted by Cascade Medical Foundation and business partners in downtown Leavenworth.

Enjoy a night out with friends at local boutiques, wineries and more.

Cost: $20 includes tote bag, map of participating shops, discounts

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PET tales

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

Animal Care and Control Appreciation Week is April 12-18

THANK YOU for helping create a more humane society

B

aby is a 10-year-old Dachshund, Chihuahua and Blue Healer mix that Gary Wietzorek has had all of Baby’s 10 years.

“Baby was abandoned at six weeks old when I got her,” said Gary.

“She is my support dog, is very sociable, my best companion and we love going on walks,” said Gary.

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

wenatcheehumane.org - 1474 S. Wenatchee Ave - 509-662-9577

C

harles Hunter was out on the Loop Trail with Russell, a oneyear-old mixed breed dog.

Charles said that Russell has high energy since he is still just a pup.

“He wears me out, but he is still a baby and learning,” said Charles. Russell was actually scared of the statute of steamboat captain Alexander Griggs at the end of Fifth Street. “I think he couldn’t figure out why the statute wasn’t moving.”

Charles said that he was dogsitting Russell for a couple of weeks while his friends are in a warmer climate.

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WHAT TO DO

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}}} Continued from page 25 and wellness opportunities. All proceeds help CMF in its campaign to raise $121,000 for Power-load cots and Auto CRP devices for the Cascade Medical ambulances. Info: cascademedicalfoundation.org.

First Friday Events Include: (Events are dependent on state continuation of the emergency proclamation.) *Class with a Glass, 4/3, 5 – 8 p.m. 10 S Columbia St. *Collapse, 4/3, 4 – 9 p.m. 115 S Wenatchee Ave.. *Gypsy Lotus, 4/3, 5 – 8 p.m. 1 S Wenatchee Ave. Cost: free. *Lemolo Café and Deli, 4/3, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. 114 N Wenatchee Ave. *MAC Gallery, 4/3, 5 – 7 p.m.

Wenatchee Valley College Music and Art Center, 1300 Fifth St. *Mela, 4/3, 5 – 8 p.m. Nosh provided. Cost: free. 17 N. Wenatchee Ave. Cost: free. *Mission Street Commons, 4/3, 5 – 8 p.m. 218 S Mission St. *Pans Grotto, 4/3, 4 – 9 p.m. 3 N Wenatchee Ave. Ste 2. * Robert Graves Gallery, 4/3, 5 – 7 p.m. The immensity of our essence new paintings by Martha Flores. Martha uses color and form to express how we fail to see our similarities and see our differences instead. Gallery hours MondayThursday 9 a.m. 1 p.m. Sexton Hall at Wenatchee Valley College, Ninth St entrance. *Tumbleweed Bead Co., 4/3, 5-7 p.m. Refreshments served. 105 Palouse St. Cost: free. Info: tumbleweedbeadco.com. *Two Rivers Art Gallery, 4/3, 5 – 8 p.m. Artists, music and complimentary refreshments. 1 N Wenatchee Ave. Cost: free. Info: 2riversgallery.com. *Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce, 4/3, 5 – 8 p.m. 137 N Wenatchee Ave. *Ye Olde Bookshoppe, 4/3, 5 – 8 p.m. 11 Palouse St. Older and Wiser, 4/3, 7 p.m. Live music on the rail car. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspub-

licmarket.org.

Gold treasure and more show, 4/4, 5, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Over 45 vendors selling prospecting and rock hound supplies, metal detectors, jewelry, art, gems and minerals, rocks, gold pay dirt bags, fudge, coins, soap, candles and more.

Trucks on display. Learn how to pan for gold. Coin and toy hunt for kids ages 2 – 10, 11 a.m. Door and raffle prizes each hour. Food available. Chelan County Fairgrounds in Cashmere. Cost: $5, children 12 and under free. Info: 860-1145.

2020 APPLE BLOSSOM MUSICAL

BJÖRN ULVAEUS

BENNY ANDERSSON

Sagefest, 4/4, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Maintenance on Sage Hills trail and Homestead trail. 1 p.m. BBQ. Light to moderate work using hand tools.

RSVP: cdlandtrust.org.

What’s the fuss about CBD and CBG? 4/5, 2 – 3:30 p.m. Dr. Chandra Villano, ND, will talk about the physiology of the Endocannabinoid system and the physical and emotion benefits and product selection of Cannabinoids. Learn about the therapeutic properties of these non-intoxicating compounds found in hemp. Spirals, 215 E Woodin Ave Chelan. RSVP: 682-2383.

THE MUSICAL

Revitalize WA, 4/6, - 8, Statewide conference focused on historic preservation and economic revitalization, brought to you by Washington State Main Street Program, Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Dip your toe in the world of Main Street and dive deep into its economic development and preservation principles. Three days of workshops, tours and opportunities to explore downtown Wenatchee.

Info: preservewa.org/news-events/ revitalizewa.

Pybus University: Presentation from Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village, 4/7, 7 – 8:15 p.m. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org.

Physiological and molecular changes associated with acclimation to heat stress in apple fruit, 4/8, 4 – 5 p.m. Extreme climate events, such as heat waves and freezes, can have large negative impacts on fruit production. Sunburn, a physiological skin disorder caused by heat and light stress, causes loss of up to 10% of Washington state apple crops. Current prevention methods include evaporative cooling, shade netting, or protectant sprays, each with their own unique advantages and disadvantages. We are interested in

PRESENTED BY

[ APR 29, 30, MAY 1-10 ]

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}}} Continued from previous page understanding the physiology and molecular mechanisms underlying sunburn and plant fruit acclimation to heat, so that we can improve the use of tools to avoid sun injury.

Here I’ll talk about experiments designed to study apple fruit acclimation to high heat and light stresses experienced during a typical growing season, with the goal of informing and developing strategies to minimize losses due to sunburn.

WSU Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center, 1100 N Western Ave. Cost: free. Info: applestemnetwork. org/science-in-our-valley.

Get Lit, 4/8, 6:30 – 9 p.m. Stained glass workshop. Learn how to use design and construct your own personalized stained glass piece along with the basics of soldering.

Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost: $35 includes one personalized stained glass piece and a glass of wine. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org.

Monthly movie on the big screen: Jurassic Park, 4/8, 6:30 p.m. Cost: $3. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Info: numericapac.org.

Mike Super: Magic and illusion, 4/9, 7:30 p.m. Imagine mindblowing illusion combined with the hilarity of a headline comedian.

Family –friendly performing and an awesome journey of emotions from laughter, intrigue, danger, fear, wonder, anticipation, tears and sentimentality. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $5-$37. Info: numericapac.org.

Bird Walk, 4/10, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Springtime is here and the birds are singing, building nests and exploring around. Join birders from Wenatchee River Institute on a birding stroll along the Waterfront Park Trail and learn to identify birds by ear and sight. Wenatchee River Institute. Cost: free. Info: wenatcheeriverinstitute.org.

4/10, 7 p.m. Good Friday performance of the beautiful cantata tracing in song the last days of Jesus Christ. Performed by singers from Wenatchee, Leavenworth and Cashmere. Leavenworth Community United Methodist Church, 418 Evans Street, Leavenworth. Info: Carolyn 548-0318.

The Met: Live in HD: Tosca, 4/11, 9:55 a.m. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $5-22. Info: icicle.org.

Hike for health, 4/11, 9 – 11 a.m.

Improve your health, explore new places, be part of a team, take home prizes and be entered to win one of many grand prizes at the end of the hiking season. Reach 1 trail near Chelan. This easy, wide gravel trail takes you gently down the canyon next to the Chelan River on Chelan PUD property. Wind your way along the river as it cuts through the canyon. 2.2 miles out and back. Info: cdlandtrust.org.

Guided Historical Railroad/ mill walking tour, 4/11, 10 a.m.

– noon. Begin at Lions Club Park, Leavenworth. One to 2 hour walk on a dirt trail, one small hill and sidewalks, about 2 miles long. Cost: $5. Info: leavenworthmuseum.org.

Family Stem Workshop: Night lights, 4/11, noon – 2 p.m. Learn how to use circuitry to wire an acrylic light to a base. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center.

Cost: $30. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org.

Leavenworth Lions Easter Egg hunt, 4/11, 1 – 1:30 p.m. Enchantment Park. All ages. Cost: free. Info: leavenworthlions.com.

Easter Egg hunts, 4/12, 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Mountain Spring Lodge. Info: mtsprings.com.

Upper Valley Nature Walk, 4/14, 1 – 4 p.m. Join Connie McCauley to explore the Ski Hill area, looking at wildflowers, birds and wildlife. Meet at the Ski Hill parking lot. Must RSVP: 667-978 or hillary@ cdlandtrust.org.

Leavenworth Mountain Film Festival, 4/10, 5:30 – 10 p.m.

Showcasing the best recent short films with a focus on outdoor pursuits and the natural world.

Leavenworth Festhalle. Cost: $15 adults, $5 kids 12 and under. Info: icicle.tv

Environmental film and speaker series: the beaver believers, 4/14, 7 – 9 p.m. This documentary tells the story of restoring beavers to the watersheds of the American West by a most unlikely group of activists. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Free popcorn, treats and no host bar. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org.

Leavenworth SONG OF THE SHADOWS Easter Cantata,

Pybus University: Wildfire! Are you ready?, 4/14, 7 p.m. This

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// SKETCHES OF LOCAL ARTISTS

Lives & landscapes:

Local filmmaker captures the moments I

By Susan Lagsdin

n the office or out in the field, Jeremiah Higgins wears whichever figurative hat any day’s filming needs him to wear, as do most of the small crew of film makers at Voortex Productions in Cashmere.

He calls himself simply a storyteller; that’s the essence of his work. His title on the website is “technical director,” and he’s often occupied on shoots as the sound engineer, capturing sound and later enhancing it. But he’s also skilled with film editing that shapes the final viewing experience.

Jeremiah has been involved in this wraparound production process for seven years, since he was 18, and Voortex is his first employer in the industry. He didn’t bring in a stack of certificates, a film school degree or a showy portfolio to his initial job interview because he didn’t have any of them — stack, degree, portfolio or interview.

What he had was even better: his teacher and mentor Charlie Voorhis, owner of Voortex Productions, invited him to work at his company.

Charlie was just transitioning out of teaching film and video at the Digital Media Arts Program at Wenatchee School District’s Wenatchee Valley Technical Skills Center in Olds Station (aka the Tech Center).

He was assembling a team for his growing production business and admired what he’d seen of Jeremiah’s work, and his work ethic, during the younger man’s senior year.

Jeremiah was offered a full-

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time position at Voortex starting right after his high school graduation.

He agrees it’s a great way to begin a career: an interest turned into a hobby and became a profession. “I said I’d give it a year, to see if I liked it…” Jeremiah remembers.

Now he’s involved every day in an art form he’s passionate about, and he lives in the town and terrain he’s loved from childhood. An unbeatable bonus is that often the filming happens out in the local landscape he frequently hikes, skis, kayaks or bikes in.

By age 6, Jeremiah was fascinated by the possibilities of the family’s VHS camcorder and made, he said, “a lot of really short films.” As he grew, the gear did too. His parents, a counselor and a teacher, encouraged his interest and by 16 he was using a Sony Handicam.

Now at his job he has access to a Canon IDc and a RED Scarlet camera, Tamron lenses, microphones and mixers, drones, an exotic array of riggings and an Apple computer system, “With terabytes and terabytes of footage,” he said.

About five projects a month — but sometimes up to 20 — are in various stages of pre-production (planning), production (filming) and post-production (editing).

Jeremiah thrives on the variety.

“One day,” he said,” I might be capturing aerial footage from a helicopter and the next day, dreaming up concepts on a whiteboard… I’m out lots of early mornings before the sun comes up.”

Jeremiah described one

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class will provide information on preparing for evacuation during a wildfire, putting together your grab and go items, and creating your wildfire evacuation action plan. Led

by Lori Nitchals. Pybus Public Market. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org.

Basic Mediation Training, 4/1519. Learn the process of mediation, communication skills and conflict dynamics to promote peaceful and constructive approaches to conflict and its resolution, whether in the workplace, home or in our community. Info: 888-0957 or staff@ wvdrc.org.

Filmmaker Jeremiah Higgins, here at the pre-production board at Voortex, segued from savvy student to valued employee seven years ago, and he still loves his job.

Photo by Mike Irwin

“..we give people who have no voice a chance to be heard.” particularly grueling five days in Hawaii making a promotional video for mega-contractor Goodfellow Bros. “Yeah, Hawaii sounds good,” he said, “but we were working 16-hour days, with usually two hours of work back in our rooms.” (Sadly, after a bad cut on his foot, even his one hour at the beach didn’t go well.)

Voortex, Jeremiah said, has grown enough that they can now produce self-funded films of personal interest alongside those commissioned by clients, and they are able to choose the most satisfying among even those.

Non-corporate entities like school districts, cities and nonprofit agencies all benefit from

the team’s storytelling talents.

Jeremiah’s proud to have worked on a three-part paean to the beauty and industry of the city for the Chamber of Commerce, We Are Wenatchee.

He cites, too, the interview in Miss Veedol with the last surviving witness to the 1931 Pangborn and Herndon nonstop flight from Japan to Fancher Heights, as well as the film’s probing of our long relationship with Masawa.

The business-oriented videos, called cinematic branding, are a pleasure to watch also, whether they’re showcasing camera lenses, coffee, banking or leather goods. Jeremiah worked on a promotional piece showing a farm family waiting all day for its new tractor to arrive. A tiny pig-tailed girl is the star, and the finale is heartwarming.

Jeremiah at first couldn’t pinpoint one moment that stands out as his proudest professional accomplishment, but he picked April 2020 | The Good Life

this from his mental video files.

“When we had the premier showing of Part I of We Are Wenatchee, everybody seemed to be enjoying it, and then toward the end we zoomed in on that statue… you know the one… of the little boy holding the plane? We could hear people crying.”

(That’s Wings, in the plaza at the base of Fifth Street. And if reading a magazine interview with a filmmaker describing a sculpture makes you a little weepy, y’gotta see the movie at voortexproductions.com.)

“What I really value is when we give people who have no voice a chance to be heard. I really want to continuing doing that with film,” he said.

Jeremiah wants to tell more stories in an artful way. He doesn’t need Hollywood, he doesn’t need an Oscar. He’s happy that he can use his skills to do well and to do good, right here, right now. www.ncwgoodlife.com

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Native bees of Washington state, 4/15, 4 – 5 p.m. Formally trained in Native Bee biology, Dr. Don Rolfs has, for more than a decade, focused his field work, laboratory work and photographic skills on the 600+ species of Native Bees of Washington State. While Honey Bees have a place in agriculture, it is our Native Bees who are the primary pollinators, responsible for the flowers of our mountain meadows and remote wild places.

Dr. Rolfs’ profusely illustrated lecture is an introduction to the variety and to the stunning beauty of these essential pollinators. WSU Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center, 1100 N Western Ave. Cost: free. Info: applestemnetwork.org/ science-ino-our-valley.

Using perennials in the landscape, 4/16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Perennials are the bones of a low maintenance landscape and take on many different roles in the garden. The four main types of perennials will be explored. Each type has its own use based on form, texture, maintenance, cultural needs and seasonal interest. Presenter is Paula Dinius.

Confluence Technology Center.

Cost: $10 must register. Info: 6676540 or pdinius@wsu.edu.

Flywheel Investment Conference, 4/16, 9 a.m. – 8 pm. Learn, connect and watch six startup businesses compete for $150,000.

Wenatchee Convention Center.

Downtown Wenatchee. Info: gwata. org.

Girls Night out, 4/16, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Grab your girlfriends and come on downtown for a day of shopping, discounts and in store events. Fun prizes, games and special promotions. Info: wendowntown.org.

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}}} Continued from last page Trail Work at Horse Lake Reserve, 4/16, 3 – 6 p.m. Help finish building the new shortcut trail between Homestead and Old Ranch Road. Snacks, lunch, water to refill your bottle, gloves and tools provided. Must RSVP: 667-9708 or olivia@cdlandtrust.org.

Introduction to Ornithology, 4/17, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. and 4/18, 6 – 10 a.m. Learn the basics of bird biology: evolutionary history, anatomy and physiology, social value of birds, behavioral ecology (breeding, migration, molt), and field methods for studying birds. In the second half of the class learn how to set up some mist nets, handle and measuring techniques and learn and take down the nets.

Wenatchee River Institute. Cost: $70 must register. Info: rbishop@ wenatcheeriverinstitute.org.

Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra Presents: Messiah, 4/17, 18, 7 p.m. Final performances of the season in collaboration with the Columbia Chorale. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $21$40. Info: numericapac.org.

Saddle Rockers, 4/17, 7 p.m. Live music on the rail car. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org.

Grand Coulee Geology Tour, 4/18, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Brent Cunderla will lead a tour of the Grand Coulee Ice Age Floods tour loop which begins in Soap Lake and continues north to Lake Lenore Caves, Dry Falls Interpretive Center, Sims Corner, Electric City, Banks Lake, Northrup Canyon, Coulee City, Summer Falls and Ephrata. Meet at the Wenatchee Valley Museum to board a tour bus. Cost: $55. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org.

Wenatchee Marathon by TedDriven, 4/18, 8 a.m. Half marathon starts at Wenatchee Convention Center, followed by the marathon, 10k and 5k combined start at 8:15. 5k proceeds benefiting The Wellness Place. Info: teddriven.com/Wenatchee-marathon.

Science Fest, 4/18, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Explore science and technology, participate in hands-on activities and demonstrations of space, our solar system, our earth, and meet local scientists to learn about their work. Wenatchee Valley Museum

and Cultural Center. Cost: $5. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org.

Spring Brewfest, 4/18, noon – 4 p.m. Come kickoff the spring season in Chelan with live music, frosty cold beer, Irish whiskey and Irish fare. Fire pits and live dart competition with prizes. PNW breweries will be showing off new spring releases and Irish whiskey experts will be on hand to showcase a variety of Irish whiskies for your enjoyment. Campbell’s Resort.

Cost: $35 includes 10 samples and four raffle tickets. Info: campbellsresort.com.

Leavenworth Rotaryfest presents The Roaring 20s, 4/19, 3:30 – 10 p.m. Dress the part or come as you are. Fundraiser for Leavenworth Rotary Club. Food, drink, live auction, raffle items and a dessert dash. Leavenworth Festhalle. Cost: $50. Info: leavenworthrotary.com.

Workshop: become a weed warrior, 4/21, 6 – 7:30 p.m. What do scentless mayweed, yellow star thistle and jointed goatgrass all have in common? All are noxious weeds. Julie Sanderson will teach field identification tips for a list of 15 most wanted invasive species.

Must RSVP: susan@cdlandtrust. org.

Estrogen, testosterone and fats, oh my, 4/22, 4 – 5 p.m.

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a leading cause of infertility in women of reproductive age. It is a hormonal disorder characterized by increased testosterone in women and is often associated with metabolic dysfunction. In the Binder lab, we study how altered concentrations of estrogen and testosterone affect the ovary and fat tissues, which may contribute to the symptoms observed in PCOS. Our goal is to gain a better understanding of what is happening within specific tissues that could lead to improved treatments in the future. WSU Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center, 1100 N Western Ave. Cost: free. Info: applestemnetwork.org/ science-in-our-valley.

Earth Day River Cleanup, 4/22, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Celebrate Earth Day by strolling and cleaning up along the Wenatchee River with Wenatchee River Institute. Garbage bags and gloves provide. Meet at Wenatchee River Institute parking lot. Info: wenatcheeriverinstitute. org.

Earth Day Wildflower walk at Jacobson Preserve, 4/22,

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5:30 – 7 p.m. Join us for a weeknight wildflower walk lead by Susan Ballinger. Learn about what’s blooming and what we can do to encourage native plants in our area.

Leave with a list of plants found at Jacobson Preserve. Must RSVP: 667-9708 or hillary@cdlandtrust. org.

food fair starts.

Entertainment Stage, 4/23 - 5/3, noon. Entertainment starts in Memorial Park for Apple Blossom.

Blossom and Brews, 4/23 – 5/3.

Beer garden for great drinks and listen to music at the entertainment stage in Memorial Park.

Get Lit: advanced stained glass, 4/22, 6:30 – 9 p.m. Learn how to use design and construct a more intricate stained glass piece and expand your soldering skills.

Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost: $55. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org.

Funtastic Shows Carnival, 4/24 – 5/3. Carnival at Town Toyota Center.

Birding at Mountain Home Preserve, 4/23, 7 :30– 11 a.m.

Would you like to spend a weekday morning hiking, viewing wildlife, wildflowers and snow-capped mountains, while being part of a small team collecting bird species data? Learn more about becoming a CDLT citizen scientist volunteer by contacting Susan Ballinger at susan@cdlantrust.org or 667-9708.

Just Us Band, 4/24, 7 p.m. Live music on the rail car. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org.

Backpack sprayer training, 4/23, 10-11 a.m. Learn the safe and effective use of backpack weed sprayers. This one-hour workshop with Neal Hedges, will be held at a trail in the Foothills. Must RSVP: susan@cdlantrust.org or 667-9708.

Memorial Park Food Fair, 4/23 – 5/3, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Memorial Park

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April 2020

Spring Fling Pickleball Tournament, 4/24, all day. Harmony Meadows. Cost: $50. Info: harmonymeadowscenter.com.

Trail maintenance at Horse Lake, 4/25, 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Trail maintenance and brush removal.

Light to moderate work and hiking 2 – 5 miles using hand tools. RSVP 667-9708 or Olivia@cdflandtrust. org.

Wenatchee Valley Corvette Club: Nothing but vette, 4/25, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Rocky Reach Dam Visitors Park. Car showcasing Corvettes.

Native Heritage bus tour, 4/25, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Explore culturally significant locations from Peshastin Pinnacles to the Wenatchee

>>

WHAT TO DO

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

Heights with Native American guide Randy Lewis. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center.

Cost: $55. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org.

WSU Chelan-Douglas County Master Gardener Plant sale, 4/25, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. More than 20 varieties of tomatoes including both heirloom and favorite hybrids.

A good selection of perennials, vegetable and herbs grown by Master Gardeners. Pybus Public Market.

Info: pybuspublicmarket.org.

Rustique Divas Vintage Market, 4/25, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. More than 40 Rustique Diva vendors will be on hand with unique furniture, one of a kind antiques and collectables, hand crafted jewelry, vintage clothing, plants, signs, pillows, household décor and more. Pybus Public Market. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org.

Spring workshops for writers, 4/25, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Workshops will focus on the craft of fiction writing. Alexis Smith will discuss how any writer, published or potential, can gain a new perspective on the practical process of creating the novel, with proven techniques for organization, research, motivation, revision and dealing with writers block.

Scott Driscoll will focus on narrative voice. How to understand the characters’ emotions, the narrator’s perspective on events, and who is actually telling the story. Learn about psychic and narrative distance and apply it to your writing.

Wenatchee Valley College. Cost: $85. Info: writeontheriver.org.

Leavenworth Historical Town Walk, 4/25, 10 a.m. Come for a two hour town walk. Start at Lions Club Park. Cost: $5. Info: leavenworthmuseum.org.

Leavenworth firefighter challenge, 4/25, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. This 10k race has multiple divisions, gear raffle and live music. Leavenworth Ski Hill. All proceeds benefit the Leavenworth Firefighters and the Wildland Firefighter Foundation. Info: lwffc.org.

Youth Parade, 4/25, 11 a.m. Over 4,500 children ages 14 and under participate in this parade. Starts at Triangle Park goes down Orondo Ave. Cost: free. Info: appleblossom. org.

Introduction to Native Plants Walk, 4/25, 1 – 3 p.m. Joan Frazee and Leesa Broker will share an appreciation of the beauty and complexity in the plant world.

Learn what to look for and how to recognize various patterns in leaves and flowers that will increase the participant’s ability to understand how plants are classified. Wenatchee River Institute.

Cost: free but must register. Info: rbishop@wenatcheeriverinstitute. org.

Wenatchee Riverfront Railway, 4/25, 26, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Home of the Nile Saunders Orchard mini train. All train runs are weather permitting. Birthday rents available by appointment.

Wenatchee Riverfront Park. Cost: $2. Info: Steve Sleeman 663-2900.

Danger Women: Victorious 2020, 4/25, 7 p.m. and 4/26, 2 p.m.

Acclaimed regional actors, musicians, artists, writers and dancers bring women’s history to life on stage. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $22 advance or $24 at the door.

Info: icicle.org.

Earth Day community fair, 4/26, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. A community festival to celebrate and honor our unique and precious Earth. A funfilled day of inspiring educational booths, music, good food and activities. Enchantment Park, Leavenworth. Info: wasteloop.org.

Cakes for college funnel cake eating contest, 4/26 1:30 p.m.

Memorial Park. Info: appleblossom. org.

Fence removal at horse lake reserve, 4/28, 29, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Enjoy the start of wildflower season and great views at Horse Lake Reserve while helping remove hazardous fencing. Info: cdlandtrust. org.

Upper Valley Nature Walk, 4/28, 1 – 4 p.m. In honor of Leavenworth Earth Day Fair, join Connie McCauley to explore the Ski Hill area, looking at wildflowers, birds and wildlife. Must RSVP: 667-978 or hillary@cdlandtrust.org.

A lot of fuss about a parade, 4/28, 7 p.m. An Apple Blossom documentary from the 2018 Apple Blossom royalty selection process and festival events to the crowning of the 100th royal court in the Spring of 2019. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org.

Mamma Mia!, 4/29, 30, 5/1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 7:30, 5/3, 10, 4 p.m. Music April 2020 | The Good Life

Emmaline Pankhurst (Rhona Baron) and her Jiu Jitsu bodyguard display the militant approach to suffrage.

Dangerous Woman take on the fight for the right to vote The fight for women’s vote in

America is one of the noblest and largest non-violent human rights campaigns in world history.

Enduring physical and verbal attack, jail, torture, personal loss and conflict, women and many men fought for women’s suffrage for more than 70 years.

Shining the light on that battle is the goal of this year’s Dangerous Women’s presentation of Victorious 2020, according to Rhona Baron, a performer, artist and award winning edutainment designer who has served as creative director and producer for the past three years.

Dangerous Women formed in 2017 when a women’s history showcase founded by Susan Butruille and Mandi Wickline in 2015 moved from Faith Lutheran Church in Leavenworth to Icicle Creek Center For The Arts.

The group’s mission is to build community by creating performances that honor women whose courage changed the course of Theatre of Wenatchee’s Apple Blossom musical. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $20 - $33. Info: numericapac.org.

Apple blossom Golf Tourna-

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history.

This year, local female actors, dancers, singers, rappers and musicians bring characters like Inez Milholland, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton to life.

Over the past four years, more than 40 women have participated on stage and behind the scenes with Dangerous Women. Contributors have included local drama teachers, a yoga instructor, a belly dancer, a certified Hula instructor, a concert cellist, a maker of giant puppets and noted sopranos, actors, rappers and more.

Dangerous Women brings Victorious 2020 to Icicle Creek Center for the Arts, Snowy Owl Theater April 25 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at https://icicle.org/find-events/ General admission $22 in advance or $24 at the door. Students $12 in advance or $14 at the door.

Info: Rhona Baron at Rhona@ rhonabaron.com. Or visit the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DangerZone98826. ment, 4/30, 9:30 a.m. Awards, raffle and a hole-in-one contest.

Highlander Golf Course. Info: appleblossom.org.

>>

column those were the days

rod molzahn

Searching for a strike The hard work and disappointment of hard rock mining

T

he search for gold in north central Washington began in the late 1850s when gold was found by U.S. Army troops in the streams on the north side of Blewett Pass.

By the early 1860s, white placer miners were beginning to pan and sluice for wealth on the gravel bars of the upper Columbia and its tributaries.

They were soon followed by increasing numbers of Chinese after the completion of the first transcontinental railroads.

By the mid 1860s, thousands of Chinese were working the Columbia from Priest Rapids to the border with Canada. Soon they were exploring the high cliffs along the Columbia for gold deposited by an ancient and much larger Columbia River.

In the Wenatchee Valley, Chinese miners followed signs of gold up Squilchuck Creek. They built a system of wooden ladders and platforms to access gold they found in the cliffs along the north side of the Squilchuck Canyon.

The miners picked and pried rock loose and dropped it down to other men. Some of those ladders and platforms still hang precariously from nearly vertical rock faces.

It was not hard rock mining and neither was it panning along the riverbanks.

Hard rock mining began in earnest in the Blewett Pass area along Peshastin Creek and its tributaries in the 1870s and spawned the town of Blewett.

In 1871, Hiram “Okanogan” Smith, the first white settler in the Okanogan Valley, discovered gold-bearing quartz at the base of Mount Chopaka along the

John (a friend) discovered a ledge which we prospected until time to return to camp.

Fri. 9/23/87 – We prospected the ledge we found yesterday.

Sat. 9/24/87 – Prospected our ledge again today.

Named it the “Last Chance” on account the land around it A hand-dug tunnel is still visible in “D” Reef, Squilchuck Canyon ca. 1885 Photo by Rod Molzahn is all claimed.

George set up Similkameen River. News of that home in Canby, Oregon bound the center stakes and put up a find brought other miners and for the Salmon River mining location notice. they, along with Smith, develdistrict. They arrived there on (In late October, building oped a number of mines in the Sept. 20 and tracked down their was on the minds of the Gubser Similkameen Valley just south brother, George, who had folbrothers and they set about to of the Canadian border and west lowed stories of gold and silver construct themselves a house. of present day Oroville. to the valley a year earlier.

The 16-foot by 20-foot two-floor In 1886, after the huge MoBenedict Gubser came to the log cabin was ready to move ses/Columbia Reservation was Okanogan looking for treasure. into, including hand-made furopened to white settlement, a Like most of his fellow miners niture, in just over three weeks mining boom began on the east toiling in the tunnels, he didn’t and the men returned to work slopes of the mountains separat- find it but he left us a treasure; a in the tunnels of, mostly, other ing the Okanogan and Methow daily diary of his life, the lives of people’s mines for 35 cents/hour Valleys. It was centered near the his neighbors and what it took on 8 to 10 hour shifts.) head of the Sinlahekin Valley, to be a hard rock miner.

Wed. 1/25/88 – John and I about 15 miles northwest of presIt was a life of constant prosworked in the “ Trade Dollar” ent Omak. pecting — searching for the tunnel about two and a half Hard rock miners were chipstrike, something that looked hours beginning about half after ping, picking and blasting promising and worthy of develten o’clock. Our work came to tunnels into the flank of the opment. an abrupt end by a snowslide north Cascades in search of gold Here are some excerpts from coming down the hollow while and silver. The town of Salmon his diary: I was out on the dump with a City (later named Conconully) wheelbarrow of dirt. formed to support the growing Wed. 9/21/87 – George showed It took my barrow and hat mining industry. us around to a number of prosand by quick steps I got to one On Sept. 1 of 1887, Benedict pects today. side of the slide. The barrow was and David Gubser left their Thurs. 9/22/87 – George and left in the drift hear the base of

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It took about 600 strokes to the inch to drill a hole in the upper ledge and then the shot failed to blow the rock out. the hill with about six inches of one handle in sight. I lost my hat and John his coat.

The space from the dump to the tunnel was filled with snow including the tunnel at the mouth. The snow is about 12 feet deep in front of the mouth of the cut.

Wed. 4/18/88 – There is four tunnels being worked day and night at present here. Contracts to tunnel 150 feet has been let on the “Tough Nut” and 100 feet on the “Homestake.”

(Tunneling involved pounding a long, steel, sharpened stake — called a drill — into the rock with a sledge hammer then filling the hole with dynamite, lighting the fuse and exploding the rock. Pick and shovel loosened, then cleared away the debris. The tunnel was a way to locate a vein or ledge of valuable ore, which was, mostly, never found.)

Sat. 3/24/88 – David and I began work in the “Minnie Ha Ha” tunnel last evening. He had bad luck with drills. He broke several. I one.

(Drilling could be painfully slow.)

Sat. 4/27/89 – It took about 600 strokes to the inch to drill a hole in the upper ledge and then the shot failed to blow the rock out.

Tues. 3/27/88 – We did not make six feet of tunnel in all of last week.

Wilson sharpened drills and picks half the day.

(Water leaking into tunnels was a constant threat and annoyance.)

Sat. 4/7/88 – Got a terrible wetting in the tunnel… came to

leaking water from overhead in the tunnel last night. Hitherto the leaking has been from the sides and face of the tunnel so that we kept dry.

Mon. 6/4/88 – Martin and Saltmarsh struck so much water yesterday morning that they could not work. Wilson and the Martin shift timbered the caving streak today.

(In June of 1888, Benedict built a wooden ore car and track to haul rock out of the “Last Chance” tunnel. A year later the ore car was still working hard in the “Last Chance.”)

Wed. 6/19/89 – Put in four

blasts and took out four carloads of dirt from the “Last Chance.”

Thurs. 6/20/89 – Took out 14 carloads of dirt and put in three blasts in the tunnel.

Mon. 6/24/89 – Drilled four holes, shot three of them out and took seven carloads of rock from the “Last Chance” tunnel.

So far have made about a foot of tunnel per day.

Hard rock mining was demanding, physical work, with — in almost every case — zero rewards.

Placer miners working the riverbeds could put a little dust

in their bag at the end of a day. Tunnel drillers like Benny Gubser could work for years on a claim for no gain.

An assay done on rock from the “Last Chance” mine put the mineral value of the ore at $26/ ton, not enough to pay for hauling the rock to a concentrating mill.

Historian, actor and teacher Rod Molzahn can be reached at shake. speak@nwi.net. His third history CD, Legends & Legacies Vol. III - Stories of Wenatchee and North Central Washington, is now available at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center and at other locations throughout the area.

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the back page: that’s life

The old dump truck

By Carolyn Black Every little boy knows, without being taught, how to make all the sounds of a truck, the shifting of gears, the gunning of the engine, honking of horns and the list goes on.

They all dream of owning a truck, the bigger the better, and my husband wasn’t different.

We lived on a farm, far from city life, and it was only natural he needed a truck, but they do cost money, not only for the purchase, but parts, repair, insurance… again, the list goes on.

It was only natural since he wanted a truck, he found just the truck.

The price was right since it needed some repair. The owner (now former owner) guaranteed us that the truck (a dump truck no less) had run well until he

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Sold and erected by an independent locally owned builder.

Alas, after what I had done wrong was explained (never-to-be forgotten), it was decided I should push him home. parked it in their graveled yard.

All my husband needed to do was tinker around, and all were assured it would soon be running like a top.

It didn’t start — no surprise — so with the family truck we already owned, I was elected to tow him home where all this magic could happen.

A long strong rope was found and tied to the back bumper on the family truck to the front bumper of our NEW old truck.

Well, unknown to us, the brakes didn’t work well either, so at the first glimpse of the STOP sign where we were turning to head for home, I started braking — and watched the big NEW old truck getting closer and closer in the rearview mirror.

Thinking the trucks might collide, I pushed on the gas, to tighten the towline, but since the line was dragging on the ground, the front right tire of the NEW old truck rolled over the tow line. WAP, WAP,

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the towline wrapped around the tire, and due to its age and years in the sun unprotected, the rubber crumbled and the right corner of the dump truck was sitting on the pavement.

Alas, after what I had done wrong was explained (never-tobe forgotten), it was decided I should push him home.

But first, the dump truck tire had to be changed.

On that particular truck, (maybe this is common) but the front tires were several inches smaller than the rear tires, and the only “spare” was to use one of the dually tires off the back of the dump truck.

It took awhile to loosen (WD40 came in handy), and get it onto the front where the other tire had been destroyed.

The truck sat at a strange angle, with the unevenness of the front wheels.

With the towline untied and heaved into the back of the family truck, off we went for home.

The kids and I, sitting in the family truck, couldn’t see a thing over or around, but I started pushing the BIG TRUCK, my husband’s arm hanging out the window urging me to go faster, slow down or whatever.

He had said he was going to shift the BIG truck into low gear to slow or stop. This could work, as it was only a couple more miles to go, and thankfully the road was a seldom-traveled.

Pushing along, often the two vehicles drifted apart on a flat or downgrade.

As we approached home, there was a bit of a hill, so I was up very close, pushing the BIG TRUCK. We could see him reflected in his rear view mirror, and I could see him working the levers, but I had been told to “stay close” and I did.

How men seem to know what all those knobs, levers, etc. do is

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beyond me, and in the many years we were married, my husband seemed to know just which one needed to be pushed, Being a farm pulled, shiftwife (farmette really) was a lot of ed or whatfun, but I’m no lonever, but... ger young, eager, this time the energetic and knowledge brave, so city life failed him. suits me fine.

Without warning, the bed on this big old dump truck that had sat outside through many winters, gathering the moisture that keeps Western Washington Green, and growing who know what all kinds of algae, moss with accumulated wind-blown branches, leaves, twigs and assorted stuff, started to raise.

All of a sudden, not only couldn’t I see him in his rearview mirror, but gallons and gallons of green muck and debris came flooding out of the dump bed onto and over the hood of the family truck.

We weren’t attached, and all I could think of was to stop, which, thank the Almighty, the family truck did… and I watched the NEW old truck slowly roll towards our driveway (dump bed raised), down the driveway where it shuttered to a stop.

Truthfully, I don’t remember it ever moving from where it had stopped.

It sat in the side yard, three tires on the duallies on the back, and one big tire and one little tire in the front.

I don’t remember what happened to it, maybe sold, and maybe traded, but it was always a memory of best-laid plans can change mighty quickly.

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