The Good Life January 2011 by The Good Life

SWIMMING WITH SEA LIONS Y THE BEST LOCAL EVENTS CALENDAR

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Fr for esh id the eas ho me IN

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January 2011 n Cover price: $3

the FAMILY THAT RUNS WITH DOGS

When you find something you love, hold on tight

>> OPENING SHOT frozen in flight

Year 5, Number 1 January 2011 The Good Life is published by NCW Good Life, LLC, dba The Good Life 10 First Street, Suite 108 Wenatchee, WA 98801 PHONE: (509) 888-6527 E-MAIL: editor@ncwgoodlife.com sales@ncwgoodlife.com

l Piecka took this picture of a hungry hummingbird on a winter day. “The other day, I received a phone call from a friend who said a lady in Wenatchee had hummingbirds feeding in her backyard even though we have had near zero weather and snow,” reports Al. “Having never heard or seen hummingbirds in the snow, I contacted the woman — Lynn Deisenroth — and asked her if it was true. She excitedly said yes and agreed to let me take some photos of ‘her’ hummers. “She said she had several there all summer but these two Anna’s Hummingbirds seemed to have settled in for the winter. Although Anna’s Hummingbirds, on occasion, winter on the coast around Portland, she was not aware of any that have wintered here,” Al added. “In order to keep the sugar solution from freezing, she rotates the feeders when she is home and when she leaves home, she duct tapes a chemical hand warmer to the feeder to keep it from freezing. “When she goes out, they fly down to the feeder as she is still holding it in her hand. They were a little more skittish of my

Editor, Mike Cassidy Contributors, Al Piecka, Alison Cappuccio, Monte Dodge, Donna Cassidy, Yvette Davis, Bonnie Orr, Alex Saliby, Jim Brown, June Darling, Dan McConnell, Susan Lagsdin, Rod Molzahn, Eric Granstrom and NCW Events Online Advertising manager, Jim Senst Advertising sales, John Hunter and Mike Moore Bookkeeping and circulation, Donna Cassidy Proofing, Jean Senst and Joyce Pittsinger Ad design, Rick Conant

presence and didn’t care much for the click of the camera shutter.” Al is a local freelance nature and wildlife photographer living in East Wenatchee. He also enjoys teaching photography classes and conducting onlocation workshops. In March, he will be taking a group to Alaska to photograph the Northern Lights. Some of his work

may be seen on his website, alpieckaphotography.com.

On the cover

Entiat photographer Monte Dodge, who was featured in the December issue of The Good Life, took this photo of dogsledder Tom Porter running up the last big hill of the Cascade Quest race in 2009.

TO SUBSCRIBE: For $25, ($30 out of state) you can have 12 issues of The Good Life mailed to you or a friend. Send payment to: The Good Life 10 First Street, Suite 108 Wenatchee, WA 98801 To subscribe/renew by e-mail, send credit card info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com or phone 888-6527 BUY A COPY of The Good Life at Hastings, Caffé Mela, Eastmont Pharmacy, Martin’s Market Place (Cashmere) and A Book for All Seasons (Leavenworth) ADVERTISING: For information about advertising in The Good Life, contact Jim Senst, advertising manager, at (509) 670-8783, or sales@ncwgoodlife.com WRITE FOR THE GOOD LIFE: We welcome articles about people from Chelan and Douglas counties. Send your idea to Mike Cassidy at editor@ncwgoodlife.com

January 2011 | The Good Life |

Contents

editor’s notes

MIKE CASSIDY

Psst, buddy… I’ve got a story to tell We were engaged in one of

page 8

kayaking from beach to beach

Features

5 RUNNING WITH DOGS

Dog sled racing is not just a sport for this family, but a survival mechanism

10 VET DOES GOOD WORK IN NICARAGUA

Taking the family on a working vacation was a chance to help others and open some eyes

12 COSTA RICA IN THE RAIN

Pouring rains washed away roads but fed the richness of biodiversity in Central American national

14 FAST PUBLISHING

Local author had no time to wait on the slow, slow, slow world of book publishing, so she whips out cookbook on her own

16 At Home with The Good Life • Alps house on a hillside • A handle on security

Columns & Departments 22 The traveling doctor: The American Dream lives on 24 Bonnie Orr: Oodles of noodles 25 June Darling: Get a fast start on banishing bad habits 26 Alex Saliby: Special times for ice wines 28-31 Events, The Art Life & a Dan McConnell cartoon 32 History: A big Gunn in the early days 34 Check it out: Joys and terrors of sledding

“Raising kids is like living in a

frat house. There are too many all-nighters... — Christina-Marie Wright, page 29 4

our favorite pastimes of walking the docks looking at cool boats and dreaming about the places we would go when a man about 10 years older than us popped his head out of a sailboat’s hatch and yelled, “Yippee!” That stopped my wife and I because we wanted to hear more. And, the man on the boat was willing to indulge us. “I just finished a project that’s taken six weeks!” he said. The project — something to do with modifying a water maker from European metric standards to something more common in the U.S. — became the launching point of the story of his life. I have that effect on people — something about my face says “talk to me” — often to my wife’s annoyance and impatience. Anyway, his boating life started decades ago, far up the Mississippi River, when he joined with eight other guys who were collectively building sailboats for each person in the group. They drew numbers and then completed one 27-foot boat at a time. “You didn’t want to be number one,” said the man, referring to the learning errors that might show up in the first project, “and you didn’t want to be eight or nine,” because the other guys may have lost interest once they had their boats. His boat was number five. Right after it was launched, he, his wife and young daughter took off down a flooded Mississippi for New Orleans. “We tied up at night to the tops of trees,” he said. They reached the Caribbean Sea where they sailed cheaply

| The Good Life | January 2011

for years. “Our monthly budget was $80 — $40 for food and $40 for rum.” Food was mostly rice, beans and the fish they caught, and the rum came without ice because they had neither an icemaker on board nor the budget to buy ice. To make the $80, he used the skills learned by building his boat to do repairs for other boaters — and he offered day trips to tourists. “I’d go to the veranda of a nice resort bar and start talking to people. If someone said they had just arrived, I’d turn away because they weren’t my customers. When I met someone who had been there for a week, who had seen everything and done everything and couldn’t wait to go home, I’d tell them about going on a day charter to catch fish and snorkel. I’d charge $100 and we’d be good for another month of living.” He had other stories, too — plenty of them. On the way up the dock towards our car, my wife and I debated the probable truthfulness of his stories. Maybe yes … maybe no. But one thing was true: He was living on a boat with a memory full of adventure; we were walking to our car with the intention of driving home to our jobs. Anyway, Rod Molzahn’s story this month on page 12 about traveling to Costa Rica and taking an impromptu day cruise reminded me of this man on the docks and his life lived one voyage at a time. Ho, ho, ho and a bottle of rum. Enjoy The Good Life. — Mike

COVER STORY

RUNNING WITH DOGS MORE THAN A SPORT, DOGS AND DOG SLEDDING BECAME A SURVIVAL MECHANISM FOR THIS FAMILY By Alison Cappuccio

The Porter family of Lake Wenatchee

has a motto: “When you find something you love, hold on tight!” Which makes sense because what they love are dogs and dog sledding. It’s not just love — dog sledding has pulled the family, Tom and Katy and daughters Kaylee, 20, and Ema, 18, through tough times. Family and faith, not jobs, nor a roof over their heads were the constants in their lives… and the dogs. For the family, the adventure began while living in Sequim in 2003 with a retired sled dog “Remo,” turned family pet, pulling spirited young Ema around the yard on an old tricycle, encouraged by somewhat less adventurous older sister Kaylee. At the time, Tom owned and operated a small construction company and Katy worked in accounting. But each winter, they volunteered at the annual Cascade Quest Sled Dog Race near Fish Lake. So having sled dogs was not going to be a big stretch for

Tom Porter starts the 2010 Cascade Quest Sled Dog Race, watched by his wife, Katy, left, and daughter, Kaylee, right. Photo by Monte Dodge

this family. It wasn’t long before more trained sled dogs from other kennels and a litter of pups arrived, creating Pounding Paws — the name of the family’s kennel. They realized this was something each member of the

January 2011 | The Good Life |

family could embrace, each in his or her own way. For Tom and Katy, family has always come first and this was a perfect family endeavor. Ema took immediately to the thrill of stand-

}}} Continued on next page

The Porters wanted others to experience what it is like to take a dog team deep into the Cascades; to experience firsthand the beauty of the mountains in winter and share the thrill of gliding over the snow from a warm and cozy seat in the sled. }}} Continued from previous page ing on the runners behind a spirited team of dogs along with her dad as she has always been the family risk-taker; her motto being: “There’s a first time for everything.” Tenderhearted and spiritual, Kaylee has been the team handler, in tune to the personality and needs of each of “her doggies.” Recently, she has taken to the trails running teams alongside her dad and sister. Katy has been the mother and glue that holds all the “fine madness” together, although she has also taken to training the teams in order to spend more time with her family. Once the kennel had grown, Tom and Ema started entering dryland races near Cle Elum, with Ema needing special permission to enter because of her age. In the fall, before snow covers the trails, mushers gather to challenge themselves and their teams using wheeled carts. Today’s races often include divisions for smaller bicycle and scooter teams of just one or two dogs. These events add to the necessary training of the dogs after the slow “dog days” of summer.

Ema and Tom Porter cross Burgess Meadows during the Cascade Quest Sled Dog Race. Photo by Monte Dodge

The only sound is muffled ‘whoosh’ of The sled over snow People often ask if the dogs really want to pull a sled or if they are being made to do it. If one were to experience it in person, a new understanding of the true beauty for musher and dogs would be realized. It begins with “hook-up”. As each dog is removed from his cozy straw-lined bed in the dog truck the excitement increases. Their eagerness shows as each dog in turn is harnessed and placed with the team. Leaping and pulling in the harnesses, the excited cacophony continues

until the snow hook is pulled and the team hears the command “hike!” The sled surges onto the trail in a sudden silence. The only sound is the muffled “whoosh” as the sled runners glide over the snow. On the trail, it may be the sunlit sparkle of freshly fallen snow and light dancing through the evergreen branches that greets the team. Or perhaps the day is gray with gently falling snow, or a heavier snowfall laden on branches, cascading to the ground in billowing clouds.

As the trail winds deeper into the mountains, the quiet beauty wraps the musher in a comforting blanket. Aside from an occasional command when trails branch, only the soft sounds of the runners and the dogs breathing fills the air. All too soon, the team arrives back at the truck, water, snacks and those warm straw beds beckon. But they eagerly await a new day, a new trail and a new adventure. — by Alison Cappuccio

It was only natural that with the coming of winter, and their team strengthened on the dryland trails, this father/daughter team would take to the snow. Races on snow take many different forms. Smaller teams and mushers new to the sport run shorter distances, usually around 10 to 15 miles. Large, experienced teams of up to 16 dogs are challenged by long distances which can be 25-mile sprints on the short end to hundreds of miles and traversing more chal-

lenging terrain. “Run and rest” strategies are developed by each musher to bring out the best of each team’s abilities. They were having so much fun that to share this love with others just seemed right; the dream to start a sled dog touring company was born. The Porters wanted others to experience what it is like to take a dog team deep into the Cascades; to experience firsthand the beauty of the mountains in winter and share the thrill of gliding over

the snow from a warm and cozy seat in the sled. At the time, living in Sequim wasn’t exactly the place to operate a successful touring company, so in 2005 Tom moved his construction business and family to a dream 20-acre property on Badger Mountain. The Wenatchee Valley, gateway to the heart of winter recreation paradise, was the place to be. Nearby to hundreds of miles of trails above Fish Lake and Lake Wenatchee, coupled with

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“a-paw” with the Porters and naturally they “Through involve the dogs. that Those early days as nightmare, volunteers with the Cascade Quest Sled our faith, Dog Race have grown our family into Tom’S and Katy’s and the dogs involvement on the race organizing commitsustained us tee. Tom and Ema have and our also been annual comdream came petitors, with Ema as a junior competitor. true.” The race has grown to an annual three-day the trail’s proximity to event presented by the the Seattle metropolitan Northwest Sled Dog Asarea, an easy day trip, sociation for which Katy brought visitors who serves as secretary and The love of dog sledding began with Ema being towed yearned to experience spectator coordinator. around the yard by retired sled dog Remo. Family photo the thrills of dog sled“This is my focus, ding. making the Cascade when they have become your Life was good. Tom was busy Quest the best race in the West,” survival mechanism,” said Tom. with his construction business, says Tom. This year’s Cascade Healed from his injury but Katy was working and the girls Quest (www.cascadequest.com) without construction work durwere enjoying their high school ing the winter, Tom and recently will find Tom competing in the years at Eastmont High School. 100-mile, 8- to 12-dog class, Katy graduated daughter Kaylee took Pounding Paws not only promaking sure that spectators a chance and headed to Califorvided them with quality family nia with the dogs where work in are involved in a variety of race time together as the girls were activities and Kaylee and Ema the dog sled touring industry at becoming young adults, but they mountain resorts was abundant- offering sled dog rides to race were now, indeed, sharing their visitors for the total experience. ly available. They returned in dream, taking patrons on adven- the spring of 2009 with renewed And right around the corner tures in the snowy mountains energy and new respect for their is Porter’s newest project, the by dog sled. Hundebark Dog Festival, an canine family. In 2008 when the Badger innovative, interactive festival “Through that nightmare,” Mountain fire threatened their in Leavenworth where all dogs said Tom, speaking of losing home and kennel, mushers and their owners are welcome their home and business, “our from across the state, many of to strut their stuff in a variety of faith, our family and the dogs whom had helped them grow activities with them in mind. sustained us and our dream the kennel, were ready to evacu- came true. We live in a cabin in Tom and Katy launched this ate and care for the dogs until idea with the City of Leaventhe woods at Lake Wenatchee, the danger passed. Fortunately, worth in 2010 with the first our family is together again, the property was spared, but the we have our successful touring Hundebark being held last combination of the downward February. “We love Leavenworth company (www.ncwdogslespiraling economy and an injury drides.com) and we have our and wanted to offer something prevented Tom from continuing jobs.” unique that would celebrate in the construction industry. dogs and educate the public, esTom is employed by the Lake They lost their home and busipecially about the often misunWenatchee YMCA Camp as the ness. derstood working breeds,” says maintenance manager and Katy However, the emotional bond Katy. works in the accounting departbetween humans and dogs is From a dream, through adverment at Stevens Pass Ski Resort. very strong. The family was sity, and on to a new future, this The girls moved out on their determined to keep the dogs at family’s life has really “gone to own in September, leaving Tom whatever cost and soon realthe dogs.” and Katy empty-nesters. But ized what an important gift they weekends often find the fam Alison Cappuccio is a 12-year resident really were. “Some may find it ily together with the dogs high hard to understand how dogs above Fish Lake training and an- of Lake Wenatchee and is the media and communications director for the become family. But it is hard ticipating the coming of winter. Cascade Quest Sled Dog Race. to separate yourself from them There are always projects January 2011 | The Good Life |

“The island park of Espiriu Santo has no permanent structures,” said Yvette Downs Matson. “These shade umbrellas were only up temporarily for divers, but we used them, too.” Photos by Kim George

Kayaking in paradise Where winter means sun, sand and swimming with hundreds of sea lion pups By Donna Cassidy

lmost every Tuesday, Yvette Downs Matson slips her kayak into the cold waters of the Columbia River. “Some of the most fantastic paddles are during the winter months,” she said. “It is so magical on the water, all the stresses, to-do lists, and winter blahs disappear when you slide into your boat and push away from the dock. I am taken to a very calm

and peaceful mindset when I am on the water,” said Yvette. Yet, a change is nice, too. Yvette put together a kayaking and camping trip to La Paz, Mexico for herself and three other women members of the Wenatchee Row and Paddle Club. They left Wenatchee on Oct. 30. On the first day, Virginia Rutherford, Kim George, Stacie Hoiland, Yvette, their guides and other paying kayakers headed out to the island nation-

Kayakers rowed in the morning, and then swam and hiked in the afternoon. >> RANDOM QUOTE

“There’s no secret about it, really. You just don’t die, and you get to be 100.”

HAZEL MILLER, 100, on getting there.

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Yvette is waiting for other kayakers to launch. “It looks so peaceful in this photo, but once we got out, the strong winds made paddling hard work,” she said.

Sea lion pups swim with the humans.

Everyone got in the water with hundreds of baby sea lions and there were many more on the rocks squawking. The big moms and dads were so used to people swimming with their babies that they just kept an eye on us and enjoyed our tiring out their pups. “The pups would come straight at you and swerve away or swim right at you and twirl or bubble and then turn. It was hard to believe you could get such a thrill out of swimming

with sea lions. No one wanted to return to the panga to leave.” The entire trip was catered. “They (Baja Outdoor Adventure guides) do all the cooking and hauling of the food and gear and a few other niceties which made you feel pampered,” said Yvette. “The food was superb and we loved the cook. We did have fresh fish, clams, and scallops on several occasions. I am not a huge seafood lover but there was always plenty of food that was not seafood. We ate three

al park of Espiriu Santo. “There is nothing but sandy beaches, steep cliffs and abundant wildlife in and out of the water,” said Yvette. They paddled in the mornings, snorkeled and hiked in the afternoons and slept in tents on the beaches at night. “We were never concerned about our safety as the water is very warm and comfortable and the guides and kayakers are always right there,” said Yvette. “The Sea of Cortez is a magical place to boat. We paddled with dolphins. They popped up one morning as we were leaving a cove. “Also we were invited by some wildlife guys to come and see the sea turtles as they measured them and tagged them for research. Afterward, they released them and we saw them swimming as we were leaving another bay. “One day we took the panga (skiff) out to the sea lion rocks and swam with the sea lions. January 2011 | The Good Life |

meals a day which gave us the energy for paddling every morning, hiking and snorkeling every afternoon,” she added. “We each had our own tent which we set up each afternoon and tore down each morning before breakfast. Coffee was always ready in the morning with a marvelous breakfast.” Yvette said it was difficult to come back to the mainland with all the noise, movement and busy schedules. “Espiriu Santo is paradise.”

Ed Womack’s trip as a volunteer vet in Nicaragua wasn’t all work —he and daughter Kiley go for a family horseback ride.

Working vacation fun for family, too Veterinarian and family help at clinic and get a glimpse of another culture By Yvette Davis

Some vacationers are willing

to go the extra mile, pulling out all the stops to create a memorable family event. Others go a little further —

say 3,000 miles — and pack their anti-malaria pills, extra bug netting and a can-do attitude. Both kinds of trips leave lasting impressions, though the latter just might teach you a thing

or two about the world and bring your family closer together. That’s what local veterinarian Ed Womack said about his family’s May 2010 mission trip to San Juan Del Sur, a city on the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua.

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The family went to Nicaragua as volunteers in a week-long World Vets mission. The foundation, formed in 2006, performs free spay/neuter programs in third-world countries, visiting several countries each year including Costa Rica, Haiti, Panama, Romania and Jamaica. Ed, who heard about World Vets from a veterinary pharmaceutical rep, thought about it for a few years before choosing Nicaragua because it fit with the family’s travel schedule, and offered him the chance to serve others. No one in the family had been to Nicaragua before, and the Womacks became the first whole family to go on a World Vets mission in the foundation’s history. With the mission in sight, Ed, his wife Allison, daughter Kiley, then 16, and son Jake, then 19, packed up and headed south. They flew from Wenatchee to Seattle, then Dallas, before arriving in Managua, Nicaragua where they stayed with a group of 11 other volunteers. That first night, they learned the importance of mosquito netting, how to brush the bed for scorpions, and the fine art of sleeping with a howler monkey just outside your window.

Volunteer vet The next day, the team of five veterinarians, licensed technicians, assistants and volunteers began work at the makeshift clinic housed in the Escuela International de Agricultura y Ganaderia in Rivas, Nicaragua. During their stay, the team helped over 200 patients — about 95 percent of them dogs — who would arrive at the clinic’s screening room by bus, horse-drawn cart, or were simply carried in by their owners on foot. Most were treated for parasites, others, about half of them, had surgeries of various kinds. While Ed worked in surgery, Kiley cleaned ears and Jake watched over sleeping dogs (yes, he let them lie!) while Allison, an E.R. nurse in Wenatchee, assisted with other tasks. The fact that everyone pitched in and spent the time together meant a lot to Ed. “I was impressed with how well it was organized. Everybody had a job to do, even the kids,” he said. Ed said volunteers don’t have to be veterinarians or students to go on a World Vets trip, though for students, such as Wenatchee’s Misti Nuxoll, a current WSU veterinary student who was also part of the team, the opportunity can provide valuable hands-on experience they can’t get at home. It also provides a glimpse into veterinary field-medicine that most veterinarians will never see, Ed said. He doesn’t recommend working with the bare essentials while your equipment is stuck in customs in a strange country, but he said they were able to do the work safely despite the hang-up and never lost a patient. But it wasn’t all work and no play. The family got time off to sightsee, go horseback riding — on the skinniest horses Kiley said she’d ever seen — and visit the Pelican Eyes Resort. They

The team of volunteers that included Ed Womack worked on a couple of hundred animals during their stay — about 95 percent of them dogs.

also got a sneak peek at the setup needed for the popular TV show, Survivor. The show’s 21st season was just gearing up, with photographers and technical crew arriving in the little town of San Juan Del Sur while they

were there. “It was the big talk in town,” Allison said. The brush with fame wasn’t their only take-away from what turned out to be an expensive vacation though. After pay-

January 2011 | The Good Life |

ing $800-$900 per person for airfare and hundreds in other fees to cover food and lodging costs, some of the family’s most precious memories from the trip were practically free. For his kids, the glimpse of how people in other cultures live, and the thrill of a pickup ride through the jungle each day. For Ed it was the realization that the dog-human bond exists everywhere that dogs and humans coexist, no matter the level of care available. And for the family — despite the fact it rained nearly every day, there was no air conditioning, it was hot, sticky and humid and the family had to stand on their feet all day — the Womacks came away with a sense of achievement. They’d traveled over 3,000 miles to a different country and a different culture, and proved to themselves they could do it. Some day, they just might do it again.

Butterflies come in many species — this one above is about the size of a penny. Colorful lizards also abound, although this little iguana fades into the scenery.

Costa Rica in the rain But when the skies cleared, the view opened upon a richness of diverse life and sounds By Rod Molzahn

A hard rain was washing

down the windows the October night our plane rolled to a stop at the airport in San Jose, the crowded capital city of Costa Rica, where the loudest horn and the biggest bumper win the traffic wars. October is the end of the wet season in Costa Rica, but the next morning rain was falling in sheets — or blankets — as we joined the myriad of trucks, buses, bicycles, motorcycles and cars heading northwest out of the city on Highway #1. It’s the only paved road that runs the length of Costa Rica as it does through all the countries of Central America. It is almost entirely two lanes with no passing lanes and no shoulders. About 15 miles out of the city, all traffic stopped moving for a half hour then ground its way past a mud and debris slide that blocked most of the road. The next 50 miles included eight more slides, a washed-out bridge

and pools of muddy water covering the highway. The traffic began to thin out as vehicles turned off in the face of the heavy barrage of rain that, at times, obscured everything past the car hood. Barricades started showing up across the highway, a few orange cones, some rope and maybe a saw horse. They were unmanned and seemed more like suggestions than demands. We ignored them. Highway #1 tracks slowly west, away from the muddy and tree-filled brown rivers and, finally, away from the heavy rain and into Guanacaste Province, the northwest corner of Costa Rica, with its cattle ranches and sweeping arced beaches. The provincial capital is Liberia with one stoplight, the first since San Jose, where jugglers and drummers perform for colones (500 colones = 1 dollar) in the middle of the intersection. We left highway #1 there and headed west to the Pacific. It was raining again and very

Melanie Thornton holds a Yellow Fin Tuna that shortly thereafter became fresh sushi.

dark… no moon, no stars, no street lights dark… when we drove through the tiny town of Matapalo, turned at the soccer pitch then at the police station and again at the rodeo arena. That put us on an isolated dirt road with axle-deep, mud-filled potholes, a road to be negotiated more than driven… difficult for cars and a true challenge for the bicycles that are the primary method of transportation for much of the population. These are not lightweight bikes with many gears but bikes that must come from the 1950s, heavy with one speed. That night, in the dark and the

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rain, we came upon a woman lurching along the road on her bike with plastic bags hanging from the handlebars and her baby nestled into the front basket. Earlier, along the highway, a young boy stood with his bike waiting to cross. A semi-truck drove through the standing pool across the lane and drenched the boy with muddy water. As the boy looked up, a second truck did the same. The boy raised his arms pleading as mud ran down his face and a third truck covered him again. Costa Rica is a place of contrasts: tin shacks and million dollar condos, the rains of the

mountains and the sun of the lowlands, the din of San Jose and the tranquility of the beaches. The next morning the sun rose at 5:30 to a cloudless sky and what sounded like the roar of a big cat in the trees below the hill. There are Pumas in Costa Rica but this Puma turned out to be a Mantled Howler Monkey, not nearly so big and imposing as its howl. There is a richness of biodiversity in Costa Rica, the greatest density of species in the world. Twenty-three percent of the country is under some level of environmental protection. Without too much effort, sometimes by only being quiet and still, we watched Howlers and endangered spider monkeys high in the trees of Parque Nacional Santa Rosa as well as iguanas, lizards, snakes and geckos from two inches in length to two feet. There are 20 species of mammals and 220 of reptiles in the country. A flock of 20 to 30 bright green parrots flew past the balcony every evening at sunset… a long tailed, blue mot-mot bird hung out in the same tree many days… black, fork-tailed Frigate birds soared above the offshore rocks and fishing boats and brilliant humming birds in shimmering blue-greens patrolled the flowers from dawn to dusk. There are over 800 bird species in Costa Rica, a new one, it seems, at every turn. With over a thousand species, no one is ever without butterflies in the country. They are wherever the flowers are and the flowers are everywhere. Butterflies rise in scores from walking trails and flutter about in every hue and shade, some as large as a dollar bill and some as small as a dime. The constant yearround temperatures give them no incentive to migrate. There were days we didn’t migrate far or fast either. Mornings were spent on the deck serenaded by bird calls and howlers or watching surfers and sailboats from a beachside table

... no one is ever without butterflies in the country. They are wherever the flowers are and the flowers are everywhere. in Tamarindo drinking Mojitos (rum and mint and other mysterious things) and eating the Cheviche (sea bass or tuna marinated in lemon juice with chopped onion, tomatoes, peppers and garlic) that’s served in every bar and restaurant in the country. That was where we met Will. He was selling deep sea fishing trips on the Costa Rica Dream II. He was patient, persistent and persuasive and carried an album of photographs of him in various places from Costa Rica

to Alaska. In the morning, the boat headed out with a captain, the crew (Harry and Alex) and us. Under a sky as blue as the water we fished around the Catalina Islands, watched a grey whale roll, show its tail and dive. We pulled alongside a shrimp boat where Frigate birds and Brown Pelicans sat side by side along every foot of rigging and, thanks to Harry and Alex, we caught fish — a dozen or more. There were Bonita, Yellow Fin Tuna, Jackarel and Red Snapper. Harry cleaned the Yellow Fin and passed around chunks of the freshest sushi to be had. The sun was shining and the Howlers howling when the morning to leave came around. After a frantic hour of searching for the rental car keys (they were safely in the safe), we headed back to San Jose assured there would be fine weather for the drive. The weather was fine but the condition of Highway #1 hadn’t changed — no repairs — mudslides and the washed-out bridge still creating kilometerslong traffic jams of mostly semitrucks, where the smell of diesel exhaust hung in the air and entrepreneurial vendors walked the line of stopped traffic hawking taco chips, fruit and water. In the midst of it all, as if to underscore the contrasts, a red, yellow-green and blue Toucan alighted for a moment on a tree along the road then flew off, bored, no doubt, with the lack of movement.

January 2011 | The Good Life |

What should have been a four-hour drive was again seven hours. It was raining when we hit the San Jose traffic where the bumper and horn rule was the only way to negotiate five-way intersections with no stop signs or traffic lights. In a hard rain the rental car guy took two minutes to inspect the car then we stood in the open garage and watched the rain for 30 minutes waiting for a ride to the hotel. Actually we were waiting until the counter guy inside found two minutes to figure out our cell phone rental charge (we had rented the car and phone at the same place)… one more example of the country’s unofficial motto: “Costa Rica – we make easy hard.” The country can also boast of important accomplishments. The army was disbanded in 1949 and Costa Rica joined the small group of neutral nations. The country’s literacy rate is 95 percent, one of the highest in the world and, thanks to the mountain rains, 99 percent of the nations energy needs are met with renewable hydropower. We’ll miss Costa Rica and its contrasts… where we walked up from the beach in the dark with fireflies, like tiny lane markers, illuminating the plants along the roadside. Rod Molzahn and Melanie Thornton traveled to Costa Rica in October of 2010 and spent their mornings and evenings on the deck at Casa Macaw overlooking the beaches of Playa Flamingo. www.casamacaw.com.

Fast publishing Why wait for dawdling big city publishers when she could produce A regional cookbook herself? By Yvette Davis

hen local author Morgan Fraser set out to publish her travelogue in the summer of 2009, she had her first brush with the harsh realities of the traditional publishing world. In that world, the process starts with a query letter, and if one is very, very lucky, ends in a finished book on the shelf nearly two years later. Yes, two years later. But that’s only if your book is lucky enough to pass through all the hoops along the way. After a writer finishes a book and researches publishers to find the right fit for the book,

the author sends a query — a brief outline of the book — to the publishers or literary agents who might be interested in the book. Not just one, but sometimes hundreds of queries are sent, and sent and sent. Then, the author waits for a response. Sometimes it arrives in two weeks, sometimes in six months. Other times, nothing ever comes. When a reply does come, most often it’s a rejection notice. Sometimes, however, it’s a request for a full read. In that case the author sends the full work to be reviewed. It’s the next step in the process, but it still doesn’t equal an offer to publish. Very

With a plate of cookies laid out along with her books and a pen, Morgan Fraser is ready to sign and sell her book, Savoring Chelan.

few receive that next call. If they do, they can expect their published book in hand in about 12 to 18 months. Publishing simply doesn’t work any faster than that. Or does it? While researching her travelogue publishing options, and opening rejection letters, Morgan was struck with another idea: a wine and food cookbook featuring Chelan wineries. But she didn’t want the wait — and take the chance of rejection — that traditional publishing offered. So she decided self-publishing was the way to go. Why? For one thing, she could get the book out as fast as she wanted or as fast as she was willing to work. That way, if someone else came up with the same idea, she’d probably be able to get her book out first. Morgan started talking to wineries to gauge interest for the idea, then through Rio Vista Winery, lined up local artist Kerry Siderius to produce the cover and divider pages.

| The Good Life | January 2011

“There are so many little pieces involved, that if you think too much about it, you’ll never start.” She also lined up graphic artist Kasey Koski and photographer Richard Uhlhorn. With so much local support, Morgan realized she had all the resources in place to be her own publisher. She also realized that the book — titled Savoring Chelan — had more importance to local or regional consumers — versus, say, a New York wine lover — and therefore she didn’t need the nationwide distribution most publishers offer. So she became a one-woman marketing team. Morgan sets up her own book signings, orders her own stock and sells directly to wineries and bookstores. Though she’s doing all of the work, she said she likes the control and points

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The wine suggestions in my book are just that: suggestions. They give people an idea of what would pair well with the flavors in the recipes, but they are by no means etched in stone. Not everyone’s taste is the same; just as you would tweak a recipe to suit your own tastes, you can experiment with different wine and food pairings until you find one that really works for you. — Morgan Fraser

and your book — to both bookstores and readers. It’s not a job for the shy, she said. You can’t be humble about your work when you are trying to sell it, and if you don’t market it, it won’t go anywhere. For her travelogue — a compilation of all the (mis)adventures Morgan has had while backpacking through Europe and Australia, plus the time spent living in Mexico, Colorado and Germany — she still wants to go through the traditional publishing route. That’s mainly because she believes that particular book can benefit from the wide distribution channel publishers offers. But in the meantime, Morgan has more cookbook ideas sizzling on the grill. Those she will also self-publish — sooner, rather than later.

Also consider, she added, that once the book is published, you have to be able to sell yourself —

To keep up with her latest publishing endeavors, visit Morgan on her Facebook page, Savoring Chelan Cookbook, on her website at www. savoringchelan.com, or follow her on Twitter at SavoringChelan.

Recipe from SAVORING CHELAN

Nefarious Cellars Chocolate Truffles Contributed by Heather Neff, co-owner and winemaker at Nefarious Cellars This is our recipe for the truffles we make for the Red Wine and Chocolate celebration in Chelan every February. We make it with our Nefarious Cellars Syrah, but you can use any red wine, Kahlua or other liqueur. Be creative! Makes about 20 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate 1/2 cup heavy cream 1 1/2 tablespoons Syrah 1 tablespoon coffee Cocoa powder 1. Finely chop the chocolate and out that in the traditional publishing model, she’d be doing most of the marketing work anyway, and doing it for less money to boot. You see, in traditional publishing, most authors make less than $1 per book sold. That’s because a lot of people are taking a cut — the bookseller, the author, the agent and the publisher. Morgan, however, is her own agent, bookseller, author and has her own publishing company called, appropriately, Travel Addict Publishing. She keeps the income over her costs, and prices her books accordingly. That’s the freedom of self-publishing, she said, and she can potentially earn $2-$3 per book sold. The hard part is she is doing all the work. “There are so many little pieces involved, that if you think too much about it, you’ll never start. It’s all about taking it one step at a time,” she said. Morgan researched 10 different publishers before making a choice. She recommends looking closely at the differences between print-on-demand (where the book isn’t printed until the

place in a bowl. 2. Heat the cream in a saucepan until it boils. 3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. 4. Mix in the Syrah and coffee. 5. Cover and chill for an hour, or until firm enough to scoop – the longer you wait, the easier this will be. 6. Using a 1 1/4-inch ice cream scoop or melon baller, form balls and finish by rolling in cocoa powder. Best if chilled before serving. TIP: Don’t have an ice cream scoop or melon baller? Grease your hands with butter first and roll away! buyer orders it) and self-publishing, and deciding which is right for you.

WNE PAIRING SUGGESTIONS: • Nefarious Cellars Syrah • Tunnel Hill Estate Pinot Noir • Wapato Point Cellars Late Harvest Riesling

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509-663-8711 • www.wvmedical.com January 2011 | The Good Life |

Alps house Haus Denali is A real Bavarian mountain hOME with some American touches that fits this family of two Text by Susan Lagsdin Photos by Donna Cassidy

egina Ulmke loves Leavenworth winters. She’s fondest of the snowy weather at Haus Denali, when the buildings at her home place look just like their Alps counterparts. Way up Mountain Home

Road, with a chained-up fourwheeler and a snowmobile at ready, she’s prepared for the long treks to town. The home is tucked into a north-facing hillside, at the edge of a timbered plateau high above Leavenworth and Highway 2. Driving to its 45 acres of woods, privacy and knockout views is arduous for a first-timer, but a year-round treat for the owners

of this isolated mountain chalet. Klaus and Regina Ulmke married and started their family a little later than most, and as they neared retirement they wanted to raise their daughter away from the city lights of Chicago. Happening upon Leavenworth one festive weekend night in 1995 when it was aglow with its own lights, they recognized the look of the town and the warm

| AT HOME WITH The Good Life | January 2011

TOP LEFT: Snow blankets Haus Denali, but that’s just fine with owner Regina Ulmke. Family photo ABOVE: A covered outdoor living area useable year-around blends into the surrounding forest.

community spirit. It immediately resonated with memories of their native Germany. Soon the mountaintop land had been purchased and they plotted and

A hammock lazes away in the shade.

worked toward completion of their dream home. The Ulmkes designed and built Haus Denali themselves. “Every single log in all the buildings was somehow touched by Klaus,” Regina said. The first few years after the initial sketches, logs and rocks were hauled, stairways and driveways painstakingly hewn, and a well was dug (she recalls the agonizing wait for the stopping point —

600 feet). The small family lived in their equally small pump house/ greenhouse on site. It’s the size of a big RV, and living with a growing daughter and a full schedule — through two Christmases — strengthened their compatibility. Finally, in 2003, the exacting standards, creative engineering and personal passion all came together. The two-story house itself

is only 1,800 square feet, and yes, it is a chalet. A real Bavarian mountain house with some American touches. It fits the family, now usually two. The open downstairs living area is almost boat-like in its enveloping warmth and efficient use of every inch of space. Natural pine glows all around, with tall walls of sensible shelves and cupboards, and built-in padded seating. Bright yellow tile work and whimsical pottery on open shelves light up the kitchen. Central heating comes from a compact and super-efficient woodstove, and the house more than makes up in quality what it lacks in mass (“German quality, of course,” Regina smiles) with its Miele appliances, Dornbracht fixtures, Velux windows, as well as an Infra Red sauna and

January 2011 | AT HOME WITH The Good Life |

Jacuzzi brand hot tub. The last two are tributes to the Ulmke’s love of simple but elegant pleasures. Step outside onto a deep and spacious openair living area, and their home life goes on, four seasons a year. A rotunda with covered hot tub is ringed by forest views, and on winter nights, lighting at the base of selected trees lends sparkle to the snowy darkness. It’s a quick few steps back to the sauna for soothing dry warmth. The big deck’s invisible Plexiglas roofing, over pergola-style joists, allows winter sun and a dry, spacious entertaining area with informal seating just about anywhere you’d want to settle. Haus Denali claims a feature atypical of most retirement properties: a state-of-the-art dog

}}} Continued on next page

With its log construction, roofline, railings and cozy porches, the kennel mirrors the style of the main house.

}}} Continued from previous page boarding facility that’s captured the attention of dog fanciers, from just down the road to the Seattle area. “This was Klaus’s gift to me,” said Regina proudly. “We have

always raised dogs, and it was really important to me to have dogs in my life here.” They own two polite and pedigreed German Shepherds (formally known as Alyeska Vom Fleischerheim and Denali Vom Waldenhaus)

NCW Home Professionals

| AT HOME WITH The Good Life | January 2011

who protect the perimeter but gladly welcome visiting guests. With its log construction, stairs, roofline, railings and cozy porches (the back one leads to a miniscule kitchen area with coffee counter), at first it’s hard to visually separate the 750-square-foot kennel from the up-the-hill house. But a series of broad steps curve between them. The staircase’s gated landings offer a secondary exercise space for dog guests. Regina says, “There are all kinds of places for the dogs to play in any size groups… they can go for runs every day, and then just lie around on their deck.” Their deck is a huge covered area accessible from the six individual pens. Swimming, wood walks and snow play are dog sports that canine guests (and their owners) appreciate too. The Haus Denali kennel offers the same standard of quality in this enterprise that is found at the human house: from choices of bedding, dishes and doors, to air control (skylights, heated floors, air conditioning) to webcam, music and videos. It’s hard to describe one structure without the other; the home and the kennel are congruent both architecturally and in the lives

Natural pine glows all around the interior of Haus Denali. Regina Ulmke said her kitchen is small but the sensible shelves and cupboards holds what she needs.

of the owners. Precision planning and intensive labor have brought together the couple’s desire for a comfortable European-style log aerie

and Regina’s strong lifelong love of dogs. The Ulmkes have only one regret about building Haus Denali in this idyllic place — that

they didn’t make the bold move a few years sooner. It would have given them more years of four equally beautiful seasons. More time with their mountain’s

January 2011 | AT HOME WITH The Good Life |

silence, far valley views, everchanging woods, and that always adventurous drive to town. To learn more, go to hausdenalikennels.com.

{

Favorite Things } A handle on security

“People walk up to their front door every day, they want to feel good when they touch that handle,” believes David Langlois, general manager of Keyhole Security in downtown Wenatchee. Providing that “oh, that’s nice,” experience for residential customers — from front door handles to keys to safes and security systems is why David attends two of the largest industry shows a year, one for electronic security and one on locks and hardware, to learn the newest trends. Something new and really cool, he said, is wireless video intercom where the front doorbell is replaced by a small box connected wirelessly to a hand-held console. The David Langlois person inside the house can view who is at the front door and speak to them from anywhere in the house. “People have come to expect cheap and bad service, so it’s fun to offer something better,” said David while talking about some of his favorite things at Keyhole Security. LEFT: A wireless intercom shows a picture of who is at the front door. ABOVE: When something goes bump in the day or night, cameras inside and outside the home can project images on a TV screen or computer monitor.

NCW Home Professionals

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| AT HOME WITH The Good Life | January 2011

Ideas for the home from local merchants and artisans

Knobs, knobs, knobs and door handles — from the pretty to the classic. Keyhole Security started in business decades ago as a tiny nook in a bicycle shop to make keys. The bicycles are gone, but keys are still made by the fistful.

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column THE TRAVELing DOCTOR

jim brown, m.d.

The American Dream lives on

I first met Than Sla, his wife

Vanny and their baby, Vichet, in June of 1980 in the Khao-I-Dang refugee camp on the CambodiaThailand border. Dr. Dale Peterson and I had volunteered to join a World Vision medical team to help provide medical care to the 160,000 refugees in that camp that had escaped the killing fields of Cambodia in 1979. In 1975 the United States forces pulled out of Southeast Asia, including Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. During the Vietnam war, we had been bombing areas of Cambodia suspected of having guerilla activity. To escape these dangerous rural areas, Cambodians had flocked to Phnom Penh, and the population swelled to 3,000,000. After our pullout, the Khmer Rouge guerilla army took control of the country. They drove everyone out of Phnom Penh and into the countryside. Families were separated to prevent them from attempting to escape. In the next two to three years, an estimated 2.5 million people died of starvation, illness and genocide. Anyone with a college education or with ties to the previous government or former army was slaughtered. The world seemed to be in the dark about the terrible situation during this period of time. In 1978 the Vietnamese army invaded Cambodia and defeated the Khmer Rouge. Following that, a massive migration of refugees from Cambodia moved toward Thailand where they were originally welcomed until 1980 when Thailand closed the border to further refugees. By this time there were over

Dr. Jim Brown, in middle rear, poses with Than Sla on his left, along with kids at the Cambodian refugee camp in 1980. Dr. Brown worked to bring Than, his wife Vanny and baby Vichet to the United States, where the family stayed and grew. The young man at left rear is Cantrea Long, who got to the United States in 1981 and lived with the Browns for six months. He now lives in Silver Springs, NY.

a million refugees in camps all along the border, the largest being Khao-I Dang. Most of these refugees had lost half or more of their family members during the previous two to three years of enslavement. Than Sla had married Vanny about four months before Cambodia was taken over by the Khmer Rouge. They subsequently were separated and forced to live about 60 miles apart in forest camps with little food. Often they ate insects and roots to survive. In 1978, under strict controls, Than was occasionally allowed to walk those 60 miles to see his wife. When they eventually entered the Khao-I-Dang refugee camp in 1979, Vanny was pregnant. Prior to his marriage, Than had briefly worked in a

bank where he learned some English so that when he got to the refugee camp, he was asked to be an interpreter for the numerous English-speaking volunteers that were coming from all over the world to provide medical care. Our refugee camp had about a dozen so-called “hospitals” which were bamboo structures with thatched roofs and dirt floors. Each hospital had unpadded plywood cots that could accommodate about 80 patients at a time. There were at least two tent hospitals where surgery was done, one run by a Japanese team and the other by a German team. We had very limited medications available to us, but since these people had had no medical

| The Good Life | January 2011

treatment for over five years, they responded well to basic antibiotics, malaria medicine, vitamins and iron. Most of them were quite anemic and vitamin-deficient associated with starvation. When our World Vision team got there, I was asked if I would be willing to be the doctor for one of these hospitals that was staffed mainly with native “healers” and shaman but no Western physicians. I said yes. I was put in charge and had two western nurses to assist me plus several Cambodians who were called “nurses” by virtue of the fact they were willing to help. They were taught how to take temperatures, blood pressures, give shots and draw blood. They performed admirably with great compassion. On my first day Than Sla was my interpreter. He was an amazing, hard-working, happy and cheerful fellow despite all he had gone through. After a month we had become best friends. When I left Thailand to return home, it was a sad day for us to say goodbye to each other. I returned to Wenatchee a different person. My worldview, political views, and understanding of the suffering in our world had drastically changed forever. It seemed unlikely that Than and I would ever see each other again since he had no relatives in the United States, so it was highly unlikely that he and his now pregnant wife and child would ever be allowed to enter the USA. However, I told him that I would do what I could. When I got home I wrote letters to Washington Sen. Henry

American Dream “Scoop” Jackson, to Washington Senator Warren Magnusson and finally Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon, who at one time had been on the World Vision Board of directors. Finally, I got a letter from the ambassador to Thailand who told me they were now quite aware of my friend Than Sla and his family and their location in the refugee camp. He asked me not to write to any more senators. I suspected he was tired of answering their inquiries. In November 1980, Than and his family, along with other refugees, were on an airplane to the United States. The Slas landed in Wenatchee and immediately had their first exposure to winter. Vanny was eight months pregnant. Their first child to be born in the United States was fittingly named “Winter.” The Brethren Baptist Church had agreed to be their official sponsor. Within three days Than was working at the Wenatchee World stuffing papers with supplements and ads. I knew that Than would be a hard worker and become successful. His first full-time job was working at the Mandarin restaurant for several years and then seven years at Skippers’ restaurant. During this time he started an Asian band. He taught himself to play drums, the base and keyboard. His wife sang with the band. They frequently played at Asian weddings in the Seattle area. Once my family went to a party where he was playing and joined about 30 Cambodians in dancing folk dances. The band was quite good, too. Next Than started a janitorial business, which he ran for many years, maintaining 40 regular clients at its peak. In 1998 he opened his own restaurant and Oriental market and did that for

Vanny and Than Sla and their family.

several years. During this time he also worked for Warren Eikenberry who had a cherry orchard in Sunnyslope. Than eventually bought Warren’s orchard and his house as well. For the last five years Than and his wife have been working for Paine Electronics, making and testing transducers that are used all over the world. In his “spare time” he paints houses and still maintains one of his larger janitorial clients one day a week. Than is truly one of the most amazing and hardest working persons I know. He came here with nothing but hope, yet has made a successful life for himself and his family. Four out of his five children are Wenatchee High graduates and have finished college or vocational school. They all worked paying their own way through school. Vichet, 31, is married and works for Boeing as a computer draftsman. Winter, 29, studied to be both a medical and radiology technologist at a vocational school in Arizona. He is now the manager of the mobile medical imaging company operating in Washington and Oregon. Their oldest daughter, Samphoh, 26, first went to the University of Washington and then graduated in accounting from Central Washington University. She currently is a CPA in Seattle. Lynnet, named after my wife,

is finishing her civil engineering degree as a senior at the University of Washington. She has been working for the State of Washington while going to school. The youngest daughter, Malyna, is a senior at Wenatchee High and is in the running start program at Wenatchee Valley College. She is now looking at UW or WSU with a desire to study psychology.

I am so proud of these five young people whom I have known most of their lives. They have all followed the model of hard work set by their parents. Than still has two sisters in Cambodia and Vanny has a brother plus stepbrothers and sisters there as well. The Slas have never returned to their country of birth. Their relatives say that conditions in Cambodia are getting worse from an economic and political standpoint. They love it here and are very grateful for the opportunities this great nation has afforded them including its citizenship. What they have accomplished is a result of hard work and perseverance. We as a community and as a nation are fortunate to have them here, too. Jim Brown, M.D., is a semi-retired gastroenterologist who has practiced for 38 years in the Wenatchee area. He is a former CEO of the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center.

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January 2011 | The Good Life |

column GARDEN OF DELIGHTS

bonnie orr

Oodles of noodles and pounds of pasta since it will continue to cook in the oven 5. Put drained, cooked pasta in a buttered casserole dish. Layer on the cauliflower and onions 6. Mix the paprika and mustard and flour into the yogurt/sour cream 7. Pour the sauce over the pasta 8. Bake for 20 minutes until sauce is bubbling Serve with crusty bread. Note: This recipe is inspired by The Joy of Gardening Cookbook by Janet Ballantyne.

Warm dishes with something from the garden for cold nights

uring the winter, I savor baked dinners that make the house smell warm and cozy. Pasta with a creamy sauce is my favorite comfort food. I cook two unusual dishes that are colorful and tasty and just right for a winter’s evening. They can be assembled in advance and baked when you get home from skiing.

Cauliflower Pasta Cauliflower is the mildest of all the cabbage family members. Often people object to the sulfur smell of Brussels sprouts and broccoli, cauliflower and kale. The best way to volatize the unpleasant smell and sweeten cabbage family relatives is to chop the vegetable. Heat a pan on high with a couple of tablespoons of oil. Pour in the veggies and stir for two to three minutes. This will create a sweet, mild product to add to your favorite dishes. Serves 4 20 minutes prep. 30 minutes baked at 350 degrees Buy or make spinach noodles INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon of butter 8 oz. of pasta of your choice 2 tablespoons of olive oil 1 medium cauliflower cut into

Baked Winter Squash Pasta

Prep time 20 minutes. Baking 40 minutes at 375 degrees Serves 6 12 oz. of spinach noodles or noodles of your choice 3 cups raw winter squash or pumpkin grated 2 tablespoons poppy seed 2 cloves garlic minced 1 tablespoon lemon zest 1-1/2 cups small curd cottage cheese 1/2 cup chicken stock 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese 1/4 cup chopped parsley

1. Grease a baking dish 2. Cook pasta in a pot of boiling water until less than tender since it will continue to cook in the oven 3. Blend the cottage cheese in the food processor 4. Put chicken stock, poppy seed, garlic and lemon zest in a large bowl and add the cottage cheese 5. Mix in the drained pasta and pour the mixture into the baking dish 6. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese on the top 7. Bake for 40 minutes 8. Garnish with chopped parsley Pork chops or lamb go nicely with this dish.

about 4 cups of florets 1 cup of chopped, red onions 2 cups plain yogurt — low-fat will make a watery casserole — or 1 cup sour cream and 1 cup yogurt (YUM) 1 tablespoon smoky paprika or sweet paprika 2 teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon flour Pepper and salt to taste

DIRECTIONS 1. Butter an oven-proof dish 2. Condition the cauliflower in the hot olive oil 3. Add the onions and continue to brown the cauliflower and the onions 4. Cook pasta in a pot of boiling water according to instructions. Generally homemade pasta cooks for only about three minutes. Boil pasta less than tender

| The Good Life | January 2011

I love winter squash and pumpkin. Sometimes, they can be combined with pasta to make a filling dinner for a wintery evening — such as the Baked Winter Squash Pasta recipe below the photo. Other times, I will bake squash and pumpkins in the late fall, puree the cleaned flesh and freeze it in pint freezer bags. A favorite lunch is pureed squash heated with two tablespoons of butter and two teaspoons of fresh finely chopped sage. Nutmeg is the spice used to perk up any manner of squash or pumpkin. Don’t forget to cook the seeds for snacks. Open the squash or pumpkin and clear out the membranes. Separate the seeds onto a sheet cake pan and cover the seeds with salty water. Bake at 375 degrees. They are ready when the water has evaporated, and the salt coats the seeds. Bonnie Orr gardens and cooks in East Wenatchee.

column moving up to the good life

june darling

You’re lazy and don’t have much willpower But you can banish bad habits by taking the right start-up steps

e can wipe the slate clean. It’s January, a time of new beginnings. You’ll hear people telling you to set goals. Yes, goals are good for your health, wealth, and happiness. Yes, you are more likely to accomplish your goals if they are congruent with your values, if they excite and challenge you, if they are clear and seem attainable. Yes, it will really help if you have an accountability partner. Here’s the bad news. You may still fall flat on your face and not accomplish much of anything again this year due to a little detail… you’re lazy. So am I. Here’s the really, really bad news. We don’t have a whole lot of willpower either. What’s our chance of succeeding in any area of our lives if we have limited willpower? You may remember Dr. Walter Mischel’s experiments with four-year-olds. They were told that they could eat one marshmallow immediately or wait for the experimenter to return and receive two. Those who waited the 15 minutes for the second one were later found to have more emotional and social intelligence and to have scored much higher on their Scholastic Aptitude Tests. However, Mischel says it wasn’t willpower they had. What they had were distraction strategies like covering their eyes, pulling on their hair, or singing to themselves. Researchers like Dr. Roy

Baumeister have tons of research to show that all of us have a limited pool of willpower and self-control. Some people are much better, however, at understanding themselves, at knowing their habits, and strategizing appropriately. One strategy involves understanding and using the path of least resistance. Let’s suppose I’ve not been much of an exerciser, but I want to change my ways. I’ve looked at my schedule and see that morning is the only time that looks workable. I’m really psyched up, but what’s going to happen around day three? I’m going to hear the alarm and ask myself, “Do you really want to get up?” I’m going to answer, “No, I do not.” And then I’m going to hit the snooze button.

Achor solved his problem. He slept in his gym clothes. This is what Harvard professor Shawn Achor found himself doing. He became perplexed and angry with himself because he honestly did want to exercise. He decided that the hardest part of exercising was not the pull-ups nor the bench presses, but those few seconds it took to get up and put on his clothes. By the time he had his clothes on, he was mentally ready to get moving. Achor solved his problem. He slept in his gym clothes. (He claims they were clean. He isn’t married and realizes he may be that way for a long time.) Achor, who is also a consultant and coach, realized he had stumbled onto an essential

learning around habit change. Make the “start-up” easy for a new good habit. Use the idea in reverse to get rid of a bad habit. Make the start-up hard. Achor began applying what I’ll call “the start-up principle” strategically to other things he wanted to change in his life. He had wanted to play guitar, but it sat in his closet. To make the start-up easy, he bought a music stand so it became convenient for him to grab and practice. Television watching was the bad habit Achor wanted to kick. To make the start-up hard, he took the batteries out of his remote control and put them in a drawer. (You can put your credit cards in the drawer if you want to make impulse spending more difficult). Now when he comes home tired from work, it’s just too much effort to turn on the television, instead he reaches for the book he’s put on his end table. My husband John is using the path of least resistance to “get rid of his baby.” He has called his belly fat his “baby” since the little boy next door took a long look at his tummy and asked him how a man got a baby. John has attached a chin-up bar to our kitchen doorframe and every time he goes by, he

January 2011 | The Good Life |

does a pullup. He’s turned the living room into a gym (most of the furniture except for the grand piano is now in the entry). All he has to do is roll out of bed, push the remote control, and Tony Horton is telling him to pick up his knees. Sleeping in your gym clothes and turning your living room into a gym may seem drastic, but they are memorable illustrations of ways to work strategically with the start-up principle. This year if you really want to begin a new good habit and get rid of a bad old one, remember all that other good stuff about goals. Then factor in that you’re lazy. Don’t count on a whole lot of willpower. Instead get strategic, especially with your start-up. How might you move up to The Good Life this year by getting strategic with your startup? June Darling, Ph.D., is an executive coach who consults with businesses and individuals to achieve goals and increase happiness. She can be reached at drjunedarling@aol.com, or drjunedarling.blogspot.com or at her twitter address: twitter.com/ drjunedarling. Her website is www. summitgroupresources.com.

column ALEX ON WINE

ALEX SALIBY

Ice wines chill the wallet, delight the palate I

ce wines are expensive, often $40 to $60 for a .375m-sized bottle, but they are more than an inflated price commodity. They are special wines that deserve special occasion treatment. These are wines to share. Drink an ice wine at the end of your next anniversary dinner, or when your partner is in need of some extra affection. “Why is ice wine so expensive,” you ask? Well, apart from the normal supply and demand economics, there are three reasons for the prices on these little bottles: one, ice wines are made from whole clusters of grapes which have purposefully been allowed to hang on the vines till they freeze. Two, harvesting ice wine grapes is both more difficult and time consuming than fall harvest in the vineyards, and three, the amount of grape juice called the “must” that frozen grapes yield is miniscule compared with that of fresh, ripe unfrozen grapes. That reduced “must” means far less wine than from the same amount of unfrozen grapes. Ice wine in Washington state can happen almost yearly because much of the vineyard plantings are in full four-season climates. The only two things required are for the vineyard manager to agree to allow the fruit to hang till it is frozen, and for the grapes to hang without spoiling. Here’s a short course in what happens on the vines. Only the water freezes; sugars and other chemical compounds don’t. The result is a super concentrated grape “must” from the pressing. What is concentrated are both

A worker harvests frozen Riesling grapes at Icicle Ridge Winery in Peshastin. Part of the reason for the extra cost of ice wines is the difficulty in harvesting the grapes. Photos by Al Piecka

the flavors of the grape juice and the sugars. The yield, following fermentation, is an intensely aromatic and flavorful sweet wine. Ice wines should not be confused with late harvest wines nor with wines made from grapes which have Botrytis Cynerea (aka Nobel Rot) fungus on them. Late harvest wines are simply

wines made from grapes picked late in the season when the brix (measure of sugar in the grape juice) is high, perhaps as high as 31 or 32 brix. These can yield either high alcohol, say 15 or 16 percent by volume of slightly sweet wines, or, if fermentation is purposefully aborted early on, a moderately high alcohol level, say 14.5 percent of a very sweet wine with perhaps as much as 4

| The Good Life | January 2011

or 5 percent residual sugar. Those of you who know what Noble Rot is, know also that these grapes are allowed to hang hoping they will become affected by the fungus. In these instances, the grapes become an almost raisinlike piece of fruit. And in the creation of wines from these grapes, the grapes are individually picked out of the cluster of grapes, and only those grapes that have been affected are used in the making of the wines. In Germany, the wines are known as Trockenbeerenauslese wines, or TBA. They are both rare and extremely expensive. These wines too are extremely sweet because of the concentrations of sugars in the fruit, and again, from these grapes also, the amount of grape “must” resulting from the press is minimal and super-concentrated with sugars and flavors. I am not aware of any Washington wineries which have been fortunate enough to have had a sufficient quantity of Botrytis Cynerea affected grapes to have produced a batch of wines, however, there are a number of our state’s wineries that have made ice wines. Two of our local wineries are currently offering an ice wine in their list of wines in inventory. David Morris, winemakerowner at Napeequa Vineyards in Plain, has a wonderfully aromatic and flavorful 2008 Chardonnay ice wine made from Smasne Vineyards Chardonnay grapes. This one is interesting in that David says some of the grapes in the harvest were in fact greyed with Noble Rot so the ice wine is a kind of once in a very blue

moon ice wine/Trockenbeerenauslese. Scott Benson at Benson Vineyards Estate winery in Manson has a 2009 Viognier Ice Wine on the shelf. I’ve sampled it and I can attest to the wine’s qualities both on the nose, which is richly floral, and on the palate where there is that intensely fruity blend of honey and apricots. Yummm. The good folks at Icicle Ridge Winery in Peshastin just released a 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Ice Wine to their wine club members. No indication at this early date

when or even if the wine will be available for sale to the general public. More from Icicle Ridge’s founder Louie Wagoner is this late note on Facebook, “Riesling Ice Wine is coming along nicely, 40 brix at the pressing.” But this is a wine in process and not yet available to anyone. On the Riesling, I suspect wine club members will have first dibs.

Icicle Ridge Winery has a Cabernet Sauvignon Ice Wine made from frozen grapes such as these.

Alex Saliby is a wine lover who spends far too much time reading about the grapes, the process of making wine and the wines themselves. He can be contacted at alex39@msn. com.

| The Good Life | January 2011

>> RANDOM QUOTE

The good life, as I conceive it, is a happy life. I do not mean that if you are good you will be happy — I mean that if you are happy you will be good. Bertrand Russell

WHAT TO DO

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

Write on the River writers’ competition — Deadline Feb. 4. Writers may submit an essay, article, memoir, observation or other nonfiction prose piece on any theme for the nonfiction category, and a short story with any subject, topic or theme for the fiction category. Limit is 1,000 words. First place prizes are $300; second place, $200; and third place, $100.

The winners will be notified in April and the awards will be presented at the Write On The River conference in May. Info: www.writeontheriver. org. Tea House Book Signing, 1/1, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. Angela Ruth, daughter of Ginger — the Tea House proprietor — will be at the Daily Joy Tea House to share and sign her new book, Love Finds You in Sun Valley, Idaho, an inspirational romance. Angela, a romantic at heart, lives and works in Boise. This is her first book. Complimentary tea will be served by the fireplace. Inside the Wedding Haus, 1033 Commercial St, Leavenworth. Cajun and Creole Cooking, 1/2, 2 p.m. Join executive chef Mike Ables at the Chateau Faire le Pont Restaurant for his fun and creative cooking class. Info: www.fairelepont.com. Open Blues Jam, 1/6, and every first Thursday of the month, 7:30 p.m. Bring your voice and or instrument. Mojo’s, 102 Aplets Way, Cashmere. Info: Tomasz Cibicki 669-8200. Wenatchee Blues Jam, 1/6, 8 p.m. Open blues jam every first Thursday of the month. Grizzly Lounge in the Red Lion Hotel, 1225 N. Wen. Ave. Info: Tomasz Cibicki 6698200.

Icicle Creek Music Center Piano Festival, 1/6 - 1/8, 11 a.m. Directed by Icicle Creek Music Center’s resident pianist Oksana Ezhokina, ICMC’s Piano Festival annually welcomes advanced pre-professional pianists for an intensive week of private lessons, master classes, and recitals. Visiting faculty member Christina Dahl gives a master class to students. Canyon Wren Recital Hall, 7409 Icicle Rd, Leavenworth. Cost: free and open to the public.

Food is Art, Art is Food, 1/7, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. This unique exhibition in the museum’s Main Gallery will feature art made with, and about, food. Several historic photographs from the museum’s collection are included with contemporary photos, paintings, sculpture and other works. Supattra Pornprasit will attend the reception and give a demonstration of Thai Fruit Carving. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost: free. First Friday at Two Rivers Gallery, 1/7, 5-8 p.m.. Jan Cook Mack will be the gallery’s featured artist. A new exhibit of over 50 local artist members will be celebrated in a reception that will include refreshments, wine and live music by Kirk Lewellen. 102 N Columbia, Wenatchee. Cost: Free. Info: www. 2riversgallery.com. Bridal Premiere, 1/8, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. NCW’s largest bridal show. Town Toyota Center. Info: www. towntoyotacenter.com. Family ArtVentures, 1/8, 10 a.m. – noon. This art class is designed for all members of the family to experience together. Leavenworth artist Cordi Bradburn will guide participants in sculpting figures from wire. Materials are provided, and no experience is necessary. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Preregistration is required. Info: 888-6240. Ski Jump Tournament, 1/8, noon. Leavenworth Ski Hill. Info: www. leavenworth.com.

January 2011 | The Good Life |

WHAT TO DO

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

Icicle Creek Music Center Piano Festival, 1/8, 7 p.m. Canyon Wren Recital Hall, Leavenworth. Cost: $20. Info: www.icicle.org. Ski For Health Day, 1/9, noon – 3 p.m. Check our free ski equipment, Nordic lessons and trail passes. Refreshments. Icicle River Trail, Leavenworth. Info: www.leavenworth.com. Waltz Dance Class, 1/10, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Every Monday for four weeks. Class will cover the basics of slow waltz. Leavenworth Senior Center. Cost: $24. Info: Carole 670-0435. Mountain Music Festival at Mission Ridge, 1/11, 6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m. Live music every Saturday night for 10 consecutive weeks. Vicci Martinez opens. Info: www. wenatcheewa.gov. T.A. Weaver and the Columbia River’s Remaking, 1/13, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. Bill Layman, historian and curator of the “Native River: The Everlasting Columbia” exhibit, will present a slide show based on his newly published Atlas of the Canadian Columbia. The atlas documents stunning aerial photographs of the Columbia River taken by T.A. Weaver in the 1960s prior to its being transformed into a working river, juxtaposing them with photos taken recently by Layman and the late Wenatchee pilot Arnie Clarke. The program is a fundraiser for the museum’s Native River Fund and Columbia Riverkeeper. Refreshments will be served. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Info: www.wenatcheewa.gov. Winterfest “Fire & Ice Festival,” 1/14 – 1/16. Sleigh rides, ice skating and other snow games. Music, homemade chili and hot drinks around a fire pit. Stroll downtown and taste many local wines. Snow sculpting competition and torchlight parade. Downtown Chelan. www.lakechelanwinterfest.com. Bavarian IceFest, 1/15 – 1/16. Shake out the snow and ice while you smoosh, sweep and sculpt your way to family fun. Enjoy the ski hill for tubing. Downtown Leavenworth. Info: www.leavenworth.com. Skirennen Citizens Race, 1/15, 8 a.m. 1K, 2K, 5K, and 10K races.

}}} Continued on next page

The Art Life

// SKETCHES OF LOCAL ARTISTS

7 kids give mom plenty of stories for a book It was like a scene from her

newly published book — the reverb of shrieks from the big plastic play structure in McDonald’s, the constant rounds of cuddle, cajole and redirect, even the admonishment of a frowning onlooker (“Your child seems to have taken off her socks.”). That was 10 minutes with one toddler, and the lady has seven kids. Christina-Marie Wright, known in both cyberspace and downtown Chelan, and hoping to be recognized in bookstores everywhere, is The Gonzo Mama. It’s a name she coined after she had birthed one child, collected four with a second marriage, and, as she puts it, “accidentally adopted two more.” To keep sane, she put her humor and her pitch-perfect take on the unique pace of multimotherhood into an independent on-line magazine, finding a ready audience for her “momoirs” in Gonzo Parenting. Buoyed by readers’ interest (“I actually had FANS! People liked what I was writing. I felt very Sally Field about the whole thing.”), last year she pitched a regular column for the Chelan Mirror, and soon busied herself writing for both the community weekly newspaper and a parenting blog. Then, a close writer friend heading here for a recent book signing urged her to participate, and, Christina-Marie says simply, “I didn’t want to be the only girl there without a book.” And the rest is recent history. She compiled her best observations, illustrated them with her

Christina-Marie Wright: Topsy-turvy world of kids is like living in a frat house.

daughter’s artwork, printed and bound them, and took ’em on the road, this fall as far as New Orleans. She mostly hand sells the books, but she does it by the hundreds out of her big purse — buttonholing strangers (moms and non-moms) on planes and sidewalks, in bars and supermarkets. Christina-Marie at 36 is a homegrown wonder. She’s a Chelan native returned from a short career on the west side characterized mostly by its constant commute. She is without a literary agent (but is tiptoeing optimistically around the idea of finding one), an editor, book doctor, publisher or any formal entree into the world of publishing, and she’s fearless. And she writes funny, very funny. Maybe it’s her richly comic view of the world, or that she’s a

January 2011 | The Good Life |

magnet for quirky coincidence, but Christina-Marie easily spins off lines like, “There I was, managing a bar in Chelan, when, of all the gin joints in the world, Mr. Right walked into mine. Actually, it was Mr. Wright, but — close enough.” And if you smile just at the title of her book, Everything I Need To Know About Mothering I Learned from Animal House, try its rationale: “Raising kids is like living in a frat house. There are too many all-nighters, there’s never enough coffee or Top Raman, the toilets are never clean, it’s no surprise if somebody is puking, and you never know who’s going to be in your bed when you wake up.” You can visit Christina-Marie at TheGonzoMama.com and order her book at ChristinaMarieWright.com/book. — by Susan Lagsdin

WHAT TO DO

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

}}} Continued from previous page Leavenworth Golf Course. Info: www.skileavenworth.com. Twin Peaks Winter Dash, 1/15, 7:50 a.m. AT skiers, pinheads, split boarders, skinny skiers, skate skiers, ski tourers, snowshoers, runners, ski-journers are invited to dash to the top of Twin Peaks from the end of #2 Canyon Rd. Meet at WRAC parking lot. Info: wenout@ gmail.com. Wally Peterson Memorial Snowmobile Drag Races, 1/15, 10 a.m. The MA-8 Golf Course at Mill Bay Casino. Racing most of the day. Info: blamar@nwi.net. We’ve Got Talent, 1/15 & 1/22, Three minutes before judges Jaime Donegan and KW3’s Connor and Latashja. Then 1/22 the showcase showdown. Winners will perform before judges to win a trip to Las Vegas for two. Performing Arts Center. Cost: adults $15, students and seniors $12 under 12 $10. Info: www.pacwen.org.

Snowshoe Demo & Relay Races, 1/16, 10 a.m. Free snowshoe demos. Bonfires, relay races every half hour. Leavenworth Ski Hill. Info: www.leavenworth.com. Grease, The Musical, 1/16, 8 p.m. Town Toyota Center. Info: www. towntoyotacenter.com. Destino, 1/18, 7:30 p.m. Awardwinning Canadian tenors Paul Ouellette, Joey Niceforo and Hans Munoz from the dynamic vocal trio, Destino. Their unique music style may best be described as pop with an opera flair. Wenatchee High School. Info: 884-6835. Environmental Film: Dirt, 1/18, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m. The story of Earth’s most valuable yet under appreciated source of fertility, from its miraculous beginnings to its crippling degradation. Inspired by William Bryant Logan’s book DIRT: The Ecstatic Skin of the Earth, the film shares stories from around the world of the environmental, economic, social and spiritual impact of soil. Following the screening, a representative of the Native Plant Society will speak briefly and answer questions. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Info: www.wenatcheewa.gov.

Ailey II, 1/18, 7:30 p.m. Universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers. Performing Arts Center. Cost: adults $43, seniors $41, students $34. Info: www.pacwen.org. Women’s Escape Program, 1/20. Snow clinic with some of the best female coaches in the business. Improve your snow skills. Mission Ridge. Cost: $60. Lunch provided. Info: 663-6543. Winemaker’s Dinner, 1/21, 6 p.m. Join Laura Laurent Mrachek, winemaker Craig Mitrakul and chef Richard Kitos for an evening of fabulous food and wine pairings. Saint Laurent’s Winery, Malaga. Cost: $55. Info: www.saintlaurent. net/dinner. McManus in Love, 1/21, 7:30 & 1/22, 2 p.m. A comedy written by Patrick F. McManus, starring Tim Behrens, directed by Jack Delehanty. The play is about Patrick’s first date that will warp your personality forever. Patrick will be selling and autographing books before each performance. Cost: adults $16 - $22, seniors and students $16.

Performing Arts Center. Info: www. pacwen.org. Empty Bowls Event Painting Days, 1/21- 1/26, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Feed the hungry fundraiser. Choose a hand-thrown soup bowl available for painting. Sleeping Lady, Woodpecker Room, Leavenworth. Cost: $12 per bowl. Winter Wine Gala, 1/22, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. More than a dozen wineries of North Central Washington offer tastes and the opportunity to purchase bottles of some of their best wines. Sample tasty morsels from area chefs as you wander through the museum visiting with vintners and interacting with the art and heritage of the region. Proceeds from wine sales benefit the museum. Cost: Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door (members $35, $40) and may be reserved by calling 888-6240. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. ‘SWonderful, 1/24, 7:30 p.m. This new Gershwin musical is an all singing, all dancing musical revue that celebrates the genius of George and Ira Gershwin. Incorporating five mini-musicals inspired by the real events occurring in and around the lives of the Gershwin

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

| The Good Life | January 2011

WHAT TO DO

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

brothers illustrates their impact on the world then and now. Performing Arts Center. Info: www.pacwen. org. Nissebakken Telemark Race, 1/28, 5 p.m. Giant slalom race. Awards and BBQ. Leavenworth Ski Hill. Info: skileavenworth.com. Bavarian Cup, 1/29 – 1/30, 8 a.m. Race is focused on competitive junior and adult skiers from across the region. Info: skileavenworth. com. Cascade Quest Sled Dog Race, 1/28 – 1/30. The Cascade Quest Sled Dog Race presented by the Northwest Sled Dog Association features races for mushers and teams of all skill levels including skijorers. Pancake breakfasts, spectator activities, meet the mushers and their dogs, suitable for the entire family. The Cascade Quest benefits Chelan County Fire Dist 9 Firefighter’s Association. Lake Wenatchee Recreation Club, 14440 Chiwawa Loop Rd. Cost: free. Info: www. Cascadequest.com. Poetry Reading, 1/28, 7 p.m. Janee Baugher shares her poetry. Leavenworth Library. Cost: free. Info: 548-1451. Cashmere Community Coffeehouse, 1/29, 7:30 p.m. Prairie Flyer performs from bluegrass standards to original songs. 201 Riverside Dr. Cost: $3 at the door and pass the hat. Info: www.cashmerecoffeehouse.com. Lion’s Club Crab Feed, 2/5, 5 – 8 p.m. Over 1,400 pounds of Dungeness crab for all you can eat. Lake Chelan Eagles, 209 E Woodin Ave. Cost: $35 per person. Info: cometothelake.com. Red Wine & Chocolate, 2/12 – 2/13 & 2/19 – 2/20. Enjoy local wine with your Valentine as Lake Chelan Wine Valley celebrates two romantic red wine & chocolatefilled weekends in February. Many of the local boutique wineries in Lake Chelan’s spectacular Wine Valley offer delicious pairings of wine and chocolate to tempt and delight your sweetheart’s senses. Special events will take place the weekends of February 12-13 and 19-20. Info: www.lakechelanwinevalley.com.

The Art Life

// SKETCHES OF LOCAL ARTISTS

French horn waited for player to come back The gleaming new French

horn, a high school graduation gift from the parents, spent most of its life nestled safely in its case, possibly waiting for Dave Neir to be ready to play again. It took 35 years for him to finish college, start and grow a family; start, grow and retire from a career as a CPA, and move with his wife to their peaceful place on Fish Lake (a vacation home turned permanent) where he finally had time to unpack it. In his youth, surrounded by a musical family who envisioned him as a professional, he was mentored by a Seattle Symphony French horn teacher. In eighth grade Dave played with the Bellevue Philharmonic, the youngest member ever. His future seemed tuned in. But early in his college career, life collided with life. “I was a full-time student with a fulltime job and a full-time rehearsal and concert schedule,” he said. Something had to go, and it was the French horn. Hence the unopened case. Cut to 2009. He’s thought about it for a few years, then he pulled out the horn. “Where’s middle C. . . and how do I tune this thing?” he wondered. Dave tooted out some fifth grade scores he’d saved, then hastened to a teacher for lessons and enough encouragement to get him to and through a Wenatchee Symphony audition. It seems that reading music — and, great currency in the smallcity symphony world, actually owning and playing a French horn — has served him well.

Dave Neir: An eager welcome into the Wenatchee Symphony family.

He currently plays fourth chair French horn for the Wenatchee Symphony, not quite back to the level of his glory days, but rapidly returning. Dave finds the 60-person symphony family eager to welcome new members. And extremely forgiving. It seems many of them, after years away, have also come back around to the pleasures of symphonic music. Dave encourages anyone with a yen to perform, whatever the instrument, to consider an audition. He says, “Don’t worry — It’s short, about 10 minutes. Nik (Caoile, the conductor) just wants to hear if you can play.”

January 2011 | The Good Life |

Solos don’t interest Dave, nor does a career beyond the Wenatchee Valley. He plays for the Columbia Chorale occasionally, and thinks someday playing with a good quartet would be fun. He practices, with plenty of privacy, in a home theatre he’s built. Dave’s musically uninvolved family is justly proud of his latter-life reinvention, so they respectfully leave him to his music, his daily hour-long sessions with that gleaming old French horn. See more about instrumental auditions and the schedule at wenatcheesymphony.org. — by Susan Lagsdin

column those were the days

rod molzahn

Arthur Gunn – developer & Valley promoter Wenatchee a mile ust upstream from the south. The Developtraffic bridge crossing the ment Company promWenatchee River is anised to exchange their other, much smaller bridge lots for new ones and carrying irrigation water in to move their buildtwo pipes. ings for them. The large pipe, visible That same year, from the traffic bridge, is 1893, Wenatchee part of the Highline Canal formed its first city system, the main ditch government and serving the Wenatchee Flat Arthur Gunn was and East Wenatchee. elected Treasurer getOn the upstream side of ting 100 of 114 possible the small bridge, hidden by votes. the Highline Canal pipe, Arthur Gunn was is a smaller pipe carrying a visionary and one water from the Gunn Ditch thing he saw soon system. Arthur Gunn, early after his arrival in land developer and valley Wenatchee was that booster, was instrumental the valley’s future dein the creation of both irpended on irrigation. rigation systems. In 1896 he partArthur Gunn came to nered with Jacob Wenatchee in 1892 as manShotwell, a Monitor ager of the new Columbia farmer, to extend Valley Bank, the first bank and enlarge the ditch in town. Shotwell had dug to In the next 25 years there supply water to his PHOTO FROM THE WENATCHEE VALLEY MUSEUM was hardly a community own property. & CULTURAL CENTER project that Gunn did not That ditch, later Arthur Gunn had his hand in several early endeavors. have a hand in. known as the Gunn Arthur Gunn stayed with the Ditch, delivered water to Lower Railroad tracks. bank for only a year then joined Sunnyslope and the Olds StaGunn worked persuasively to the Wenatchee Development tion area as well as to sevconvince residents and busiCompany as their land agent ness owners in “Old Town,” near eral hundred acres south of the selling lots for the recently platWenatchee River. Springwater and Miller streets, ted town along the Columbia From 1901 to 1904 Gunn was to move themselves and their and the new Great Northern involved in the development of buildings to the new town of

Wenatchee

Winter Wine Gala at the Wenatchee Valley Museum

Saturday, January 22 6:00-9:00 p.m. Reserve tickets at 888-6240 32

| The Good Life | January 2011

the Highline Canal, serving on the committee responsible for obtaining signed water use contracts with owners of the nearly 7,000 acres the new ditch would serve. Those contracts made it possible for W.C. Clark to secure financing for the ditch construction. In the next years he and Clark promoted the building of the first automobile bridge across the Columbia that also carried the Highline Canal to East Wenatchee. John Gellatly gives Gunn the credit for selling Wenatchee on the need for expanding Wenatchee Avenue to a 90-foot width and extending it north to the Wenatchee River crossing. Gellatly says, “It took a man of vision to promote a 90-foot street in those early horse and buggy days.” Arthur Gunn’s first love was real estate. He bought and developed orchard and residential property throughout the valley. He homesteaded 160 acres on Sunnyslope and in the late 1890s he began to consolidate his land with adjoining owners including extensive acreage belonging to the Burch family. In 1900 Gunn began two years

“It took a man of vision to promote a 90-foot street in those early horse and buggy days.” of effort to convince a community of Brethren in North Dakota, led by Amos Peters, to leave their homes and settle on Sunnyslope. Two trips to meet with them and countless letters were finally persuasive, and by the end of 1902 Gunn had sold most of the 5- and 10-acre parcels to Brethren families for $100 to $125 an acre. They built homes and cleared rocks and sagebrush in anticipation of the irrigation water Gunn had promised for the next year. Construction on the Highline Canal was delayed and the summer of 1903 passed with no water. Plowed land turned to dust and “Windstorms,” as one of the Brethren wrote about the towers of dust high in the air, “raised real estate to unbelievable heights.” By 1904 the water had arrived and a church was being built on land donated by Arthur Gunn. Sunnyslope began to live up to the name and promise Gunn had given it when he first described it to the Brethren. In 1905, after the death of Chelan County’s State Senator, Arthur Gunn won the special election to fill the seat. Gunn was a Democrat in a strongly Republican area but Rufus Woods, editor of the Wenatchee Republic, supported him because his opponent was from Ellensburg. This so angered Wenatchee’s Republican leaders that they pulled their support from the Republic and started a new paper that would be truly Republican. They called it the Daily World. Arthur Gunn bought

Wenatchee’s first electric company when it was on the verge of failing, brought it back from the brink, expanded it and delivered reliable electric power to the town. He was also influential in efforts to expand and improve telephone service in the valley. Arthur Gunn had many friends including Indian Felix, who lived near Monitor. Gunn once asked Felix if he could get him a horse hair lariat. Some time later Felix brought the

lariat but would accept no payment for it. Soon after, George Blair, who had a herd of horses pastured near Felix’ home, stormed into town demanding to know who had cut the manes and tails off of all his horses. Arthur Gunn kept quiet about his new lariat. Arthur Gunn gave 25 years to Wenatchee and the valley. On May 24, 1917, driving the dirt road to Orondo to check on orchard property he owned, his car hit a windblown sand berm

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January 2011 | The Good Life |

and turned over, crushing him. He was known to like driving fast. Arthur Gunn was 51. He left a wife, six children and a community better for his time in it. Historian, actor and teacher Rod Molzahn can be reached at shake. speak@frontier.com. His third history CD, Legends & Legacies Vol. III - Stories of Wenatchee and North Central Washington, is now available at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center and at other locations throughout the area.

Karie Rolen, John L. Scott Real Estate............. 18 KCSY – Sunny FM............................................ 28 LarsonAllen LLP............................................... 36 Lombards Hardwoods..................................... 20 Local Tel Communications............................... 23 Moonlight Tile & Stone.................................... 18 Mt. Stuart Physical Therapy.............................. 17 NCHBA Home Show........................................ 21 Noyd & Noyd Insurance Agency . .................... 20 Performance Footwear....................................... 3 Products Supply Northwest............................. 20 Reflections Healing Studio.............................. 19 Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort . .................... 27 Sturtz, Arnold McCollough................................. 2 Sue Long Laura Mounter Real Estate & Co...... 18 Telford’s Chapel of the Valley & Crematory....... 36 The Town Toyota Center.................................... 35 The UPS Store................................................... 7 Tracey Franklin, John L Scott Real Estate......... 20 Wenatchee Business Journal........................... 21 Wenatchee Natural Foods .............................. 34 Wenatchee Valley Humane Society.................. 14 Wenatchee Valley Medical Center.................... 15 Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center... 32 Western Ranch Buildings................................. 18 Wok About Grill............................................... 27

CHECK THIS OUT // TASTY PLACES AND FUN EXPERIENCES

Squilchuck Winter Memories: terror and crazy joy By Eric Granstrom

I knew it was cold outside.

I could feel the air around my face trying to leech all moisture from my flesh. If I breathed too deeply my lungs burned. But thankfully, the double-layering of clothing underneath my ski bib and jacket were keeping my body nice and toasty. I’d just reached the top of the hill and turned to face my challenge ahead. Through the frosty air I could make out the tracks of those who’d gone before me. Here and there along their path I spotted where they’d lost pieces of clothing... a hat here and a glove there. Suddenly, a strange feeling crept into my chest. Fear! The hill had quickly become a mountain. The dizzying heights caused my knees to shake and my will to quiver. My gloved hands gripped my sled as though my life depended on it. Just as I was devising a route by which I could retreat from this dreaded perch, two hands shoved me from behind. I was hurdling through the air, my eyes wide in shock.

Sledding: Screaming all the way down the hill.

The sounds of my brother’s laughter filled my ears as I plunged headfirst down the snowy slope. Adrenalin coursed through my veins in a mixture of anger at the ruffian who had pushed me and stark terror of my quickening descent. My hands were still clutched in a death-grip as the sounds of

ripping snow sliced beneath my ride. Wump! Flump! Whizzzz! I kept gaining speed. As my stocking cap threatened to jump ship from my head, a strange sound registered in my brain. It was a shrill scream. Then, I realized the screams were interrupted by uncontrolled laughter. Finally, it

| The Good Life | January 2011

dawned on me that these sounds were coming from my own lips. I was laughing and screaming with, with joy! I was having the time of my life. No sooner had the ride ended than I was headed up for another run. It’s these childhood memories that will be etched in my mind forever. I can still feel the cold on my face and the shove of my brother. And it all happened at Squilchuck State Park. You too can make such memories every weekend throughout the winter. It’s a short drive from downtown Wenatchee and is a wonderful place to take children and grandchildren. Not only is there sledding, but there are plenty of trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. For more information, go online to the Washington State Parks website at www.parks. wa.gov. Andy Dappen also has great information about the trails and outings around Squilchuck on his website at www.wenatcheeoutdoors.org. Winter memories to last a lifetime are out there. It’s up to you to make them happen. Or, your older brother with a push from behind! Eric Granstrom is Director of Marketing for the Wenatchee Valley Sports Council and provides weekly updates, newsletters and blog posts on area sports and outdoor recreation online at www.wenatcheevalleysports.com.

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