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May 2019
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Enjoying life in an
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plus RIDING THE RAILS THROUGH MEXICO’S COPPER CANYON Exploring a nearby gem that’s ignored by tourists
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Contents
In partnership with
page 20
exploring mexico’s colorful copper canyon
HealthAllianceMedicare.com A health plan with doctors you can trust, plenty of extra perks and programs, pharmacy coverage and a whole lot more. Call today to learn more about Health Alliance Northwest Medicare Advantage. 1-877-561-1463 (TTY 711) Daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time Voicemail used on holidays and weekends, Feb. 15–Sept. 30
Features
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WHY WRITE YOUR LIFE STORY now
Learn something about yourself and leave a treasure for loved ones
8 exploring ross lake
Not so far away, and often ignored by tourists
11 retirement in florida?
It has beaches but lacks snow — and the friends there seem pretty happy with their adopted state
Health Alliance Northwest is a Medicare Advantage Organization with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in Health Alliance Northwest depends on contract renewal. Other providers are available in our network. Health Alliance Northwest complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. Spanish: ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, servicios de asistencia lingüística, de forma gratuita, están disponibles para usted. Llame 1-877-750-3350 (TTY: 711). Chinese:注意：如果你講中文，語言協助服務， 免費的，都可以給你。呼叫 1-877-750-3350 (TTY: 711) med-genadWAC19-0618 (4.5 x 5.4)
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13 ONE COUPLE WHO CAUGHT ‘FLORIDA FEVER’ They made the move, and learned some advice along the way
16 back in the dirt bike saddle
Molly Steere had given up riding with the guys in her life... until she signed up for a dirt bike class
18 the pinnacles
There’s a fun little day hike just beyond the green door... but watch where you step
20 cruising through copper mountain
Two boat captains were wondering: “Where next?” Over margaritas, the idea came to them: A train trip in Mexico
22 making the most out of a lot with easy-fit homes Not a “tiny house,” just small with attention to detail Art sketches n Play scenery master Jill Sheets, page 28 n Book camp leader Amy Carlson, page 32
May 2019
Water Safety Tips Available at: Sunny FM YMCA Pool To Spa Services Visit the Pool To Spa showroom and register to win a season family pass to Slidewaters in Chelan!
Columns & Departments 6 A bird in the lens: Mountain Bluebird 26 June Darling: How to prepare to die well 27 The traveling doctor: Why to trust your gut 28-35 Arts & Entertainment & a Dan McConnell cartoon 31 Pet Tales: Dexter decides when it’s time for a walk 35 History: The wandering journey of A.B. Brender 38 That’s life: Kacee, what are you up to now? May 2019 | The Good Life
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>> OPENING SHOT
Camping in Paradise By MaRc Dilley
N
ortheast of Glacier Peak — Washington’s wilderness volcano — is the east-west trending Miners Ridge. If a crow were to fly northeast for eight miles from the 10,541 foot summit of Glacier, the ground beneath it would recede to 2,600 feet at the crossing of the Suiattle River before climbing steeply to the park-like bench of 6,056 foot Image Lake, sitting near the west end of Miners Ridge, a rounded, timberline slope with more alpine wildflowers than you can imagine. The unobstructed views Glacier Peak, the only volcano in the Cascades not visible from any road, are unforgettable.
My wife, Margareta, and I set up an early camp on a little bench between Image Lake and Miners Ridge. Our plan was to hike the next day north to Canyon Lake and this camp would give us a bit of a head start. After a few hours of exploring the ridge meadows I wandered back towards camp. This scene was one of those lucky shots: topping out on a ridge I had to FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/NCWGoodLife
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Year 13, Number 5 May 2019 The Good Life is published by NCW Good Life, LLC, dba The Good Life PO Box 2142 Wenatchee, WA 98807 PHONE: EMAIL: ONLINE:
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Editor/Publisher, Mike Cassidy Contributors, Marc Dilley, Judy Weaver, Wilmer Perez, Kalin Raible, Larry Cramer, Molly Steere, Diana Rigelman, Cary Ordway, Sharon Podlich, Marlene Farrell, Keith Kellogg, Bruce McCammon, Donna Cassidy, Jim Brown, June Darling, Dan McConnell, Susan Lagsdin and Rod Molzahn Advertising: Lianne Taylor Bookkeeping and circulation, Donna Cassidy Proofing, Dianne Cornell Ad design, Clint Hollingsworth
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zig and zag just a little to get the three groups of trees where I wanted. A quick tripod setup, a few exposures and back to our camp in paradise. Correction: An editing error placed the dam drone photo by Ron Medeiros in this space last month as being on the Icicle River, when, as callers and emailers pointed out, it was Video editor, Aaron Cassidy TO SUBSCRIBE: For $25, ($30 out of state address) you can have 12 issues of The Good Life mailed to you or a friend. Send payment to: The Good Life PO Box 2142 Wenatchee, WA 98807 For circulation questions, email: donna@ncwgoodlife.com EVENTS: donna@ncwgoodlife.com BUY A COPY of The Good Life at Safeway stores, Mike’s Meats at Pybus, Martin’s Market Place
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May 2019
clearly on the Wenatchee River in the Tumwater Canyon.
On the cover
Decompressing comes easy for Garn Christensen in a horse trough repurposed as a “hippy hot tub.” Photo by Donna Cassidy.
(Cashmere) and Dan’s Food Market (Leavenworth) ADVERTISING: For information about advertising in The Good Life, contact Lianne Taylor at (509) 6696556 or lianne@ncwgoodlife.com WRITE FOR THE GOOD LIFE: We welcome articles about people from Chelan and Douglas counties. Send your idea to Mike Cassidy at editor@ncwgoodlife.com
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editor’s notes
MIKE CASSIDY
Wouldn’t it be fun if… I was in a waiting room — in
an age before iPhones and the games you can play on them — when looking around for something to occupy the next few minutes I spotted a magazine titled something like: Gold Panning Gazette. Thumbing through it, it was fat with ads… pages and pages of ads. Since all of my various businesses have depended on advertising to some degree, I was immediately envious. “Really,” I thought, “how many gold panners can there be, and what can they buy from these advertisers beyond, well, a gold pan?” But I also quickly remembered the truth of one of my favorite songs from the Eurythmics: Sweet dreams are made of this Who am I to disagree? I travel the world and the seven seas Everybody’s looking for something It’s the selling of dreams that powers so many endeavors, from the thought of making it rich panning for gold along a secluded stream, to buying a lottery ticket to checking out websites for where you could be if you were not where you are now. Here at The Good Life, we post all of our stories on our website (www.ncwgoodlife.com) and then track which stories are the most popular. The first and second most popular stories are about building a home near Coles Corner from used shipping containers, and the third is the good and bad experiences a local family had in moving to Costa Rica. Now, honestly, almost none of us will build a house from
slightly dented metal shipping containers, and equally, almost none of us will move our family to anywhere in Central America. It’s the dream though: “What am I doing living in an average house when I’m not an average person?” and “Wouldn’t it be cool to walk a new path?” Which is all a long introduction to why we are running a story this month about a local couple’s making a winter trip to explore moving to Florida when they retire. Everybody knows the greater Wenatchee area is the epicenter of retirement. A website called MoneyWise (moneywise.com) recently ranked Wenatchee as Number 1 in “Beautiful and Inexpensive Places to Retire in the U.S.” And, they were just one of many national publications to likewise applaud Wenatchee. Yet, this Florida story appeals to me, as a few years ago, my wife and I took a similar trip to the diagonally opposite corner of the U.S. — and what’s not to like, with beaches all around yet no snow in the winter. (Well, the drivers, that’s one thing: We were zipping down the freeway at 10 miles an hour above the speed limit when cars were weaving past us as if they were listening to salsa music and we were driving to the polka.) It’s not that Florida is the answer, or indeed, anywhere else is the perfect answer about where to live. It’s the difference, it’s the dream, it’s the saying “what if?” No matter where you are in life, the future is still in front of you. Keep dreaming and enjoy The Good Life. — Mike May 2019 | The Good Life
Imagine the fun you could have! THERE’S GOOD NEWS TODAY Y EVENTS CALENDAR
THE BIRDHOUSE MAN Y EVENTS CALENDAR
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DRIVING HISTORIC ROUTE 66 Y EVENTS CALENDAR
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MOVE TO MEXICO
TO JUNEAU They finally arrived! Brothers finish trek started 40 years ago
One more adventure: 'We felt like kids again'
plus LLamas are an aging hiker’s best friend
plus
heart disease in women: more deadLy than breast cancer
REVISITING THE CONTAINER HOUSE NOW THAT IT’S FINISHED They Built This City: NEW DOWNTOWN IS FlOOR kING’S lASTING lEGACy
becoming an american
now a citizen of where her heart belongs
plus monsterlove art: letting the freak flag fly unlikely chelan home offers stunning lake views
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column a bird in the lens
Mountain Bluebird: Teasing but beautiful By Bruce McCammon
Ahhh, May. May is a peak
month for birding in Washington. We’ve watched the snow melt away, the roads dry, and the temperatures warm. May is a great time to get out and explore the openness of north central Washington. Numerous bird species are arriving during their Bruce McCammon spring migrais retired, colortion, so many, blind and enjoys photographing the in fact, that birds in north cenwe may need tral Washington. to prioritize the birds we want to see. So many species, so little time. For me, May triggers trips to wonderful, local destinations to see birds. One of my favorite routes is to drive north on Rock Island Grade, leaving Highway 28 near Rock Island Dam, and then across the plateau and down Titchenal Canyon to Waterville.
We can see several bird species on this route but, for me, the star of the route is the Mountain Bluebird. I was lucky to see a few Mountain Bluebirds prior to moving to the Wenatchee area. I learned to recognize the brilliant blue of the males and learned a bit about their behavior and flight
History Exists Outside of the Museum Walls! We offer a variety of bus tours featuring geology, indigenous culture and railroad history.
Moses Coulee Geology Tour May 4, 2019 Grand Coulee Geology Tour June 1, 2019
Purchase your tickets online today!
www.wenatcheevalleymuseum.org
Wenatchee Valley Geology Tour July 13, 2019
For a full list of tours please visit wenatcheevalleymuseum.org
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patterns. The number of my sightings each year has gone way up now that I live in north central Washington and get to see plentiful bluebirds for an extended period of time. Bluebird populations are fairly stable now after a decline in numbers between 1966 and 2015. Bluebirds prefer to forage in open areas as they look for insects. Our shrub-steppe zones offer a great supply of bugs to eat but very little in terms of suitable nesting habitat. Recognizing that, many people or organizations have stepped up to the challenge and provide artificial nest boxes. Many miles of roads in our area have bluebird nest boxes that were placed by someone or some organization. Maybe you have a bluebird box on your property or nearby. If so,
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May 2019
you can delight in seeing them pair up, build a nest in your box and fly in and out to gather food for their young. If you don’t have a nest nearby, look for them along our rural roads. I encourage each of you to grab your binoculars, pack a lunch and your camera and then head out to see this beautiful, seasonal bird. They’ll tease you by flying away as you get close to them. Don’t worry, they won’t go far and you’ll get another chance. You can stop at a distance from a nest and watch the birds come and go. Be respectful — stay at a distance and be still as you watch. It’s a great way to teach kids (and adults) about the birds and the need to respect them during the critical nesting season. Good luck.
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MY WORLD // a personal essay
Write your life story? Why? M
By Judy Weaver
emories are perhaps the best gifts of all. Imagine if you could ask your mother, grandmother, father, or grandfather any question or questions. What would you want to know about their memories, their dreams, or their lives? What a thrill it would be to discover a few of their favorite memories from the “old” days. It would be like a wonderful trip down memory lane whisking you back through time and place. In the summer of 2013, my husband, Strode, and I moved to Leavenworth from Denver. Since our arrival that summer, I have had the privilege of introducing more than 200 folks in our area to the idea of writing their memoir — or their life story. How in the world did that happen? The idea of teaching a memoir writing class was the furthest thing from my mind. While in Denver, I had the opportunity to take a couple of classes in memoir writing. I was intrigued with the idea of writing some of my life stories both for myself and for my children and grandchildren. My mother had written her “story” in the early 1970s and it is a treasure for me. After arriving in Leavenworth, I shared that experience with a new friend and her response was, “Do you think you could teach a writing class?” And, my response was, “Yes, I believe I could.” That is all it took. Since that summer, I have had the opportunity to teach several classes at Wenatchee Valley College and many classes in a
There are plenty of resources to help you write your life story.
church basement in Leavenworth. Some of the “writers” have taken the class as many as seven times. I have met some amazing folks along the way. I have heard stories of adventure, of tragedy, of joy, of sadness and so much more. Hearing these life stories, I am always reminded until we hear someone else’s story, we really don’t know a person. We don’t know what kinds of joys or sorrows a person has experienced. I am also reminded we can take this “writing” opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate where we are in life right this very moment. When we share our stories in class, we find we have many experiences in common and yet we are also reminded each of us has a unique story to tell. Why do we write our stories? For some, it is a cathartic experience. It is an opportunity to write about heartfelt or emotional experiences. May 2019 | The Good Life
Judy Weaver: Each of us has a unique story to tell.
I have met some amazing folks along the way. I have heard stories of adventure, of tragedy, of joy, of sadness and so much more. For some, we are writing for the pure joy of taking a trip down memory lane and making a brief visit to the past. And still others are writing for children and grandchildren. They are taking this opportunity to share with family what it was like growing up in a different time. It came as a surprise to me that I have a true passion for www.ncwgoodlife.com
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this writing process. I have personally learned so much over the last five years about writing one’s life story. My bookshelves are filled with resources for writing memoirs, autobiographies and life stories. Don’t get me started talking on the topic… you might regret it. I will leave you with this thought. I read a quote recently that went something like this: If you leave this world and have not written your life story, it is like a personal library has burned to the ground and none of the contents can be recovered. Judy Weaver is a retired elementary school principal and now a facilitator/teacher of memoir writing classes. To learn more about her classes, contact Judy at: strodew@ comcast.net.
Colonial Peak, North Cascades National Park: The first night was spent at its base at Colonial Peak Creek Campground.
Ross Lake:
Rugged, isolated, beautiful, and most of all,
ignored by tourists
Story and Photos By WILMER PEREZ
“C
ougar Island? Where is that?” asked Fernando, on the phone from Vancouver, British Columbia. “It is in Ross Lake,” I answered from Wenatchee, Washington. “We’ll meet you at Colonial Creek Campground, which is in the middle of North Cascades National Park, but is not part of the National Park, but the Ross Lake National Recreation Area.
We will leave you a written note at the entrance of the campground so you can find us.” Navigating the North Cascades National Park can be confusing for the non-initiated. After nearly 30 years in Colorado, I moved with my family to Washington State to be close to this park. Rugged, isolated, beautiful, and most of all, ignored by tourists. It is considered one of the least visited of all National Parks (25,000 visitors per year com-
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pared to 4,200,000 per year in Yellowstone). Many of those visitors actually go to the Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas that are not part, administratively, of the North Cascades National Park. Most of North Cascades is designated Wilderness Area, so roads, bike trails, Park Rangers houses, gas stations and visitor’s centers are forbidden. They won’t even charge you an admission fee.
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May 2019
We also invited our two sons, Carlos Luis, coming from Colorado and Carlos Eduardo, from California, to join us, making for a team of six. None of us had been at Ross Lake before, although all of us had experience exploring rivers in the Amazon basin. We felt ready for the task. Around 11 p.m., Fernando Mora and his wife Claudia Fraser, arrived at the campground. Fernando had been a hang gliding partner when we were growing up in Venezuela.
As the wind chill factor worsened, it was time to warm up and spend the late afternoon sharing old hang gliding stories.
Wilmer Perez’s two sons — Carlos Luis and Carlos Eduardo — explore the surroundings of Cougar Island while the wind was calm.
A well defined trail connects Highway 20 parking area to the actual Ross Lake Dam.
Hang gliding led to caving, climbing, Amazon expeditions and a close friendship. “Fernando y Claudia, ¿tienen hambre? (are you hungry?),” asked Mirza, my wife, while warming up in our gasoline Coleman stove, meat with red peppers, onions, champignons
zon 40 years ago and a recent visit to a Canadian lake, my experience with actual canoes was limited. Two owls maintained a vivid conversation close to our tents and finally I fell asleep. In the morning while Mirza and Fernando prepared sandwiches and coffee for all of us,
and paprika, knowing in advance the answer. During that night, I kept wondering if my decision of renting three canoes to transport all of us — plus food and camping equipment — was a wise one. Except for my experience with makiritare curiaras in the AmaMay 2019 | The Good Life
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we dismantled the camp and loaded the cars with our backpacks. It was 6 a.m., still dark, cold and rainy. We drove east on Highway 20, passed the Diablo Lake overlook and reached a parking area at the start of a trail that descends
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Ross Lake: Spending the night on Cougar Island to let the resort know we were waiting for them. In a few minutes, a powerboat arrived and all of us were transported to the actual resort on the north shore of the lake. We were warned to keep an eye on the sudden winds that come over the lake and that can make navigation quite difficult (as we found out the next morning). The canoes turned out to be very stable and we could accommodate all our equipment with no difficulty. After some discussion we decided to spend the night at an island called Cougar. My wife was concerned with the activity of bears prior to winter and an island sounded pretty safe. Ross Lake is about 20 miles long. Cougar Island was only about 1.7 miles away from the dam. The wind over the lake was pretty mellow and our paddling turned out fairly efficient. These
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to the dam of the Skagit River. An unpaved road connects the Diablo Lake to the Ross Lake. Because the Ross Lake is a National Recreation Area, private businesses are allowed. The Ross Lake Resort (we took this information from their internet site) is open from mid-June to October 31. They have individual cabins and bunk houses, they rent canoes and motorboats. Each canoe cost $42 plus tax. Reservations can be made at (206) 386-4437. As far as I know it is the only business of this kind in the whole Ross Lake. We found a young couple walking the road transporting supplies and a canoe from Diablo Lake to Ross Lake but not using the services of the resort. We gave them a hand with their load and wished them well. There is a phone near on the south shore of the lake we used
Eventually we got back to the Ross Lake resort, wet and cold, but happy. are the last two weeks of activity of the resort (end of October 2018) so we saw minimal tourist activity. We had obtained a backcountry permit from the Ranger Station in Winthrop the day before. This permit is mandatory to spend the night in any place at Ross Lake or any portion of the wilderness areas. They won’t give it to you on the phone. You have to be present at the station to get it. Proof of backcountry registration was requested at the resort. Once camped at Cougar Island, we decided to accept the challenge of rowing with in-
creasing wind speed in the early afternoon. It was coming from the west. Trying our best efforts, we could not advance more than half a mile against it. That was a warning to be ready to deal with the next morning. So, we turned back to the island to set our camp, eat and do some photography. We set the alarms at 6 a.m. and, despite the apparent good weather, we dismantled our camp and started loading the canoes, keeping a close eye on the wind. Eventually we got back to the Ross Lake resort, wet and cold, but happy. We were transported to the south side of the lake, walked up the trail, reached our cars, Fernando and Claudia left to Vancouver and we went back to Wenatchee.
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May 2019
Question: Where should we retire?
Could Florida be the answer?
By Kalin Raible In December, my wife and I decided to check out Florida. The reasons for the trip were many but key components were… n Find someplace warmer than Wenatchee, where the sun is shining in winter, for our retirement years. n Find a place preferably near the ocean. So we ended up booking flights from Seattle to Tampa via the website Scott’s Cheap Flights. I reached out to friends about staying with them but didn’t connect in a timely manner, so we booked airBnB’s for the trip. We flew American to Tampa on a Wednesday with a stopover in Dallas/Fort Worth. We arrived in Tampa after midnight. Thursday morning found us at Mr. B’s Restaurant, enjoying delicious southern food while they were having a food photo shoot. After stuffing ourselves, we journeyed to Ellenton to meet up with our friends Adrianne and Bob Wiegenstein. It was wonderful to reconnect with them. It has been years since we have seen them. Bob and Adrianne used to live up the Entiat. Bob worked at Chelan Community Hospital and Adrianne worked at Cascade Medical Center. We talked about their retirement. One of their tips: If you decide to move out-of-country, don’t ship all your stuff — it’s expensive and not as important to you as you think. Another tip: Explore those things that interest you. Bob’s has been taking ukulele lessons and learning to paint. It had taken Bob and Adrianne a bit to sell their Entiat house, sell their stuff, settle their affairs and move to Costa Rica, where
TOP: Lake Worth Beach walking pier stretches out into the Atlantic. ABOVE: Maureen McGinity, Kalin Raible and Mya Archamboult enjoy a moment at the Naples Pier. RIGHT: Bars with happy hour menus make for cheaper eats.
they lived for about three years. Around the time Bob turned 70, they decided to return stateside. They had lived in Florida during their working years and thought it would be a good place to retire. Adrianne and Bob took us to one of their favorite happy hour spots — The Patio at Pier 22 in Bradenton. Retirement Tip: Happy Hour menus are usually less expensive than the regular menu. Also, live within your means and do what it takes to create the life you want. Adrianne picked up a part-time job working for Meals on Wheels qualifying applicants for meals to have extra travel money. Friday morning they took us to Bradenton Beach (about 20 minutes from their house) to watch the waves roll in and see the birds. We enjoyed lunch along the boardwalk at a restaurant with that “Old Florida” feel. May 2019 | The Good Life
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We parted ways at Bradenton Beach and headed south to Siesta Key. I wanted to see the lay of the land after reading some of Blaize Clement’s Dixie Hemingway Mystery series. This is one of the fun things I’ve learned to do — find fiction stories that have a place that is a character in the story, such as Sheila Connolly’s stories about Leap, Ireland (County Cork Mystery series). Found ice cream, coffee and Midnight Pass Road. After Siesta Key, it was across the bridge to
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What about Florida?
(the summer home) and a house in Lake Worth (the winter home). Larry’s advice: Want less. My wife, Mya, took in the sun and attempted to bake the cold out of her bones. }}} Continued from Then we went off previous page to the beach where we played in the Sarasota. waves and picked up I had heard varying shells. We also were descriptions of Florinspired to pick up ida drivers: “bat-outtrash by a couple that of-hell,” “they don’t had walked by trash pay attention” and collecting. Once we “they feel they have started looking, you to be first” — and we see it everywhere. actually got to experiA gator basks in the sun near the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk in the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Then, it was time ence it. Park. to fly home. An ironic At one point, the moment — it was 45 F and raindriver behind us decided we pleted). The museum contained ing when we left Tampa and were moving too slow (because everything from the Pre-Columwhen we landed back in Seattle, we were watching the traffic in bia peoples of the area (Calusa it was also 45 F and raining. front of us) and passed us on the Indians) to the settlement ads Things we learned (heard) on right. The driver was driving on for developers who wanted the trip: the white line and the curb only people to move to Florida. The east coast of Florida is to be stopped by the accident in After that we drove around mostly easterners — New York/ front of us (which had caused Marco Island looking for signs of New Jersey. The west coast is the traffic slowdown in the first burrowing owls – an endangered mostly those from the Midwest. place). bird that means if they move Florida has no income tax, The driver then proceeded into your unbuilt lot, you aren’t significant income inequality, to dart to the left across two building until they move on. moderate property tax, a poor lanes of traffic to get around the On the way back to Naples, we social service network (since accident and narrowly avoided stopped at Stan’s in Goodland, there are not a lot of tax dollars being hit by another car. In all Florida to check out the Mullet coming in), a 2019 minimum fairness, we had been warned Festival (as in fish, not hair style wage of $8.46 per hour and a about Florida drivers. I really but we did see some of both). landmass that is suggested to be can’t refute those statements This stop was one of the highsinking. after this trip. lights of the trip. ligators sunning themselves on Florida has a lot of ocean acAfter Sarasota, it was off to The place was hopping, live the north side of the highway. Naples to talk with Maureen music, festival people and right Nothing like seeing a 14-foot ga- cess (when there isn’t a red tide or hurricanes) and people from (Mo) and Joe McGinity (my on the water. Envision Stan’s tor (about as long as our rental all over. sister-in-law’s parents) about and the Mullet Festival is one car) to make you feel like you I’m not sure if Florida is where retirement. of Jimmy Buffet’s favorite places are sliding down the food chain. we will end up in our retireWe discussed how they had because of the vibe and you will Then it was back to 41 to get set themselves up for retirehave a pretty good idea of what to Lake Worth before dark so we ment but it was definitely worth exploring. ment — the house in Naples was the place was like. could check out the beach. We The people we met were welinherited from Maureen’s mom. Mo and Joe’s retirement found our spot, dropped off our coming and delighted that we They remodeled and updated tips: Plan ahead, start saving as stuff at our airBnB and went to had come to see their adopted it a bit but for my sister-in-law, early as you can, and have a spesink our toes in the sand on the there is enough originality that cial dish you prepare for guests shores of the Atlantic as the sun state. They loved Florida and felt the house reminds her of good when they come to visit (their set. Finally it wasn’t raining and that we would too. times with her family. lamb steaks were delicious). we were at the beach. Mo and Joe were consummate Next we backtracked to the Tuesday dawned with sun as Kalin Raible — who works in the food hosts. They showed us some of west along Highway 41 (aka the forecast and I chatted with our service supply industry — has travtheir favorite spots. We drove to Tamiami Trail) to Big Cypress airBnB host, Larry, about how eled to several different places on the Marco Island and visited their Bend Boardwalk. We had been they had retired and were able planet and is thrilled to be thinking historical museum (newly comgiven a heads up to look for alto afford a place in Minneapolis and talking about retirement.
I chatted with our airBnB host, Larry, about how they had retired and were able to afford a place in Minneapolis (the summer home) and a house in Lake Worth (the winter home).
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FLORIDA?
One couple who caught ‘Florida Fever’ tell their story of not even waiting for retirement By Larry Cramer
After nearly 20 years of talk-
ing about it and dreaming of it, we finally did it. We moved to Florida! First a little backstory, it was late October 2001, I was scheduled to speak at an Adobe web developers conference in Orlando. As you can imagine, being barely a month after the 9/11 attack, my wife and I weren’t even sure we would be able to make it to Florida and were less sure the conference wouldn’t be canceled. As things turned out we made it. The conference was pretty much a bust but we were able to spend nearly three weeks in Florida and since the hotels were, for the most part, empty we were able to find cheap accommodations everywhere we
went. We headed west to the Gulf in the Tampa area, worked our way south all the way to Key West to the “Southern Most Point Monument” and then north up the east coast, then back to Orlando. By the time we were done, we had put 2,800 miles on our rental car — thank goodness for unlimited mileage. By the end of our trip, I was totally hooked. I had an unshakable case of “Florida Fever.” I knew I had to live here. Fast forward 2013, at my 40th high school reunion I reconnected with an old schoolmate of mine and found she lived in Tampa. I was telling her how envious I was and that I would love to move there, to which she said, “We have a little guest house, come on down anytime.” Sarah and I went down and
Sarah and Larry Cramer on the pier at Clearwater Beach with a new friend, he actually let Sarah pet him... a little. (See the video at https://www.facebook. com/lawrence.cramer/videos/10209185543780828/)
spent two weeks scoping out the gulf coast of Florida and decided that the Tampa Bay area was our destination. After this trip we decided, if not now, when? We finally decided to take a leap of faith and just do it. Why wait until retirement? Why not now and have more years to enjoy our adventure. We sold our house, turned in notice at our jobs and began to
prepare for the move. The good news was our oldest daughter and grandson decided that they wanted to go with us, so it became a family adventure. Moving day finally came. We loaded up the U-Haul and the caravan — a truck towing a car and our SUV towing another car — pulled out of the driveway of our home of 25 years in East
}}} Continued on next page
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Florida: We made the move }}} Continued from previous page Wenatchee. Six days and 3,000 miles later we were pulling into the driveway of the townhouse we had rented. So? Was it a good decision? Did things turn out the way we expected? Well yes and no. Reality seldom matches the vision you paint in your mind, but it was a very good decision and after some adjustments of plans and expectations it has turned out to be a very good move. Things we did right: Coming down and really checking things out in person, ahead of time, turned out to be a very good thing. We were able to
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get a clear picture of where we wanted to live, which turned out to be in the Tampa area. We are actually in Largo just across the bay from Tampa, instead of some of the other areas that we were considering. Rent before you buy. We chose to rent a townhouse for the first 10 months while I secured a job and chose the best place to buy. This turned out to be a very good choice. We had the idea of living near the beach or one of the many lakes or inlets in the area, however a turn of events quickly changed our minds. About six weeks after we got here, along came Hurricane Irma, although Tampa didn’t take a direct hit — in fact, that’s one of the reasons we chose Tampa. It hasn’t seen a direct hit in over 90 years. But it was close enough that we decided we did not want to be anywhere near water. The house we finally did buy is in a no-flood zone. It’s a single story concrete-block construction ranch style, has roll-down Know of someone stepping off the beaten path in the search for fun and excitement? E-mail us at editor@ncwgoodlife.com
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hurricane shudders and passed all wind mitigation tests. All this adds up to a safe place to hunker down and significantly lower insurance rates. We like our little safe house and we are still only 20 minutes away from putting our toes in the sand and the surf. What we didn’t expect. Insurance is outrageously high here. Florida drivers are absolutely insane. You have to ratchet up the aggression several notches to be able to survive out there. No kidding, it’s crazy! You will finally acclimate to the daily participation in the statewide demolition derby that is Florida driving, but it will take some getting used to. Electricity is way more. This was not a total surprise, after all the Wenatchee area is ridiculously spoiled when it comes to power rates, but it still sets you back when you get your first couple of bills. Cost of living wise, everything else is about the same, so you just need to prepare yourself for the insurance and utilities. Summing things up, what do we like about our new home. Pretty much all the things you’d expect when moving to a tropical location are yours to enjoy
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May 2019
just out your front door. Sun, surf, palm trees, abundant bird and wildlife that you never see in Eastern Washington. It’s all here. You will also find great job opportunities, higher average wages and lower housing prices. We were able to buy a small, 1,100-square-foot, three bedroom, two bath home with a fully screened in pool/patio in a nice established neighborhood for under 200k. Yes, all this makes us feel pretty good about our decision. What do we miss most about the Wenatchee area? The people. We had some good friends who we really do miss. We also miss Wenatchee in the spring and in the fall, but we enjoyed the valley for the last 20 years. The new wonders and beauty Florida offers add an exciting new chapter to our lives. We love it here and encourage anyone thinking of checking moving to Florida off your bucket list to just do it. Make your plan, then work your plan. If not now, when? To see more on Larry’s Florida life, see https://www.facebook.com/lawrence.cramer.
Wenatchee River
Thrill ride or calm float, Osprey Rafting has done it for 28 years
T
website for details, but here are some popular choices:
he Wenatchee River is the most popular rafting river in the state and home of Osprey Rafting Company.
The Main Event -- Class III big hay stacking waves in eight rapids, Starts in Leavenworth ends in Cashmere with a BBQ beach party
Gary Planagan, a logger and an avid outdoorsman from Idaho, moved to Leavenworth in 1977 where he met his wife, Janice Turner. The beautiful Cascades offer an outdoor playground of skiing, horseback riding, hiking and rafting that they both embrace. In 1991 Gary and Janice, started Osprey Rafting Company in their backyard in Leavenworth. “I was logging during the week and we were rafting on the weekends,” Gary remembers. “We took our neighbors rafting and our kids helped operate the company.” “I loved being a raft guide,” Gary explained, “taking people on a river for their first time. This is an amazing adventure, seeing the world from a raft, blasting through rapids feels so alive, exciting and being in the moment. The river is unbiased and brings all kinds of people from around the world to share this experience. Clients, especially their kids, are thrilled when they see the wildlife on the river; ospreys, bears, otters, beavers, mink, bald eagles, and salmon jumping. It is important to me that people have this experience.” Osprey Rafting is a family-run business. In the early years, Janice booked the trips, prepared all the food and drove the shuttle. Sons, Tim and Sergio, spent a
High Adventure Happy Hour -- This 5:30 p.m. trip is for the thrill-seekers who get two fast runs down the Wenatchee River’s Class 4 rapids
Wenatchee River is the most popular rafting river in the state
decade or more as guides. In 1995 Osprey moved out of the family’s backyard to the corner of Icicle Road and Highway 2. The family worked to build their business to the point that Osprey took more than 8,000 people rafting, paddle boarding, or tubing in 2013. Gary admits he never really wanted to be a businessman -- it just happened and took about eight years for the business to take off. Today, he’s very thankful for the local community support and Osprey’s private access to the river. Huck’s Landing in Cashmere is at the trip’s end, where you get to relax and absorb the day. Here there is a great BBQ, music on Saturdays, a fire pit with marshmellows on the stick, horseshoes, and guests can relax in hammocks in the shade or on loungers in the sun. You can also see photos of you rafting through the white-
water. The High Adventure access is at the bottom of Tumwater Canyon where people access the river for the Class IV rapids; Triple Shot, and Tenley Falls. This access also prolongs the White Water season. Oprey’s Happy Wave beach access is in Peshastin. It’s used during low water for floats, paddleboard surfing and where River Tube trips end. Osprey’s many locations offer the best experiences on the river whether it is running high and fast, or slow and warm. There are short trips or longer trips with lunch. To sum up trips offered by Osprey: rafting Class IV, Class III, Class II, paddle boarding, inflatable kayaks and scenic nature floats on the Icicle River, late summer river tubing, BBQ, photos of rafting, live music on Saturdays and we have plenty of parking. Check out the company
SPRING 2019 | THE GOOD LIFE | Central Washington Experience |
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Triple Shot, Tenley Falls and the Bull Ride. -- We offer one trip down the longest continuous Class III rapid on the Wenatchee River, the reputable Boulder Bend. You are back at your car in two hours. $55.45 plus tax. Wenatchee River Family Float -- This is a great scenic trip with small splashy, fun waves for the young and old. During high water this guided float trip will be on the lower section of the river ending in Wenatchee. BBQ included. $60.07 pluls tax, children 6 and under $27.73 plus tax. River Tubing and Shuttle -Park at Happy Wave and shuttle up to the KOA. This is a cool tubing run on a secluded section of the river, beautiful beaches, swimming hole and a couple of small rapids. Yes, you must know how to swim. $22 and $32 with barbecue. For more information, please visit www.ospreyrafting.com or phone (509) 548-6800.
n i a g a
Playing in the dirt A
By Molly Steere
few years ago, I unofficially quit dirt biking. Quit is probably too strong of a word as, at most, I only rode a few times a year. My abilities remained so underwhelming that my son handily surpassed my skill level by the time he was six. Coupled with a body seemingly intent on disintegrating, it seemed best to leave the dirt biking to my husband and son. However, I’m incapable of passing up any experience that involves a hint of adventure and an opportunity to humiliate myself. Last fall when my friend, Donni Reddington, told me she was developing a series of all-women dirt bike camps and needed riders to test out the curriculum, I jumped at the chance. I would make the perfect guinea pig: nervous, rusty and enthusiastic. Perhaps Skool of Moto (www. skoolofmoto.com) could teach this 45-year-old new tricks via a boutique day camp. I had big plans to practice riding before the camp but there was snow on the ground and I kept accidentally going skiing instead. Before I knew it, it was the week before camp, I still hadn’t been on a dirt bike, and when I shimmied into my old riding pants the resulting muffin top left no doubt that I had wintered well. My dirt bike had long been sold so I wrestled Toby’s Husqvarna 450 out of the shop. It’s way too much bike for a novice who looks like Mary Poppins while riding — upright, stiff, and a little like I was sitting on an umbrella. But here’s the dirty little secret
Originally terrified by the idea of a dirt bike camp, Molly Steere came away with confidence to ride with her fellows again.
of unskilled riders everywhere: Power can get you out of a lot of situations that inexperience gets you into. Of course, that’s only as long as you have the room to employ
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the “when in doubt, gas it out” principle. If you’re in a tight spot, power at the hands of the inexperienced rider will often amplify the problem and create fantastic YouTube fail fodder.
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May 2019
That’s where slow speed skills come in. Donni likes to say, “slow is smooth and smooth is fast.” I kept this in mind as I rode laps up and down our gravel driveway (the only place clear of snow) and tried to reawaken the muscle memory needed for smooth clutch, throttle and brake control at slow speed. Mostly, I unintentionally practiced tipping over at 0 mph. This was clearly going to be more embarrassing than I had anticipated. Luckily, Skool of Moto classes include a Beta (125RR-S or 300 XTrainer) to ride for the duration of the camp. When I arrived at the Saddle Mountain riding area, I met my light, agile Beta 125 named Maria. Yep, Donni gave all of the Betas Italian names so the students know which bike is theirs after instruction periods and breaks. I was terrified by the very idea of a dirt bike camp. Especially when I arrived and saw all of the women I’d be riding with looked like pros. They obviously hadn’t pulled their riding attire out of a tub of gear from the 1980s as I had. I seriously considered running away but sucked it up, introduced myself and readied myself to get “skooled.” Incidentally, the other riders weren’t all pros (the camps are for women with novice to intermediate riding skills) and they were there to learn, not judge, my riding skills. Besides, Donni — a recovery room nurse at Confluence Health when she’s not out improving women’s riding experiences — has the ability to make anyone feel at ease. She’s pas-
sionate about inspiring sonalized mentorship women to become better, nurtures growth in both safer riders and Skool ability and confidence of Moto keeps the vibe and is what makes these relaxed, non-competitive, small camps so effective. and a little bit rowdy. After lunch, we put Attempting something our skills to the test on a new or difficult while much-anticipated group others are watching is my ride in the surrounding personal nightmare and I hills. This was when I usually have a hard time could really see the fruits getting out of my head. of the morning’s work. I was shaking before Drills are rarely a favorour first drill, convinced ite for any rider (the trails I was going to somehow are always calling) but plow my bike straight with the new confidence into the side of a parked in my ability to handle trailer while everyone tricky situations I was looked on in horror. But able to fully enjoy my ride the Skool of Moto staff while pushing myself. and students were enTowards the end of the couraging and supportday, I even got to ride ive, allowing me to relax with my boys for the first and learn. time in years! It was a Molly started with flat ground drills, then she and other classmates graduated to climbing hills day full of camaraderie, We spent the morning — with some classmates taking the steeper route. Top photo by Christy Phillips, bottom photo working on fundamenhoning skills, conquerby Donni Reddington tal skills like clutch and ing fears and getting throttle control, smooth dirty. I left physically and braking, rider position, cornermentally exhausted and looking ing and hills. With the small forward to future rides. class size (no more than five Am I now an expert rider, students), Donni was able to fearless and ready for any trail? quickly assess skill levels and Heck no! provide alternate drills/routes as But I can confidently go out needed. riding with my husband and son She could discern our indiand continue to build on the vidual capabilities and nudge us fundamentals I learned. As an toward overcoming our discomadded bonus, I look a little less fort or fear. This meant I wasn’t like I should be riding sidesaddle forced to attempt the steep, with a parasol tucked under my rocky hill climb that clearly arm. wanted to eat me alive, but I was Molly Steere is a local freelance expected to conquer the hill via writer and technical editor who an easier (though still intimidatrarely passes up an adventure. ing) route. That discernment and per-
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hen Spring finds Wenatchee, I’m lured out of the house to find secrets of the Wenatchee Valley.
Most everything is a secret to me because I haven’t lived here very long. Trails, restaurants, art, music — where will I find the next fun thing to do? Last summer I thought I’d explore a trail close to Wenatchee; that a lady of a certain age would feel safe to explore and get exercise in the process. Story and Photos Peshastin By Diana Rigelman Pinnacles State Park popped into mind. I’d seen the sign more times than I can count when driving to Leavenworth and wondered: What secret waits to be discovered back there? The park is located northwest of Cashmere on Dryden Road, a short drive from town. When I pulled into the parking lot, I was glad to see a tad of civilization. Namely picnic tables under the trees and bathrooms just beyond. So far so good. I followed the path uphill to a rustic garden door and wondered, was this actually the right direction? Thankfully I had copied a map from the Washington State Parks website. While Pinnacles is under two miles of trails, I know my ability to get turned around in Costco. I felt confidence rise when I confirmed with the map the trails I sought started just beyond that door. Through the door is a mountainous field with trails leading to mammoth sandstone formations. Some of these have the look of dinosaur armor. Summer hills were covered in sagebrush, delicate desert flowers and grasses that also bordered a warren of trails. What the map didn’t show was how narrow some paths are. I didn’t have time on this day to climb up hilly switchbacks that undoubtedly reward a hiker with a perch to view the Wenatchee
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The trail to the Peshastin Pinnacles starts behind the green door.
valley. Descriptive names of prehistoric stone stirred my imagination. Around Dinosaur Tower and Martian Slab I could picture little green men with ray guns just over the rise. Instead of climbing near these, I headed westward on the lower trail towards Church Tower and Vulture Slab. I told myself I wasn’t out there for fanatical athletic feats, just a stroll on a reasonable path to get up close and within touching distance of these other-worldly rock formations. | The Good Life
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What I found on the west side of the park were views of orchard-covered hills and the Wenatchee River with a train snaking alongside it. Peaceful chatter of birds in the evening sun made me ask out loud, “How beautiful is this land?” Meandering around massive rock formations, I could envision this area must be a rock climber’s heaven. Sheared vertical faces of monster rocks with hand and toe grabs already in place made me think it’s a popular area to develop climbing skills. Continuing back along the trail I saw
May 2019
The Pinnacles and surrounding prehistoric stone formations call to the playful side of the imagination.
something out of the corner of my eye. . . A SNAKE! I did a less than graceful skip, jump and a trip past it. My feet slipped right off the path as I went body surfing down the hill on my backside. Gravel, brush and gravity stopped my fall a dozen feet down the hillside. At that moment I regretted wearing shorts on my exploration. Climbing cautiously back up to the trail I was relieved to discover I was wrong. Well, mostly wrong. The object of my panic wasn’t a snake, but roughly six to seven feet of shedded white snakeskin. It looked mighty moist and fresh. Was there a naked snake in the underbrush right beside me? I couldn’t say. The revelation I was sharing the trail with unseen predators revived my energy. I high tailed it down the path, around the monoliths, through the gate and back to the car in record time. I was back in my driveway before I knew it. I’d broken my Girl Scout’s motto of “Be
The snakeskin looked pretty real — real like a real, live snake — when it was laying across the trail.
prepared.” I had told myself it was “just a little hike to explore.” While that’s true, I would have been wise to take it as seriously as if it were a longer hike. Next time, I’ll wear long pants and bring a walking stick to steady me. I’ll have a bandana, water and cell phone handy. Along with a band-aid or two and a bit more trail experience. Diana Rigelman loves exploring the Wenatchee Valley’s views, arts and culture.
May 2019 | The Good Life
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Wheee!
Captains and crews take the train through Mexico’s colorful Copper Canyon Chuck Podlich hangs out between train cars during a ride past a waterfall.
Editor’s note: In the March 2018 issue, Sharon Podlich wrote about how she and her husband, Chuck, retired from growing apples in Orondo, and bought a 44-foot sailboat they named Top Cider, and went on a sailing adventure off of Baja, Mexico. They have continued sailing, but in midyear, took a train trip through Mexico’s rugged and scenic Copper Canyon. Here is her report.
A
By Sharon Podlich
fter our fantastic trip out to the Socorro Islands in November of 2017, captains Chuck Podlich and our friend, Laurin Dodd — owner of the Second Wind, spent several months scratching their heads over marguerites, wondering where
would Sailing Adventure 2018 take us? They settled on a loose plan — inland, by train, no less. Dock the boats at the Topolobampo marina and head to Los Mochis to ride the railroad up the Copper Canyon. As of May 2018, there are two passenger trains that travel the Copper Canyon. The first, now called El Chepe Regional, has been operating in the canyon for over 80 years. The new one, El Chepe Express is a luxury alternative. We decided to purchase a ticket on the Express to the town of El Fuerte, where we had made overnight arrangements. This allowed us to catch El Chepe Regional at a later hour the next morning for our daylight trek up
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the canyon. El Fuerte is an old fort town with a long history and is allegedly the birthplace of Zorro. Our bed-and-breakfast owner arranged a small tour bus for us the next day. The driver shared a wealth of information on the way to the train station at 7:30 a.m. This is a busy little station, six tour buses arrived at the station full of people ready to board the train. Almost magically folks were dispersed over the several cars and there was plenty of room with no crowding. Much of the Copper Canyon is in the state of Sinaloa, which is classified as a dangerous area by our State Department, ranking it similar to Afghanistan. Yet, traveling on these trains has been safe for many years
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May 2019
and there are plain clothes officers as well as uniformed officers on board. If you travel in this region, it is highly recommended that you stick to the beaten path. Guides are available if you wish to do any adventure travel, hiking, and the like. This leg of our adventure we traveled tourist class on the Regional train, which gave us assigned seating and comfortable accommodations. The trip through the Copper Canyon is an absolute engineering wonder. There are 86 tunnels and 39 bridges. It took several tries and decades to complete the construction. There are places you exit a tunnel straight onto a bridge; there is a tunnel that makes
a 180-degree turn inside the mountain exiting somewhat higher than the entrance. The scenery, the rock canyon walls, the vegetation are not to be missed. We highly recommend the daytime trip up through the canyon. The views on the ascent are dramatic. We arrived in Creel just after dark. Motel vehicles, taxis and guides met the train getting everyone where they needed to go. Once at our hotel, we noticed the locals were shivering and we learned they were having a cold snap. At 7,500 feet elevation, Creel typically might get into the 30s at night, warming to 60s during the day. It dropped to 16 degrees Fahrenheit our first night there. It was running about 85°F at sea-level. We had clothes to layer, but none of them very warm. Fortunately, we found shops in Creel had wool items for sale at very reasonable prices. One of the more interesting things about this area is the unusual mix of cultures. The indigenous people, the Raramuri, known for their running abilities, have inhabited these mountains for centuries. They have been joined by Mennonites who had philosophical differences with Canada in the 1920s and immigrated after making special arrangements with the Mexican government to share their farming knowledge with local farmers plus Hispanics of various origins. Wanting to see all we could and also get a feel for the town of Creel, we opted for two days of touring and a couple days of strolling the streets, sitting in the plaza and visiting the mission store. Our tours took us to several of the beautiful and interesting sites within an hour’s drive. Our first day out we met Alex at his tourist booth and headed to El Divisadero for the day. The Copper Canyon (Barrancas del Cobre) is a group of six canyons formed by rivers in the Sierra Madre Occidental. El Di-
A Raramuri woman weaves pine needle baskets. A cold snap called for warmer clothes in the high elevations.
visadero is the astounding viewing point to see them coming together and going on forever. There are several activities you can do while here, from ziplines to purchasing fine woven baskets and other goods from the Raramuri women. We chose to ride the tram across a canyon and were joined by a young Raramuri boy of 10 or so years who was coming back from school and heading to his home down in the canyon. El Chepe also makes a short stop at the station here. We found exploring it more gave us a much broader perspective on the region. Whether you just stop with the train or visit longer, the street food here is terrific. Our next tour was with Sam, who we met through our hotel owner. Sam took us to see some amazing sites on our day with him. The highlight was Recohuata hot springs and the road down to the hot springs at the bottom of the canyon. It was made May 2019 | The Good Life
of flat-topped rocks, all neatly laid out and mortared by hand. At least four miles of fine work leads down a very steep incline with very sharp switchbacks, some requiring three-point turns to navigate. Over the years several pools have been created at the hot springs from cement and you can move from one to another, to find just the right temperature. But, as the air temperature was lower than normal, we generally liked to be closer to where the water entered the pool. You can see many places where the hot mineral water is seeping out of the mountainside while you soak. Reputedly the spring water is loaded with lithium salts, which, I’m sure helped me feel calmer about the ride back up. Sam was born and raised in Creel, his grandparents were some of the first Hispanic settlers in the town. Our first tour driver, Alex had actually lived in the U.S. for a number of years and even served www.ncwgoodlife.com
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in the military during Desert Storm. When he’s not giving tours, he helps his elderly mother with her bed-and-breakfast. We found the restaurants in Creel to have good food and most offered apple pie for dessert. Apples are one of the products of the state of Chihuahua. Generally, they did not have full bars, but offered several beers. We found the local Best Western to be atypical to most in the chain and their cozy bar/ restaurant offered an excellent margarita and unique pizzas. Though the Raramuri people are generally quite shy and hesitantly interact with tourists, they produce many items with local resources to sell to tourists. Most places we visited had various styles of rudimentary stands loaded with baskets, necklaces, shawls, dishes and more. To us it looked like often the children are becoming the entrepreneurs. It is very difficult to turn them down. I admit to buying a few more baskets than I needed, because the salesman looked to be my grandson’s age, or because Laurin wanted a photo of an endearing face. Walking along the trail to Cascada Cusarare, we encountered a little Raramuri girl of three or four who greeted us with strong, clear “Holas.” Her parents looked on but said nothing themselves. Our dinner conversation reflected on what must it be like for a family of quiet, hesitant introverts to raise such an extrovert? How does she fit into this culture? We chose the El Chepe Express for our trip back to Los Mochis and spent the time roaming between our seats, lounging in the plush chairs and sofas of the bar, the dining car with its second story seating and bubble top, having cribbage play offs, watching the scenery and planning the next leg of our trip, which took us to Mazatlán for Thanksgiving and meeting up with more old crew and on to Banderas Bay.
Making the most out of a lot by creating
easy fit homes G
Story by Susan Lagsdin Photos by Donna Cassidy
arn Christensen likes to say, “I’m just an educated redneck.” The educated part we know about — he’s a Washington State University professor and has been superintendent of Eastmont Schools for 12 years, aiming for another three-year contract. The redneck part comes from growing up fundamentalist/hippy/cowboy in the West. His youth was spent working a long string of seriously blue-collar outdoor jobs and rodeoing for pleasure, with a saddle bronc injury to boot. He also packs a long and continuing pedigree in the building trades. His greatgrandfather built bridges; his grandfather was a mason, and his father, said Garn, “built over a hundred houses when I was growing up. I did a lot of menial work for him on the sites, and so construction comes easily to me…” The legacy continues: his eldest son maintains 200 apartments on Capitol Hill in Seattle, his younger son is a composite materials engineer designing light aircraft, and his daughter manages construction projects for the Spokane Public Schools. It’s not all DNA. When they were kids, he said, “I sunk four strong corner posts in the back yard, put a huge pile of old tools and scrap material in the center, and over the years they built all kinds of forts.” Garn’s current house represents that engrained love of building, but also a bit of serendipity and a whole lot of optimistic vision. Six years ago, he was renting a house in
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The sitting area, with its west windows and tall ceilings, feels as comfy, or as spacious, as it ever needs to be. Garn has culled his art and artifacts so he can live small with his favorites around him.
The L-shaped kitchen has modern must-have maple and granite, and the more traditional table (not an “island”) in the center does triple duty for projects, prep and perhaps a rare dinner party. | The Good Life
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A cement patio surrounds the perimeter of the house and heavy-duty roof joists instead of posts hold the 10-foot patio overhang.
East Wenatchee, and “every time I walked by this property on the way to Loop Trail, I noticed what a great view it had, and its big lawn and garden out back.” When the .39-acre lot and its unassuming mobile home came up in an estate sale, Garn quickly secured it. “I renovated (mobile home) inside and out,” he said, pointing to new siding, windows and patio. He knew the improved home would soon serve a longterm renter. His real reason for purchasing the streetfront house was to be able to build an ADU (ancillary dwelling unit) to the south of it, with just enough room for himself, his favorite shop projects and a rentable studio apartment upstairs. Garn did his research, learned the county’s zoning rules — setbacks, heights, septic, square footage, etc… — and stayed within them. His initial goals were clear. He explained, “I wanted the house to be durable, functional and cost effective, and I didn’t want to cut corners on anything important.” He originally wanted to handle the carpentry himself and hire out the tricky parts, but carpenter Joe Fischer of Go Fisch Construction diplomatically disagreed. Garn recalled, “Joe said, ‘Now, I understand you’re pretty good at what you do, but I’m really good at what I do. You be the general contractor; just let me build the thing.” The partnership blossomed with the inclusion of several of Joe’s hand-picked subs who did concrete, trusses, painting, HVAC, plumbing work and the like. Garn remembers that he loved the casual handshake-only negotiations that year. “I was in the middle of a massive $75 mil-
ABOVE: The dormer adds texture, sunlight and a touch of tradition. And about the front door’s side position? “People find me,” Garn said. His “hippie hot tub” is tucked away at the right, facing the west hills. LEFT: Garn is pleased with his choice of rain deflector. The copper fountain-style, so much nicer than a gutter, makes a pleasant sound when it’s working, and winter weather creates an ice sculpture.
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Easy fit homes }}} Continued from previous page lion-dollar school construction project, with monster legal documents, and it was nice to come home to deals made and kept simply, maybe with a sketch on the side of a box. There was a lot of personal trust,” he said. Built in just eight months, the house was ready to occupy by January 2016. Garn said. “I learned from my past that you never move into a house until it’s completely finished; that makes you kind of hustle at the end.” His original designs were used, but he was also open to expert advice and is pleased to have the sunny upstairs dormers, a cement patio surrounding the perimeter and heavy-duty roof joists instead of posts to hold the 10-foot patio overhang. That dominating feature itself
The same quality materials throughout make the slightly smaller studio apartment a pleasure to live in, and short-term renters such as nurses and consultants keep it rented almost full time.
came from an exotic source. Garn was in Malawi, Africa in 2015 on a disaster relief mission and became aware that most of the houses that survived a devastating flood had extended roofs with deep eaves. On his return, he re-drew his blueprints. The big space protects the foundation but also offers him a long carport, a cov-
ered patio and a racetrack. “You should see the grand kids zooming past here on trikes — they can make it all the way around the house on a smooth surface,” he said. Garn chose the same quality materials in both living spaces. Though his 740 square feet personal area is designed for a bachelor, it has what he called
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LEFT: The apartment’s bed base is two twin-bed-size drawer sets that Garn had built for his kids. It’s another good use of space, mandatory in a 450 square-foot rental unit (“Not a ‘tiny’ home,” he said, “Just small.”)
spaces? “Or four,” he said, “I could rent out all four if I wanted to travel or live away some day. Hey, East Wenatchee’s growing; we need the housing.”Of course, he might set his sights on yet another lot with good garden space and a lovely mountain and river view that could, with smart design, offer compact quality housing to a few more residents. Not a bad legacy at all for an ex-cowboy, ex-hippy, world-traveling, nature-loving educator and builder. “a two-butt kitchen” with maple cabinetry and granite counter tops. The solid oak flooring and window wall extend to a compact sitting area facing the west hills. The always-rented upstairs studio apartment is 450 square feet. Both have high custombuilt beds with storage drawers as a base, which he hauled from the large home he raised his kids in. The renter has a private entrance, and they share a laundry area. The horse-trough hot-tub at the south end of the house, cleverly plumbed and used daily, is all Garn’s — a small and pleasant reminder of his family roots. The shop that fronts the structure is 676 square feet, with high enough ceilings for a hoist, ringed with shelves of tools and materials. Garn was a guide on both the Salmon and the Colorado rivers by the age of 18 and still keeps his oar in, so to speak — his avocation is building, and using, aluminum-tube expedi-
tion boats. He’s also a fan of Geocaching and bird watching. An EHS grad at Central Washington University is creating a song bird-attractive, low-water, fire-safe yard for him as her senior project. Already, he said, turkeys, owls and geese seem perfectly comfortable on his property. There’s more construction coming up on this well-used lot. When the long-term renter in the 1,200 square-foot mobile home moves on (no rush), Garn plans to build another primary residence in its spot — its color, materials and style congruent with this current three-part ancillary structure. He said, “I’ll make some changes — a hipped roof with three big overhangs, but I’ll keep the dormers, the overhang, and build a shop into it.” So — that means he’ll be able to rent his first small living space, its upstairs apartment, and another upstairs apartment… a total of three rentable May 2019 | The Good Life
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column moving up to the good life
june darling
What matters most in dying well The art of living well and the art of dying well are one. — Epicurus
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his Mothers’ Day, for the first time, I will have no living mother. Though I get it, none of us gets out of here alive, death still feels... well, a lot of things. For now I’ll just say, “weird.” Death boggles the mind. One practical question has emerged, however. How does one die well? Philosophers, poets, artists and many psychologists urge us to live a meaningful life, then we’ll be able to slip away peacefully with a smile on our face. Da Vinci sums that idea up with “As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death.” Certainly, it can’t hurt to live a meaningful life, which is intrinsically rewarding. If a meaningful life leads to a good death, that’s a big bonus. What, however, contributes to meaning when we’re on our deathbeds? According to Dr. Charles Garfield, an expert on dying well, the dying person finds meaning in two ways. First, people get meaning by reviewing who has loved them and who they have loved. Second, the dying person finds meaning in thinking about what they have done to contribute to the greater good — to helping others and to making the world a better place.
Know of someone stepping off the beaten path in the search for fun and excitement? E-mail us at editor@ncwgoodlife.com
Other than those things (finding meaning, cleaning up relationships, following health directives and other desires), what I realized, and researchers agree, is that loving presence as one is dying is extremely important... We might need to get a good head start on these things if we want to die well. Fortunately, Mom had loved greatly and was loved greatly in return. Her life was immensely purpose-driven. That part was a slam-dunk for her. She had also written a little autobiographical book she and her caregivers re-read and discussed in her last few months of life. Another part Mom did very well, according to experts, was resolving significant interpersonal conflict before she died. If untangling those relationships doesn’t happen during life, then it needs to happen at the end. Dr. Ira Byock, a palliative care doctor, wrote in his book, The Four Things That Matter Most, there are four basic messages people need to work out and express before the end of life. Their loves, as mentioned previously (who they have loved and who loves them), who they want to thank, who they forgive and who they want to forgive them. Though Mom had one sister
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from whom she was estranged, she had done her part in openly expressing her love. She had also given her forgiveness and asked to be forgiven, though her sister did not reciprocate. That’s okay if it ends up being one-sided according to Byock. Expressions of love, gratitude, giving and asking for forgiveness can be acknowledged even with people who have already died. With relationships in order — what remains for a good life ending? For the rest, we need a little help from our friends. Mom had given me clear health care directives that I relayed and had enforced though she lived in Tennessee and I was in Washington. No artificial nutrition by tube, no artificial resuscitation. Yes, do relieve pain and suffering through medication or whatever is needed unless relief involved moving her. Still, it was hard for me to do. Up until a few days before her death, I was still hoping for her recovery. Luckily, friends and caregivers helped me see when it was time for hospice care. Afterwards, I realized how helpful that was for Mom at the end. She had also hoped to see her sisters. Of the three, one was able to come see her and she was able to talk daily with the other. Other than those things (finding meaning, cleaning up relationships, following health directives and other desires), what I realized, and researchers agree, is that loving presence as one is dying is extremely important for most people. Mom had wonderful caregivers who continued to talk to her, play her favorite music, hold her hand, and to treat her as an important person even after she
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had several strokes which left her with no ability to speak, move, eat, or even smile. My husband and I continued to call every day. Her friends and relatives continued to visit. One of her favorite people, we all called him “Chief ” (because he was a chief of police), visited Mom a few days before she died. Chief leaned over and kissed Mom and told her he loved her. Miraculously she whispered, “I loved you too.” She was still in there! I don’t know if this matters to others, but it mattered to Mom, (and it turned out to matter to me) to have all her ducks in a row. By that I mean she had already given me information for her obituary, had prepaid for her service and burial, and knew what she wanted done for her funeral. There was some last-minute drama from a few of Mom’s friends who thought some things should be done differently than I did. Luckily I could simply say, “This is what Mom wanted.” End of discussion. So here it is May, Mother’s Day, coming up. And I’m still looking to Mom, even after her death, as my role-model. I won’t say that every single moment was good, but overall, it was a good life all the way until the very… end. Rest in peace, Mom. How might you live the good life all the way until the end by considering how you might die well? June Darling, Ph.D. can be contacted at drjunedarling1@gmail.com; website: www.summitgroupresources. com. Her bio and many of her books can be found at amazon.com/author/ junedarling.
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column THE TRAVELing DOCTOR
jim brown, m.d.
‘Gut instinct’ is backed by science How often have you heard
someone say their gut told them not to do something or on the other hand told them to do something? I have heard people say for some decisions, they listen to their gut. This actually isn’t as preposterous as it might seem. Our gut, or our gastrointestinal track, is more than a long tube that starts at our mouth and ends at the anus. After chewing food and swallowing, the intestinal tract absorbs calories and nutrients and gets rid of waste products at the end. Our gastrointestinal tract is one of our most, if not the most, complex organ system. I know my specialist friends in cardiology, neurology, pulmonary, endocrinology, kidney disease and others most likely feel the same about their special organ systems as well. Our bodies truly are amazing. The gastrointestinal system includes the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine, as well as the liver, gall bladder, pancreas and more. The gastrointestinal track is 30 feet long at autopsy in adults and contracts to a shorter length in our live adult bodies. The absorptive surface of the GI tract, including all the villi lining it, would cover half of a tennis court. The GI tract plays an important role in our immune system as well, preventing pathogens from entering our blood stream and lymph systems. The high acidity in our stomach is fatal to many pathogenic bacteria that enter it. Our pancreas makes enzymes that break down the proteins, carbohydrates and fats in our food so they can be absorbed
Our gut’s nervous system has been called our “second brain.” It communicates with our central nervous system, our brain and our spinal cord. by our intestinal track. It also makes the insulin that maintains our blood sugar in normal levels. The enteric nervous system is imbedded in the lining of the gut for the entire length of the gastrointestinal tract. Our gut’s nervous system has been called our “second brain.” It communicates with our central nervous system, our brain and our spinal cord. The enteric nervous system consists of 100 million neurons, one thousandth of the number of neurons in our brains and one tenth of our spinal cord. Additionally our gut produces over 40 different hormones and as such is our body’s largest hormone producing organ. These hormones are complex, with their metabolic information relayed back and forth with our brain. Gut hormones play a key role, including controlling our food intake and regulating our energy expenditure. Our gut hormones work in association with the extensive nervous system and play a role in digesting our food, releasing hydrochloric acid in our stomach, and regulating our blood sugar levels. Some gut hormones increase our appetite while some hormones decrease our appetite. May 2019 | The Good Life
(However looking at our 25 percent plus morbid obesity rates, it suggests to me sometimes there must be an imbalance between the increasing and decreasing of our appetite. Hopefully, future research in gut hormones will include specific plant foods and extracts that can assist in the control of our appetite and energy needs of our bodies.) So what does this have to do with our “gut instincts,” you might ask. What we call our instincts are usually accompanied by some kind of physical sensation. Our bodies, including our gastrointestinal tract, are powerful communicators with our brains when things are not “right.” If you have a “gut feeling” something is toxic, weak or “off,” listen to it. Positive instincts are often accompanied by physical signs such as a feeling of warmth, ability to breathe easier, sharp clarity of vision or hearing, a wave of goose bumps, a fluttering feeling in our gut or a relating sensation in our gut as well as our shoulders. Negative or warning instincts are often accompanied by icy cold hands and feet or an overall chill. In addition, you may have a tingling or clenching pain in the abdomen or chest, nausea, an acid stomach, sudden fatigue or a sense of high alert. As I write this I had just talked to an acquaintance who was under going chemotherapy for cancer. Sometime before, she had feelings telling her things were just not right in her body. She ended up getting an ultrasound and the CAT scan showing a treatable cancer. I am not suggesting running to your doctor when things don’t www.ncwgoodlife.com
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feel “right,” but if the feelings persist and you are concerned, it is wise to check them out. According to researchers, intuition is far more material than it might seem. David Meyers, PhD psychologist who has extensively studied intuition, explains our intuitive right brain is almost always reading our surroundings even when our left brain is otherwise well engaged. This is a good thing. He suggests we might “feel” something when approaching potentially dangerous events because of our brain dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in our brain that can give us pleasure but also can help us by alerting us to subtle patterns we don’t consciously detect. Many of us have experienced a knowing of something before it happens even if we can’t explain how or why. Our body can process information while our conscious mind remains blissfully unaware of what’s going on around it. Sometimes we can have a suspicious feeling about a person or event. The opposite is also true. Pay attention to your instincts as well as to your gut. Jim Brown, M.D., is a retired gastroenterologist who has practiced for 38 years in the Wenatchee area. He is a former CEO of the Wenatchee Valley Medical Center.
ask the doctor
Are there medical topics you would be interested in knowing more about? Send your ideas to: editor@ncwgoodlife.com.
Making
the scene
Prop master Jill Sheets creates theater magic with the aid of helpful volunteers and clever problem solving Jill makes theater magic with a team of great volunteers, includheatre prop master ing partner-in-props and producer Jill Sheets Barb Visser. isn’t worried yet, but she When her kids were does have a problem. young, she was lured into “I need a realistic newsback-stage work on The paper like this on top of King and I, the all-disthe stack every night, trict musical. With two and I don’t want it to get sons in the pit orchestra ruined.” and a daughter on stage, She holds up a very she realized it was easier authentic-looking, fauxto volunteer than wait in vintage edition. “I could the parking lot. shellac this one, but that She’s since worked as might make it too slipproducer — the behindpery to dance on… maybe the scenes-overseer of paint it on?” the whole shebang — for Newsies, Music Theeight plays at Wenatchee ater of Wenatchee’s 2019 High School. Apple Blossom musical, She first did props opens at the Numerica for the Apple Blossom PAC on May 1, but the musical in 2015. “Spacrew loads the show sets malot was the most fun I onto the stage 10 days have ever had on a show,” earlier, and bundled 1899 she said. newspapers are essenSince then she’s cretial for the look of this ated an impressive much-acclaimed Disney resume of work on 24 musical. WHS, Short ShakespearSince January, Jill ian and Music Theatre of noodled around the Wenatchee plays, workproblem of creating tall ing closely with directors newspaper stacks, flat Paul and Kelly Atwood. and sturdy enough to Whether the script dance on, that are not calls for vintage, huge, stacks of newspapers. She zany or ho-hum-buthas a creative process, necessary (like coffee of sorts: “An idea gets in cups, a radio, a cat), Jill my head and just kind of stretches the budget for bounces around until it’s buying, renting, buildready. And sometimes a ing and then will gladly dumb idea turns into a trade, beg, borrow and good one.” steal… ideas. She eventually had 12 Theaters are often Jill Sheets, problem-solving prop master, will create stacks of authentic-looking newspapers wooden boxes built, with sturdy enough to dance on. glad to off load bulky foam pipe insulation set pieces, Jill explained, on the sides, covered in strips the props for an eclectic run thrown around, but that’s easy. which are easier to load on a of Wenatchee World newsprint of plays. Six dancer-sized baby “I’ll just cover lots of Amazon truck than to dismantle or keep for folds, alternating with fluffy buggies, seen onstage for about boxes,” Jill said. in storage. strips of newsprint edges. She six seconds? A swan shot from The papers will be there. UnWith exceptions. “There’s a still needs 65 (yes, 65) much the ceiling? A man-eating plant? daunted by deadlines, setbacks sarcophagus at Wenatchee High lighter newspaper bundles to be and overwork, she has delivered Bring it on. School I just can’t part with…
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and of course the killer rabbit from Spamalot.” The latter she’s surreptitiously slipped onto the set of every play, a kind of personal Where’s Waldo. Jill’s day job, not this volunteer one that sometimes takes sometimes eight, sometimes 20 hours a week, is perfect for a creative problem solver. She’s half a team of educators at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, inventing year-round programs for adult learners: hands-on science projects like Get Lit, the environmental film series, geology bus tours. Though the work she does is different from her stage job, she finds clever ways to get things done on time and under budget. Her two-part life is rewarding but wearying. “I admit, I’m getting a little tired,” she said. When Jill, now 56, needs to close the curtain on her thoroughly engaging roles, she said she’s confident, given this generous theater community, that somebody competent will step up to do the job. She cites energy, curiosity and hands-on work style, not a building or drama background, as her own initial qualifications. Jill is adamant her theater work is not solo but collaborative, dependent on a star cast of assistants, whether she’s doing props or watching finances as the show producer. She joked, “My friends tend not to answer my phone calls when we start a play.” But she said they’ve rarely said no to a request, and they frequently ask, as all the best volunteers do, “What else do you need?” and “Can I give you a hand with that?” Maybe the “little tired” feeling just came from some particularly long hours in the scene shop. Jill knows there will be a lull of a few months, and then she’ll be off and running, already looking forward to producing and propping Mama Mia, the 2020 Apple Blossom musical.
fun stuff what to do around here for the next month We want to know of fun and interesting local events. Send info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com
Rocky Reach Hydro Project, now through 11/1, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Museum, café, balconies that offer panoramic views to the dam and grounds, juvenile fish bypass system. A 90-seat theater shows movies and ample parking for recreational vehicles and buses. Guided tours by appointment. Info: facebookcom/visitrockyreach. Homegrown Oldies Jam, every first and third Monday, 7 to 10 p.m. Riverside Pub. Cost: free. NCW BLUES JAM, every second and fourth Monday. 7 – 10 p.m. Riverside Pub. Cost: free. Wenatchee Paddle Club, every Tuesday, 9:30 a.m. open paddle, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 p.m. novice kayak paddle group, Saturdays, 7 a.m. masters crew rowing. Info: wenatcheepaddle.org. Upper Valley Running Club, every Tuesday, 4:30 – 6 p.m. Check-in at the gravel lot across from O’Grady’s Pantry. Maps will be available for a marked 3-mile trail route, partly along Icicle Creek. Run or walk, by yourself, with a friend or with your family. Participate 10 or more times and earn an Upper Valley Running Club tech tee. Info: sleepinglady.com. 1 million cups, every first Wednesday of the month. 7:45 a.m. sharp. Entrepreneurs discover solutions and thrive when they collaborate over a million cups of coffee. Come join this supportive, dynamic community and hear from two businesses that are between 1 – 5 years old. Discover how we can help move them forward in a positive environment, fueled by caffeine. Coffee provided by Mela Coffee Roasting. Wenatchee Valley Chamber office, 137 N. Wenatchee Ave. Shrub-steppe poetry podium, every last Wednesday, 4 – 5 p.m. A free, poetry-only public reading. Read your own poems or the work of a favorite poet. The Radar Station, 115 S. Wenatchee Ave. Info: sfblair61@gmail.com. Weekly Club Runs, every Thursday check in between 4:30 and 6:30 May 2019 | The Good Life
p.m. at Pybus Public Market south entrance. Either a 5k or 10k walk or run on the Apple Capital Recreation Loop Trail. Complete 10 weekly runs and receive a free shirt. Cost: free (other than a smile). 2 Left Feet, every Thursday, 7 – 9 p.m. 2 Left Feet is a loose organization of local dance enthusiasts who would like to see more dancing in the Wenatchee Valley. Beginner lesson at the top of the hour followed by carefree social dancing. No partner necessary to join in the fun. Dance style will be 1940s swing with a bit of salsa, blues, waltz or tango thrown in. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket.org. Game Night, every 4th Friday. Board games, card games or any games you bring. Open to families and all ages. Hosted by Pacific Crest Church. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket. org. Jam at the Crow, 7 – 10 p.m. Every first Sunday. The Club Crow in Cashmere, 108 1/2 Cottage Ave. Cost: free. Sleeping Lady Bird Walk, 5/1, 8 – 9:30 a.m. Join retired wildlife biologist, nature journalist and artist, Heather Murphy for an informative walk. Meet at the gazebo in the organic garden at Sleeping Lady. Cost: free. Info: sleepinglady.com/ event-calendar.php?page=may. All service club and community luncheon, 5/1, noon – 2 p.m. Guest speaker Melissa Arias, strategic director of Make A Wish Foundation Washington and Alaska. Wenatchee Convention Center Grand Ball Room. Cost: from $25. Info: appleblossom.org. Disney’s Newsies, 5/1, 2, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 7:30 p.m. 5/5, 4 p.m., 5/11, 2 p.m. Newsies is the rousing tale of Jack Kelly, a charismatic newsboy and leader of a band of teenaged “newsies.” A Music Theatre of Wenatchee production. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $27$31. Info: numericapac.org. Apple Blossom Golf Tournament, 5/2, 9:30 a.m. Highlander Golf Course. Info: appleblossom. org. WVC Speaks Lecture Series, 5/2, 2 - 3:30 p.m. WVC faculty Richard Brinkman presents “We Are Com-
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munity: Finding Gemeinschaft in a Gesellschaft World,” documenting his research findings and travels on the Pacific Crest Trail. Wenatchi Hall room 2105. Cost: free. Trail maintenance, 5/2, 3 – 6 p.m. Trail maintenance at Horse Lake Reserve. RSVP. Info: Olivia Schilling: Olivia@cdlandtrust.org, 667-9708. Arts and crafts fair, 5/3, 4, 5. 10 a.m. Memorial Park. Spring Saunters, 5/3, 10 a.m. – noon. Join area naturalists from the Wenatchee River Institute for a free-guided spring tour along the Waterfront Park in Leavenworth. Learn about local and migratory birds, flowers, cultural history and more. Meet at 347 Division St. Leavenworth. Info: wenatcheeriverinstitute.org. Tour de bloom, 5/3, 4, 5, 5:30 p.m. Three-day cycling event. See wenatcheevalleyvelo.com for more info and registration. Festival Ball, 5/3, 6 p.m. Live music, dinner and a no host bar. Wenatchee Convention Center. Info: appleblossom.org. Classy Chassis Parade and car show, 5/3, 6 p.m. Parade down Grant Road turns north on Valley Mall Pkwy. Car show 5/4, Eastmont Community Park. Info: appleblossom.org. First Friday Events Include: * Wells House First Friday Open House, 5/3, 5 – 7 p.m. Come take a look inside the beautifully restored historic Wells House. * Guided Art Tours, 5/3, 5:30 p.m. First Fridays with professional artist talks, mini lessons, and collector prints. All tours begin and end at Columbia Station. Tours help familiarize you with local art venues and artists. Educator and beauty of bronze coordinator Rozanne Lind leads this fun and interactive talk featuring the work of prolific Sultan sculptor Kevin Pettelle in his latest exhibit at WVC’s Robert Graves Gallery. Pettelle is the resident artist for WSD’s 5th grade sculpture program. Cost: free. Info: 664-7624. *Class with a Glass, 5/3, 5 – 8 p.m. 10 S Columbia St.
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WHAT TO DO
We want to know of fun and interesting local events. Send info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com
}}} Continued from previous page *Collapse, 5/3, 4 – 9 p.m. 115 S Wenatchee Ave. (in front of RadarStation). *Gypsy Lotus, 5/3, 5 – 8 p.m. 1 S Wenatchee Ave. Cost: free. *Lemolo Café and Deli, 5/3, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. 114 N Wenatchee Ave. *MAC Gallery, 5/3, 5 – 7 p.m. Wenatchee Valley College Music and Art Center, 1300 Fifth St. *Mela, 5/3, 5 – 8 p.m. Nosh provided. Cost: free. 17 N. Wenatchee Ave. Cost: free. *Mission Street Commons, 5/3, 5 – 8 p.m. 218 S Mission St. *Pans Grotto, 5/3, 4 – 9 p.m. 3 N Wenatchee Ave. Ste 2. *RadarStation, 5/3, 4 – 9 p.m. 115 S Wenatchee Ave. *Robert Graves Gallery, 5/3, 5 – 7 p.m. Justin Colt Beckman, Happy Trails: an investigation into the typography, symbols and icons of
the Western frontier. Sexton Hall at Wenatchee Valley College, Ninth St entrance. Cost: free.
more at this display at Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org.
*Tumbleweed Bead Co., 5/3, 5-7 p.m. Refreshments served. 105 Palouse St. Cost: free. Info: tumbleweedbeadco.com.
Volunteers needed, 5/4. 300 volunteers needed to carry Fallen Soldier Banners in the Apple Blossom Grand Parade. Show your support by standing in for a hero and their family. Info: 884-3617.
*Two Rivers Art Gallery, 5/3, 5 – 8 p.m. Featured artist Barbara Bainard. Music by Jeannie McPherson on piano. Complimentary refreshments. 102 N Columbia, Wenatchee. Cost: free. Info: 2riversgallery.com. *Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce, 5/3, 5 – 8 p.m. 137 N Wenatchee Ave. *Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, 5/3, 5. – 8 p.m. Light refreshments. Cost: free. Info: Wenatchee.org. *Ye Olde Bookshoppe, 5/3, 5 – 8 p.m. 11 Palouse St. My Sky, 5/3 to 9/7, Tuesday thru Saturday, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Explore the sun, the moon and the stars that gives families the chance to practice science skills such as observing, communicating, noticing patterns, predicting, imagining and
Village Art in the Park, 5/4, 5, 6 thru 10/21. Thursdays will be added during the months of July and August. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. The Pacific Northwest’s longest continually run outdoor art show. Downtown Leavenworth. Commissions are used as: $8,000 scholarships for students pursuing a higher education in the arts, financial support for art programs in local schools and community projects that are of an artistic nature. Info: villageartinthepark.org. Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, 5/4, 6 – 10:30 a.m. all you can eat. Triangle Park. Cost: $7. Info: appleblossom.org. Apple Blossom Run, 5/4, 8 a.m. 2.1k kid’s race, 5k, 10k walk or run. Apple Bowl. Cost: $15 advance or $20 race day. Info: confluencehealth.org/abr/. Apple Blossom Fun fly, 5/4, 5, 8:30 a.m. Join the Wenatchee Red Apple Flyers for flying demonstrations showcasing R/C aircraft of all types and sizes. Cost: free. 5201 4th St. SE. Info: appleblossom.org. Apple Blossom Grand Parade, 5/4, 11 a.m. Parade starts at Triangle Park, down Orondo, left on Wenatchee Ave and ends at 7th and Wenatchee Ave. Info: appleblossom.org. Moses Coulee Geology Tour, 5/4, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Led by Ken Lacy. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost: $40-$45. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org. Food and wine Oyster fest, 5/4, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Hosted by Yodelin Broth Company and Hama Hama Oysters. Featuring local wine and beer from the Pacific Northwest. Live music. Yodelin Broth Company. Info: yodelinrestaurantgroup.com. Kay Kenyon Book signing, 5/4, 1 – 3 p.m. In the electrifying conclusion to the Dark Talents series, Kim uncovers a conspiracy that could change the course of the war and she’s the only one in position to stop it. A Book for All Seasons, Leavenworth. Wenatchee Riverfront Rail-
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way, 5/4, 5, 1 - 5 p.m. Ride the mini train. Home of the Nile Saunders Orchard Train. Wenatchee Riverfront Park. Cost: $2. Pybus Art Lovers Sunday, 5/5, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Meet and visit with local artists who are practicing their craft. Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: pybuspublicmarket. org. Blossoms and brews, now through 5/5, 4 p.m. Beverages from Icicle Brewing Co., Badger Mountain Brewing, Deschutes, Iron Horse, Columbia Distributing, Jones Winery and more. Memorial Park. Skydive Chelan Helicopterama, 5/5, 6, 9 a.m. Try a tandem helicopter skydive. Bragging rights included with jump. Watch wingsuit flyers, first time tandem jumpers, licensed jumpers exiting from airplanes and helicopters all weekend. Chelan airport. Info: skydivechelan.com. WVC Spirits Reunion, 5/5, 10 a.m. - noon. In honor of Anna “Banana” Pieratt who spent many years advising, transporting and loving the WVC Spirits Cheerleaders. Lisa Bee’s Restaurant, 13023 State Rte 2. Info: 1deniseday@gmail.com. Sustainability series: what you can do!, 5/6, 6:30 – 9 p.m. Presenter Heather Trim from Zero Waste Washington will talk about plastics that are everywhere and their impacts and management are a growing concern around the Pacific Northwest and globally. Wenatchee River Institute. Cost: $2 suggested donation. Info: wenatcheeriverinstitute.org. Upper Valley nature walks, 5/7, 2 – 6 p.m. Join Connie McCauley to explore the Ski Hill area, looking at wildflowers, birds and wildlife. Three hour walk. Info: 6679708 or hilary@cdlandtrut.org. From scratch, 5/7, 14, 21, 28, 4:30 – 6 p.m. Every Tuesday in the Cashmere Valley Bank Community Kitchen at Pybus Public Market, Linda Brown will be cooking meals made from scratch for you to take home. Order ahead of time on her website and pick up from 4:30 – 6 p.m. Info: fromscratchatpybus. com/welcome. Chelan County PUD-Hydro Life Learners, 5/8, 9, 10, 9 a.m. Join us for our brand new 3-day program for active senior adults called Hydro Life Learners. On day one, our subject matter experts
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PET tales
Tells us a story about your pet. Submit pet & owner pictures to: editor@ncwgoodlife.com
Wade McCants, East
I
t’s a question of who walks who. In this situation, Raymond Diaz, Malaga, said that his dog Ginger, “runs around my bed each morning barking to get me up to go for a walk.” Ginger is a 6-year-old Wheaton Terrier and is named after a famous drummer (Ginger Baker of Cream and Blind Faith). “This breed of dog lasts a long time — 12 to 14 years — and this is my second dog in this breed,” said Raymond. Raymond said the best thing about Ginger “is that she loves me.”
Wenatchee, says he walks Dexter every day. Dexter is an 8-year-old pure bred border collie. Wade said, “I got Dexter from Cannon Ranch and his brothers were muddy and jumping and running all around. I said I wanted the quiet one in the corner.” Wade also said he has taught Dexter how to swim. Plus, “He is a very quiet dog, does not bark, does not tear up the house and he can high five.”
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The Art Life
WHAT TO DO
We want to know of fun and interesting local events. Send info to: donna@ncwgoodlife.com
}}} Continued from page 30 will guide you on a walk through the Horan Nature Trail and discuss the wildlife and birds that live in the area. The second day will take you to the historical Chelan Falls Power House where you will learn more walking along the Reach 4 area. Life Learners will board a Wenatchee Shuttle bus on the final day and the tour will proceed downstream to the Kirby Billingsley Park and then upstream to the Beebe Bridge Park and other “top spots” such as the greenhouses at Rocky Reach Dam as well as a walk at the confluence. Registration is required, and space is limited to active seniors who have no restrictions walking up to a mile on rocky terrain. Rocky Reach Dam. Cost: free. Info: 663-7522 or laura. stirling@chelanpud.org. Sam Hill Walk for Families, 5/8, 10 a.m. – noon. Located just inside the Icicle Canyon, this spot has a short, easy trail for kids. RSVP required. Info: 667-9708. Maifest, 5/10-12, all day. Live German music, the Maibaum Dance and other traditional German dances, chainsaw carvings, a mini Maipole raising, and our Bavarian inspired “Festzug” (or Bavarian march) which starts at noon. Join us for the fun and revelry, wear your best German trachten and come march with us. Downtown Leavenworth. Cost: free. Spring Saunters, 5/10, 10 a.m. – noon. Join area naturalists from the Wenatchee River Institute for a free-guided spring tour along the Waterfront Park in Leavenworth. Learn about local and migratory birds, flowers, cultural history and more. Meet at 347 Division St. Leavenworth. Info: wenatcheeriverinstitute.org. Friends of the Wenatchee Library Book sale, 5/10, 5 – 8 p.m., 5/11, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Books and media. Proceeds support Wenatchee Public Library Programs including the youth summer reading program. Pybus Public Market. Wenatchee Valley Farmers market, 5/11, 18, 25, and every Saturday, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Local farmers, artisans, winemakers, bakers and chefs make up the friendly, hardworking vendors. West parking lot of Pybus Public Market.
GS Long’s Hell on Hooves Roughstock Rodeo, 5/10, 11, 7:30 p.m. Bull riding, saddlebronc riding, bareback riding, barrel racing and bull poker. Kids activities: mutton bustin’ and mechanical bull. Also Rancho Los Lagos Mexican Dancing Horse and performance by Mariachi Azteca. Town Toyota Center. Cost: $20. Info: towntoyotacenter.com. Run for your mother 5k, 5/11, 8 a.m. A 5k run/walk to benefit Wenatchee MOPS (mother’s of preschoolers). Walla Walla Point Park. Cost: $25. Lions Club community breakfast, 5/11, 7 – 11 a.m. All you can eat pancakes, eggs, sausage, coffee and milk. Proceeds go to Lions Club projects, locally and worldwide. Lions Club Park, Leavenworth. The Met: live in HD: Dilogues des Carmelites, 5/11, 9 a.m. Snowy Owl Theater. Cost: $5-$24. Info: icicle.org. Nason Ridge family walk to big red, 5/11, 9:30 a.m. – noon. Three miles on varied terrain. RSVP required. Info: cdlandtrust.org. Historical walking tours of Leavenworth, 5/11, 10 a.m. Walk the old railroad and mill. Walks start at the Lions Club Park. Cost: $5 donation. Info: Upper Valley Museum, 548-0728. Defy wrestling presents king of the mountain, 5/11, 10 a.m. UFC fighter “Filthy” Tom Lawlor will bring his own form of intensity to the squared circle. Also see one of wrestling’s most dynamic performers in Darby Allin. Leavenworth Festhalle. Cost: $25. Info: defywrestling.com. Sleepy Hollow Riverside Ramble, 5/13, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Almost 40 acres of land along the lower Wenatchee. Explore what makes this place so special and important to protect. Lower Sleepy Hollow Reserve. RSVP required. Info: 6679708 or cdlandtrust.org. Four minutes of fame, 5/15, 6:30 p.m. Try out your favorite pages at Write On The River’s next “Four Minutes of Fame.” It’s an opportunity to share your original poetry or prose with local writers, enjoy an evening of socializing and gain insight into your craft. Snacks and beverages available. Special guests for this spring event are the winners of the 2019 Write On The River Writing Competition reading their fiction and nonfiction entries. Time slots are still available, but sign up
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early for your reading. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost: free.Info: marlene@teamfarrell.com. Get lit: hydroponics, 5/15, 6:30 - 9 p.m. Learn the science behind what makes a system hydroponic and how to make one for your own home or backyard. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost: $30 includes one small hydroponic system and a glass of wine. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org. Lake Chelan Wine and Jazz Festival, 5/16 – 19. Sixteen jazz performances take place at 11 venues around the lake. Chelan wines and a variety of food options will be available at each music venue during the performances. Cost: $4$99. Info: chelanwinejazz.com. Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest, 5/16 - 19. Enjoy the unforgettable experience of witnessing the vast array of returning migratory birds in the midst of the peak wildflower season in the incomparable natural beauty of North Central Washington’s Wenatchee Valley. Keynote speaker is Richard Crossley, 5/17, 7 p.m. at the Snowy Owl Theater. Info: leavenowrthspringbirdfest. org. Community Science: ebird monitoring at Horse Lake Reserve, 5/16, 6 – 11:30 a.m. Would you like to spend a weekday morning hiking, viewing wildlife, wildflowers and snow-capped mountains, while being part of a small team collecting bird species data? Learn more about becoming a CDLT citizen scientist volunteer by contacting Susan Ballinger at susan@cdlantrust.org or 667-9708. A reading at Saddle Rock, 5/16, 5:30 – 7 p.m. Join Colville tribal member Randy Lewis and author Bill Layman for a reading of their new book, Red Star and Blue Star Defeat Spexman at Saddle Rock Trailhead. Info: cdlandtrust.org. Bavarian Battle of the bikes, 5/17, 18, 19. Stevens Pass Mountain Resort. Info: stevenpass.com. Armed Forces day, 5/17, 11 a.m. A celebration of our armed forces retired and active duty. Wenatchee Valley College. Cost: free. Mucho to taco ‘bout, 5/17, 6:30 p.m. Professional meet-n-greet and speed networking. A new mentoring program sponsored by the Wenatchee Valley College Center for Entrepreneurship. Meet the En-
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Playing with words Author leads a romp with language — helping kids spark their brains By Marlene Farrell
They call her Dr. Fu.
Every summer for the past 15 years, Amy Carlson dons this new identity to lead her summer book camps in Leavenworth. New names help launch Dr. Fu and the campers on adventures of the imagination. Going through a “camper only” entrance, each kid also gets a new name, a mash-up of random nouns and verbs, picked from the “Universe Bag of Wisdom.” Some gems from past camps include “Songful Teabag,” “Spooky Humpback” and “Cavernous Grace.” Once inside, the magic of literary creation abounds. Camp days are loosely organized around writing in the morning, followed by lunch and outdoor run-around time. Then the campers get busy working on elaborate crafts, ranging from runes and calligraphy to masks and puppets. The day ends with refreshment in the form of popsicles and games like Dribble, Dribble, Drench. The camp has roamed from its origins at A Book for All Seasons (begun by owner Pat Rutledge), to a church and the Wenatchee River Institute. Now it’s settled happily at the Cascade School District’s Discovery School,
// SKETCHES OF LOCAL ARTISTS equipped with air conditioning, big tables for sprawling art projects and a shady backyard oasis. Each year new activities, connected to the themes of a book, spring forth from Dr. Fu’s brain. She picks beloved books, with classics like The Hobbit and modern fantasies such as The Mysterious Benedict Society and The Lightning Thief. Over several sessions per summer, Amy has figured out how to engage eight-year-olds to 14-year-olds alike. “The camp attracts readers, both boys and girls,” Amy said. “We roll around in language together.” Many like it so much that they attend four or five years in a row. Amy’s Yessence poetry is standard fare for the writing portion. With a big stack of magazines to choose from, she tells the campers, “Cut out words that you like the sounds of, or the rhythm of.” Then they arrange the words to make a poem, adding the necessary connecting words. Yessence is the opposite of nonsense. “Making random collisions with words — it makes the brain spark and draw connections,” Amy explained. “It helps exercise the right brain.” In fact, she’s noticed that younger kids, who’ve had less formal education, take to such wordplay easier. Each year, Dr. Fu and her teenage assistants sprinkle in dashes of silliness. The kids usually ask to do such things again and again. One example is the jelly belly taste test, now a tradition. “We go around the circle, one at a time, choosing one jelly belly, and we all watch the person’s expression.” There’s a thrill in seeing the taster gag and go for Dr. Fu’s trashcan if he or she just tasted the flavor of earthworm, rotten egg or boogers. Playing with language and plumbing its depths is something Amy does naturally. As a poet, haiku is one of her favorite forms.
“The camp attracts readers, both boys and girls. We roll around in language together.”
Amy Carlson: She has thought about quitting the camps, “But then the kids get to me and I think, okay, I’ll do it another year. Honestly, they keep me laughing.” Photo by Reed Carlson
“Haiku seems simple, but there must be two images, juxtaposed. The connection can’t be obvious; rather they rub against each other and imply.” It comes from the heart of Japanese culture, of which Amy’s been a longtime student. When discussing haiku, Amy held her arm out. “It’s never direct.” Then she curved her arm. “It’s tatemae, coming from the side.” Her life has also not followed a straight line. Amy’s had success as a contributor to Travelers’ Tales with travel essays, and could have continued her wanderings and musings. May 2019 | The Good Life
But she’s been pulled back, again and again, to Leavenworth, which has been her home with her husband Reed since 1993. She loves teaching college students too, which she does through composition classes at Wenatchee Valley College. Amy completed a Masters in Fine Arts from the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts in 2015. The MFA required a book-length project, and Amy found it her greatest challenge to write a children’s novel. But she did it. Brother Beast, published in 2018, brought together Amy’s love of mythology — in this case, Chinese — with a fastwww.ncwgoodlife.com
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paced adventure story about loss and redemption of the main character and his brother. Last summer Dr. Fu focused on Brother Beast for the camps. “With it, we romped in Asia, practicing Chinese characters, creating scrolls and storytelling Chinese myths.” Amy also expresses herself through music. She’s been a flautist since she was five, and now plays at her church, jams with husband Reed on bass, and gets to sub at the Wenatchee Valley Symphony. Working with kids definitely fuels Amy’s creative fire. There have been a few times when she thought of calling it quits with the camps. It takes a lot of work and energy with little monetary reward. “But then the kids get to me and I think, okay, I’ll do it another year. Honestly, they keep me laughing.” To some, book camp might seem a bit loony. To Amy, that is part of its joy. “The success of these camps takes an adult who can play.” With a twinkle in her eye, she added, “I think I have the magic.” More info about Amy’s book camps, called Avra Kedavra Kamps, can be found at: www.bearrunantics.com.
>> RANDOM QUOTE
Opportunities will come and go, but if you do nothing about them, so will you. Richie Norton
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}}} Continued from page 32 tiat Valley Chamber of Commerce board and staff and enjoy a complimentary taco. RSVP by 5/13. Entiat Pub-N-Grub. Info: facebook.com/ events/1989868271121504. Dallas String Quartet, 5/17, 7:30 p.m. Full accompaniment of drums and guitar, Dallas String Quartet fuses classical and contemporary music on both traditional and electric strings. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $27$31. Info: numericapac.org. Hike for Health series, 5/18, 9 – 11 a.m. Improve your health, be part of a team, take home prizes and be entered to win one of many grand prizes at the end of the hiking season. Apple Capital Loop Trail. Info: cdlandtrust.org. Girls on the run of Columbia valley superhero 5k fun run, 5/18, 10 a.m. – noon. Crafts, photo booth and GOTR celebration. Run begins at Pybus Public Market and continues around Apple Capital Loop Trail.
What Are You Laughing At? We’re looking for fresh, true stories from local people that’ll bring a chuckle to our readers.
Limit yourself to 500 to 1,000 words and send to: editor@ncwgoodlife.com
Info: gotrcolumbiavalley.org. Science Fest, 5/18, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Participate in hands on activities and demonstrations of the mysterious parts of space, our solar system, and our earth. This free event at the Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center will have 20+ stations full of learning, and will host 10+ local scientists and companies that are creating a vision for the future of Wenatchee and surrounding areas. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org. Lake Chelan Spring Barrel Tasting 5/18-19. Info: lakechelan. com/events. Red Bull pump track world championship qualifier race, 5/18, noon – 6 p.m. BMX or mountain bike racing. Enchantment Park, Leavenworth. Info: redbullpumptrackworldchampionship.com. Sleeping Lady Bird Walk, 5/18, 8 – 9:30 a.m. Join retired wildlife biologist, nature journalist and artist, Heather Murphy for an informative walk. Meet at the gazebo in the organic garden at Sleeping Lady. Cost: free. Info: sleepinglady.com/ event-calendar.php?page=may. Simple Irrigation Repairs, 5/18, 10 a.m. – noon. Learn about various irrigation systems and products, and participate in hands-on demos to get a grip on basic DIY assembly and repair. Community Education Garden, 1100 N Western Ave. Cost: free. WVC Foundation Gala, 5/18, 5 p.m. Silent and live auction, presentation of awards, three-course meal and no-host bar. Wenatchee Valley Convention Center. Dave Stamey, 5/18, 7 p.m. A cowboy, mule packer, dude wrangler and is now one of the most popular Western entertainers. Snowy Owl
Theater. Cost: $24 advance or $26 at the door. Info: icicle.org. Dirt Digger Crit, 5/19, 8 a.m. Each participant has a change to race there flat bar bike (mountain or fat bike tires only) on a 5-lap course. All ages. Leavenworth Ski Hill. Info: skileavenworth.com/events/dirtdigger-crit. Storywalk at Jacobson Preserve, 5/20, 5:30 p.m. Explore the trails and read the new Storywalk children’s book installed along the trail. Cost: free. RSVP: cdlandtrust. org. or 667-9708. Spring Possibilities Tour, 5/22, 3 – 5 p.m. Tour downtown Wenatchee spaces available for lease and find out more about opportunity zones. Info: wendowntown.org. Community Science: ebird monitoring at Mountain Home Reserve, 5/23, 6 – 10:30 a.m. Would you like to spend a weekday morning hiking, viewing wildlife, wildflowers and snowcapped mountains, while being part of a small team collecting bird species data? Learn more about becoming a CDLT citizen scientist volunteer by contacting Susan Ballinger at susan@cdlantrust.org or 667-9708.
The Good Life can be found at: Safeway stores, Mike’s Meats at Pybus, Martin’s Market Place (Cashmere) and Dan’s Food Market (Leavenworth)
Guided Art Tours for kids, 5/24, 9:30 – a.m. These tours are designed for children and their
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caregivers seeking ways to explore interesting and fun destinations, which are easily accessed with Link Transit’s fixed-route system. All tours begin and end at Columbia Station. Design your own pasta sculpture at Columbia Station before taking a ride on the Link Bus to the Riverwalk Bridge, a connection to the Art on the Avenues Sculpture Garden. Create your own leave behind sculpture before heading back to the station. Cost: free. Info: 6647624 or sdanko@linktransit.com. Spring Saunters, 5/24, 10 a.m. – noon. Join area naturalists from the Wenatchee River Institute for a free-guided spring tour along the Waterfront Park in Leavenworth. Learn about local and migratory birds, flowers, cultural history and more. Meet at 347 Division St. Leavenworth. Info: wenatcheeriverinstitute.org. Leavenworth RockFest, 5/24-26, noon. This festival has several different elements aimed at educating and introducing climbing to everyone as well as encouraging seasoned climbers to push their limits in fun and competitive ways. Tierra Learning Center. Info: leavenworthma.org. Northwest Alphorn Workshop, 5/24-26. Workshop and classes. Concert 5/25, recital at the gazebo 5/26. Info: 548-3494.
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column those were the days
rod molzahn
A.B. Brender’s winding road to the Valley M
ost of the early settlers, 1880s and 1890s, who came to the Wenatchee Valley had other destinations in mind when they set out on their journey west. A.B. Brender was no exception. He claimed and developed homesteads in three states before ending up in the Wenatchee Valley. Alexander Bartholomew Brender was born in Wurtenberg, East Prussia (part of Germany) in 1851. By the time he was 15 he had determined to come to America. His father refused to let him go until he had learned a trade. Brender apprenticed to a blacksmith and in two years had learned the basics of the work. In 1869, he sailed for America then traveled on to Eudora, Kansas where he had an uncle. He stayed there working at his blacksmithing trade until he was conscripted into the U.S. army and sent off to relocate Indians in New Mexico.
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“You won’t have to work yourself to death to make a living and you can eat whatever you want. We don’t eat any black bread over here.” A.B. Brender in letter to parents in Germany He served five years in the army. In 1877 he wrote to his family that in those years he had fought some bloody battles with the Indians and came out unharmed but, by then, he had had enough and was ready to “settle down.” A.B. bought 390 acres near Littleton, Colorado and began raising wheat. His 1877 letter to family began with, “Honored and beloved
parents.” He went on to extoll the virtues of America. “Later on I shall have cattle and I want to tell you that you do not feed cattle over here but they stay in the pasture grounds all year ’round and I can have 1,000 or 10,000 animals grazing and they don’t cost me anything.” In the same letter, he began his ongoing efforts to persuade his parents to come and join him in America. “You won’t have to work yourself to death to make a living and you can eat whatever you want. We don’t eat any black bread over here. We’ve got meat a plenty… and when I want deer or rabbit… I just go ahead and shoot it and don’t have to ask anyone. “This here is a good country and everybody can do as he pleases. I could not and would not live in your country. You have to tip your hat to every priest or mayor or king. This is not the case over here.” He goes on to talk about a German girl he had met and
might marry. The girl didn’t work out but A.B. continued his letter campaign to convince his parents to come and join him. In a February, 1878 letter to them he wrote, “If you come here you won’t have to work anymore and can enjoy life. Dear father, over here you can get land for nothing… and can have everything real comfortable… stock does not cost you anything to feed because there are millions of acres of land which nobody owns and the cattle live on that… so, dear father think of all that, leave everything behind and come over and don’t eat the black bread any longer. We don’t eat black bread over here but white bread.” By 1878 the wanderlust had struck again. A.B. sold his land and headed to San Francisco to see the world. He didn’t stay long.
area, looking at wildflowers, birds, and wildlife. Three hour walk. Info: cdlandtrust.org or 667-9708.
bus that will depart at 8 a.m. Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center. Cost: $40-$45. Info: wenatcheevalleymuseum.org.
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Keith Moon: The real me, 5/24, 7:30 p.m. This play explores the mind of The Who drummer as he attempts to save himself from the unbearable burden of living up (or down) to his self-created legend of ‘Moon the Loon’. He takes the audience on a journey through his early struggles, his joining The Who, and their rise as one of the world’s greatest rock bands. By the show’s end, the audience intimately knows the man behind the myth - his acute vulnerability and insecurity, and his struggle to escape the everlooming rock and roll crash landing. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $22-$25. Info: numericapac. org. Lions Club community break-
fast, 5/25, 7 – 11 a.m. All you can eat pancakes, eggs, sausage, coffee and milk. Proceeds go to Lions Club projects, locally and worldwide. Lions Club Park, Leavenworth. Iris Flower show, 5/25, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Flower show and sale in the main concourse at Pybus Public Market. Cost: free. Info: Phyllis Barnett 663-3163. Stage Kids presents James and the Giant Peach JR, 5/29, 30, 31, 6/1, 6:30 p.m. 6/1, 1:30, 6/2, 4 p.m. Featuring a wickedly tuneful score and a witty and charming book, this adventurous musical about courage and self-discovery is destined to be a classic. Numerica Performing Arts Center. Cost: $13-$22. Info: numericapac.org. Upper Valley nature walks at Ski Hill, 5/30, 2-6 p.m. Join Connie McCauley to explore the Ski Hill May 2019 | The Good Life
Sam Hill Wildflower walk, 5/30, 6 – 8:30 p.m. Spend an evening among wildflowers at the mouth of Icicle Canyon on the Land Trust’s Sam Hill property. Join Susan Ballinger and learn more about the late spring blooming wildflowers. Info: cdlandtrust.org. or 667-9708. Grand Coulee Geology Tour, 6/1, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Brent Cunderla will take you on a tour of the Grand Coulee Ice Age Floods tour loop which begins in Soap Lake and continues north to Lake Lenore Caves, Dry Falls Interpretive Center, Sims Corner, Electric City, Banks Lake, Northrup Canyon, Coulee City, Summer Falls, and Ephrata. Tour goers will meet at the Wenatchee Valley Museum to board a tour
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Cashmere Historic home tour, 6/1, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. A self guided tour of Cashmere’s historic homes. All proceeds benefit the Cashmere Museum. Cost: $20. Info: info@ cashmeremuseum.org or 782-3230. Mini Maker Faire, 6/1, 9 a.m. 3 p.m. Want to showcase your creations? Makers, artists, techies and creators can showcase their work. Hoping to sell or promote your business? Regional students and educators can showcase their inventions and innovations, too. Crafts, eats, drinks, costumes, make, build, design, hack, listen, learn, crate, sew, robots connect and play. Town Toyota Center. Cost: free. Info: wenatchee.makerfaire. com.
THOSE WERE THE DAYS
Brender: ‘I would see no one for months at a time’ cleared land, cut wild hay and raised poprevious page tatoes, corn, onions By November of and beets. He packed 1878, he had settled his ripe vegetables up in Woodburn, Oregon to the Blewett mines and began working as and sold them to the a blacksmith again. miners. He wrote to his parBrender in a later ents about the tools interview said that, and machinery he as the first white man had learned to make, in the upper valley, “I “in the American would see no one for style.” months at a time. I He told how he had spoke Chinook and an made a machine that, Indian was a welcome “cuts as much grass guest.” in one day as 10 or 15 Deak Brown, the men can cut with a first white settler in scythe.” the Monitor area, did At the end of the live with A.B. during letter, A.B. considthe winter of 1883/84 ers going back to while he cut and Germany to start a hauled logs for his blacksmith business. Deak Brown washes dishes and A.B. Brender stands on right at Brender’s cabin in Brender Canyon. own cabin. That, however, didn’t Photo courtesy of Dick Brender For six years, A.B. happen. He had not “wrestled with the saved enough money to make not get wet all year long unless skillet and sourdough and did the trip. he jumps into the water or takes not know I was tired of it until He soon tired of Oregon (too a bath.” I met Mrs. Samantha Warren much rain) and by 1880 Brender He signed this one; “Your Trout.” She was a widow in Texas was homesteading in the Ellens- faithful son, A.B. Brender.” with three children, a girl and burg area and working again as He made his final move the two boys. a blacksmith. next year, 1881. He was driven She and A.B. corresponded On July 28, 1880, A.B. wrote out of the Kittitas Valley by, “the by mail for a time then agreed another letter to his family in wind and sagebrush.” to marry. They wed the day Germany. He explained that Mr. Shoudy (his wife, Ellen she and her children arrived he had moved and started over was the namesake of Ellensburg) in Ellensburg on the train. In again. owner of the “Robber’s Roost” time, four boys joined her three He ended the letter with trading post tried to convince children. another plea for his parents and Brender to go into business with In a 1936 interview, Brender brothers to join him in America. him. A.B. declined. spoke of his seven grown chil“I have enough land here to About then he went over dren and 12 grandchildren. feed you and mother and I am Ellensburg to gather his belongthe mountains to explore the “My sons,” he said, “live in not going to feed you any black ings. Wenatchee Valley. He traveled houses of their own on the origibread either because we don’t Before leaving, he went to the into the upper valley looking nal homestead. It will be a long know anything about black trading post to buy a shovel, for his new home. He asked lotime before the name of Brender bread here, butter and milk and nails and a rope. Shoudy said, cal Indians about several poswill die out of the canyon.” meat as much as you want and “Here’s your rope, go hang yoursible homestead locations but if you still like hunting you will self, here are your nails, go make they, not wanting white men in Historian, actor and teacher Rod enjoy it very much. Badger, rabyourself a coffin and here is your the upper valley, gave reasons Molzahn can be reached at shake. speak@nwi.net. His third history CD, bits by the thousand, quail and shovel, go dig your grave.” against them all: too hot in the Legends & Legacies Vol. III - Stories partridge, deer and fish, anyBrender recalled that with summer, too much snow in the of Wenatchee and North Central thing you want and the climate every word Shoudy said, “he winter. Washington, is now available at the would be very good for your illblinked and squinted.” Undeterred, Brender finally Wenatchee Valley Museum and Culness (rheumatism)… because it is found the canyon that now Brender filed on his new tural Center and at other locations throughout the area. very dry here and a person will bears his name. He went back to homestead, built a log cabin,
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He asked local Indians about several possible homestead locations but they, not wanting white men in the upper valley, gave reasons against them all...
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Kacee: What have you done?
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}}} Continued from page 38 As soon as I had the baby in my arms, Kacee would come to me and whine for affection. If I didn’t pet her, she’d scratch the door to go out. Kacee would come back in later, and if I still had the baby she’d want to immediately go back out. This jealous streak has not ended. Rosalia is now about 3 ½ years old and a ball of fire. Rosalia loves the dogs, and the dogs tolerate her. Cleaning Services Rosalia likes to play with the dogs, and especially pull hair Spend this off of Kacee. She thinks making Mother’s Day hair balls is good fun. Kacee only tolerates so much before she goes and hides, but I’ve recently seen Kacee sniff Rosalia, and wag her tail. I think Kacee is breaking down. Maybe she’ll give Rosalia a chance, just like I gave Kacee a chance. Kacee continues to be very independent, though she likes affection more now than she a FREE nowESTIMATE for a FREE ESTIMATE! used to. I’ve been told by KirstenCall now forCall that when I go away Kacee will 509-663-1710 scratch out a hole in my bed covowner4165@merrymaids.net ers and make a nesting spot. merrymaidsofwenatchee.com I guess that over the years we’ve both learned to love each Contractor Specialist other. To tell you the truth, it really didn’t take much for me, because there’s something about Kacee.
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Kacee, what have you been up to now? I’
By Keith Kellogg
m a dog lover. I have three in my house. At times they drive me crazy, but overall they bring me great comfort. Often times I prefer dogs over people. Now don’t get me wrong, some of my best friends are people, but there’s something about dogs that I just can’t get past. Several years ago, I had a girlfriend who claimed that I paid more attention to my dogs than I did her. I adamantly denied this, but then about a week later we were snuggling on the couch watching a movie, and I found myself scratching her behind the ear, and starting to say, “Good girl.” Did I say I’m a dog lover? I’m not one of those people who feeds my dogs biscuits held between my teeth, but my dogs and those we occasionally dog sit are not short on good living. One of my dogs in particular is my favorite, but this has not come without tests. My daughters and I got Kacee in early 2007 after our dog had suddenly died. There was an immediate void, so we went dog shopping. I’m a firm believer in dog rescue so that’s what we did. When we first met Kacee she appeared to be well behaved, calm and pretty much just what we were looking for. Kacee was about 2 years old. So we did the adoption, and home we went. I just couldn’t figure out why anyone would have given her up, but that would change. Once we got home, Kacee did her sniffing, had a snack, and it looked like she’d be just fine. Later that day I took her outside to see if she liked to play. I tried a little chase, and got no response. I tried throwing a ball, and again, I got no response.
Granddaughter Rosalia, then two, with Kacee: Warming up to humans.
After a minute, Kacee looked at me as if I was crazy, and then promptly ran away. This would become a common theme over the years. Kacee seems to be a free spirit, and as I’ve learned she loves to wander, loves to sniff, and has no real interest in other dogs or people. I learned quickly that Kacee would take advantage of any and all opportunities to go explore. After a while I thought I had her figured out, and restricted to the dog run and fenced yard, but somehow Kacee kept getting free. My daughters and I began doing secret surveillance on her when we put her out. Eventually one of my daughters saw her squeeze through the slats on the deck railing, and jump down to the ground. The jump was about seven to eight feet. It appeared as if Kacee would not be tamed. During the first week of ownership, Kacee and I faced off to our greatest test. The girls were in school, and I went to work, so I put her out on the deck. It was spring so I left a screened
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I came home later and discovered Kacee in my bedroom. It looked like a bomb had gone off. window open to let some fresh air in. I came home later and discovered Kacee in my bedroom. It looked like a bomb had gone off. I’d swear that Kacee looked up at me, and gave me a small head nod as if she was saying, “What’s up?” I still don’t understand what exactly happened, but Kacee had clearly tore the screen out of the window, entered my bedroom through the window, and then proceeded to go crazy on my belongings. She had ripped into the small couch in my bedroom, tore one armrest to pieces, and then ripped up one of the cushions. As if that wasn’t enough she also chewed up a TV remote, a
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throw pillow and one of my dress shoes. I guess I could have lost my temper, put her back up for adoption or given up, but I just laughed. Keith Kellogg is a retired Wenatchee Giving up police officer who was not in my now enjoys as vocabulary. I much time outside as he can, and figured that loves being with Kacee was his two daughters, just testing two grandbabies me, and that and his dogs. she opted to jump to an extreme to see if I (we) could really love her. Kacee has never chewed up anything since that day, and I quickly learned to love her quirky ways. The next few years continued to bring little tests, but we overcame all of them: the porcupine thing, the doggie jail thing, the skunk thing, the rollin-the-rotten-stinky thing, the eat-the-foreign-substance-andgo-to-the-vet thing, the get in the garbage thing, the counter surfing thing, the fatty tumor thing, etc… No problem there, but let me tell you about the hair thing. Kacee seems to be a mixture of maybe Chow Chow and Akita, or who knows exactly what. Kacee has a very defined multiple layer hair thing going on. Kacee sheds almost all the time, and I don’t mean a few hairs here and there. I mean more like the, “I could fill the Town Toyota Center kind of shedding.” Kacee had always been kind of stand offish until my daughter, Kirsten, had her baby, Rosalia. Then all of a sudden Kacee developed a jealous streak like no other.
}}} Continued on page 37
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DRIVING HISTORIC ROUTE 66 Y EVENTS CALENDAR
WENATCHEE VALLEY’S
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DOING THE VOLCANO TOUR Y EVENTS CALENDAR
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August 2018
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now a citizen of where her heart belongs
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Rollie's cabin
What 3 old guys (and a kid for muscle) did when they were looking for something to do
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READERS’ STORIES FROM 2018 of birth, rebirth, travel & joy Second look
Some of our favorite photos from 2018
Bald Eagles
Big birds hold special place in our hearts
Bold beauty
Hillside home is grand with generous space
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becoming an american
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MOVE TO MEXICO One more adventure: 'We felt like kids again'
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PASSAGE
LIVING LARGE
TO JUNEAU They finally arrived! Brothers finish trek started 40 years ago
IN A SMALL SPACE DOWNTOWN
plus LLamas are an aging hiker’s best friend
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heart disease in women: more deadLy than breast cancer
REVISITING THE CONTAINER HOUSE NOW THAT IT’S FINISHED
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They Built This City: NEW DOWNTOWN IS FlOOR kING’S lASTING lEGACy
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