Health & Home 04/03/2023

WHERE THE Wild Things Grow

INSIDE:

HEALTH: Commuting by Bike

LIFESTYLE: Road Trip to Prosser

FOOD: Good Without Gluten

Stay Connected

Email Health & Home Editor Anne McGregor at annem@inlander.com.

The conversation continues on the Inlander Facebook page, and stay in touch with us at Inlander.com/Health&Home.

DON HAMILTON PHOTO

Adept at Adapting

BY ANNE McGREGOR

Turns out Spokane city residents use a whopping 97 percent more water than people in the rest of the country. That’s a lot! Much of it goes toward nourishing all those brilliant green lawns lining residential streets. In an effort to conserve water and respond to drought conditions late last spring, the Spokane City Council approved a measure to limit watering to alternate days based on even or odd number addresses. That’s a start. In this issue, we look at ways to not only save water and reduce water bills, but also how to actually improve curb appeal AND enjoy spending more time admiring the yard instead of mowing and maintaining it. It’s a process that means shifting expectations about what a yard “should” look like, but as E.J. Iannelli writes (“The Great X-Scape,” page 22), there’s no better time to get started.

Also in the Home section, our star DIY’er Diane Holm has created two fun springtime projects — both using materials you might otherwise throw away — to usher in the season (page 34). And we take a look at the trend toward incorporating a certain moodiness (page 28) into home design. Elissa Ball talks to local designers about how to incorporate big, bold colors and rich textures — all without making a room feel heavy.

Cheers!

CONTRIBUTORS

SPOKANE • EASTERN WASHINGTON • NORTH IDAHO also at inlander.com/health&home

1227 W. Summit Parkway, Spokane, Wash. 99201 PHONE: 509-325-0634

EDITOR

Anne McGregor annem@inlander.com

ART DIRECTOR

Ali Blackwood

INLANDER EDITOR

Nick Deshais

INLANDER ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Chey Scott

CONTRIBUTORS

Stacey Aggarwal, Elissa Ball, Jessica Bell, Erick Doxey, Diane Holm, E.J. Iannelli, Madison Pearson, Summer Sandstrom, Young Kwak, Will Maupin, Sara Shaw

COPY CHIEF

Chris Frisella

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Kristi Gotzian

EVENT & SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER

Kristina Smith

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Carolyn Padgham, Autumn Potts

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Stephanie Grinols, Tracy Menasco, Skip Mitchell, Claire Price, ADVERTISING ASSISTANTS

Raja Bejjani, Colleen Bell-Craig

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Tom Stover

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Derrick King

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Todd Goodner

CIRCULATION

Frank DeCaro, Travis Beck

BUSINESS MANAGER

Dee Ann Cook

CREDIT MANAGER

Kristin Wagner

PUBLISHER

Ted S. McGregor Jr.

GENERAL MANAGER

Jeremy McGregor

SARA SHAW is a small animal veterinarian in the Spokane area. She is passionate about using positive reinforcement in all aspects of human animal interactions. Because pets bring us so much joy she wants to make sure we as humans learn the best ways to be good animal caretakers. In this issue (page 18) she writes about nail trims because she knows first hand how challenging it can be (and she knows how to make it better!).

NICK DESHAIS returned to the Inlander, where he’s now the editor, in September 2022 after a 10-year hiatus away from the paper. Over all those years, he’s had a penchant for riding his bike wherever he goes. He’ll ride to the grocery store, for fun on the weekend, and definitely to work as a matter of course nearly every day of the year. Because why suffer through your daily commute (page 8) when you can ride with a smile on your face?

Health & Home is published every other month and is available free at more than 500 locations across the Inland Northwest. One copy free per reader. Subscriptions are available at $2.50 per issue: call x213. Reaching Us: Editorial: x261; Circulation: x226; Advertising: x215 COPYRIGHT All contents copyrighted © Inland Publications, Inc. 2023. Health & Home is locally owned and has been published since 2004.

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ON THE COVER: City of Spokane Photo

APRIL - MAY 2023

SPRING FORWARD • WOLF COUNTRY IT’S A RUN-DERFUL LIFE

TWO-WHEELED HEALTH • FLOUR POWER BE A HERO • PAWS-ITIVE REINFORCEMENT

NEW SECTION!

THE GREAT X-SCAPE • A NEW MOOD BRINGING NATURE INDOORS

ROAD TRIP: GET OUT THE MAP HURD MERCANTILE

ROCKIN’ IN THE KITCHEN • OUTSIDER PIONEERS IN WINE

KEEPING THE BEAT ALIVE

PG. 36

PG. 6

PG. 22

PG. 8

PG. 40

PG. 46

Spring Forward

BY MADISON PEARSON

Spokane Indians Opening Day

Kick off spring by supporting the best minor league team around, our very own Spokane Indians. This game against the Eugene Emeralds marks the first game of the season and features all of the best things about baseball like hotdogs, fireworks and the four amazing Spokane Indians mascots: Otto, Doris the Spokanasaurus, KC the Stratotanker and Ribby the Redband Trout. Say hi and cheer loudly! Tue, April 11 at 6:35 pm, $8-$22, Avista Stadium. spokaneindians.com

Spokane Print Fest

Throughout the month of April, try your hand at various forms of printmaking at the fifth annual Spokane Print Fest. Put on by the talented artists at the Spokane Print and Publishing Center, this event has workshops, lectures, vendor fairs and exhibits centered on all things print. See website for a full schedule of events. April 1-29; times, prices and locations vary. spokaneprintfest.org

West End Beer Fest

Six local breweries participate in a walk-around beer fest. Ticket cost gets you a specialty glass, a West End beanie and $4 pours of all the specialty West End beers that day. The event also features live entertainment, food trucks and other specials at all the breweries. See website for a list of participating breweries. Sat, April 22 from 12-11 pm, $25, locations vary. westendbeerfest.com

Spokane Garden Expo

Calling all green thumbs! The Spokane Garden Expo is the place for all your gardening needs, with over 250 garden-related vendors, a wide array of plants to purchase, door prizes, live demonstrations, live music and food trucks. Whether you’re an outdoor or indoor plant person, this expo will make your verdant, leafy friends happier than ever. Sat, May 13 from 9 am-5 pm, Free, Spokane Community College. tieg.org

Brush on the Bluff

Enjoy the beautiful Inland Northwest surrounded by art and spring flowers at this event for creatives and art-lovers alike. Join as 20 local artists set up their easels and draw inspiration from the natural beauty around them. The event also includes activities like nature bracelet making, painting gratitude rocks, an art hike and much more. Sat, May 20 from 11 am-6 pm, Free, Polly Judd Park. friendsofthebluff.org/brushonthebluff

Wolf Country

In July 2008, when a pack of wolves with pups was observed in north central Washington, it was the first time breeding wolves had been documented in the state since the 1930s. Their return sparked controversy, with ranchers concerned over the potential loss of livestock, while others cheered the return of the majestic predator.

As an environment and outdoors reporter at the Spokesman-Review, Eli Francovich wrote numerous stories about the wolves’ return. “It was super complicated, both ecologically and scientifically,” he says, “but also politically… I always felt I was missing something.” Then he met Daniel Curry, a range rider.

In Francovich’s new book, THE RETURN OF WOLVES, he accompanies Curry, who has quite a compelling biography of his own, into the wilderness. Curry works as a sort of modern-day shepherd, using his very presence and wolves’ innate aversion to being near humans in an effort to safeguard the lives of both wolves and cattle.

Their horseback journey in the backcountry provides a perfect backdrop for Francovich to explore not only the fascinating evolution and biology of wolves, but also their millenia-long relationship with humans. “They are beautiful creatures but they’re fierce,” he says. “They’re wild. They have their own will and desires and they’re going to do what they want to do.”

Through compelling descriptions of adventures in the wild — tracking wolves in the snow, a tension-filled encounter with a wolfpack, a CSI-worthy post-mortem on a deer carcass — Francovich deftly explores the return of wolves from multiple perspectives.

Paradoxically, as humans have retreated to cities, predators like wolves and cougars are venturing back into less-populated rural areas. While city-dwellers,

Eli Francovich at work editing a final proof of The Return of Wolves while he was in Alaska in 2022; he saw a wolf just one day before this photo was taken. JIM WOOD PHOTO safe in their fenced yards, may be charmed by the resurgence of a “natural world” that remains reassuringly far away, those now on the front-lines, including ranchers and hunters, are experiencing a much different reality.

And so, the wolves’ story also takes shape as a metaphor for the larger cultural divide facing us. As Francovich writes, “How can we learn to live with wolves and by extension, learn to live with one another?”

— ANNE McGREGOR

Eli Francovich will discuss his research into wolves, answer questions and sign books at Wishing Tree Books Sat, May 13 at 4 pm. wishingtreebookstore.com/events

It’s A Run-derful Life

Sure, technically the first day of spring was March 20, but for Spokanites and runners from around the globe, it’s not spring until the first Sunday in May.

This year’s BLOOMSDAY run marks the 47th year of the event, and the Lilac Bloomsday Organization is offering new additions to its programming schedule as well as reviving some ‘fan’ favorite events from the past.

Back for the 2023 iteration of the race is Bloomsdog. While there are absolutely no dogs allowed on the official Bloomsday course, Bloomsdog participants can take part

in a separate run just for their adorable furry companions either after their own completion of the race or virtually from anywhere in the world by registering via the Bloomsday website or purchasing a Bloomsdog kit in the Bloomsday online store.

In addition to the in-person race on May 7, Bloomsday is still offering its virtual run option, which was added in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants need to complete their run between April 27 and May 7.

“The virtual run option is a great addition to Bloomsday,” says Don Kardong, founder of the Bloomsday race. “We see a huge percentage of runners using that option in the years since we added it. It helps get more people participating in Bloomsday from all around the world.”

No matter where you’re running from, have a safe and happy 2023 Bloomsday!

— MADISON PEARSON

Register at bloomsdayrun.org

The 47th-running of Bloomsday approaches and offers favorite events once more

Twowheeled Health

Why bike commuting is easier than ever

BY NICHOLAS DESHAIS

It wasn’t just the first time I saw an expectant mother on a bike that startled me. It was every time, and there were many in Copenhagen. The Danish city has done much to lure people out of cars and families back to its core, and here were the fruits of their labor, so to speak. Pregnant women, sometimes very pregnant, astride two wheels. My American eyes were confounded.

In the Inland Northwest, many people hear “bike” and think of a middle-aged man in lycra or a child at play or some other dismissive conception of who is allowed to ride a bike on our crowded, dangerous streets.

Not in Denmark, or any other country where lots of people get around by their own steam, pedaling from place to place. Visit Amsterdam, Paris or any number of European cities — not to mention their American counterparts where cycling has once again become a viable mode of transportation, places like Portland, Minneapolis and Boulder, Colorado. You’ll see those soon-to-be-new mothers riding, along with kids, older people and everyone in between, heading to work, home, the store, the library, the park.

And, surely, you’ll wonder: Can I do that?

The requirements for getting into bike commuting, or riding for pleasure, are ridiculously low. You must have a bike and the willingness to give it a go.

Once you go, however, good luck stopping. As many people who ride bikes — including the one writing this story — will attest, it’s difficult not to be happy when riding a bike. Melancholy just isn’t compatible with a bike. Beyond decreased levels of anxiety, depression and stress, the health benefits of cycling are almost too numerous to list: Increased cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength and flexibility. Improved joint mobility, posture and coordination. It burns calories. It’s a full body workout on par with swimming or rowing.

If your personal health isn’t of consequence, consider this: The American transportation system is the biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses nationwide, and personal vehicles account for the majority of those emissions. What’s more, most trips Americans make in their cars are shorter than five miles — a distance that is, in fact, perfect for a bicycle.

But, the critics say, Spokane is not a perfect city for bicycles. Look at the hills. And the snow. Ah, but Spokane was once a

What you need (other than a bike) to ride in safety and style

bike town, and it can be again.

In fact, the first pavement in the Inland Northwest was paid for and constructed by cyclists. It was the 1890s, and the bicycle had a strong grip on the American imagination. Cars were a decade away from being commonplace. Horses were temperamental, and there was all that manure. Streetcars were noisy. The bicycle, however, offered freedom and excitement.

Yet the streets were muddy and treacherous. So members of the Spokane Amateur Athletic Club raised money to build a 6-mile “cinder path” running near where Summit Parkway runs through Kendall Yards. Then they built it, the city’s first pavement. Soon local adherents of the Good Roads Movement — which, again, was started by cyclists — spread the word, and Spokane and its (sometimes potholed and cracked) pavement were forever intertwined.

If the history of Spokane pavement doesn’t move you, perhaps today’s futuristic technology will.

The last decade has seen the rapid development of electric-assist bicycles. The safest kind, which still offer a slew of health benefits, are pedal-assist bikes that keep ...continued on page 13

Helmet

Safety first, and that comes with a helmet. In Europe, it’s common to see people on bikes without a helmet, or wearing a collar airbag for cyclists from Hövding. But here in the U.S., most people wear a helmet. Go cute with one from bikepretty.com, or go retro with one from explorethousand.com, but be sure to go with one that fits.

Carry your precious belongings with a bike bag like these panniers from Ortlieb.

Pannier

Bike bags are essential for anyone who wants to ride with a purpose. Keep a nice pair of shoes, a change of clothes, your picnic lunch, groceries, some books — whatever! — in a bag that has style or at least is waterproof. Ortlieb has been the go-to for decades, and remains that way, but contenders to the throne exist: among them Arkel and Northwest-based pannier designers Swift Industries and Revelate Designs.

Bell

The Inland Northwest is fortunate to have many paved trails to ride on. But those trails are enjoyed by other people, too. Be a good neighbor and give them a hearty heads-up with a ring of the bell well before you pass. A couple of dings from a distance gives them a moment to ponder that beautiful sound before realizing it was a warning and step aside. They’re available at most local bike shops.

— NICHOLAS DESHAIS

“TWO-WHEELED HEALTH,” CONTINUED...

Biking in Copenhagen.

Protect your noggin with a cool helmet. EXPLORE THOUSAND PHOTO

ORTLIEB PHOTO

“TWO-WHEELED HEALTH,” CONTINUED...

their speed below 20 mph. They’re still bikes, so you have to pedal to keep moving, and the relatively low speed lets you lawfully ride on the region’s numerous paths: Centennial, Fish Lake and Ben Burr trails, to name just a few.

What’s best, however, is the assist. The motor gives a little extra pep to each push of the pedal. It powers you up hills as if the incline was nil. It thrusts you miles away from town, as if a stiff wind were at your back. It makes someone who hasn’t ridden a bike in years suddenly very powerful.

These bikes are becoming more and more popular, and as their ubiquity increases, their prices keep dropping.

“People used to come in and say, ‘What the heck are those?’” says Mac Blackpine, who works at North Division Bicycle.

“Now they say, ‘Show me the e-bikes. I want an e-bike.’ It’s about 40 percent of our sales. The secret’s out.”

Not only that, but the stigma is gone. When e-bikes first hit the cycling scene, the well-calfed turned up their noses. Those things were for lazy people or seniors. Now, you can see just about anyone on an e-bike.

“Whatever sort of cycling discipline you’re into, there’s an e-bike for you,” Blackpine says.

North Division carries many makes and models of e-bikes, including Trek, Niner, Gazelle and Serfas. But there are still more: Rad Power, Aventon, VanMoof, Specialized, Ride1Up. Prices vary, but a good e-bike can range from $1,000 to an eye-popping $10,000.

While just a fraction of owning a car, which on average costs $10,000 a year according to

AAA, the price of an e-bike does make some people wary of buying one.

Before you hit your local bike shop, you might consider calling your representatives in government or electric utility. Numerous states, cities and electric utilities across the nation offer incentives or tax rebates for people buying e-bikes. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts and Oklahoma all offer statewide cash rebates of between $200 and $1,700 to people who buy e-bikes. Cities in these states, as well as in Michigan, Vermont and Oregon, offer additional rebates.

Last year, Spokane installed bike lanes on Riverside Avenue; some are painted green, while others are protected by a line of parked cars.

ERICK DOXEY PHOTO

“EACH PATIENT AND FAMILY WE SERVE IS UNIQUE, and I feel it’s our job to customize the care that we provide because this is their journey. We want to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to help them navigate this time with as much comfort, as much dignity, and as much peace as they can possibly have.”

– Gina DrummonD, rn, mSn, CEo

The e-bike rebate program is working especially well in Denver. In 2022, more than 4,700 residents bought e-bikes and received rebates up to $1,700 per bike. Two-thirds of these people reported driving less, and a third said they hadn’t driven at all since getting an e-bike. The city estimates that its program has led to e-bikes replacing 100,000 vehicle miles each week.

While the U.S. government offers a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for electric cars, nothing similar exists for e-bikes. An e-bike tax credit was part of the Build Back Better Act, which died in the U.S. Senate. Its successor, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which was passed into law, had no similar benefit. In March, representatives from Oregon and California introduced the Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment (E-BIKE) Act, which would cover 30 percent of the cost, up to a $1,500, of an e-bike.

Neither Idaho or Washington state offer rebates, though in 2021 the Washington House passed a bill that would’ve exempted sales tax from e-bike purchases. It wasn’t taken up in the state Senate, and wasn’t reintroduced during the current legislative session.

What’s more, while utilities in Iowa, New York and California all offer rebates on e-bikes, no local utilities offer rebates. But Avista’s manager of electric transportation, Rendall Farley, says he’s “monitoring micro mobility” but that Avista’s “programs are focused on how might electric transportation affect the grid.”

In other words, as cars and trucks switch from gas to electric, Avista is making sure its grid can handle the load.

While Farley said Avista works closely with the Spokane Regional Transportation Commission and will provide support to help charge e-bikes and scooters, offering rebates or incentives to people buying e-bikes is not on the horizon.

“We’ll have to monitor it and see what’s realistic,” he said. “In the near term, we won’t have bike incentives, but it might make sense in the future.”

Don’t let the lack of a rebate dissuade you. Many e-bike manufacturers offer one-time discounts for firsttime buyers. Whether you’re looking for a comfortable bike to ride to work or a cargo bike to tote the groceries and kiddos, there’s a model for you.

Blackpine, at North Division, describes the adoption of e-bikes like a snowball. The critical mass theory of uptake. The more who ride, the more people will see them and, perhaps, ride with them. But, he says, more has to be done to make bike commuting viable in Spokane.

“I think that, at least in this part of the world, they don’t think they have a safe place to do it. We don’t have safe infrastructure here,” he says. “We have ridiculous bike lanes here. A strip of paint that doesn’t protect you. More people would ride if they didn’t think it was so dangerous. It’s like public transit: It’d be more efficient if there weren’t all those

in the way.”

It’d be more efficient if there weren’t all those cars in the way.

Flour Power

Getting ready to bake? Consider using a variety of flours to add taste and nutrition

BY STACEY AGGARWAL

When ground into a fine powder, many crops can be made into what we refer to simply as “flour.” Flour is made by milling grains, nuts, seeds or legumes. Although wheat flour may be the most common flour in our country, it may not always be the best choice. Whether you want to experiment to diversify your diet or are avoiding wheat due to gluten content, take comfort in the fact that you will be able to find a nutritious flour to suit your needs.

Gluten-containing Flours

The commonly found gluten-containing flours are WHEAT, BARLEY and RYE. All three are common staples in America, used in a variety of breads and baked goods. But first, what actually is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in these grains that helps to maintain shape and elasticity. People with Celiac disease, an inherited autoimmune disorder, are unable to break down this protein, causing severe digestive issues and discomfort. An estimated 1 percent of the U.S. population have Celiac disease. While the rest of us are able to digest this protein, some choose to avoid gluten-containing grains for other reasons, including sensitivities and allergies.

If you are able to enjoy these grains, you’re in luck: They’re packed with nutrition! Wheat, barley and rye all belong to the grasses family. Whole wheat beats the others in iron and protein content. All are very high in B vitamins; wheat and rye especially are packed with thiamin (B1) and niacin (B3). As a whole grain, all three are high in fiber,

though barley has the highest. These grains are all high in minerals too, particularly manganese and copper.

Gluten-free Flours

There are many types of gluten-free flours, often used for different purposes. There are GLUTEN-FREE FLOUR MIXES that are designed to replace all-purpose flour in your favorite recipes. However, be aware that these are often more processed, containing starches and gums in addition to gluten-free grains. If reducing processed components is important to you, try experimenting with creating your own gluten-free all-purpose flour! Although gluten-free flours are often used to substitute for glutinous grains like wheat, remember to follow a recipe specific to that flour when first using it, since each flour has unique quirks and characteristics when cooked.

Gluten-free ancient grains such as AMARANTH, QUINOA, MILLETS and TEFF have been used across the world for centuries, before crops were heavily modified to support large-scale farming. These grains all make great wheat alternatives and are highly nutritious, rich in minerals and fiber. Quinoa and Amaranth have been grown in South America and Mexico dating back thousands of years and are used in many traditional recipes from various countries. Teff is also an ancient grain, with usage dating back to 1,000-4,000 BCE in Ethiopia. Finally, there are many types of millets commonly used all over the world, though most is used in

Asia. Millet also dates back more than 4,000 years. Some other common gluten-free whole food flours include ALMOND, OAT and CHICKPEA. Each of these flours is as nutritious as their whole food sources, but they cook quite differently and are often used in different types of recipes than wheat.

Almond flour adds a lovely richness to breads or baked goods, though might not be the most cost-effective gluten-free flour to use on a daily basis. It also doesn’t hold together well on its own, often needing the help of egg or other protein-rich ingredients to hold the dough together.

Although commonly used as a rolled grain, oats can also be processed into oat flour – which is rich in nutrients and fiber. Oats tend to absorb a lot of liquid and hold a more jelly-like consistency if kept moist. This can be great for holding texture for gluten-free breads, cookies, muffins and pancakes, but can give an undesirable texture if too much moisture is used. Although oats are naturally gluten-free, if avoiding gluten for medical reasons be sure to check for a gluten-free certification, as oats are often processed on the same equipment as other gluten-containing grains.

As a ground legume, chickpea flour is rich in both protein and iron. Chickpea flour is often used in savory recipes, such as egg-free omelets or flatbreads (like a crispy French socca), but can also be used to make sweets like banana bread. However, chickpea flour tends to be more dense and difficult to create fluffy textures. Though, unlike some other gluten-free flours, chickpeas bind well together with their high protein content, helping to replace gluten when needed.

No matter what milled food you choose to use as flour in your next recipe, rest assured that the unrefined (whole) flour will serve as a highly nutritious base – glutenous or not. Experimenting with new flours is a great way to add some variety to your everyday diet!

Stacey Aggarwal received a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Washington. She writes about biology, health and nutrition while running a lavender farm in North Idaho.

Be a Hero

Prevent needless misery and death simply by getting dogs and cats vaccinated

BY JESSICA BELL

On kennel doors, sidewalks and throughout other pet-friendly spaces, deadly viruses may be lying in wait to infect the next cat or dog that comes their way.

Physical contact isn’t necessary for transmission of these viruses. The health and lifestyle of the animal often doesn’t matter. That’s why the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) classifies vaccines used to treat these viruses as the “core vaccines” for dogs and cats.

For dogs, these deadly viruses include adenovirus, distemper virus and parvovirus.

Even with veterinary care, the American Veterinary Medical Association estimates that canine parvovirus kills about 10 percent of dogs that

contract the virus. The virus affects the gastrointestinal tract and may be spread through contact with other dogs, contaminated feces, environment and people.

Canine distemper virus is just as deadly. The virus attacks the respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems of dogs, usually puppies, and is spread by sneezing and coughing dogs or via contaminated spaces like water bowls. The virus can be shed for months and passed on to puppies from their mother.

Canine adenovirus is a deadly infection of the liver largely spread by contaminated dogs through their urine and feces. The virus can lead to liver failure and death.

Calicivirus, herpesvirus and the feline form of canine parvovirus known

as panleukopenia make up three of the core vaccinations for cats.

Panleukopenia was once a leading cause of death for cats until an effective vaccine was developed. The virus can easily kill a cat, and even with proper veterinary care, it can be more difficult to save a cat from panleukopenia than a dog with parvovirus.

While calicivirus and herpesvirus are rarely fatal on their own, these infections may cause symptoms that lead to death. Feline herpesvirus causes severe respiratory disease and feline calicivirus is characterized by painful ulcerations in the mouth that deter a cat from eating and drinking.

Due to the prevalence of these viruses in cats and dogs, it is best for owners to fully vaccinate animals at eight, 12 and 16 weeks of age. For animals in undervaccinated regions or where feral animals may reside, an extra vaccine at 20 weeks is often recommended by AAHA, as well as boosters for each of these vaccines every one to three years.

The rabies virus, which rounds out AAHA’s core vaccinations for dogs and cats, can kill an infected human, dog or cat in as little as a week.

Rabies virus can infect all mammals, including humans. It is only treatable in people with early intervention and is fatal in all other mammals. Due to the severity of the rabies virus, most states, including Washington, require all dogs, cats and ferrets to be vaccinated.

Jessica Bell is an assistant professor at WSU College of Veterinary Medicine and a small animal veterinarian in community practice at WSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Paws and Positive Reinforcement

Patience, not punishment, is the key to teaching your dog to be comfortable with essential grooming

BY SARA SHAW

By now most of us have seen or heard about those videos showing dog owners covering their foreheads with peanut butter and trimming their dog’s nails. While the videos might look ridiculous, what these intrepid owners are doing is turning a challenging situation into something more enjoyable by using positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement is used in training to pair any situation with a reward in order to make it more pleasant. Numerous studies have shown that

reward-based training is by far the most effective, not to mention the kindest. As a recent publication by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists stated, “Punishment causes fear and has no place in dog training. Dogs learn confidence and skills with reward based training.” While this statement applies to all areas of training, it is particularly relevant to nail trims.

Nail trims are the perfect place for positive reinforcement because they need to be done

frequently and for your pet’s entire life. I give this advice to all my clients who have dogs of any age. Whoever said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks was totally lying! Dogs, like the rest of us, are always learning — sure it might be a little slower as we/they age, but it is still possible.

The most important thing to remember is patience. The time it takes for each step will depend on many things, but in reality this is an adventure that will take days, weeks, even months. It is im-

portant to always be working “below threshold,” which basically means not pushing your dog to the point that you’re making them nervous or uncomfortable.

First off get your dog used to having their legs and feet touched any time you are petting them, do it like it’s no big deal, do it in a way that they don’t even notice. When you’re next to your furry friend, petting their sweet face and cute belly, include their legs and feet. Once they’re completely relaxed and not noticing what you are doing, you’re ready to begin nail trim training.

Time to get out the treats! Pair giving treats with each of the steps below. Each step should be done gently and repeated until your dog doesn’t care or react in any way — only then should you move on to the next step. It may take days to master each step. This is a great place for a frozen peanut butter stuffed kong (use unsweetened — xylitol is toxic to pets!). For trimmers, I recommend using the scissor-type because they are easier to see where you are cutting — remember the “quick” is alive and painful if trimmed.

Step One.

While sitting in front of your dog gently run your hand all the way down the leg and over the foot.

Step Two.

Hold the paw itself for one to two seconds after running your hand down the leg. Slowly increase the time you are holding the paw.

Step Three.

Add in gentle rubbing and pressing the toes apart (like you will need to do when trimming the nails). Keep those treats flowing!

Step Four.

Introduce the nail trimmers. Start with the nail trimmers just in view, then gradually — over a series of sessions — bring them forward until they are next to you while you are holding the foot.

Step Five.

Hold the trimmers in one hand and the foot in the other hand. This is where the treat giving gets complicated, hence the peanut butter on the forehead trick. You can try wedging the treats between couch cushions or spreading peanut butter on a plate that doesn’t require you to hold it.

Step Six.

Gently touch the nails with the trimmers.

Step Seven.

Tap the nails with the trimmers.

Step Eight.

Now the moment of truth — trim the very tip of one nail. Then have a big party for yourself and your dog! You have accomplished the Sisyphean task of trimming a single nail. Remember it’s a marathon not a sprint. If it’s one nail a day for a while that’s fine! Eventually it will be two, then five, then maybe all of them in one sitting.

The keys to remember are to go slow, offer lots of treats and stay “below threshold.” It will be worth it. Even if you decide you don’t want to trim the nails yourself, I strongly recommend that you do this whole routine right up to the trimming part. Your dog, your groomer and your vet will thank you.

Sara Shaw is a small animal veterinarian who lives and works in the Spokane area.

SPOKANE ANGELS

BY SUMMER SANDSTROM

Navigating something as complex as the foster care system creates challenges for both children and families. That’s why Spokane Angels works to provide wrap-around services to help guide and support them during their time in foster care.

Spokane Angels offers two volunteer-led programs that focus on supporting foster kids and families and providing them with resources to help them thrive and succeed. One of those is the Love Box program, which is designed to connect the foster families and kids with a volunteer or group of volunteers who are there to support them.

“They bring a box to the family, which is the Love Box,” says board Vice President Kristina Lattin. “The true point of it is intentional gifting and relationship building. So inside that box might be

like some laundry detergent or some books for the kiddos in the family, something to really not only help the family but make a connection.”

Board President Krystal Theis adds that Love Boxes don’t have to include physical items — vol-

unteers can support guardians by giving something as simple as babysitting as well.

SPOKANE ANGELS

104 S. Freya St., Suite 203 spokaneangels.org

“When I was a Love Box leader, the foster family said, ‘You are the only person that comes into my house that does not have to come in, that is not checking in on me making sure that I’m checking the boxes,’” says Lattin. “‘You’re that person that is here to be my friend and to help me on this journey through foster care versus making sure I’m not doing anything wrong.’”

The Dare to Dream program provides mentorship for individuals in extended foster care to help guide them through their last years of foster

NATIONAL ANGELS PHOTOS

care and provide them with support and resources to transition into adulthood.

“They work on steps to help guide that youth through their teenage years where they might not have an adult in their life that knows how to support them or that is there for them,” says Lattin.

“A lot of times people don’t realize everything that goes into foster care itself and supporting the kiddos,” says Theis. “I think one thing that drew me to Spokane Angels is that it’s really relationship based and something that can change the trajectory of a kid’s life down the road.”

More information about Spokane Angels and their programs, as well as ways to donate and to support their growing community, can be found on their website spokaneangels.org.

One Heart Spokane

1827 E Pacific Ave.

To combat the challenges that low-income youths may face, One Heart Spokane offers programs that provide youth with daily necessities, such as warm meals and back-to-school supplies. One Heart opened their neighborhood outpost in East Central in 2018, which serves as a safe place for children to learn, develop their passions and engage with the community.

While One Heart aims to provide year-round services for low-income children, they also host fundraising events that create a fun experience for kids, like the Easter Egg Scramble where volunteers hide thousands of eggs filled with candy and other fun treats.

Easter Egg Scramble • Sat, April 16 from 10 am-1 pm • Free • Spokane Community College Soccer Field • 1810 N. Greene St. • oneheartspokane.com

The ISAAC Foundation

606 W. Sharp Ave.

Founded in 2007 after the tragic loss of Holly Goodman’s son Isaac, The ISAAC Foundation provides financial resources and a variety of educational and support services for families with autistic and neurodiverse children. Goodman says that the lack of support and resources available during her time with her son Isaac drove her to start the foundation and remove that roadblock for other families with autistic children.

The ISAAC Foundation also works frequently with first responders to educate them on how to best assist families and youth with special needs. They also offer ISAAC’s Clubhouse, which provides neurodiverse youths with an opportunity to build relationships and community.

To support the foundation and their work, consider attending their silent and live auction dinner event or making a donation on their website.

Taste of Hope Auction • Fri, April 21 from 6 pm-10 pm • $100+ • Shriners Event Center • 7217 W. Westbow Blvd. • theisaacfoundation.configio.com

Believe In Me

510 W. Riverside Ave. Suite 201

The Believe in Me foundation strives to create a more equitable community by providing resources to assist marginalized youth in navigating all aspects of life, such as providing them with a safe place to call home, enrichment programs and wraparound services that prioritize community and inclusion.

“The Believe In Me foundation is about making sure every kid develops the self-confidence they need to succeed,” says CEO Julie Wukelic.

The foundation also provides a variety of scholarship and financial assistance programs, which come from donations and fundraising events. Their upcoming fundraiser is Run for the Roses, a Kentucky Derby charity event with Derby-inspired food, drinks, fashion games and prizes to raise money for marginalized kids.

Run for the Roses Kentucky Derby Charity Event • Sat, May 6 at 1 pm • $80-$149 • Madison Home Market • 2976 E. North Foothills Dr. • believeinme.org

COURTESY OF CITY OF SPOKANE

BY E.J. IANNELLI

In Spokane proper, landscaping irrigation accounts for over 80 percent of all residential water use. Whether you’re viewing that statistic through the lens of resource conservation or cost savings, the very thirsty landscaping trends of yesteryear are hard to justify — particularly in the face of climate change.

But before you start swapping your grass for rocks or wood chips, it’s helpful to know the lay of the land. Is xeriscaping — pronounced a bit like “zero-scaping,” with xeri meaning “dry” — a quick, easy and total solution? Can you take the DIY route, or do you need to call in the professionals? Are there any other benefits to non-grass yards? Does eliminating grass mean sacrificing curb appeal? And do you really end up saving money and time in the long run?

Preliminary Considerations

In the run-up to removing your lawn, the best preparation is to identify your motivations for doing so. That can help determine your timeline, your plant selection, and whether you want to go all in or leave grass in select areas like the backyard.

“I think people do it for a few different reasons. Water conservation is usually probably the biggest,” says Kyle Merritt, a water efficiency specialist at the Spokane’s city Water Department. “A lot of people also don’t like that lawns provide zero habitat for wildlife, so they want to do something for pollinators and bird habitat.”

For Merritt, who also coordinates the city’s SpokaneScape program, maintenance was another factor. Before he was even in his current position, he opted for xeriscaping because the constant care — mowing, edging, weeding, watering —

was an uphill battle. Now that he’s no longer “pushing the lawnmower around the block, dragging the hose all over the place,” he saves the time he used to spend on nursing lifeless patches of grass.

It’s also smart to have a basic plan before shovel hits dirt. While there’s nothing preventing homeowners from transforming their yard over the course of a weekend or two, Merritt says it’s more common for them to follow a phased approach.

As one summer comes to a close, future xeriscapers will stop watering and let the grass die. During the winter, they’ll start researching the plants and landscaping designs that they might like to incorporate. The yardwork begins in spring and starts by smothering the grass with cardboard or thick paper, known as sheet mulching, or mechanical stripping.

The SpokaneScape program tries to facilitate both the planning and the execution through resources and incentives. They have detailed guides on drip irrigation installation, turf removal methods, suggested plants, design templates and more. Property owners can qualify for a credit of up to $500 for a xeriscape conversion that meets a few basic requirements. There’s also an additional $200 available for converting an existing irrigation system.

“We really try to help. We have great resources on the website, including different how-to videos that you can watch,” Merritt says. He even makes a personal onsite consultation once property owners have submitted a proposed plant list to SpokaneScape.

“I’ll spend an hour-plus with somebody to answer questions for any part of the process. This year, we’re also hiring a landscape designer who can come out and assist people with their project.”

As summers in the Inland Northwest become hotter and drier, environmental advocates, municipal water departments and property owners are openly questioning the practicality of the traditional grass lawn.

Xeriscaping is a way to save water and reduce maintenance — all without sacrificing curb appeal

The Pros and Cons

The prospect of a lower-cost, lower-maintenance yard that conserves the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, comes with personal guidance and nets homeowners up to $700 in incentives is certainly an appealing one.

However, Merritt acknowledges that it’s easy to romanticize the maintenance-free vision of lawn removal.

“If people think they’re going to tear out their lawn, put down some wood chips, put in some drought-tolerant plants, and they’re not going to have to do anything, they’re going to be sorely mistaken. They’ll have a weed field in no time,” he says.

After the hardscape has been laid, he estimates that it usually takes two years of regular and thorough weeding to keep things in check. Dandelions and noxious weeds are abundant in the region and will happily take root in a freshly mulched yard despite adverse conditions. The mulch also needs to be refreshed at least every one or two years.

Furthermore, while it’s possible to keep costs down by, say, sourcing secondhand materials, conversion has the potential to be spendy, even if you don’t choose to hire pro-

fessional landscapers. SpokaneScape participant John K. Wiley, who started xeriscaping his 6,000-square-foot corner lot in stages three years ago, ended up roughly $1,500 out of pocket once the compost, plants, piping and drippers were installed.

“It was quite a project,” he says. “It was a lot of work.”

Yet the payoff has been significant. And quantifiable.

“In August of 2021, my daily [water] consumption was about 600 units versus 800 the year before. So it went down right away with just half of the yard done. And then when I put in the rest of the system in 2022, it went down to 300. It dropped my water bill by a third, maybe even one-half,” he says.

Whereas mowing the front yard used to take him a good hour per week, he now devotes just one or two days to weeding and pruning that area each season.

“Once it gets established and you dial in your drip amounts, it’s low maintenance. I’m really sold on it. I’m pleased that I’m able to leave something for my kids instead of sucking up all the water in the aquifer, and yet our yard looks really good,” he says.

“I guess the big drawback is that it can cost you money, because plants are expensive these days.”

“THE GREAT

X-SCAPE,”

CONTINUED...

Over the course of several years, SpokaneScape participant John K. Wiley transformed his 6,000-square-foot corner lot by developing a landscaping plan, letting the grass die, reconfiguring irrigation and finally adding plants and mulch. Water usage for the new yard is less than half of what the original lawn required. JOHN K.WILEY PHOTOS

Sage Advice: Xeriscaping 101

Wesley Hill, who owns Floralia Nursery on North Monroe Street in Spokane, agrees that inflation and supply chain issues have been driving up nursery prices. At the same time, he notes something that Wiley also quickly discovered: Many native and drought-hardy plants, once established, can be cut and transplanted to fill in additional areas.

From Hill’s point of view, one of the biggest hurdles to xeriscaping isn’t necessarily budget, which can be accommodated in any number of ways, but the shift in mindset that xeriscaping entails.

“It’s a different way of approaching gardening than what people are used to. It takes a bit of a leap of faith to be able to cut back on the water,” he says. After a year or two of nurturing, most of the indigenous and climate-appropriate plants can survive with very little supplemental watering.

“THE GREAT X-SCAPE,” CONTINUED...

A smaller lawn surrounded by drought-tolerant plants can be an effective compromise to save water and reduce maintenance while still enjoying green grass.

CITY OF SPOKANE PHOTOS

“You get things like manzanitas, which are native to the West Coast, or Mediterranean shrubs like rosemary, lavender and sage. They don’t look like desert plants, but they are adapted to only get water in the winter, which is great for us. You can actually shorten the lifespan of these plants if they’re overwatered during the summer.”

And overwatering isn’t the only potential pitfall. Adding fertilizers and amendments to the soil can be an expensive lesson in excess.

“I encourage people to find plants that like the soil you have rather than changing the soil to suit certain plants. A lot of plants are going to be happier in nutrient-poor, sandy soil. The rosemaries and lavenders and manzanitas that I mentioned earlier are all good examples of that. Yuccas will thrive. So will cacti.”

When it comes to choosing plants, Hill urges customers to be mindful of microclimate, which is the tiny but important variations in light, temperature and moisture conditions around a property. He also stresses the importance of plant varieties that will attract and support pollinators — “bees and butterflies and hummingbirds” — and in turn strengthen the local ecosystem that relies on them. In his experience, it’s one of the top reasons why his customers are drawn to xeriscaping in the first place.

With the right mix of trees, shrubs and ground cover, pollinator-attracting xeriscapes can be a better fit for the natural environment while also giving a big boost to year-round aesthetics.

“We don’t have to have scrappy, high-desert plants in order for them to be drought tolerant,” says Hill. “You can xeriscape your yard and have a space that’s stylish, cool, interesting and beautiful.”

You can xeriscape your yard and have a space that’s stylish, cool, interesting and beautiful

A New MOOD

Rich colors and sumptuous textures are on designers’ minds

BY ELISSA BALL

Contrast

Not so long ago, the world of interior design was awash in bright white walls, beige drapes and pillows, and heaps of those sheepskin throws (you know the ones). The scene was militantly oatmeal, devoid of much color or big emotion.

Well, now a dark cloud of brooding hues and moody paint colors — with names like “Stormy Monday,” “Wine Dark” and “Shadow” — has rolled in, and interior designers are welcoming the sea change.

“Dark Glamour” is how Benjamin Moore describes this new palette defined by “dark colors, deep jewel tones, and dusky neutrals” mixed with metallics and near-gothic touches. Think candle-like lighting, velvet and dark wood. In downtown Spokane, Emma Rue’s café already embodies the look with rich emerald walls and velvet seats accented by brass.

Ready to give your own interior spaces a good mood swing? Before you paint everything black — or the lipstick-like scarlet hue crowned 2023’s Color of the Year by both Pantone (with Viva Magenta) and Benjamin Moore (Raspberry Blush) — slow your paint roller and heed advice from some local experts.

Interior designer Tammie Ladd has been beautifying Spokane interiors for over 20 years. Last fall, she collaborated with Walker Construction and Martin Springer of Revival Lighting on a remodel of Churchill’s Steakhouse, balancing the restaurant’s chocolatey brown ceiling accents and wood with light linens and soft gray booth backs, all lit with a dazzling chandelier and stately lamps.

She also added foliage, because when working with a moody palette, Ladd says it’s important to “always bring in a living element” like a plant. “Otherwise, it can feel heavy.”

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Abundant natural light combined with rich green walls, soft velvet seating and brass accents bring the mood to Emma Rue's. YOUNG KWAK PHOTO

WELCOME CONTRAST

The secret to working with deeper, richer tones, says Ladd, owner of Tammie Ladd Design in Spokane, is to maintain a contrast between the lighter and the darker values, because our “eyes are just drawn to contrast, like a really good black-and-white photo. That could happen in so many ways, like a dark floor and white walls.” In her own kitchen, she contrasts white cabinets with a black accent wall.

Ladd recently drenched a home study’s walls in midnight blue yet left the warm-tone wood ceiling untouched. Since blue and orange exist on opposite ends of the color wheel, together they “create that complementary energy,” she says.

For dark cabinets, Ladd recommends hardware that’s lighter and brighter. To usher color into a gloomy-on-purpose kitchen, she adds details like sapphire blue counters, a persimmon kitchen island, or a brilliant green backsplash.

Kasey Dobbins of Foxwood Design Co. is another local interior designer who isn’t afraid of the dark: “If you don’t want to paint your walls dark, you could paint your ceiling,” she says. Dobbins suggests brightening dark rooms with lighter-colored rugs or furniture. Though she cautions, “All black-and-white makes me feel like I’m in Cruella de Vil’s house. I tend to like rooms that fall in that mid-tone range.”

“A lot of people find that painting a fireplace black — or their bedroom black — is their daring option,” says Dobbins. “But there are thousands of colors, millions even.” Dobbins recommends people choose colors they’re already drawn to: “Something you look good in, something you find comforting, maybe that reminds you of a hotel you stayed in and loved,” she says. “Let your home be as interesting as you are.”

...continued on page 32

DESIGNER TIPS Getting in the Mood

MIXED METALS

Instead of opting for all-brass or matte black metal fixtures to maintain one uniform style, Tammie Ladd recommends mixing metals to ensure the longevity of a space. Allow for future flexibility!

A WIDE SWATCH

When choosing a paint color, test a sizable patch on your wall and observe how it looks throughout the day, especially at night. Paint on a north-facing wall will differ from a south-facing one. Dobbins warns, paint from “a Pinterest board with Arizona light is gonna look far different than light in Spokane.”

LEAVE IT TO THE PROS

Darkening cabinets and built-in fixtures is one way to achieve a shadowy look. However, Dobbins recommends turning to professionals for that task, as things can go wrong quickly and, “It’s really difficult to paint cabinetry so that it looks nice.”

PREVIOUSLY LOVED

For a low-commitment route, scoop up secondhand furniture and unique pieces to pull together a sultry room. Dobbins buys vintage lamps and outfits them with new shades. “Paint a vintage table oxblood [red],” she suggests. “It’s an easy way to figure out if you like deep colors.”

— ELISSA BALL

Deep wood tones are softened by velvet upholstery and plenty of layers of light at the newly remodeled Churchill's Steakhouse. ERICK DOXEY PHOTOS

“A NEW MOOD,” CONTINUED...

LAYERS OF LIGHT

There's a reason Tammie Ladd is quick to add a credit for the Churchill's Steakhouse remodel to her colleague Martin Springer of Revival Lighting. Paying attention to lighting is a key to success in a room clothed in darker hues.

Dobbins says weaving “layers of light” can take many forms, from can lighting up top, to ambient sconces against the walls, and occasional table lamps. And the good news is, it may not be necessary to engage a professional to accomplish this. “There's all sorts of plug-in sconces these days if you can't afford an electrician,” Dobbins says.

For naturally low-light rooms, such as basements, Dobbins recommends considering medium-tone rather than very bold or super-dark paint colors. But don't succumb to attempting to lighten things up by using white paint on the walls. For a basement room she designed for her husband, she chose dark leathers and plaid for a British pub feel. “If we were to paint that room white, it would feel like an office or a waiting room,” she notes.

Designer Kasey Dobbins uses textures, several light sources and medium toned paint to work with — not against — the darker setting of this basement bedroom. JORY MACK PHOTO

TEXTURE CREDIT

Contrast and layered lighting aren’t the only ways to uplift a moody space; thoughtful textures help too. Ladd is drawn to velvet, a “calming” material she says “provides an area of rest” for the eye , while Dobbins gravitates toward nubby bouclé fabric. She recently worked with a cloud-like coffee table (!) covered entirely in bouclé.

Woven shades, sisal rugs, waffle weave blankets and yes — even sheepskin throws,

used sparingly — can also enliven dark and stormy rooms. Ladd admits she’s “still a fan” of those throws if they’re “used in the right way in a project.”

Ladd also introduces grasscloth wall coverings to turn up the texture. In a current design assignment, Ladd is applying “really rich green grasscloth on a wall to take it to the next level.” Grasscloth of the 1970s, says Ladd, “was more of an earthy, brown color.” But she finds that today’s grasscloth has been reinvented and

improved, “woven with whites and blacks and greys, blues and greens” for more color options.

To break up solid color and add tactile intrigue, Dobbins incorporates textured wallpaper (even on the ceiling!) and foil-accented wallpaper patterns. “There’s so many cool peel-and-stick wallpapers these days,” she says.

For additional luminous touches — that play especially well with candlelight — DIY decorators could introduce natural stone objects, mirrored material, and metals.

Ladd thinks the current rush of color — and feeling — trickling into formerly all-white or light-gray interiors is happening now because “the masses” are correcting an extreme pendulum swing that got stuck in pale, monochrome territory. Big colors, Ladd believes, are “bringing warmth and energy back into these spaces.”

Whether you’re looking to shake up your own space with a color-saturated throw blanket and dramatic drapes or coat an entire room in a dusky shade of paint, there are abundant options for creating a room that’s refreshingly moody.

Onyx dimensional wall tile contrasts with a white sink in a powder room designed by Tammie Ladd. RICK KEATING PHOTO

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Bringing Nature Indoors

As buds begin to open and trees reveal bright green new leaves, why not bring some of that refreshing detail indoors? Here are two fun and easy little projects. A branch holding vases can be refreshed all year long. And the handcrafted mushrooms are a fun way to add a little mystery to your decor, popping up here and there in unexpected places.

Papier-mâché Mushrooms

It’s fun to get your hands dirty, even when it may still be too cold to get out in the garden. So tear up some paper and have fun making these little papier-mâché mushrooms. When they’re finished, tuck them in various, unexpected places — in the pots of plants or on a bookshelf. Whether you paint them in natural tones or in a more whimsical style, they’re a fun reminder of those long-hidden elements of nature that begin to emerge as the weather slowly warms.

SUPPLIES

• Magazine (finish reading this one first!)

• Masking tape

• 1/2 cup flour

• 1/2 cup warm water

• Newspaper

• Pie or baking pan

• Acrylic paint

• Paintbrush

INSTRUCTIONS

Rip out magazine pages and start forming mushroom caps and stems by folding, scrunching, and rolling the paper into the desired shape. Attach the mushroom pieces together by covering the entire mushroom with masking tape.

STORY BY DIANE HOLM PHOTOS BY LISA PRINS

Combine the flour and water together in a dish and warm in the microwave for 30 seconds. Mix until completely combined with no lumps present. Depending on your

microwave, it may need 30 more seconds. It should end up being the consistency of thin pancake batter.

Cut up strips of newspaper, dip them into the mixture one strip at a time and apply it to the mushroom, covering all of the masking tape. Dry for 24 hours. Hint: I used a poster board to save the table from getting dirty. A cut-up cardboard box would work as well.

After the mushrooms are completely dry, add a layer or two of white acrylic paint, allowing it to dry between the applications. Then when they are finally dry, add the paint color of your choice to the tops and/or stems of the mushrooms.

Place the mushrooms here and there in your home or add a wire circle onto the mushroom tops and string them onto a strand of twine for a garland effect.

DIY WITH DIANE

Adding elements of the natural world helps create a happy space

Branch Art

While moving into my home, a few years ago I spotted this little branch. It was left behind, propped up against the house waiting for a new life. And it turned out to be the perfect piece of inspiration to hold little vases filled with changeable living additions. Whether the vases are filled with propagating plants, snippets of berry stems, slips of evergreens or little flowers, this is a living nature art piece.

SUPPLIES

• Branch

• Twine

• Small vases with a lip around the top

• Nails

Wrap twine around the two ends of your found branch and attach them to your wall of choice. Wrap lengths of twine around the vase lips and secure them to the branch. Carefully add water and plants. Change out the plants whenever you’re ready for a new look.

Diane Holm is a prop/product stylist at White Picket Fence Company.

ROAD TRIP

Get Out the Map

Head south to explore the laid-back town of Prosser

BY ANNE McGREGOR

Ilove a spontaneous little day trip, but it’s also nice to have a landing place. Packing for a one-night getaway takes just a few minutes, and there’s no need to arrange for someone to water the plants. Throw your stuff in a backpack, and you’re off. But where to go?

Justabout two-and-a-half hours from Spokane, nestled in the undulating Horse Heaven Hills, is Prosser — home of more than 30 wineries and the self-titled “Birthplace of Washington Wines.”

With 20 more sunny days per year than Spokane, and just 5.8 inches of snow annually, it’s likely to be both sunnier and warmer when you arrive in Prosser than when you left Spokane. That alone could make it worth the drive, especially at the end of a long winter. Luckily there’s a lot more than weather to enjoy in this little town.

Obviously, there’s lots of wine, and we’ll get to that, but upon arrival, consider taking a stretch-your-legs stroll through Prosser’s historic downtown filled with Old West brick buildings.

At JADE’S BRITISH GIRL TREATS on Sixth Street, the scents of baked goods will tempt a slightly weary traveler wishing to be indulged, as will the beautiful chocolates on display along with a variety of teas in pretty tins to bring home as a souvenir.

Nearby, at HOME ON 6TH an enticing — and substantial — curated collection of stylish yet easy-to-wear clothing is worth exploring. There are also jewelry and other accessories, and you’ll want to venture down the hall — past the vintage Barbie dolls — to check out a large selection of antique furniture, housewares and vintage ephemera.

For lunch, grab ahold of one of the

Taste a variety of cabernets at the Milbrandt Vineyards tasting room. ANNE McGREGOR PHOTO

Chocolates from Jade’s British Girl Treats

Plan a trip in September to see the Great Prosser Balloon Rally.

PROSSER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PHOTOS

pair of six-shooter door handles and make your way into THE HORSE HEAVEN SALOON for a hearty and nostalgic meal. The 12-ounce serving of meatloaf would suit a hungry range hand; this platter is best accompanied by a pint of one of their own brews. Be sure to look all the way around the dining area at the arresting large-scale murals of local life swirling on the walls.

Also downtown is the historic PRINCESS THEATRE, on Meade Avenue, which opened in 1920, though it’s the wonderful art moderne marquee, dating from the theater’s 1948 refurbishment into a movie house that will grab your attention.

pass through on their way to Portland. On April 27, Luke Bella, a six-time National Fiddle Contest champion and member of Lyle Lovett’s Large Band stops in.

Larger community events include the annual SCOTTISH FEST AND HIGHLAND GAMES. Now in its 21st year, the event is held on the third Saturday in June. “It’s my favorite event,” says Estey. “It started out with local boys getting together and throwing cabers and stones.” Over the years, the event has grown. “They bring in four Celtic bands, there’s a dance competition,” Estey says, but the throwing of various items — stones, anvils, kegs — remains a popular, and highly competitive, event.

Held in July, the annual ARTWALK AND WINE GALA brings in artists who Estey says are encouraged to not only show their work, but also demonstrate their artistic process, from oil painting to glass fusing. And in September, perhaps Prosser’s most photogenic event, THE GREAT PROSSER BALLOON RALLY, fills the sky with colorful orbs. Estey says kayakers have recently discovered that the Yakima River running through town is a spectacular place to watch the balloons floating by.

quired. The hardest part may be choosing where to go.

On Lee Road, east of downtown, you’ll find TASTING ROOMS for Alexandria Nicole Cellars and Hogue Cellars as well as Narratif, Kestrel Vintners and Tirriddis Sparkling Wines. Nearby is 14 Hands Winery’s expansive tasting room, complete with dynamic galloping horses metalwork. North of 14 Hands, you can enjoy tasting while taking in the commanding view of the Yakima River at Desert Wind Winery.

At VINTNER’S VILLAGE, just off of Interstate 82, 10 tasting rooms are arrayed within walking distance in an artfully landscaped area. We stopped in for a flight at THURSTON WOLFE, where for $15 you can choose from all-reds or mixed flights. We ended up sharing a table with a couple of wine club members who had just arrived from the West side. They insisted we try the mustard — only available onsite — and quickly arranged a mustard-tasting with some pretzels. They were right. We had to buy a jar. That laid-back, friendly vibe was typical of the Prosser tasting rooms we visited.

At MILBRANDT VINEYARDS tasting room, bottle price points check in at $11 to $62, says Susie Wahlquist, a general manager for Milbrandt Family Wines. “We have something for everyone — our wines are a really great representation of what Washington state has to offer.” Tasting room manager Andrea Abercrombie says both the Milbrandt label and Ryan Patrick label wines featured at the tasting room are created by the same winemaker, Kendall Mix. “I think that he plays a little bit more with the Ryan Patrick. Milbrandt is a little bit more of the classic style,” she says.

We sampled six Milbrandt wines for $25 (waived with $35 wine purchase). A rosé and a chardonnay started things off, but it was the four big bold reds that were a lot of fun — including three very different cabernet sauvignons.

While movies are still shown on occasion, there’s also a regular mainstage drama schedule, as well as chill jazz and classical performances in the Green Room accompanied by food and drink.

In fact, there’s a surprisingly active slate of events for a town of just over 6,000, according to John-Paul Estey, executive director of the Prosser Chamber of Commerce. He notes that BREWMINATTI, a downtown cafe seating just over 100, frequently hosts live music, including bigger-name rock, folk and Americana performers who

Despite all that, there’s no doubt the thing that draws most visitors to Prosser is the wine. And in Prosser, wine tasting is a refreshingly unpretentious affair, with reservations not generally re-

“Wine is a beautiful thing,” says Wahlquist. “It brings us together as a community. It gives us culture… I see Washington really shining through as one of the very successful wine regions in the world. We’ve got the perfect climate for it.”

Our roadtrip lasted almost exactly 24 hours, but we’ll be going back — to taste more wine and, with any luck, meet more of the friendly folks who call Prosser home.

The historic Princess Theatre

Scottish Fest and Highland Games

Horse Heaven Saloon features murals inside and out.

ROAD TRIP

HURD MERCANTILE

BY SUMMER SANDSTROM

Down the road from silos and vast wheat fields lies a small boutique in Rockford, Washington.

As soon as you step foot into Hurd Mercantile, the seemingly small shop reveals an enormous collection of furniture, home goods, gifts, decor and more, all organized by theme and aesthetic. While Hurd Mercantile dates to the late 1890s, the current owner Jill Townsend bought the building from the Hurd family in September 2000.

HURD MERCANTILE

30 S. First St., Rockford facebook.com/hurdmercantileandcompany

“Mrs. Hurd was very particular about who she sold the store to,” Townsend says. “The store had been built by her family back in 1896, so she was very sentimental about who it went to going forward. So I presented my idea to have a gift shop in here with antiquing and gifts, and I invited her to come see my little shop which I was running at a barn in Valleyford. At the time, I was doing a lot of furniture and had just a couple little lines of new gifts that I carried, and she enjoyed what she saw and she let me buy the building. I was very blessed that she chose me.”

To honor the Hurd’s legacy at the property,

Hurd Mercantile contains over 8,000 square feet of inventory, but Townsend and her business partners organize the shop in a way where visitors can meander along aisles without feeling overwhelmed.

“My mom, growing up, was really into antiqu-

ing and she always had a beautiful home where she would mix a new couch with something old that she had maybe inherited or found at a sale. And so I just grew up mixing looks like that,” says Townsend.

“I just have always had a little dream to have my own shop,” she adds. “I never buy anything that I wouldn’t put in my own home.”

Townsend kept the Hurd name as an integral part of the business.

Jill Townsend. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

MORE TO CHECK OUT BULLY FOR YOU

220 N. Main St., Colfax, Washington

The eclectic and unique collection of furniture and clothing at Bully For You makes it a fun destination for shoppers looking for a bit of mystery.

“I definitely feel like the emphasis is on discovery,” says co-owner Austin Storm. “I hope that it’s an entertaining place to walk around and see things, even if you’re not shopping for something in particular.”

Whether it’s vintage products or new items from bougie brands like Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, J. Crew and more, owners Laura and Austin Storm provide shoppers with a memorable experience each time they walk through the door.

THE POST & OFFICE

2 S. Third St., Harrington, Washington

In the small rural town of Harrington, The Post & Office serves as the community’s one-stop shop for coffee and gift shopping needs. Not surprisingly, the Post & Office building, built in 1902, was once home to Harrington’s actual post office. In addition to a gift-able selection of small home decor items, including baskets, candles and lotions, owners Heather and Justin Slack offer plenty of space to enjoy a variety of coffee shop drinks, smoothies, baked goods, breakfast and lunch items in the high-ceilinged vintage location.

THE MERCANTILE

107 S. Third St., Harrington, Washington

Another round of restoration in Harrington’s downtown brought about The Mercantile. The Mercantile carries a variety of name-brand clothing along with apparel from owner Julia Jacobsen’s line, Ag Swag, designed to give people a way to show off their love of the rural lifestyle and spark conversations around the topic.

The Mercantile opened in early March, and Jacobsen is excited to provide the town with a local clothing and gift store. The shop also plans to offer a variety of fresh food and take-and-bake products, and once a week will serve mini doughnuts to sweeten up a shopping experience.

Annual Benefit Luncheon hope

Humaira Abid: Searching for Home

Support provided by Carl M Hansen Foundation

Humaira Abid: Searching for Home is curated by Jennifer Navva-Milliken and organized by the Museum for Art in Wood, Philadelphia, PA, in partnership with Bellevue Arts Museum, Bellevue, WA

Rockin’ in the Kitchen

Henry Nowak’s right at home in the kitchen at Cole’s Bakery & Cafe — and onstage behind his drum set

BY ELISSA BALL

Chef Henry Nowak (inset) bakes up gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, lemon bars and biscuits at Cole’s Bakery & Cafe. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

Drummers and chefs are always in high demand. Henry Nowak’s dynamic career is proof of that.

As the head chef at Cole’s Bakery & Cafe — a gluten-free restaurant near the North Division Y in Spokane with a smaller second location on East Riverside — Nowak fiddles with fussy gluten-free flours and creates elevated specials to offer alongside the comfort food (like biscuits and gravy, onion rings, and avocado toast) that dominates Cole’s menu.

But once Nowak slips out of his chef’s whites, he often slides behind a drum kit and lays down beats for two local bands: The Smoking Amish and Push. He even built a cabin on his 10-acre property at Loon Lake so he could drum up a storm without disturbing neighbors.

He’s also played with the Philadelphia-based glam metal band Britny Fox, a gig he landed when the band’s drummer at the time sustained a foot injury. Last September, Nowak — clad in a black tank top and bandana — found himself sweating under the bright lights of Minnesota’s Rocktember outdoor music festival, drumming

isn’t easy. Since specialty gluten-free and vegan ingredients tend to be pricey and can’t always be purchased from one vendor, Nowak has to stay creatively nimble. So when a fresh bread loaf turns out wonky, he chops and crushes it into breadcrumbs for salads.

CEO and owner Jeanine Smith has fine-tuned Cole’s proprietary flour blends with Nowak’s feedback. On Saturdays, Smith’s husband blends flour in a nearby warehouse safe from gluten contamination. Nowak explains that the flour is so sensitive it reacts differently depending on when it was milled.

Though this is Nowak’s first time in a gluten-free kitchen, the Philadelphia-born rocker has worked in the restaurant industry — from Arizona to Idaho — for decades. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, he left a “pretty high-pressure” role in health care. That weekend, Nowak’s wife, a nurse, showed him Cole’s chef-wanted ad on Craigslist. He applied. Turns out his time off lasted only a couple days.

Nowak’s been at Cole’s ever since, where he brines chicken overnight and consistently checks in with his staff. “This crew takes care of me,” he says. “Everyone communicates well.” He

Lemon Bars

Sunshine-yellow lemon bars are perfect anytime of year, really, but especially nice for Mother’s Day. This gluten-free version features Cole’s Blue Blend flour, and some hints to make your gluten-free baking a success, such as using a glass baking dish. Note that the crust needs to cool for 30 minutes before filling.

Crust:

• 1 cup Cole’s Blue Blend

• ⅓ cup sugar

• ¼ tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp lemon zest

• ¼ cup butter or dairy free butter

Filling:

• 3 large eggs at room temperature

• 1½ cups sugar

• 2 tablespoons lemon zest

• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

• ⅓ cup Cole’s Blue Blend

for Britny Snow and “feeling like someone special on stage.” Two days later though, “I was back in the kitchen again,” he says.

Loyal Cole’s patrons — some of whom swing in from out of town just for dishes like the lemon ricotta pancakes — might tell you Nowak is just as special in his back-of-house role as he is in hair-metal mode.

The food Nowak whips up at Cole’s is always gluten free. But the menu also caters to dietary niches like keto, vegan, and peanut allergy diets. And responses from diners with severe dietary limitations can be downright emotional: “I had a woman crying to me because she was able to eat fish and chips,” says Nowak. “She said, ‘I haven’t been able to have these in forever.’”

Operating within that niche role

must be doing something right, because in those three years, Nowak has kept the same crew, an uncommon feat for kitchens, especially considering “the pain that small businesses and restaurants are going through right now is hardcore,” he says.

Like many restaurants, Cole’s recently raised prices on some menu items. But customers still keep coming: They dine in, hit up the drive-through window, purchase baking mixes and herbed cheese balls from the grab-and-go section, and buy breakfast sandwiches at the East Riverside Avenue location.

And Henry Nowak is behind it all, moving with the rhythm of the kitchen, setting the tempo, satisfied that his skills are appreciated both on and off stage.

Make the Crust:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a GLASS 8x8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the flour, sugar and salt.

3. With the mixer running on low, add the butter one tablespoon at a time.

4. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes until a shortbread dough forms.

5. Press the dough into an even layer in the prepared pan.

6. Bake the crust for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned. Let the crust cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before adding the filling.

Make the Filling:

7. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour.

8. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and bake for 20-25 minutes, until it jiggles slightly when shaken. Chill before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Cole’s Bakery and Cafe. Find their gluten-free recipes for Chocolate Chip Cookies and Biscuits at inlander.com — just click the Health & Home tab.

She said, ‘I haven’t been able to have these in forever.’

Pioneers in Wine

Six generations worth of knowledge of the land can be uncorked at Helix Wines

BY WILL MAUPIN

Helix Wines’ presence in downtown Spokane dates back only to 2017, but the people behind the wine have been around the Inland Northwest for a whole lot longer.

The Tucker family’s connection to the Columbia Valley can be traced to the days of the Oregon Trail, which is

what brought John and Susan Tucker to the fertile farmland outside what is now Helix, Oregon — about midway between Pendleton and Walla Walla — in 1883. Generations later, their descendants are still taking advantage of the region’s ideal growing conditions. Instead of growing wheat though, the Tuckers are now in the business of making wine.

“The Tucker family came on the Oregon Trail and homesteaded, and now this generation is continuing on the agricultural route. They’ve been a diverse agricultural family, but mostly wheat in the past,” says Spokane Tasting Room Manager Steve Bledsoe.

Appropriate for a family descended

from early pioneers, the Tuckers jumped on the Washington wine bandwagon back when the industry was in its infancy. The fourth generation transitioned from wheat into wine in 1989. In 1997 the Reininger brand was founded in Walla Walla, and a few years later Helix was born out of Reininger.

“Chuck Reininger was the fifth bonded winery in Walla Walla in 1997, and Chuck is married to Tracy Tucker. Tracy and her two brothers and parents sold their fifth-generation wheat farm in Helix, Oregon, around 2000 and went into business with Chuck to create Helix,” says Bledsoe.

Helix and Reininger are now sister brands both originating from the company’s 4,800-square-foot production facility in Walla Walla, where they produce 9,000 cases of wine annually, with about two-thirds going to the Helix brand.

Unlike previous generations, the family is no longer in the business of growing. They source their grapes from 10 vineyards around the Columbia Valley. Reininger wines source exclusively from the Walla Walla Valley growing region, while Helix sources grapes from nearby areas like the Horse Heaven Hills, Royal Slope, Wahluke Slope and White Bluffs.

Of the 20 to 25 wines Helix and Reininger produce each year, only a handful are available in stores. This means the best way to get the full experience is at one of their two tasting rooms, one located at their production facility in Walla Walla and the other in Spokane across from the Historic Davenport Hotel.

While not related to the Tuckers, Bledsoe, a Spokane native, also got into Washington wine back in the early days.

“I started tasting wine here in Spokane,” says Bledsoe. “I started tasting wine

CARLETTE SKY TENA PHOTOS

Helix winemaker Chuck Reininger

with the owner of the fifth winery in Washington state, so it was very early on in the ’80s.”

The experience and knowledge that Bledsoe and the rest of the crew have of not just Helix and Reininger wines, but wine in general, is shared with those who come in to try the rotating selection available.

Helix and Reininger release their wines four times each year, in March, May, October and December. The upcoming May release features a 2020 Reininger Syrah and a 2021 Helix blend of grenache, cinsault and mourvédre.

One of the more popular offerings, released in March, is their carménère.

“It was considered to be extinct for about a hundred years until a French winemaker went to Chile in 1993 and a Chilean winemaker showed him his Merlot, but the leaves were red. So they took a sample, sent it to UC Davis, and the analysis showed sure enough that it was the carménère,” says Bledsoe. “Chuck [Reininger] was the very first winemaker to produce carménère in the state; he was one of the three people responsible to bring it in.”

Helix’s innovative approach doesn’t stop there, though. Which is good news for readers, as the carménère is likely to be sold out by the time this magazine hits newsstands.

“We also have a wine called CPR Red Blend,” says Bledsoe. “There are eight different grape varieties... So, it’s kind of like a living thing.”

OUTSIDER

BY SUMMER SANDSTROM

One of the newest additions to the bustling Papillon Building across from the Spokane Arena is Outsider, a contemporary American restaurant that seeks to provide diners with an experience they may not find frequently in the Spokane area.

“The kitchen has counter seating for people to sit up there and watch,” says executive chef and owner Ian Wingate. “I designed it to be like if you went to somebody’s house and you sat up at the counter. It’s nice because the guests can come up and watch what we’re doing, and we can interact with them and talk with them.”

Wingate, who grew up in Hawaii, drew inspiration for Outsider’s menu from Asian and Polynesian cuisine and his past culinary experiences, such as owning the restaurants Moxie, Agave and Blue Fish, as well as his time as the executive chef at the Davenport.

After taking a break from owning and managing restaurants, Wingate decided to return to the industry and open Outsider as a way to bring something unique to Spokane by drawing from all of his past endeavors.

“It’s just very eclectic,” he says. “I’m big about having simple, fresh ingredients and letting them be the star and not overcomplicated. It’s fresh, clean, fun food.”

Using the restaurant’s wood-burning oven, Wingate cooks up pizzas, sandwiches and handhelds, as well as seasonal fare such as peaches and burrata.

OUTSIDER

908 N. Howard St. outsiderpnw.com

As business grows and Outsider brings on more employees, Wingate plans to expand the menu and hours, which may include the addition of coffee and morning treats.

Creating a memorable atmosphere and dining experience was important to Wingate when designing Outsider, and he wanted to reconnect with diners from his past restaurants and draw in new guests as well.

“I think the atmosphere is super warm and inviting,” he says. “People usually come in and they stay longer than anticipated.”

Outsider chef and owner Ian Wingate. YOUNG KWAK PHOTOS

MORE TO CHECK OUT

SUMMIT KITCHEN

1235 S. Grand Blvd.

Diners are once again settling in for a meal at the old Lindaman’s building on Spokane’s Grand Boulevard with the arrival last summer of Summit Kitchen and Canteen.

While Summit offers staples from its sister restaurant, Lost Boys’ Bar and Grill, such as fried pickles and Karli’s cluckers, their main emphasis is on comfort food in the form of soups, sandwiches and classic dishes like lasagna and steak.

“Our whole thing is to have incredibly scrumptious food with absolute top-notch service,” says co-owner Jhon Goodwin.

Plus, their pastry chef’s scratch-made desserts and pastries, including their signature chocolate cake and stuffed raspberry cheesecake, are served all day long and are the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth.

INDIGENOUS EATS

829 E. Boone Ave., Suite E

The widely anticipated opening of Indigenous Eats brings Native American comfort food to Spokane’s culinary scene.

The menu features customizable Indian tacos, rice bowls, a taco salad, all with a choice of pinto, black or chili beans, and toppings sourced locally from Native American businesses. Their signature item is frybread, which can be enjoyed as a savory meal or with a sweet huckleberry sauce.

“Frybread obviously isn’t a traditional Native American food, but what it really stands for is resilience and gathering and celebration,” says owner Jenny Slagle.

Slagle hopes to expand the representation of Native American food and culture in the Spokane area, and may begin to add seasonal meals to the menu in the coming months.

BOIADA BRAZILIAN GRILL

245 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.

Dining at a steakhouse doesn’t often conjure the image of a skewer of meat that’s carved at the table, but Boiada brings the traditional Brazilian steakhouse, or churrascaria, dining experience to Spokane.

The upscale, all-you-can-eat restaurant offers a variety of cuts of beef, as well as chicken, lamb and pork, plus a full salad buffet with over 40 items. Plus, they have an ample wine list and, of course, a variety of Brazilian inspired cocktails to pair with your meal.

Boiada originally opened its doors in Kennewick in 2019, and following the positive community response, owners Hélio Vieira and Josiane Ballin decided to open a second location in Spokane in 2022.

Indigenous Eats. CHIANA MCINELLY PHOTO

Keeping The Beat Alive

Spokane-based drum maker Micah

Doering’s passion for quality helps set Cask Drum Craft apart

STORY BY MADISON PEARSON

PHOTOS BY ERICK DOXEY

Abig, red, barn-style building sits on an isolated corner of Trent Avenue. The moment you step over the threshold, the smell of fresh cedar hits your nose and you’re greeted by the steady buzz of machinery reverberating off the concrete floors.

No, this isn’t a lumberyard, it’s Cask Drum Craft.

Micah Doering, the founder of Cask Drum Craft, moved into this eclectic building four years ago after five years of working out of his Post Falls garage. He practically resides within these walls during the week, living and breathing the art of drum making.

After learning how to play drums in the sixth grade in Rathdrum, Idaho, and falling in love with the instrument, Doering took it to the next level by building drums himself.

CASK DRUM CRAFT

Custom Drums: caskdrumcraft.com

Drum Shells: steambentdrum.com

“In around the ninth grade, I started doing a lot of woodworking with my dad,” he says. “We experimented with a bunch of different kinds of wood and built our first drum — it was a stave drum, like wine-barrel-style.”

The father-son duo glued all 20 pieces of wood together, by hand, to create a new snare drum for Doering’s personal drum set.

While Cask Drum Craft drums are still very much a labor of love — with each drum being tailored to each customer’s needs — the production process looks much different these days.

Currently, Doering’s customer base consists primarily of original equipment manufacturers (OEM), meaning he makes drum shells for big-shot drum companies. Doering has produced fully custom drum sets for local musicians and drum enthusiasts, but that’s rare. Most of his custom drum sets are shipped to drummers touring with notable musicians, like Tracy Broussard who plays drums for Blake Shelton, or drummers from other countries who have upwards of $5,000 to spare for a fully custom drum set.

It begins with sourcing the wood for each drum — and Doering doesn’t play around when it comes to quality.

“A lot of our wood comes from back East because of the nature of the maple here,” he says. “It’s way too soft, and it impacts the tone of the final drum significantly. When you hit your snare drum you want a nice high-pitched sound, and that’s what a harder wood will give you.”

What really sets Cask drums apart from your run-of-the-mill drum is the steam-bending process, a technique that’s fading as our world becomes fast-paced and based around consumer goods.

Steam-bending wood takes significantly more time than gluing together pieces of plywood, but it improves the overall performance and sound of the drum. Instead of gluing multiple pieces of wood together, Doering is bending one continuous piece of solid wood into a circle and then gluing the ends together. This reduces the amount of glue used in the process and increases the overall resonance of the drum.

“We use about 5 percent of the total glue that plywood drums contain,” he says. “Sure, it might take two-and-a-half months for me to make one drum shell. I could make 10 plywood drums in one day if that was my thing, but we take the extra time and use solid wood. That ensures that our customers receive a drum with the best sound quality possible.”

It doesn’t matter if Doering is creating a single drum shell for an OEM customer or an entire drum set for a rockstar, the quality of Cask Drum Craft drums never wavers and neither does Doering’s passion for the craft.

“I quit my full-time job to start Cask,” he says. “So far, it’s been fun and extremely rewarding.”

A custom, 14-inch steam bent snare drum

All of Cask Drum Craft’s drums are handmade from solid wood.

A ring of clamps holds the shape of the drum.