November 2015 riverjournal web

Because there’s more to life than bad news

A Newsmagazine Worth Wading Through

Diminishing Signal

Why is our cell service so bad?

October Gardens

Still harvesting? What this year should teach us about next year.

Clark Fork’s Goin’ to the Races

November 2015 • FREE

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• Nov. 10 – Avalanche Workshop – 2015/2016 forecast.

• Nov. 12 - Babysitter’s Training Course.

(Registration deadline Nov. 6) • Nov. 12 - Bike Maintenance Course (Registration deadline Nov. 6) • Nov. 15 – Open Gym Basketball starts. At SHS Gym 3-4:30 (3rd-12th Grade free) 4:30-6pm (adults $2/person) • Nov. 20 - Registration deadline for Intermediate Origami Course • Nov. 24 – Avalanche Workshop – Beacon Practice and Gear Review.

• Nov. 26 – 9th Annual Turkey Trot

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November 2015

A News Magazine Worth Wading Through ~just going with the flow~ P.O. Box 151•Clark Fork, ID 83811 www.Facebook.com/RiverJournal (Webpage under redesign) 208.255.6957 • 208.266.1112 RiverJournalIdaho@gmail.com

STAFF Calm Center of Tranquility Trish Gannon • trishgannon@gmail.com

Ministry of Truth & Propaganda Jody Forest • dgree666@gmail.com

Sales & Other Stuff

David Broughton• 208.290.6577 • davidcbroughton@gmail.com

“We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle Proudly printed at Griffin Publishing in Spokane, Wash.

509.534.3625 Contents of the River Journal are copyright 2015. Reproduction of any material, including original artwork and advertising, is prohibited. The River Journal is published the first week of each month and is distributed in over 16 communities in Sanders County, Montana, and Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties in Idaho.

The River Journal is printed on 40 percent recycled paper with soy-based ink. We appreciate your efforts to recycle.

THE RIVER JOURNAL

• November 2015 •

13. THE SPECTRA HOAX. The world is always ready to punish a lack of humility. Even in the world of poetry. SURREALIST RESEARCH BUREAU

On the Cover: On October 20, Betsy

Canfield was still harvesting cherry tomatoes. Photo by Betsy Canfield.

6. CLARK FORK’S GOING TO THE RACES. As a way to raise money to improve fields and provide youth sports, Clark Fork is holding monthly lawnmower races.

7. FIRING UP THE COLLECTIVE. Sandy’s wilderness burns, highlighting the problems with climate change. THE SCENIC ROUTE 8. DIMINISHING SIGNAL. If you thought your cell service was getting worse - you might be right.

by Trish Gannon 9. SHERIFF SEEKS VOLUNTEERS. Looking to set up Neighborhood Watch programs.

10. A GHOST IN THE TRUNK. Lawrence is back with an unexpected visitor in Hope. VALLEY OF SHADOWS 11. THAT GIFT GIVING DILEMMA What do you wrap to put under the tree when everyone already has too much stuff? POLITICALLY INCORRECT 12. MARBLE HALLS OF POWER. Things may have changed in Washington, but it’s still possible to be heard.

ALL SHOOK UP

14. REPRESENTATIVE SCOTT FAILS TO REPRESENT IDAHO. David Keyes points to Scott’s failures in office and a way she can move forward.

AS I SEE IT 15 VSOs PLAY IMPORTANT ROLE. but membership is dropping.

VETERANS’ NEWS 16. ADJUSTING YOUR GARDEN PLANS It was a long, hot summer, but there wasn’t a lot of water. GET GROWING! 17. SEASONS CHANGE, AND SO DO THE BIRDS! As we transition to winter, new birds will fill your view. A BIRD IN HAND 18. FORWARD INTO UNCERTAINTY. Children grow, create families of their own, and must follow their own walk of faith. KATHY’S FAITH WALK 19. THROUGH A CHILD’S EYES. Ernie discovers that being a grandparent is sometimes about creating pure magic. THE HAWK’S NEST 20. HOWLIN’ POLARITY Scott tries really hard not to make anyone mad writing about wolves. ACRES N’ PAINS

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November 2015

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Lawn Mower Races: It’s a Thing and it’s Happening in Clark Fork

The roar of the engines, the shouts of the crowd, the thrill of vehicles speeding around the track... it’s all yours in Clark Fork this November 21, at the “Thrilla in the Chilla!” with time trials beginning bright and early at 10 am. It takes place at the Bar V Ranch or, as anyone familiar with the area might think of it, as what used to be the “spooky old pink house,” now remodeled and gorgeous and located at the end of Pine St., just past the ball field. The “track” is being donated for use by Sissy Snider.

Oh, I forgot to mention... the racing vehicles are lawnmowers. Yes, really, riding lawnmowers. And if, like me, you didn’t know there was such a thing as lawnmower racing, let me add that these races will be conducted following the rules and regulations of the United States Lawn Mower Racing Association.

This is a quasi-big thing throughout the U.S., even up in our little corner of the woods, with racing teams located in Libby, Bonners Ferry, Newport, Oldtown, Post Falls and now... Clark Fork.

It all started a few years ago, with lawnmower races at Clark Fork’s ever-

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interesting 4th of July celebrations, and interest grew from there. But it might also be said to have started a few years before that, when Clark Fork celebrated its Centennial with (among a lot of other things) a softball game at the ball field.

Baseball used to be a big thing in Clark Fork. In fact, it was a big thing in all our area communities in the early 1900s, with local teams, fierce rivalries, and a clear path that led from home town lots to major league ball. But by mid century, people began losing interest, overtaken by television and by the exhaustion of two-working-parent families. That first game a few years back (even though it was softball, not baseball) began to rekindle an interest in Clark Fork in the sport, and those who had grown up playing on local teams became determined to bring it back.

But the ball field —now called Memorial Field — wasn’t in the best of shape. And turning what was basically an empty field into a true baseball field takes money.

Thus began the fundraisers, which have now culminated in this most rural of sports — the lawnmower racing.

Sponsored by Clark Fork’s American Legion, and by the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, the funds raised will be split among those groups.

American Legion undertakes many projects to support low income families and is looking at funding a high school scholarship. Parks and Rec is looking to improve the ball field, and long term to rejuvenate a long-dead youth sports program in town, to include both soccer and baseball.

Before you load up your mower and head to Clark Fork, however, you should realize the sport is a little more regulated than it might first appear.

For example, all racing mowers must

have their mowing decks removed.

“Actually, these machines can go up to 60 mph if geared right,” said Will Seay of Parks and Rec. “It’s a serious sport, and bigger than most people realize.”

Riders must wear helmets, gloves, eye protection, long pants and toed shoes. No alcohol is allowed for either drivers or their pit crew, and racers between the age of 14 and 18 must have their parents’ permission to race.

Machines, says Will, “must remain stock, but the subframe, suspension, engine, carburetor and gearing can be modified.” There are two racing divisions - single cylinder and twin.

It all takes place on a graded, oval track. Heats are ten laps and the main race is 20-25 laps. The race is approximately 15 minutes per heat.

Racers must qualify first in the time trials.

For the watchers, there’s a bonfire and food available—Holiday Shores is donating the food, with proceeds to go to the cause. “We’re going to do this mud, snow or shine,” said Will, who added the group is looking at providing warming tents as well.

And if the interest is there, the races are planned to continue every month of the year... and maybe even more often.

“This is a great opportunity for someone to get into a motorsport,” Will enthused. “It’s not as expensive as stock cars, and is a true family event. People can come out, enjoy the afternoon, visit with friends... and enjoy the thrill of the races.”

If you’re interested in being a racer, or sponsoring a racer, give Will a call at 208-266-0622 or catch up to Bruce Zedicher at 208-304-4077.

If you just want to check it out, be at the track at 10 am November 21 and become a part of the inagural audience for the Thrilla in the Chilla! See you there.

Additional major sponsors include Hog Flatz, and Hays Chevron.

-Trish Gannon November 2015

• The Scenic Route Sandy Compton • Firing Up the Collective

Ed. Note: This was to have been Sandy’s September column.

Summers are only so long in this country, and this one has been terminated by fire. It’s August 20, a date both personally poignant and nationally historic. Ninety-nine years ago today, my grandfather took his first walk up Blue Creek, and 105 years ago the 1910 Fire began its rampage.

Today, instead of taking my annual memorial trip up Blue Creek, I cut brush around our buildings as fire waits in the wings. It’s burning in the West Fork of Blue, Bull River, upper Ross Creek. “My” wilderness is on fire.

In the long run, within the concepts of geologic time, this is okay. The flame-scarred landscape of the West Fork of Blue Creek will someday again look much like it did on July 31. But not in my lifetime. Friends and family and the Forest Service fire boss try to console me with thoughts of renewal and fresh starts and planetary time frames. I am inconsolable. I don’t care, right now, about geologic time, but my own. I’m 64. When I am 164, maybe the West Fork basin will be recovered.

Call me short-sighted; I am in mourning. Trees I’ve known for decades are exploding into flames.

Trails I have sniffed out and places I have claimed as mine are being overrun and are disappearing for the foreseeable future. Deer and elk, bears and fish, goats and all sorts of other fauna are being displaced or killed. An entire landscape is being rearranged at the whim of fire.

It might be part of Ma Nature’s renewal plan, but I say tonight, “Ma, you’re a bitch!” At least I am past the “denial” stage of grief. I’ve clearly entered the “anger” stage.

I could blame global warming, but it’s not just that, though it’s certainly culpable. Let’s acknowledge 105 years of fire suppression; good intentions

with an unforeseen and undesirable result. Somewhat like Aldo Leopold’s predator extirpation program in New Mexico almost 100 years ago. Or blocking our salmon runs in exchange for electricity. Or inventing the atomic bomb and the means to deliver it worldwide. We humans need to learn to think ahead. Me included. I’m the one who cut brush today.

To complicate matters, I’m one of those tree-hugging, yogurt swilling, enviro-mental wilderness advocates. I understand that, in our zeal to keep some natural part of the world natural, we have to be able to say, even when it’s one of our favorite places in the world, “Let it burn.” We are asked — encouraged — to look at that longer time frame, even though we might look at it through tears.

Last evening as I drove home, plumes of smoke rose from behind Scotchman Peak, from upper Ross Creek, from Napoleon, Star and Hamilton gulches, from MY wilderness.

In counterpoint to this, KRFY broadcast a speech by Naomi Klein about global climate justice. She noted that the only way to avoid and reverse global warming is to leave carbon in the ground and find other ways to power our lives. Amen, sister!

Later, as I took Golden Canine on a run, a 125-car coal train rolled by across the river. That train represents what the Koch brothers and their industrialist peers are saying about coal and oil to “the collective,” the Kochs’ term for us poor folk: “Let it burn!”

In reality, that would be very convenient. Our lives are made very comfortable by the exploitation of carbon resources. But things will get very uncomfortable for all of us, Koch family included, if we continue on our current course. And, one of Naomi

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Klein’s points was that the only way to change course is for the “collective” to collect.

The Kochs’ reference to “the collective” is a thinlyveiled hint at communism, which, as practiced so far, certainly doesn’t work. But the empire-building of the Kochs and their ilk doesn’t work, either, except for the few. And we are many.

There are millions of people involved in thousands of causes dedicated to improving life on the planet through one means or another, organizations bent on making the human condition and life on the planet better through equanimity, cooperation and collaboration. In other words, considering what is just for all concerned.

Perhaps all of these organizations should consider becoming one organization. We could call ourselves The Collective and thank the Koch brothers for the inspiration.

What that organization looks like is hard to tell. Even us tree-hugging, yogurt swilling, enviro-mental wilderness advocates have differences of opinion about how to best protect wilderness, and thereby the planet, but the bottom line is still about protecting the planet. Even it if is from our own species.

The Collective has much to do.

Maybe we should get started before the fire scars in Blue Creek heal. Where do we start? Perhaps with doing more and using less.

Sandy Compton’s newest book, The Scenic Route: Life on the Road 9 AM TO 2 PM - SATURDAY, NOV. 14 between Hope and Paradise, is available for purchase at BlueCreekPress.com or from at the Bonner County Fairgrounds your local bookseller.

November 2015 Page

Diminishing Signal

by Trish Gannon

Why is our cell service so bad?

I got my first cell phone when my daughter was pregnant with my now16-year-old grandson. And I live in Clark Fork. A poor cell signal has made up the majority of my experience with cell phones. But a while back, a funny thing happened on the way into Sandpoint... my signal got worse. I always lost signal going past Sunnyside, but now I was dropping calls at Denton Slough, Trestle Creek... even when approaching Ponder Point. To top it off, there was worse news when I arrived back home in Clark Fork. The $250 I had invested in a signal booster so that I could get two bars if I stood in just the right spot in my kitchen was now, apparently, worthless. While my phone would sometimes ring, there was not enough service to actually answer a call, though text messages would mostly make it through.

This all happened right about the time I was feeling a bit too tethered to my cell phone and, with a working land line in the house, I decided to make do. But I noticed, with increasing frequency, the posts in my Facebook feed from people all around the county talking about problems with their signal strength.

What is going on?

There were a range of answers, depending on which technician a person happened to talk to — everything from “buy a new phone,” to lost contracts on towers and, most recently, the claim that “the city” had decommissioned some of Verizon’s towers.

I decided it was time to find out what was really going in, and stopped in at Mountain Communications for a visit with Kyler Wolf.

Bear in mind that while my

information has to do with Verizon Wireless, the major cell carriers all use each other’s towers, and broadcast on different frequencies. As Verizon has the best coverage in the area, a problem there becomes a problem everywhere.

No, Verizon hasn’t “lost” any towers, and “the city” has not decommissioned any. And you don’t need to upgrade your phone. “Surprisingly,” Kyler said, “older phones will generally work better, because they don’t operate under current FCC guidelines regarding signal strength.

Back then,” he laughed, “the FCC didn’t care if you baked your brain.”

What did happen is that the Verizon towers in the area were recalibrated to avoid feedback with new towers under construction in the Selle Valley. And that recalibration means that everyone’s service went down. “Service should improve once that tower goes up,” said Kyler, but he’s been given no timeline as to when that might be.

A look through the Bonner County Planning and Zoning records online shows that applications were filed this year for two towers in the Selle Valley.

One application (C977-15), dated February 15, requests permission for a tower on Porath Rd., not far from Selle Road. The second application (C982-15) is for a tower on the Poelstra farm just off Selle Rd., and was approved by P&Z in July, with a building location permit required before construction begins.

Cellular signals, Kyler told me, work a lot like radio waves, so line of sight isn’t required in order to get a signal. But the towers in the Selle Valley will primarily help users in that area and to the north.

“The signal can bend and curve, but

K&K Fishing Derby

November 22-26 & November 28-30 Page

the further the distance and the more obstacles it has to go through, the poorer the connection will be.”

Nonetheless, the way all the towers work together should improve signal strength for the whole area once those Selle Valley towers get built. And by improve, I mean go back to what the signal strength was before.

It’s hard to tell how many towers serve the local area, as there’s no database that seems to contain all of them. There are at least three in the Priest River area, including one owned

by Cingular (AT&T) on Hwy. 2 in Priest River, and two owned by American Towers (used by Verizon). One is located on Jewell Lake Rd. in Sagle and, not far from that is one located on Dunromin Rd. in Priest River.

T-Mobile has two towers listed in the area, located on Mara Meadows Rd. in Athol, and the other on Bottle Bay Rd. in Sagle.

But the number of Verizon towers, whether leased or owned, is speculation at best. Spectrasite/American Towers, used by Verizon, has three, four or five towers in the area or maybe even more: one in Cocolalla, one on McNearny Rd. in Ponderay, and one located at 718 Selle Rd. Tower number four was located on Schweitzer Mountain and, while licensed through 2019, does not show on any tower maps and may no longer be active. The fifth tower is the one on Porath Rd., which shows construction was granted in September, though there is no information regarding whether the tower is active. And determining the status of tower 6, on the Poelstra farm, adds more unknowns.

Randy Poelstra, third generation on the dairy farm that was initially

November 2015

homesteaded by Charles Selle, said construction is currently only waiting on steel to arrive, and he’s being told the tower may become active within two weeks. “His” tower, however, is part and parcel of two other towers located in the area — one off Colburn Culver near

Northside School, and another located near Samuels. It’s likely all these towers, currently under construction, will need to come “online” before a final recalibration will help to recover cell signal strength and maximize coverage throughout the county.

“Be patient, that’s my advice,” said Kyler, though he’s willing to sell booster systems to those who might need them. These systems experience “various degrees of success,”

Kyler said, and depend on having at least some basic level of cell signal to work from. “If you multiply by zero, you still get zero,” he pointed out. Consumer grade booster packages can cost anywhere from $400 to $1,000.

A second option, he said, is to purchase a network extender. “It works like voice over internet, but for cell phones,” he explained. For a network extender to work, the customer must have high speed internet—and satellite internet generally will not be sufficient to get the job done. “It basically creates a miniature cell phone tower inside your house,” he said. “It’s hooked into your modem/router and is accessible in a 50 to 60 foot radius.” In addition, the extender requires placement of a GPS antennae outside your home. “It has to be trackable, in case it interferes with anything else,” said Kyle. A network extender for Verizon costs around $250, and Kyle suggests you buy directly from them online.

There’s also a third option in regard to poor cell service, at least if you’re a Verizon Wireless customer: “Call them,” Kyler said. Make sure they file a trouble ticket, because those tickets let Verizon know where they have coverage problems, and help move your particular area “up” in the queue for future expansion. “It might not improve your service today, but it could make a difference a year down the road,” Kyler explained.

This is also the route to take if you have no problems with calls on your phone, but Internet usage is slow. Just like with other Internet access providers, the number of people using at any one time can effect the speed. If you notice a slow down in Internet speed just after the dinner hour, for example, a plugged up pipe might be the problem—no matter what technology you’re using to access the Internet, this is a sign that your service provider has oversold the area, and needs to expand their equipment to handle the load. “It’s the squeaky wheel that gets the grease,” Kyler laughed.

There are pluses and minuses to living in a rural area, and one of those minuses is that we often find ourselves at the bottom of provider’s lists when it comes to improving service. That’s a given. But if your cell service has been diminishing, regardless of who you get your service from, give them a call and make sure they know.

And if you need to reach the River Journal before those towers come online... send a text.

Sheriff Seeks Observant Lookouts The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office is seeking observant citizens for Neighborhood Watch Programs.

With the long, cold, dark evenings upon us, it is a good time to gather a few neighbors together to discuss safety issues in your neighborhood.

Becoming connected to Bonner County’s Neighborhood Watch Program gives you access to crime tips, educational materials, presentations, home security checks, important alerts and more.

Neighborhood Watch programs are perhaps the oldest crime prevention programs in existence. Communitybased crime reduction programs encourage neighbors to get to know each other and to teach neighbors to look for and report any suspicious activity.

Establishing this type of program in a neighborhood has been shown scientifically to affect the incidence of crime. People working together are more likely to achieve the goal of reducing crime.

The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office Community Force aims to protect citizens, their homes and their property from criminal activity. A Business Watch program is also currently being developed. Those joining the Community Force will be given detailed information about current crime trends and ways to prevent crime in their neighborhoods.

Citizens working in partnership with law enforcement help keep communities safe. Contact Sheryl Kins at (208) 263-8417 extension 3049 to join the community Force and keep your neighborhood safe.

November 2015

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Free Meals for Veterans All offers for November 11 unless otherwise indicated.

• November 11 — Breakfast served at 7:30 am at Alpine Vista, 1705 Pine St., Sandpoint. PLEASE RSVP as they need a head count.

• November 11— Sweet Lou’s at 477272 Hwy 95 will offer a 6 oz. top sirloin plus 1 side dish for free to Veterans with some kind of military I.D. • November 11 — Stacey’s Kitchen at 469000 Hgwy 95, special 8 – 10 menu items available from 6 a.m. – 4 p.m.

• November 18— The Elks Dinner Ham/ Turkey and all the fixin’s, on Hwy 200 (near Paul Bunyon), served from 3 pm - 5 pm. Reservations appreciated.

Chain Meals All offers for November 11 unless otherwise indicated.

• Applebee’s — Veterans and Active Duty military can select a free meal from a limited menu. Proof of service required.

• Valley of Shadows

A Ghost in the Trunk

This story happened back in the late ‘50s in Hope. A friend of my Aunt Joyce had a summer place that overlooks the islands (Warren, Pearl, Cabin, etc.). She purchased it upon returning from Korea, where she served as an army nurse. (Aunt Joyce was actually in the Navy, by the way.)

My aunt’s friend —we’ll call her Susan, to make this easier—never married, and just wanted a quiet retreat after the horrors she had witnessed during the war and during her present job as a nurse at a certain Spokane hospital. She had an apartment there where she lived during the week, but spent as much time in the peace and quiet of Hope as possible.

The house was what you’d expect to find in Hope in the mid twentieth century: dry, stale, maybe a little mold, and a smell of background rot... and with a trunk in the attic.

The glorified cabin was a minimal residence with a living/dining/kitchen

• Dennys — Active, inactive and retired military can get a free, build your own Grand Slam breakfast.

• Golden Corral — a free sit-in ‘thank you’ dinner for veterans, retirees and active duty military.

• Olive Garden — free meal for all veterans and active duty military including entree, fresh-baked garlic breadsticks, and unlimited soup or salad.

• Outback Steakhouse— free Bloomin’ Onion and a beverage with valid ID. All military can get 15% off the total check Nov. 12-Dec. 31.

• Red Lobster - complimentary appetizer or dessert from special menu with proof of service. Nov. 9 through Nov. 12.

Page 10

Lawrence Fury•

Truly Tasty Food Prime Rib Special every Saturday, $19.95

Find out why it’s worth the drive!

Open 8-2 Mon-Wed • 8-8 Thu-Sat and 8-3 on Sundays Hwy. 200 in Clark Fork • 266-0700

area, one small bedroom and a bathroom, along with a root cellar and attic.

But I digress. The trunk was presumably left by the former owners.

It was a huge thing, something an actor playing Vaudeville in the old days might lug around, holding his or her costumes.

Susan didn’t have a key for the trunk so one day, curious, she used a crow bar and opened it.

Stale air came out as she scanned the contents. There were old, paperleather boxes, heavy envelopes, several odd fabric dolls and bundles of what looked to be legal papers. A wealth of things to sift through at her leisure, that would further take her mind off her nursing experiences.

There was something else contained in that trunk, apparently. In bed that night, Susan heard a noise. It sounded like a piano planing, but badly out of tune. It seemed to play a continuous loop, the same music over and over.

In the corner of Susan’s room, a cloud of soupy mist appeared with a solid form inside. A person, seated at the keyboard of an old piano.

With goose flesh covering her body, Susan turned on the dresser lamp near her bed. The ghostly scene vanished as if nothing had happened. It was just her room, with her belongings, nothing more.

My aunt has been deceased now for nearly three years, but if I hear more from her through the ether about her friend’s experience, I’ll pass it along. I really enjoyed her company... she was a classy dame.

In the process of putting together a book from my previous columns, a personal problem early in the year delayed work on the project. During this time, however, I realized how much I missed being part of the River Journal family. I will look forward to occasionally sharing more stories with you here as I come across them. With that in mind... if you have a ghostly story to share, you can reach me at lawrencefury(at)hotmail.com.

November 2015

• Politically Incorrect Trish Gannon• That Annual Gift-Giving Dilemma

Walk into any of the big chain stores this time of year and you’ll see aisle upon aisle of pre-packaged “gift ideas” to take advantage of both our human desire to gift gifts during the holiday season to our loved ones, and that all-too-frequent lack of inspiration regarding what to give.

Frankly, most of us already have enough “stuff ” already. In 2014, the LA Times reported, in fact, that the average American home contains over 300,000 items. That seems a bit shocking to me, but I’ve reported before on my attempt to take the “100 thing” challenge (where you pare the items in your house to just 100 things), and I can say that once you start counting, it’s surprising to find how many things you actually own.

Knowing that we’re drowning in stuff—the home organization industry, once non-existent, is now worth $8.8 billion, and in 2012, there were over 15,000 self storage units in the U.S.— isn’t going to stop most of us from going out Christmas shopping, though, so what’s a person to do?

When it comes to children, my daughter has followed the “Christmas Gift Challenge” for the past few years that suggests parents buy just four gifts for their children: something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read. Four gifts is still a lot of stuff, but the nature of kids is to outgrow their clothes and the world might just be a better place if we all began to drown ourselves in books. Of course, I’m a fan of the written word.

For more years than I can recall, my grandson (now 16) and I have gotten together to “craft” the gifts that he wants to give. Throughout the year, I save interesting craft ideas that I come across (these days I save them to a Pinterest board I call “Tyler’s Crafty Christmas”) and some time before the holiday, we get to work. Throughout the years we have made homemade caramels and butter mints, a spice block made out of nice wood and test tubes,

garden balls, vanilla extract, and more.

We always seem to have a lot of fun doing it, and generally his gifts are well received.

Within the family, we have adopted the tradition of drawing names instead of everyone trying to buy a gift for everyone else. This not only cuts down on the amount of stuff we each own, but generally allows the buyer (having only one person to buy for) both the time and the money to choose a gift that will truly be wanted and appreciated.

Gift ideas that don’t take up any room include classes, memberships, tickets (not the parking kind), services and memberships.

If you prefer something with physical heft, why not encourage a hobby (or the development of one) with how-to books or needed supplies? One of the best gifts I ever received came from my oldest daughter one year, who bought me a website for tracking my family’s genealogy. (Which reminds me... I think she’s paid for that every year since. I should probably take that over soon.)

Food is also a gift that doesn’t contribute to the overload of stuff.

From a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant, seeds to plant next spring, a membership in a CSA, or even a lovely bottle of wine, everyone needs food and there’s a gift out there to match whatever that need might be.

Finally... give to those you don’t know. Food banks, community gifting programs, or just a surprise package left on the doorstep of someone in your neighborhood you know is in need will be a gift to yourself as much as it is to someone else.

For those of you who really want to keep the Christ in Christmas, you can do no worse than adding this on your Christmas list: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the stranger and the unwanted child, care for the ill... and love your enemies.

That might be the best gift of all.

Annual Harvest Dinner

at Hope’s Memorial Community Center

Nov. 13 • 5:30 pm

Roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls with butter, and delicious dessert. No host bar. $25 and please bring nonperishable food items to support the Christmas Giving Food Drive.

208.264.5481

Come Home for the Holidays Downtown Sandpoint treelighting ceremony at Jeff Jones Square on Friday, November 27 from 5:30 to 7 pm. Santa arrives at 6 pm. Enjoy a little magic in downtown Sandpoint as the town comes alive for the holidays. Carolers, cookies and hot cider. Free

November 2015

Page 11

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•All Shook Up A.C. Woolnough • Marble Halls of Power The first time I wandered the halls of Congress, I didn’t pass through any metal detectors, I was not wanded, and I was not given a pat down.

President Kennedy was still alive, the Beatles were singing I Want To Hold Your Hand, my favorite TV show was Lassie and a girl in my geometry class had a bit part in the Alfred Hitchcock movie, “The Birds.” It was 1963 and I was still a naive young lad. When I walked through the Capitol Building, I believed my teachers when they said everyone has an equal voice and your elected officials are there for you.

When I saw men (at that time, it was mostly men—not much has changed) in suits with briefcases, I believed them to be carrying out their sacred duty to do what is best for the country.

Fast forward fifty-two years and my, how times have changed. I’m older now and a little more jaded and cynical.

I can’t believe that shutting down the government or the sequester was good for the USA. Partisan squabbling often seems to be more about ego than legitimate policy differences. Scandals proliferate. I could go on and on.

Liberal or conservative, each of us can come up with dozens of examples of poor behavior on the part of our elected officials.

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Page 12

I Buy Batteries Ron Powell

I buy, sell and repair Auto, Truck, Marine and ATV batteries

Then, a funny thing happened on my journey with Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Last spring, I had the opportunity to attend a two-day workshop in Washington, D.C. with the Parkinson’s Action Network—an advocacy group representing the entire Parkinson’s community. The workshop was focused on preparing us for the third day—a visit to the Hill.

Two hundred and fifty people from across America came together to lend a unified voice promoting federal support for neurological research, the National Institutes of Health, the FDA and the DoD Parkinson’s research program. [Traumatic Brain Injury— TBI—is closely associated with PD.] Four of us from Idaho met with our Representatives (Raul Labrador and Mike Simpson) and our Senators (Mike Crapo and Jim Risch). Unbelievable— they actually met with us! And they listened. We had a chance to tell our story and make our case. It doesn’t mean they voted the way we wanted, but they and their staff made time for us. My faith in government is at least partially restored.

I also discovered the difference between an advocacy group and a lobbyist. In a word: money. Those of us with the Parkinson’s Action Network paid our own way—airplane flight, hotel, and meals—some with the assistance of small scholarships.

Lobbyists, on the other hand, frequently have deep pockets and platinum credit cards. We had to use logic and reason—we didn’t have thousands of dollars (or more, much more) to give to political campaigns.

Nevertheless, our voice was heard.

A parting thought: I know why they’re called the marble halls of power.

Even the bathroom fixtures are made of marble.

A.C. Woolnough has spent a lifetime in education. He lives in Sandpoint and serves the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation as both a Research Associate and a member of the People with Parkinson’s Advisory Council.

In addition, he is the Assistant State Director for the Parkinson’s Action Network.

November 2015

• Surrealist Research Bureau

The Spectra Hoax

World War I’s faint rumblings had just begun to stir the air and in the world of literature, and especially poetry, new forms and schools flourished: Imagist, Vorticist, Futurist and many others. Then, out of the wilds of Pittsburgh, a new poetical theory burst forth called “Spectra,” originally championed by only two major protagonists, Emanuel Morgan, a painter turned poet, and Anne Knish, a voluptuous Hungarian refugee whose only previous work was a slim volume of poems in Russian. There were scores of articles for magazines and symposia as well as further “Spectric” poems for journals and periodicals, and they were soon joined by barrister Elijah Hoy, their most fervent disciple.

For a time, speculations and controversy surrounded the subject in newspapers, poetry mags and literary salons. A brief example from Emanuel Morgan’s Opus 6: “If I were only dafter/ I might be making hymns/ To the liquor of your laughter/ and the lacquer of your limbs.” I won’t bore you with the discussions and debate the Spectra school of Poetry engendered, but it wasn’t silenced until late in 1918, when at a poetry reading in Pittsburgh, an audience member asked poet Wittner Bynner flat out, “Is it not true that you are Emanuel Morgan and Arthur Ficke is Anne Knish?” The answer was equally direct, “Yes.” The Spectra Hoax soon dissolved into furious bouts of namecalling and finger pointing. Poets, reviewers, and editors who’d once praised the daring new school ran for cover. The Spectrists answered with a posthumous volume following the

Jody Forest •

“death” of Anne Knish of an obscure disease followed by the heartbroken suicide of Emanuel Morgan. The great poet Carl Sandburgh once said, “I may yet live to write my article that Spectra is a true piece of creative Art!” Over the next few decades other similar poetry hoaxes continued to flourish; for example, the volume “Oh Millersville” by the precocious, 10-yearold girl Fern Gravel, “We have found the lost Sappho of Iowa,” gushed the New York Times, “So good it hurts” raved the Washington Post. A brief example: “I am not going to get married/ I expect to travel/ and people will come to hear the lectures/ Of the famous Fern Gravel/ and I will be the authoress/ Of many, many books/ If I am famous for my lectures and Poetry/ It won’t matter about my looks.”

Sadly, the volume soon turned out to be the work of writer James Norman Hall (famous later as the author of “Mutiny on the Bounty”), written as a lark.

Perhaps the last words of this article should belong to Emanuel Morgan: “‘til I go running after/obeying all your whims/ For the liquor of your laughter/ and the lacquer of your limbs.” Fun/ Is the mastadon/Vanished complete! “ (A hard to find book on the subject is “The Spectra Hoax” by Wm. Jay Smith.)

So now, with the vermouth-lipped Duck of Doubt slowly roasting in my fierce Oven of Truth, I bid you Adieu.

Keep spreading the word: Soylent Green is People. All Homage to Xena!

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Page 13

• The Way I See It

David Keyes • Idaho’s Rep. Scott Fails to Represent the Real Idaho

Rep. Heather Scott is right. She should stop talking to the media.

In fact, she should quit communicating at all beyond her small cadre of (fill in the blank) zealot followers.

You can recognize these folks: they are the ones who try to defend her right to smile and wave in a parade in a vehicle with a Confederate flag.

They are also the ones who will back her up when she says the Confederate flag does not represent slavery.

“The Confederate flag symbolizes the perpetual conflict between states’ sovereignty and national sovereignty,” she recently told an Idaho Statesman columnist.

Her followers—who would ordinarily be called supporters if Rep. Scott really supported and represented those in her district—are dim.

Dim as in following Rep. Scott to Boise last session and trying to bully their way into getting office space and phones in the state capitol building.

House leadership shut them down but they still found ways to follow her to sponsored dinners and to help themselves.

Dim as in watching Rep. Scott have Capitol staff check out the ceiling and office space to make sure there were no electronic listening devices near her.

The vision of panelized, realized.

The state legislature has attracted colorful people for as long as there have been statewide elections. The legislature has also had its share of paranoid folks as well.

What Rep. Scott does and attracts— which can be argued represents certain constituents—is a ginned up form of inyour-face patriotism mixed with a third grader’s impulse control issue that can’t help itself but to draw attention.

I had a chance to see a press release she put out recently that featured a tombstone with “Newspaper Industry R.I.P” as its letterhead.

Now, I would be the first to tell you that the newspaper world has had better financial days. But a kiss of death for the entire newspaper industry by Scott is almost too much to take.

Under the tombstone is the headline: TRADITIONAL MEDIA IS DEAD! Only DRAMA, DISTORTED TRUTHS or CONTROVERSY will help keep their heads above water for a little longer!

She wrapped up the six paragraph release with: “MY CONCLUSION… It’s an election year and the left wing will stop at nothing to destroy and attack liberty minded, constitutional loving candidates. Apparently anything goes when undermining true conservatives for upcoming 2016 elections. This is yet another attempt to steer Boise based businesses and organizations

from supporting statewide conservative candidates.

WE ARE NOT FOOLED by these antics!

“I choose to embrace history not erase it,” she wrote.

I have always considered anyone who uses ALL CAPITAL LETTERS in any type of communication other than SOS, to be a loon and to lack basic communication skills.

I also have a special place in my heart for a representative who prides herself on not reading the local media.

Since Rep. Scott probably won’t read this (see above) I would hope that one of her followers would share this with her.

The majority of constituents in her legislative district hope she does keep quiet and focused during this upcoming session rather than embarrass those of us who by chance live in her district.

I have always believed that politics is like a pendulum and swings back and forth from the left and to the right.

The problem is this particular clock is broken and the pendulum is stuck on the far right and the only noise we hear is coming from our elected cuckoo bird.

It is time for our elected representative to grow up and for us to move past Rep. Scott and her circus tent.

David Kyes is the former publisher of the Bonner County Daily Bee, Bonners Ferry Herald and Priest River Times and is the vice chairman of the Idaho Lottery. He can be reached at: davidkeyes09@gmail.com.

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November 2015

Planned Parenthood. Even more • Veterans’ News Gil Beyer ETC, USN Ret. • ridiculously obscene is our Congress asking the head of the VA to come VSOs Play Important Role in Meeting Veterans’ Needs ‘hat in hand’ and have to justify the

The 8th Annual Elks Golf Scramble to benefit local veteran’s organizations was held on September 20. The total split of monies collected was $9,736.29.

The results of this scramble, while somewhat less than last year, will go a long way toward helping local veteran’s needs in the next year. The Marine Corps League garnered the biggest slice of the pie with $3,970.05. The League was followed by VFW with $1,944.60; the DAV with $1,670.31; The American Legion with $1,127.87; and, the VVA with $1,023.47. Net proceeds for the Scramble were $12,981.72 with $3,245.43 going to Kaniksu Health Clinic.

The monies that went to Kaniksu go toward providing dental services and vouchers for veterans with no dental coverage. There were dental clinics held in Ponderay and Bonners Ferry on 9-26-2015. A total of 36 local veterans were screened and vouchers were given to those needing additional work that they couldn’t afford.

I’ve been asked if the Angels Over Sandpoint could be called upon to help with veteran’s needs. The simple answer is ‘yes’, and they are helping — to the tune of about $1,000 per month. I’ve seen their budget and the Kaniksu Clinic is listed as a recipient of funds.

On Saturday, October 16, there was a ‘working party’ held on Sunnyside Cutoff Rd to cut and split firewood thanks to a donation by Dick Blakely.

This firewood is used to replenish the Veterans Woodlot. The working party consisted of 3 members of the Marine Corp League, Detachment 1110 and 3

members of VFW Post 2453. One of the obvious aspects of this working party was that these ‘volunteers’ are getting older.

VSOs across the country are losing membership due simply to the aging process. Even the youngest of Viet Nam era veterans are probably in their 50s by now. Our Veteran Service Organizations need younger veterans to join their ranks. We’ve been a nation at war for almost 14 years now.

Where are the younger veterans that should be joining the Veterans Services Organization?

If it wasn’t for the VSOs I sincerely doubt that any veterans would be receiving any of the services that the VA is now providing. Who do you think is talking to Congress and lobbying in our interests? It sure isn’t any of the groups that have encouraged cutting the budgets of every governmental department except the Department of Defense so that they can keep taxes low.

I can’t help but wonder just why those who have served since 9/11 aren’t practically beating down the doors of the VSOs to get the benefits that they were promised. Does anyone really believe that our newest crop of veterans are getting everything they’ve been promised? Or, are they even being given everything they’ve earned while serving their country? I don’t think so!

To me it is a National embarrassment that we have veterans that are on month’s long waiting lists for VA services. It is an outrage that we have veterans living on the streets while increase nutrients, such as nitrogen and Congress wastes millions on trying to overturn ‘Obama Care’ or defund This septic pilot project is being introduced in order to comply with water quality standards as determined by the Federal Clean Water Act. Designated to protect water quality, the plan, known as a “Total Maximum Daily Load” for Lake Pend Oreille, addresses nutrient issues

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funds he needs to adequately help our veterans.

This is not a new situation in our history. After WWI the Republican President broke up a protest gathering of veterans seeking their promised war bonuses. The group was broken up with Army cavalry and tanks led by then Colonel Douglas MacArthur.

Our history is filled with examples of us throwing money at conflicts but being very parsimonious when it comes to paying for the aftermath of these conflicts. If it wasn’t for VSOs in all likelihood veterans would have an even harder time receiving the benefits they’ve been promised. So, I think that every veteran should eagerly seek out a local chapter or post to join and support our VSOs. Without their advocacy our veterans would truly be very poorly served by our Congresses and Presidents.

New topic: In an unabashedly blatant plug I’m having a reading of my book, “Tin Can & Fiske Tales: An Incomplete History of the USS Fiske” at the Sandpoint Library at noon on Thursday, November 12. It is the personal story of one ship and the crews that served on her in our Navy for over thirty-five years. All of the net proceeds from this book go directly to the USS Fiske Association to help ensure that she is not forgotten.

One last note for all area veterans: Make sure to see the list on page 10 of area businesses offering meals to veterans on Veterans Day and beyond.

Council website at tristatecouncil.org.

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The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol 17 No. 18 | November 2008 | Page 5 November 2015 Page 15

• Get Growing Nancy Hastings • Adjusting Your Garden Plans

Ed. Note: This is Trish, standing in for Nancy this month as Nancy is recovering from our extra-long growing season.

don’t get the right amount of water at just the right time (generally when flowering and when fruiting).

The basic rule of thumb is an inch of water per week in the garden. An inch, of course, is not a measurement of quantity, but it’s based on rainfall. If you don’t have one already, it’s a good idea to keep a rain gauge out in the garden to keep up on what nature is

important than ever to consider water conservation in your vegetable garden.

If we have another year where water is scarce, your garden can thrive by using water as efficiently as possible.

Using good soil is a given, but to get the most benefit of that soil, mulch, mulch, mulch. Save all those leaves out in the yards and streets right now, bury your plants in straw, purchase mulch from a garden center. You can even cover the soil with black plastic. (But be careful with grass clippings. If fresh, they’re hot and can burn your plants.)

Don’t plant long rows of vegetables. Instead, plant them block style so the variety can create microclimates, providing shade and preventing water evaporation. Group plants together that have similar water needs; for example, cucumbers, zucchini and squash are similar in their need for fluids.

A drip irrigation system can reduce your water use by up to 50 percent. It’s important, however, to measure how much water your plants are getting from this, as the amount can vary from system to system... and even from hose to hose. Placing that rain gauge underneath your drip system and measuring the time it takes to fill to the one-inch level will ensure that you’re watering just the amount you need and no more.

For plants that need a lot of water— like beans—consider varieties with a shorter growing season.

And pay attention to water guzzlers that don’t provide food. That means staying on top of the weeding, and looking into windbreaks if your garden beds are exposed to a lot of wind (which doesn’t really guzzle as it evaporates the water).

We’re only a month or so away from the traditional time for gardeners to begin planning their next year’s adventure—if you have further tips you’d like to share, please do so on the River Journal’s Facebook page.

Photo, above: Merry Brown-Hayes’ Dahlias. Photo by Merry Brown-Hayes.

In mid-October, at my daughter’s house in Sandpoint, my granddaughter and I discovered the strawberry plants, confused by our summer, had put out a second batch of fruit. Merry BrownHayes had tons of blooming Dahlias, and Betsy Canfield was picking cherry tomatoes on October 20—she called it “Tomatopalooza.” Had we only known how long this growing season was going to be, we all could have grown bumper crops of sweet potatoes and muskmelons.

All gardeners would like future vision when they’re planning out their plots, but the best we can do is to plan based on previous years’ performances. So what can we learn from this year that we can incorporate into our plans for next year? providing in terms of moisture.

First—you can’t count on having As a gardener, however, you need to such a long growing season again, be able to stand in for the rain when it but it might be possible to push the doesn’t fall. An inch of water translates boundaries a bit. The last few years to 60 gallons per 100 sq. ft. of garden, have been warmer than normal, with or a little over a half gallon per foot. If gardens being able to be planted you have 4x8 raised beds, you’ll need earlier, and harvested later. Next year’s approximately 20 gallons of water for garden plan might be a good time to it through the course of the week. (Not experiment with seed varieties that take all at once—plants need water every advantage of that stretch in the season. few days, and more frequently as it But the key word here is “experiment.” heats up.)

Stick to the 6b to 5b growing zone To make this more complicated, add range for the fruits and veggies you 1/2” of water for every 10 degrees the count on, and only push boundaries temperature gets above a 60 degree with plants that will be a happy little average temperature. (Add the day’s surprise if they make it to fruition. highest temperature to the day’s lowest Second—give some thought to temperature, and divide by two to get water. Again, this last summer was a bit the average temperature for the day.) of an anomaly for the area, but with So when the temps were 100 during those long, hot days we also got very the day and 70 at night for a stretch, little rain. In fact, my own garden went my garden needed an extra one-and-aalmost the whole season with nothing quarter inch of water each week—or an but a few, sporadic, 10-minute rain additional 24 gallons for a 4x8 bed. falls. Throughout the area there were Unless you’ve got a lot of property, reports of shallow wells going dry, while rain barrels are not going to provide streams and creeks were dry as a bone. for your garden’s water needs during Water is crucial to our typical range of a summer like last year’s... but they’re food plants, and development won’t a start. even happen for some plants if they What this means is that it’s more Page 16

November 2015

• A Bird in Hand

Michael Turnlund •

Seasons Change - And so do the birds!

As I write this column, fall spend the spring, summer, and fall up is fully vested in our region. in the mountains and only come down The trees that turn color have done so to the valley bottoms or the lake sides 208.263.4272 and many a bagful of leaves awaits my in the winter. For example, I’m more rake. The frost found my garden weeks apt to see a Townsend Solitaire or a ago and most of my firewood is in Pine Grosbeak in the winter months — chopped and stacked. And it is only than any other time of the year, even a matter of days now before Old Man though both are year-round residents.

Winter puts his first footsteps down on I’ve even seen Red crossbills cruising Friday Nov the surrounding mountain peaks. It’s a through town in the winter. Watch time to fill the deer tag, dust off the ski those neighboorhood spruce trees!

20, 6-8 pm gear, put the boat to bed for the season, For some birds you’ll simply have to Saturday Nov. and swap out summer clothes for those hit the road to see what nature sends 21, 12-4 pm stored boxes of sweaters and heavy your way. Rough-legged hawks are A Benefit for the Lion’s Club coats. And a great time to go birding! commonly seen along the highways, “Toys for Tots” The seasons change, and so do the especially near open areas. They like birds. And fall is a wonderful time for to sit on power poles. Make sure you Fun for the whole family! both watching the transition between study up on the field marks for the seasons and getting acquainted with Rough-legged (including juveniles) so the new neighbors — or the ones soon you don’t mistake them for another to come in. When summer ends and species of raptor. And keep an eye on fall makes its presence felt, our summer those power lines as you drive along, visitors leave while our local residents you might spot a Northern shrike.

Fri & Sat. — the species that call our area home Also, in our area at least, the only Nov. 27-28 throughout the year — stay put. But time I see Golden eagles is during the 10 am to 3 pm when fall transitions into winter, we see winter months. My understanding is other bird species come into our region that they fly in from Montana in search Sun Nov. 29 from the more northerly latitudes, of game or fresh road kill. Reputedly 11 am to 3 pm while resident birds come down off the they do not breed in our neck of the Photos Available! mountains. In other words, we get a woods, but they are definitively winter Sponsored

By Your Friendly whole new set of birds at our feeders visitors. I almost exclusively see them BONNER MALL MERCHANTS and along our highways and byways. perched on a deer carcass alongside the Now’s the time to get out your road, usually surrounded by a patient OPEN THANKSGIVING DAY favorite bird book — in my case, the mob of ravens. Again, check your bird Sears• 6pm-Midnight Sibley Guide — and start refreshing guide (or take it along) for field marks JC Penney • evening hours your mind’s eye for this season’s to make sure you are seeing what you Dollar Tree • 8 am-4 pm birding adventures. think you’re seeing. Just saying.

Yokes • 5:30 am-3 pm While our region is the summer And don’t forget owls! I see more •BONNER MALL CINEMAS abode of many passerines, raptors, owls during the daylight hours during •COMFORT KEEPERS and waterfowl, it is the winter home the winter than at any other time of the •DOLLAR TREE for other species. Such birds include year. And yes, these are resident birds.

•HIDEAWAY LOUNGE the Rough-legged hawk, the Northern I guess those grumbly stomachs don’t •JC PENNEY •LES SCHWAB Shrike, the Common redpoll, and give the birds restful sleep so they find •PIZZA HUT many others. And if the weather is themselves hunting during the day.

•PETCO especially severe up north, we might Winter is a great time to be out •SANDPOINT FURNITURE even see a Snowy owl. And who knows and about enjoying the most beautiful •SAYERS JEWELERS what else? My goal this winter is to creatures of God’s creation: birds.

•SEARS •SMOKERS EXPRESS keep an eye out for the Hoary redpoll.

Winter is not a time for dormancy, but It’s gonna happen… I hope. All of action! And you won’t even have to don •STAPLES •VAPOR DEPOT these birds will be gone in the spring, snowshoes. Happy birding!

•WALKER’S FURNITURE so enjoy them while we got ‘em. Winter Like bird photos? You can find my •YOKE’S FRESH MARKET is a great time to add to your life list. collection online at birdsidaho.blogspot.com.

300 Bonner Mall Way It is not just the Arctic and boreal Reach me at mturnlund(at) gmail.com. in Ponderay birds that come our way, but even some BONNERMALL.COM of the locals. Many resident species November 2015 Page 17

TURKEY BINGO

WATCH FOR SANTA’S ARRIVAL!

My husband and I knew this year was going to be a fast burn when two of our three kids told us they planned to marry in the summer... within two months of each other. One wedding would occupy all of our time for several months and the other would require travel to California. Both were going to be expensive and both were going to involve us handing our children over to people who would soon promise to love, honor, and cherish them for the rest of their lives.

Ordinarily this would be a wonderful time of excitement, festivities, and celebration. But I have this tendency to look at the big picture and then try to distill all my life experiences and knowledge down into one small mass of wisdom to impart. I have no idea what the divorce rate in the United States is these days. It would have taken my heart too far toward the dark side to research the subject and frankly, I don’t want to know. All I have to do to get an idea is watch the young couples that are currently in my life and count the marital tragedies on both hands. And I found myself wondering if my children and their prospective spouses had what it would take to survive the rigors of marriage for the rest of their lives. The truth is, they don’t. What they will need in the future they do not now possess.

It is easy to walk down the aisle and into life with someone we have a crush

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• Kathy’s Faith Walk

Kathy Osborne •

Forward Into Uncertainty

on. It feels like love if we measure the emotions against anything else in life we have felt. He is cute! She is pretty!

I feel good! We have fun together!

We like the same things! I love him!

I love her! We want the same things out of life! These phrases are the ones that make me want to cover my eyes and observe this romantic movie play through the relative safety of my slightly parted fingers. ”Oh Lord...” I say to myself. “I can’t watch.”

As I raked rocks and spread bark, mowed lawns and grew flowers, I found myself praying continuously for both my children and their prospective spouses. All four of them had been in the mission field at one time or another and all four know what it means to sacrifice and serve. All four love God and are committed to Him but commitment can be fleeting when jobs are lost, bills are piling up, or an illness comes into play. It is the slow grind of the mundane, the commonness of life that weighs on a marriage. It is the everyday pressures and expectations, particularly the unmet ones, that chip away at the union and it is there that the resolve to endure must be present.

I have lived and been married long enough to know that this endurance is built over time, and can only BE built during difficult times.

There is a John Wayne movie, “McClintock,” in which the main character tells his daughter Becky that although he is rich she will not be inheriting much of his fortune when she marries, just a bit of land and some cattle which is far more than he and her mother had when they were starting out. He says he is imparting so little because he loves her and that the strength of the marriage comes from the hard times and that something happens between a man and a woman with all that living and working together. This statement resonates with what I have seen over time.

For the rest of our lives we will have to accept that if these marriages are to endure it will mean fewer phone calls for help as they seek to depend

on each other to work things out. It means we cannot send money when they are facing hard times although that was really not too much of an option anyway. These young marrieds will have to figure finances out, too.

They will have to work together to map out their future as best they can based on mutual needs and desires. There may be children in their future as they have hoped... and there may not be.

Disappointments will come and go.

Wonderful times of wedded bliss will pepper their time together and the salt of commitment will hopefully flavor their marriage. And as parents we must sit on the side lines and watch it all while praying constantly that they will turn to God in times of trouble. They must understand that their mate is not the enemy. The enemy is the enemy of all that is good and strong about a marriage and if they give him one inch he will destroy them. As parents we understand that they themselves must learn to protect the marriage.

That is a lot to learn.

So here we are in the fall of the year, two kids richer and for some unaccountable reason not one bit poorer financially. God took care of every need and expense as He always does. Through getting to know these two new young people I am heartened that they will add joy to my children’s lives and our family will be stronger for it. My son-in-law is already looking for more stable employment and my new daughter-in-law has already wiggled her way into the family Christmas celebration by making sure we drew names for a gift exchange before we even left California! These are good signs, I think.

My only word of advice to them as they embark on these beautiful lives together is... Be good to each other.

Love each other, and love God more than you love your spouse.

Maybe I can watch this after all.

Kathy Osborne is the editor of the Co-Op Round-Up, and has been walking her faith in our local communities since birth.

November 2015

• The Hawk’s Nest Ernie Hawks • Through A Child’s Eyes

The train engine blew its steam whistle, loud and exhilarating.

Alice has been fascinated by trains since she was a toddler. Once, while playing in the city park in Sandpoint, a train pulled into town. Alice, about two years old, stopped her fun on the swing and slide set to watch with rapt attention. The pictures of her on that day show a little girl next to a slide focused on something out of the picture ­— it was the train.

Alice’s mom Ana told us about a historic train ride available in the foothills of Mt. Rainier. As soon as Ana told us about the ride we thought we were on to something good and we went online and got tickets. The Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad and Museum sounded like a perfect excursion for a couple of grandparents and two granddaughters, Lucy, two years old and Alice, now closing in on five.

Early one morning we headed out on the hour-and-a-half drive. It took us across the new Tacoma Narrows Bridge which is a fascination for me. We spent a little time going south on I-5, then started into the countryside and the foothills. We were a little early for the best fall colors and the ceiling was quite low. Linda and I had hoped for some views of Mt. Rainier but gave up that as we looked at the weather.

We didn’t tell Alice what we were doing, only that we were off on an adventure. She is always ready for adventure. Lucy, a life-loving, energetic kid, is ready for any fun that comes her way.

Lucy babbled her gibberish as we drove and Alice noticed the bridge, the farms and the old barns along the road. She also saw the railroad track beside the road and asked if we would see a train. I said I hope so. As we pulled into Elbe, Washington, Alice saw several old passenger cars and started to get excited. When we parked she wondered if we could get in the train cars. I said I hope so.

We sat on a bench next to the tracks to eat our sandwiches. Linda went into the terminal to redeem the tickets we

had ordered. I wandered in with the girls, who immediately saw several train toys and the excitement level started to climb.

I asked Alice if she wanted to go for a ride on a big train. Not the little ones she had been on at the zoo. He eyes lit up when I said, “One like the “Polar Express”.” As Linda rejoined us with the tickets Alice was jumping and shouting “Yes, yes, yes!” Lucy grinned her happy grin; she knew we were up to something good.

Back outside next to the track, Alice needed reassurance the train was coming and we would get a ride. Linda and I promised her all the people there were waiting for the train and it was going be here soon.

The track curved out of sight just a few feet from us so we could not see it approaching.

Then the whistle blew. I looked at Lucy, who smiled big, but Alice next to her stood still. Her eyes were as big as they could get, her mouth wide open, and it looked like her feet were glued to the earth. She was too excited to make a sound or move at all; she could only stand, silently shouting her glee as the train came into view.

As it stopped, we moved back so those who were on could disembark.

We had to wait for the engine to turn

around so it was few more minutes before we boarded. I think that is when Alice started to believe we were going for a train ride. In our seats with a table between us, Lucy stared out the window while Alice wanted to look at the whole train. She and Grandma were off checking it all out.

Alice loved the ride: the bouncing, the noise, the clickity-click of the track.

I’m not sure the scenery was of much notice but the trestles over the rivers were cool.

Linda and I were having fun; most of it was watching the girls being so entertained by the experience. When the conductor came in and called, “Tickets, please,” he punched the adults each once, but when Alice and Lucy gave him theirs it took a little more time. I was reminded of the “Polar Express” conductor who punches out words the passenger needs to hear. When our conductor gave the girls their tickets, each one had a smiley face punched in it.

The turnaround is at the old logging town of Mineral, Washington.

There, the historic rail museum allows for entertaining time off the train.

The girls found a real locomotive they could climb aboard. Lucy loved trying to turn all the bright red valves. She grabbed each one, or sometimes two, and twisted it with all her two-year- old strength. Alice, on the engineer’s seat, pulled the rope and rang the bell. After a few minutes we pointed out other people wanted to ring the bell — like Grandpa. After she was out of the locomotive she headed around it and back in line.

This was a day of joy. Joy created by simply being in the presence of two little girls; two girls who were being allowed to do something they had only seen in movies or read about in books.

Now it was their experience to own and to cherish. And it was our experience to own and to cherish.

Ernie Hawks is the author of “Every Day is a High Holy Day; Stories of an Adventuring Spirit” available on Amazon, Kindle or in your favorite bookstore. Photo, above, by Ernie Hawks.

November 2015

Page 19

• Acres n’ Pains

Scott Clawson •

Howling Polarity

Ask any electrician or auto mechanic about polarity and you’ll get something like this: “The condition of being positive or negative in relation to a magnetic pole. Cross them and you are likely to see some sparks!”

This can also be said when firing up a conversation with just about anyone regarding wolves and their ‘right’ to be here.

For several years now I’ve been avoiding a story/’toon request from a few long-time friends, not only because I sensed some high voltage in this topic, but I also couldn’t think up a decent cartoon to go with it, no matter how hard I concentrated (these very rarely, by the way, come from anything short of unregulated aloofness).

The ‘95/’96 reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone and the central Idaho mountains has stirred a lot of blood, most of which is so heavily charged, one could jump start a dead battery with it.

I am thankful to have lots of friends, of probably every bent I can imagine as well as some I haven’t. Hoping not to lose any by opening my mouth, here goes.

Not too far back that I can’t recall the finer points, my dad, on a trip ‘up north’ to check out the hallowed grounds of the Ruby Ridge fiasco, gave his thoughts on wolf reintroduction thusly, “That’s the dumbest proposal I’ve ever heard!” I sidled past that remark by asking if he’d like me to mix him up another Manhattan on the rocks.

Sometimes finding the middle ground with both feet is like negotiating a log over a creek that won’t stay put but rolls this way and that with every careful step, regardless of flailing appendages, innocence or center of gravity.

Like so many of my ‘boomer’ generation, I grew up “free range,” my parents seemingly okay with the fact that I did so with every other critter known to the northern Rockies, with Page 20

the exception of wolves.

The theory being, “If it doesn’t eat you or gore you, it will make you stronger and wiser (or at least faster).” Had reintroduction happened fifty or sixty years earlier, I now wonder if I’d have had such an idyllic childhood.

Such was my rearing, but the world has changed, diminished way beyond the half-scale of a youngster’s memories compared to the ‘grown-up’ version I later realized as I topped out at sixtwo. “Everything shrinks as you age” is true enough, but this is different. It can be extrapolated like a census. Sixty years ago, the U.S. population stood at just over 165 million, about half what it was in the 2010 head count.

It will nearly double again by 2070.

Where we as a species will “plateau” is anybody’s guess. My guess is we passed sustainable some time ago.

As most of you know, I spent my youth in the Yellowstone Caldera, a place rife with wildlife and stupid tourists. The animals I could deal with, the others, not so much. I ran away with a more “whole-istic” approach to the term wild instead of the turnstile version I grew disgusted with.

The stories came early to my yearning ears. Bears ‘going rogue’ by eating visitors’ young instead of “posing nicely the way they should have been trained” while licking jelly from innocent little faces for a photo op. Or fur-bearing locomotives implanting movie cameras in obtuse but otherwise innocent heads. Or parents letting their toddlers run down slippery boardwalks only to see them cartwheel into boiling thermal features designed by nature to be observed, not felt. All warnings taken but unheeded.

It didn’t take many of these to develop in my mind a sharp sense of awareness as I enlarged my free-ranginess, as well as an understanding of how things can go if one doesn’t keep their senses open to

consequences.

This is no less true today, a half century later, especially given the even more distracted nature of our selfcentered society based on Twitter and Facebook feeds where we get to blow our own horns for attention, all too often in stupid ways. Mimicking what we see elsewhere, we repeat the cycle endlessly. The ‘stupid’ stories continue and probably always will, as it seems to be in our collective nature to let goats lick the salt from our sweaty legs and get pictures to prove it.

Thirty-five grey wolves were transplanted to the mountains of central Idaho between ’95 and ’96.

I didn’t give it much fanfare as we already had one lope through the property in the late ‘80s (not even pausing to pee), not to mention that we also had a half-breed red husky/wolf female adorning our driveway and sometimes howling the presence of cougar in the vicinity. No kidding.

Discounting hundreds of ‘kills’, legal and otherwise, by hunters, trappers, idiots with poison and the USDA’s Wildlife Services, those thirtyfive originals have grown to, as of 2014, 777 documented individuals. In addition, we have, here in the northern panhandle, twenty documented packs shadowed by one young lady who thinks nothing of going in a den to check on pups while the pack watches from a distance. These are not part of the Idaho tally as they are considered migrants out of Canada and northwestern Montana.

First off, in this quagmire of a topic, I searched up “wolf attacks /North America” and recoiled over the account of one young special ed teacher (Candice Berner) in Alaska, out for an evening run after work, in training for an upcoming marathon, who was taken down and partially devoured by a pack outside her remote village. This has stuck to my mind like a dollop of fresh silicone on brand new Levis. Will it happen down here?

A little more research got me these tidbits of knowledge. Each year, on average, cows kill 21 people, pit bulls – 151, alligators – 2 to 3, lightning – 49, cars – 30 thousand. I’m not even

November 2015

going to mention guns. All seemingly waved off as “collateral damage” so that we can go about our business without fear of anything but unavailable cell service or a far from loping economy.

Life is one big I.Q. test and not passing is selfexplanatory.

Anti-wolf groups flaunt, “In case of bleeding [hearts], apply pressure!” whereas, pro-wolf advocates responding to ‘shout-downs’ at public forums have taken the course (or courts) of least resistance to get their point across. Too much searching on my part has resulted in a raw scalp from all the head scratching.

Where is truth? Beats me, perhaps it’ll bite me on the butt one of these days while I’m bent over with my nose in a patch of chanterelles, morels or warted giant puffballs.

Sometimes, I’ll admit, my name is O. Blivious. At least I’ve been warned.

Whatever your take on this cartoon’s image, whether glee or hatred for all the wrong reasons, let me say this: if it only saves one person from becoming, in the end, a dog turd in the wilderness, any consternation will be worth

Get a Gift From a Local Writer $15 • Available from your local bookstore or on Amazon and Kindle

Ernie is also available for readings and discussions.

Email ernestmhawks (at)gmail.com to book him at your event.

it. Have a nice walk and enjoy this beautiful state before it gets completely overrun, sterilized, homogenized, fracked, pulverized and paved.

Recommended reading: “In Wolf Country” by Jim Yuskavitch.

I hope I haven’t pissed anybody off.

On a lighter note, I recently eyed one of my white firs having some new ‘territorial’ claw marks two feet higher than my raised eyebrows, eight furrows, deep and to the point. More food for thought.

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November 2015

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November 2015

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