The River Journal, December 2014

Because there’s more to life than bad news

A News MAGAZINE Worth Wading Through

The First Tree

Local News • Environment • Wildlife • Opinion • People • Entertainment • Humor • Politics

December 2014 | FREE | www.RiverJournal.com

Carol Curtis, Asso. Broker, GRI, Realtor 208-290-5947

Sue Fritz,

Realtor 208-610-9304

40 Âą treed acres with awesome views of Pend Oreille River, not far from countty road. Borders public ID state land. Off the grid, southern exposure, cellular service.4-wheel drive country. $89,000! MLS 20142354

Views, views, views, of the golf course and the valley! 0.55Âą acre parcel includes water and sewer hookups. Accessible from Lower Pack River Rd, Quail Run or Fairway Drive $72,000 MLS 20142403

Beautiful views, timbered, live water year round, end of road privacy, quiet & wildlife! Views of Pend Oreille River and multiple building sites on this 20 Âą acre parcel.

Hard to beat this combo! $105,000 MLS20141490

History in the selling! Endless possibilities with 320 Âą acres nestled just to the south of Lake Cocolalla.

Homestead, views, creeks, pastures and barn built from Farragut timber!

Too much? Buy as 91.9 Âą acres. $1,499,000 MLS20141737

Motivated seller! Incredible lake views in every direction and ready for you to build! surveyed, building pad, 1200 gallon water tank, installed septic and well Views both east and west on this 5Âą acre parcel. $99,000 MLS20140708

Meticulous fully furnished studio unit at Schweitzer. Private, back side interior unit. Sleeps 4 comfortably. Ski locker room, laundry and pool room available.

Invest in Schweitzer and avoid the drive! $94,000 MLS20133245

Build with big lake views! This 1.35Âą acre lot borders common area with connection to extensive trails. Nicely treed, includes water hookup. Natural gas, electric & phone on the lot. Area of nice homes. $125,000 MLS20142419

Live on top of Huckleberry Mountain! Plenty of elbow room on 160Âą acres, with easy access off a county maintained road.

Borders public land. Also available with historic home on 320Âą acres! $640,000 MLS20141747

Celebrating 10 years!

+BOVBSZ r 5BOHP $BGF 5th & Church Sandpoint, Idaho Friday

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Christmas Bird Count December 14 • 6 am

Meet at 5th Ave. Restaurant in Sandpoint

208.290.1405 for info or visit Sandpoint Christmas Bird Count on Facebook

sip dine shop

local

Illustrated Children’s Books All proceeds benefit local, injured wildlife

Available at Common Knowledge, Vanderfords, Zany Zebra and at the Bonner Mall Christmas Craft Fair on Dec. 12-14 Also available online at AHWF.org

American Heritage Wildlife Foundation is a 5013c undertaking wildlife rehabilitation.

Annual Customer Appreciation Sale!

Begins the day after Thanksgiving, Nov. 28

Entire Store at Special Pricing! Up to 50% off!

Custom design & repair by Carl and Jason Fine Jewelry and Collectibles Open 7 Days a Week!

Sandpoint’s award-winning winery

tasting room the Bistro rouge wine Bar

In the Bonner Mall 208.263.0010

open daily | 301 Cedar Street Sandpoint | 208.265.8545 powine.Com

THE RIVER JOURNAL A News Magazine Worth Wading Through ~just going with the flow~ P.O. Box 151•Clark Fork, ID 83811 www.RiverJournal. com•208.255.6957

STAFF Calm Center of Tranquility Trish Gannon-trish@riverjournal.com

Ministry of Truth and Propaganda Jody Forest-joe@riverjournal.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 2014. 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.

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3. THE FIRST TREE. You can see Mountain Ash almost everywhere you look because they’re so beneficial.

4. PINE GROSBEAK Mike says when it comes to this bird, bigger is definitely better!

A BIRD IN HAND 5. IT’S SLOW DOWN TIME Matt welcomes a laid back winter but warns, turn in your game reports first!

THE GAME TRAIL 6. UNDERWEAR FOR THE DEAF Jody reflects on a failed bid for mayor of Clark Fork - be glad it was only in his dreams!

SURREALIST RESEARCH BUREAU

9 9. GRATEFUL REFLECTIONS This time last year, Ernie and Linda were looking at a cancer diagnosis.

This year, the news is much better.

THE HAWK’S NEST. 10. SEASON OF GOOD NEWS Kathy’s faith walk leads her to reflect on the ‘reason for the season’ and the good news that resonates still today.

KATHY’S FAITH WALK 11. TWITTER-PATED Scott made it through the Internet, email and Facebook - and then he ran into Twitter.

SCOTT CLAWSON

7. READING THE WOODS Knowing a place - like Sandy does - allows you to read it like a book.

THE SCENIC ROUTE 8. VETERANS CHOICE & TOURNAMENT Gil looks at the new Veterans Choice card, plus reports on the Elks Club Tournament.

VETERANS’ NEWS

...providing its communities with affordable and accessible healthcare.

KHS - Bonners Ferry Clinic

KHS - Sandpoint Clinic

6615 Comanche Street Bonners Ferry Medical/Behavioral: 208-267-1718 Dental: 208-267-3201

30410 Hwy. 200 Ponderay Medical/Behavioral: 208-263-7101 Dental: 208-255-3459 Veterans Clinic: 208-263-0450

KHS - Priest River Clinic 6509 Hwy. 2 Suite 101 Priest River Medical/Behavioral: 208-448-2321

Sliding fee for non-insured & we take Medicaid, Medicare and all insurances.

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The First Tree The earth was barren and void of life when the goddess Rauni came down to it and turned herself into a beautiful Rowan tree. Ukko, the god of thunder, became smitten with her beauty and, making love to her, all the plants and trees of the earth were born.

Finnish myth

The rowan tree—or as we call it here, the mountain ash—that graces the cover of this month’s magazine grows in a humble spot right outside the Clark Fork post office. In spring, it greets us early with green leaves, followed later by beautiful white flowers. In summer it’s growing clusters of reddish-orange berries, but it’s in winter, after it sheds its burden of leaves, when the tree truly shines, the berries appearing blood red against white snow and offering gorgeous color at a time of year that’s mostly grey and white.

Those berries also offer needed food to the birds in our area, like the cedar waxwings in the photo, that like the rest of us don’t take off for warmer parts once the snow flies. They can offer needed food to you, too, though reviews are mixed regarding the taste. While some varieties of mountain ash are supposed to feature somewhat sweeter berries, pay attention to that qualifier - because somewhat sweeter is only a little less bitter and tart that most of the berries you might try to nibble on. Just as the tree comes into its own in winter, however, so does its fruit—the berries are said to be more palatable after freezing.

The berries are generally considered safe to eat ‘raw,’ though they do contain small amounts of Prussic acid. If you find this worrisome, cooking will remove that danger and the berries are high in another acid you might be more comfortable with - Vitamin C. They also make really good wine. I think. I haven’t ever been offered any to drink, but “they” say that rowan wine is quite tasty. The Irish used the berries to flavor mead, while the Welsh would brew ale from them and the Scots, as the Scots do so well, would make liquor.

The berries’ adaptability to drink makes sense, given the mountain ash is less a tree than it is a rose - yep, all the Sorbus varieties are actually a member of the Rosacea family, which includes apples,

cherries, peaches and plums. Other “close” relatives to our lovely little Rowan are strawberries, cinquefoil, raspberries and quince.

As handy as those berries might be, people throughout the ages have found the wood to be just as beneficial. Rowan wood makes a fine bow, tool handle, or even a great bowl or plate. And as a tree that will coppice (will send out new shoots from a cut down stump), it’s also handy for firewood, though you’d have to cut down an awful lot of them to get through an Idaho winter. The bark is full of tannin and can be used to make a black dye.

While maybe not as practical, and a whole lot more superstitious, Rowan wood can also keep you safe from witches (“Rowan tree and red thread, leave the witches all in dread”) and prevent a child from being stolen by fairies. It’s also said a Rowan will never be struck by lightning; not surprising if, as the Finns believe, the god of lightning was its spouse.

With all this going for it, it’s understandable why we’re seeing more and more mountain ash being planted as part of individual and even city landscaping plans (Sandpoint has added a lot of them). If you’re thinking about adding one yourself, add two—while some varieties will self-pollinate, most need a second plant around to set fruit.

They’re a hardy tree and often grow well under another, larger tree, so it’s a plant particularly suited to shady areas of your yard. And because they’re hardy, you’ll be happy to know that aren’t particularly affected by disease or pest.

If you happen to live in the Sandpoint area and have a hankering for a mountain ash on your street, contact the city about their “Neighborwoods” program.

-Trish Gannon

Winter Break

The winter season is upon us and, while December has walked on stage with little fanfare, it’s still time to pull out the snow moving equipment and hunker down with all the indoor projects that were put off until this season. And once again, the River Journal will be going into hibernation until April.

Before we do, we’d like to thank all of you—both loyal readers and advertisers— who sent notes, emails and phone calls to let us know that you miss us when we’re gone, and who welcomed us eagerly when we returned last spring. When the work day drags into the wee hours of the morning, when the computer fights whatever we try to do, when the dollars never seem to stretch as far as we’d like— it’s your support that keeps us going. So thank you, from all of us.

There are several projects I hope to work on through the winter months, including figuring out what’s up with our website, and perhaps finally getting into print the last book written by Dennis Nicholls before his death, “Walking Into Winter,” a story of a long, unseasonable hike along the Missouri River. It’s just about ready to go, so for the many of you who have been waiting a longer time than you thought you would to read it, hang on just a little bit longer.

The Christmas tree is up in the living room (despite a wee accident in the woods where I managed to almost put a tree stump up my butt), and we here in the Gannon home are looking forward to the holidays. May each and every one of you have a very Merry Christmas (or a blessed whatever-holiday-you-celebrate), and arrive both safe and prosperous into the new year. See you in April!

Proud to Provide Environmentally Conscientious Construction and Consultation P.O. Box 118 • Hope, Idaho • 208.264.5621

December 2014| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 07| Page

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Pine Grosbeak:

A Bird in Hand Michael Turnlund

We live in a world where bigger is often perceived as better and this is expressed in many ways around us. For example, for a few extra cents we can super-size our meals at the local burger joint or double the size of our soda. SUVs are now more popular than sedans, though they might not have more seating capacity, and there are even clothing lines boldly dedicated to plus-sized women.

Yup, and everything’s even bigger in Texas demonstrating its superiority to all the other states! And thus we come to our bird of the month: the Pine grosbeak – the plus-sized finch. And what beauties they are.

Compared to the Andean condor the Pine grosbeak is not a big bird, but compared to the other finches it’s a biggie! Whereas we typically expect a finch to website be of similar size to a sparrow, Council at tristatecouncil.org.

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A plus-sized beauty!

the Pine grosbeak might challenge a Robin in length and weight. The size of this bird can be considered a field mark.

And it’s a bit rotund, or as one bird source describes it: “plump and heavy-chested.”

I can see it now: a store catering to the “plump and heavy-chested” man. Well, maybe not.

Along with its size, the most notable field mark for this bird is its coloration.

The male and female are quite distinctive from each other, though they share silhouettes. The male will stand out immediately in his pink and grey garb, though the pink can be more red in some individuals. The head, shoulders, back, and breast are of pinkish hues, which contrast with the grey of its belly, lower flanks, and undertail coverts. The tail and wings are dark grey or black with the wings having striking white wingbars. The female is equally distinctive, though typical of most female song birds her coloration is more camouflaged.

She trades the pink for grey, but then accents it with yellows or green-yellows on her head, upper back, and rump. And both birds look like they’re wearing dark oversized sunglasses.

The term grosbeak can be deceptive, as it suggests that this is a taxonomical term, such as the genus shnozus-maximus.

No. There are other birds called grosbeaks and few of them are related. Instead, the term simply indicates the obvious:

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these birds sport oversized beaks. These big beaks allow the various grosbeaks to exploit food sources that are too large for other similar-sized birds. And this is a third field mark: big bills! The male Pine grosbeak’s is dark grey; the female’s is light grey.

There birds are circumpolar in distribution and range across the boreal forests of North America and Eurasia. We just happen to be in the most southerly reaches of resident birds. As with many birds of the northern latitudes, many migrate south during the winter. That is why we are now seeing the Rough-legged hawk and the Northern shrike in our region. While the Pine grosbeak is a yearround resident here, populations might increase locally as some northern birds wander south for the winter. Nonetheless, this is not a common bird, but neither is it a rare bird. It is just not an everyday bird.

These birds tend to nest high in coniferous trees. The breeding birds will develop special pouches in their mouths in order to carry seeds to their young.

They are primarily fruit and seed eaters, though when summer comes no insect or spider will be safe. They also have the habit of drinking water every day, which in the winter means eating snow. Yes, they eat snow.

As I’ve written about other bird species, such as the Red crossbill, the Pine grosbeak is a bird I rarely find; it always finds me. Encounters are always happenstance. But I treasure those encounters. I really like this bird.

So there you have it: the Pine grosbeak – plump, but in a Rubenesque sort of way!

And how many pink birds, this side of a flamingo, do you know? Well, you got one as a neighbor, if you can find ‘em! Happy birding!

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Two doors west of the Hope Post Office

I Buy Batteries Ron Powell

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

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 07|December 2014

The Game Trail

Matt Haag

It’s that time of year for all of us to slow down and enjoy our families this holiday season. Yes, that includes your Conservation Officers as well.

We’re wrapping up cases from the fall, winterizing equipment, and getting reacquainted with our families. Don’t get your hopes up though; we’re still out and about looking for people who abuse our resources.

Deer hunting has been pretty great so far, with only two days left in the season as I write this article. With the end of most hunting seasons it’s extremely important, and a sportsman’s duty, to accurately report your harvest data.

Hunters are urged to file mandatory hunter reports as early as possible and are required by law to complete within 10 days of the end of your hunt. Mandatory hunter reports are web-based this year; most hunters did not get paper copies to send back. Web-based digital reporting is cheaper, more accurate, and results are available sooner. All deer, elk and pronghorn hunters must file a report for each tag issued within 10 days of harvest or within 10 days of the close of the season for which their tag was valid. If you’re the type that doesn’t like or own a computer you can now also file hunter reports with a live phone operator tollfree 1-877-268-9365, 24 hours a day.

Need a little motivation to complete your hunter harvest report? If you file within 10 days of your season closing, you are automatically entered into a special drawing for an extra elk, deer or pronghorn tag.

Hunters will need their hunting license or tag number. To submit the harvest report online go to: http://bit. ly/1vMvD0E. Or go to fishandgame. idaho.gov and click on the orange Hunter Report logo below the photo. You will be asked to enter the number of days hunted in each game management unit and hunting season; the date of any harvest and the unit it was taken in; the sex, and number of points on each side of antlers or length of pronghorn horns in inches;

It’s Slow Down Time

and the type of weapon used.

Also, remember that trapping season is upon us. During trapping season I receive quite a few calls from concerned folks regarding traps and their children and pets. Here are few tips to protect against an accidental capture. First, have a good understanding of the trapping seasons.

In our neck of the woods the majority of trapping occurs from November through March depending on the style of trapping. Be sure to know who owns the property, and if it’s private ask the owner if they allowing trapping or know if anyone is trapping on the property.

Public land such as the state of Idaho, Forest Service, and BLM ground is all open to legal trapping so just assume that there could be traps around if you are recreating on the land. Control your dogs, state law does not allow dogs to be at large running through the countryside.

It only takes common sense to realize that dogs running at large, even if you are accompanying them, can have detrimental effects on wildlife during winter, especially elk and deer.

If you do come across traps with your children or pets, simply trace your tracks back out and leave the area if you are concerned. Some of the types of traps that you will come across will be foot hold traps, bodying gripping traps (conibears), and snares. Do some research on those type of traps and learn how to manipulate the traps to release your pets.

I know that I have mentioned this topic before but it’s worth repeating.

This time of year I get numerous calls regarding landowners upset that someone has dumped game parts in their field, or worse yet, driveway. Folks, let’s try to be more considerate about how and where we dump our animals parts after we have processed the animal. What really makes my blood boil are the folks that have garbage bags and tarps wrapped around their deer carcass when they pitch it along side of the road. Not only is it littering but it makes all of us responsible sportsmen look bad. Take the carcass up into the hills where no one can see it, or take it to the dump.

It’s time to put away the hunting equipment and reflect on another season’s experiences and memories in the field. For those who didn’t get enough there’s always some good late season waterfowl hunts, and archery hunts.

Hopefully there will be some weather to get some decent ice going, so dust of those rods and augers! For me… I’m off to

take the bow for a walk and see if I can’t find an elk.

On behalf of the Sandpoint District Conservation Officers we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We hope that you and yours will have a warm house filled with laughter.

Don’t forget to get those 2015 hunting and fishing license before the New Year, they went on sale Dec 1st. What a great Christmas present for that sportsman in the family! Leave no Child Outside. . . it’s cold out there!!

WATCH US GROW!

Majestic Landscaping Supplies in Annie’s Orchard is pleased to announce our new garden center is opening in the spring of 2015. Yes, we are growing again! We are currently moving all the nursery inventory and greenhouses from Antelope Mountain Supply in Clark Fork out to Majestic Landscaping Supply’s location.

Don and Dianna from Antelope Mountain will still be offering automotive parts and powder coating service for their customers. We look forward to seeing you all in the spring of 2015. Majestic Landscaping Supplies, offering a variety of garden and landscaping products. Please visit our website at anniesorchard.com or give us a call. Terry & Carole

Hwy 200 1 mile west of Clark Fork • 208-266-1245

December 2014| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 07| Page

FROM THE FILES OF THE RIVER JOURNAL’S

Surrealist Research Bureau Underwear for the Deaf!

(A Private History of a Campaign That Failed)

208.263.4272

Don’t miss our 27th annual

Arts & Crafts Fair!

Friday through Sunday December 12 - 14

27 Vendors!

Offering unique & special gifts

Wooden toys, Candles Wreaths, Soaps, Knits, Hats Collectibles , Art Work, Cards & MUCH MORE!

My long struggle to drag Bonner County kicking and screaming into the 21st Century has come to a disappointing end. In analyzing my failed write-in campaign last November for Mayor of Clark Fork, a number of major and minor missteps were made on my behalf and it may behoove future candidates or historians to take heed from them.

To begin with, our slogan, Underwear For The Deaf, did not seem to resonate well with the voters; some even claimed it was a none-too-subtle excuse to plaster Clark Fork with posters of scantily clad women in lingerie. In retrospect we should have included a deaf male or two among them. Too many of these risque posters were taken down as souvenirs by our less honest citizen comrades, so we quickly moved to our Plan B slogan, “Clark Fork Uber Alles!”

Now, admittedly, a lot of older veterans took umbrage at these words but the loudest clamor seemed to be over the

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Jody Forest

poster itself, in which I appeared to have a greatly trimmed mustache and though it may have seemed I was giving a fascist salute I was really caught innocently hailing a cab. A poor choice of photos on my part.

Now, my main campaign issue, Alpha Ralpha Boulevard, was perceived by many to be downright wasteful, a 500foot high freeway running the length of the bypassed town, but I consistently promised that the 5-6 billion dollar estimated cost would be financed solely through lottery winnings and that no public money would be needed other than the original $10,000 or so needed to buy the first seed batch of tickets. I may be mistaken, but I believe it was in Cordwainer Smith’s “Ballad of Lost C’mell” that Cat-Girl C’mell first met one of the enigmatic Lords of the Instrumentality atop the milehigh abandoned freeway Alpha Ralpha Boulevard which led to the freedom of the Underpeople. To commemorate this I proposed that the Clark Fork City Council be renamed “Lords of the Instrumentality,” a proposal greeted with dumb blank stares and sheep or bovinelike incomprehension.

Spreading rumors that the present mayor had been convicted of dogf___ing was also, in retrospect, a poor move; however I was going by LBJ’s famous quote, “hell, I’m not accusing my opponent of dogf___ing, I just want him to go around on the record denying it!”

The greatest mistake of my campaign however, was simply not even checking to see if the Mayor’s office was on the ballot this year. It wasn’t, and for that I blame my staff.

Finally, to the lamestream media which so totally ignored the thousands of volunteers swarming to heed my trumpets’ call to figurative arms, to you I say farewell because gentlemen this is my last press release! You won’t have Jody Forest to kick around any more (Unless I decide to run again, in which I thank you in advance for your support!)

So, with the vermouth-lipped duck of doubt slowly roasting in my oven of truth, I bid you adieu. Keep spreading the word; Soylent Green is People!

All Homage to Xena!

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 07|December 2014

The Scenic Route Sandy Compton

Snow. It’s arrived, which is not a surprise, unless you have also just arrived from warmer places. If so, you have my sympathy. Welcome to Montida, a state of imagination with little representation in any capital anywhere. Winter will last another four months; maybe five, if you count April, which I wouldn’t count out.

A family album stored somewhere on this old farm/woodlot/hideout shows young boys dressed in their Easter best peering out from between three-foot snow banks.

Just sayin’.

Golden Canine and I went for a walk through the new layer of white, which he sticks his nose in and ploughs through. GC loves snow. I do also, at times in my life when I have skis on and no connection whatsoever to a shovel or the $@^#$@& snow blower, for which I have not much love, as you might guess.

I do, however, love reading the woods after a snowfall.

Chapter 1: Avies Triad tracks of wild turkeys meander through my west wood; three times as big as those of ruffed grouse, but roughly the same shape. Turkeys run before they fly.

Grouse explode into the air at the least provocation, which GC is happy to supply.

Chapter 2: Prey mammalia.

Mice leave tiny squares of tiny tracks leaping through the snow. Walking — scurrying might better describe it — they

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Reading the Woods cut a groove with their tails.

Squirrels don’t really scurry, they bound, leaving larger quadrangles and leading GC a merry chase. He hasn’t caught one yet. I can’t say the same about the mice.

And, those aren’t rabbits. Rabbits are lagamorphus pentalagus, bunolagus, nesolagus, romerolagus, brachylagus, sylvilagus, oryctolagus or poelagus and have been domesticated. Snowshoe hares are lagamorphus lepus and have not. Is that clear? No? Wild hares, with longer legs, longer ears and shorter lives that rabbits, galumph through my woods. A gaggle. A bunch. A herd. Whatever a gathering of hares is called. Besides “lunch.” (We’ll get to that.) They are now white. GC can smell them, but he can’t see them. Nor can I, very often.

Chapter 3: Carnivores A coyote single-footed up the old road today, following the same morning path it took yesterday, and probably the day before that. It is a creature of habit, out on its rounds. I’ve seen its tracks in the same vein many times before. Coyote is an opportunistic, deliberate hunter. It caught a grouse this morning.

GC, on the other hand — being an enthusiastic domestic dog — charges around after every smell and odd sound.

There is no mistaking his big, sloppy tracks for the coyote’s precise tread, but the uninitiated might confuse dog for cat.

Dogs tracks show their claws. Cat tracks don’t — unless the cat is in a big hurry.

Speaking of cats, lynx rufus crossed through the east wood today; daintyfooted slayer of grouse, mice, squirrels and lagamorphus lepus. Like its larger cousin, lynx, bobcat loves snowshoe hares, but not quite as exclusively. I often see their winter tracks but I can count on

one hand and a few fingers the times I’ve seen them in the flesh. It’s good to know they’re here, though; reassuring to know that humans are not so in charge of the planet that all other predators are gone.

Creatures without competition get lazy, fat and complacent.

Just sayin’. Again.

Chapter 4: Ungulates The moose and elk haven’t arrived yet, but there’s an extra-large whitetail buck around. Don’t get excited; hunting season is near over and my Sis has been out with her can of orange spray paint to help assure his survival. His dewclaws dig in and he drags his big front feet a bit, particularly his left one, leaving grooves in the snow between hoof-prints. He often walks in deliberate, straight lines, but today he took a small detour, a 15-footlong curve out to the edge of the road along the riverbank, where he stopped a moment and shuffled his feet. What was he thinking? Whatever it was, he returned to his original trajectory, moving with purpose. A bit later, he left the road for the snow-laden brush. I didn’t follow.

His does and their spring fawns — not many — meander up, down and across the road with less intent than Mr. Big. By their tracks, they are jumpy and given to sudden flight. It’s hard to tell how many there are, but maybe they like it that way.

It keeps us carnivores confused a bit.

Snow. “Schney,” the Russians call it, with a chopped-off ending, like there’s only half a “y,” or some final letter we don’t have in our alphabet — entirely possible. It’s a new page in the woods, with its own alphabet, waiting to be read by those who care to read it. And it’s a much better thing to do than associate with the $@^#$@& snow blower.

Sandy Compton is author of Side Trips From Cowboy: Addiction, Recovery and the Western Myth and other books; available at Vanderfords, the Corner Book Store, Common Knowledge, sidetripsfromcowboy. com and bluecreekpress.com.

The American Heritage Wildlife Foundation will be holding a Christmas Party from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Pend d’Oreille Winery on Dec. 18. Stop in and celebrate the season with us!

December 2014| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 07| Page

Elks Tournament and Veterans Choice Veterans’ News Wow, November turned out to be a real barn-burner of a month. It began with the results of the mid-term elections on the 4th with the GOP touting their ‘national mandate’ when only about 36.3 percent of all eligible voters nationwide went to the polls – a truly abysmal turnout not seen since 1942! It truly makes me sad that I was correct when I said that the turnout would be low. Even I, being the cynical old bastard I am, didn’t think it would be that low. It is truly amazing to me that Blood Red Idaho produced a higher voter turnout (39.1 percent) than New York or California (28.8 percent and 31.8 percent respectively). And, even more amazing Idaho elected one more Democrat to the Idaho House over an incumbent Republican!

It is apparent to me that once again the vast majority of voters stayed home. Now we have to figure out ‘why’?

Another thing that is apparent to me is that, once again, Idaho’s veterans failed to vote in their own best interests. How else can anyone explain the fact that Representative Labrador and Senator Risch were re-elected by wide margins? Neither one of these two ‘gentlemen’ has ever done a thing for any veteran unless they were given absolutely no other options. Neither of them has ever served a day in military service and it shows. I ask all veterans to look at the voting records of their elected representatives and decide if those individuals truly support our veterans and deserve to be elected.

Two things happened almost simultaneously just after the election. The new Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Bob McDonald, was confirmed and immediately made it known that over one thousand bureaucrats were on a list to be fired for their parts in the fiasco that was the VA Administration. Secretary McDonald, West Point graduate and proud alumnus of the 82nd Airborne, promised to make access to VA programs and benefits much easier and to reduce the hassle that veterans faced in getting answers to their questions and problems. He presents his case well and I for one am eager to see him succeed.

The second thing that happened was I received a phone call from Hal Vosen just before Veterans Day. He had read the October article where I called into question the program being

Gil Beyer

run by the Guardian Foundation out of CDA. Hal told me that of all the money that was raised by the golf tournament at the Elks Course in Ponderay not one dime came to Bonner County. I’ve since learned that Hal was in error. It seems that all of the veterans organizations in Bonner & Boundary counties were invited to participate in this event sponsored by the Sandpoint Elks Lodge but only five organizations chose to do so. The organizations that did participate: Sandpoint VVA; Sandpoint Marine Corps League; Sandpoint American Legion; Sandpoint VFW; and the Guardian Foundation shared in the $12,875.06 net proceeds from the event. Each organization received a percentage of the proceeds based on a couple of criteria such as the level of their participation in gathering sponsors. By all reports the event was a big success and the revenue received will help the organizations that participated provide more services to their members.

Information that I received from the Elks Lodge showed that participants received the following amounts from the event: Sandpoint VVA - $2780.20; Sandpoint Marine Corps League $1684.97; Sandpoint American Legion - $374.44; Sandpoint VFW - $3650.77; and the Guardian Foundation - $4384.67.

I still retain my reservations about the Guardian Foundation but they did participate as requested and therefore earned their share of the pie. There is an old joke around that says that in order to win the lottery one first must first buy a ticket!

Lastly, I hope that by now every eligible veteran has received their Veterans Choice Card. I received mine in early November and it gives eligible veterans access to local medical services – with pre-approval from the VA – if they live more than 40 miles from a VA facility. Since just about every north Idaho veteran lives more than 40 miles from the Spokane VA Hospital I believe that this may be of great benefit to regional veterans.

The only thing that I need to clarify is what impact – if any – the VA clinic in Ponderay has on this program. A phone call to the Ponderay VA clinic revealed that this program is still very much a work in progress. Apparently, no one locally has a firm grasp on the details. It seems that if it is something that the clinic can handle – flu shots, et cetera – vets should go through the clinic.

If it is a medical or mental health need that cannot be obtained within 30 days in the Spokane facility and a local provider can be found, it is likely that the service can be approved. It is, as I said before, a work in progress. Any questions should be referred to Kim Waller, the Rural Health Coordinator, at the Spokane VA facility (509 434 7533). Ms. Waller is tasked with making this new program work and to help regional veterans get the services they need.

“Ernie Hawks has the gift of sharing his wilderness experience and spiritual insight in a way that nourishes the soul of his readers. This is more than a collection of adventures. It is a book of spiritual inspiration.”

Marilyn Muelbach, former Chair of Unity Worldwide Ministries

Every Day is a High Holy Day Available in local bookstores, on Amazon.com and on Kindle

Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 07|December 2014

The Hawk’s Nest Ernie Hawks

What a difference a year makes. One year ago on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving we learned my wife Linda had cancer in her parotid gland. She needed immediate surgery, the second in four days, and then there would be weeks of treatment including radiation and chemo.

Last week Linda had her 12-month follow-up PET scan and it was negative.

There was quite a bit of celebrating going in our neck of the woods One would think there would be no comparison between this year and last.

Yet while the cloud of cancer hung over our heads, we were surrounded by wonderful loving family and friends. This year, we were surrounded by wonderful loving family and friends. Isn’t it interesting how similar and how different each holiday was.

Yet it is different. I hope to never go through this again but I am sure we are clearer about what is important to each of us because of the experience. Like so many life experiences we are stronger now. Each of us is, in our commitment to life and in our commitment to love of each other.

Early on in the journey we talked about how inadequate our language is at times - and how changing. When people ask how we are doing and we would say okay, it almost didn’t feel real - not honest. And yet, we were okay for that moment and that day. How our experience changes our sense of being and description.

There was a sadness we felt, at times just below the surface and at other times very deep. We believe strongly in the power of positive thinking, so it feels like something that can be perceived as negative, like getting cancer, is a failure.

Even in traditional Christianity there are those who believe cancer and other diseases are punishment for “something deemed to be bad.” My belief, however, is God, Spirit, Universal Intelligence is benevolent and not vengeful and that being human is an experiment in becoming the greatest expression of Spirit that we can manifest. So each experience is an opportunity to learn and grow. Sometimes the lessons are easy and others ...well, not so much!

Linda had toyed with the idea of not telling any more people than necessary, maybe due to some embarrassment and feeling very vulnerable. Then we saw a Ted Talk about “coming out.” And in it,

Grateful Reflections the presenter talked about “coming out” as not just being a LGBT related issue, but also cancer, mental illness and physical and neurological diseases, birth defects, Autism Spectrum Disorders, etc. The more we hide, the more we support the notion that there is something “wrong” with those of us having that experience... and/or their families.

So that pretty much cemented the decision to share. She knew it might create sadness or discomfort for others, but that is part of being human and in relationships, however those might be defined.

On some level we all know we are mortal and that we will physically die, or transform into our soul self and leave the physical body behind, or go to Heaven or whatever you know to be true for yourself. The night we got the call that the tumor was malignant, we hit the brick wall of mortality and bounced back with a few stars spinning and a temporary loss of some level of consciousness. The stars were fear, anxiety, “Why us, this wasn’t in the plan” - then the wall appeared like a sponge trying to suck us in and we said “No!” Then, one night Linda had an image of the wall as a weaving, loosely done of blue and white sparkling fibers allowing a gentle, graceful exit when the time comes - and one that will gently bounce us back until it’s really time.

Someone once wrote, “Before enlightenment you chop wood and haul water. After enlightenment, you chop wood and haul water”... or something like that. And after cancer, you chop wood and haul water, and do laundry and go to radiation and get chemo and rest and meditate and stretch and walk and play with and hold family, grandkids and love and DO LIFE each day the best you can.

Spirit is so powerful and good!

Whenever we could we went for walks in the bright winter sun and the wind, it was amazing. As we trekked through a dense Doug fir woods laden with vibrant green moss, there was the smell of mustiness from the earth and it was peaceful and quiet. We love being out in the wind and just letting it blow away anything we no longer need. It could bring us both out of any funk we may have had.

Linda changed her whole perception of what chemo and radiation are. Often people talk about them as poisons. We believe if we think of them as poisons going into the body, then the body will be poisoned. That doesn’t seem like a

good choice. We also believe the Divine is in everything and everyone and we are all connected. So if the Divine created everything then the chemo and radiation are Divine energy and are external healing forces connecting with her internal healing ability—so how can it not be successful? While she did not escape without any side effects, they were not as extreme as we have heard they can be.

This may not resonate with everyone, but I felt like I wanted to share it.

After nearly three month of treatment we were done. We had grown accustomed to the daily routine, seeing the techs and the other cast of professionals who supported this journey. Much to Linda’s surprise she felt some sadness when it all ended.

The doctor said that was common, and she was shifting from the active treatment phase - where you are “doing” something - to survivorship, where you get to figure out how to integrate this whole thing into your life. There is even a survivorship plan… all printed out in black and white with lots of details about the diagnosis, treatment and followup. So there, it’s easy; it’s in black and white and in neat boxes, columns and rows! Time to chop wood, haul water and do life.

As Linda pondered being a survivor, she realized she already was one. We all are survivors. All of us have survived and perhaps even thrived after overcoming challenges in our lives. Dysfunctional families, broken hearts, name calling, failures, the death of loved ones, divorce, lost friendships; the list can go on and on.

The process has hopefully allowed us to open up to new aspects of ourselves, new learnings and ways to be more of who we came here to be. The ability to love more, have more compassion, for ourselves and others and strengthen our relationships.

Linda said, “I know for me that my faith and spiritual foundation has deepened and become ever more important to my being as I have moved through my life.

To understand that perhaps kindness to myself and others is the most important value to hold on to. You can’t tell by looking what challenge someone may be holding in their heart. I have found that my choice to be conscious about my life has not always been easy, but it has always been rewarding, as long as I am patient enough to allow what I need to know unfold.”

Continued on next page

December 2014| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 07| Page

Kathy’s Faith Walk Kathy Osborne

For the last several weeks my Faith Walk has had me noodling around in the book of Psalms. I love it there. Psalms has such imagery and such passion. It is a book of worship to God the Creator and a love song to his creation. But it is the holiday season and at this time of the year a person of faith often stops their usual devotion plan to delve into the Christmas story. My favorite account is in the book of Luke in the Bible. Here we meet all the characters in the Christmas story and learn a little bit more about them. We learn where they are all from and what God has been doing in each of their lives, all of which will impact the entire world before it is over.

We meet Mary, the mother of Jesus. She is believed to have been only a teenager when God sent an angel to dispatch the revelation that she would bear the Son of God. She is the virgin she herself has read about in Isaiah 7:14, the one to whom Messiah will be born. We meet Elizabeth, cousin to Mary. Elizabeth, who had been barren, now given the task of bearing a child who from his youth would proclaim the coming of the Messiah, his own cousin, Jesus. We meet the shepherds out in the field tending

Hawk’s Nest - Cont’d from page 9

Linda did not expect this cancer diagnosis to end her life, and neither did I. By not wanting this experience to dominate our life we are practicing not allowing fear of recurrence to dominate our world and how to weave this experience into the fabric of life. A life as partners, as parents, as grandma and grandpa, as professionals, as friends, lovers of music and the arts, ones who cares about the world and human rights, who love being outdoors and in nature in all of the seasons.

So, the journey continues. As I look outside the snow is melting, the breeze is blowing through the trees, clouds and sunshine … all the diversity and richness of life coexisting in the moment, while looking forward to the continuing unfolding of each day.

Namaste. Blessings to you as we all celebrate endings and new beginnings.

Season of Good News

flocks of sheep when they receive a midnight message straight from Heaven complete with too many angels to count.

We meet Zechariah who gets his ability to talk restored after the birth of his son, an event he didn’t believe God could bring to pass. And we meet Jesus, a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, likely shreds of priestly garments destined to be burned in the great lamp posts inside the walls of Jerusalem, giving light to the entire city.

Each year, churches all over the world will read this account from Luke 7 and its sister scripture Isaiah 9. It will be memorized and recited by young children as they giggle and wiggle on stages before their adoring parents, grandparents, and Sunday school teachers. This passage will be written in articles and Christmas cards, sent over radio waves and on the internet from one believer to another, and to unbelievers so they can know the Good News: “Unto us a child is born. Unto us a son is given. And the government shall be upon his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.” (Isaiah 9:6 & 7) “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today, in the town of David,

is born a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

This will be a sign unto you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to men of good will.” (Luke 2:8-14) This Good News is for all of us, not just the Bible characters. Their lives and ours are written into this salvation story of Jesus, a king who would die to redeem his creation. We can read about what they did with the Good News. The question now is... what will we do with it?

Have a very blessed Hanukkah and Christmas.

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Page 10 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 07|December 2014

Scott Clawson

acresnpains@dishmail.net In an all out effort to blow even more time than I already do, can or could on Facebook and email linkages, I decided to check out Twitter to see if I was perhaps missing out on anything more important than, say, Kim Kardashian’s daily underwear.

Off the top of my head, this decision stemmed from two things. The first one, the name, got me to get out my six pound Webster’s for its unbridled definition of ‘twitter’. The sautéed version basically reduced to this: to chirp rapidly, chatter, giggle, or to tremble with excitement.

Also to blather in a rapid, tremulous manner expressive of agitation. With what little I see of Fox News, I get enough of that already.

The second thing triggering my curiosities were the recurring, ear popping sounds after news anchors deliver these: “In response to what Putin said, the President tweeted…”, “The Pope, today, in a tweet…”, “In a post coital tweet, Arnold Schwa…”, et al. I was amazed that I could conceivably rub technological elbows with such astute and influential people! But why? And where would that get me? Or them?

I can almost see how it (Twitter) could be useful, aside from just another way to display nonessential adverts, subliminally or with nipples. But everything I’ve ever seen as useful somehow gets morphed into something more banal, bound up or even dangerously stupid (like mob rule). MTV quickly comes to mind for morphing, Fox News for banality, Congress for bound up, as does the fact that I have a hard time finding matches

with which to light my woodstove on cold mornings due to the meth epidemic.

Ferguson, Missouri suffices for dangerous.

The end result is that pretty soon any good idea gets watered down or hamstrung to the point of being useless to those who first thought it nifty or cool. So I dug in that direction like the shoveling fool I am, without actually getting my feet wet.

Since childhood, I’ve felt (or known) the proclivities of modern men, women and anything in between are mostly the direct result of chain reaction, similar to (and also the matrix of) ‘rumor control’, Madison Avenue and substance abuse.

“He said”, “she said” (wah, wah), “Hey! Buy this!”, “Pssst, hey man, try some of these!” and so on until you hear the explosion of your patience going flat, then the squeaky hinge of your liquor cabinet opening. Sometimes we all need to just shut up and think.

So I Googled “who tweets?”, got bored with that, tried “who stops?” and was rewarded to find out about half who join, quit! Quite a percentage, to be sure.

Why? “Not for me,” wrote some. “This is SOOO stu…!” or “I don’t have time for this shi…!” wrote others. “My boss made me quit (or else!),” from still more. Or, from a smart phone, “Just got kicked outa my house! THANKS, Twitter!”

I was all the more intrigued by how and why important people would still “use” (oh, there it is) such a social media site to sell one’s self. Having a clue as to how the really important people roll, I suspect they have ‘people’ who take care of all this and only confer with their

handler when it’s deemed necessary. If King Kong were still with us, would he be tweetin’? Not with those fingers, he’d have Fay do it.

It’s safe to assume that some of the ‘job creation’ of late stems from new positions described on paper or screen as, “Twitter accountant,” “Keeper of the Tweets,” “Twitter sifter,” or just “Twitter Sitter.” Or, militarily, “The Office of Tweet Adjutant.”

Just part of the show I guess. How the world turns these days, as well as my stomach. But don’t we have enough manure in our environment already? (dig, dig, digging some more) It seems the American dream is to waste more time and spread yourself out like so much manure across the vast effluvial plain which also seems the global venue to invest in. This is just my own fermentation of all the stuff I sponged up while working in that direction. I’ll try another just to clear my head.

To treat my face to a smile, I enter: ‘Examples of stupid tweets’ purely out of respect for all the stupid ‘Posts’ I scan through daily, as journalism spelled sideways is ‘to dig,’ or ‘to drink,’ depending.

Bingo!

Out of these multiple choices, I picked on “Dumbest Tweets Ever” and after an hour or so, had to strike up a conversation with a new bottle of Christian Brothers.

Then I hit on ‘15 Examples of Stupid People on Twitter’ (birds of a feather).

Then simply, ‘Stupid People on

Twitter’, ‘Stupid Tweets on Tumblr’, and ‘Images of Stupid Tweets’.

Oy vey (the Danish/Swedish version- ‘something just kicked me in the head’)!

Remorse, raising the hairs on the back of my neck, reminded me what time it was, so I treated my face to a quick cold shower this time and tried one more (it really is addictive), ‘Famous Cases of Stupid Tweets’ where I became acquainted with the not-so-fine art of stupidly losing smart jobs. Talk about remorse!

After a suitable period of couch rehab (with my head under Roy Blount Jr.’s Book of Southern Humor) then waking up out of a dream Rod Serling was hosting, “Welcome to the TwitterZone.

Tonight we’ll take you on a journey to a place of unimaginable…”poof! What? Unimaginable what? Dang it all, you can never get ‘em back once your eyes open.

Noting the fast approaching deadline for this publication, indeed it had done approached and was waving goodbye, my last chance in 2014 to make some kind of difference in the world, I looked for a little more grist to grind.

To refocus, I tried on “Pros and cons of Twitter.”

“Surely your friends are all there, just waiting for you to join in the fun and…” a general remark I encountered more than once while digging. I also noticed some fins in the water; MLM’s (multilevel marketeering), trollers, bullies, trackers, hackers, pedophiles, debaters, nitpickers, and double-sphinctered peckerwoods. The list goes on to even include old classmates who seem to recall every stupid thing you might have said back in 1967!

When I regained consciousness, a couple days later, my head was ringing and so was the phone, “Where the hell’s yer story?”

“Almost there! I was out for a bit, wife thought she might have to have me put down, by the look on my face!”

So, to button-up, do I need, want, or really have to tweet?

Not in this lifetime!

On the side though, never while roughing out a cartoon have I seen so many different options of characters and settings with the same punch line.

I, of course, picked the one most banal.

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Page 12 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 07|December 2014

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