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July 2014 | FREE | www.RiverJournal.com
All Seasons Garden & Floral
31831 Hwy 200 Sandpoint Open Daily Monday-Saturday 9 to 6 Sunday 10 to 4 208.265.2944
Rodeo At the Bonner County Fairgrounds August 15-16 • 7 pm
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Fine Jewelry & Collectibles
Check Out Our Red, White & Blue Sale! Special prices on diamonds & sapphires
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Celebrating 50 Years of
Cabinet Mountains
Wilderness! FRIENDS OF
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Working for WILDERNESS
July 11, 12 and 13
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Stop in at our local Sears for the best BBQ, then visit Yoke’s for the food to cook on it! Bonner Mall - your source for great summer deals! Don’t miss the Red, White & Blue sale going on through the month at Sayer’s Jewelers. And stop in at PetCo for summer treats for your pets! •DOLLAR TREE •HIDEAWAY LOUNGE •JC PENNEY •LES SCHWAB •MEYERS SPORT TEES •PARIS HAIR DESIGNS •PIZZA HUT •PETCO •SANDPOINT FURNITURE •SAYERS JEWELERS •SEARS •SEW ‘N VAC •SMOKERS EXPRESS •STAPLES •VAPOR DEPOT •YOKE’S FRESH MARKET
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ATHE NewsRIVER Magazine Worth JOURNAL Wading Through ~just going with the flow~ www.RiverJournal. com•208.255.6957
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13. CELEBRATING WILDERNESS The definitive list for how, where and when to celebrate 50 years of the Wilderness Act this summer.
4. FOLLOWING THE CODE Communities catch up with the urban farming craze. 6. CLASS IS OPEN County fairs offer the chance to showcase your talents
14. CALENDAR
7. A SECOND CHANCE Nancy counsels those who lost plants to hail to not despair - there’s still a second chance for garden goodness this year. GET GROWING
15. DAMNATION CREEK Yet another vacation meant yet another hiking trail for Ernie. Guess how this one got its name? THE HAWK’S NEST.
8. AMERICAN REDSTART Mike says this elusive beauty is worth looking for, but keep the bug spray handy. A BIRD IN HAND
16. ANGELS IN OUR MIDST Sometimes your ‘angels’ send messages you don’t recognize at first. GARY’S FAITH WALK
9. GOIN’ OFF ROAD Matt gives an overview of how and when you can go into the woods with a motor. THE GAME TRAIL
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 10. THINKING ABOUT RIMBAUD (PT 1) An exploration of unknown (in their and is distributed in over 16 communities time) poets. in Sanders County, Montana, and Bonner, SURREALIST RESEARCH BUREAU Boundary and Kootenai counties in Idaho. The River Journal is printed on 40 percent recycled paper with soy- 12. A ROUNDUP OF NEWS Keeping area vets up to date on based ink. We appreciate your local happenings efforts to recycle.
VETERANS’ NEWS
17. UNPLUGGED In this blast from the past, Sandy reminds us why it’s important for kids to grow up wild. THE SCENIC ROUTE 18. KEEP THE CHANGE Scott pays a big price for being too quick to pay attention to safety. SCOTT CLAWSON
George Eskridge (A SEAT IN THE HOUSE) is on vacation this month, but look for him in the next issue!
Cover: Photo by Trish Gannon of Rosalie the goat, and two sheep (Lunch and Dinner) up at Huckleberry Tent and Breakfast in Clark Fork.
Guaranteed by Mother Nature
Cedar Outlet
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July 2014| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 03| Page
Following the Code
Communities Respond to Backyard Farming While reading a story with my almost two-year-old granddaughter Lyric, I was enchanted with the adorable pronunciation she gives to the word, ‘goat.’ “You should get Lyric a goat,” I told her mother, but I was only kidding. A week later, Misty called to tell me about the goat she had found to buy, and her plan to keep it at my house. “Oh no,” I said. “I don’t want a goat.” I have had goats before, you see, and understand they are more work than I am prepared for. “But it will mow your grass,” she replied, and the thought of staying on top of the tall, mosquito-infested grass in what David named ‘the forbidden zone,’ had me momentarily intrigued. “The problem is,” I told her, “Clark Fork doesn’t allow goats.” “Really?” she replied, surprised. “Because Sandpoint does.” It was my turn to be surprised. If any town in this area would allow goats, I would expect it to be Clark Fork, with its more rural flair. And that led me into an exploration of the various rules and regulations that cover backyard livestock in our area. Urban farming is becoming a trend nationwide as people seek to gain more control over the food they eat. Food recalls due to contamination and illnesses, growing bacteria contamination in storebought food (In a January, 2014 story, Consumer Reports shared that 94 percent— 94 percent!—of the chicken breasts they purchased at stores “harbored harmful gut bacteria” that can make you ill. Even chicken labeled organic!), concern over unknown ingredients—even the “food miles” associated with food purchased at the grocery store have all led to an increased interest in people producing their own food for consumption. From vegetable gardens to keeping chickens for eggs or bees for honey, more and more people who don’t live on a farm are
adopting a ‘farming-lite’ lifestyle, and municipalities are racing to respond. And not just small towns; the Worldwatch Institute, which calls chickens the “mascot” for the “buy local movement,” points out that big cities like Los Angeles and Chicago have ordinances that allow, at least in some measure, for farm animals to be raised in the city. While we might not be as large as LA or Chicago, our local area is also responding to the trend. The city of Sandpoint has developed a remarkably flexible set of codes for those seeking an urban farm lifestyle, and Bonner County (near the end of June) modified its “suburban zone” ordinance to allow for greater flexibility for residents looking to add livestock to their backyard. Even Clark Fork, with its formerly intransigent “no livestock, period” rules, adopted an ordinance this April allowing for the raising of backyard chickens and rabbits. If the thought of property codes determining what you can and cannot do with animals on your own property sets your teeth on edge, bear in mind that codes are designed with three purposes in mind: responsible animal ownership, respect for one’s neighbors, and a recognition of how your activities may burden the municipality in question. For Bonner County, the codes in question are Title 12 (Land Use Regulations), and they can be found online at http://tinyurl.com/kqehxra. If you live in the Sandpoint city limits, read through Title 5 (Police Regulations), online at http://tinyurl.com/create.php, with density restrictions found in Title 9. Clark Fork’s ordinances are not available online, but you can stop by City Hall in the morning hours and visit with Nina or Amber to find out what you need to know. In fact, if you’re truly interested in raising animals within city limits anywhere, a visit to the appropriate city offices is a smart idea.
Responsible
If you’re ready to jump on the backyard animal bandwagon, it’s important that you do your research, and understand the needs of the animal you might be interested in keeping (as well
as your community’s regulations about them). The reality is that most city lots are simply not big enough for raising more than a few chickens or rabbits, and it’s cruel to the animal to keep it in an area too small to meet its needs. Any animal you keep will need to be fed and watered, and storing that feed will be crucial if you want to keep predators out of your yard. Chicken feed (like cat food and dog food) is a mighty tempting snack for the local skunks, as well as our town-habituated deer and moose. While you might find it cute to see a deer or moose munching lunch out of your feed bin, these are wild animals that present a host of dangers to town dwellers and their other pets. The vet bill to repair your dog after he’s been kicked by a moose will be shocking, I promise you. Appropriate housing for your chosen livestock is also important, particularly at night. While a cougar might not be willing to come into town for a late-night chicken snack, a raccoon, already there, will find your chickens quite tasty indeed, and poultry slaughtered by raccoons is not a pretty sight to wake up to in the morning. Don’t ask me how I know this. Other animals have different needs you must be prepared to meet. A goat kept for milk, for example, must be milked twice a day, regardless of whether you want to sleep in, or had to stay late at work. Backyard farmers will learn quickly that farming is a lot of work, and demands a commitment that cannot be ignored. While a back yard can’t compare to a full-sized farm, any backyard animal keeper will quickly develop a greater appreciation for the hard work that farmers do. Give some thought, as well, to what you will do with these animals if the time comes you don’t want to keep them anymore, or in the event of their death. Dead goats can’t be tossed in the garbage can for pick-up; baby goats (which you will have if you want a goat for milking) or rabbits need to have a home that wants them, unless you’re planning to keep them yourself; and if you live in town, you likely don’t have enough land to keep them all. Dropping them off somewhere out in the ‘wild’ is not acceptable, and should go without saying.
July 2014| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 03| Page
Respectful
The second part of zoning regulations has to do with respect for your neighbors. While you may find the sound of a rooster crowing at 3 am delightful, your neighbors may well think differently, which is why most regulations do not allow roosters in city limits. Even hens can be surprisingly loud up close, which is why some regulations include setback limits for where coops and runs are placed. And few communities give a green light to swine, though Bonner County’s suburban zone ordinance does allow an exception—one pot-bellied (miniature) pig. Noise, in fact, is a big complaint when people begin to keep animals, and is generally covered under an area’s nuisance laws. From your stereo to your barking dog to the peacock that sounds like a screaming woman, if your activities create a nuisance to your neighbors, there’s going to be a problem. Smell is another issue, and dealing with animal waste is a concern for all municipalities. If you’re going to keep animals, you need to have a plan in place to deal with their waste—and there can be a lot of it! Of course, not all waste is equal. Six chickens, for example, generate about the same amount of manure as a mediumsized dog. The chicken manure, however, can be easily composted for your garden. While dog (and cat) manure can also be composted, it’s a slightly more intensive process—mostly, it seems, because of roundworms and other parasites that can make their way into your food. If you’re raising animals directly for food, realize that in most communities, backyard slaughter is going to be a no-go. Research ahead of time to figure out how you’re going to get your birds (or other critters) from your yard to your freezer. (The local Co-Op is a good resource for information about this.)
Recognition
Fencing is also an area of concern; animals running loose become not only an issue for the neighbors, but for drivers who meet them on the road, and for city or county officials who must respond to complaints. Larger areas may have personnel to deal with these issues, but smaller towns can find themselves strapped if called in to deal with a problem you may have inadvertently created in your zeal to keep animals. Clark Fork’s handyman/dog catcher came up against this reality face to face when called upon to address an escaped boa constrictor found in someone’s yard a
while back. And just two years ago, New York City grappled with how to respond to bee swarms from improperly kept backyard bees. (Swarms are generally caused by overcrowding in the home hive.) Zoning rules, however, are mostly driven by a need to regulate competing land uses. They are a manifestation of the colorful idea that, as put by Zecheriah Chaffee in the Harvard Law Review of 1919, “Your right to swing your arms ends just where the other man’s nose begins.” Nonetheless, zoning regulations are discriminatory by nature, and when written into specifics, that discrimination is often subjective (and thereby open to challenge). Looking back to the manure example, why can one family have only five laying hens (equivalent in manure to one dog, while a dog’s bark, at 90 decibels, is comparable to a rooster’s crow), yet another family can have three dogs? Why chickens and not ducks, pheasants, turkeys or quail? Why rabbits and not guinea pigs or pygmy goats? Why alpaca, but not emus? And what about all those exotic animals you can purchase at any big city pet store? (Not just snakes, but they even sell sharks, scorpions and crocodiles! Really! Crocodiles, by the way, are banned in Sandpoint city limits.) Sandpoint seems to have the edge here, as its regulations are mostly based on density and nuisance, and avoid trying to name specific types of animals. In any area, however, procedures are in place that allow a resident seeking to keep an unapproved animal to approach their
local zoning regulators, and argue for why they should be an exception to the rule. If you live within city limits, check with your city offices about applicable ordinances that might either help or hinder your quest to become a backyard farmer. Outside the city limits you’re covered under the county’s ordinances: a map of the various districts can be found online at http://tinyurl.com/pxa746u. Bonner County’s suburban zones, where the ordinances were recently modified to be less restrictive to urban farming practices, are generally located near city limits, an area “where urban sewer and water services are either available or have the potential to become available in the near future,” according to their code. -Trish Gannon
Why Love Honeybees? East Bonner County Library July 12 at 11 am
Free and open to the public
July 2014| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 03| Page
Class is Open
Show Off Your Talents at the County Fair! If you’ve ever wandered through the exhibit buildings at the Bonner County Fair, and gazed at the variety of handicrafts on display, you might have wondered where it all comes from. For those not already in the know, the flower displays, photographs, quilts, canned goods and other items aren’t the work of the area’s professionals—they’re the result of the hard work and talent of your friends and neighbors, who take the opportunity every August to show off their abilities in the Open Class category of exhibits. Do you have a recipe for the best refrigerator pickles, or a talent with the crochet hook? To put your work to the test, pick up a copy of the fairbook, which should be available all over the county by the time this issue goes to press, or stop by the fair office at the fairgrounds for a copy, and check out the voluminous amount of categories where you can exhibit your work, and the rules for entering that are listed inside. (One important rule - what you enter must have been created in the last year.) Flower arrangements, fermented beverages, home grown fruits and more are among the many categories for entry, including quite a few you may not have
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thought of. Put those veggies together in a creative way and enter the “odyssey creature” contest, or display your home-grown robot creation. There’s even creative writing categories, where you can enter your songs and lyrics, your comic book creation, or even an “interview” with a person from history or a character from literature. “We have a category for computer design,” explained fair manager Rhonda Livingstone, “and this year we’re encouraging people to enter their design for a smart phone app.” With creations from computer and other media, you can expect to see website designs, posters and, if Rhonda gets her wish, “videos would be cool.” The robots are pretty cool themselves, and other categories for entry include earth/space, electricity and biochemistry. Budding scientists, now’s your chance to show your county what you can do! Back this year will also be the “photo assignment” competition. Instead of (or in addition to) prepping photos before fair, interested photographers can draw an assignment from the can at the fairgrounds (for example, fair food), then head out to take (digital) pictures, returning them to the fair office where fans can vote for the best on Facebook. Of course, more traditional farm-type entries are also a part of the open class exhibits—who hasn’t felt a sense of awe at the display of incredibly handicrafted quilts hanging from the ceiling each year?—and regardless of your talent, there’s likely an entry category for you to fill. Do you make soap? Check. Cheese? Check. Produce the best compost in the neighborhood? Enter all these and more for judging by your peers. Kitchen products are always a big favorite and the competition can be fierce—often, even within families. In fact, my daughter Misty and I might just have to enter again this year given our fairbased bake-off ended with blue ribbons for us both (she for her lemon squares and me for... I can’t quite remember. Was it pound cake?) Flower arrangements are another popular category, as is just about
Misty’s Blue-Ribbon Lemon Squares 1 cu. flour 1/2 cu. oleo 1/4 cu. powdered sugar 2 eggs 1 cu. granulated sugar 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 2 TBL. lemon juice Mix together flour, oleo and powdered sugar; press into a rectangular cake pan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Mix together remaining ingredients and pour over the top of already cooked ‘crust.’ Return to the oven and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes. The bars firm as they cool. Top with powdered sugar when cooled, and cut into squares. Note: Misty didn’t create this recipe; we’re not sure where, exactly, it came from. But you don’t have to create the recipe to enter the results at the fair. The photo is courtesy Wikimedia Commons.
anything you can grow in your garden and harvest right around fair time. And don’t forget your critters. From chickens to rabbits to your prize cow, there are Open Class categories for all your farm (or backyard) animals. So stop by the fairgrounds, read up on the classes, and put your best to the test at the Bonner County Fair this August! -Trish Gannon
July 2014| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 03| Page
Get Growing!
Nancy Hastings
If these long days of June rains have left some of your vegetables floating and wilting, don’t despair. Everyone deserves a second chance and July can usher in that “second season of seeding” for late August and September vegetable harvests. You are sure to find some of your favorites in the long list of short season crops that can be seeded directly in the ground now for harvest in 50 to 60 days. Choose from bush beans, basil, cilantro and peas for a good late crop. Perhaps your first crop of spinach has bolted or lettuce has withered? This is an ideal time to get more out of every square foot of good earth you have. When you direct seed in July, be sure to clean up any existing old plant matter or weeds in the soil before you sow the new seed. The temperatures and intensity of the sun WILL get hotter, so plan for it and it will have the best chance of germinating. Plant the seeds twice as deep as usual, add well balanced organic dry fertilizer with mycorrhizae underneath the seed, and keep soil consistently moist to encourage quick, strong rooting after the seeds germinate. Green Leafy Lettuce and Mustards are quick crops but can bolt
Your Garden’s 2nd Chance! easily if August becomes sweltering, so pick an area that is in the shade of taller tomatoes or potato plants for a longer harvest. Some veggies such as swiss chard, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, beets, kale, kohlrabi, turnips, carrots, radishes and brussel sprouts can even take an early light frost and will produce well into September. The Farmers Almanac lists our area with the average first frost occurring about September 18. Leaving lightweight frostcloth rowcover on your crops throughout September can give you that 2- to 5-degree buffer from any early dips in temperature and ensure you get a full harvest. Nancy Hastings grew up on a 300+-acre farm and now is co-owner of All Seasons Garden and Floral in Sandpoint. She and her husband John have been cultivating community gardens and growing for 16 years in North Idaho. You can reach them with garden questions or sign up for classes at allseasonsgardenandfloral (at)gmail.com.
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A Bird in Hand Michael Turnlund
The number of birds that spend the summer in our region is quite amazing. And fun, as there are some really unique and interesting species. Counted among them is the American Redstart. Though it is a common bird, most folks around here have probably never seen one. But if you know where to look, they are quite easy to find. They are worth the effort. The American Redstart is a new world warbler that spends its off-season—our winter—in Central and South America. In our region it starts showing up in May and they’ve already begun heading south by August, with a few still passing through in September. So now’s the time to head out in search of this remarkable little bird. The American Redstart is named for the coloration of the male. These are wee little birds, about the size as a small sparrow, but very distinctively and brightly colored. The male is black and orange, with the orange sometimes verging on red; whereas the female is yellow and gray. Both birds have white bellies. Though the colors seem simple enough to remember, it is the color pattern that you need to keep in mind. The orange on the male and the yellow on the female are distinctive and identifying. Whereas the males are predominantly black and the females gray, they sport their reds and yellows on broad wing bars, prominent patches on their long
Amerian Redstart Shock & Awe in Action! tails, and brightly colored crescents on the side of their chests. There is nothing else like it! What makes these busy birds so much fun to watch is how they hunt for insects, their primary food source. They busily flit about, flashing their wings and fanlike tail in a sudden, coordinated motion, intending to startle hidden prey. Sort of like ‘shock and awe.’ Potential prey reveals their location by their startled movements. Now you can understand why the color pattern is so important to these birds. Good looks are their bread and butter. The birds can also be located by the male’s song. Listen for a tsee-tsee-tsee SEE or a ptsee-ptsee-ptsee PTZEE. In spite of their bright coloration, they can be at first hard to find in the trees they occupy. But once located, they are easier to see and keep track of. But be quick with the binoculars; they rarely rest for more than a moment. They move about more laterally, from tree to tree to shrub and back again, than vertically—up and down the trees. Like any bird species, they must be found in their preferred habitat. For example, you won’t find Red-winged Blackbirds in the middle of a coniferous forest or White-winged Crossbills in a cattail swamp. By definition (at least in part) a species is a bird that exploits
a particular habitat, so as to minimize competition with other species. Granted, there are other components to that definition, but it is essential to understand the relationship between any given species and its preferred habitat. For the American Redstart, head for busy deciduous thickets—alders and willows—that are both near water and larger, more mature forests. My experience is that they prefer the medium-sized trees that are surrounded by shrubs—not too dense, but not too thin. Unfortunately, this is ideal habitat for mosquitoes too! And keep an ear out for the male’s weak song. Follow the song. Evidently, the brighter the coloration of the male, the more breeding success he will have. Color must be an indication of reproductive health. You might stumble upon a gray and yellow Redstart singing like a male, because it is. Young males may attempt to breed even before they get their full breeding colors. You can’t fault them for trying. There you go, another opportunity to add one more illustrious species to your life list. Want to see an American Redstart? Then you better apply the bug spray, because the mosquitoes will find you as you try to find the redstarts. See, birding isn’t for the faint of heart. Happy birding!
Jacey’s Race
July 13 • Samdpoint High School • Registration 7 am
5k for runners & walkers 1k fun run for kids Benefits kids with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses
Get more information at Jaceys-race.com Page | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 03|July 2014
The Game Trail
Matt Haag
Summertime is here; at least that’s what the calendar is showing. Folks are gearing up for their summertime camping trips and adventures in the woods. For some, that includes motorized recreation such as riding ATVs, or motorcycles, generally referred to as Off Highway Vehicles (OHV). Some folks think that public land has no rules that regulate the use of OHVs so I’ll attempt to cover those in this column so riders can have a better understanding. OHV use in Idaho had grown exponentially over the past 20 years; subsequently the regulations are becoming more detailed and change often. An astonishing 81,000 OHVs were registered in Idaho last year compared to a little over 6,000 in 1988. With such a quick growth in popularity of off road vehicles, conflict has resulted among user groups, especially those who prefer to travel without motors. The evolving rules are geared toward minimizing conflict and encouraging safety. There has been a huge growth particularly in the Utility Terrain Vehicles (UTVs) section of the off road vehicle market. These are the larger two-seater vehicles that some people refer to as mules. Unfortunately, folks don’t realize that UTVs are illegal on most Forest Service ATV trails due to size restrictions. USFS restricts all vehicles over 50 inches wide from their motorized trails. Most UTVs are 50 inches or more in width, with the exception of the Polaris Razor, so please don’t travel on motorized trails
Going Off Road? Make Sure you Know the Rules! if you own a UTV; stick to the main roads travelled by full sized vehicles. If you ignore those restrictions and you are caught, the fine is $180 according to the Forest Service. Before heading out on your OHV, one needs to get the machine registered with the state, like any other motorized vehicle. The only exception is OHVs that are used exclusively for agricultural purposes. As of 2009, Senate Bill 1098 changed the requirements for OHVs. Restricted use plates for Idaho residents will no longer be required if riders are operating on state or federal lands, only the offroad sticker is required. However, the restricted use plate is still required for operation on local and county roads open to such use. To make it simpler, if you are going to ride on state and federal grounds buy an off-road sticker. If you want to ride on both county and state roads along with federal and state ground, buy a plate along with the off road sticker. Nonresident operators can purchase Idaho plates and off road stickers or if their OHV is properly registered in their home state they don’t need to register them in Idaho. Clear as mud? Contact your local DMV office for more information or to purchase required plates and/or stickers. When you are out enjoying the trails and roads by OHVs, lead by example. Stick to the open trails and roads, as going off road does serious damage to the soil and vegetation and will get you a visit with the local judge. There is absolutely no excuse for damaging public ground; please report anybody you see operating an OHV off established trails and roads. Also, use some common sense
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when riding on muddy trails. For some out there, their manhood or womanhood is directly related to the amount of mud displayed on their vehicles; unfortunately that causes permanent damage to the trial or road. Wait until the trail dries out a bit and slow down when traversing muddy areas. If enough people use discretion when riding that may make the difference in keeping that trail or road from being closed. Also, use some trail etiquette when approaching other trail users. When coming upon horses and or hikers pull to the side of the trail and turn off your motor. Having respect for other users goes a long way; more people become tolerate of others when the right attitude is displayed. OHVs are considered a motor vehicle on county roads or in the woods, it doesn’t matter. You need to have a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance when operating an OHV. That means your child under 16 can’t operate the family ATV when on public roadways or land. Children under the age of 18 must wear a helmet at all times when operating or riding on an OHV, and really all people should be protecting their melons regardless of age. During the fire season, May 10 through October 20, all OHV operators must carry a shovel and bucket with them when traveling on Forest Service land. Your helmet can substitute for a bucket so all you need is a shovel! A couple of reminders before I sign off, and it includes my usual spring warnings. Please bear proof your homes and businesses. If the bear has a reason to be there like bird feeders, garbage, dog food, dirty BBQ grills etc., it will never go away. If you have a dumpster at your business ask Waste Management for a bear proof lid, or find a way to bear proof it yourself. Also, please do not pick up baby wildlife of any kind; you are only doing more harm than good. Happy trails to all you riders out there. Please tread lightly and remember to set a good example for all to see. See you out there. Leave No Child Inside
July 2014| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 03| Page
FROM THE FILES OF THE RIVER JOURNAL’S
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Surrealist Research Bureau Thinking About Rimbaud Part 1
I once again came across Rimbaud’s “seer” letter recently after a long while, and it led me down strange pathways of thought to Chatterton, and more, to Wolfe’s melancholy ode: “We buried him darkly at dead of night and left him alone with his glory,” and finally to the Lizard King himself. Now Arthur Rimbaud, as we know, was still a rambunctious, 15-year-old runaway who yearned to be a poet when he sent a now-famous letter to his teacher, Izimbard, which reads in part, “I want to be a poet, and I am working to make myself a seer... the point is to arrive at the unknown by the disordering of all the senses. The sufferings are enormous, but one has to be strong, to be a born a poet, and I have discovered I am a poet... The first study for a man who wants to be a poet is the knowledge of himself, complete. He looks for his soul, inspects it, puts it to the test, learns it... But the soul has to be made monstrous. The poet makes himself a seer by a long, prodigious, and rational disordering of all the senses. Every form of love, of suffering, of madness; he searches himself, he consumes all the poisons in him, and keeps only their quintessences. This is an unspeakable torture during which he needs all his faith and superhuman strength, and during which he becomes the great patient, the great criminal, the great accursed - the great learned one! - among men. - For he arrives at the unknown! Because he has cultivated his own soul which was rich to begin with - more than any other man! He reaches the unknown, and even if, crazed, he ends up by losing the understanding of his visions, at least he has seen them! Let him die charging through those unutterable, unnameable things: other horrible workers will come; they will begin from the horizons where he has succumbed!...” Now, just a few years after writing those prescient lines, the teenage Rimbaud forsook Poetry forever, not returning to his home and country ‘til he was a dying, wasted amputee, little guessing his mostly still unpublished odes would soon set the literary world afire. Likewise, one of the most iconic and famous paintings of the Romanicist
Jody Forest
movement is Henry Wallis’s “Death of Chatterton” (1856) which depicted the death scene of the 17-yearold [oet Thomas Chatterton, ridiculed and scorned, who overdosed on arsenic in his attic garret, unaware of the accolades and psalms his works would soon garner. There truly must be an archetype of the unknown scorned poet, his life fading along with his youth. Each generation claims as its own a laurel-bedecked sacrifice. Before Rimbaud there was Poe and in our own time I could name Jim Morrison, the fabled Lizard King, among others. I recall hearing his friend, drinking buddy (and fellow cellmate) Robert Gover (author of the classic One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding) relate how Jim was truly trying, like Rimbaud, to “break on through to the other side,” to become a seer-poet. He had no desire to be a rock star, it was as a poet he wanted to be remembered. His mysterious death in Paris and his ghostly, haunted afterlife still leads some to suspect he succeeded, I’m not so sure of it all myself as I used to be. Ah, we come now to Comte De Lautreamont, of whom Camus said he was “Revolt without mercy!” He famously wrote “I will leave no memoirs” before dying young and unknown at the Parisian barricades (where by a cosmic joke or ghastly coincidence a young runaway named Arthur Rimbaud was even then waving a flag on the ramparts!). A century before cinema audiences were introduced to the idea of “The Matrix” surrounding our reality, Lautreamont “forces his readers to stop taking their world for granted, he shatters the complacent acceptance of the reality proposed by their cultural traditions and makes them see their reality for what it is: An unreal nightmare made all the more hairraising because the sleeper believes he is awake.” (DeLong) For those unaware, his two hard-to-find books are “Maldoror” and “Poesies.” However, be warned, for younger readers especially he can be profoundly disturbing. To be Continued! ‘til next time, Keep spreading the word; Soylent Green is People! All Homage to Xena!
Page 10 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 03|July 2014
Carol Curtis, Asso. Broker, GRI, Realtor 208-290-5947
Sue Fritz,
Realtor 208-610-9304
Great investment opportunity in Priest River. Cute cafe & market is turn key. Paved parking, completely renovated and reliable seasoned employees. No competition for 13 miles in any direction! $285,000 MLS20140291
Country home on very private cul de sac in Sagle. 2 BR/2 BA plus den, granite counters in open kitchen, separate dining room, pond, large shop, mature trees on 5± acres. $265,000 MLS20140309
Close to town yet out-of-town privacy. This Sandpoint home has 3BR/2BA, large backyard, single level, cathedral ceilings. Nat’l Forest close by. End of road cul de sac, close to Schweitzer & Ponderay. $259,000 MLS20140483
Updated 3 BR/2BA in Priest River with poss. 2 additional bedrooms or bonus rooms. Loft overlooks living room, wood details, 2-car and single car detached garages, shop & dog kennel. 3.15± parked out acres. $247,900 MLS20131643
Large home with awesome shop close to town. 3 BR/2 BA w/bonus room upstairs on fenced corner lot in Ponderay. Well maintained, oversized covered front porch. Large shop/garage with extra off-street parking. $249,000 MLS20141538
Country home with 3 BR/2.5 BA, large family room and great deck with awesome views on 20± acres in Priest River. Multiple outbuildings, large garden, walking distance to River. $189,000 MLS20133042
Incredible views from this 12.9± acre property. Mainly pasture with conifer saplings under timber management plan. On corner of two maintained county roads. Well built cabin. Gravel driveway, perc tested. $115,000 MLS20140097
Beautiful views, end of road privacy, Class I creek, timbered & wildlife on 20± acres in Laclede. Less than 3 miles from county road. Views of Pend Oreille and multiple building sites. $115,000 MLS20141490
Incredible lake views in multiple directions from this ready-to-build 5+ acre Sagle property. Surveyed, building pad, 1200 gallon water tank, installed septic and well. Views both East & West, mature trees. Motivated seller. $108,000 MLS20140708
Meticulous fully furnished studio unit at Schweitzer w/ newer flooring throughout, quiet backside interior unit, extra insulation, ski locker room w/ski tuning table, laundry & pool room. Sleeps 4 comfortably. $102,000 MLS20133245
Beautiful 13+ acres in Naples. Panoramic mountain views, lots of trees, very private! One water hookup. Potential owner carry. Two Adjacent lots available separately. $88,000 MLS20140413
Manageable wooded 1.8± acres in a long-standing neighborhood where everybody knows your name. County road, electricity close, to be well and septic. Area of clean, well-maintained homes. $19,000 MLS20141399
Impressive 20± acre lot with timber, meadow and views. Adjacent 10 acres available for total privacy. Power is close and in area of good wells. Close to Sandpoint but not too close! $65,000 MLS20132909
Timbered 10± acre parcel with panoramic territorial views all the way to Schweitzer. Trails throughout the property. Adjacent 20 acres also available. Easy access to a good privately maintained road. $55,000 MLS20132925
Beautiful, country home in Sagle, meticulously maintained. 4 BR/3 BA, two master suites. Gourmet kitchen, tons of storage. 1BR/1BA apt. above 3-car garage. Add. shop/garage and covered storage. $545,000 MLS20141682
Large acreage and historic homestead on 320 ± acres in Cocolalla. Grab a piece of history; barn built from Farragut Naval Station timber. Amazing property has incredible mountain views, multiple creeks and easy access off a county maintained road. Need less land? – Available in 20 acre, 40 acre, 92 acre or 160 ac. Surveyed and ready for you to walk. Inquire today. $1,499,000 for the entire homestead.
July 2014| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 03| Page 11
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Veterans’ News
Gil Beyer
A Round-Up of News for Local Vets
I’ll start with a little bit of housekeeping left over from last month starting with Memorial Day 2014. I received a corrected report from Ross Jackman on the totals collected after we went to press late last month. It seems that the previously reported amount - $2,229.95 – was a tad short. The actual total collected at the three Sandpoint sites was $2,326.00. The original count was off by $96.05. All the loose change added up to more than was first thought. My thanks to all those who volunteered their time to keep the DAV Van on the road serving our area veterans. Next item on the agenda is to cover the ‘Stand Down’ conducted over the weekend of June 13 through June 15. The Opening Ceremonies were greatly abbreviated due to inclement weather and the doors were opened shortly after the flags were raised by local Boy Scouts. Much of the various goods—from sleeping bags to backpacks and other goods—were exhausted by mid-day on Saturday. This was due to many of the requested items being consumed at other Stand Downs. It seems that Coeur d’Alene received about $1.5M worth of goods while Bonner/ Boundary received about $335K. Yes, the shortage of goods hurt but the medical, dental and social services provided by volunteers continued throughout the Saturday. Darryl Heisy, IDVS for North Idaho, Chad Osburn, Bonner County VSO and Tyler Anderson, Veterans Representative for the Idaho Department of Labor spent most of Saturday helping veterans complete forms for benefits and answering questions. Volunteer driver with the DAV Van and the driver from Luther Park shuttled veterans between the fairgrounds and Kaniksu Clinic on Hwy 200 in Ponderay. One of the most popular services offered were the volunteer dentists and dental techs who did check-ups and other dental work on the 52 veterans that were seen. I’ve been told that there were 27 extractions preformed and that 14 vouchers were issued for additional dental work. Most of this work was free or at minimal cost. Michael Harmelin, the ‘Stand Down’ Chairman, shared with me the list of people, businesses, companies and organizations that helped put the event together. It ran to three, close-spaced pages. It takes an astounding number of people to put this together. I’d like to
thank each of these people individually but there isn’t enough space to list them all. I do, however, feel that I must mention John Davis and his assistant Andy Rogers from the Spokane VA Homeless Veterans Services Office for all their support and assistance. Like any endeavor, this event had its rough spots. It seems that some of the volunteers who said that they would be there both Friday and Saturday simply didn’t show up Saturday after doing their thing on Friday. Michael Harmelin said that this accounted for approximately 30 percent fewer people on Saturday, adding to the load on those remaining. I’m sure that the organizers will have an improved program in place for next year. Next on the agenda is the upcoming Veteran’s Yard Sale on Saturday, August 2 from 7 am to 3 pm. This event is a combined effort of Sandpoint veteran’s organizations: Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 2453; Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 890; Disabled American Veterans, Post 15; Marine Corps League, Detachment 110; and, American Legion, Post 15. Donations can be picked up South of the Long Bridge by contacting Howard at 263-9626 and North of the Long Bridge by contacting Will at 265-9164 or Mike at 265 4211. Please, no televisions, computers or clothing. All donations are tax deductible and receipts will be furnished upon request. Last but by no means least, I’d like to talk a little about Idaho politics. May’s primary produced one result that wasn’t noticed previously. With the defeat of George Eskridge—regardless of who wins in November—the Idaho Legislature will convene in January 2015 without any veterans in that body. That means that the entire legislature and federal delegation will be comprised of people who have never worn a uniform in defense of this country. That is disconcerting on two levels. Level One: There will be no one in Boise that understands the sacrifices that military service requires of the individual and their families. Level Two: Not one of the 126,000 veterans in Idaho will be able to say that they have an ear in Boise who listens to the veterans concerns. We must change that if things are to get better for veterans. More later.
Page 12 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 03|July 2014
Celebrating Wilderness The Scotchman Peaks may not be a wilderness yet, but when they become one, it will be in part through the efforts of forward–thinking folks who finally (after nearly a decade of trying) passed the Wilderness Act of 1964 50 years ago this summer. To celebrate this golden anniversary, Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness (as well as some their partners in wilderness) are throwing a party. Or two. Or more. As part of a nationwide, year-long celebration, FSPW, Montana Wilderness Association, the Forest Service, Cabinet Resource Group, Idaho Conservation League, Yaak Valley Forest Council and Cabinet Backcountry Horsemen are teaming up on a number of events arrayed around the Scotchman Peaks and Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. You’re invited to any and all, as celebrant or volunteer — and ideally, both! July 11, 12 and 13: Celebrate the 50th at Bull Lake, Help celebrate the 50th birthday of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, as well as the Wilderness Act itself, at Bull Lake Rod and Gun Club on Montana Highway 56 (17 miles north of the intersection of Montana Highways 200 and 56). This is a highly appropriate place to kick off a summer of celebrations, caught between the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness—one of the original 1964 designations—and the proposed Scotchman Peaks wilderness. This free event includes three days of family activities and entertainment, including classical and bluegrass music, horse shoes, fly tying and fishing demos, demonstrations from Cabinet Backcountry Horsemen, puppet shows, kayak lessons and a full schedule of wildernessrelated family activities. The new movie, Untrammeled, will be shown, along with as other wilderness films; singer-songwriter Jack Gladstone entertains on Friday night; and former USFS Chief Dale Bosworth will speak on Saturday night. And there will be a chance to gather round the fire at lake’s edge for conversation and stories gathered in wild places. In addition to each day’s activities, food will be available from the Rod and Gun Club kitchen and other vendors; the Silver Spur in Troy will have a cash bar in place for the evening entertainments on both Friday and Saturday, free camping at the Club will be available on a firstcome-first-serve basis (and there is more free camping nearby). There will also be displays and information tables from
sponsoring groups. There is a complete schedule at www.scotchmanpeaks.org July 19 and 20: The Yaak Wilderness Festival is “back in the Yaak” Two days of fun at the Yaak River Tavern and Mercantile, including music from Tim Snider; Alan Lane and 17 Mile Band; The Yaaktastics; Caroline Keys and friends—Chris Sand, Dave Martens and Jeff Turman; and Wild Honey. Check out the Festival at www.yaakvalley.org/ wilderness-festival-2014.html Saturday, August 23, Wiley and the Wild West are coming to Libby FSPW, MWA and the USFS bring a free concert to Riverfront Park in Libby, Montana, featuring the iconic Wiley and the Wild West western band on Saturday, August 23, The concert begins at 7:00 in the evening, but the gates open at noon for a full afternoon of fun activities, a wilderness art show, food, a bear presentation and more. See the schedule at www.scotchmanpeaks.org September 5 and 6: A wild weekend for Wilderness in Sandpoint. Join the Idaho Conservation League and FSPW for a wilderness panel on Friday night, at an ICL After Hours Event. On Saturday, there will be volunteer-led hikes in the Selkirks and the Scotchmans during the day and a Wild Night For Wilderness at Evans Brothers’ Coffee in Sandpoint featuring live music, a cash bar, no-host food and a lot of good times. September 20: “Go Wild” at Flathead Valley Fairgrounds. Celebrate the solitude, beauty and wildness of Montana’s most treasured landscapes. Wilderness education, displays, music, food and handson activities for the entire family,
from 10 am to 3 pm at the Flathead County Fairgrounds, Expo Building in Kalispell. Event hosted by: Bob Marshall Wilderness Association, Back Country Horsemen of the Flathead, Flathead Audubon, Flathead National Forest, Glacier Institute, Glacier National Park, Headwaters Montana, Hungry Horse News, Montana Wilderness Association, Montana Conservation Corps, USFS Nine Mile Packstring, Swan View Coalition and the Sustainability Fund. Bonus: The 2014 Cabinet Mountains Wilderness Map For the first time since 1992, and in celebration of the 50th, there is a new map of the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. The map was funded by MWA, FSPW, USFS and designed and produced by Blue Creek Press of Heron, Montana. It was released in late June and features descriptions of selected hikes in all areas of the Wilderness, as well as other local attractions. The map itself, produced by DTM Consulting of Bozeman, is augmented by local knowledge and great photography from contributors that include FSPW volunteers Jim Mellen, Charlie Clough, Donald M. Jones, Randy Beacham, Andrew Klaus and staffer Sandy Compton. To learn more about these local Wilderness Act 50th Anniversary activities, visit http://bit.ly/ FiftyWildYears. To find out about 50th Anniversary nationwide, visit www. wilderness50th.org
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July 2014| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 03| Page 13
SAVE THE DATE! The Classic Boat Festival takes place in Sandpoint along the shores of Sand Creek on June 11 and 12! A boat run at 5:30 pm starts it all on Friday. Saturday events begin at 9:30 am. Find more information at WoodBoatFestival.com Sandpoint Rotary hosts the Great Sandpoint Flatwater Regatta from 10 to noon on July 12 beginning at the Sand Creek Bridge. Race time starts at 10 am. Visit FlatWaterRegatta.com Also on July 12, it’s the Unique Goods and Curious Finds market at Sandpoint Community Hall from 10 to 4 pm. Admission is $2 (under 18 free). That same day, visit the Sandpoint Beer Fest on the corner of Cedar and Third with live music and craft beer!
Festival at Sandpoint, which takes place at Dover Bay from 5 to 7 pm. The annual Lite the Nite Bodacious BBQ takes place on July 19 from 4 to 9 pm at the Litehouse Beach House, with live and silent auctions, raffles, drinks, appetizers, dancing and dinner catered by Sweet Lou’s. $45. MemorialCommunityCenter.com On July 25 it’s James McMurtry at the Panida Theater! Doors open at 7 pm and tickets are $19 in advance, $22 at the door. Panida.org. On August 2, take the plunge with the 20th annual Long Bridge Swim. LongBridgeSwim.com
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bonnercountyfair@intermaxnetworks.com July 2014| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 03| Page 14
The Hawk’s Nest Ernie Hawks
The steps chiseled out of the rock crossing the face were only wide enough to place a foot. They climbed to a tiny ledge, then turned and crossed the wet stone up another several steps to a slight rise onto the bluff several dozen feet above the ocean. As we ascended we kept our bodies close to the wall since there was nothing between us and the boulder strewn creek below. This was the only way back up the Damnation Creek trail to our car, which was a little over two miles and 1,100 feet above us. We were on the coast of the Redwoods National and State Parks in northern California. We were not at all surprised at what was ahead of us since we had trekked down the dead end trail to the surf pounding the black rock shore. There was ample warning at the trail head about the perils of the hike. Still, we had headed down excited to be hiking in the redwoods. The first half mile is a slight rolling ascent of about one hundred feet. It is an easy trail through the oldgrowth, moss-shrouded giants. To add to the mystique of the misty path was a canopy of rhododendrons looking more like trees than bushes. Reaching over 20 feet above our heads, their pink to deep red and white flowers in full bloom were reaching into the occasional ray of sun. The forest is nearly pure redwood; straight with elegant fluted bark, the old monarchs create a stately passage
Damnation Creek away from civilization. Interspersed with them were a few Douglas fir. There was not a heavy understory, only ferns accompanied the rhododendrons. Breaking over the top we started the descent the signs had cautioned us about. At times, long switchbacks that wound around the trunks allowed a more pleasant slope than we had expected. People often complain about trails in dense forests without expansive views. But even without the vistas, the forest is always thrilling to experience. The track passed fallen trees taller than me while lying on their side. Cuts in them creating a portal took us to the next part of the journey. I walked in awe even though there were no open sights. Huge burls, some with ferns growing out of them, added character to the mighty trees our route transported us through. Farther down the trail became a little more open and the redwoods were replaced by Sitka spruce. The understory was more dense where the light reached the trail. However, there still were no wide outlooks. The trail, while quite good overall, had several sloughs like I would expect on a rain forest trail. Crossing them was quite precarious and if meeting another hiker, one always needed to wait for the other. We were appreciative of the
Why drive to town when there’s better things to do?
gripping soles our Keen hiking boots had as we traversed the sloping pathway. Near the bottom walking became easier. There were two foot bridges over tributaries to Damnation Creek and after a short, sandy hill we found ourselves on a bluff and overlook. From there we had open views of the cove, rocky beach and ocean surf. At this point we started looking for a way down to the ocean and could only find those steep, damp, steps chiseled out of the rock. They were the only way to complete the trek to the surf so we took them. Wanting a dry crossing of the creek, we traversed rocks and logs to the beach. Looking up from that base was a forested but near vertical hill, resulting from the constant movement of the tectonic plates. Sitting next to a natural arch listening to the pounding of the waves we ate some fruit and protein bars. There were only a few other adventurous souls sharing the sights and sounds. For thousands of years the Tolowa Indians used this route to collect seaweed and shell fish. I am sure they did not have the advantage of bridges made of sawed beams or a trail that at times looked engineered. However, when I looked at those steps carved in the stone cliff at the bottom, I wondered if they were chipped out with Stone Age tools. At the bottom looking up, knowing that was the only way back to the car, I speculated that may be the source of the name “Damnation Creek,” but that is only speculation. Ernie Hawks is the author of “Every Day is a High Holy Day: Stories of an Adventuring Spirit” available in your favorite bookstore or from Amazon.com and Kindle.
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July 2014| The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 03| Page 15
Gary’s Faith Walk Gary Payton
Angels in Our Midst
I’ve been thinking a lot about angels lately. No, I haven’t been visited by Gabriel to have great secrets revealed in the middle of the night. I haven’t heard “Greetings, favored one,” as Gabriel spoke to Mary before the conception of Jesus. Rather, I’ve been thinking about messengers and presence. Angels in our midst, if you will. The concept of angels has a rich tradition in the world’s religions. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the word itself is rooted in the ancient Greek “angelos,” meaning messenger or envoy. Over the centuries our tradition has interpreted angels in many ways. Two suggest that angels are benevolent celestial begins who serve as intermediaries between Heaven and Earth or as guardians of human beings. For me in 21st century America, the concept of spiritual messenger works best. It works because twice in my life invitations “out of the blue” have been carried to me by persons, by my angels, which have altered my faith walk, my life’s direction. In 1996, I retired from the U.S. Air Force following 24 years of service. These were Cold War years filled with worldwide assignments monitoring the strength of the Soviet military; crises in the Middle East, East Asia, and the Balkans; and the Persian Gulf War following Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait. Then, in the midst of packing our household goods one last official time, I received an email. The message was direct, simple: “Gary, are you aware the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program is seeking a new coordinator?” No, a celestial being
did not send the email, but the impact couldn’t have been more dramatic. I view the person who sent me that email to be an angel. From that message 17 years of service began in the life of the church to bring reconciliation to persons divided by violence or race or the vastly different political systems of East and West. Then in 2013, it happened again. I was concluding mission service in Russia and other former communist states. “Out of the blue” I received an email from the Eco-Justice staff person of the National Council of Churches of Christ. For several years, I’d felt a call to deeper engagement in environmental issues. I served with the Friends of the Pend Oreille Bay Trail board and became an active member of the Idaho Conservation League. So, another angel intervened asking me to represent Idaho at a major gathering in Washington, DC. That email set my course as an environmental advocate for years to come. A final note... on a recent Sunday afternoon, Beth Pederson and Bruce Bishop entertained at the Hope Marketplace. With owner Kally Thurman offering hospitality of food and conversation to customers, the two musicians brought forth a wonderful rendition of “Stars Over Black Oak.” Written by Beth and Charley Packard a few years back, the song touches my soul each time I hear it. Beth sings of a gathering of old friends and new friends, of moon rise and stars, of guitars and harmonizing and laughter and deep love… and all around there were “angels in the trees.” Angelic presence set the mood of this wonderful gathering recounted in song. Angels in our midst today? I think so. I believe a divine message from God can be delivered by a friend, a relative, a stranger, even by email. I believe we can be surrounded by love and warmth that speak of “angels in the trees.” And you? When have you received that “out of the blue” communication which reoriented your life? When have you felt a soul warming presence and rejoiced in unbounded love? Angels… an outmoded concept which doesn’t fit our modern world? No, I don’t think so. Angelic messengers and their presence are still with us this day.
“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.”
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Every Day is a High Holy Day available on Amazon.com or ask for it at your local bookstore
Page 16 | The River Journal - A News Magazine Worth Wading Through | www.RiverJournal.com | Vol. 23 No. 03|July 2014
The Scenic Route Sandy Compton
Summer has snuck up on us again. Morning before last, I looked out my window at about 5 a.m., and the sun was coming up over the Cabinets 15 degrees north of east and the air was that certain consistency that can only mean one thing: The solstice is upon us and now past and every green thing growing out of the ground is sucking up the early June rain stored there and spewing it back into the atmosphere full of newly made oxygen and suspended molecules of dihydrous oxide (H2O, you know.) The ants in my front yard, all kajillion of them, have conspired once more to make the peonies bloom; mock orange and the beauty bush in the front yard are sweetening the air; and the pie cherries are ready. If I hurry, I will beat the robins to them, but it will have to be today — there is a delicate balance between almost and completely ripe; and at completely, the robins will have them all. And, after I pick them, I will have cherry juice clear to my elbows for they will pit themselves as I pull them from the tree. Abandoned and some not-soabandoned fields are strewn with beautiful and equally noxious ox-eye daisies and the even-more noxious red and yellow hawkweed, which keeps me busy pulling it. My neighbors and friends think I’m crazy to even bother trying to staunch the tide of that invader, but I need to feel I am doing my best to at least slow it down. Bull thistle is a little harder to pull, but a lot easier to stop. At nearly six feet tall when it matures, it is also not so good at hiding. The amount of biomass generated at this time of year, “good” or “bad” — which in reality, I am in no position to judge one way or the other — is
Unplugged astounding. You might think you would get used to it, but it never fails to surprise me, even more than those first few little buds that began the greening of the fields and forests a few short months ago. As the sun warms down into the soil, the planet seems to push itself into the plants. There are certain smells that go with this time of year, some of which I can only guess at the origin of. Identifiable are syringa, of course; honeysuckle; roses; grand fir warming in the sun; fresh-turned soil in the garden, new hay laying in windrows—these are easy to identify. But there are some more subtle; wild strawberries ripening; dewberry blossoms, ocean spray, pungent buckbrush, the yellow, resinous smell of heated pine pitch. When I was a boy, and we had been released from the bondage of the public school system; when the days were longer than we ever thought possible in the frozen months of January and February; when being called in before the last light was out of the sky was a personal tragedy, summer smelled the same as it does at my house today. And that is a wonder, for so much else has changed in our world since then. It is at once good to be reminded and sometimes painfully poignant; for we know too much now that we didn’t know then and that knowledge sometimes interferes with our sense of smell, our vision. We can walk through our days without even seeing, much less fully acknowledging the arrival of summer. As youngsters, my brothers and I stalked the same summer woods as if we were grown there, which, truth be told, we were. In an unplugged era, we found adventures on our own: no cell phones, no videos, no electronic music, no ’net, no nothing but ourselves and our welldeveloped imaginations. We knew better
than to say, “There’s nothin’ to do,” for our parents and grandparents also had imaginations and we’d find ourselves on the working end of some sort of tool, slaving for Grandma in her garden or Mom in the yard in return for molasses cookies and Tang or applesauce cake and Koolaid. Summer called us out of the house and out to the edge of the bank above the deep-set reservoir fed by streams we knew to be ours. It pushed us to the green glades along the creeks, and into the creeks themselves. It led us astray in the most positive of ways and taught us to think on our feet and to watch out for each other and to run just because it was fun to run. I wonder if every child on the planet shouldn’t be, before they are 12 years old, sentenced to such a punishment, a summer in which they are allowed no more stimulation than the planet itself; its smells and sights and sounds; working and playing both. More folk might know then how to use their imaginations, instead of depending so much on those of others, and thus learn to think independently. They also might learn to live fully, from first to last light; and understand the true tragedy of being called in from play early, as so many children of this planet are every day called in. Summer has snuck up on us again. My best advice is to unplug and get out into it.
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Scott Clawson
acresnpains@dishmail.net
I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately. Not my usual habit as I’m generally doing a lot of carpentry or chores punctuated by eating and sleeping. The only meaningful reading being that of blueprints, shop drawings or instruction manuals of tools and, of course, the River Journal. But almost two years ago, a ladder let me down in an unfriendly way and quite a few body parts are still trying to “reconnect” with their former constituents. The good news is I haven’t been compelled to do some of the crazy, workrelated stunts I’ve often done over the years. The bad news is I can no longer do those crazy stunts! Not unlike being accustomed to changing light bulbs on a ceiling fixture without resorting to a step ladder or some other ‘get-upon’, and then realizing you’re no longer 6’-2” but a somewhat compressed and depressing version of it. It is often lipfarted that “a change will do ya good” or “life can change on a dime” but all I can think of is a dime’s worth of screws and a short 2x4 would have prevented this change in my life from ever happening at all. Anyone venturing up a ladder, no matter how benign and helpful it may appear to the naked eye, with one foot on that first rung, pause and ask yourself if you’re ready (physically, financially and mentally) for it to be your last ascent. When I no longer whimper while doing a few jumping jacks, I’ll know I’m getting close to mended. I’m close to being close (still moderate whimpering accompanied
by the sounds Rice Krispies make when they go swimming). But being unable to do much of anything constructive has produced reading time in a whole new realm for me. And, so far, it’s the only cool thing encountered on this long road to recovery. Without a doubt, if I had been solely relegated to only the TV remote to keep my head straight, I would have gone off to “clean my gun” for relief. Good thing, too, as my post-surgery reading list began with Ivan Doig’s “The Bartender’s Tale.” With that hook firmly buried in my gills, I followed it up with everything else Ivan has put in book form (thank you East Bonner County Library!). I then rinsed my mind out with a few Pat McManus hilarities, Neil Young’s “Waging Heavy Peace,” a few of my old friend B.J. Daniels’ Montana-style murder mysteries, then two from Sherman Alexie that led me on to William Least Heat-Moon’s “Blue Highways” and “PrairyErth.” At the moment, I’m just rounding the bend on “The River We Carry With Us” by The Clark Fork Coalition about our own upstream back yard and its beautiful but troubled waters which fill our lake. All of these books earned a big thumbs-up, with the exception of McManus, who got two every time, mainly for the “best medicine” they treated my rib cage and air bags to. If I could write like any of these authors I’d be glad for all this free time I’ve been given, but I’m a carpenter/woodworker/welder by trade and virtue and can’t quite conceive this change as being very positive. Realizing this has led me to ask
myself some very fundamental questions over these many months of rehab, both prescribed and self-inflicted; (1) What am I gonna do with all of these tools, ideas and know-how I still have under my hat? (2) Will I ever make money again? and (3) What is the meaning of Facebook? While pondering these thoughts, I stumbled over some stunningly insightful passages, references and quotes in my readings. I took a few haphazard notes. Out of “Blue Highways,” I scribbled down this early on: “…a man becomes his attentions. His observations and curiosities make and remake him.” I like that, simple and clean. Like me right after a shower. This one helps you understand where other people are coming from so you can offer some new curiosities for them to observe. Think George Carlin here. Having spent untold hours lately reminiscing my life (as it was), not to mention a certain flightless moment almost two Augusts ago, my eyes ran over this line from the same book: “Memory is a kind of accomplishment” – William Carlos Williams. In a nutshell! If my memory would have over-ridden my ego and insisted in a little safety meeting between my left and right brains, THAT would have been an obvious accomplishment. And yet another, this time from “The Good Book” itself, “For I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content.” - Philippians, four: eleven.
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This tells me either to smile and move on or just drink more; maybe both! Two more notes of quotes: Black Elk: “Men get lost in the darkness of their own eyes.” And, Whitman: “Hell under the skull bones.” Self-loathing only produces sore knees from kicking your own ass for being so careless. If you want to kick something, kick your memory. What Confucius would have said about this, I haven’t a clue. Probably something funny yet confusing, knowing him (or at least his jokes). But I did jot this gem down from somewhere in “Prairyerth”, but forgot who to lay the accolade onto. “Don’t let the perplexity of things disrupt the joy in their mystery. To insist that diligent thought might bring an understanding of change would be to limit life to the comprehensible.” My first guess is it’s an Edith Bunker remark, but was probably thought up by someone less famous. I need to
memorize it at any rate. While subconsciously working over some ideas to further my ‘work history’ along, I stumbled over this, again in “Prairyerth”, and, once again forgot to note who thunk it up: “The biggest hindrance to learning is fear of showing one’s self a fool.” Doesn’t matter who can lay claim to its eloquence, it’s written on most peoples’ foreheads and probably has been since we collectively dropped out of the trees and tried to run upright. When this eventually makes it onto the web, share some of your thoughts on that last nugget. Should be interesting and the purpose this serves will be twins: getting me to interact and, more importantly, to drive my editor even nutsier than normal because she has to approve all comments first, to weed out the Kling-ons. And they are plentiful. Perhaps now’s the time to chart some different waters and save what’s left of my shoulders for fishin’. What, me worry (about looking like a fool)?
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