Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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WALLA WALLA-While Fort Walla Walla Museum may still be closed, their online programs will continue with the first Museum After Hours presentation of the year. On Thursday, February 25, geologist Bob Carson will be discussing the various regions found in Southeast Washington and Northeast Oregon. It will take place on Zoom at 5 pm, with a live Q & A session to follow. The talk will address the factors that influence the region's physiography and biology, the different habitats they create, the re...
Recently I have been watching a number of sports-related movies. I’m not sure if it’s because I miss going to games (baseball and basketball especially), or I’m trying to get excited about the Superbowl. But even the anticipation and hype for the clever commercials and extravagant half time show hasn’t sparked my enthusiasm this year for the big game. However, one movie, in particular, has been on my mind recently. Oddly, I admit, with some trepidation, that as much as I like baseball, this is...
The death of Hank Aaron this week, although sad, stirred up some fun family memories for me. Baseball was a big deal in our family. My father was born and raised in the Bronx, so there was no doubt he was a rabid Yankees fan. With their Murderer's row, Pee Wee Reese, Mickey Mantle, and Roger Maris, who wouldn't be. My mother for one! Her family lived in Brooklyn, so naturally, they loved "dem bums," the Brooklyn Dodgers' well-earned nickname. My Uncle and Aunt were such devoted Dodger fans that...
Now in the heart of winter in the Blue Mountains, the days are short and wet in the wheat country and snowy in the higher timber. Aside from the usual chores neglected over autumn and the holiday season, staying active is important to ward off the suffocating clutches of cabin fever and depression in our short and sometimes foggy days of the early calendar year. Of the myriad ways to entertain oneself, the most popular outdoor activities are rather obvious. Ski Bluewood is a prime option. But...
My “office” is a built-in desk located in an alcove upstairs in what is now our master bedroom. Next to our library, gym, and my staging area for Zoom business meetings, it’s a cozy little space. Zoom cocktail parties work on the couch or at the dining room table; but, when I have a Zoom business meeting, I strategically place the computer on a table in the library with our over-flowing bookshelves as a backdrop. Just like TV news reporters and politicians, it provides a perception of intel...
I am confident that Daniel and I, like most people (and dogs), have daily routines. Ours usually start with Daniel making his tea while I let Mugsy out the back door to bark at the squirrels he perceives to be in our neighbor’s tree. Then I feed Mugsy and make my coffee. With those rituals out of the way, Daniel usually starts our morning conversation with, “what are we eating tonight?” My response is typically an eye-roll, followed by “can I have my coffee first?” He then heads off to his mu...
My grandmother taught me the basic knit and purl stitches when I was eight years old. However, she didn’t teach me how to start or end anything. I just made odd rectangles with no rhyme or reason. Eventually, I got bored and gave up knitting; we moved on to gin rummy instead. Growing up in New York, girls were required to take Home Economics. I loved the cooking, hated the sewing. I am a terrible seamstress, as opposed to my sister, who is an amazing one. With her need for precision coupled with...
It’s hard to believe; this is the third Christmas I have celebrated in Waitsburg. The first was exactly seven days after I moved here. Christmas week, I was a guest at a birthday party and invited to a New Year’s Day brunch/open house. I knew I had arrived, and Waitsburg was perfect. And that winter, I proudly survived what new neighbors proclaimed to be the snowiest and coldest winter in 15 years. Last year, my second December here was also memorable, although not for the snow. Daniel vis...
Classic red barns stand out against winter blue skies and white dashes of snow. Soon, they will be complemented with lush greens of an eastern Washington spring....
Recent declines in salmon and steelhead survival across the Pacific Basin have been documented since approximately 2013 and affecting all stocks in dammed and undammed systems. An ocean "dead zone," or hypoxic, warm water mass, heavy with algae blooms, plays a significant role in the ocean rearing component of these fishes' life history. Declines in winter steelhead populations spurred a need for emergency adaptive management among the coastal fisheries in Washington's Olympic Peninsula....
I assume I’m not the only one ready to bid good riddance to 2020, am I? Ever the optimist, I am cautiously hopeful that 2021 will be a good or at least better year. And since it was an unusual year, I am going to do something unusual for me. I am going to be reflective for a change. Although maybe it’s just a way to reinforce 2020 is over! Daniel and I reconciled, then he moved here in March. This adjustment to my 10-year single life coincided with the pandemic and lock-down. Togetherness sud...
Dec. 16 fresh fallen snow snowshoeing along Umatilla Rim Trail Rode it back in summer Getting spectacularly happily lost. Walked it with Stuart Carrying a ladder To nail blue diamonds as high on trunks as we could. Seeing those diamonds today Was remembering forgotten favors of friends, A physical comfort In our fragile world, Old maps and their ideas almost unrecognizable. Looking across a pristine meadow of silent untouched snow, No steps of anyone having come this way before me, And seeing...
Twelve miles up and out of the Touchet Valley, I sat down with friends Robert and Janet Phinney to discover we have more in common than I might have thought. I'm a musician; the Phinney's are equestrians. Spend a little time with them, and you'll realize they are philosophers. In life, all things really are connected. Their ranch in the Blues' foothills is populated with evergreens and five quarter horses: Madison, Ruby, Annie, Jasper, and Cholo. Alongside the log cabin Robert designed, a...
We are back in Los Angeles for more doctor visits, tests, and procedures, and we are the healthy ones! Los Angeles is supposedly in COVID-19 lockdown. However, we have been in bumper to bumper traffic more than once, which is frustrating since restaurants aren’t open, except for take-out or delivery. We are relegated to eating grocery store food in our room. It’s Friday, and we’ve been here since Monday, so needless to say, eating in the room has gotten old. We have tons of trash every day....
Tom and I met in 1973 at a summer poolside "Hoagie Happening" party in Redmond. At the time, I was a crafter at Pike Place Market in Seattle, making sand candles. Tom's praises boosted my confidence in my craft – however, that did not translate into sales. As Christmas time approached, Tom invited me to his family's Christmas Eve dinner. I wanted to make a good impression on Tom's parents. I remembered my etiquette to bring a hostess gift, wore the new green dress that I bought at Sears, and w...
As is the theme of the year, the holidays look a little different from what I'm used to. While I have to admit that it was strange not having my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins around, I think I was okay with it for a year. Keeping our celebration to our little pod, Mom, Dad, and I headed to the family cabin near Newport for a couple of days. It's a perfect holiday spot, overlooking a private lake and far enough north that everything was covered in snow. I even had a custom sledding hil...
Jon Rampey: Wand Maker 2020 has taught us how to make lemonade out of lemons. Jon Rampey, a newcomer to Dayton, makes art using this philosophy of resourcefulness. "Creating something is better than buying it," he said. Like many of his generation, 27-year-old Rampey loves the Harry Potter universe and knows nearly everything about it. Years ago, he decided he must have his own sorcerer's wand like Professor Dumbledore's. Wands being a bit pricy, he decided to carve his own. In 2009 he made his...
4 is finally coming to an end, and we have endured. I know I hope for a great new year to enjoy with abandon. Maybe that’s why I’m a bit more forward-looking than usual. Not that I am planning to make a list of New Year’s resolutions. I know myself, the first time I break one, I will break them all. Maybe it’s just semantics; but, no resolutions; instead, it’s break bad habits and add good ones. First, I will pay my taxes on time this year and avoid the penalty I just paid for last year. Some...
With the holidays upon us, the sights and sounds of Christmas surround the Waitsburg community. From glittering street decorations to themed music taking over our favorite radio stations, the magic of December can be neither escaped nor denied. Of the many celebratory songs, I am willing to place a wager on literally everyone knowing the "Twelve Days of Christmas." It's a timeless standard. And, love it or hate it, it shall be heard again this year. And what do we all expect on the first of the...
I don’t usually believe in karma, probably because I just don’t want to experience the wrath of someone imposing a karma curse on me. Lately, though, I am beginning to feel my sister may be getting me back with some sleep karma. I’ve recently experienced insomnia, which is not something I’ve ever had. Until recently, I was the best sleeper ever. My mother used to say that I could sleep anytime, anywhere, and on anything; a bed, floor, bed of nails, in a car, plane, tent, it didn’t matter. I...
This year our family Thanksgiving will be a virtual party, sadly, but then it does save me driving two hours each way to my sister’s house, just to sit in a corner and read or knit with a big glass of wine while she overcooks the turkey and focuses on her grandchildren. The guys sit glued to the TV, watching football, not moving or helping, because they can’t take a chance they might miss a throw, sack, or touchdown. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday; there are no mandatory gif...
When Juniper Kerr was in middle school, her basketball coach kept saying, "Every shot not taken is a shot missed." It stuck with her. But it's not just about basketball now; it's about life and her love of taking pictures. I've been noticing her stuff and wanted to sit down and chat with her. I'm glad I did. First, she started very young. "When I was four years old, my mom helped me start my first business selling my pictures on cards at the Bellingham Farmer's Market," she said. And she never...
We returned from our brief trip to Los Angeles, and although I am glad to be home, I did discover that there are still some things I miss. Los Angeles is one of those places where people can go to reinvent themselves, hideout, wait to be discovered for a starring role in a blockbuster feature film, or like me; rediscover some of the things I miss. First on my list, of course, my friends, then sushi and outdoor tennis year-round, but I rediscovered other aspects of the city that I miss as well....
1. Don’t let anyone steal your joy. Not COVID-19, not relatives, not an illness, not work or family stress, not any circumstances. Your attitude creates your reality. Choose to be happy, to be thankful, and to value life! 2.Take care of your health Self-care means listening to your inner needs and making choices to improve daily functions through a healthy diet, water, exercise, positive communication, and social support. 3. Plan Ahead Much stress can be eliminated by making a plan. You c...
Turning down Lewis Gulch, I spied a beautiful draw curling into the wheat fields, free of human track. A sight for sore eyes on the eastern Washington pheasant opener. Whipping the Tundra to the shoulder and throwing her in "park," we finally had something to look forward to. Deciding to try something new this year, I quickly re-learned that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. We had left home at 5 a.m. Four hours hence, we had yet to put boots on the ground for lack of room in the bird covers....
