Snow Shadows

A moonlit walk through freshly fallen powder snow
The long reach of lunar illuminated shadow
A movement catches my eye
Images rippling across the glistening hill
A bird above, or a coyote below
Shadows dancing across the moonlit snow...

Bad Hombres and my fellow Nasties

I went to bed last night in tears and sick to my stomach
I woke up in fears and catatonic
This reality tv star is the black horse of the apocalypse
His deplorable followers clueless
And yet...I have hope
Over half the nation voted for decency
Record early voters for the first time in history
Feel the Bern and I'm with Her
Don't give up now, we're not kicked to the curb
Bad Hombres and my fellow Nasties
We're still a democracy

Blueberry Apricot Pie with Walnut Topping

This pie was so incredible that Husband began eating it straight from the pie pan with a spoon before the dinner guests arrived. After dinner, the guests who normally don't indulge in dessert took second and third helpings. There is no more pie. Truly, this should be called, Incredible Pie. Or, the Incredible Shrinking Pie. Or, just pie. Delicious pie.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Filling
1 quart canned apricots
2-3 cups frozen blueberries
1/4 cup quick tapioca
juice of one lemon
2 inches fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar

Place fruit in bowl, sprinkle with tapioca, lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon, and sugar. Set aside while preparing crust. 




Crust
1/2 cup graham flour
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
8 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

Place all the dry ingredients in food processor and pulse until mixed. Add the coconut oil, two tablespoons at a time, pulsing well each time. Scrape down sides of mixer as needed. Mixture will be crumbly. Turn out the crumbly pie crust mixture into a pie dish and using spatula, spread the mixture evenly along the bottom and sides. Use a jar to press and flatten the dough. Place the pie crust into the heated oven at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Topping
1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place the walnuts, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt into the food processor. Pulse until nuts are ground, and ingredients are well mixed.

Remove the pie crust from oven. Spread apricot and blueberry mixture into the crust, top with the walnut mixture. Place pie back in oven and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until fruit is bubbly and topping is lightly browned.

John

John, Omak Stampede, August 2016

I am naturally cynical, pragmatic, logical. I do not believe prayers move a diety to action. 

I found myself 'praying' last night as I scrolled through pictures of protestors and recognized someone else - John. 
I met John at an event this summer. I was interviewing a young lady and John sat quietly nearby, intently listening. When she and I were finished, John stood up and held out his hand. He firmly grasped my hand in both of his and told me a story. John is disabled, his speech is garbled, but that does not stop him from interacting with everyone and being his friendly self. I had no idea what he was saying, but I loved every word as he animatedly emphasized here, raised an eyebrow there, and laughed heartedly at a punchline that only he knew. Awhile later I felt a tug at my elbow. John had changed into his dancing clothes and was going to drum that night. He motioned to my camera and then proudly mugged for a few shots.
John is unable to talk, but in the brief evening I spent with him he communicated volumes with his smile, hand gestures, drumming and dance.
As I scrolled through images from the NoDAPL protests, I recognized John. He was held in an embrace by another - someone who I know was arrested. His face was buried in the other man's chest. I wondered, was he hurt? was he scared? was he arrested too?
He can't talk. Was he one of the ones with a number written on his arm instead of a name? Was he one of the ones held in a dog kennel?
He can't talk. Were the police patient or gentle with him? Did they recognize someone who has special needs and act appropriately?
I worry and I pray.
Me. Praying.
For his safety, for everyone's safety. And a quick end to this brutal attack on peaceful protesters who are standing ground on their own treaty lands that were never ceded.

Ladybug Hiberation

 Where ladybugs slumber deep
Through winters long dark keep

A seasonal and silent gathering

Bodies cluster wing to wing

On rocks and logs and leaves
On stems, the ground, the trees

Cold and clear flows the creek

A watery lullaby for them to sleep

Ladybugs settling down to rest

The moment before snows drift

Monday - A Deconstruction

I decided to start the day off right, by getting up early to exercise, eat a healthy breakfast and pack a slimming salad for lunch. Here’s how the day transpired:

• 5:30 a.m. Bounced out of bed, unrolled exercise mat and assumed plank position.

• 7:30 a.m. Woke up face-down on the floor mat, dog licking my face. Vaguely remember doing one pushup. Now running late for work, no time to pack lunch or eat breakfast.

• 8:00 a.m. Stop at Carlton General store for a coffee, muffin and freshly made turkey sandwich on croissant for lunch. The store and parking lot are packed with out-of-town hunters. One of them holds open the door (nice) and says, “Morning, baby girl” (not nice).

• 8:10 a.m. Now slightly irritated and running late, I forget that I placed the cup of coffee on top of the car. The man who mistook a grown woman for a baby jumps in front of the car, waving his arms and yelling, “don’t go anywhere baby girl!” Remembering the coffee, I retrieve it, while the man continues to instruct me as if I were an infant, “buckle up, baby girl!” 

• 9:00 a.m. I arrive to my job as the office administrator at the Bear Fight Institute, where scientists conduct research and publish findings on geological formations within our solar system. An airmail letter from Britain is in the pile of unopened mail. Marked “Private and Confidential,” the letter looks important. I email the scientist it is addressed to; he was out of town that week. He replies that it may need immediate attention, so I open the letter to find a handwritten note requesting a professional opinion on the existence of Loch Ness. A self-addressed stamped envelope is enclosed.

I take a long sip from the still-hot Carlton General Store coffee that I had earlier refrained from throwing on someone, and decide not to reply to the letter. Although I truly want to say, “Dear Sir, as a research institute located in the Pacific Northwest, we can only speak on issues relating to Bigfoot.”

The rest of the work day passed quickly without further incident, until the drive home, when a Methow Valley-sized traffic jam of cows took a leisurely stroll across the Rendezvous Road. The behooved “cow-moot” resulted in a dinner idea.

Beef stew ingredients browned in a pot on my stove later that evening. I grabbed a carton of beef broth and shook the contents vigorously before pouring into the pot. Then I reached for the can of Guinness and, without thinking, also shook it vigorously. I’d like to believe most of the Guiness dripped down into the pot after exploding all over the kitchen ceiling. I’d also like to believe that my ceiling was relatively clean.

Find my beef stew recipe here :)

Apple Galette w/ Almond Crust

Is there anything better than fall and apples?
No, there is not.

Galette Dough
2 cups flour
1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cup frozen, unsalted butter - cut into small pieces
1/3-1/2 cup ice water as needed

Combine dry ingredients in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until well mixed. Sprinkle in the ice water by tablespoon and toss with a fork until you can bring the dough together in a ball. Press dough into a disk and refrigerate for one hour. For the galette, roll dough onto a lightly floured surface, forming a 14 inch circle, 1/8 inch thick. Roll onto the rolling pin and transfer to a baking stone or parchment lined baking sheet. Dough will be larger than the pan.



Apple Pie Filling
2 lbs apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
Juice of one lemon
4 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Gently toss all ingredients in a bowl until apples are fully coated with sugar and seasonings. Mound apples onto center of galette dough, leaving a 3 inch border. Fold the edges of the dough over the apples. Brush top of dough with melted butter, sprinkle with sugar, and bake for 45 minutes, until crust is golden brown and apples are tender.

Monument to the Indigenous Methow

Standing on the banks of the Methow/Columbia confluence, it is a stretch to remember what the surrounding area looked like 50 years ago before the dam created the lake, or even 100 years ago, when young men and women with ambitious dreams arrived by ferry, carriage, horseback and foot to the mouth of the Methow River.

In Pateros Memorial Park, there are few reminders: a heavy bolt used to secure ferries as crews pulled the boats up river against the current and through the rapids, a museum with pictures of first homes, first orchards, first town buildings, first miners. What is missing is a way to envision how the first people in the region lived thousands of years before the new comers arrived.

With that thought, I am very excited to share with you a project I’ve been involved in for the last few months: a Monument to the Methow.

With input from the Colville Confederated Tribal History/Archeology program, a team of collaborators is putting the finishing touches on the design of an educational park in Pateros. The team is comprised of local historians, an archaeologist, tribal elders and a Pateros City liaison.

The design of the Monument to the Methow is endorsed by Okanogan County Historical Society as the nonprofit sponsor, the Pateros City Council, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, and Douglas County PUD.

Initially, our thoughts were to ask for a small bit of space along the shore to put up four historical signs similar to the other historical signs located in Pateros Memorial Park. As team members collaborated with the city of Pateros, a more integrated and practical design emerged for an educational park — centering around the annual salmon bake and cultural celebration that takes place in Pateros Memorial Park each year.

Currently, a pile of bricks serves as a makeshift salmon bake oven that is stored in an alleyway and hauled out to the street corner each year. The Monument to the Methow will have an elegantly permanent salmon bake wood-fired oven as the centerpiece to an educational park situated along the pedestrian river walk in the Pateros Memorial Park.

Surrounding the oven is a gravel walkway lined by native plants and scenes of a traditional encampment during the annual salmon harvest.  Renowned Colville Tribal artist Virgil “Smoker” Marchand has agreed to create a number of sculptures, including one that was inspired by a 1930s photo of a Methow Indian gaffing salmon in the Methow River from horseback. Rock art tiles will be placed along the curbing surrounding the monument.

Five educational signs with historical photographs will tell the story of the Methows. Overlooking the Columbia River, the Monument to the Methow integrates the natural elements of water, stone and native plants. The inspirational space will be a beautiful addition to the Pateros Memorial Park and will be enjoyed by the community, park visitors, students, tourists and passersby along the shoreline sidewalk.

All we need now is your support to make the Monument to the Methow a reality. Our goal is to raise $25,000 to pay for the sculptures, signs, tepee, benches and landscaping. To date, we have raised more than half the funds needed, and just need a little more. The monument is planned to be completed by May 2017 and dedicated to the community. All work will be completed by paid contractors.

Donations are fully tax-deductible. Checks are payable to “Methow Monument/OCHS” and should be mailed to: Okanogan County Historical Society, P.O. Box 1129, Okanogan, WA 98840. Please help us make this Monument to the Methow a reality to be enjoyed by everyone in the community.

Apple Muffin Cookies

Perfect breakfast: tea, fruit, and a muffin in 'cookie' font!

1 1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup peeled, finely chopped apple
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup oil
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Stir in oats, apple, and raisins.
In separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar, honey, oil, milk, and egg. Mix together wet and dry ingredients until a smooth batter forms. Stir in walnuts.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop batter by rounded spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer muffin cookies to a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Bears Like Honey, Too

Monday evening, August 15th 

Tonight was supposed to be a quiet evening shared with my favorite husband and a lovely Malbec. Three hours and 3 beestings later we are instead drinking whiskey straight. 

Hive reassembled, fence fixed, diversion tactical bottles filled with nasty stuff and covered in peanut butter. Go bears.

This evening started with my husband going up to the garden to water, as usual, while I took the dogs for a walk. A few minutes down the road, I heard him hollering for me to come quick, as a bear had gotten into the bee hives in the garden. 

The hives are in the back corners, with tall flowers growing around them as shields. He knew something was wrong even before noticing the hive. The bees were louder than usual, emitting a distressed buzz. They were bumping into his head - letting him know something was very wrong. That was when he decided to look in the back corner. 

The fence poles are buried three feet into the ground, and a six foot tall fence wraps around them. The bear had pushed in the pole and was able to then bend the slack wire, digging underneath it. 

The top boxes full of honey were pushed off to the side - in the picture above, the bees are coating two of the honey supers. The bear had most wanted all the protein rich larvae from the brood chamber. In the photo above, you can see the larger brood frames scattered on the ground. A bear butt print is in the dirt, surrounded by thousands of dead bee bodies. When bees are defending the colony, they will embed their barbed stinger into the flesh of the intruder. As the bee pulls away, the barbed stinger is left in the attacker, still attached to the pulsating muscle of the bee, pumping the venom into the skin. As the bee pulls away, it is disemboweled, dying almost immediately after deploying the stinger. For this reason alone, bees rarely sting - only doing so when the action is worth losing their own life. 

After surveying the destruction, and calling the wildlife officer to report the bear, Joe and I set to work. Joe wore no protective gear while he worked within a foot of the hive to secure the fencing. He was not stung once, despite the tens of thousands of displaced and panicked bees in the immediate area.

I made my best effort to reassemble the hive. The brood nest was scraped nearly clean, and covered in dirt but a few live larvae and eggs remained. The nurse bees were still attending to these cells, even the midst of all the chaos - seeing this, I became overwhelmed with emotion and started to cry at the dedication and commitment of the colony. The queen was covered in dirt and honey, but still alive. I moved quickly in the gathering darkness, brushing off the dirt, righting the boxes, and slipping the frames back into place.

As I do not use foundation in the honey supers, some of the comb had collapsed under the weight of being upended, and also the bear had taken a large swipe of honeycomb. The now broken honey comb loosed over a gallon of honey into the hive, but I hoped the bees could recover most of it.

Despite tens of thousands of bees (freaked out, stressed bees) swarming around me as I struggled to put it all together, only three stung me, and those three were ones that I accidentally pinched: once when I lifted a super full of honey covered in hundreds of bees and rested it on my thigh, pinching a bee. The second when I stuck my knee against the fence to bend it back into place and squeezed a bee between my knee and fence. The third strike was when I crouched down and pinched a bee between my calf and thigh. I was covered in bees, thousands of bees, and were only stung by three that I pinched.

Best case scenario: They'll live for now, but they will not make it through winter, and it's too late in the season to try and combine them with another hive, I've had bad luck with late season joining hives. At the least the bear got a good meal.

Closing thoughts on that day: Joe is the best - he helped change my mindset. The bears are stressed and starving after two years of devastating fires in Gold Creek that destroyed their food sources. At least he got yummy meal of bee larvae and honey. Circle of life. I've never had a hive make it through the winter anyway, and it's easier to start over with new bees in a different spot than to move an existing hive. Already scoping out spots for next year, and making plans for a better fence. It's all good. I've made my peace with the bear, hope s/he makes it through hunting season.

Thursday, August 18th

The bees had coated the outside of the hive for three days, refusing to go inside. I thought there were one of two reasons:

1. It was extremely warm the last few days with temperatures in the high 90s. The bees could have been trying to cool off the hive. This is done by 'bearding' the outside of the hive and fanning the entrance with their wings to increase air circulation in the hive. 

2. It was very dirty in the hive, with dirt and loose honey everywhere, maybe they were giving the other bees room to clean. 

But on this morning I looked closer at the bottom of the hive and noticed that at the entrance was not live bees, as I had thought from a distance, but a mound of hundreds of dead bees blocking the entryway, covered by wasps that were feeding on the dead bees. The honey had flowed to the bottom of the hive and out the front entrance, attracting wasps. The bees had tried to protect the entryway, and as they fought with the wasps, had piled up, blocking the entrance. The bees were not coating the outside of the hive for the reasons I had initially thought. Quite the nightmarish contrary - they could not get back in. 

I switched out the top of the hive with a cover that had a top opening just big enough for one bee to enter at a time - all the easier to defend from wasps. 

I cleared away the mess at the bottom entrance and blocked it with a wedge of wood. 

I buried all the dead bees to discourage carrion feeding by the wasps, and set up wasp traps around the hive.

In the afternoon when I returned, the area had been visited once again by the bear, who had torn a hole in the fence and had dug underneath. This time, the bear had pushed over a pile of empty hive boxes and pulled away the wedge of wood at the bottom entrance of the restored hive. To solve the problem, I braced other blocks of wood against the entry, and wrapped the entire hive in fencing. After mending the hole in the fence, I hung up cheap water bottles filled with 50/50 water and bleach, and coated them in peanut butter - giving the bear a nasty taste if he came back, hopefully a diversion. Finally, I found large bales of wire throughout the property and piled them around both hives, making it difficult for anything to get close.

Final Thoughts, Friday, September 2nd

We have not had any problems in the last two weeks. It seems that if you just make it more difficult to get near the hive, i.e. pile lots of wire and lumber all around, the bear will lose interest. 

I usually do not have a problem. Normally the bears are up in higher elevations, but the fires in this drainage the last five years have depleted their once rich food supply. Bottom line, there are too many bears trying to pack on the calories in a limited area - the only food sources left in Gold Creek are where the houses are. 

Wildlife officials have been working on moving the bears to better foraging areas. Two were moved within the last few weeks, and they were skinny, starving little things. 

I am not a fan of electric fences. They do not always work, sometimes it just makes the bear madder and work harder, causing more destruction. With our dogs and kids of friends and family, an electric fence is just not worth the cost and effort. 

Our plan next year is to move the bee hives closer to the house and hang bells on the fencing, along with a motion detector light. The dogs will be alerted to any activity around the hive via both the bells and light and will chase off the bear.

Mexican Chocolate Cake and Cinnamon-Chocolate Mousse

A beautiful torte-like cake packed with healthy ingredients

1 large zucchini, finely grated (about 2 cups)
1 (1-pound and 2.25-ounce) package chocolate fudge cake mix (recommended: Betty Crocker Super Moist)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 large egg
2 large egg white
3/4 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
3/4 cup applesauce
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Lightly coat with cooking spray the bottom only of a 9 x 13 inch glass cake pan.
Set grated zucchini in a mesh strainer over a bowl and lightly press with a spatula to release water. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, cinnamon, chili powder, eggs, egg whites, yogurt, and applesauce. Beat on low speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Fold in drained grated zucchini. Pour into prepared cake pan.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Top cake with this thick and decadent Cinnamon-Chocolate Mousse

• 1 (12-ounce) package soft silken tofu
• 1 (3.9-ounce) package instant chocolate fudge pudding (recommended: Jell-O)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 (8-ounce) package whipped topping (recommended: Cool Whip Lite) 

Combine tofu, pudding mix and cinnamon in a bowl. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes with an electric mixer. Fold in the whipped topping with electric mixer on low speed. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Zucchini Latkes

Ahhh, zucchini season. Anyone else might tell you this is "pumpkin spice" season, or, "back to school" but for gardeners, this time of year is "what the #$^* am I going to do with all this zucchini?" season.

Here's a list of what we've done with all our zucchini so far:
Veggie Crisps
Stuffed with lamb, rice, and other veggies
Sauted, Roasted, Grilled
Breaded
Baked
Pickled
Snuck into cakes
Doorstops
Fall decor
Housewarming gifts
Birthday gifts
Surprise, you left your car door unlocked gifts

But one of my favorite ways to enjoy zucchini (besides in Mexican Chocolate Cake), is zucchini latkes. Cook up a bunch for dinner one night, enjoy for breakfast the next morning topped with eggs, or stuff into a pita pocket with sliced tomatoes for lunch. These zucchini latkes are tasty, colorful, and yet one more way to enjoy an overabundance of zucchini.

2 cups shredded zucchini
1 small red onion, chopped fine
2 medium carrots, chopped fine
Dill and fennel fronds
garlic and onion powder, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
2 eggs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Olive oil

Shred two medium sized zucchinis into a colander, sprinkle with salt, and let drain over a bowl for about ten minutes. Squeeze out the extra water and mix in the other vegetables and herbs. Sprinkle seasonings to taste. Gently fold in the eggs and bread crumbs.

In skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Drop spoonfuls of latke mixture into oil and flatten with back of spoon. Brown on one side for 3 minutes, flip and brown other side for another 3 minutes.

It's All About the Dress

Earlier this month, Aleeka Smith celebrated the passing down of a very special ceremonial buckskin dress that belonged to her great aunt, Mary Miller Marchand.

Aleeka lives in the lower Methow Valley along the same riverbank where her great aunt lived, along with many other generations before them. In Mary’s last years she requested that Aleeka be her “hands and feet” — a position of honor as an assistant to an elder. In exchange for helping hands, the elder passes down stories and cultural knowledge to the younger person.

Buckskin dresses have names and stories associated with each garment, as do woven blankets. This dress was made by Diane Aiken specifically for Mary. The dress was worn by Mary when she served as grand marshal in many community celebrations over the years, including the Wenatchee Apple Blossom parade and the Omak Stampede.

Mary Miller Marchand and her brother, Lewis Miller,
Grand Marshals of the Apple Blossom Festival in Wenatchee

Mary dedicated her life to serving others while preserving Native American history and culture. She drove the seniors’ bus, managed the five community centers for the Colville Reservation, served on the Colville Business Council, interviewed and recorded tribal elders for the archival collection at the Colville History/Archaeology Department, and worked closely with linguists at the University of British Columbia to document different dialects of the Salish language using the International Phonetic Alphabet.

Mary passed away in March 2013. At that time, her sons — Aleeka’s cousins — presented Aleeka with Mary’s ceremonial buckskin dress. It wasn’t until this month that the family was able to properly “bring Aleeka out” and celebrate the passing down of the dress in public on the first night of the Indian Encampment at the Omak Stampede.

Mary gave Aleeka her Indian name, StiɁícxən, which means “killdeer”, because Aleeka reminded her of the small bird that ran in short bursts along the river’s edge, flitting back and forth as she helped her Auntie.Before the ceremony, I at with Aleeka as her cousin Olivia expertly wove Aleeka’s dark thick hair into two long braids. At 13 years old, Aleeka possesses a gentle spirit with a strong sense of who she is, and the generations that came before her — in part because of her time spent as the “hands and feet” of her Auntie Mary. She spoke quietly of her Auntie Mary, pausing as she thought before she spoke. “She was passionate about teaching everyone about our culture, and our elders, to always take care of them. I want to continue her work, passing down her stories, how she lived,” Aleeka said.

As Aleeka stepped out that night in Mary’s dress, her braids were wrapped in otter fur, and a beaded barrette secured hawk feathers to the crown of her head. Colorful beadwork covered the white buckskin dress. Sky-blue beads banded across the shoulders with white sunbursts outlined in yellow, orange, red and black beads. Purple shells cascaded in rows from the waist. Around her neck, Aleeka wore several necklaces, one of polished onyx, another of mother of pearl, and a long strand of beads and bone that matched the colors in her dress.

Randy Lewis, Mary’s son, began the ceremony by speaking about his mother Mary, her impact on those around her in this world, and the importance of the dress that now belonged to Aleeka. After Randy spoke honorable words about Mary, and introduced Aleeka, a drumming group began to play, as Aleeka and her mother Crystal walked the circumference of the arena. As they passed by each of the four entryways of the arena, friends and family streamed out to join them. After embracing and sharing words of support, people joined a great line and walked in time to the drums. Some grandmothers and aunties danced in time to the beat as the crowd made their way around the arena.

Just a young woman, Aleeka has many years to add to the memories associated with her Auntie Mary’s dress.

Methow Valley or Northern Exposure with a twist of Twin Peaks?

I love this valley. 

I love it for the dramatic scenery, the high alpine lakes, the hiking trails, the pristine rivers, and the bubbling creeks. 

I love this valley for the depth of character, the people who live here. There are many 'characters' - much like a series of North Exposure reruns, or Twin Peaks mysteries.

Here are just a few...

Buckskin Techie

Just watched a survivalist pull his hand stitched buckskin shirt and breeches out of the washing machine. He smells heavily of woodsmoke and animals. He lives in a small cabin off the grid in the woods. No running water or electricity. He harvests his food from the woods, berries, roots, and small game. He cooks outside over an open flame, and stitches his clothing by hand. He draws the line at washing his clothes in the river, after all, we are civilized. That is what the laundromat is there for. Also for the free wifi. While his clothes are being automatically washed in the laundromat, he blogs on his laptop about a wonderful simple life without modern day conveniences...how ironic.

The "Lost Something" Guy

Every time I'm out walking the dogs, he stops his jeep, idles it, revs the engine, cigarette dangling from his lip, and asks if I've lost _____ (usually a dog, but you never know what he'll come up with - generator, set of wrenches, stovepipe, etc.) If you don't immediately yell "No!", he will pontificate on what a hero he is for saving the human race and everything they've lost. (I know that makes me sound bitchy, but you would quickly come to the same conclusion within 3 seconds, I bet you a stovepipe.)
Tonight Joe and I are out for a walk with the dogs and Lost Something pulls up on his ATV with a plow jimmy rigged to the front, a box of wine tied to the handlebars with bungie cords, three headlamps strapped to his head, and two inches of ash hanging off the end of his cigarette. "You guys lose a headlamp?"
"NO!!!!"

Crazy Manifesto Garage Guy

Anti-government rebel uses his garage as a billboard. A rickety wooden shack held up by hundreds of layers of white paint plays host to entire dissertations spray painted in black. A few topic examples:

"The Chinese market is still good"

"The Genghis Khan invasion is happening now with thousands of children invading our borders!"

"Obamacare is KILLING us ALL!!" "LIARS!! PERJURY!!"

Naked Fan Lady

I bought a lawn mower yesterday. You would think this would be a boring event, but no. No it was not. Nothing is ever boring in the Methow.

1. A giant beetle, like, eight inches long was on the pavement next to the mowers. A squirrel stalked it, jumped on it, wrestled it, and ran off with it. The beetle was the same size as the squirrel.

2. During this exciting show, the saleswoman grabbed my hand and squeezed it the whole time. I thought it was weird, and slightly endearing, that she needed to hold someone's hand while a squirrel went all WWWF on a beetle.

3. Then a naked woman, NAKED, walked through the parking lot and into the store dragging a fan, the cord skipping behind her. The clerk rolled her eyes and muttered, "oh LORD" before hollering, "Laura, it's THE FAN," as if this has been an ongoing heated situation. Someone asked the fan lady if it was hot enough for her. She didn't get the joke…

I had to go to the hardware store today. I braced myself for the naked fan lady (much like the Twin Peaks log lady, only naked, and holding a fan instead of a log) She was nowhere to be found but I did see the feed store guy walking down the street with a 2 foot tall Macaw parrot riding on his shoulder, and they kissed. I think her name is Daisy. Then, the Les Schwab guy drove over to the coffee stand and ordered a milk shake...while on his forklift. If this sounds like a scene from a Richard Scarry book, that's what it looked like to me, too. I love the Methow.

The Dryer

Seen at the laundromat, moving his clothes from dryer to dryer every five minutes because “they aren’t dry yet, this dryer doesn’t work.” Forty minutes and eight dryers later, he decides that last dryer must work because his clothes are dry. Could not understand why his Canadian quarters did not work in the dryer.

The Chicken Lover

You know you live in the Methow when a call to book a weekend conference at a local resort for 70+ planetary scientists turns into a conversation about the mental health of chickens. Seriously. This just happened.

The Third Person

Sweet Lady: Where do you live?

Me: On Gold Creek

Sweet Lady: Oh! So you might know...Do you know the gal who writes for the paper? She writes the Methow column?

Me: Yes! That is me!

Sweet Lady: Oh, ok then, it is you. (she did not believe me) Her husband hiked the PCT.

Me: He sure did...

She went on to tell me in detail about every single column I had ever written. She did it in the third person, as if Joanna Bastian was this mutual friend of ours, not the person who was sitting in front of her. Cue Twin Peaks music...

The Caterer

You know you live in the Methow when every single interviewed caterer said their signature dish was 'emmer faro salad' Only in the Methow...

The Juggling Arborist

Actual email exchange:

I'd like to buy some trees, are you open this Friday?

I am away juggling this weekend. Be back Tuesday.

Lightening Repair Guys

Only in the Methow does a mundane task like picking up your bicycle from the repair shop turn into something like this:

I'm driving up a forested road when some guy in bright red shorts comes running down the hill waving his arms - "Come up this way!" He seems adamant.

I turn the truck and start up the hill. He points and says, "you can park there, it's over this way." I park and get out and start to follow him and we are soon standing side by side, hands on hips, staring down at a well pump. He looks at me for the first time, takes in my blonde pony tail, embroidered floral tank/dress top and says, "You're not the pump guy!" to which I respond, "You're not the bike guy."

He points me in the right direction and I soon find the bike guy who says, "park there and follow me!" He was more interested in showing me the hammock tied to the tree that got hit by lightening last week, than talking about bikes. "I was laying right there! I'm still not right. And Gary's well pump got hit by lightening, too!"

Wacky Tourists

A man and woman were watching the osprey for nearly 45 minutes, ooohing, ahhhing, applauding - having a grand old time. I asked if they were local and they said, no just driving through. We had a fun conversation about birds and then I asked if I could take their photo for the paper and take a quote, the man was happy and quick to say "yes", the woman jumped up and said, "No, that is a bad idea" looked at the man and said, "A REALLY BAD IDEA" and then they jumped in their car and sped off.

Torrid affair?

Bank Robbers?

Witness protection program?

Another wacky tourist sighting:

Two people frolicking in their underwear through an alfalfa field. At the junction of Hwy 20 and SR153. Farmer porn?

Namaste Lady

While at the Farmers Market on Saturday:

Sweet Old Lady: You are in my yoga class!

Me: Sorry, don't think so, I'm not in a yoga class.

Sweet Old Lady: Yes you are! You are in my yoga class!

Me: Okay. Namaste

..........Later that evening..........

I attend a charity dinner and out of 300 people, the Sweet Old Lady and I are assigned to the same table. What are the odds...

Sweet Old Lady: I know you from somewhere. Where do I know you?

Me: Yoga class.

Sweet Old Lady: (claps her hands) That's it!

Dead Angela

Why I couldn't get a breakfast burrito today:

Every Thursday I get a breakfast burrito. Last week I went to my favorite burrito place and a new employee was standing behind the counter. She stared at me strangely for the longest time before this happened:

Her - You could be someone I knew

Me - I could be

Her - You could be Angela

Me - Thank you, I'm sure Angela is a beautiful person

Her - ANGELA IS DEAD.

Me - *awkward straightening of menus and avoiding eye contact with crazy lady before grabbing burrito, throwing down money and running out of door.

The Certified Bone Reconstructionalist

A week after ankle reconstruction, I went out to dinner at a local fundraiser. I had just gotten up from a folding chair - no small feat with only one good leg - and was balancing on the crutches when a local character with good intentions stepped up. 

Her: Sweetie! What did you do?

Me: Broke it, it's all good

Her: I'm a Certified Bone Reconstructionalist, I can fix that for you right now. (She bends over and grabs the cast with both hands, knocking me slightly off balance)

Me: (swinging leg out of her reach) Oh WHOA! OK, let's not do that right here, right now, alright?

Her: (snapping fingers in my face) You are right. Let's do it tomorrow. You give me a call, it's on the house.

Me: Ooooooookie Dokie

Solar Food Dryer, McFarland Creek Lamb Ranch

Originally published in the Methow Valley News, July 27, 2016

Katie Haven and Jackson Vanfleet-Brown demonstrate the workings of the solar food dehydrator

Two years ago this week our garden was over producing and there was no way to preserve it all, due to a series of unfortunate events – namely, hell and high water – that left us without power or running water for eight weeks of 2014. The garden decided to ripen every single fruit and vegetable all at once. We were drowning in bounty with no means to preserve it, so most of it was either given away, or churned back into the soil for compost.

So imagine my interest when Katie Haven of McFarland CreekLamb Ranch posted a photo on the ranch’s Facebook page of a solar dehydrator with the caption, “Just finished my new solar dehydrator. High overcast and its 130 degrees inside! Can't wait to start drying the 20 lbs of cherries I just picked.” Compact and lightweight, the solar dehydrator looked easy to assemble and even easier to operate.

I stopped by during a summer rainstorm when Katie and her friend’s son, Jackson Vanfleet-Brown, took a break from chores to wait out the rain. We chatted around her kitchen table while in her garden sunflowers and hollyhocks acquiesced to stormy winds and thick droplets of rain.

Thumbing through The Solar Food Dryer by Eben Fodor, Katie spoke about why she wanted to build her own, “I like the idea of minimizing electrical use, and I want to dry cherries and apricots.” The book contains detailed assembly instructions for an efficient and highly cost effective design for a simple, light weight box that is used to off the grid to preserve home grown food.

Katie and her friend’s son, Jackson Vanfleet-Brown, spent a weekend assembling the solar dehydrator from scrap lumber leftover after the rebuild of the McFarland Creek Lamb Ranch barn, which had succumbed to the Carlton Complex fires in 2014.

The food dryer is made from common materials, locally available here in the valley: plywood, 2x4s, ¾ inch trim, sheet metal, flat black spray paint, and glass and screens cut to order from Methow Valley Lumber.

The top of the wooden box is angled with a sealed glass cover. A back door is used to access the inside of the box, where removable food-drying screens slide above a piece of sheet metal, painted flat black. The black metal absorbs solar heat and transmits it to the air flow surrounding the food-drying trays.

The solar food dryer works with natural convection. Warm air inside the box rises and exits through small circular vents near the top of the box, creating a vacuum which draws cool air in through the bottom vents. The cool air is warmed as it flows below the black metal panel, and the now warm air rises around the food-drying screen above. The food is dried using this natural convection of efficient hot air flow.

A small thermometer tracks the internal temperature of the box, which can reach an astounding 160 degrees Fahrenheit on a triple digit day. Optimum drying temperature is between 110 degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. To cool the internal temperature of the box, airflow can be increased by opening another vent on the back, near the top of the box.

To date, Katie has put up five quarts of dried cherries, and was in the process of drying apricots last weekend. “The cherries took about two days to dry, apricots took about 3 days,” she explained. Later this summer Katie will use the solar dehydrator to process tomatoes, apples, pears, and herbs.

The solar food dehydrator looks like a fun weekend project and a wise investment. No electrical power needed, no noisy fans. Just fill it up with produce and let the sunlight and natural convection do the rest of the work. More information can be found at www.solarfooddryer.com.

Shrimp and Veggie Summer Rolls with Garlic Sesame Noodles

An easy meal perfect for hot summer days. The only cooking required is to boil water in a kettle!

Thin rice noodles
Rice paper wrappers

Spinach leaves
Basil leaves
Red or yellow bell pepper, sliced thin
Carrot, sliced thin
Cucumber, sliced thin
Avocado slices
Cooked shrimp, sliced in half lengthways

1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
6 tablespoons sesame oil
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 cloves garlic, grated

Sliced green onion and black sesame seeds, for garnish

Place thin rice noodles in large bowl, cover with boil water and let soak for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Thinly slice all vegetables, and line up at work station, forming an assembly line. Place pie plate of warm water beside work area.

Submerge two rice paper wrappers under water and soak for one minute. Gently press wrappers together under water with fingers.

Place the two wet wrappers on work surface, keeping one on top of the other.
Layer spinach and torn basil leaves down the center of the rice wrap, top with noodles, thinly sliced vegetables, and shrimp.
Gently roll,tucking in sides as you roll up. With a sharp knife, slice roll into 2 equal pieces.
Repeat with remaining ingredients.

In small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sugar, canola oil, sesame oil, vinegar, and grated garlic. Pour 1/2 of the sauce over the rice noodles, gently tossing to coat noodles. Top with green onion and sesame seeds.

Serve remaining sauce with summer rolls as a dipping sauce.

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup sugar
1 cup finely shredded unpeeled zucchini (or finely shredded apple)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350° F

In a medium bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Stir in zucchini, oil, egg, lemon zest, and walnuts. Mix well.
Spray a 8x4x2 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Mix 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Dust the oiled pan with the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack in pan. After pan has cooled remove bread from pan and cool thoroughly on a wire rack. Wrap tightly with saran wrap and store overnight before slicing.

A Shameless Plug

At the two recent talks I gave, “The Complete and Entire History of the Methow, the Abridged Version,” I had meant to share the titles of the books I had gleaned for information, but forgot to do so at not one but both talks!

Side note: Thank you to everyone who came out to waste a perfectly good evening with me. I had fun, and I hope you did too.

A great book by a local author that covers everything but the kitchen sink is The Smiling Country, a History of the Methow Valley by Sally Portman. Sally, who is the Winthrop librarian, begins with the age of geology and ends by delving into the economy of ski tourism in the Methow Valley.

Arnie Marchand, an Okanogan tribal elder, wrote down a collection of native stories in The Way I Heard It. He recently spoke at the Methow Valley Interpretive Center, and shared many fascinating details about sustainable fishing practices before the dams disrupted the annual return of the salmon.

Roadside Geology of Washington by David D. Alt has diagrams and excellent content describing the western expansion of the North American continent as a series of island collisions along the shoreline. A section on the Methow Valley explains the location of the two fault lines on either side of the valley, and how to “read” the land today. Another good geological resource can be found in the Methow Naturalist publication by local resident Dana Visalli. These can be found at Cinnamon Twisp Bakery and at the Methow Valley Farmers Market in Twisp. Past publications can be found at www.MethowNaturalist.com.

First on the Land by Chuck Borg is filled with USGS maps, newspaper articles, letters and personal interviews about the formation of the Moses Allotments in the Methow Valley and the people who lived on them. An excellent collection of correspondence with the Bureau of Indian Affairs shows the record of land exchanges and is an insight into the political dealings at that time in history.

Methow (A Scrapbook) by Bob Tonseth is a collection of newspaper articles about the Methow Valley dating back to the 1890s. Eyewitness accounts, interviews, poems and day-to-day gossip provide a colorful look into the turn-of-the-century settlement of the Methow Valley.

Denmark immigrant U.E. Fries shares firsthand anecdotes in his book, From Copenhagen to Okanogan. He came to the area in 1887 and carried mail by horseback from Okanogan to the first Methow post office at Silver.

High Hopes and Deep Snows, How Mining Spurred Development of the Methow Valley byMethow Valley News reporter Marcy Stamper is an informative read filled with stunning pictures of hard rock mining ventures.

And now for a shameless plug …

The Shafer Museum is publishing the Miller family articles that appeared in the Methow Valley News this last winter. “We are the Methow, A History of the First People of the Methow Valley as told through the Miller Family” will be available at the Shafer Museum in Winthrop at the end of this month.

When I showed the proof copy to Chuck Borg, his face transformed into shocked amusement. “Where did you get this picture?” he asked as he pointed to the cover. The cover image is of rock art found in the valley, and was provided by the Methow Valley Interpretive Center. Chuck had come across this particular rock painting when he was a young boy. The specific location of the site is sworn to secrecy, so don’t even try to wiggle it out of Chuck.

Published, Methow Valley News, July 13, 2016

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Lemon Garlic Sauce and Vegetables

Last week I was in a morning rush and forgot to pack a lunch for work. A quick jog down the freezer aisle yielded a Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli frozen meal.

I usually keep my expectations low with frozen meals, especially anything with the words "lean", "healthy", and "low fat" on the packaging. This meal, however, was a pleasant surprise of delicious flavor - light, clean, and satisfying. I decided to try and recreate the experience at home.

The resulting dish was so good, there was none left to memorialize in a photo. Husband went back for seconds, and around forkfuls declared his desire to keep this recipe in rotation. A perfect mix of steamed veggies, firm pasta filled with creamy butternut squash, and a zesty, savory lemon garlic sauce made for a filling dinner.

1 package frozen butternut squash ravioli
1/4 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 large carrot
1 red pepper
1 small zucchini
1/4 cup frozen peas
Fresh oregano and basil, for garnish

Gently boil ravioli in salted water according to package directions. Slice vegetables into narrow strips, and steam.

In small saucepan, slowly melt butter over low heat. Add garlic and let flavors infuse butter for one minute. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, chicken broth, and herbs. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Sprinkle cornstarch over sauce and whisk until thickened. Top ravioli with veggies and sauce, and garnish with torn fresh oregano and basil leaves.

Grandma Jean's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've always lived far far away from my Grams, but she made it feel like we were so close. There was always something in the mail: cards, letters, small puzzles, pressed flowers, a comic strip clipped out of the paper, lace edged handkerchiefs, and once in a great while, a box of home made cookies.

Her chocolate chip cookies were superb, like none other. I thought it might all be in my head, since Grams made these, they just HAD to taste better than any other cookie. I never thought to ask why.

One day, my aunt handed me the recipe card. I had not asked for it, she just thought it was important enough to hand down - thank god she had the presence of mind to pass down a recipe I didn't even know I needed. As I glanced through the ingredient list it was as if the heavens opened and a glorious beam of radiance filled the kitchen, along with the chorus of angels. Grams chocolate chip cookie recipe was indeed different from all other I had ever known - she made her cookies with pudding. My god. Pudding in a cookie. Genius!

Of course she would want me to put my own spin on it, so I've experimented all around and my favorite alternate mix is using chocolate pudding with walnuts seasoned with cinnamon and chili powder.

Grandma Jean's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4c. flour 
1 tsp. baking soda 
1 c. butter, softened 
1/4 c. white sugar 
3/4 c. brown sugar 
1 tsp. vanilla 
1-4 oz. box instant vanilla pudding 
2 eggs 
1 pkg. choc. chips 
Cream butter and sugars together. Blend in eggs, vanilla, soda, and pudding.Then, mix in flour. After well blended fold in the chips. Bake at 375 for 8-10 min.

Pateros Annual Salmon Bake and Cultural Celebration

Dan Nanamkin stands by his team’s cedar dugout canoe

By Joanna Bastian

Shortly before noon on Saturday (June 25), a long cedar dugout canoe floated down the Methow River to the confluence and then turned up the Columbia River. The team of six rowed the craft to shore to kick off the third annual Salmon Bake and Cultural Celebration fundraiser for the Community Resource Center for Pateros Brewster (CRCPB).

The CRCPB was created in the months after the Carlton Complex Fire, to serve the communities of Pateros and Brewster. With assistance from Room One, the Okanogan County Long Term Recovery Group and the Community Foundation of North Central Washington, the CRCPB was launched to provide much-needed resources including case management, client advocacy and behavioral/mental health services.

Grace Larsen, secretary of the CRCPB board, and Jim Larsen, vice-chair of the board, manned the CRCPB information booth at the celebration. The CRCPB was the recipient of all the money raised.

Other booths included a traditional basket weaving demonstration by Elaine and Tillie Timentwa, a native flute demonstration, native artwork displays, teepee construction, drumming, and archaeological speakers.

The DayBreak Canyon Bluegrass Band kept the toes stomping with their strumming and fiddling, while large salmon fillets sizzled on an open grill.

Ernie Brooks, Confederated Tribes language instructor, was on hand to share the Nxaʔamxčín language and teach people common phrases. Ernie has dedicated nearly 30 years of his life to preserving the Salish language. When he first started, there were eight elders who could speak it fluently. Today, there is only one still living. Ernie has worked to preserve the words: recording elders telling their stories, and writing down the translations. 
 

Dan Nanamkin stood near the cedar dugout canoe to answer questions. He and his rowing team had negotiated the Methow River that morning to bring the canoe to the event. Just the week before, they rowed 105 miles upriver from Grand Coulee to Kettle Falls, completing a traditional route and trading along the way. On Sunday, the team took the traditional canoe across Lake Chelan, and next week they are rowing all the way to Canada. Next year, the team will attempt to complete a voyage all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

The cedar dugout canoe was made from an old growth cedar provided to the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation by the Quinalt Nation. The massive tree was delivered to the Nespelem Community Center, where over the course of a year community members learned how to create a traditional vessel. Designs of coyote tracks and salmon were burned into the sides, telling the story of the coyote who brought the salmon back to the people. The dugout canoe was christened “Xwil wi,” meaning “journey.”

Xwil wi will serve as an educational tool, as the team rows to different communities raising awareness of the importance of the cleanliness of our waterways, the health of the salmon, and cultural traditions of the Pacific Northwest native people.

If you would like to know more about the Pateros Brewster Community Resource Center, and either contribute or become a sustaining member, visit crcpb.org.

 
Randy Lewis hands off a sizzing salmon to Aaron Naumann

A youngster learns the art of drumming.

Methow Valley News, June 29, 2016

Hyas Pretty and the Bear

Methow Valley News, June 15, 2016

In October 1886, Tom Robinson and his brother Jim first met Narcisse, a Methow Indian who lived below the stony bluffs at the mouth of the Methow River. Narcisse and his friends, seeing Tom’s blonde hair and blue eyes, nicknamed him “Hyas Pretty.”

Narcisse saddled up horses for the two men and guided them to the upper reaches of the Methow Valley, where they were soon joined by Alfred “Parson” Smith, a fur trapper and poet by nature. The men became fast friends and trapped together that season.

Tom and Parson were eating lunch one fine spring day along Slate Creek when a grizzly bear suddenly joined them, growling fiercely. What followed was what anyone might do should a bear try to bully away a tuna sandwich: namely, lots of yelling, running and sheer chaos until someone shimmies up a tree, bear in tow.

Parson captured the action in an epic poem on par with Homer’s “Iliad”: a vast setting over mountains and valleys, deeds of superhuman strength, over-the-top narration, and a hero.

Parson wrote other poems, and perhaps the most famous one is a short verse that he carved into a tree, proclaiming his love for this area. After the tree died, a bear set to snacking on the juicy grubs that had taken up in the wood. The U.S. Forest Service removed the stump with the poem emblazed, and you can see it today preserved at the Winthrop Ranger station.

Hyas Pretty and the Bear
By Alfred (Parson) Smith, 1887

I’ve a vivid recollection of a valley
Wondrous fair.
Of a man called Hyas Pretty and
A monster grizzly bear.
I can shut my eyes and see them
Yet; the valley, man, and bear.
The narrow strip of bench land,
And the lakelets silver glare.

On the right there rose a mountain,
Towering high and capped with
Snow.
On the left a ragged rock bed
In the valley far below.
In the foreground Hyas Pretty; with
A smile serene and fair.
Followed close in all his movements,
By the playful old she bear.

When first I saw them goin’ I
Marveled at their speed;
With the old she bear to rearward,
And Hyas Pretty in the lead.
And I stood convulsed with laughter;
For it seemed to me a pun.
A bear slayer in such frantic
Haste that he could not use his gun.

As they charged along the benchland
It at first appeared to me,
That the race was well worth
Climbing those ragged heights to see.
But like some moving panorama,
Or some frantic midnight dream,
While the actors still were moving,
A change came o’er the scene.

And while I mused and speculated
On who should get the pelt,
Hyas Pretty cast his gun aside
And loudly called for help.
‘Twas a time sore fraught with danger;
As plainly I could see
And Hyas Pretty in a time of
Stress, had placed his faith in me.

And I could not, would not fail him;
Yet it caused my blood to boil.
That Hyas Pretty when in danger,
Should from the fray recoil.
And I felt the strength of Sampson
In every pore and vein.
As I shed my roll of blankets and
Charged across the plain.

While Hyas Pretty sorely winded,
High had climbed within a tree,
And left the old she grizzly with
The battle ground to me.
Yet I neither flinched nor faltered;
As I grappled with the bear.
And felt her hot breath flowing
In my face, and eyes and hair.
While we pulled, and tugged, and
Tussled, back and forth, time and again.
And sometimes I was uppermost
And sometimes on the plain.
And as we strove and wrestled;
Hyas Pretty, from the tree,
Raised his voice and shouted;
“Say! Give her one for me!”

And he often times has told me
That it nearly froze him stiff,
TO SEE ME RAISE THAT BEAR
ON HIGH AND TOSS HER
O’ER THE CLIFF.
And when we stripped the old
bear’s skin from tip of tail to head,
Hyas Pretty brought the pelt to me,
And this is what he said.

“Honored Sir, I bring this trophy,
And lay it at your feet.
‘Tis the just reward of victory,
The hide and half the meat.
And in all the years to follow, if
I by chance should meet,
With other famed bear slayers,
And be asked to name some feat.

Where a brave man all unaided,
Free handed, and alone,
Had fought an old she grizzly on
The front step of her home,
I shall give to you the glory;
For you saved my life to me,
And slew the fierce old monster,
While I was up a tree.

Unarmed and all unaided, ‘twas a
Noble thing to do,
And my hat I’ll doff in honor
When’er I meet with you.
I shall paint your name upon the
Cliffs, that all who pass may read,
How you rescued Hyas Pretty in
His hour of greatest need.”