Feel your Boobies, and your Prostrate

This article originally appeared in the Methow Valley News, 25 October 2017

One week remains in breast cancer awareness month. The national discussion should be focused on cancer screenings for everyone, not just breast cancer. One in seven men will be diagnosed with prostrate cancer in their lifetimes. One in eight women will develop breast cancer. Of the two most common cancers, 90% of people who receive the diagnosis have no family history of the disease.

Consider this column a gentle reminder to schedule an annual physical and talk with your doctor to decide when to start testing, and how often. Write down the family history of cancer before you go. If there is a history of prostrate cancer in males, there is a higher risk of breast cancer in the female members of the family and vice versa.

I found a lump in my early 30s. After a mammogram followed by an ultrasound, the lump was determined to be a benign cyst. The mammogram provided a baseline for comparison in later years. Whether you feel a lump or not, ask your doctor to schedule a baseline mammogram if you’ve never had one before. For prostrate cancer, a simple blood test can catch the disease early.

Rebecca Meadows had her mammogram earlier this summer, finding an early diagnosis of breast cancer. After a full mastectomy, further treatments - such as chemotherapy and radiation - were not required. She feels very lucky, “the first thing I ask when I see a friend is, ‘when was your last mammogram?’”

The initial diagnosis, for Rebecca, felt like, “a whirlwind, a hurricane,”. Things moved so quickly after the mammogram, she did not have time to think about the big picture or long term. During the midst of it all, someone who has just been diagnosed is often able to only focus on the immediate and overwhelming tasks at hand. She suggests, “take a friend with you to all your appointments, so they can help remember what is being said, and what needs to be asked.” For friends, always offer to take someone to an appointment and sit in the room with them.

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions,” Rebecca suggested. She held up typewritten pages she had just used the day before at a follow up exam. “Do your homework, write it all down,” she suggested, “the American Cancer Society has a list of questions you can take with you to the doctor. Doing your homework makes it less scary!” Rebecca has offered to be a resource to anyone who has questions.

Most often, a cancer diagnosis can be treated. But in some instances, people receive a timeline of life expectancy. What to do then? I can’t tell you what it is like for everyone, but I can share with you my mother’s experience. She was given initially two months to live. My uncle gave me sage advice, “Your role is to help her through this. Let her know that it’s ok if she goes.” For adult kids, spouses, friends – I can tell you that person is more worried about you, than about dying. Let them know you are ok, and keep the focus on enjoying the time you have together.  

One of the last conversations I had with my mom was what she had learned. Her diagnosis, she said, was a gift that gave her time and space to just be.

Take the initiative to talk with your doctor about your own cancer screenings. The more you know, the more prepared you can be for when and if you ever receive a diagnosis. Cancer screenings are not scary, they are simply a fact of life for us all.

Tenacious Crossword

There is a valley character who I call "Crossword". He always has a stack of crossword puzzles that he's working on all over town: in Hank's deli, at the laundromat, at the garage, in the library, at the bakery...

While waiting for my snow tires to be put on, I walked over to the bakery and took up at my customary table by a window with full view of the sidewalk and people coming and going. Crossword was at the table next to me, pencil poised in mid air over a stack of puzzles freshly torn out from various newspapers. As I opened up my laptop, he leaned over conspiratorially,

Crossword: I was over at Hank's and I asked a woman for a hug.

Me: How'd that work out for ya?

Crossword: She said, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!" Hahahaha! (slapping his knee)

Me: Did you expect a different outcome?

Crossword: Are you kidding me? Hahahahaha!!

He continued to chuckle to himself, his head and shoulders shaking in laughter as he filled in the little squares of the puzzle. After a time, he slowly got up, put on his coat, and shuffled with great effort out the door. Still smiling and waving as he left. I watched through the window to make sure he got where he was going.

Most people passed him quickly, not giving the old bent man a second look as he shuffled along, carefully concentrating on each step. He paused at the curb, and reached out a hand - curled and gnarled by years of work - and placed it on a hood of a car to keep his balance as he shuffled a few steps forward.

A young man took long quick strides for the bakery, passing Crossword. The young man put his hand on the bakery door, pushed it open, and then stopped short as a sudden look of awareness and concern furrowed his brow. He stepped away from the door and turned around, his back to me, and the door now shut. He greeted Crossword, generic words passed between two strangers and Crossword waved him off with one hand, his other sliding along the cold metal of a car hood.

The young man pulled his phone out of his pocket, and frowned down at it, standing on the sidewalk - bakery seemingly forgotten. As Crossword made slow progress, the young man kept discreetly glancing up from his phone. He took small steps that to passerby would look like a distracted movement, but he was keeping a mindful distance between himself and Crossword. As soon as Crossword reached his destination and was inside the next shop, the young man smiled, pocketed his phone, and rushed into the bakery - where he ordered lunch to go and rushed back out.

In a world of name-calling and frustration with everyone around us, it was a gift to see someone stop and carefully consider the level of assistance someone might need. From my vantage point, Crossword turned down help because he wants to stay mobile and independent as long as he has the ability to do so. The young man respectfully gave him space and a sense of privacy - while ensuring Crossword met his goal. Let's all be both of them - tenacious when we are older, and kind when we are younger.

Archaeology Project, MVIC

This article originally appeared in the Methow Valley News, 11 October 2017

Hozomeen Mountain cuts into the sky above the cold waters of Ross Lake. Jack Kerouac referenced this North Cascade National Park peak in The Dharma Bums, "Hozomeen, Hozomeen, the most mournful mountain I've ever seen". In another of his books, Desolation Angels, the author contemplates the questions of life while gazing to the summit, “Even Hozomeen will crack and fall apart, nothing lasts.”

Archeologist Bob Mierendorf studied quarries at Hozomeen Mountain for the past two decades, finding a 10,000 year long record of human activity etched and piled on the landscape. You can learn more about his findings in a youtube video produced by North Cascades National Park, “Hozomeen: A story about chert, identity, and landscape” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyqjLqJoTWo

Hozomeen chert, a flint like mineral found exclusively in the North Cascades, was used by First Peoples to make very distinctive stone tools. The name “Hozomeen” is an interior Salish word that means, “sharp, like a sharp knife”. Salish is a geographically broad language group in the Pacific Northwest made up from different dialects, including Methow. The placename, “Hozomeen”, is a constant attachment to the place and the resources found there – bringing together social, linquistic, and archeology history. Original placenames are often descriptive terms that connect people and history to a place.

A stone tool made of Hozomeen chert was found at a private residence on French Creek. The owner contacted Rich Davis, Archaeology Advisor for the Methow Valley Interpretive Center (MVIC) and Methow Field Institute (MFI), and generously agreed to allow Rich to study the stone tool as a research effort to document early history in the Methow Valley. The tool is impressive in size and detail. The age has been determined to be at least three to four thousand years old, based on the heavily patinated sheen on the surface of the tool.

Other found objects in the Methow Valley include projectile points that are of the same style found broken off in the thigh of Kennewick Man – the Cascade Willow Leaf style. Tool styles represent cultures that thrived within a specific period of time. Tool styles combined with radiocarbon dates of surrounding layers have dated some sites in the Methow Valley to be 9,000 years old.

In the lower Methow Valley, Rich has compared present day landscape with geological surveys and maps completed in the late 1800s. Using this record, Rich believes he has located “Ballou’s Crossing” on the Methow River that may intersect the Chiliwist Trail, a major trade route through the Cascade region used by the First Peoples. Along the Methow River near this intersection, Rich discovered fire cracked rock and debris left over from the production of chipped stone tools, indicating that section of the river bank was used as a ‘workshop’ to create tools eons ago.

Rich and MVIC and MFI have partnered with Aaron Neuman, archeologist for the History/Archaeology department of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CCT) to create a photo record of Native American artifacts found in the Methow Valley. All we have left is stone tools and oral history to recreate a record of the First People who once lived, thrived, and died here.

Owners of artifacts are encouraged to share valuable historic information by contacting Rich and allowing him to photograph and record found objects. Privacy is assured and no other obligation is necessary. Sensitive information will be kept confidential. 

Owners have the option to keep the objects, loan them for exhibit, or donate the found objects to either the MVIC, or the History/Archaeology department of CCT. Please contact Rich Davis: davisrich@hotmail.com, 509-997-2284

Elders Celebration Dinner at TwispWorks

This article originally appeared in the Methow Valley News, 27 September 2017

Recently, on the TwispWorks campus, the History/Archaeology Program of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation held the “Honoring Our Elders Celebration Dinner.” The yearly event recognizes the invaluable contributions made by Elders, traditional practitioners, and informants who assist in recording the history of the Colville Tribes.

Citizens Drum Group performing the Honor Song

Willie Womer, Culture Committee Chairman of the Colville Business Council, kicked off the event by relaying a message from his mother, Kathy Womer. She regretted not being there as she had, “too many arrow tips in the fire,” and sent her son Willie in her place. Willie read his mother’s story written from the perspective of someone standing on the crest of a hill who was overlooking the reed and bark homes in the Methow Valley below. The people gathered berries, fished from the streams, and hunted deer to sustain them through winter. One day, people with “hair of sunshine and eyes of sky,” came to the valley with “logs of thunder.” One group fled north, the other to the east. Her short story speaks of a utopian life in the Methow Valley, and the fear and grief of loss when they were driven out.

Mary Iglesia of the Methow Valley Interpretive Center and the Methow Field Institute thanked the Elders for hosting the event as, “representatives of the First People of the valley.” She expressed gratitude on behalf of the MVIC for “collaboration and inspiration” that the Elders provide in the MVIC exhibits and community events.

Guy Moura, program manager of the History/Archaeology Program and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, spoke about collaborative efforts with different federal agencies to protect the environment, document archaeological sites, and preserve the history of Methow traditional territory. The department played a big role in halting mining interests that recently threatened the headwaters of the Methow River. The History/Archaeology Program works to represent tribal interests by documenting the history of the Methow people with names, places, and stories. The knowledge the Elders share establishes sovereign rights in traditional lands and preserves historical the record.

Terry Charley

Methow descendent Terry Charley led the prayer before and after the meal. As he began, Terry shared stories from his father, “My father wanted to come home to the Methow, and cried because he could not be here. My father would speak for hours a day, sharing stories of our people.” One story spoke of the gift of continuity Elders provide. Terry encouraged people to continue to share their stories to keep their knowledge alive in others. As the prayers were offered in song, all the Elders chimed in – a simultaneous melody.

Dinner was catered by Roxanne Campbell-Rose. A mouthwatering spread of perfectly baked salmon, roasted turkey, stew with root vegetables, and meatloaf greeted diners. The entrees were followed by a dozen different salads, fry bread, rolls, and countless fruit pies. Elders received honoraria for their help with the History/Archeology Program of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.

Elaine Timentwa Emerson and Cyndy Miller 

Squash Pie

2 c squash
1/4 c sugar/ honey
1/8 c molasses
1/4 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t ginger pwd
1/4 t cardamom
1 T. Fresh grated ginger
1/2 c cream
1/2 c sour cream
2 eggs yolks ---egg whites set aside

Blend everything (except the egg whites) in a food processor.
Whip the egg whites in separate bowl and fold into the pie mixture.
Spread evenly into prepared crust.
Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30-45 minutes.

Single crust pie recipe:

5 T cold butter
3 T cold coconut oil
1 cup white flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 t salt
1 t sugar (optional)
4 T ice water

Cut butter and coconut oil into small cubes. Whisk together flours, salt, and sugar. Cut butter and coconut oil into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Using fork, toss flour/butter mixture with water, one tablespoon at a time until dough comes together. Using floured hands, roll into ball, then flatten on lightly dusted work service. Evenly roll out dough before transferring to pie pan. Par-bake for 10 minutes before adding filling. 

Book Reviews: The Big Burn, and, The River Of Life

This article originally appeared in the Methow Valley News, 13 September 2017

With recent events in the valley that raise discussions about conservation and use of natural resources, combined with climate change discussions of longer, intense fire seasons, this summer seemed like the perfect time to read “The Big Burn” by Timothy Egan paired with “The River of Life: Sustainable Practices of Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples” by Dr. Michael Marchand et al.

“The Big Burn” covers the political atmosphere leading up to the catastrophic fires of 1910 that burned across several states in the Pacific Northwest. Author Timothy Egan delves into the efforts of Teddy Roosevelt to conserve America’s forests during an industrial race to claim the rich resources of the West. Roosevelt operated on two main principles: enact practices to ensure a lasting, sustainable harvest of natural resources, and preserve America’s natural treasures for the enjoyment of all Americans. Roosevelt established the National Forest Service, which did not receive public support until after the 1910 fires and the heroic efforts of the first Rangers to save people and towns.

Roosevelt’s efforts to raise awareness about conservation issues was met with strong resistance by oligarchs who stood to profit from unrestrained invasion and thievery of Native American lands. Treaties were ignored as railroad and timber barons focused on immediate profits, not sustainable practices. In the summer of 1910, dry lightning started a handful of fires, while sparks from railcars started others. Individuals angry with Roosevelt and the newly formed Forest Service purposely set fire to clear the land – if there were no trees, the Forest Service had no trees to claim. In late August, fires started by both nature and humans merged into a colossal inferno– destroying towns and homes indiscriminately. After the fire, public opinion turned to support conservation efforts. Many public policies were enacted that are still in place today.

“The River of Life: Sustainable Practices of Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples” goes deep to provide illustrative context describing different resource management ideas between the western world view and Native American traditions. Using water as a metaphor, Dr. Marchand and other contributors discuss sustainable practices that allow communities to make choices that fit within the constraints of the available resources of the land. Local and regional communities and planners can benefit from a collaborative relationship rooted in the intergenerational knowledge provided by First Peoples who lived in one place for thousands of years.

Dr. Marchand is a local author and chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. I highly recommend his book. Although it is an academic publication, the numerous illustrations, real life stories, and traditional metaphors make this book an engaging read. The cover art, by ledger artist Cheryl Grunlose, is beautiful enough to keep the book prominently displayed.

Next up on my reading list is E. Richard Hart’s “Lost Homeland: The Methow Tribe and the Columbia Reservation” paired with Christine Cassano’s “When the Sun Reaches the Mountain.” Hart’s book delves into the history of the Methow people and the creation of the reservations, while Cassano’s story illustrates her life on that same reservation in the 1940s and 50s.

Elaine Timentwa Emerson, standing, speaking at the Shafer Museum during a book signing for "Lost Homeland" by E. Richard Hart. Seated up front, Mark Miller and E. Richard Hart.

Finding Zen in the lower Methow Valley

This column originally appeared in the Methow Valley News, 23 August 2017

You can find Zen in the lower valley. It’s true — driving through the “Met-Low”, there are two Adopt-A-Highway signs marked, “Zen.” These signs don’t refer to the gentle swell of ripening fruit upon branches, or the clean spring water rushing from their alpine sources down steep-walled canyons to unite with the Methow River, or the rolling hills bathed in sunshine. “Zen” would be an accurate description of all of the peaceful crevices found in the lower valley.

“Zen” — in this case — is a lower valley resident: a whirlwind of energetic charm, hard-working, tough-as-nails woman. I always learn something new and useful whenever I run into Zen. She’s like a cup of black coffee: strong and invigorating.

Zen Brandon runs a small farm and nursery in the lower valley along Highway 153. For years, she noticed the Adopt-A-Highway sign near her home. She had never seen any volunteers cleaning up the roadside, and did not recognize the name of the business noted on the sign. When she started her nursery and farm store, Zen’s Gardens, she decided her business would be responsible for keeping that section of highway clean, and contacted Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to get started.

Zen started cleaning up her section of highway, but then the Carlton Complex Fires roared through the valley, and putting up a sign alongside the road for Zen’s Gardens sat on the back burner for WSDOT while the agency addressed other pertinent issues. By the time WSDOT was ready to put up a sign, Zen had to put aside the nursery business, but was committed to keeping her section of highway clean. As a result, the signs were shortened to “Zen.”

As she spent time cleaning the highway, Zen noticed that it really only needed to be done twice a year and, for the most part, stayed clean. “You can really tell a difference between an area that hasn’t been cleaned in five years, and one that gets picked up even just once a year,” she said. “You’d be amazed at what you find. Once I found a splitting maul — you’d think someone would notice losing a splitting maul!”

The Adopt-A-Highway program provides volunteer opportunities and offers recognition for businesses, groups, families or the memory of a loved one. WSDOT provides orange vests, safety cones and trash bags. Volunteers tidy up 2 miles of highway at least twice a year, and file activity reports with WSDOT. The activity reports are simple and allow WSDOT to maintain insurance coverage for volunteers, while keeping track of how often a section of highway is cleaned. The activity report also notifies WSDOT when and where to pick up full bags of litter.

To participate, contact the Okanogan County coordinator, Shellee Ludeman, by phone at (509) 667-2800, or by email at ludemas@wsdot.wa.gov. More information about the program can be found at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Operations/adoptahwy.

The website offers information and safety tips for volunteers. For drivers, please be mindful of volunteers alongside the road working to keep our valley beautiful. Slow down, and give them safe space.

Origami memory

That moment
when a memory stuck in time
breaks loose
hurtles headfirst
Pummels your gut
Clock hands spin
Time folds backwards
Layered origami moments
One dimension now cubed
Once painful, now considered
It's only been yesterday for twenty five years

Five Cool Things to Observe During the Eclipse

Original publication, Methow Valley News, 9 Aug 2017

If you have not heard the news, something exciting is coming to our way – a solar eclipse on August 21, 2017. The Methow Valley will experience a partial eclipse, while many people will be traveling to neighboring states Oregon and Idaho to experience the total eclipse.

The Bear Fight Institute will hold a community presentation at the Trails End Bookstore this Saturday, August 12, starting at 3:00 pm. Scientists from the Bear Fight Institute will give a presentation about the solar eclipse, and student interns will be on hand to demonstrate how to make your own eclipse projector to safely view the solar eclipse.

Before the full eclipse while the moon is partially coving the sun, stand in the shade of a tree on a sidewalk or other light colored, flat, surface. Hundreds of crescent images of the partially covered Sun will be dancing in the shade. The gaps between the tree leaves act like a pinhole camera by projecting the Sun’s image on the ground. This is a safe way to view all the partial phases of the eclipse without damaging your eyes.

The darkest part of the Moon’s shadow, the umbra, will dramatically race across the ground just before and after totality. From a mountaintop, or high vantage point, the view of the umbra racing across the landscape is breathtaking.

Four planets can be seen during the eclipse, when the sky is dark as night. The brightest planet, Venus, will be to the west of the Sun. Also on the west side, slightly dimmer, will be the red planet Mars.  To the east the Sun will be Mercury and Jupiter. Jupiter is the second-brightest planet and is located south east of the Sun.

The corona is the outer edge of our star, the Sun. As the moon slides between earth and sun, the hot plasma of the corona is visible around the moon. The shape of the corona is created by magnetic activity on the solar surface and the interaction of the hot plasma with the magnetic field. 
There is no available technology to map the magnetic field in the corona at resolutions comparable to those details seen during a total solar eclipse - scientists across the nation will be busy studying the corona during the eclipse!

Shadow Bands are probably the most difficult phenomena to observe during a solar eclipse. They are not easy to capture in video. Sixty to 90 seconds before and after the moon totally covers the sun, look closely at a flat light-colored surface around you. Dark lines called shadow bands race back and forth across the light-colored surfaces. These shadowy lines are cast by the mountains valleys of the Moon’s contoured rim.

Stay safe during the eclipse, looking directly at the sun will permanently damage the eye within seconds. Use only certified eclipse glasses or hand-held solar viewers. Sunglasses are not safe for looking at the Sun. While using eclipse glasses do not look at the Sun through a camera, telescope, or any other optical device — the concentrated solar rays will cause serious eye injury.

For more information and activities, visit http://science.nasa.gov. Follow the Bear Fight Institute on facebook to catch fun tips and facts about our solar system.

Pateros Apple Pie Jamboree

Original publication, Methow Valley News, 12 July 2017

“Well, Twisp had a rodeo, Brewster had a derby, and Pateros had to have something too, so they started the Apple Pie Jamboree,” Bill Meadows leaned back in his kitchen chair, remembering the summer of 1947. Phil and Joan Brownlee joined in, describing the Indian stick games, live music, parade, and the apple pie. “It started out as a community picnic,” Joan explained.

Bill, Phil, and Joan all graduated from Pateros High School together in 1954. They can remember every single Apple Pie Jamboree – in part because they all have helped in some way or another in every event since the beginning. Joan has kept scrapbooks of the APJ over the years, which are on display at the Pateros museum.

The original bylaws of the APJ state that all event proceeds are to support the youth of Pateros. Proceeds from the first APJ went to the hospital. One year, a young boy drowned in the mill pond. In response, the community committed the proceeds from the APJ to pay for swimming lessons for all of the kids in Pateros. Over the years, APJ proceeds have supported swimming and ski lessons, lights on the sports field, fair projects, summer camps, and more.

The cataclysmic flood of 1948 put the APJ on hold until 1950. APJ had a good run for the next seven years until 1957, when the subject of water again overwhelmed the community. Talks had begun about building Wells Dam, a project that would create Lake Pateros and drown the town. It was a time of tense arguments in Pateros. The townspeople spent the decade relocating. Main Street, the site of past APJ parades, was at the bottom of Lake Pateros.

In 1969, Bill started up the APJ again with the help of friends. Putting the new lake to good use, they brought hydro races to the APJ. By the 80s, Phil, Joan and Bill’s wife, Rebecca, joined in the APJ planning with other volunteers for the next two decades.

Some years, things didn’t quite go as planned. Take, for instance, the year they imagined 16 water skiers wearing shirts that spelled A-P-P-L-E P-I-E-J-A-M-B-O-R-E-E. “It took us two weeks of practice,” Bill started, “we couldn’t find enough skiers that could stay up in the turbulence behind the boat!” He laughed, “Never tried that again!”

Joan recalled sitting around the kitchen table one Sunday afternoon counting out small bills and change from the day’s events. The community had given over $30,000. “Every drop went to the youth of Pateros,” said Rebecca, “there were no vendors, and everything was done by volunteers.”

Typically, on Monday through Wednesday before APJ, the community gathered together to clean up the town. Volunteers, including kids, would meet at the school kitchen to assemble hundreds of apple pies. “Everybody worked so hard for the kids, it was so worth it,” Rebecca said, “and it was the one time of year everyone got together.” Joan went into further detail about the multiple class reunions that had become a tradition of the APJ, “It was a big thing to see your classmates and get together.”

The Pateros tradition of raising funds to support youth programs continues this weekend, starting with apple pie and ice cream in the park on Friday at 6 pm. Saturday is packed with a Color Run, 3 0n 3 basketball tournament, live music, parade, quilt show, jet ski races, sloppy joes, fireworks and more. Sunday wraps up with breakfast in the park, volleyball tournament, and a car show. For information and event schedule, visit https://www.facebook.com/ApplePieJamboree. Come join the fun, and support kids programs in Pateros!

How the ACA affected me

Original publication, Methow Valley News, July 26, 2017

Pateros Community Resource Center is offering free seminars for everyone to better understand the basics of healthcare options, coverage, and insurance. The resource center is also offering seminars for understanding Medicare. The seminars will be held at the Pateros Brewster Community Resource Center, 169 Pateros Mall, Suite A, Pateros, Washington. A question and answer period will follow each the presentation. Call Grace Larsen at 509.670.1381 for more information.

“Learning the Basics of Your Healthcare Options” seminar is scheduled at 6 p.m. on August 24th, September 21st, and October 12th.

“Understanding Medicare” seminars are scheduled at 6 p.m. on July 26th, August 23rd, September 20th, and October 11th.

Before the Affordable Care Act, I had health insurance through my job at a major tech company. Although I had insurance, there were so many out-of-pocket expenses, I really wondered what the heck my health coverage actually covered. Insurance did not cover the prescription drugs or the yearly exams I needed. I never met the high deductibles with my simple needs and each doctor visit easily resulted in over a hundred dollars.  Sometimes I put off going to the doctor because it was winter and my heating bill was high, there was no way I could pay a doctor bill and an electric bill that month. Simple infections at times grew into serious problems, leading to lost work hours and missed deadlines.

Then, I had a real medical emergency. Emergency room, expensive tests, the multi-day hospital stay, and surgery were all ‘covered’ by insurance, but only up to a certain amount for each bill, each test, and each drug. There were no ‘life choices’ that created this problem. I exercised, I ate healthy, I lived a clean lifestyle, I had a good job with benefits, and none of these decisions prevented a hereditary malfunction that cost tens of thousands of dollars.

I missed work during my weeks of illness and recovery. The company used all my vacation and sick time for most of my paycheck, but a few weeks were paid out at a reduced rate. Thankfully, I still had a job to return to after my recovery. I was lucky that I only had myself to feed, and not a family. An experience like mine is what knocks working families off their feet, and drains local economies.

Two years ago, my body required another surgery and months of physical therapy. The experience was far more financially manageable, thanks to the ACA. The deductibles were affordable and the care was fully covered.

I’m thankful for the ACA. My prescription drug costs dropped dramatically, my yearly cancer screenings are covered, and I don’t have to choose between treating a sinus infection and an oil change. Affordable care benefits entire communities in multiple ways by controlling health care costs and offering coverage for preventative services that keep people healthy.

With all this political rhetoric about health care and an uncertain future, knowing about available options is important. The seminars at the Pateros Brewster Community Resource Center on health insurance and medicare are free, informative, and at only one night, easy to work into busy schedules. Call Grace Larsen at 509.670.1381 for more information.

Pateros Annual Salmon Bake and Cultural Celebration

 The Annual Salmon Bake and Cultural Celebration gave back to the community this weekend with music, art, and delicious food. Proceeds from the event benefit community support programs offered by the Resource Center. For more information about the Resource Center in Pateros, visit www.crcpb.org. As a 501(c)(3) organization, all donations are tax deductible.

As large fillets of fresh caught Copper River salmon sizzled over the new salmon bake oven, visitors strolled around the new Methow Monument, posing for photos by the teepee and fishing sculptures. Elsewhere in the park, people visited under shade trees while enjoying music by Arnold Cleveland and friends.

Kids sat around the Arts and crafts table, practicing different beading styles they learned from Linda Saint. Linda teaches arts and crafts to

residential students living in the dorms at the Pascal Sherman Indian School located in Omak. “I’m the Dorm Mom,” she laughed. Linda is also known for her intricate beadwork, which was also on display at the cultural celebration.

Baskets, hats, and pouches woven from native plants could be found at the Sinkietqu Okanogan Basket Weavers booth. Elaine Emerson Timentwa talked about how she uses wild cherry bark and bear grass to weave traditional symbols into cedar root baskets. “My mother used this pattern to show pit houses,” she explained as she ran her finger along the design, “here was the door, and there the ladder.”

Arnold Cleveland took a break from entertaining the crowd to talk about different flutes he had brought along. His favorite was carved from walnut burl with delicate inlays of turquoise. Another flute resembled a rifle, and ended with a rubber stopper. “This one here I got from an Apache who would sit and play, and then use it as a cane.” The flutes were laid out on a white table covered in colorful sketches. When asked about the table, he said, "This is when I biked across America!” A marathon runner who has always been active, Arnold turned 70 years old and decided to go for a lengthy ride. He started in southern California and biked up the coast to Newport, Oregon. From there, Arnold continued east to Maine. Gail Price, Arnold’s musical partner, drove the support vehicle. “Whenever we stopped, Gail would haul out the table and draw a picture of what we saw that day."

Courtesy of Cheryl Grunlose Artist Facebook Page

Artist Cheryl Grunlose was on hand to show off her stunning ledger art. Drawing upon her family’s collection of traditional regalia, and her graphic design training, Cheryl creates colorful tableaus on early 1900s printed records. Speaking about her path as an artist, Cheryl spoke as a military vet with multiple degrees in art history, museumology, and business, “When I started, there were doors shut to me, but I didn’t care. I kept going. You have to love art.”  

Stan Gough from Eastern Washington University manned the archaeology booth. Large posters showed images from excavated village sites from around the region dating back to 10,000 years ago.

In other news, the Restawhile is looking to hire summer-time help. Anyone interested in a Pateros High School Class of 1957 reunion during Apple Pie Jamboree should email Marlene Miller Kaucher at nanamark@aol.com.  

All the News That's Fit to Print

This article appeared in the Methow Valley News, Lower Valley column on June 14, 2017

The Lower Valley News covers all the news that’s fit to print from Carlton all the way to Pateros.

New at the Carlton General Store, locally made Willow Brook kraut is in stock.

On Libby Creek, something newsworthy happened, but it’s not fit to print.

House guests on Gold Creek fell in love with the Methow Valley while hiking along the Twisp River Trail. After hearing what sounded like small children romping ahead, the tourists met Kyle Northcott and two young trainees. Kyle was training two kids from Sunny Pine Farm to be backcountry packers. No actual child labor was involved.

Someone on Cow Creek made a pie.

It rained on McFarland Creek.

In the town of Methow the restaurant is still closed but the church is open. There’s no diner food, but the town does offer soul food.

A French Creek dog had a birthday.

A big something was stuffed into a small pack along Squaw Creek.

Near Black Canyon, a deer safely crossed the road.

The Restawhile fruit stand and bakery opened for the season.

In Pateros, the Annual Salmon Bake and Cultural Celebration will be Saturday, June 24th, from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. in the Pateros Memorial Park. Open booths offer activities including basket weaving, beading, Native flute demonstrations, and more. The raffle and silent auction includes a sculpture by Smoker Marchand and teepees. A traditional Salmon lunch will be prepared on the new Methow Monument salmon bake oven. Cost of lunch is by donation.

All proceeds from the event benefit the Resource Center, a locally based nonprofit organization that provides social services for the community. The Resource Center offers counseling services, aging and adult care services, and disaster case management for people affected by wildfire. Room One is the fiscal sponsor. The Resource Center is a 501(c)(3) organization, all donations are tax deductible. For more information, visit www.crcpb.org, or contact Mark Miller, Board Chair, at (509) 733-1876, or Grace Larsen, Secretary, at (509) 670-1381.

Attention Pateros High School Class of 1957! Anyone interested in meeting for a 60-year class reunion during the Apple Pie Jamboree should email Marlene Miller Kaucher at nanamark@aol.com.  This year’s Apple Pie Jamboree will be held July 14 – 16.

It’s a small world after all … A little bit of the Methow Valley is permanently on display in Boise, Idaho. Perri Howard of Velocity Made Good studios, located at TwispWorks, created “states of flow”, a dynamically sculpted fence line of different textures. The piece was installed last week at Rhodes Skate Park, just in time for the X Games.

The same week of Perri’s art installation, I was also in Boise attending the high school graduation of my eldest niece. Boise High recognized one particular graduate, 90 year old Lawrence Ridenour. In 1944, the Boise High junior was called away to war, and never got to finish high school. The WWII vet was awarded his high school diploma along with the rest of the graduating class of 2017. It is never too late to tie up loose ends.

Native Plants - Senior Project at the Methow Monument

This appeared in the Methow Valley News, Lower Valley column on May 24, 2017

Austin Yancey and Isaac Wall recently completed their native plants senior project at the Methow Monument located in Pateros Memorial Park. The 2017 graduates of Pateros High School chose to research culturally significant plants and complete the planting landscape at the Methow Monument with native trees, bushes, grasses, and ground cover.

“We enjoy being outdoors, and are interested in the plants that we see while we are out hiking,” Austin explained. The Pateros senior is looking into the forestry program offered at Wenatchee Valley College (WVC).

For his senior project, Austin checked in at Pateros city hall to view a list of senior project ideas. He talked with Jord Wilson, Pateros public works superintendent, who had begun work on the layout for the Methow Monument. Knowing Austin’s interest in the outdoors, Jord suggested that he research native plants and create the planting map for the new educational park.

Isaac started out the school year as a junior. Enrolled in Running Start and taking agricultural classes at WVC in addition to classes at Pateros High School, Isaac soon realized that he was on track to graduate a year early if he completed a senior project. Austin and Isaac decided to work together to complete the native plant project at the Methow Monument, as it fell in line with both their academic and career goals.

Isaac’s WVC professor, Bob Gillispie, suggested that the students reach out to Rob Crandall, of Methow Natives nursery in Twisp to learn more about native plants and their cultural significance. At the same time, unbeknownst to Austin and Isaac, Rob had contacted Crystal Miller – member of the design team for the Methow Monument – to offer a donation of native plants.

Rob provided Austin and Isaac with a list of native plants to research and planting instructions.  Throughout the winter, the two students researched the cultural significance of the plants and created a plant map for the layout.

“It was amazing to find out that plants have a use and were significant to the native people,” Isaac said, “and to recognize the plants from our time outdoors.” The two friends began to list native plants and their uses. For instance, yarrow can be used to disinfect, stop bleeding, and relieve pain. Pine needles make a nice tea.

To create a plant map, the two met with Jord, who has a master’s degree in landscape architecture, to learn how to make a plant map that features topography of the landscape and visual framing for each plant. Spots were chosen to feature native plants such as choke cherry, mock orange, kinnikinnick, blue bunch wheat grass, and more.

On Arbor day, Austin and Isaac met with Rob to pick up the plants from the Methow Natives nursery in Twisp. “We were able to get them right in the ground, no waiting,” Austin said. “It was hard to find spots for all of them.” The students had planned on forty plants - Rob donated over a hundred.

The two men hope the Methow Monument will “draw more people into town,” and help people, “learn more about native plants,” Isaac said. “In the outdoors, when you’re camping, in an emergency, it’s good to have the knowledge.” As students who experienced the Carlton Complex fires, they hope that people will see the native plants at the monument and recognize the same plants taking root and restoring the surrounding landscape. 

Timeless Views

This appeared in the Methow Valley News, Lower Valley column on May 10, 2017
 

My favorite view of the Methow Valley is in all directions.

Out the kitchen window two gently sloping hillsides greet each other in a gentle embrace, their mantles changing color with each season: winter white, early spring green, blooming balsam yellow, and late summer’s sepia brown.

From the south facing windows the trees bud out a bright green, followed by delicate white blossoms, and finishing with the fiery colors of autumn.

My childhood was spent in a neighborhood of identical tiny boxes, where each house was built to the same plan. The view from the living room was the house across the street, a mirror image of our own. The view out the kitchen window was the backyard neighbor, their windows aligned perfectly with ours.

It was a predictable neighborhood. The newspaper landed with a thump on the front stoop every morning at 6:05. The mailman strode across the lawn at 1:20. Lawn mowers and sprinklers all ran on schedule.

What I love the most about the Methow is that it is unpredictable. Homes are all different and the scenery changes from mile to mile. Sometimes the scenery changes even minute by minute. Creeks swell with rain and snow melt, new channels form, and roadways become disrupted by mudslides.

With the Loup closed, now is a fine time to enjoy the changing views of the lower valley. The orchards are in full bloom. The view won’t last long, just a few weeks, so savor the blooms while they last. Even the Carlton General Store is sporting a clean new look.

With all this ruminating about change, there is something to be said about continuity. I recently spent some time in Peru, walking 40 miles along the Salkantay trail from the village of Mollepata to Machu Picchu. The trail has been in use for thousands of years by people walking in between villages beneath the slopes of Mount Salkantay. Many people passed us by on the trail, their donkeys and horses in obedient lines, necks and saddles festooned in color. The handsome profiles of the riders matched the ancient drawings of the Incas I had seen in text books.

I'm humbled when I meet people who are surrounded by constant reminders of their own great history and knowledge. Being a nation of immigrants, we don’t know the soil we live on as intimately as those who have lost count of the generations born from that earth.

Along the trail, medicinal plant gardens were everywhere, and the locals were well-schooled on the use of botanical treatments for every possible ache and discomfort. Inca walls formed the foundations of relatively newer buildings. At Machu Picchu there were multiple sites where a compass laid upon a stone revealed perfectly aligned corners pointing North, South, East, and West. Shallow bowls filled with water acted as mirrors to view the stars in the night sky, and the path of the sun in the day. 

Celebrating continuity in our own valley, the Methow Monument – celebrating the original Methow people and their descendants who continue to live in the Methow Valley today – is nearing completion. The dedication is scheduled at noon on Saturday, May 27 at the site in the Pateros Memorial Park. Methow descendant Randy Lewis will direct the ceremonies, and artists Smoker Marchand and Bobbi Hall will speak about their artwork at the site.

Ode to Carlton

This column appeared in the Methow Valley News April 26, 2017

Carlton, the Mediterranean of the Methow

The clearest, bluest swimming hole

Sandy beaches lined with umbrellas to block the sun

Where locals splash and visit, enjoying summertime fun

Across the road, the Carlton Store - cold drinks and snacks

Ice cream, dinner, dry goods, fishing gear, t-shirts and hats

Right next door to the weed store

Down the street from the Carlton Feed & Supply Store

To make the post office, better be quick

Limited hours demand a well-planned trip

That fine-looking garden belongs to Max Judd

By hand, he pollinates squash by paint brush

Once upon a single apple tree,

Max Judd grafted twenty-two varieties

Then there was the time, Farmer of the Year he won,

“Don’t remember what year it was, but I got a nice Stetson.”

He remembers the deep freeze,

When frozen sap busted open all the trees

Even today, local farmers carry on the tradition

Willowbrook Farm and Ruby Slippers provide organic nutrition

There’s the big red schoolhouse, where little Willy Bigger

Fell in love with Dorothy Miller

The schoolhouse became home to Mrs. Thelma Roos

A vast ‘rock-hound’ collection arranged in many rows

Students traveled through on geological field trips

Mrs. Roos sent them home with labeled specimen starter kits

A collector and artist, a lover of stone

Crushed rocks into powder to paint pictures of home

Deke Smith stirred moonshine made from apple mash

While sharing stories of a distant past

Deke recalled all night parties on long winter nights

The whole town would gather to dance and feast, fiddle and drink

One wintry night, some “hooligans” played a terrible trick

They snuck into the nursery and swapped the blankets

Mothers gathered their babies without waking

Identifying the bundles by the knitting

When the babies awoke later that day

A massive baby swap was underway

Abbie’s mum would sing a pretty tune, “Where did you learn that song, dear mother?”

“At church,” she replied, “we used to go all the time until it washed down the river.”

Floods, and freezing, and wild fires can create a complex

But Carlton remains, prepared for whatever comes next