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.