Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley
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As I've mentioned, I'm not a reflective person; I have a "man the torpedoes, full steam ahead" mentality. But it's become a tradition that I take a little stock and look back at my decision to leave sunny Southern California in December 2018 to move to snowy, cold, foggy, damp Waitsburg. So here goes, as I bravely reflect now, rather than in spring when the weather is warm, the garden is green, and the sun is shining. Since I will soon be retired, I have no excuse, "I'm too busy to do that...
I think everyone goes through periods of adjustment; some are more difficult than others. Changes to relationships, houses, careers, seasons, and aging, are never-ending, but that’s life. My mother’s parents didn’t have a great marriage and were not a great example of a good relationship. They lost a lot of money in the depression, and my grandmother’s gambling addiction became more apparent the less they could afford to lose. My mother learned early about debt, loan sharks, and straine...
The other day, while Daniel and I were about to walk out onto the deck, Mugsy went a little crazy, whining and scratching at the door jam. Daniel said, “There must be a mouse or rat in the wall.” My stomach turned, not because I was afraid of rodents but because the idea of one being in the wall was upsetting. Daniel set traps in the pantry; the following day, it was trapped, snapped, and dead. Our gourmet mouse went for the brie cheese, and it paid the price. So far, it seems one and done—no tr...
Occasionally, when I sit down to write this column, I feel like I'm having a panic attack, which I attribute to writer's block. I sit at my computer and stare into space or at an empty screen. I try to force my mind to daydream, come up with ideas, or find inspiration. This time of year, it is difficult without a garden to moan or boast about. I usually wind up playing a rousing game of solitaire. A few years ago, this newspaper's editor (owner, publisher) gave me a bottle of Scotch called...
We changed the clocks last night or officially at 2:00 a.m. Does anyone set their alarm at 2 to change their clocks and watches? I know I don’t. Thank goodness most things are automatic these days. I remember days gone by when it took at least an hour to change all the clocks, the VCR (remember those?), the answering machine, and my watch. This is the time of year we gain the hour we lost in Spring. But are we gaining an hour? It will still get darker earlier; the days will feel shorter, m...
Mother Nature and I are sisters in contrary behavior. On October 19, it was 76 degrees, and I have no complaints as I enjoy this contrarian weather pattern. My Irises are blooming. I've got a new mini crop of sugar snap peas, and tomatoes just keep coming. I am cruising the highway with the top down, playing tennis on the outdoor courts, grateful for this unseasonable warmth. My behavior is less monumentally contrarian than Mother Nature's, but still off the norm. My sister complains I send birt...
Living in Waitsburg, I’ve adjusted to the fact that, for every season, there is a bug or two or more. It’s early fall, and the blue gnats are invading every bit of air space. I’m sure I’ve ingested a swarm on the tennis court this morning. While the tree bugs, aka box bugs, aka alder bugs, are invading every crevice and space possible. I find them in doorways, windowsills, under wood pilings, climbing up the vinyl siding, and anywhere they decide to land. Halloween is approaching, and at leas...
“Hitting the wall” is an expression runners use when they have exhausted themselves and can go no further. Over the years, I’ve heard this expression used for other situations; in my case, it’s work. I have “hit the wall” and written and plan to submit my resignation letter, effective December 31, 2023. Despite fears that my brain will turn to mush, I’ll be bored, have nothing to do, or will eat myself into oblivion. I am ready – I think! I remember when my father announced we were moving fro...
In the past six or seven months, I noticed that I lost the ability to read my phone without wearing my glasses. I have worn glasses for as long as I can remember. I am near-sighted in one eye and far-sighted in the other, or as my friends used to say, cockeyed. I kept this same cockeyed vision even after having cataract surgery in both eyes a few years ago. With the new blurriness, I assumed I needed new glasses. Eventually, I realized something else was happening because I saw weird lines and...
Daniel has completed the deck. The Trex is laid, the trim is finished, the furniture is back, and we are enjoying outdoor dining again. The old wood planks (some still with nails jutting out) are stacked on the side patio. Considering my propensity for tripping and falling, this is an accident waiting to happen. But hopefully, they won't be there long; there are projects in the near future. Daniel has a list of uses to recycle most, if not all, the planks. Of course, first, it will require...
Each spring, I learn a bit more about what and where to plant and what and where not to. This year was no different, a continuation of lessons. This April, before he left for Europe, Daniel built a PVC trellis in one of the raised beds to train cucumbers and tomatoes to grow vertically instead of spreading all over the ground. This way, Mugsy won’t be able to pee on them, and clumsy me won’t slip on mushy vegetables. As usual, timing was not on our side. The day before I left to meet Daniel in...
The deck that extends from our back door is in dire need of repair. Initially, I had a contractor build it out of pine and leave the finishing to us. Daniel was sure it didn’t need to be sanded, as was suggested, before using just two coats of deck paint to seal and protect the deck. Over time (four years,) the paint has peeled, and the wood has become chipped and splintered. It’s time to repair. We decided to replace the pine with Trex decking, the material we used on our pergola. It req...
I returned from Europe earlier than Daniel, and I couldn’t wait to see the garden’s progress (or lack thereof). I was greeted with a few ripe tomatoes, two lemon cucumbers, onions, a few tiny crookneck squashes, about ten heads of cabbage, and weeds beyond what I could imagine. The first evening home, I picked the tomatoes and cucumbers, then called it a day; the weeds aren’t going anywhere. When I left for Europe, there were two little crook neck squashes about four inches long, growing as sl...
Daniel woke from his Amsterdam sick day feeling human, barely. Off to the train station, on to Paris, our next and last stop! Traveling on the train has become my new favorite way to go; with spacious seats, a light lunch, drinks, and snacks, we were ready to enjoy Paris! We stayed at an inexpensive hotel in the Bastille area of Paris, sticking with the theme that my birthday is on Bastille Day, and that was the entire reason for the Paris trip. Do they charge for the room by the square foot?...
Insanity always rules at the California DMV, and this time was no different. I wisely scheduled an appointment, only to find it didn't show on the DMV system. After a tortuous three-and-a-half hours, I finally passed my test and got my license. All names are spelled correctly and typically the worst picture. While Daniel has been in Europe, I have been diligently weeding, gardening, and just beginning to reap what should be a fantastic bounty. Timing not being on my side, I expect the full...
I recently returned to L.A. for the sole purpose of renewing my California driver’s license. I hope this will be my final foray into the famous (or infamous) California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Under California law, drivers of a certain age no longer qualify for an automatic renewal. It is now required to take both the written and vision tests, which I last took five years ago. I am still having nightmares over that day. First, I was traveling and had to wait until two days before m...
It’s a rare day when I admit I am so tired I feel fried. I hit the wall on Monday, made evident as I was too tired to drive to Walla Walla for my morning tennis game. My mind and body just went on strike. It became evident how tired I was when I did laundry without detergent. Next, I forgot to close the top of the machine on the rewash. The drain cycle was interrupted, and I was left with extra heavy, wet clothes to do the third time. Even Mugsy seems exhausted as he’s been sleeping later tha...
We're off; the time is now. Daniel is heading to Portugal. Our first stop is Seattle. As always, traveling with Daniel presents the stress and challenges I've come to accept as just something that I know is imminent. He did ask me what time I wanted to leave for Seattle. I told him about 11 am, deciding not to play tennis in the morning so we could leave on time. That's when he told me he had been asked to consult in the morning. With that news, I went to play tennis. I need to start using my...
Time has flown by, and Daniel’s trip to Portugal is rapidly approaching. As we did last time, we will drive to Seattle the night before his flight for a nice dinner and an easy trip to the airport. About two days after he leaves, I have a friend visiting, so the first week of my single life will be hectic. This time he will stop in Dublin, Ireland, and stay for two days to enjoy some food and music before heading to work in Portugal. I, instead, will be driving home, cleaning the house, and g...
I recently saw a New York Times headline: "The Finnish Secret to Happiness? Knowing When You Have Enough." For the past six years, Finland has had the distinction of achieving the top ranking by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network on its World Happiness Report. The article then includes interviews they conducted with Finns from various walks of life and locations within Finland. Many of the people interviewed expressed relief that Finland has a robust safety network...
My garden awaits Spring, and I am back from my trip to Los Angeles. Daniel worked diligently to assemble the new patio furniture and did a great job. So, what should I write about now? Daniel suggested (jokingly) I ask ChatGpt to write this week's column. The Microsoft program is one of the hot topics in the news lately, so maybe it's time to learn more about artificial intelligence. I am fairly "tech savvy." I am as good as most, better than many, and not nearly as good as the very young. What...
Will the weather cooperate? That is the million-dollar question. If my trip to Los Angeles today is any indication, it’s not great. I will leave Walla Walla in the rain, only to arrive in Los Angeles in more rain. Typically, I leave Walla Walla in bad weather to enjoy the California sun; this time, it’s the opposite. It will be raining when I leave Los Angeles on Wednesday morning to return home. If my weather app is uncharacteristically correct, Walla Walla should be dry if a bit cloudy. Meanwh...
Do you think there’s any chance that Bob Dylan was singing about Daylight Savings Time? I doubt it, but it’s always a welcome change to have longer days and know that sunnier ones are on their way. Mugsy had been preparing early in anticipation of the time change by waking up a little earlier each morning for the last week and a half. A few days ago, he was up an hour earlier, nudging me awake to let him out and feed him. I admit he has me trained. Time and season changes turn very quickly as I...
Last year, we barely had any birds eat from the feeders we strategically placed around our backyard. A local birder told us that it wasn't our choice of seed, the locations of the feeders, or even the loud dog (Mugsy) chasing them away. Most likely, the bird population had suffered from the avian flu (the fowl version of COVID-19?) That has changed because this year, the birds are back. The other morning, I glanced out the back and saw flocks of birds energetically attacking our feeders. My firs...
Although I know it’s short-lived, I’ve been enjoying the glimmer of Spring to come. These past few weeks have even provided some sun and warmer temperatures. Warm enough to defrost the frozen dirt in our planters so Daniel can begin his project reorganizing the backyard garden. What does the current project entail, you ask? First, Daniel emptied all the dirt from the whiskey barrels and moved them from the side yard to the back area. Then he refilled them with soil and our first official bat...
