Got 'em!

Having stalked, found, and captured the rare and elusive "wild" asparagus, I arrive home: victorious!

News flash!

Some of you may know that I'm now proofreading and reporting for the Methow Valley News. It's a dubious honor perhaps, but the work makes me happy and keeps me off the streets. Except for when I'm Laurelle Walsh - girl reporter.

Proofreading can be a test of endurance some days; I show up at the news office Tuesdays at noon and stay until the paper is done - sometimes after 10 p.m. It's kind of funny when I arrive at the office, everyone seems to sit up and get busy. Sometimes I think they see me as their high school English teacher, or maybe my arrival just reminds them what time it is.

I am also the new Winthrop beat reporter. I've taken over for Carol Stull, who wrote the Winthrop news for years. This means that I attend the council meetings and the chamber meetings and anyone else who'll tolerate my presence at their meetings. I write stories about our little town, upcoming events, the state park, and . . . .

Here's a quote from Frank Vander Wall, who lovingly described my coworkers at the paper thusly: "A bunch of over-educated, smart ass weirdos. You fit right in." A greater compliment I could not have asked for!

The paper is published weekly, and the online version gets posted sometime on Wednesday. Look for it here: Methow Valley News

First harvest

A bucket full of 'chokes

Jerusalem artichokes, or sunchokes, are the first crop I can harvest in any year. I went out last weekend (March 26) and found that the ground was snow-free and ready to dig anywhere the 'chokes are in the earth.

I'm going to dig around with my hands here.

Sunchokes are in the sunflower family. They are the easiest things IN THE WORLD to grow. You basically dig a little hole, maybe double the depth of the tuber, throw the tuber in and cover it with dirt. I say dirt, because it really doesn't have to be soil, per se. They'd probably like to get some water now and again, but even that seems to be optional.

Really, that's all there is to it.

Stalks shoot up from the tubers and grow to around 7 or 8 feet high. They will be covered with little, 2 inch yellow flowers later in the summer. The deer will prune any that stick out from the fence.

I only put them in areas where they won't compete with anything else, and I ALWAYS dig the tubers every spring. One tuber creates quite a mass of offspring, so I don't know what would happen if I left all of them in the ground.

Slice 'em and eat 'em.

After soaking five minutes in water.

I read that the starches convert to sugar underground over the winter, and they do seem quite sweet, crunchy and slightly nutty. You could probably dig them in the late fall/early winter too, but sometimes the ground is frozen by then.

La Ultima Mexicatessen

First off, my understanding of some Spanish vocabulary was clarified. I had always understood that la ultima meant "the last" or "ultimate" in the final sense of the word. Apparently no, much as in English, la ultima has come to mean, in common parlance, "the best" or "ultimate" in the unsurpassed sense of the word. Bueno.

On to Okanogan County restaurant review, el segundo.

Street view

La Ultima Mexicatessen is your Tonasket lunch or dinner choice, as long as your need to eat occurs Monday through Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Because it is entirely run by one family, they decided that to stay sane they needed to have weekends off. Understandable, and I hope it works out for them.


Located at 11 - West 4th, across from Lee Frank Mercantile (Ace Hardware), and two doors down from Tonasket Pizza and the Food Co-op, it sports both an unpresupposing facade and interior. In fact, the space is fairly plain, but they were playing some pleasant acoustic Mexican folk music while we were there.

We were greeted by the chatty owner, Michael, who wisely left the field of ESL teaching a couple years ago in order to go into the restaurant biz. Actually, I don't know, I think you have to be pretty nuts to go into either line of work, but who am I to talk . . . .?

Michael, the loquacious owner.

The food was good. They serve simple, good, reasonably-priced Mexican fare featuring daily specials after 2:00 every day. Check out the menu board in the photo.

Super pork torta

I had a super pork torta: kind of like a Mexican sloppy Joe with salad in a bun.

Frank had a super beef rice bowl. He eats a lot, so they super-sized it for him.

We also brought home six pork tamales. The family makes tamales and sells them at the Okanogan River Garlic Festival each year. Michael said they have a food cart of some sort that they haul to events like that. He's thinking about selling tamales at the Winthrop Sunday Market this summer; what do you think?

My sweetie with lunch.

Post script: Do you know/use the word, "unpresupposing"? It's not in any dictionary that I can find, yet I, and many other people, use the word.  Weird.

Mission accomplished!

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You can look at it as long as you promise not too examine it too closely.  HEY - THAT'S CLOSE ENOUGH!  It looks better from a distance anyway . . . . see?

Thanks, Rebecca, for modeling help! (Your sweater matches the quilt blocks)

Thoughts on marriage equality

Opposition to marriage equality has accomplished only one thing: to permit and perpetuate a population of second-class citizens.


It has not changed the desire or commitment of gays and lesbians to remain as couples.


It has not reduced the number or success of lesbian and gay households with children.


It has not made gay people go away.


Same sex couples:

I love these people.  Some of them are (gasp) gay.

• pay taxes
• own homes
• raise kids
• go to PTA meetings
• have affairs
• divorce
• try again
• live in Utah
• live oversees
• grow old
• suffer from Alzheimer's
• make mistakes
• try again
• love one another
• love straight people
• miss their families
• deserve a break
• deserve equality

2011 Doggie Dash

A little starting line showdown.

The Methow Valley Nordic Club's Doggie Dash is a zany, off-the-wall event which delights spectators and participants, locals and out-of-towners.  Held at the Winthrop Town Trailhead on Sunday of President's Day weekend, this year's celebration of nordic skiing and dogs boasted excellent snow conditions and brilliant, sunny weather.

Participants on skis ranged from Emmet Bondi at age 3-ish, to full-fledged senior citizens reacquainting themselves with their inner child.

Karla Segale as entomologist, left, Susan Pritchard in striped leggings, right.

Four-legged racers included Karla Segale's petit black and white Pappilon (weighing no more than 8 pounds in butterfly wings), and a couple of monstrous Bernese mountain dogs.  Thanks to far-sighted planning, the tots only compete against other children, and the tiny dogs are not asked to run with the Titans.

Separate prizes are given for costumes and speed; one need not be a champion skier to compete.

The rules, written by the Nordic Club, are as follows:  Dogs must be on a leash.  You must start and finish with the same dog.  Imaginative costumes suggested for both you and your dog. 

The only costume-related liability I observed was Dave Ford's dog becoming hobbled by its Spandex cape.  Other mishaps included crossed leashes leading to trips and falls, and a number of dogs and owners crossing the finish line as separate, disconnected entities.  I observed no tears, but lots of smiles and good-natured ribbing.  

Danbert Nobacon, left, John Spaude, right, Teri Pieper with camera in the background.

The photo opportunities were boundless; however, my little camera had some trouble keeping up with the speed of events, and suffered a bit from the low temperatures.  To view a professional slideshow of this year's event, check out Teri Pieper's blog.