Today is a beautiful, hazy-cloud, lazy-morning. Last night was not that at all. Last night it poured rain, rain that ran in torrents, a gully-washer rain, a windshield-wiper-can’t-keep-up rain, a rain the likes of which you experience every time you enter the car wash, an obliterating-everything-in-sight rain. And then, the rain stopped. Briefly, the sun […]
To Ponder
Across the Fence: Bandsalat
Never did I ever hear this Germanism in the English language. Yet, it seems to exist: Bandsalat (pronounce: ‘bunt-zu-luut, meaning ribbon salad, aka tape salad). It is something that will probably fall more and more out of use in the future. For it relates to objects that are not much around anymore: tapes of any […]
Letter: The Day They Drove to the Big Event
Their mom let them drive to the Easter Egg hunt. It was just down the street. She would walk alongside the little motorized car, which wasn’t very fast. They would stay on the sidewalk, wave at friends and neighbors. It was a beautiful day, sun shining, flowers blooming, blue sky, eggs hidden in plain sight […]
Letter: Is the “Good Neighbor Village” being a good neighbor?
Submitted by Spanaway Concerned Citizens. We still have a real chance to stop the “Good Neighbor Village” project—and we are not giving up! Spanaway Concerned Citizens has filed a motion in Thurston County Superior Court, asking the Honorable Judge Carol Murphy to reconsider her recent dismissal of our Land Use Petition Act (“LUPA”) challenge. This […]
In the Book Nook with … Archie Kregear
Author Archie Kregear is from the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State. He retired after working in the computer industry for twenty years, and then teaching Biology at the high school level. He started writing seriously in 2012. The first book he published was Mountain Gods in 2019. He participates in a writing critique group and […]
Letter: Broken Hearts Made New
The parade having ended, we were walking along, my hand in hers, her other hand clutching a bouquet of daffodils. Strolling leisurely down the street lined with beautiful houses and well-kept yards, we both saw it at the same time – a heart in the path leading up to the home. A crack in the […]
Letter: Today Matters
As we gathered our picnic lunch, blankets in which to wrap in case it was cold at the beach, and chatted happily about a day together exploring, I saw where the spiders had found a home in my father’s Model A. Once the pride of his workmanship, the lovingly and painstakingly restored – even painted […]
Gary Washington Tells No Tales – A Lakewood Story
Although we were not great friends, Gary Washington was an individual you could count on and look up to. I had once asked him for help in junior high. After sitting and watching a mean little jackass bully both boys and girls I asked for Gary’s help. I don’t know that Gary exercised his body, […]
Letter: The Hidden Health Risks of Biosolids in Residential Areas
Submitted by Greg Alderete. The use of biosolids—treated human sewage sludge—as fertilizer is often promoted as an eco-friendly way to recycle waste. However, spreading biosolids in or near residential areas poses serious medical and environmental risks that are too often ignored. Even after treatment, biosolids can contain harmful pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, and viruses […]