Totems and Nature’s Hunting Guides

On Wednesday afternoon, Young Homey caught me outside Dean Hall, on the Central Washington University campus, as I was watching a couple dozen mallards dabbling in the Ganges. “So,” he said, “where you going this weekend? There are bucks everywhere – this is gonna be...

All about Tiny Flying Seeds – Or Not

No doubt you saw them and walked through them over this past week, as well. They looked like tiny white fluffy seeds floating everywhere; pretty dense on parts of Central’s campus, and in the air across town and several parts of the valley. On Tuesday, I stopped...

Norm Elliott and The Happy Hunting Grounds

Norm Elliott went home two weeks ago – just about the time we were packing the last of our deer and antelope meat into coolers for the drive from Sheridan, Wyoming, back to Paradise. You probably never met Norm. Too bad, really, because he was a fascinating guy with a...

Continuing Bighorn Sheep Die-Offs

You may have seen Scott Sandsberry’s piece in last Saturday’s Ellensburg Daily Record, or somewhere picked up from a wire service. Scott reports for the Yakima Herald Republic, but our local paper occasionally picks up some of his work. We cross paths from time to...

On Skunks and Skunk Trapping

The conversation started at the campground in Ilwaco, over Tuna Weekend. One or more skunks found their way to food and company among the hundred or so campers on hand, and left calling cards on the moist evening air. Thus began conversations about past run-ins with...