Growing grains workshop for gardeners scheduled for Graham

Posted on February 23, 2011 by brucesmith49

A workshop on how to grow grains suitable for the rainy, cold weather of western Washington will be held next Tuesday, March 1, at 7 pm, at the Elk Plain Grange, Anuttama Budd has announced. The workshop is free and will feature grain grower and expert Rene Featherstone, who spoke on the subject last year with the Graham Self-Reliant Community. Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Graham News, Self Reliance | Leave a comment

Mountain memories – a road trip with dad

Posted on February 22, 2011 by brucesmith49

The Day I Could Have Lost to “Busy” and “Soon”

by Candace J. Brown on http://goodlifenw.blogspot.com

I hung up the phone after talking to Dad and thought about how much I’ve overused, believed in, and lived by the word “busy.” It’s often preceded by the word “too.” And I thought about him turning 96 this month and how I’d just said the words, “I’ll try to get in to see you soon.” Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mount Rainier, Nature, People Profiles | Leave a comment

Marmot madness on Mt. Rainier

Posted on February 22, 2011 by brucesmith49

Originally posted on journalist Candace J. Brown’s Good Life Northwest blog, and published here with her kind permission. http://goodlifenw.blogspot.com/2010/08/marmot-madness-videos-and-more.html

Marmot Madness– videos and more

While hiking on a rocky slope at Mount Rainier, a friend of mine enjoyed the kind of luck outdoor photographers dream of. She happened to come across the rare sight of a mother marmot nursing her baby. Since some people have never even seen a marmot, I decided to do a some research and provide more information, including videos. Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Mount Rainier, Nature, People Profiles | Tagged Women of Mt. Rainier | Leave a comment

News for Graham – week of Feb. 21, 2011

Posted on February 22, 2011 by brucesmith49

by Wayne Cooke, (253) 847-4614

The March 2^nd Self-Reliant Community meeting will focus on the Seven Tasks for self-reliance, (helpful to new members), discussing specifically how we might create a “neighbor net” of a group of “interdependent” neighbors, actually see a five gallon bucket loaded with food, de-oxygenated, and sealed, talk about hands-on classes in preserving, see a chafing can/ceramic room-warmer, see a prepared rain barrel, etc. Continue reading →

Posted in Graham News, Politics, Self Reliance | Leave a comment

A jewel of nature – the Nisqually Wildlife Refuge

Posted on February 20, 2011 by brucesmith49

The National Nisqually Wildlife Refuge, carved from a large part of the Nisqually River Delta on Puget Sound, has been transformed into a shimmering gem of a wildlife area due to the recent de-construction of the old agricultural dikes that were built in settler days.

A recent tour of the newly-formed mud flats and tidal areas revealed that the entire National Nisqually Wildlife Refuge has blossomed into something much more than a revitalized spawning ground for fish. Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Nature | Tagged Nisqually River | Leave a comment

Beth Rossow – Woman of the Mountain, Siren of the Sound

Posted on February 18, 2011 by brucesmith49

Beth Rossow is well-known to many of us who live in the shadow of Mount Rainer as the long-time office manager of the Pierce County Fair, having served in that capacity for 37 years.

Beth Rossow, left, has worked for over 30 years with Betty Backstrom, right, the Director of the Pierce County Fair.

Continue reading →

Posted in Graham News, Mount Rainier, People Profiles, Remarkable men and women, Self Reliance | Tagged Women of Mt. Rainier | 18 Comments

Pet Industry resistive to recession, Graham entrepreneurs claim

Posted on February 16, 2011 by brucesmith49

Nancy and Regis Jackson, owners of the Pet Ponderosa Resort and Spa in Graham, told the Graham Business Association today that they have weathered the Great Recession, along with most other kennel operators and pet product manufacturers.

The Jacksons claim their high-end kennel operation did not see a drop-off in revenues during the economic downturn, and they said the $3.7 billion pet industry as a whole fared in a similar fashion.

American’s love their pets,” said Nancy Jackson, adding that nearly 50% of the nation own either a dog or cat. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, Graham News, Pets and livestock | Tagged Pet Businesses | 1 Comment

Graham News, February 15, 2011

Posted on February 16, 2011 by brucesmith49

The Self-Reliant Community

At the next Self-Reliant Community Meeting on Wednesday, March 2, 2011, we will review the seven tasks needed to gain self-reliance and discuss specifically how we might create a closer “neighbor net” of a group of “interdependent” neighbors, as Steve Pruitt described at our last meeting. In addition, we will actually see a five gallon bucket loaded with dry food that is de-oxygenated and sealed for long-term storage. Also, we’ll discuss our upcoming “hands-on” classes in canning and preserving, see a chafing can/ceramic room-warmer and a prepared rain barrel, etc. We will also have some of the 50 or so windows Paul and I obtained that can be used to build a greenhouse. Continue reading →

Posted in Events, Graham News, Self Reliance | Tagged Graham, Self-Reliance | Leave a comment

The Hunt for DB Cooper – an interview with retired FBI agent, Ralph Himmelsbach

Posted on February 11, 2011 by brucesmith49

On January 30, 2011, I interviewed Ralph Himmelsbach, the now-retired FBI agent who had been the lead agent for the Bureau’s Portland, Oregon office in the DB Cooper case. Mr. Himmelsbach, a career FBI agent, served as Portland’s lead Cooper investigator from the time of the skyjacking on November 24, 1971 until his retirement from the Bureau in April, 1980.

Ralph is very easy to find, suggesting that he is comfortable with his public persona., and in addition he has a book for sale on the skyjacking titled, NORJAK: the Investigation of DB Cooper. Continue reading →