Native Quest: Little People show the culture of many Native American tribes

Forty years ago, Ken MacRae bought what used to be the Enumclaw First National Bank building in Enumclaw, Washington and established MacRae’s Indian Books there. Before his passing, he had amassed more than 85,000 books on Native Americans—many of which are out of print. It is the largest Native American book store in the world.

This photo taken by permission of Kathy MacRae Foy. 

 In October of 2011, his daughter, Kathleen MacRae Foy, closed the doors, set up a non-profit corporation, and founded Native Quest in a larger, more accessible location in Tacoma, Washington. While much of the inventory has already been transferred to the new location, what may be an equal amount remains to be moved from the store in Enumclaw. My husband Mark and I were invited by Kathy to view a private collection of Indian art in the family museum in Enumclaw.  

Severe Winter Storms - Letter from a power crew repairman

By Louis Draghi 

Hi Judy,

            I was just reading your report on the recent storm of how people prepared or didn't prepare. I've had first-hand experience over 35 years of working storms and power restoration on Whidbey Island. I would visit various fire stations as the winter season approached and speak to the public and answer questions about the inevitable winter season.

            Some people are unfazed about winter, know what to do, and are prepared. Others remain befuddled even when on life support of various kinds and will not buy a small generator to get them by. Now don't think I didn't have compassion for these people as I directed our crews to deliver our generators for their use. We also transported people to emergency centers or to the hospital for care when people had no 4 wheel drive to get through the snow.

            Some customers we served chose to live on the island in secluded areas, but they knew winter electricity was dubious. I encountered individuals from California, Arizona, and Nevada who have never been out of power. Except for the cities, many inhabitants on Whidbey Island are on a well system - so- no electricity, no water which makes everything worse.

            The vast majority of the population is confident and appreciative during storms. People bring hot coffee, sandwiches, and words of encouragement to the crews working nearby.

           

            After an outage of three days or more, beleaguered customers descend on various Puget headquarters without timidity making preposterous demands and security has to be put in place. One complaint was the crew was just sitting in their trucks and not working. They don't realize that if the wind exceeds forty mph, by state law, man lift equipment cannot be elevated or it could be blown over even with outriggers extended. Much of the time when the storm rages, winds are much higher.

            In 1983 the winds at Enumclaw reached one hundred and ten mph. The sheet iron torn from farmers' buildings started blowing around and acted like razor blades. No crew members were hurt. That was a gargantuan effort by crews from many states and Canada.

            I'm hoping people reading your article about the storm will be inspired to put out an effort to prepare and not dilly-dally.

            Nice going Judy.

            Best wishes,

            Your friend, Louie

Before and After views of the mountain

I posted this photo in an article called Self Reliance in Extreme Weather. 

 Check it out now. Click on the photo to get in even closer. 
 My photography skills are growing!

Art is off to a great start in 2012

Kare (R) coaches Cecie Clemmens

I dropped in at the Gallery on the Hill in Graham to find out what is happening in the New Year. I walked into a painting class of students with a range of experience.

The so-called "best" artists of the world do not start out that way. They begin, and they persist. To become one’s best is the work of a lifetime. Progress often comes most speedily to those who receive good coaching. That is what Kare (sounds like carry) was doing when I stopped by--she was teaching.

Self Reliant Community tallies successes and failures from ice storm

Mount Rainier, harbinger of weather, barely shows. 

We have long been urged to prepare for disruptions in food and services by the Self Reliant Community in Graham, Washington. It has been thought that by increasing our preparedness a step at a time, we might all eventually be well prepared.

Following the recent severe snow and ice storm, my husband Mark and I were curious to know if everyone's preparations stood up to the test. To find out, we got together to share our stories at the Fire Station on 70^th AV E.  Ray Cool, a tall red headed man, read Wayne Cooke's account. 

Wayne is always urging people to store emergency foods. He thought they had enough on hand but soon realized that what they needed was more high energy canned goods—and a way to cook them. There was another glitch in his preparations, too.    

Following the Storm

My photographer son said that when he drove down by the Ballard Locks to get his favorite coffee for the morning he did so under black skies and pelting rain. While he was there, the rain stopped, the clouds broke, and the sun in the east peeked out from beneath them.

Ian knew that these early morning rays of sunlight would create dazzling light on common, ordinary things. He hastened to catch this scene in these few rare moments.

The only camera he had was on his iphone. What a gift it is when from the artist's experience he knows conditions are ripe to capture a wonderful moment in time.

"Sledding crow in Russia"

If you haven't googled up "Sledding crow in Russia" please do so now. It's a real hoot. Birds can be smart: crows are very intelligent. They are the only birds I know of around here that soak their food before eating it, which seems very practical. But to see crows crossing the line from practical to "fun" is too much.

Thanks to the reader who passed this along so we could all enjoy it! BTW, when you've finished viewing it, come on back and share your comments. Should be fun.