Walking the trail to Pratt Lake right now is kind of like walking through a fairy tale. Maybe something like “Alice in Wonderland,” with plenty of crazy toadstools growing everywhere.
I hiked the trail on Saturday, and I’ve never seen so many mushrooms in my life. The recent rains also mean there are many lovely waterfalls, some big and some small, along the way.
My friend and I went out for an 8-mile hike and it ended up being more like 11. We couldn’t resist wandering a bit farther.
Pratt Lake is off I-90. It’s easily accessible; the trailhead is barely off of the interstate. You can clearly hear the road from the parking area. That’s the bad news. The good news is it doesn’t take too long to get down there and the trail isn’t yet buried in snow.
The best news is that the trail is glorious with color right now. (And if you check the weather forecast, you’ll see that a few days later this week look promising for hiking.)
When you start out, you get the lovely browns and greens of a Northwest forest. As you climb, you’ll find more and more mushrooms in many shades of brown, red, orange, yellow and white. I may have gotten carried away taking mushroom photos. As you get higher, you’ll start to see excellent fall color. The vine maples are really putting on a show right now.
By the time you reach the ridge top, at about 4 miles, you’ll be able to see Mount Rainier on a clear day. You can also see the top of the higher peaks nearby are dusted in snow.
The trail splits at about 4 miles. One way (to the left) heads toward Island Lake. The other heads toward Pratt Lake.
If you head toward Island Lake, you will find a lovely lunch spots among an open area of rocks. If you keep going, you’ll get even better views of Mount Rainier.
If you head toward Pratt Lake, you’ll have to drop down (And that means, of course, you’ll have to come up). After hiking down about three-quarters of a mile or so, you’ll be rewarded by hillsides covered in glorious fall colors.
This is not a hard hike. The trail climbs nearly nonstop for about four miles and 2,300 feet, but the trail is wide and the grade is gentle. If you continue down to Pratt Lake, you’ll add another 1.5 miles one-way to your trip. This trail is narrower and steeper. You don’t need to go all the way to the bottom to enjoy the fall colors, though.
The trail is on Forest Service land. You can still hike it, though. As of Saturday, the privy was even still unlocked. (Bring your own TP.) You should probably still display a NW Forest Pass, although it’s unclear if anyone is checking for them.
Directions: To get to the trailhead, head east on I-90 to exit 47. Take a left at the end of the exit. Cross the freeway and then turn left at the T intersection. The trailhead is just a minute or so down the road.
TheAdaNews.com Katie Callaway, of Oklahoma City, during her audition for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder Girls
A Chickasaw woman’s dream has come true. And she’ll get to share it with thousands.
Katie Callaway will cheer on basketball pros and fans as a member of the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder’s dance team.
“I am so excited,” Callaway said in a news release. “I can’t wait to get on those sidelines and entertain the best fans of any city with an NBA team.”
Callaway, 26, sat in the stands as a fan for six years before she decided to try out. But, she didn’t make the team on her first try.
“I worked hard, very hard, to improve my technique,” Callaway said reflecting on the failed effort. “I worked on leaps, turns, and pointed toes. It was a full-on effort for a year. It was tough.”
The final audition process consisted of three rounds: a choreographed routine, a question and answer session, and a solo dance. Only 38 women were selected as finalists from nearly 100 hopefuls. The group of 38 was eventually narrowed down to 20.
She auditioned at the Riverwind Casino in Norman, Oklahoma in front of a packed house. Now that she’s one of the 20 Thunder Girls, Callaway is looking forward to the team’s first game in November.
“I wondered what it would be like to be down there. I wondered how exciting it was for the team and how much they looked forward to it,” she said in the news release.
Callaway is an Oklahoma resident. She attended Ada High School where she was a cheerleader, but she was born in England where her father was stationed in the U.S. Air Force. Her mother is Chickasaw and works for the Chickasaw Nation. For years, her grandfather, Jack Wells, served as a Chickasaw tribal legislator and her great-grandmother, Delta Wells, was an original enrollee with the tribe.
“We’d go to festivals and I was a member of the Governor’s Honor Club,” Callaway said. “I learned my heritage is important and tradition is important. It is essential to know one’s self. I am very proud of my Chickasaw heritage.
But, Callaway won’t quit her day job. She’s a drilling engineer technician with Chesapeake Energy where she analyzes drilling for natural resources. She started working there as a receptionist and moved up rather quickly. Callaway is also a graduate of the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond where she studied public relations.
Not only is she excited about cheering on the fans, but as a Thunder girl, Callaway will also have a chance to work with her community. “Being a part of the organization will give me that opportunity to give back, which is something I’m looking forward to very much.”
Cabela’s Tulalip and the U.S. Sportsman’s Alliance will celebrate the growing number of women enjoying the outdoors with Ladies Day Out this Saturday, Oct. 5, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The bi-annual event encourages women to try out the latest outdoor aparel, camping gear, personal firearms and other products. The first 100 women to register at the store receive a free gift, and all women who participate in the event will be invited to enjoy the employee discount on all purchases until 1 p.m.
With more than 5 million women participating in shooting sports — an increase of 46.5 percent since 2001 — this growing demographic will enjoy classes including Waterfowl University for Ladies; Introduction to Archery; Ladies, Don’t be a Victim; shoot in the Daisy BB Gun Range; let an arrow fly on the Archery Range.
Non-shooting sports classes include Waders for Women — fishing from the bank with pro-staff; Dutch Oven Lovin’ cooking demonstrations; Flashy Fly Tying with the Federation of Fly Fishers; and Gold Panning.
For a complete schedule of Ladies Day Out events, call 360-474-4880, or visit www.cabelas.com/tulalip.
TULALIP, Wa. – I’ve tested two other recipes and this was by far the better and easier one. This recipe is from chef-in-training.com and I added more spices to give the cookies more of a pumpkin pie taste. The cookies are soft and have a pumpkin taste that isn’t overwhelming. I would suggest using at least cinnamon and nutmeg; the clove, ginger and allspice are optional.
I made the mistake of using pumpkin pie filling the first time, please don’t try that. Pumpkin pie filling has added spices, sodium, and sugar which make it delicious for pie but incompatible for cookies. Use either homemade or canned pumpkin puree; if you can’t tell from the label that it contains only pumpkin look at the ingredients on the back and it should list pumpkin only.
Some may be thinking, why shortening, why not butter? Since the recipe calls for pumpkin this adds quite a bit of extra water and in order to remove the excess moisture the cookies need to be baked longer at a higher temperature which butter just can’t do. There are other recipes that call for butter but they produce soggy cookies and if you cook them any longer or at a higher temp they will burn. You can use butter instead of shortening but to avoid the excess moisture try adding oatmeal, or pre-boil the pumpkin and cool before adding. Also, do not just add more flour and hope it will counteract the moisture; this will make little puff balls that will be dense and cake like.
Wet ingredients:
1 cup shortening or buttered flavored shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree (about ¾ of a 15oz can)
1 egg
Dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp gound cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground clove optional
A pinch each of ground ginger and ground allspice optional
And 1 -2 cups milk chocolate chips as desired
Preparation:
In a medium bowl, measure and sift together dry ingredients, this step is meant to equally distribute the spices.
In a large bowl mix together shortening, sugar and pumpkin, after blended add egg and mix well. Slowly add in the dry mix, once combined stir in chocolate chips.
On a nonstick, greased or parchment lined cookie sheet drop spoonful’s of cookie dough, spaced about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Cool cookies on wire rack and store in a ventilated container since they still contain a lot of moisture. Makes about 48 cookies.
Billboards depicting a rifleman taking aim at the iconic Kansas City sculpture “The Scout” were taken down Monday after drawing a whirlwind of spirited reaction.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/09/30/4520544/kc-billboard-removed-after-creating.html#storylink=cpy
Artist A. Bitterman had rented the twin billboards near 19th Street and Baltimore Avenue in the Crossroads Arts District after Missouri Bank had accepted, but then rejected, the work for its Crossroads “Artboards” program.
The work went up Sept. 23 and was supposed to be displayed until Oct. 21, according to Bitterman’s website.
“I was very glad to see that,” Moses Brings Plenty said of the news that the billboards were taken down. A member of the Oglala Lakota nation and the community outreach coordinator for the Kansas City Indian Center, he had vociferously opposed the work as a symbol of racism and hatred.
“I did it for our children,” he said. “Our common enemy is racism.”
A message seeking comment from officials at CBS Outdoor, which had rented the billboard space, was not returned Monday.
Bitterman did not respond to an email seeking comment, but in a post on his website dated Sunday, he sought to explain his intention:
“The one thing that can not be disputed in my image is the fact that the Scout is not an indian at all, it is a depiction of an Indian, a sculpture, created by and for white culture, and it carries a historical narrative of what white people at the turn of the 20th century wanted the indian to be. The artist on the scaffolding is confronting that narrative.”
In an earlier post, Bitterman wrote, “If anything The Scout is a gesture in defense of the native American.”
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/09/30/4520544/kc-billboard-removed-after-creating.html#storylink=cpy
EVERETT — Researcher and professional photographer Jeff Hogan brings back his “Killer Whale Tales” to the NW Stream Center in Snohomish County’s McCollum Park, 600 128th Street SE, Everett.
The show is at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Hogan will show surface and underwater photos and videos. After attending this show, people will be able to identify when a whale is swimming to get to another location, hunting for salmon or just playing.
Hogan will also discuss the sleeping habits of orcas: Their brains are so large that they put half their brain to sleep, but use the other half to keep on the move.
Hogan also will provide a unique view of what it is like to swim with the San Juan orcas, thanks to a research webcam that was temporarily attached to a very large male killer whale’s dorsal fin.
He also will provide news on the baby orca that was born earlier this year and bring along a whale skull for people to examine.
Cost is $5 for Adopt A Stream Foundation members, $7 non-members. Proceeds benefit the Adopt A Stream Foundation’s Streamkeeper Academy.
Call 425-316-8592 now to register. Space is limited.
Reading “Showdown: JFK and the Integration of the Washington Redskins” allows the American Indian reader a fast clue as to why the ownership of the football team, located in the nation’s capital city, has remained clueless as to why the vast majority of American Indians oppose its name.
I know there have been surveys done that proclaim the opposite. And, I know the media have a way of finding someone’s uncle Indian Joe, who is eager to get on television to declare he thinks it is an honor when non-Indians use Indians as mascots.
I honestly don’t believe the surveys and feel sorry for uncle Indian Joe from the Does-Not-Get-It Tribe. I know a survey can be commissioned to deliver desired results for the entity commissioning the survey. The tobacco companies did it all the time when they were attempting to prove second-hand smoke does not injure the non-smoker.
I know the vast majority of American Indians I know find the term “redskins” akin to the “N” word. Even the Merriam-Webster defines the word as offensive.
I must disclose the book is not about the name of the team per se. The author devotes less than a full page to the fact American Indians took the use of the name to court in the early 1990s.
“Showdown” discusses how the National Football League was behind Major League Baseball in integration of African Americans into its ranks. The book is about how the Washington football team was the last team to have an African American on its roster.
The book’s central figure is the Washington football team’s owner, George Preston Marshall, who was a brazen racist.
“Blinded by racism,” author Thomas G. Smith writes,
“Marshall refused to tap into the pool of African-American talent,” despite the franchise’s shortcomings on the field. ”
Smith suggests that to keep in good favor with his mainly white, Southern fan base and not hurt his profit margin, Marshall refused to draft black players from 1946 through 1961, making his team the only team in the professional league to have an all white team. During this time, the team had a dismal record of 69 wins, 116 losses and 8 ties and went through eight coaches.
However, Marshall’s racist hiring policy would be challenged by President John F. Kennedy’s Secretary of the Interior, Stewart Udall.
In 1961, the same year the Kennedy administration came into power, Marshall purchased a 30 year lease for a newly built 54,000 seat stadium, writes Smith. The landlord was the federal government. When President Kennedy issued an executive order creating the President’s Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity, Secretary Udall, after consulting Interior Department attorneys and decided to move against the Washington “Paleskins”, as he referred to the NFL franchise.
Citing a no-discrimination provision in the stadium lease, Udall gave Marshall an ultimatum, integrate the team or lose the stadium.
“Showdown” does a good job of describing how the team relented and became integrated. However, Marshall – even after his death in 1969 – stipulated in his will that the Redskins Foundation with funds from his estate was not to direct a single dollar toward “any purpose which supports or employs the principle of racial integration in any form.”
Unfortunately, the team, through a couple of different owners since Marshall, remains clueless as to the use of the word it uses for its name – much to the gross disrespect of American Indians across the nation.
The Gathering of Nations powwow, the world’s largest gathering of Native American and indigenous people, has been designated as one of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2014 by the American Bus Association.
“Each year, more than 100,000 people from throughout the United States, Canada, and around the world attend the powwow and we want to make sure that it is a positive experience for everyone,” Derek Mathews, founder of the Gathering of Nations, said in a press release. He also said that it was an honor to be recognized as one of the Top 100.
The 31st annual event is to be held in Albuquerque, New Mexico from April 24-26, 2014. The powwow was selected from hundreds of nominated festivals, parades, theaters and shows. The judging committee considered the event’s broad appeal, its accessibility to motor coaches and skill at handling large groups, and a variety of relevant criteria to make their final decisions.
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Kentucky Derby and Mardi Gras made up the list of top 100. The Star-Spangled Spectacular in Baltimore, was listed as the No.1 event in America; and the Québec City International Festival of Military Bands was the No. 1 event in Quebec, Canada.
Peter J. Pantuso, ABA’s president and CEO, said in a news release that this honor gives the powwow an important boost in visibility. “The Gathering of Nations has been recognized as a potential magnet for tourism dollars, at a time when reenergizing domestic tourism is so important to our spirit and our economy.
Glass gourds: Shack-toberfest is already under way and runs through Sunday in downtown Everett. There will be pumpkin carving and classes on how to make your own glass pumpkin. There will also be glass pumpkins for sale. There is a beer and brat night on Friday. Get all the details here.
Live music: See Rose Windows, who recently signed to SubPop, perform with The Maldives and Learning Team on Saturday at 8 p.m. The show is at Kroakers in Everett. You can get tickets here.
Spruce up your home: The Everett Fall Home Show is Friday to Sunday at Comcast Arena. You’ll find vendors that will do just about anything to improve your home. There will also be free seminars on home improvement. At the same time, there will be a gift and food show in the arena. Taste some good food and get a jump on holiday shopping. Get the details in our story here.
Free parks day: All state parks and national parks will be free on Saturday to celebrate National Public Lands Day. There are also a number of work parties on trails. Check here for more information.
Find a feline: Look for a new family friend, or just go for fun, at The Secret Life of Cats adoption event at the Everett Animal Shelter on Sunday. More than 100 cats and kittens will be available for adoption. There will even be a tarot reader to do readings for humans and felines alike. Get more details in our story here.
Good gourds: Check out the winner of the Giant Pumpkin contest at the Skagit Valley Festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Christianson’s Nursery and Greenhouse, 15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon. In addition to huge veggies there will be music, carnival games and food. And don’t forget the toad races. Read more in our story here.
Go for a flight: Kids can take free plane rides at the Arlington Airport Appreciation Day. The event is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Get the details in our story here.
Look up: Take a virtual trip to Rome to view the unequaled artwork of Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Everett Public Library, 2702 Hoyt Ave. Rebecca Albiano of the Frye Art Museum will be your tour guide at this free presentation.
Friendly persuasion: Grab a pal or meet one at the Friendship Walk Saturday at Arlington’s Legion Park, 114 N. Olympic. Registration for the walk begins at 11 a.m. and donations benefit people with special needs. The one-mile walk begins at 1 p.m. You can also get friendly with reptiles in a special demonstration or enjoy a $5 hot dog lunch. Click here for more information.
Autumn leaves: Pick up some tips on what plants work well in fall and winter gardens at a free workshop with Trevor Cameron at 10 a.m. Saturday at Sunnyside Nursery, 3915 Sunnyside Blvd., Marysville. Call 425-334-2002 for more information.
It’s science, guys: The Arlington Library double-dog dares you to show up at 2 p.m. Saturday to learn some amazing challenges and tricks. The free science demonstrations are for all ages at the library at 135 N. Washington Ave. Call 360-435-3033 for more information.
When in Rome: Stomp some grapes, toss some pizza, watch a bocce tourney and learn to cook Italian at Festa Italiana from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Seattle Center.
Get involved: It’s also Family Day Saturday at the center, thanks to Melinda and Bill Gates. Free events for kids include arts and crafts, games and brainiac activities. The foundation will also show kids how they can give back like the Gates family does. Go to www.seattlecenter.com for information about all center activities.
Poetry reading:Uppercase Bookshop in Snohomish will host two renowned poets for a reading and Q&A at 7 p.m. Friday. John Sibley Williams and Amber Nelson will both read from their works. Get more info here.
Hum along: Songwriter Nick Drummond performs at 7:30 Saturday night at Tim Noah Thumbnail Theater, 1211 Fourth St., Snohomish. Drummond used to be with Impossible Bird and The Senate. Tickets are $15 at brownpapertickets or at the door. Call 360-568-9412 for more information.
Who are you? Curious about your ancestors? The Snohomish Genealogy Workgroup will help you get started researching your family history from 10 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday at the Snohomish Library, 311 Maple Ave. Call 360-568-2898 for more information.
Celebrate diversity: Marysville’s first Multicultural Fair to celebrate diversity in the Marysville-Tulalip communities and the many cultures who call the area home is Saturday. The free event is 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Comeford Park, 514 Delta Ave. There will be music, dancing and food. Get more info here.
Art Walk: A Stanwood art walk will cover the historic east end of Stanwood, encompassing the 8700 block of 271st Street NW one block north of Highway 532, from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday. Get your “passports” stamped and initialed at the participating businesses then turn in your completed “passport” for a chance to become a winner in the free drawing. Fifteen small local businesses are showing paintings, pottery, jewelry and more.
Car show: The Snohomish Classic Car & Hot Rod Display is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. More than 600 antique, classic and exotic hot rod cars and trucks will be on display. Get more details here.
Live sustainable: Check out the Sustainable Preparedness Expo on Sunday at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds. The show focuses on preparing your family in the case of disaster, sustainable living and homesteading. Vendors will be there with hard-to-find supplies and there are a number of workshops and seminars planned. Click here for the details.
So soft: Stop by Fern Ridges Alpacas in Clinton to learn more about alpacas their fiber and the farming business on Saturday and Sunday. Find out more about the farm here. The event is part of National Alpaca Farm Days.
Celebrate salmon: Enjoy riverside salmon viewing tours, Indian tacos, a native flute concert and more at the Return of the Salmon celebration in Sultan. The event, featuring kid’s activities, live music, dance and horse-drawn covered wagon rides, is from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Osprey Park, 801 First St. For details, call 425-359-8936.
Cheers! Taste and celebrate the return of Foggy Noggin Brewing’s seasonal scotch ale at a special tasting event on Saturday. You can also buy pint and growlers of the seasonal beer, which will run out within eight weeks, at the brewery’s tasting room in Bothell. More information here.
