December 2007
9:19 pm
I hope my wife doesn’t read this.
I’m proud of our compost pile. Our family has been able to divert a boatload of food waste away from our trashcan in the last five years. It’s cold compost pile. We don’t turn it, use worms, or aerate it much. We just dump scraps on top and once a year we pull some coffee grounds-looking material out from the bottom for planting.
Everything was cool until I noticed a few mice living in the compost a couple of months back. In retrospect I’m surprised we hadn’t attracted them earlier; the compost is warm, has tons of rotting food, and provides protection from the legion of cats on our block.
I needed to discourage these pestilential rodents from living in the compost, lest they try to eventually enter the house and give the kids hantavirus. So I started turning the pile more and then watered it down with a hose. Just adding water showed that my “couple of mice” was actually a colony of a dozen plus. Wet mice were jumping everywhere. The calico next door was over the fence in a heartbeat.
I didn’t see any mice after that. Had they left for more hospitable digs? A couple of weeks ago, in sub-freezing weather, I had to dump a tub filled with water and rotting apples in the compost. The pile erupted with wet mice. I stopped counting after fourteen. I left the top off the compost hoping the cats would run them out.
The next morning I saw one little frozen mouse, right next to our decaying Halloween pumpkin. I used a stick to break open the orange globe. Inside were ten other hypothermic mice. I knew right then that I’d read the kids too many mouse books—Redwall, The Rats of N.I.M.H., Abel’s Island and more—because my brain started anthropomorphizing in high gear. The expired mice had their paws around each other, as if cuddling together for warmth in their final moments.
No one else in the family knows about this. I was just trying to help the environment and instead I caused the Great Mouse Massacre. Was I too lazy? Should I have turned the pile more? Should I even care? There are no easy answers. Pest control is Dad’s burden in our family, and with it comes a reminder of how hard it is to disconnect your modern life from nature.
Editorial |
6:16 pm
Stan Miller, our resident book reviewer and county water expert, offers this response to Juliet Sinisterra’s piece on water treatment in our December issue:
Is Wetland Treatment of Wastewater a Viable Option for the Spokane Valley?
The use of dispersed wetlands over the Spokane Valley Rathdrum Prairie (SVRP) Aquifer is questionable as a wastewater management option. There are several technical, public health and economic reasons for this. Wetland treatment is not a high as is generally perceived by the general public, especially in light of ground water and Spokane River discharge standards. Public meeting have revealed a high level of concern over the public health implications of wastewater being applied to the land surface. Costs of achieving the required treatment levels and for acquiring land for installing wetlands rival the cost of centralized treatment and disposal. Spokane County is exploring the use of a restored Saltese Wetland as a way to use reclaimed water from the planned treatment facility for SVRP Aquifer recharge. (more…)
News |
8:52 pm
Another outdoor recreation album cover. If you’ve never heard this song from the Pharycyde’s second record head over to itunes and snag both “Runnin” and “Drop.” You will not be disapointed. If you like rap but don’t like these songs I will refund your $1.98. Cover number 4 in a series.
News |
7:26 pm
Three things got crossed off my life list this month; ultimate frisbee, laser tag, and riding the new Basin Express quad at Schweitzer Mountain Resort. The new lift was unveiled Friday. I can report that it’s slick and fast and looks like a Star Trek space shuttle. Also On Friday Schweitzer raised over 18k for Community Cancer Services with their Day for Heather $10 lift ticket promotion. You can read more about here: http://www.schweitzer.com/.
News |
6:19 pm
Portland, Oregon—otherwise known as eco-city utopia—does many things better than Spokane. They’ve got better bicycle infrastructure. They have a pro basketball team. They have one of the best marathons in the Northwest. They have Mt. Hood, with its epic kiteboarding and nearly year-round snowsports. They have better public transportation. Portland is truly a city that looks to the future like few others in the United States.
But there is at least one thing in which Spokane, Washington smokes it’s neighbor Portland, Oregon.
That thing is called hockey.
I have a deep love for the Spokane Chiefs because they can generally be depended on to trounce Seattle and Portland. They seem to get more trouble from the Tri-Cities and Medicine Hats of the world than they do from our big city neighbors. When the Portland Winter Hawks came to town last night our boys did not disappoint. To simply trounce was not enough, the Chiefs were set on humiliating Portland. Utterly and completely.
The Chiefs scored four goals in the first period, which might not be notable, but the last goal came short handed. I’m sure WHL teams have scored greater victory margins than the 7-1 final score, but the final tally doesn’t tell the whole story. The Chiefs looked like they were on a power play all night, even when they weren’t. The seventh goal was scored in garbage time and ended with Portland’s goalie backwards, his face in the net. Portland started two fights in the last five minutes, including one after the game was over, in an attempt to use fisticuffs to salvage their dignity. These attempts were unsuccessful. The Chiefs beat down occurred both on and off the clock.
I’m not a big fan of hockey fighting, but it was hard not to live vicariously through these talented young athletes. I imagine a Portland player barking “Your bike lanes suck!” The Spokane player retorts, “The Williamette River stinks!” It’s on. Portland face, meet Spokane ice.
My 8-year-old son put it best. “I wish they could fight and never stop. Then we could stay all night and watch them fight.”
Yes son, so do I. Thank you Spokane Chiefs.
Cool Stuff, News | 2
6:21 pm
One way I try to be a better city rider is to find out as much as I can about any accident’s involving a cyclist. Sometimes concrete fact are really hard to find. Incidents involving just cars always seem to have more details available. I’ve been following this Seattle case a bit. It concerns a dumptruck that killed a cyclist in a bike lane. The Seattle Times today has story reporting that the family of the cyclist is suing the truck driver and the company he works for. You can read about it here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004066764_lawsuit12m.html
News |
6:41 pm
With the Blackbirds. I’m not sure why the Blackbirds decided to wed their killer urban funk with track and field, but I like it. Number three in a series of outdoor recreation album covers. Got one? Email me at editor@outtheremonthly.com.
Posted by Jon Snyder
News |
8:05 pm
I ride my bike to work most days, and whenever I can in the winter. I often take my daughter to daycare on the way to my office. After dropping her off on Main I turn up Browne St. and then make a left on Sprague.
Maybe you’ve seen me riding. I’m hard to miss because I’m a bike commute nerd; yellow helmet, yellow reflective jacket, and lots of thrift-store cold weather gear. I almost always signal on turns downtown, even if cars aren’t behind me. I usually ride in the far right or left wheel tread, sometimes taking a whole lane if I think it’s safer for me downtown. I’m used to getting buzzed by cars every once in a while even though I stay pretty far over. This morning though it was different.
As I was signaling to turn on to Sprague white delivery van with blue lettering buzzed me so close that my elbow almost touched it. Okay. No biggie. Happens some time. Might not have been on purpose.
Just as I was thinking those thoughts the van swerved in front of me and cut me off. Before I could wonder what the driver was thinking I found out. In his sideview mirror I saw an angry-looking white male make eye contact with me and flip me off as he rode away.
I flipped him off right back. I don’t think he saw it.
I should have blown him a kiss. It takes a higher echelon of coward to try to run a cyclist off the road and speed away at 40-miles-an-hour whilst flipping them off. If this guy had had the guts to get out of his 2,000 pound vehicle and step to me face-to-face, either he would have gotten beat-up or I would have gotten beat-up. A bad outcome either way. So thanks for being a wuss, Mr. Angry-Delivery-Dude.
Now that I’m not under the influence of adrenalin anymore I can tell you that I am a fairly defensive rider and I probably wasn’t in major danger. I have also ridden this route almost daily for two years and this is first time anyone has gone out of their way to say “I hate you just because you are riding your bike.”
I’ll be out riding again this afternoon.
News | 3
12:17 am
Some may remember Tom T. Hall from “Spokane Motel Blues,” a great song, but a big dis on our town. Other may remember this awesome album cover. Is this Tom and his buddy fishing–or is Tom just watching some dude he doesn’t know fish? Either way it’s outdoor recreation. Number two in a series. More outdoor recreation covers to come.
News |
11:11 pm
I was able to sled twice. Once at Manito park on Friday night (the sledding was great–where were all the sledders?), and Saturday on Main St. in Peaceful Valley.
On Sunday we had a great game of ultimate frisbee in Vinegar flats. In the snow. In the slush. There’s nothing quite like sliding and extra 8 feet on a diving frisbee catch. All interested parties take note: more cold weather ultimate will be happening next week, Dec. 9th 1;30PM at Wentel Grant Park right next to Latah Creek off Inland Empire Way.
And while the snow has melted here take heart that it has stuck on the mountains. Both 49 Degrees North and Fernie contact me today and said they are opening this week.
News |
