I went back up to the Beebe Bridge Wednesday, hoping to photograph the removal of the truck from the Columbia River. When I arrived, the DOT was very helpful getting me on the bridge to document the damage done when the truck-trailer rig hit the side. I was ready to move to the shore where the tow truck driver was wading around the river bank getting ready for the pull when I noticed three civilians (they weren’t wearing orange vests and hard hats) approaching the bridge with flowers and a balloon.

I crossed the highway to meet them and found out that one was the son of the victim and the other two were friends, one the girlfriend of the son.

I’m always apprehensive when approaching victims, never knowing what their reaction will be to a reporter/photographer being interested in their circumstance. But James Walker, Tori Benger and Kim Clark were most gracious in allowing me to follow them as they got permission to go onto the bridge deck and spend time remembering their loved ones.

Later, when the truck was being pulled out of the river, James and I talked about his interest in photography and how the sudden accident of his mother and step-father made him take an idea he has had of making photography into a career more seriously.

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When I first heard about a collaboration now known as Them Crooked Vultures, I knew I’d become carrion in their talons. With multi-talented drummer Dave Grohl (pretty much Mr. Ultimate: smart, funny, charming, attractive and extremely good at everything he does), guitar wizard Josh Homme, and the man, the legend, bassist John Paul Jones making music together … there’s no chance it could be bad.

What I didn’t know is the marketing genius the band would employ to generate fan interest. I respect them for their music, but at least equally respect them for how well their dirty teases are affecting my head. Go to their Web site and you’ll see what I mean. Stark as the desert their mascot hovers above, the page contains four links: A store where people can purchase T-shirts of a band most still have yet to even witness; a forum where people can talk amongst themselves about the band they haven’t really heard yet; a tour schedule where people can get tickets and info about shows just recently announced; and a Google Earth plug-in labeled “X” that shows where TCV can be found for its latest surprise appearance. Below, there’s a text box where people can enter their e-mail addresses to get news and presale alerts, but as of yet I’ve only received one message about ticket sales, which is a bit useless to me as none of their scheduled concerts are in my area.

But I am bursting at the seams with excitement, chomping at the bit, eating up every little thing they’re feeding me … so much that my mind has gooed out my ears and all I can come up with is a string of colloquialisms to describe the level of fan-mania that’s overcome me. I’m following the band on Twitter. I’m a fan on Facebook. I’m desperately resisting friending them on Myspace. Every so often, the band posts fan-made Youtube clips of concert appearances or little teasers from the studio. It only makes me want more, and every little bit they give me I cherish.

I know part of it is because this band could very possibly be the best thing since Zeppelin. (Well, besides the Black Keys, that is.) That in itself warrants a great deal of excitement. But somehow, this person who has quite successfully avoided succumbing to marketing gimmicks throughout her life recognizes that a great deal of this hysteria comes from the trio’s very meticulous ploy to exploit my weaknesses for its own gain. They haven’t even released an album yet and I’ve already offered my heart to them. In a relationship, this would be close to the point where I realize the guy has been stringing me along, but doesn’t have any real feelings for me and thinks it’s best that we see other people while maintaining some sort of friends-with-benefits arrangement (to which I’d never agree in a real-life scenario, mind you) that would only cause me emotional pain and make me slowly hate myself until I was a quivering shell of who I used to be.

Them Crooked Vultures will probably not break my heart. I know where my priorities lie. I know that John Paul Jones will not out-do what he did with Zep, and I know I’ll never love another more than I do that unbeatable foursome. However, I also know that I’m not easily manipulated, and anyone who can break down that wall at least deserves a chance to prove they’re worth it. Go ahead, Vultures. Astound me.

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Last spring, I planted a couple of San Marzano tomato plants in order to have tomatoes for sauce and preserving. As a result, for the past month — and my husband, Brian, will attest to this — I’ve been canning small batches of tomatoes about twice a week. My cupboards are quickly turning red with jar after jar of tomatoes in all forms, crushed, sauced and salsa-ed.

Unfortunately, being up to my elbows in tomatoes means that I’ve also avoided eating them raw, a delightful form if you have the right tomato. Those San Marzanos are not the right kind of tomato — they’re all dry and icky if you try to eat them raw — but a few pink brandywines that have finally matured on my vines are spot on for eating fresh.

The other day, as I looked at my vegetable basket I noticed that I’d been saving my nice slicing tomatoes since they’re not quite right for sauce. However, since I’ve seen pounds and pounds of tomatoes lately, I’ve been feeling a bit tomatoed-out and pretty soon my gorgeous tomatoes would be rotten tomatoes. It was time to eat them.

It took that guilt of impending waste and rot for me to slice into one of my gorgeous big tomatoes last night. In years past I’ve eaten raw tomatoes and tomato sandwiches until I swear I’m about 1/2 tomato. This year, though, I grew fewer slicers and just haven’t been partaking like normal.

After making a simple salad — I’ll call it tomato-guilt salad — I’m pretty sure I’ll be eating more of my nice, big honking tomatoes.

I sliced a couple of tomatoes really thinly, sprinkled them with a bit of sea salt, and drizzled them lightly with my best extra virgin olive oil and a few drips of some sweet balsamic vinegar. A couple of kalamata olives finished out the salad quite nicely.
On a warm afternoon, the salad really hit the spot. It’s September and that means it’s time to savor the ephemeral beauty of these fresh tomatoes.

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Mike and Judi chatting with friends before a Thursday dinner at Martin-Scott Winery

Enjoying a glass of wine, conversation with friends and the view from the winery

Tim Putnam’s delicious crab cake on fresh corn

Smoked scallop on risotto cake

Grilled wild salmon and fresh nectarines

Beginning to plate the smoked wild boar leg

Unbelievably delicious smoked wild boar with BBQ sauce and fruit salsa

The Finale: creamy, rich, velvety smooth creme brulee with Grand Marnier and fresh raspberries

Unfortunately for us, we only learned about these fun-filled Thursday events in time to attend the last Thursday Evening of Summer 2009. Now that we know what we missed all summer, we are thinking of the long nine month wait til next May. It’s like expecting a baby!

On Thursdays this summer, Martin-Scott Winery joined with Smokeblossom Restaurant to present special  evenings of outstanding food and wine. The winery, set on a hillside not far from Pangborn airport in East Wenatchee, has a spectacular view of the valley below. Tables on the lawn were set to accommodate fifty to seventy guests in small or large groups.

For those of you who know Smokeblossom, there’s no need to describe Tim Putnam’s delicious, innovative and beautifully presented foods. Tim’s fans are many and often very vocal. I was in a place of business last week and mentioned Smokeblossom to a friend. I was not speaking softly enough, I guess, because two people in line with me and one passer-by heard and chimed in with, “Smokeblossom.! Oh, I love that place,” “Great food and wine there,” and “Oh, love it.” We all had to stop and have a little chat about it.

Our evening turned out well. We saw old friends and made some new ones, renewed our acquaintance with Judi and Mike Scott, owners and winemakers, and their sons Chris and Tim.

At dusk we sat down to dinner. A glass of Pinot Grigio was served with the well-presented small plates of food, and paired well with the crab cake, the scallop on risotto cake and the grilled salmon. We drank a glass of the new Pinot Noir, which complemented the heavenly pork with Tim’s BBQ sauce. Tim crowned the evening with a velvety creme brulee topped with fresh raspberries.

Far below, the lights in the valley gleamed in the gathering dark, while above, the half moon and a multitude of stars lit the sky. The breeze was light and fresh. What a wonderful experience with which to end the summer. Although the autumnal equinox won’t occur for another three weeks, to many of us, summer seems over with the beginning of September. Vacations are over, school begins and we look forward to cool weather and autumn meals.

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My dad once said the best way to celebrate Labor Day was to watch a parade, eat a hot dog and then get back to work. Good advice.

But the union guys parading down Main Street in a neighboring town always seemed so angry and defiant, even though they had the day off and would likely spend it in the park with their families. I never quite understood their fierce agitation, since most of the ones I knew worked in the post office, which at the time had the town’s best air conditioner, making it pure heaven to stand in line for a stamp.

Parades lauding the eight-hour workday will likely be in short supply this Labor Day weekend, but you can still celebrate that weekly paycheck with lots of affordable fun. Take a look:

√ Ah-roooo! Ready for a Howling Good Time? (Friday) — Leash-up Bowser and head for Chelan’s First Friday, which features Dog’s Night Out, one of the area’s top pooch parties. Basically it’s a sniff-n-lick event, with dogs and their owners socializing in the historic downtown and visiting stores for discounts and — pant! pant! — doggie treats. Also featured will be barbecued hot dogs and Polish dogs (what else?) and on-site adoptions with the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society. Free admission. Info: 682-2021.

√ Planet? Rock? Separated at Birth? (Friday) — Who’da guessed that slices of local rocks resemble spiralling space nebula? Well, sort of. Wenatchee photographer Liz Forrer pairs up her own photos of rocks and gems with images from the Hubble Telescope of planets, stars and other space stuff. Yes, some of the imagery is amazingly similar; other shots just plain beautiful. A free evening reception (snacks!) kicks off the exhibit, which runs through Oct. 10 at the Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center, 127 S. Mission St., Wenatchee. Info: 888-6200.

√ More First Friday Fun (Friday) — “Spirit Warrior of Teanaway,” a rollicking novel of adventure and mysticism, will be discussed by local author Terry L. Bigelow during a First Friday reading and signing at Read It Again Books, 11 Palouse St., Wenatchee. The free event starts at 5:30 p.m. with refreshments, followed by Bigelow’s reading. ♦ After listening, dash over to Two Rivers Gallery (just a block away) for fine snacks and fine art, including new sculptures, by the venue’s more than 90 members/artists. A free reception runs from 5 to 8 p.m., 102 N. Columbia St., Wenatchee. Info: 888-9504.

√ Wear White After Labor Day? Puh-leeze (Monday) — Labor Day isn’t just a celebration of labor union efforts to better the plight of the working class, although that’s always worth lifting a glass to. It’s become the day marking the end of summer, the beginning of school, the kickoff of college and professional football seasons and — you fashionistas take note — the day to put away your white wardrobe and switch to dark colors. That’s right, Bubba, no more linen suits. You might also store any straw hats you’ve been wearing and switch to felt. Or maybe just wash the sweat stains out of that stinkin’ baseball cap you wear everywhere.

√ Busiest Weekend of the Season Starts NOW (Sept. 10) — The Leavenworth Quilt Show is under way in shops scattered throughout town. Info: 548-5311. ♦ The 2009 Chelan County Fair and Rodeo opens at the Chelan County Expo Center in Cashmere. Check out the racing pigs. Info: 782-3232. ♦ The 2009 Okanogan County Fair opens at the Okanogan County Fairgrounds and Agriplex in Okanogan. Info: 422-1621. ♦ A championship radio-controlled airplane competition starts this evening at the Red Apple Flyers Field, 5201 4th St. SE, East Wenatchee. Admission: $4. Info: 663-4109.

(The above photo was taken at the 2008 Chelan County Fair by Kelly Gillin.)

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Then Gordon Lightfoot sang “Beautiful.” A very dear friend in Atlanta had a band and was a Lightfoot fan. Many an evening we sat around listening to John play and sing his own and Gordon Lightfoot’s music.

Can it get any better? Yes. We had a great dinner while listening to the music.  In case you’re wondering what to serve with your Wedge  Mountain Winery Lemberger wine, try rack of lamb, polenta with mushrooms and shallots, fresh green beans, and a salad of  heirloom tomatoes from Ann Clarke’s garden. A birthday gift of chocolate from Schocolat made a perfect ending to a wonderful evening.

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 A couple of weeks ago (when I could still see clearly….), I was doing a little research on a planned entry on Nick Lowe, the British rocker.  I came across this…..

It’s Nick with Daryl Hall  and T-Bone Wolk doing “Cruel To Be Kind”,  Nick’s 1979 hit, his only U.S. chart single.

Well, last week, a poster on a music forum I am a part of noted that Smokey Robinson had done a “show” with Daryl and it was posted on a website.  I looked at the site, and lo and behold found the Nick Lowe video.  And some other really nifty stuff.  An example of Smokey and Daryl doing their thing……

Apparently Daryl has been doing this almost monthly for the past couple of years or so.  It’s absolutely fascinating.  Artists have included the aformentioned Mr. Lowe and Mr. Robinson (Smokey’s take on “Sara Smile” is something else again), Plain White T,  The Bacon Brothers, Company of Thieves…….

…….(note you’ve got to wait until about 3 minutes in before the music starts)……. John Oates (of course) and others.

Where the webcasts really shine is when Daryl and the artist of the month do songs that are not common to either artist.  For example,   Travis McCoy’s (from Gym Class Heros) take on “Wake Up All The People”…..

….is worth the price of admission, and in one of the episodes (I’ll be darned if I can find it right now) is a really cool version of William DeVaughn’s “Be Thankful For What You Got”.   Plain White T does a bang up job on Joe Jackson’s  “Is She Really Going Out With Him”, too.   Look at the K.T. Tunstall’s take on ”Something To Talk About” and you get the idea……

……… but all of the 22 episodes are terrific.  Granted you have to get through a lot of talk to find the music sometimes, but it’s worth it.  Give it a look.  The link is below.  It’s worth your effort.

http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/index.php?page=ep22

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A gift of two free tickets to see sensuous jazz crooner/pianist Diana Krall Sunday at St. Michelle Winery convinced me it was time to splurge a little on a Seattle weekend getaway.

Joyce and I had booked a balcony room overlooking Lake Washington at the elegant Woodward Inn in Kirkland. We dropped off our gear and showered before heading to the concert. On the way, we stopped at PCC for international picnic treats. Sushi, spanakopita, dolmades, a couple of marinated vegetable salads, a baguette and cookies. We bought a bottle of red wine at the winery and set out our blanket and foldup festival seats and feasted as the warm-up trio played soothing jazz and the sun set behind the stage.

I thought we did a pretty good job of organizing food and gear and grabbing a good picnic/concert viewing spot. But we were clearly neophytes compared to some who came much earlier for the best spots and had rigged up small tables with candles, fancy wine glasses and comfy seats. One group next to us had a birthday cake and when they sang “Happy Birthday” to their celebrated one, about 1,000 others in the audience joined in.

There was a lot of St. Michelle wine consumed at the concert. When the sun went down and the colored stage lights focused on Diana Krall, everyone was ready for a memorable evening of jazz performed by a truly talented and personable artist. We had a great time and I doubt anyone left disappointed.

We returned to the Woodward in time for their unique “Raid the Pantry” midnight snack. I’m not sure who came up with the idea of serving free roast beef sandwiches, turkey soup and meatloaf and mashed potatoes at midnight, but it made for a unique, romantic evening. How can you go wrong with mashed potatoes on the veranda above an ebbing lake and beneath the midnight moon.

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This time of year it seems like I never have enough jars. Part of the problem is that I’ve been using lots and lots of pint jars to can tomatoes and make pickles and other goodies to save for the winter. It’s now when I realize just how often I use canning jars for things other than preserving too.

The jars come in quite handy for transporting liquids to and from the office. Today I placed a morning smoothie in one of my jars. With a solid ring and lid, there was no chance of it spilling even if it had somehow managed to flip over in my bag. Maybe the best thing about a good Mason jar is how many times the things can be reused. If, for some reason, they break, the jars are also fully recyclable (unless you’re in Cashmere).

Last year, I collected 150 pint-sized canning jars at Goodwill and yard sales (OK, and a few from grocery stores) to use as lemonade and sangria glasses at the wedding of my sister and her husband. Since I was starting in June, instead of August, before people started canning in earnest, I was lucky enough to find plenty of jars all over. The best part was that they cost just pennies — maybe a few nickels, dimes and quarters too.

After the wedding — which was beautiful — my family had 130 leftover pint-sized Mason jars (most of them were actually Ball jars, but why split hairs?). We wondered how we would ever use them. Someone suggested giving them away or dropping them off at Goodwill again. Instead, they sat there, boxed up in the dining room, for months. Every so often, when all of the dinner glasses were dirty or we had lots of company, someone would open one of the boxes and pull out a couple of jars. Eventually, just about everyone in the family admitted that they liked drinking from the canning jars more than the fancier dinner glasses.

Fast forward a year. The boxes that held the jars are gone. Over a few months, one box emptied out. We used those glasses for different things, a bit of canning here, vases for flowers there. At some point, when real company came, someone moved the one leftover full box of jars from the dining room. None of us can figure out where it went. Any way around it we’re missing the box and believe it or not, we’re to the point where we need more jars.

I’m not asking for more jars. The box will show up sooner or later, or someone in the family will admit to “adopting” it for their home. Yeah, people in my family like jars. Maybe it’s because they remind us of childhood. They certainly come in handy.

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Looking for something interesting to photograph this morning – slow news day – and came upon a couple interesting moments.

First, I ended up seeing this in front of a home on Ashland Avenue in East Wenatchee as Brandyn Perez was sleeping on the back of his couch in the sunshine.

I think I’ll call it “Taking a cat nap.”

It’s Barndyn’s favorite place to hang out in the mornings.

Then, I was driving out of Walla Walla Point Park and noticed Rick Stucky and Michael Hunt headed inside with three radio control planes. Found out they were practicing for the Wenatchee Wild hockey season when they will once again fly the planes around before the games and at intermissions.

Funny moment here was when Hunt was leaving the ice, Stucky decided to hover his new plane over Hunt’s body either to annoy him (I think he succeeded) or to show his ability (I think he succeeded).

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