Issue: 7 Date: Winter-2005
Now the news…
For those of you wondering about Fred Emmett's health the news is excellent. Fred has recovered quite well from last year's illness and is back in the saddle. You may even see him across the road working on his fences, bringing in the hay next summer and doing a variety of other farm chores. For fishermen who would like to have Fred "spot" their rigs while drifting the rivers it's good to know that he's back in action. It sure beats driving two rigs with current fuel prices! Fred and his wife Betty are also your contact should anything serious go wrong at the house during your stay.
Razor clamming was a bust this fall as the domoic acid problem kept Kalaloch beaches closed throughout the entire season. This morning's paper reports, however, that the problem is subsiding nicely and that we should have a decent spring season. Actually, those of you who know razor clams know that the very best clams are spring clams since this is when they're largest and fattest. Watch your newspaper's sports pages for updates.
Salmon fishing was good, though not fabulous as it had been the two previous years. We had some heavy rains early that kept the rivers out of shape and that's always a problem for the rainforest fisherman. However, when compared with the fall fishing in other areas of the state our fishing was still by far the best.
Steelhead fishing has had a fast start with lots of fish available during the first month of the season. There's a peculiar mix of small and quite large hatchery fish right now with the bulk of the native fish yet to come.
Mushrooms were everywhere this year as the rains came early and the frosts late. I can't ever remember a chantrelle season like this one. This is something anyone can learn to do safely and it is so much fun to roam the darkened forest in search of these orange beauties that light up just about any dish you'd care to cook.
It was a good year for flowers and vegetables as anyone who visited can attest. Don't be afraid to cut some roses and dahlias and enjoy some lettuce, green beans and squash. That's really why I've planted them and keep them growing well at Clearwater. The same goes with the various berries around the house. Next year there'll be a few raspberries,too, as we put in a row inside the "chicken yard" where they won't be available to the deer and elk. This year's crop will be small as it's a first year show but next year should see a full-sized crop.
I'll be putting in a new deck this spring/summer(i.e. whenever it's dry enough to get the job done) so there may be a bit of activity going on if you visit early enough in the season. This time it'll be made with pavers which will eliminate staining, rotting, etc. It's going to be a job but the time has come.
If you or your friends back home enjoy delicious, pure honey pay a vist to Ruel Tiemeyer just down the road from the guesthouse where the road sign says "North K St". It's great stuff and very reasonably priced. And, every drop of it comes from flowers growing within shouting distance of the house.
As usual, I'm offering a spring special* from April 16 until June 10. Book the house during that time and you'll get three nights for the price of two, or, how about six for the price of four? It's your chance for a bit of a bargain and I hope that some of you who haven't visited in spring will come see nature in her most aggressive period. You'll never forget the smell of the air, the emerald green and the flowers that surround the house at this time of year.
*The spring special does not include Memorial Day weekend and returning visitor discounts are not in effect during this period.
I hope to see you all soon and may 2005 be our very best year ever.
Joe Novak