Harts Pass No. 344

A great writing quote, but applicable to SO many other things with regards to decision making, leadership, and perceptions of competency!

From the Archives!

OK, so for the sake of public discourse I'll politely give the "archive" designation to my mother's basement. In reality, it is/was an absolute nest of items that needed SERIOUS sorting, but there's nothing like a basement cleaning to bring family together :)

That being said, I DID uncover (and bring home for posterity - perhaps to my wife's dismay) two early writing samples: High Treason in Catfish Bend (circa 1983), and My Life in Alaska (1985), plus an old copy of Walt Disney's Tips on Animation, which might have belonged to my dad, but which served as a major source of inspiration to my younger artsy ways. Thanks mom!

Harts Pass No. 343

Loup Loup Pass to the Okanogan: currently closed due to a sliding/collapsing roadbed - in TWO different places! For those communing back and fourth from the Methow to the Okanogan, this adds about 40 minutes each way and perhaps an extra 40 miles total. The Loup Loup wolf pack? They're totally fine with it. Nature bats last... GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 342

OK, one more springtime edition of Harts Pass :)

Harts Pass No. 341

This is the comic from last week... when we were on Spring Break in California. And the photo below is of the snow in the air on Monday morning, April 10th :) To be fair, the yard was still covering in 4-6 inches of snow when we left, so for the springishly minded the situation is actually improving. As my first-ever book editor used to say, onward and upward!

Harts Pass No. 340

So traditions have their groundhogs as prognosticators of Spring. But here in the Methow... when the marmots hit the sunny rocks (just FINALLY emerging from the snow this year) then you know that we're really getting close!

Spring School Visits in Tonasket, Washington!

So this is what it looks like on a March 24th afternoon when you drive from Tonasket back to Winthrop, WA... and we're four weeks into the track season too :) A really nice visit with the 4th graders at Tonasket Elementary -- and they just wrapped up a week of making their very own books with help from the UW Pipeline Project and the "Alternative Spring Break" program (read a little bit below or follow the link.) Anyway, the kids were great and the program seems like a fantastic way to get UW kids out n' about into all different corners of the state. Thanks to all!

Harts Pass No. 339

It's March Madness... and with Sweet Sixteen appearances for both the Wisconsin Badgers AND the Michigan Wolverines, the mustelids are tearing up the courts. And hopefully they still will be later this week. GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 338

The comment period on the proposed grizzly bear reintroduction is wrapping up this week. As per usual with this sort of study, there are choices -- and a "goldilocks principle" certainly at work. A lot of space in the North Cascades, and a probable chance of success for the work, but nothing is ever certain and these big 'ol bears DO indeed deserve a good hard look and due consideration!

PS The comic this week was equally inspired by The Oatmeal's call for public comments: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2017/03/15/a-proposal-to-bring-back-grizzlies-just-got-a-funny-boost/?utm_term=.c89da2732da0

I submitted this cartoon along with a few more thoughts in prose. GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 337

I wrote this on Tuesday, and sure enough we woke up to 5 inches of new snow on Friday morning! Sunny and 40 degrees on the way, so just a little more patience sun worshipers :)

School Visits Galore!

For the last two weeks I've been trekking all over Washington State - plus a virtual visit to South Carolina! SO much fun to share what I do with these students, and thank you such much to everyone (students, teachers, staff, PTAs and PTOs) at Lee, Cascade, Pioneer, Whiteside, and Sunnycrest for making it all so great. A special thanks to the kids for drawing with me and for putting so much attention to line, texture, and detail into all of the AWESOME Gator drawings!!

Harts Pass No. 336

So... the North Cascades might make a great spot for grizzly bear reintroductions, eh? The main challenge though might be in convincing Canadian bears to immigrate to the States, ya know?

Happy Book Birthday!

Yesterday was the publication date for my first board book project, If I Were a Whale by Shelley Gill - and published by Sasquatch books. You can order your copy right here or ask for it at your local bookstore!

Harts Pass No. 335

I usually wait until Thursday to post these - just to make sure that the print edition of the Methow Valley News is already in your hot little hands. That being said, the Valentine's Day edition deserves to be posted just a little closer to the mark :) A couple of WIP doodles from the sketchbook as well. Enjoy!

Harts Pass No. 334

Surely I'm not the first to equate our President pro-tempore (as in "one who serves in the absence of someone superior) with a T. Rex, but the tiny hands and irrational and tempormental lashing about are too hard to pass up. 

Recounted here through the words of a young kit reading aloud from her dino book before bed... its the allegorical nature of the beast that is giving us parental types many nightmares indeed!

Harts Pass No. 333

Animals are smart -- and they act on instinct #stongertogether

Harts Pass No. 332

It goes without saying...

Harts Pass No. 331

You know how that powdery snow is really hard to pack together into snowballs?? You just keep trying. Yep, that's what I'm talkin' about here. Straight up and totally transparent as per usual. GRRR!

Harts Pass No. 330

Pure and simple: I need to keep some distance from the daily news barrage. I'll keep up on things for sure, but via small and measured doses and not so much in reaction to repeatedly crazy things...

Harts Pass No. 329

Warm thoughts for COLD days. And perhaps the pine bark beetle population will die off as well!