Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Recently I received a message from a regular reader and was immediately reminded of my first-ever bird identification.
On a sunny morning in May 1977, I was living in an apartment along ...
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You can learn a lot about this area from bulletin boards and telephone poles.
Because the greater Olympia area is home to a disproportionate number of over-educated creative types, many of …
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Ah Arts Walk. This was just the breath of fresh air our community needed! The weekend was vibrant, the atmosphere warm, and the surroundings colorful and full of cheer. I engaged in many of the …
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By Rachel Benton
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5/1/25
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Last fall, I wrote about a new tool called BirdCast that ornithologists use to track the patterns and timing of bird migrations. As this screenshot shows, this tool …
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The main difference between reptiles and mammals is how they breathe.
Mammals, such as humans, cats, dogs, etc. have the instinct to breathe. Our instinct to take a breath is caused by the …
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Last week I vacationed in Skagit and Whatcom counties. I was fortunate to visit the blooming tulip gardens and fields of Mount Vernon for the first time. The visual beauty and delicate fragrances of …
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By Shannon Beigert
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4/28/25
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A Thurston county mom of a fifth grader and I recently reviewed a draft of her daughter’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). The mother, Stacie Billings (not her real name), understood ...
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By Shannon Sankstone
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4/25/25
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People on my street were without water for eight hours earlier this week. In the 30 years I’ve lived here, my house and my hose have never been without ...
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Last week, I had two entirely unique experiences in the arts scene of Thurston County. On Saturday, I had the opportunity to watch a rehearsal for Studio West Dance Theatre’s production of the …
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By Rachel Benton
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4/24/25
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This past weekend many children participated in a traditional spring ritual — receiving baskets lined with green artificial grass and gathering “eggs” of various sorts to fill those …
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By George Walter
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4/24/25
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True story: I was recently searching for a photo of a messy backpack or locker. None compared to what I saw in my teaching career. My next attempt ...
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This glorious week of sunny weather put most of us in a good mood. People were smiling and chatty in the line at the grocery store. Neighbors walked their dogs without coats on, and the dogs wagged …
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By Jill Severn
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4/18/25
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On March 22, the Thurston County Republican Party hosted its annual Lincoln Day Dinner at Hangar 51 at Olympia Regional Airport. Brandi Kruse, a popular local podcast host and former news …
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By Corey Gauny
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4/18/25
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What an honor to be a writer for Olympia Family Theatre’s (OFT) 6th annual “Tales Told in Ten” (TTnT) event on April 12. For those unfamiliar with this Olympia tradition …
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By Rachel Benton
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4/17/25
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Spring is a wonderful time for bird watching and, fortunate for us, for bird watching festivals. Three are coming up in the next month or so, and each is well worth ...
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By George Walter
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4/17/25
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Even by local standards, Olympia’s Westside is a balinaged jantricized place — a bipolar mix of easy-breezy folk life, blended with terrifying …
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Trish Lynn will be the main author of this article because she interviewed her grandson, an animal lover and owner of four ...
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Coq au vin is a French chicken dish in which chicken and vegetables are cooked in red wine. Today’s recipe is an easy slow cooker version that promotes the unique flavor ...
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By Shannon Beigert
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4/14/25
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A recent episode of NPR’s Bird Note reported a surprising fact: The worms robins pluck out of our grass are not a native species. The native earthworms of the northern U. S. were wiped out by …
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As I meet people who read this column, the question I often hear is, “How can I learn to identify birds?” Let’s take an imaginary walk, and I’ll try to answer that …
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By George Walter
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4/10/25
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