Washington Voices

Tate Orndorff remembers the road home from Fargo, North Dakota, and in his memory it takes an eternity to cover all those miles. Fargo in July is the home of the national junior and cadet national wrestling tournament, and a year ago Orndorff lost in the 285-pound freestyle championship match.

Fluffy is a long-haired male cat. He was brought to the Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service shelter because his owner just couldn't keep up with the care and time his coat required. Many people think cats are self-sufficient, but they need to have regular vet checks, quality food and grooming – just like dogs. Please refer to the pet’s ID number when contacting SCRAPS with questions about one of the adoptable pets. If you are interested in this cat or any animal at SCRAPS, call (509) 477-2532 or come by the shelter 6815 E. Trent Ave. Spokane Valley. Adoptions of cats 6 months or older are $40 and include spay or neuter, first set of vaccinations, health check, microchip and first year’s license.

In Spokane we have two seasons: Complaining About the Cold and Complaining About the Heat. We’re smack in the middle of “It’s too hot!” season, but for once I’m not whining about the soaring temperature.

Summer has arrived in the Inland Northwest with a vengeance. While the tomatoes, eggplant, squash and peppers love the heat, they don’t like the dryness. Neither does the rest of the garden. The biggest challenge right now is adjusting your sprinkler systems and other water devices to meet the needs of the plants in 90-degree heat. First, check your heads, especially on drip irrigation systems. Look for plugged heads and leaking lines and fix them. Otherwise the only way you will know there is a problem is when the plants start dying, and by then it’s too late.

When Expo ’74 opened, several pieces of public art were already on site, commissioned for the fair and to remain afterward as permanent installations in what would become Riverfront Park – Sister Paula Turnbull’s garbage-eating goat and Glen Michaels’ Moon Crater being among the more recognizable ones. But there was another piece of art being installed as the international exposition opened – Ken Spiering’s Mountain Sheep, not part of the officially commissioned Expo art works but now very much a part of the public art collection in the park. As it was then, it remains today – lovely, but a little hard to find.