Family business adds new staff

Winding Waters HR department first learned of the newest recruit 9 months ago, but paperwork was held up until Britton Leonard Arentsen got a birthday and name. Super congratulations to Penny, Paul, Linden and now Britton Arentsen. Look at this little fella. Handsome and cute all at the same time. You can smell the baby powder through the monitor.

Britton already knows how to tie several knots and do a passable J-stroke, thanks to imprinted motor skills passed down via genetics from his river parents. Welcome aboard, Britton.

On the Slack Line

Silje Christoffersen is back in Wallowa County, home from a year at college learning stuff. Here she is with Cheri Miller and a crew of spotters on the two-person slack line challenge this past weekend.

Brent Wydrinski and myself were also along on this outing with Wallowa Resources for some outdoor learning and fun at the Billy Meadows ranger station in the north end of Wallowa County. 20 kids. 6 adults. Kids came up with their own star constellations around the campfire. Compass orienteering, hikes, games, artsy stuff, building things, walking a tight rope. Great food. Good times had by all.

Scenery wasn’t all that shabby either. Here’s the view looking back at the Wallowas.

 More new staff

This new guy Britton has skewed the age chart somewhat, but also look for young gals Emily Bright and Hilary Valentine around the Winding Waters boathouse this season. Emily will be in the boathouse shop and helping run the joint in general. Hilary brings culinary ninja skills and will be taking our taste buds for a ride on Delicious Avenue all season.

Here she is filming an episode of River Chef: That Is One Big Wok, explaining the blueprints for a new menu item that is fried, and you stir it. Still working on a name.

Speaking of new recipes, Hells Canyon-renowned guide and river chef Caitlin Ecklund is over on the Indonesia part of the globe traveling around and checked in with a dessert idea for the river menu – a classic Indonesian dessert called es campur.

Caitlin lists the ingredients as: ice, rice milk, sugar, fruit, and jellies. But says we can throw in a twist for indo-n.e.oregon fusion. Brilliant.

You have Caitlin to thank if you enjoyed the coconut milk and chocolate fondue with fresh strawberries, pineapple and pretzels last summer. She whipped that little number up on the Salmon last year and we all liked it so much it got promoted to a regular thing.

Parting Shots

Team Winding Waters cleaned up our adopted stretch of highway last week. There’s no shortage of old baling twine in them thar ditches so I was pleased to see someone putting that stuff to good use. Award for Best Use of Old Baling Twine goes to this osprey for repurposing materials in home construction.

What the H?

Jude Broderson sent in this photo of a lure constellation seen on a lake in Washington. The mad scientist who designed this rig calls it the “school of fish.” Jude refers to it as the “piñata.” You know the old saying: Teach a man to fish and eventually he’ll do something like this:

For the fly fishing equivalent, here’s Hank Patterson with a helpful video on creating your own hatch. That segment starts at the 3 minute mark.