While watching a bird from 50 yards through binoculars is a normal part of birding, that distance is going to make photographing these usually small creatures difficult. Here are some tips on how to close the gap and get the shots you want.

The pandemic has really changed how we think about fitness hasn’t it? More of us are seeking solace on lesser traveled trails. This month we are pausing to take a “Breath of Fresh Air” in this edition of Lifestyles magazine.

Wondering what's going on around town this month? Read about events, local markets and more in our calendar. 

By Hector del Castillo

A look at events, classes and other happenings in Walla Walla this month. 

Summer is around the corner. The days are getting longer, flowers are opening, and so are many opportunities that have been closed or restricted for over a year now due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

On the first warm day, I head out with fingers crossed. After leaving Highway 11 at Athena and escaping to Highway 334, where traffic is a rumor, I get a pleasant surprise. A roller-coaster ride ensues through the kingdom of wheat, with sightings of kestrels perched on power lines and magpies practicing aerobatic maneuvers.

Except for quick lunches in the trucks’ cabs, these workers are in motion: mowing, thatching, edging, pruning, fencing, clipping, sweeping or blowing away the detritus of shedding landscapes, large and small.

The home is an elegant combination of old and new. It was built in 1967 on the site of an existing basement from an old Walla Walla farmhouse. It is the perfect home for entertaining, with an easy traffic flow and open design. 

An upside to this past year of collective isolation is that we (like millions of others) delved into the craft of cocktail making. We’d take turns making some new libation and picking up knowledge along the way. And we discovered many of our favorite drinks fall into the category of cocktail sours.

While there is no official guidebook for re-entry into familiar ways of socializing, we turned to our local entertaining experts — area tasting room staff and managers — for some of the tricks, tips and hospitality hacks they used over the last year that might apply at home.

Time to host a porch party! Whether you’re inviting one person or a small group, your porch or your deck, (front yard or back) is an ideal venue. Dust off the outdoor furniture, and dress up the porch up with baskets of flowers, party lights, candles and festive lanterns.

When flowers are fully open, moths can instantly appear. Their long proboscis, much like a butterfly's, is able to access deeply hidden nectar. Going out in the evening with a flashlight reveals a world usually little noticed. Hawk moths have large iridescent eyes readily visible with a flashlight as they dart from flower to flower. Put chairs out to watch the nightly spectacle.

Introduced to the mid-Columbia River in the 1920s, smallmouth bass quickly established a popular sport fishery in the Columbia River.