Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/738714
50 nNovember 2016n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS F or about a dozen years now, I've been dropping hints to column readers, that when they're passing through Pend Oreille (pond array) County in the remote Forgotten Corner of NE Washington State, should the impulse strike, for Pete's sake, drop-in. I've fur- ther suggested that, provided adequate lead-time, there might even be a piece of pie in it for travelers… Those who have visited paved the way with an inquiry fi rst. Many have been in search of a lodging option along the International Selkirk Loop passing within three miles of us here on Le Clerc Road North. Those e-con- versations opened the door to a welcome… We're here ranching, tending the forest, building two straw bale insulated homes, volunteering in our community and planning for a future that seems to be coming on faster than our wheels spin. So due to all this, in the summer growing season we don't often leave. We hear motorcycles coming, we watch you go by our drive, Heritage Lane, and we're glad you're taking in the beauty of these quiet roads. Dollars you spend while passing through small towns remind rural leaders that keeping the natural landscape intact, guarding the history, culture, wildlife habitat and scenic beauty can turn a few shekels. So thanks for touring here, really… Riders make good stewards. We're a community of the-fair- ly-normal types, with little to prove to others. We have a deep-rooted connection to the landscape that is America, and we demon- strate our love of it in meaningful ways, both private and public. A champion in the pro- tection of farm and ranch land, currently lost at a rate of 40 acres per hour in the U.S., is the American Farmland Trust (farmland. org). Their website reveals that over 55 percent of those who farm are 55 and older. What will this mean for America's food sup- ply?… Riding in the Northwest, many have toured the Methow Valley, Winthrop and the North Cascade Highway (State Route 20). In those areas local economic development and conservation groups have respectfully collaborated, elevating the discussion and keeping the cultural history and farms of the valley intact. There, development favors projects that consider, even mirror, the character of the region. They've shown that everyone can win big by working together. As a result, generations of younger people have been able to return after college and make a life that makes cents and sense. And having youth come back to meaning- ful work and living wages means elders can stay put in a place they love through life's end, supported by family close-by… I'm from Seattle, but my adopted county, Pend Oreille County, could be to Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and Spokane, Washington, what the Methow Valley is to Greater Seattle. That's if we preserve what's so exceptional and unblemished. Here we're far enough off the beaten path to have been spared a callous developer's hand. But things are changing and it's best we all pay attention. As an activist (a.k.a. thorn) I've been defending natural resource land in my community for about a decade, and have built a local network suffi cient to hold off the worst players. To date it's always been reacting to vari- ous proposals, but I'm ready to get out in front of things now. That's why I'm devoting the November column to thanks-giving; thanking you for keeping an eye out too… In a decade I've watched the leadership here tip from center right to far right. I'm not talking a conservative step-right, but ass-over-teakettle-paranoid-right. Card- carrying nutcase, Bundy-club-right. And as those leaders stock boards with devotees willing to remove regulations that safeguard resources and opens avenues for misuse for developers who'll make bank then go back home where strict regulations protect them from the very actions they'd deliver to the landscape here. In the fray are private farms and forestland, safe food supply, wood- land caribou, lynx, snowshoe hare, grizzly, wolves, elk and the other usual suspects… Safeguarding and celebrating what's here could turn Methow-like coin, but in the interest of a quicker nickel, the landscape may be sold-out… So do come, see the unspoiled splendor. Take the Selkirk Loop into Canada and Northwest Idaho. Summer 2017 is just ahead. I'm calling on those who've stayed in touch like Arlie Becker, Steve Martinson, Keith Rauh, Foster Kinn, Ed Pinson, T-Ro, Deb Macdonald, and your signifi cant others/partners, groups like the Northwest Classics Motorcycle Club, ABATE and friends like you who we haven't yet met, to consider a ride through, or a stop-in in 2017. Hey, NWCMC, why not pencil us in for a Gopher Run destina- tion?… If we're terribly busy, it might be a quick hello and pointing you to a little shade by the river. Or we might be picking up litter on our mile of road and welcome your help- ing hands as we did with the Yakima H.O.G. chapter years ago… But at the core, we're humbled living in nature and want to inspire stewardship of natural resources elsewhere. Being at rest on a peaceful landscape, surrounded by beauty and thoroughly out- numbered by critters will do that. Sharing the peace we enjoy as simple beings—sim- ply being here, would please us; it always does… And if it inspires a visitor to stand up for a family farm back home, all the better. For a closer look at what a feisty woman can do, see Susan's activist blog at: www.oldboysranch.blogspot.com or visit the family farm at www.tohonor.org. And for any of you who have news to share, friends to embarrass, a funny tale to tell or life celebrations to broadcast, e-mail me at susan@tohonor.org. Lock 'n' Load Saddlebag Gun Holster Kit Innovative Storage Solutions LLC Sizes S–XL ($39.95-$45.95) storagepouches.com Reviewed by Robert Filla Since someone fi rst strapped an engine to two wheels, the safety nan- nies have bawled about the dangers of motorcycling. Yet bikers embraced the risks, acknowledging that the thrill outweighs the peril. But it seems the world is becoming increasingly hos- tile and, as good ol' terra fi rma lists a little more to the crazy side, many riders are feeling the need to literally take up arms to insure an extra dose of safety while away from home. Enter Phillip Jones and Innovative Storage Solutions. I ran into Jones at the Speedway during Daytona Bike Week earlier this year where he introduced me to his latest development, the Saddlebag Gun Holster Kit. Designed to mount to the inner wall of fi berglass saddlebags on late-model Harleys, the kit consists of three major components. A rigid back- ing plate is constructed of a composite material sewn to belly leather with a leather attachment loop. This panel has an oversized hole at the top that slides over the rubber grommet at the saddlebag's Dzus quar- ter-turn fastener and acts as the docking station. A large-diame- ter fl at washer is included in the kit that replaces the OEM Dzus fl at washer and, along with the fastener, secures the backing panel to the inner wall. The actual holster features a locking spring clip on the back that slides into the docking station's attachment loop—all very sim- ple with installation completed in just a few minutes. A small strip of self-adhesive Velcro is provided to secure the lower edge of the docking station panel to the saddle- bag wall. The holster is a high-quality supple leather with all the necessary protective padding required to keep your weapon free from marks or scratches. Also supplied is a self-ad- hesive cushion pad that sticks to the front leading wall of the saddlebag to protect the gun's hammer. The holster is a very snug fi t (as it should be) and the company recommends placing the gun into the holster for an initial 48 hours to allow the leather to stretch and conform to your particular model of fi rearm. Once installed, the locking spring clip fi rmly keeps the holster in place on the docking panel when withdrawing the pistol. The holster can also be removed and worn in the waistband for those with a concealed weapon permit. The Holster Kit comes in four sizes to fi t various frames. I selected the large to fi t my Smith & Wesson .38 caliber hammerless Airweight. (That size is most common since it also accommodates 9mm autos.) Pricing ranges from $39.95 for the small model to $45.95 for the extra- large (.40 and .45 caliber). It also comes in both left- and right-hand versions. Jones recommended the left-hand model since that is normally the side of the bike from which you dismount, allowing for immediate access without having to move to the other side of the bike. For you auto nuts that desire additional fi repower, an optional Saddlebag Magazine Holder that carries two clips is also available (it mounts to the remaining saddlebag Dzus twist pin). Remember to always check local laws when car- rying a gun either on your person or your motorcycle. 4