Rufus Woods' column about Eastmont Superintendent Garn Christensen sheds light on the retiring superintendent's surprising background that helps you understand what makes Garn tick. Rufus writes: "Christensen’s early years were the epitome of instability. His parents divorced when he was 11, and his father dropped out to become a hippie in a different state while his mother remarried a fundamentalist art professor. They were survivalists convinced the end of the world was near. At 15, he ran away from home and essentially was a homeless student. If he wanted to go to school, he had to find a way to get there, he recalled."

Here's a photo from 1922 that we'll publish in two weeks on Grand Parade weekend with our Old News column. I love historic photos like this.  You can find more historic Apple Blossom photos in a 100-year anniversary project we put together in 2019.

It looks like the dahlias in the garage are going to have to wait a while longer.  This is what the snow looked like at my home at about 6:30 a.m. today. What are you seeing where you are? 

Below is the snow forecast through this evening from the National Weather Service in Spokane. You can also get forecasts for your location. 

I've never run for public office myself, so I don't know what it feels like to hit "send" on the online paperwork that makes it official. I imagine there's a big gulp involved and maybe a thought: What have I gotten myself into?

Candidates are indeed making it official. Below are a couple of screenshots for county-level races over at the website of the state Public Disclosure Commission, which regulates campaigns. Here are the candidates who have declared for Chelan County offices, including three for a seat on the Chelan County Commission:

And here's what it looks like in Douglas County. No contested races yet, but there's still time with filing week not until the week of May 16.