x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Tales of the Magic Skagit

Tales of the Magic Skagit is the podcast companion to the eponymous Meyer Sign series (meyersign.com/articles) dedicated to the people, places, and things that make Western Washington"s Skagit Valley a magical place to live. Through our stories and interviews we look at life in this beautiful place going back to the First Peoples of the Skagit -- the people of the River and the people of the Salmon -- up to the present.

society & culture places & travel

All Episodes

00:49:21

A Christmas Carol -- Stave 3

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/12/23

This is the third chapter, or “stave” as Charles Dicken called it, of “A Christmas Carol” — in which we meet the affable but short-lived Ghost of Christmas Present. In the company of this Ghost, Ebenezer Scrooge travels the breadth of the British Isles and beyond in the space of a single night…only to discover a horror that the Ghost has hidden in his robe. Pay particular attention to Dickens’ use of language in describing the Christmas street scenes of Old London. Reading the great writer’s

en

00:36:11

A Christmas Carol -- Stave 2

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/12/22

In this second part of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," we meet the first of the spirits that Marley's ghost had foretold would visit Ebenezer Scrooge: the Ghost of Christmas Past. Dickens pulls off the literary feat of creating a description of this gentle but persistent spirit that reflects the attributes of memory itself. We also attend the ultimate office Christmas party, and we discover the secret heartache that has "haunted" Scrooge throughout his life.

en

00:41:09

A Christmas Carol -- Stave 1

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/12/21

Between now and Christmas Eve I’ll be reading a chapter a day of the Charles Dickens holiday classic, “A Christmas Carol” — a timeless tale of love and renewal in keeping with the story of Christmas itself. Dickens divided his yuletide novella into five parts, which he referred to as “staves” rather than as chapters. I’d often wondered about the meaning of the word stave, which typically refers to “a vertical wooden post or plank in a building or other structure.” But the word stave also refers

en

00:49:40

Bill Price Remembers Vietnam

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/12/07

This is the first in what I'm hoping will be many future podcast episodes of interviews with Skagit Valley Vietnam veterans. The majority of these vets are in their seventies and eighties, so within the next couple of decades their voices will become silent, and their first-hand accounts of a conflict that defined a generation will be lost unless recorded. My first interview subject happens to also be a near neighbor to my Mount Vernon home. Bill Price's memories of the Vietnam War and his

en

00:51:05

What the World Needs Now...Is More Ramon Riveras

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/11/05

Ramon Rivera has a smile that immediately raises your serotonin levels. He may modestly describe himself as "a public school teacher," but the students whose lives he has touched through Mount Vernon High School Mariachi, Folklorico, and Latinos in Action know just how much of an understatement this is. In this freewheeling and delightful conversation with Ramon we learn about his background, the programs he manages, his aspirations for our kids in the Magic Skagit...and what it was like

en

00:11:12

Treaty Reflection

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/10/10

“Are you blind to the sacred teachings?” he said to them. “Have you not read this: ‘the tree the lodge builders threw away has become the Chief Lodgepole. This is what the Great spirit has done, and it will fill us with wonder?’” (Matthew 21:33-46 (First Nations Version) My wife and I had the great pleasure of attending Sunday service at Burlington Lutheran Church yesterday. Although we’ve worshipped with this congregation many times in the past, this particular Sunday, October 8, 2023, was

en

00:14:31

Tom Robbins' Lost 1974 High School Commencement Address

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/10/07

September 2, 2023, marked the First Annual Tom Robbins Day in La Conner, WA — an event long overdue considering the decades during which its dean of letters has chosen to reside in what he has described as “this little clam-cawed outpost where I continue to follow the Charmer’s pipes down oblique paths of…well, I’m unsure if there is a fitting name for it.” Robbins’ description of La Conner is a tribute indeed to the hamlet along the Swinomish Channel whose upscale boho vibe belies its more rough

en

00:19:40

"Honker" McCormick's Last Interview

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/09/28

Bruce McCormick (known to many as "Honker" for his love of waterfowl) passed away on Thursday, September 21, just a few months shy of his 92nd birthday. His was a larger-than-life personality that embodied so many of the things I appreciate about living in the Magic Skagit. During the time I got to know Bruce, I recorded some podcast interviews with him about pioneer history as he learned it growing up as the grandson of one of the valley's earliest White settlers. Back in May of this

en

00:09:04

The Pig War

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/09/13

One of the more curious chapters of Washington State history was the incident known as The Pig War. The name seems a bit of a whimsical misnomer, since only one shot was fired in anger, and its victim was a hog. Nevertheless, it resulted in a military confrontation between Great Britain and the United States that might have led to war between the two countries, nearly half a century following the last armed clash in 1812, had not calmer heads on both sides of the Atlantic prevailed. A friend of

en

00:27:38

I Do!

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/08/14

The current exhibit at the Skagit County Historical Museum is called "I Do" -- and as its name suggests, it chronicles the evolving fashions and customs of marriage as witnessed in the Skagit Valley from the late 1800s to the present. More than just a collection of wedding attire, the exhibit offers some fascinating insights into the way we view the institution of matrimony, as well as some touching stories about the folks who wore the attire. In this Tales of the Magic Skagit episode, I

en

00:40:15

Skagit County Fair 2023 - Day 4

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/08/14

On the last day of the 2023 Skagit County Fair, Don Wick and I interviewed Mark Howe with the Puget Sound Garden Railroad Society about the perennial joy of model trains. John Christianson shared the story of his beloved Magic Skagit nursery. Ann Ratcliff recalled her childhood on Samish Island and recounted what it took to become a Fair Princess in 1946 (or what it '45?). We learned about the mission of the Skagit Valley Beekeeping Association from member Rob Johnson...and last, but certainly

en

00:23:13

Skagit County Fair 2023 - Day 3

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/08/12

On Day 3 of the Skagit County Fair, Don Wick and I had some wonderful conversations. We learned how one fair goer's traumatic experience ensured that gambling would never become a vice. We talked to a photographer with the ambitious goal of photo documenting all the county fairs in Washington. We interviewed the former mayor of Concrete, WA about the revival of a local newspaper, and we ended the day with a return interview of a young 4-H archer who is now teaching others the sport she has come

en

00:41:51

Skagit County Fair - Day 2: Memories, Ministries, and...

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/08/11

Day 2 at the Fair History Booth yielded some delightful interviews for Don Wick and me...starting with a return visit from Finn, one of the very first interviews we did at last year's fair. We also spoke with Connie, who shared her memories of competing in the annual Fair Parade (she and her sister took home the first place trophy three years in a row!). We spoke with Dwight and Tom about being bringing light to people's lives through a motorcycle ministry, and Jill told us about her

en

00:26:40

Skagit County Fair 2023 - Day 1: The Things That...

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/08/10

On Day 1 of the 2023 Skagit County Fair, Don Wick and I talk to some young fair goers about the things that bring them joy. For "cousins" Charlotte and Cassidy, it's fair food (especially deep fried Oreos); for Liberty Brooks, it's raising and showing Holland Lop bunnies; for Maddy Durkin, it's being the Sedro-Woolley Rodeo Queen; and for mother and daughter Genevieve and Emma, it's the pleasures and challenges of small family farming and 4-H. You're going to feel

en

00:19:56

Meet Frances Negranza, Assistant Fair Wrangler

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/08/03

For years, the driving force behind the organization of the annual Skagit County Fair has been Fair Manager Aric Gaither. In the time that I've worked with Aric, I've never stopped marveling at his energy and dedication to making the fair a cherished venue for bringing together friends and neighbors from all over the Magic Skagit. What few people appreciate about Aric's accomplishments is the fact that he has overseen the transition of the fair into a self-sustaining enterprise. This

en

00:34:53

My Fair Neighbor

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/07/28

For one home on Mount Vernon's Cleveland Street, you might say that the Skagit County Fair has been a "moving" experience. In this Tales of the Magic Skagit podcast episode, we'll hear from two of the four owners of the home that sits next to the Sherman Anderson Ballpark, but was for decades situated within the fairgrounds. So what's it like having the Skagit County Fair as your neighbor? If you're Mark Pearson or Ayla Finnegan, it's no small part of your home's

en

00:31:51

Time Out from Trauma: The Story of Hiatus Ranch

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/07/12

Hiatus = a pause or gap in a sequence, series, or process Our nation is losing OVER 40 veterans a day to suicide and over 700 first responders to suicide. Suicide is now the second-leading cause of death for post-9/11 veterans with the highest percentage between 55 and 74 years old. Hiatus Ranch of Idaho offers hiatus retreats for combat military veterans, local first responders, and active military who need to take a break from life to regroup, reenergize, and reset. To break the path to suicide,

en

00:29:59

Listen to Maria & Sarah's "Art Beat"

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/07/10

July 15 & 16, 2023 will mark the 19th annual Skagit Valley studio tour known as Northwest Art Beat. Presented by Skagit Artists (www.skagitartists.com), a non-profit organization that promotes the visual arts by developing economic and networking opportunities in Skagit County, the event that takes place on the third weekend of July. This year, NW Art Beat (www.nwartbeat.com) is featuring 15 Skagit Valley art studios, showcasing 19 artists from Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties. These

en

00:32:22

Reimagining The Telling of Native History

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/05/31

Maggie Telford is the Collections Intern at the Skagit County Historical Museum in La Conner, WA. Her work at the museum has been funded by a Diversity in Local History Grant, and the task she has taken on is nothing less than the inventorying and reinterpretation of the museum's entire collection of Native American artifacts in order to re-tell its story of the First Peoples of the Skagit Valley. In this Beaver Tales podcast episode I'm joined by Michelle Calvin and Tony Cladoosby to talk

en

00:29:00

Welcome to the Indian Water Carnival

Tales of the Magic Skagit ·

2023/05/10

We know it today as the Penn Cove Water Festival, an annual event that brings canoe racers to Coupeville on beautiful Whidbey Island to celebrate an important cultural intersection between tribal and non-tribal communities: life on the waters of the Puget Sound and Salish Sea. The event began in 1930 as a bit of local hucksterism that was billed as the "Indian Water Carnival." In this Beaver Tales podcast episode, I talk with the executive director of the Island County Historical Museum in

en

115 results

Similar Podcasts

Voices of Life

APG Mannheim

Promo Estereo Podcast

Promo Estereo

Talking Timelines Podcast

Talkingtimelines

גיקונומי

ראם שרמן ודורון ניר

Drømmefanger

Drømmefanger