Huckleberry Country

Playing in Paint and Making More Than Just Art

By Gabriel Cruden / July 3, 2026 /

For many people, making art is something they stopped doing somewhere between childhood and adulthood. Life gets busy, people become self-conscious, and creativity slowly gets pushed aside. Newport artist Clare…

The Art of Receiving a Compliment

By Gabriel Cruden / July 3, 2026 /

Have you ever noticed that receiving compliments can be hard?  Doling them out can be easy. All you have to do is get out of your own head long enough…

Where Is the Middle of Nowhere?

By Gabriel Cruden / July 3, 2026 /

When friends who are not from the Inland Northwest visit us, the common refrain is, “You’re out in the middle of nowhere.” To get to our modest abode in the…

Quit Wishin’ Go Fishin’

By Gabriel Cruden / June 5, 2026 /

Izaak Walton in the Compleat Angler insisted that “the trout is the tastiest of the fresh water fish…a fish that feeds clean and purely, in the swiftest streams, and on…

Road Trip

By Gabriel Cruden / May 1, 2026 /

My road trips these days have gotten shorter. Still, come spring, I like to get out and explore this amazing place called Washington state. In this article, I am going…

Spray Paint and Sheet Music

By Gabriel Cruden / May 1, 2026 /

Dianne Lemley is a talented artist who has lived a life full of hardships, love, and fulfilled dreams. Her work is layered and deep, and asks the viewer to step…

Winter Blues

By Gabriel Cruden / February 27, 2026 /

In northeast Washington, there are outdoor activities to spare: skiing, hiking trails, fishing, birdwatching, dog walking, wading or swimming in local lakes. You will add more, I’m sure. Great stuff,…

Is it Spring Yet?

By Gabriel Cruden / February 27, 2026 /

Can we talk about the weather again? As disappointed as I was in the lack of snow this winter, I was delighted at the beginning of February to see not…

A Moose Missive: Are They Real?

By Gabriel Cruden / January 30, 2026 /

I was promised a moose. In fact, I was promised a moose once before, so this is nothing new. Are moose promises legal and binding, or are they merely lures…

Hit the Trail with Soph

By Gabriel Cruden / January 30, 2026 /

I stopped making New Year’s resolutions a long time ago when I finally admitted to myself that I like the creating of them more than I enjoy the execution. However,…