News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Q&A
Continued from Page A1
Googled my name to see if
my book came up – I dis-
covered I’m an actress who
makes movies where the
clothing budget is unnec-
essary. That was a shock.
Q. “Rides Again” tells
more tales of your life with
Phil in the country, but
also focuses on the strong
friendships you’ve had.
How did you decide to take
that tack?
A. It must have been
difficult for our neighbors,
because who could iden-
tify with two-ex hippies,
even if the hippies were
clean and drug-free?
I guess it evolved, and I
purposely went that direc-
tion, too. So many writers
say “write what you know”
– I followed that advice. It
seemed like a good learn-
ing experience.
In the city, people can
pick and choose friends
based on lots of reasons
like age, occupation, hob-
bies, and personality traits.
In the country it’s more
like a family, with fewer
people who share those
things. So, we tended to
gravitate toward people
based on occupation. Ev-
erything else that comes
with friendship came later.
Although I confess to be-
ing a lousy neighbor and
friend – I’m a fairly pri-
vate person.
Q. So what’s it like to
write about the real people
in your life?
A. It’s challenging. One
reason is my respect for
the people. They aren’t
perfect (although Phil and
I are darned close; grin)
and they have bad days,
months, years. My main
goal is writing happy, feel-
good, positive prose.
Ranchers are inter-
esting. What they do is
fascinating. How they
do it is incredible and
brave.
Readers need to know
how hard ranchers work.
It’s not a 9 to 5 job – they
are on the job all the time.
It’s a hands-on business.
Loss of an animal, wheth-
er livestock or helpers like
horses or dogs, happens all
the time.
They always have to
make decisions on the fly.
This is the biggest reason
I wanted to write about
them. Respect.
Q. Have you ever
thought about trying your
hand at fiction?
A. Yup, and I think I’d
be better at it than non-fic-
tion.
The big problem with
fiction is it’s a puzzle
where everything has to fit
at the end of the day. Puz-
zles or riddles mystify me.
With a memoir, as soon
as I found out I could em-
bellish, I was on board.
Embellish, with a core of
truth, is my middle name.
Q. Even as you write
about adventures, misad-
ventures, even calamities,
the strongest thread is hu-
mor. Are we seeing a bit
of your philosophy of life
here?
A. Oh yeah. My saving
grace. I don’t know how
other people handle life’s
detritus – I’m throwing
that word in to impress
people – but humor’s
worked for me.
My dad had a dry wit
and I envied it. Phil and I
have made it through some
rough times because we
handled it with humor. Hu-
mor is a blessing and a re-
ward, like the fresh cream
rising above the milk.
In the ’80s, I was a
big fan of Saturday Night
Live on television – I
would have flown to New
York to audition, but I
was in my 30s and mar-
ried. I’d just missed the
boat.
Not saying I was funny
but what the comedians
did on the show rang true
to me. Those programs are
rare. Wikipedia says hu-
mor is the tendency of par-
ticular cognitive experi-
ences to provoke laughter
and provide amusement.
Yep.
Q. After all this time
in the country, do you
still consider yourself a
city slicker, or is the cow-
girl part starting to take
hold?
A. Well, since I’m a
scaredy-cat about almost
everything, I still quali-
fy as a city slicker, but, I
strongly identify with a
few rural mindsets. De-
fending myself is one of
those, and it seems like a
cowgirl-type thing.
For example, a few
years ago when the state
police were on a manhunt
out here looking for a lo-
cal guy, this Portland news
crew came out to interview
people, asking them if they
were scared. One older
fellow – probably my age
now – was sitting back
comfortably in his lounger
and on a table inches away
from his hand was a huge
revolver.
“Nope,” he said, “I’m
not scared at all.”
And that’s only one
thing. When Phil and I
married in ’68, we want-
ed to work together. In the
country, lots of families
work together seven days a
week. This was one of the
similarities that helped us
out here.
Q. Your books have
drawn praise, locally and
beyond – the first one
nominated for a nonfiction
award back in 2008. Did
you always want to be an
author?
A. How nice – I still feel
inept. But no, I had no idea
writing was in my future.
When we moved to Izee,
Phil started keeping a jour-
nal. An elder lady neighbor
told him it was necessary
to be able to look back and
check facts, projects, time
lines. It made sense so he
did it, and then I started
my own. Often we’d com-
pare notes. I’d doublech-
eck his and he’d look at
mine to fill in gaps. I’m
embarrassed to say mine
overflowed with angst
and drama while Phil’s
had precise, to-the-point
facts. I’d write, “Why is
it so hot? The horse al-
most bucked me off today!
Why is my hair so goofy
today?”
Q. Living on a cat-
tle ranch, a busy place,
how do you find time to
write?
A. I’m a late bloomer.
Started college at 41 and
finished when I was 47.
Since I was already used
to taking time to study, I
fit writing into those time
slots.
Before school and af-
ter I started writing, I
helped with ranch chores
JD Liquor store moving into Chester’s
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY – The John
Day Liquor Store is on the
move.
Fran Holmstrom, the li-
quor agent, is retiring next
month after 28 years with
the outlet.
The storefront on North
Canyon Boulevard will close
May 11, and reopen May 13
inside Chester’s Thriftway
on Main Street.
Chester’s
announced
the addition this week. The
store’s service center area
will be remodeled to ac-
commodate the liquor store,
which will offer nearly twice
the variety, officials said.
The store not only will of-
fer a larger selection but will
be open more days in the
new location, with hours of
7 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days
a week.
Capital Bureau
www.MyEagleNews.com
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EAGLE
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Chester’s also is making
other changes, including an
express checkout lane for
customers with just a hand
basket or armful of items,
and kitchen upgrades in the
deli, including new hot and
cold cases and beverage cen-
ter.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
like building and mend-
ing fences, riding, calving,
driving the truck while
we looked for our cows in
the forest, helping feed in
the winter, branding, and
probably a thousand more
little jobs. My notebook
was always with me. While
I was going to school, Phil
did most of those things
alone. It depended on the
situation.
Q. So is there a third
book in your future?
A. Probably. Not sure
I’m done with ranch sto-
ries so I might write a third
“Accidental
Cowgirl.”
But, for a few years now,
I’ve had an idea to write
a scary book. Humor and
terror go together like a
peanut butter and dill pick-
le sandwich. It’s the best
combination.
Movies like “Slither,”
“Jaws,” “Fearless Vam-
pire Killers,” “Lost Boys,”
A9
“American Werewolf in
London” … All of these
are silly and fun but scary,
too.
My book would involve
cattle, of course.
That’s all I’ll say be-
cause someone will likely
steal my idea because it’s
so good. Or, maybe not and
maybe it isn’t.
Note: Readers may have
to wait for St. Clair’s scary
cattle story, but her “Acci-
dental Cowgirl” books can
be found at Chester’s, the
Grant County Library and
the Outpost in John Day;
the Grant County Histor-
ical Museum in Canyon
City; the Bowman Muse-
um in Prineville; and The
Round Barn in Diamond.
And watch for her ebook
versions on Amazon.com.
Anyone who would like
to offer her books in the lo-
cal area can contact her at
rizdollie@gmail.com.
A MAN
WAKES
UP in the
morning
after sleeping on...
an advertised bed, in advertised
pajamas.
He will bathe in an ADVERTISED TUB, shave with an ADVERTISED RAZOR,
have a breakfast of ADVERTISED JUICE, cereal and toast, toasted in an
ADVERTISED TOASTER, put on ADVERTISED CLOTHES and glance at his
ADVERTISED WATCH. He’ll ride to work in his ADVERTISED CAR, sit at an
ADVERTISED DESK and write with an ADVERTISED PEN. Yet this person
hesitates to advertise, saying that advertising doesn’t pay. Finally, when his
non-advertised business is going under, HE’LL ADVERTISE IT FOR SALE.
Then it’s too late.
AND THEY SAY ADVERTISING DOESN’T WORK?
DON’T MAKE THIS SAME MISTAKE
Advertising is an investment, not an expense. Think about it!
Blue Mountain Eagle
MyEagleNews.com
Don’t get left behind, call today! Kim Kell 541-575-0710
