Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, written by Haley Beyer, 08/22/2025

It’s mind blowing how something so captivating and subliminal can happen twice a day and humans all around the world forget to watch it happen. The sun rises and sets like clockwork. Whether society is ready for it or not. It’s expected and falls into the long list of everyday things but it really should be celebrated. It should be a time to set aside all of life’s fluff for a few moments of gratitude and grounding. How can something so far away dance its light off the clouds and paint our skies with oranges, purples, yellows and pinks? The mixture of colors is unique every single day. No two sunrises or sunsets will ever be the same. And its expansiveness is truly radiant. Especially when it’s reflected off the glassy still water of Lake Tahoe.

There’s something special about purposefully reserving your morning or evening to hike to a high point and sit patiently waiting for the sun to do her thing. Whether creating a positive mindset for the day ahead with a sunrise or reflecting back on the day with a sunset, there are beaches all along the perimeter of Lake Tahoe that could very well do the job but why not take it a step further and complete a hike for that stunning view? It’s never not going to be worth it.

READ MORE >

Photo: Sunrise from Eagle Rock. Haley Beyer / Tahoe Magazine

Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 08/22/2025, Written by Clare McArther

On a warm spring day, snowpack high in the peaks surrounding Lake Tahoe begins to melt. The water trickles down the granite rocks finding its way into winding seasonal creek beds, flushing into large meadows, flowing into backcountry alpine lakes, and joining larger streams as it makes its way down the mountain into the big blue lake below. 

Tahoe’s watershed — the land area that channels rainfall and snowmelt into a common body of water — is unique for a number of reasons. First and foremost is the size of the lake itself. The lake makes up 38% — a surface area of 192 square miles — of the 501-square-mile watershed, which is a major factor in the lake’s famed clarity.  

READ MORE >

Photo: CTC

Yes, in Finland around this time of year, they host a wife carrying contest. Here’s how it works in case you might like to consider entering. At the starting line you stand behind your wife, lift her up and have her sit on your shoulders, where she can then lean back with her knees hooked over your shoulders, and her feet pointing toward the starting line. Got the picture? Good. You might want to practice this technique at home with a physical therapist on hand.

As you can imagine, there are some basic rules to abide by, for example your wife must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 108 pounds. And if you two are divorced, that’s okay. You can even carry somebody else’s wife if you don’t have one yourself, and her husband happens to be out of town.

As a caveat, there is a water hazard along the course that is about one meter deep, which could place your wife’s head under water for a few seconds, so your wife might want to consider sporting nose plugs or perhaps a snorkel. 

So how did this Finlandish contest get started, anyway? Well, I’ve heard it told, that in the last century Herko was having dinner with his wife Helmi when he broke out a bottle of Red Lingonberry Wine, which Helmi just happened to be allergic to. Well they consumed that bottle and were toasting to the abundance of grain that year, when Helmi broke into a heavy sweat and shouted, “Herco, get me to Sonkajärvi!”

Well, Sonkajärvi was about a half mile off, so with that, Helmi jumped onto Herco’s back, and off they went to Sonkajärvi!

Helmi survived, and the saga survived as well, enduring today as Finland’s Wife Carrying Championships.

So you might be wondering, what is the prize for winning the World’s Wife Carrying Championships? I thought you’d never ask. The grand prize is the winners’ total weight in beer. So next you might want to ask, “Hey, what if she doesn’t like beer?” 

Well, she can change horses in the middle of the stream so to speak, and find a more magnanimous husband next year, with no hard feelings…

I know this is hard to believe, but matches made in heaven have been made while competing in this most singular competition. One couple, who had not met before race day, were married at the finish line by a man of the cloth, who was stationed there for just such an occasion. Happily, some compassionate Finns loaned the lady a decent dress, and the man some tolerable trousers. It was said that there was not a dry eye on that Finnish gravel track…

So there it is, your chance to see Finland, home of the Northern Lights.”  

Audio: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Fhv4PrH1UuwlhbnTT23zO

We don’t have Starlings up here at the Lake of the Sky, though I wish we did, as recent research has discovered that Starlings give care to birds to whom they are not related. And they administer that kindness regardless of those other birds’ political beliefs. Say what?!

I believe I must have been a bird in my last life, because when I whistle to my pet Jay, Huckleberry, he waves his beak like a baton to the rhythm of my tweets, and in return, my arms start to flap. Yes, I have seen neighbors cover their mouths and laugh when they witness this interchange. They must think Huck is a genius, while I am the proverbial birdbrain, and they might be right…

Those little beggars up at Chickadee Ridge will land in your open hand to take a pine nut, and then sometimes pass that pine nut along to a fellow Chickadee in need. It’s the right thing to do, and they know it, whereas we humans sometimes forget. Where kindness comes naturally to birds, we seem to need to acquire it and preserve it with all the reminders we can muster…

Recently I had an engagement at our wonderful Historical Museum at South Shore to celebrate Western Days, and when I arrived I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted by a large artistic sign: RESERVED PARKING FOR MARK TWAIN! It’s the little things that smooths people’s roads out the most…

Our lighthearted fraternal Old Lake Tahoe Athletic Club recently lost a valued member and true gentleman, Don Bell. Our esteemed president Rob Robins appealed to our Third of July Parade announcer, Kristen Miller, to give a shoutout to Don when we OLTAC members file by.

That tip of the hat will give all of us and everyone who knew Don, a warm feeling…

I know of a dedicated educator, Kathryn Kelly, founder of Hope Academy, who on her days off visits youth Chautauqua programs to support gifted kids in their portrayal of admirable characters in history. For most of us, helping others is a part-time job, while for those like Kathryn, helping others is a full-time job, with overtime. The measure of a woman is not in her net worth, but I have to believe the measure of a woman is in her net humanity…

In the grand scheme of things, we can learn much from the Starlings. I might like to close here with a thought from our mutual friend, Mark Twain…

“Never refuse to do a kindness unless the act would work great injury to yourself, and never refuse to take a drink– under any circumstances.”

Audio: https://open.spotify.com/show/7Fhv4PrH1UuwlhbnTT23zO

By David Vomund

The tortoise has caught the hare.  Let me explain:  The Nasdaq 100 ETF (QQQ), led by the “Magnificent 7” technology stocks, gained an amazing 17 percent in the first half of 2024 and continued to rise through year end.  But it has since given back much of that gain.  Meanwhile the slower moving Invesco S&P 500 Low Volatility ETF (SPLV), which holds the least volatile S&P 500 stocks, lagged in 2024 but hasn’t retreated this year.  Over those 14 ½ months both returned 17 percent.   

For a long time financial commentators acted as if investors were losing money if they didn’t load up on technology stocks.  They weren’t losing money and now that tech stocks have dropped 13 percent in one month the returns are similar.  The tortoise might even pass the hare.    

With technology stocks falling farther and faster than others, the S&P 500 is weaker than most stocks.  Through last Monday, the S&P 500 had a year-to-date loss of 4 percent.  The average stock in the S&P 500, as seen in the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight ETF (RSP), is only down 1.5 percent.  In spite of the scary headlines, most large company stocks are barely down this year and many of the dividend paying stocks are up.    

Instead of selling everything like they do in severe bear markets, investors have rotated from the volatile and often over-hyped technology stocks into more conservative stocks and dividend paying stocks.  

Dividend payers and raisers aren’t flashy.  Instead, they are often mature, well-established companies with revenues that are less susceptible to economic swings.  And most important, they make money and reward investors with dividends.  

There are several good ETFs that concentrate on dividend payers.  Schwab Dividend Equity (SCHD) and ProShares S&P 500 Aristocrats (NOBL) are both up this year.  Yes, up.  Vanguard Dividend Growth (VIG) is a bit more aggressive and has a small year-to-date loss.

As for individual stocks, my favorite holdings include Williams Companies (WMB), Oneok (OKE), Merck (MRK), and Amgen (AMGN).  In addition to paying dividends, they often raise them as well.  Add in some preferreds for income and you’ll receive lots of dividends while waiting for the market to recover.  That is a winning strategy. 

David Vomund is an Incline Village-based Independent Investment Advisor.  Information is found at www.VomundInvestments.com or by calling 775-832-8555.  Clients hold the positions mentioned in this article.  Past performance does not guarantee future results.  Consult your financial advisor before purchasing any security.