About the Palouse

The Palouse is a region of dune-like hills formed of wind-born volcanic soil in eastern Washington State and northern Idaho south of Spokane and north of the Snake River.  The above photo looks west from Hoffman Road.  In the upper left is a road that disappears over the hill at the point called "The North Pole."  This spot is featured in the poem "The North Pole" included in Boy Singing to Cattle.  Below is the view looking east from the North Pole toward the former Charles Hofer residence (lower center) and the former Hart residence (lower right) and Kamiak Butte

The McTyre Barn

The cover of Boy Singing to Cattle features a barn on land formerly farmed by Don Hart and Charles Hofer.  The barn, last structure remaining from a former homestead, is of timber-frame construction a with hand-hewn beams and pegs and square, hand-forged nails.  The part falling down on the right is of newer, conventional construction.

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