There’s a certain ennui that comes over me when summer hits. Just after the rush of the spring and before the crush of the fall, summer turns my head to thoughts of beaches, lazy reading and those things we can do to stay cool and hydrated.  And now you know the rigorous editorial process that created this month’s story that’s illustrated on the cover by a fabulous shot taken at House Spirits in Portland.

Settling on a name for Mark and Mary Ann Beauchamp’s new enterprise was simple. They just listened to what their customers usually exclaimed — “Yumm!” — whenever they tried the special dish Mary Ann prepared at the couple’s tiny Eugene café. That nutritious but delicious dish, which wasn’t even listed on the menu, would launch their growing restaurant business.

How much electricity does Google use to power its servers in The Dalles?

Erin Donovan spends a lot of time visiting film festivals from Ashland to Toronto. She’s always been impressed with how good short documentary films can be, and how impossible they are to find once the festival has passed.

Strong salmon returns in the Columbia River, including a huge comeback for a species nearly written off two decades ago, have given tribal fishermen an estimated $3.5 million economic boost over the past few months.