2/20 False Lily of the Valley, greenhouse gas regs, Trump's weedkiller, BC reconciliation law, Pat Arnold, democracy watch, week in review.

False Lily of the Valley [Ben Legler]

False Lily of the Valley Maianthemum dilatatum
A perennial herb from wide-spreading rhizomes with upright stems which grows in moist, shady areas and open to dense woods. This plant grows from Alaska to California (including British Columbia) and east to northern Idaho. This plant grows on both sides of the Cascades crest and at the coast in Washington. Many Pacific Northwest tribes (including the Bella Coola, Hesquiat, Nitinaht, Salish, and others) have eaten ripe berries for food and used the berries to treat tuberculosis. A poultice of leaves has been used to treat skin boils, minor burns, wounds, and cuts. The fruit has been used to treat tuberculosis. An infusion of chewed or pounded roots has been used to treat sore eyes. (Washington Native Plant Society)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Contagious cancer poses possible threat to Salish Sea clams

Climate, health groups challenge EPA repeal of major greenhouse gas regulation
A coalition of public health and environmental groups filed a suit Wednesday challenging the Trump administration’s recent finding that the Environmental Protection Agency could not regulate climate-warming greenhouse gases. Jacob Fischler reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Trump Order Aims to Boost Weedkiller Targeted in Health Lawsuits
An executive order aimed at ramping up production of glyphosate set off alarms among supporters of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Hiroko Tabuchi and Sheryl Gay Stolberg report. (NY Times) 

As B.C. stokes its economic engine, Eby says reconciliation law is in the way
The government says changes are needed to avoid ‘uncertainty’ from court rulings. Critics argue the move could spark more, costly legal battles. Shannon Waters reports. (The Narwhal) 

The conscience of conservation in Southwest Washington
If you’ve ever been involved with environmental issues in Southwest Washington, you’ve got an opinion about Pat Arnold. Though her platform is Friends of the White Salmon River—she’s been with the advocacy organization since the 1990s, becoming part of its leadership in 2008—her interests and expertise are widespread. Timber sales. Renewable energy. Wildlife habitat. Dams. Deborah Bloom reports. (Columbia Insight) 

Democracy Watch

• WA Japanese Americans rally against ICE on Day of Remembrance (Seattle Times) 
• Federal judge accuses Trump administration of ‘terror’ against immigrants in scathing ruling (AP) 
• New Trump Banner Hung on Justice Department Headquarters (NY Times) 

Salish Sea News Week in Review 2/20/26: Muffin Day, WA climate fight, Columbia R salmon, whale-safe gear, old oaks, Roundup cancer, climate funds, new orca, AK drilling.

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your weekend tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  259 AM PST Fri Feb 20 2026    
GALE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY  MORNING    
TODAY  SE wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 4 ft. Wave Detail: E 3 ft  at 4 seconds and W 3 ft at 10 seconds. A chance of rain and snow  this morning, then rain likely this afternoon.  
TONIGHT  E wind 15 to 20 kt, rising to 30 to 35 kt after  midnight. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: E 5 ft at 5 seconds and W 3  ft at 9 seconds. Rain.  
SAT  E wind 25 to 30 kt, with gusts to 35 kt. Seas 5 to 8 ft,  building to 7 to 8 ft in the afternoon. Wave Detail: E 8 ft at 7  seconds. Rain.  
SAT NIGHT  E wind 30 to 35 kt. Seas 7 to 9 ft, building to 9 to  10 ft after midnight. Wave Detail: E 9 ft at 8 seconds and W 4 ft  at 14 seconds. Rain.  
SUN  E wind 25 to 30 kt with gusts up to 40 kt, becoming SE  15 to 20 kt in the afternoon. Seas 7 to 10 ft, subsiding to 5 to  7 ft in the afternoon. Wave Detail: E 9 ft at 7 seconds and SW  4 ft at 14 seconds. Rain.

---


"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


 

2/19 Skink, new orca calf, transforming biosolids, African farm, swallow homes, receding glaciers, AK oil drilling.

Western skink [WDFW]

Western skink Plestiodon skiltonianus
Western skinks can be found in eastern Washington, Idaho, from south-central British Columbia to southern Baja California, eastwards to western Montana, eastern Utah, north-central Arizona, and southern Nevada. The western skink is the only lizard in Washington that has a bright blue tail, shiny smooth scales, and stripes running along the length of their body. If caught by a predator, the western skink can detach its tail. The bright blue tail then moves vigorously around, distracting the predator while the skink tries to escape. The tail will eventually grow back, but oftentimes the new tail is darker and more oddly shaped than the original. (Burke Museum)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  An interview with Jessica Rienstra

New Southern Resident orca calf spotted in L pod
he Center for Whale Research spotted a new Southern Resident orca calf traveling with L pod on Feb. 16 in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Designated L129, the calf was seen with two females, the 49‑year‑old L55 and her daughter L103. Researchers said it is too early to know which whale is the mother. AARON GRANILLO Aaron Granillo reports. (KIRO) 

CRD launches survey, open house on proposed thermal treatment plant
The plant would transform biosolids into biochar, a charcoal-like product that can be used in everything from green building materials to stormwater filtration. Andrew A. Duffy reports.(Times Colonist) 

As grocery prices climb, one farmer bets on growing African staples in B.C.
People said he was crazy to start a farm based in African foods. ‘It’s good to be crazy in a good way,’ Canadian Black Farmers Association founder Toyin Kayo-Ajayi says. Steph Kwetásel’wet Wood reports. (The Narwhal) 

Beautiful new waterfront homes built along Tacoma shoreline — for beloved birds
This month Parks Tacoma staff put up some beautiful waterfront housing. But it’s not for us. It’s for a new purple martin colony to lure North America’s largest swallows back home to the Ruston waterfront. Becca Most reports. (Tacoma News Tribune) 

Vonn, Shiffrin and Brignone among the Olympic skiers voicing concern over receding glaciers
Team USA skiers Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin, along with Italy’s Federica Brignone, are among the many skiers who have expressed concern during these Olympic Games about the accelerating melt of the world’s glaciers. Jennifer McDermott reports. (Associated Press) 

Lawsuits challenge renewed push for oil drilling in Alaska petroleum reserve and upcoming lease sale
Conservation organizations and an Iñupiat group filed legal challenges Tuesday to the Trump administration’s renewed push for oil and gas development in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and an upcoming lease sale that they say improperly makes available ecologically sensitive lands that have been long protected. Becky Bohrer reports.(Associated Press) 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  214 PM PST Wed Feb 18 2026   
 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING    THU  E wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: E 3 ft at  4 seconds and W 4 ft at 10 seconds.  THU NIGHT  E wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: E  2 ft at 4 seconds and W 3 ft at 9 seconds. A chance of rain and  snow after midnight.

---


"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


 

2/18 Hyacinth, WA climate funds, glyphospate spraying, Roundup cancer, BC critical minerals, democracy watch.

Hyacinth

Hyacinth
Hyacinthus is a genus of bulbous herbs and spring-blooming perennials. The name comes from Greek mythology: Hyacinth was killed by Zephyrus, the god of the west wind, jealous of his love for Apollo. He then transformed the drops of Hyacinth's blood into flowers. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Whatcom County jail is on the wrong path

WA climate funds needed to plug huge budget gap, lawmaker says 
Lawmakers can’t find a better way to fill part of Washington’s perennial budget gap than by dipping into the billions raised by the state’s Climate Commitment Act. Gov. Bob Ferguson’s $559 million proposal to transfer climate funds is legal but also a significant disappointment for those who hoped to safeguard that cash as a way to transition away from planet-warming fossil fuels or to guard against natural disasters, especially as the federal government hastens its retreat on climate change policy. Conrad Swanson reports. (Seattle Times) 

The BC NDP promised to phase out glyphosate. Forestry companies are still spraying
Herbicide use by the forestry sector has declined, but a group advocating for a ban says spraying even relatively small areas can have an outsized impact. Ainslie Cruickshank reports. (The Narwhal) 

Bayer agrees to $7.25 billion proposed settlement over thousands of Roundup cancer lawsuits
Agrochemical maker Bayer and attorneys for cancer patients announced a proposed $7.25 billion settlement Tuesday to resolve thousands of U.S. lawsuits alleging the company failed to warn people that its popular weedkiller Roundup could cause cancer. David A. Lieb reports. (Associated Press) 

B.C.’s critical minerals push to reshape the province — fast and without consent?
Premier David Eby wants to fast-track projects and amend Indigenous Rights legislation, raising questions about environmental oversight and who benefits from B.C.’s critical minerals agenda. Santana Dreaver reports. (The Narwhal) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump family business files for trademark rights on any airports using the president’s name (AP) 
• Jesse Jackson’s Death Arrives at a Crucial Moment for Black Political Power (NY Times) 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  235 PM PST Tue Feb 17 2026    SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING    
WED  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at  12 seconds. Rain. A chance of snow in the morning, then snow in  the afternoon.  
WED NIGHT  E wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: E  2 ft at 3 seconds and W 4 ft at 11 seconds. A chance of snow.  Rain likely, mainly in the evening.

---


"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


 

2/17 Sturgeon poacher, whale-safe fishing gear, Tacoma oaks, BC treaties, public lands, leaving the US, democracy watch.

Sturgeon poacher

   

Sturgeon poacher Podothecus accipenserinus
The Sturgeon poacher is a fish in the family Agonidae. It was described by Wilhelm Gottlieb Tilesius von Tilenau in 1813. It is a marine, temperate water-dwelling fish which is known from the northern Pacific Ocean to northern California. Its diet consists of bony fish, crustaceans such as amphipods, copepods and shrimp, and annelid worms. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Planning commission, cities clash over urban growth 

Feds launch whale-safe fishing gear strategy to try to prevent entanglements
Entanglement is a top threat for all large baleen whales on Canada’s coasts, including humpbacks, minke, blue and fin whales. Rochelle Baker reports. (National Observer) 

Should 600-year-old oaks be cut down in Tacoma for a new storage facility?
On the side of a busy street in South Tacoma is a small stretch of land surrounded by parking lots, storage facilities, warehouses and a lumber-distribution yard. Next to a set of railroad tracks are 37 Garry oak trees, some of which are thought to be between 400 and 600 years old. The trees at 3802 S. 74th St. will be cut down if the city of Tacoma approves the landowner’s permits to build a new self-storage facility on the one-acre, triangular site. Becca Most reports. (Tacoma News Tribune) 

Why Treaties Are the Best Fix for BC’s Land Uncertainty
Recent court rulings show the province can no longer ignore legal injustices, a former provincial cabinet minister says. Tyler Olsen reports. (The Tyee) 

Teddy Roosevelt’s Family Urges G.O.P. to Protect Public Lands
In a rare letter to Republican senators, four descendants of the former president oppose mining near a wilderness area in Minnesota. Maxine Joselow reports. (NY Times) 

1 in 4 Washingtonians want to secede from the US, survey finds
A quarter of Washingtonians would support the Evergreen State breaking up with the U.S., according to a new survey. Washington counted the second-highest rate of secession support in the U.S., tying with New Mexico and behind only California (27%). Simone Carter reports. (The Olympian) 

Democracy Watch

• U.S. Deports Nine Migrants in Secret, Ignoring Legal Protections (NY Times) 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather— West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  759 PM PST Mon Feb 16 2026    
TUE  SE wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W 7 ft at  13 seconds. A chance of rain and snow showers in the morning,  then showers likely in the afternoon.  
TUE NIGHT  E wind around 5 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W  6 ft at 13 seconds. A chance of showers.

---


"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


2/16 Crocus, climate fight, Columbia R salmon, WA Fish & Wildlife Commission, democracy watch

Crocus

Crocus
Crocus are low growing plants, whose flower stems remain underground, that bear relatively large white, yellow, orange or purple flowers and then become dormant after flowering. Many are cultivated for their flowers, appearing in autumn, winter, or spring. The flowers close at night and in overcast weather conditions. 

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Taking action, staying engaged

As U.S. abandons climate fight, Washington state feels the heat to do more
Washington state’s push for a rapid switch to electric vehicles is in jeopardy— with its ultimate fate likely to be decided in the courts. A Trump administration move Thursday to axe the centerpiece of federal climate policy jeopardizes state-level efforts to control pollution from motor vehicles as well. John Ryan reports. (KUOW) 

Trump budget maintains many Columbia River salmon, environment programs — despite dramatic proposed cuts
Columbia River salmon recovery programs fared better in the 2026 federal budget than tribes, advocates, bureaucrats and biologists feared. President Donald Trump had made major cuts to the programs in 2025. But those cuts brought together a wide-ranging group of powerful interests around the Columbia River Basin to ask Congress to fund programs such as hatcheries, habitat restoration and sea lion killing. Henry Brannon reports. (The Columbian) 

WA Fish and Wildlife saga deepens with claims of collusion
A previously undisclosed memo suggests two current commissioners were coordinating with a conservation group. Those named deny the allegations and say the document is defamatory and riddled with falsehoods. Jerry Cornfield reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Democracy Watch

• Trump tells soldiers to vote GOP in campaign-style rally at Fort Bragg (Washington Post) 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—  
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  210 AM PST Sun Feb 15 2026    
MON  W wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft, building to 5 to 7 ft  in the afternoon. Wave Detail: W 7 ft at 11 seconds. Rain.  
MON NIGHT  S wind 5 to 10 kt, backing to SE after midnight.  Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W 7 ft at 12 seconds. Rain and snow  likely.

---


"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


 

2/13 Friday the 13th, greenhouse gas, 'forever chemicals,' delisted endangered plants, buy more coal, WA coal plant, AK drilling, democracy watch, week in review.

 

Friday the 13th

Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th, date that signifies bad luck in many Western cultures. The superstition is akin to the beliefs that crossing paths with a black cat, walking under a ladder, opening an umbrella indoors, or breaking a mirror bring bad luck. (Brittanica)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  Lopez moth hunt engages community in bat fungus research

Trump administration completes rollback of Obama-era greenhouse gas regulations
President Donald Trump and his top environmental policy officer finalized a move Thursday to undo an Environmental Protection Agency regulation that laid the foundation for federal rules governing emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Jacob Fischler reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Concerns over "forever chemicals" pose biosolids challenge for treatment plants
Increasing concerns surround PFAS in products from wastewater treatment plants. How great a risk do they pose, and are there feasible approaches to removing them? We continue our occasional series on water quality and wastewater management in Puget Sound. Sarah DeWeerdt reports. (Salish Sea Currents Magazine) 

Not so fast: Celebrations over delisting endangered plants might be premature
Validating local botanists' concerns, rare PNW plants have experienced steep declines since removal of federal protections. Nathan Gilles reports. (Columbia Insight) 

Trump Orders the Pentagon to Buy More Coal-Fired Electricity
Mr. Trump is trying to revive coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. At the White House, coal executives awarded him a trophy as the “Undisputed Champion of Beautiful Clean Coal.” Brad Plumer reports. (NY Times) 

Coal power in WA Legislature’s crosshairs after talk of Centralia plant’s revival
The Trump administration has moved to keep the power plant available to burn coal. A bill the state House approved Thursday would impose hefty taxes and fees if it fires back up. Tom Banse reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Feds schedule first lease sale in Alaska’s National Petroleum Reserve since 2019
The Trump administration’s 5.5-million-acre auction is one of several mandated over next few years for federal lands in Alaska and federal waters off the state’s coast. Yereth Rosen reports. (Alaska Beacon) 

Democracy Watch

• Federal authorities announce end to Minnesota immigration crackdown (AP) 
• Shutdown looms for FEMA, Coast Guard, TSA with stalemate over Homeland Security funds (Washington State Standard) 

Salish Sea News Week in Review 2/13/26: Galentine's Day, Stillaguamish Tribe, Marine Monument fishing, fighting climate change, orcas and us, marsh restoration, greenhouse gas regs, AK oil drilling lawsuit dropped. 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your weekend tug weather— 
West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  204 AM PST Fri Feb 13 2026    
TODAY  SW wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 5 to 8 ft. Wave Detail: W 8 ft  at 15 seconds. A chance of rain early this morning, then rain  likely late this morning and afternoon.  
TONIGHT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 5 to 7 ft. Wave Detail: W 7 ft  at 14 seconds. Rain likely. Patchy dense fog.  
SAT  W wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at  13 seconds. A chance of rain.  
SAT NIGHT  N wind 5 to 10 kt, veering to NE after midnight.  Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 14 seconds.  
SUN  E wind 5 to 10 kt. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at  14 seconds.  
SUN NIGHT  W wind around 5 kt, backing to SE after midnight.  Seas 3 to 5 ft. Wave Detail: W 5 ft at 13 seconds. Rain likely  after midnight.

---


"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told


2/12 Water striders, Clean Air Act regs, Arctic refuge oil drilling, WA dead bills, democracy watch

Water striders

 

Water striders Gerridae
The Gerridae are a family of insects in the order Hemiptera, commonly known as water striders, water skeeters, water scooters, water bugs, pond skaters, water skippers, water gliders, water skimmers or puddle flies. They are true bugs of the suborder Heteroptera and have mouthparts evolved for piercing and sucking. (Wikipedia)

Today's top story in Salish Current:  How big should Whatcom County’s new jail be? Part 2

Trump’s EPA plans to end a key climate pollution regulation 
On Thursday, the Trump administration will rescind the central scientific finding that underpins much of the nation’s climate pollution rules, its most aggressive action yet to halt initiatives that address planetary warming. The 2009 Environmental Protection Agency endangerment finding was a determination that pollutants from developing and burning fossil fuels, such as methane and carbon dioxide, can be regulated under the Clean Air Act. The EPA now argues that the Clean Air Act does not give it the legal authority to regulate greenhouse gases. Jeff Brady and Camila Domonoske report. (NPR) 

Washington and other Democratic-led states drop lawsuit against Arctic refuge oil drilling in Alaska
Fifteen Democratic-led states have dropped a six-year-old lawsuit challenging the legality of a federal plan that allowed oil and gas drilling in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The states are dropping their case but said they will continue their opposition to ANWR drilling. (Washington State Standard) 

More dead bills stack up in WA Legislature
Bills focused on psilocybin, medication abortion and taxing short-term rentals are among those that didn’t survive the latest key deadline in the state Legislature.  Monday was the cutoff for bills involving money to pass through fiscal committees. Jake Goldstein-Street reports. (Washington State Standard) 

Democracy Watch

• Gabbard ends intelligence reform task force after less than a year of work (AP) 

Have you read the Salish Current? 
Independent, fact based news for Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties. Community supported, free from ads. Read the latest weekly newsletter here.

Here's your tug weather—  West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-  205 PM PST Wed Feb 11 2026    
THU  SW wind 5 to 10 kt, rising to 10 to 15 kt in the  afternoon. Seas 4 to 6 ft. Wave Detail: W 6 ft at 14 seconds and  W 2 ft at 18 seconds. Rain in the afternoon.  
THU NIGHT  SW wind 10 to 15 kt, becoming W 5 to 10 kt after  midnight. Seas 5 to 7 ft, building to 6 to 9 ft after midnight.  Wave Detail: W 9 ft at 16 seconds. Rain.

---


"Salish Sea News & Weather" is compiled as a community service by Mike Sato. It is included as a daily feature in the Salish Current newsletter. Click here to subscribe. Questions? Email msato(at)salish-current.com. Your email information is never shared and you can unsubscribe at any time.



savesalishsea@bluesky.social

Salish Sea News: Communicate, Educate, Advocate



Salish Sea Communications: Truth Well Told