To me, the best use of a phone has always been to set up an actual face-to-face conversation. Just hearing a person’s voice feels like a bit of a cheat compared to their immediate physical presence.

So it’s a contradiction to admit how much enjoyment and practical use I get from my smartphone. They are, of course, so much more than a phone, being a sophisticated pocket-size computer with instant access to a vast array of human knowledge and entertainment.

Many of you are sure to be more technologically sophisticated than I am, so forgive me if this sounds backward, but even now after a decade or so of having a smartphone, the concept of “apps” is still quite new to me. Essentially optional little add-ons that perform no end of functions, they’re increasingly essential.

The Chinook Observer has our own app, one that provides access to the eEdition, which itself makes a digital copy of our printed newspaper available to subscribers. Download it from the Apple apps store, among other places.

Last week I downloaded the free “Seek” app, a handy tool for all of us who love the outdoors in our particularly well-endowed natural environment. Connected to an encyclopedic database, it has you snap photos of any plant, animal or other living thing you’re curious about. It identifies it — sometimes exactly, sometimes only generally — and tells you about it. It shows where others using the app nearby have identified it. It stores a record of what you’ve seen, which I imagine may become a little personal competition to rack up a big set of local life.

One of my uncles had an advanced degree in zoology and was one of those people who could tell all about any plant or animal you happened to encounter, while my great-great-grandfather was a medical botanist, somebody adept at herbal medicine. The Seek app gives me at least a little hint of what it might have been like to be so well informed.

There are apps for just about every question or need. I’m sure games are a big one — though I’ll never have the time. If you’re as late to apps as I’ve been, I encourage you to take the plunge.

In other news, at a friendly lunch last week the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office leadership and the Observer arrived at an amicable end to our overly publicized disagreement. We look forward to working more closely with them in addressing the county’s need for law enforcement.

The Observer is deeply engaged in our remarkable communities and natural surroundings. We aim to make living here as good as it can be. Thank you for your support.