By Jane Valencia Thomas Vroom and Jordan Ashley Beck own and run Fernhorn Bakery. In true Island fashion, the story of their bakery is nested within several stories related to the local economy and resilience. In Part 2 of this series, we learn about the wheats that Fernhorn uses to create their delicious, nutrient-dense, and…
By Michael Shook Once one’s facade of innocence is peeled away – invariably in a painful manner – nothing ever again looks quite the same. This is a good thing. Among the many salutary effects I experienced as a result of my “fall to earth” was the collapse of the notion that humanity is perfectable….
By Daniel Hooker Q: What do you call a paper airplane that can’t fly? A: Stationery! ~ I bought a new thesaurus, and all the pages were blank. I was left without a word. I thought that joke was funny, so I told it to two young people in their twenties. They asked me what…
By Suzanna Leigh My friend Geri told me she owns part of the beach on the north end of Tramp Harbor, where the road to Ellisport runs along the shore (in Washington State, most beaches are privately owned as far as the mean low tide line). I think she owns the part with the old…
By Deborah H. Anderson The television show “Chopped” is my go-to for all seasons. If you haven’t seen it, the premise is simple, and the action is intense. “Chopped” is a game show where four chefs from various demographics and styles of cooking in the restaurant industry have to prepare an appetizer, entree, and dessert…
By Thomas Vroom When one thinks of a wheat field, they imagine “amber waves of grain,” which are fields of ripened wheat about waist-high. This used to be wheat, but really it has now been bred for mechanization, from sowing to baking the cake-like slurry that results in the loaf many people are familiar with,…
By Michelle Reed and Sandi Silagi Here’s how it begins. Parts of your body start to work just a bit differently. But the changes are small, and you’ve adjusted to them. Things like: You’ve started to sit down when you put on your shoes. It’s so much easier to wear slip-on shoes, you never wear…
By Erin Durrett Everyone is invited to take part in the welcome ceremony for the Blue Heron Canoe at this year’s Vashon-Maury Island Low Tide Celebration! Join us on Saturday, June 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at beautiful Point Robinson Park. For all the peoples of the Salish Sea, it is customary that…
By Rich Osborne Marjorie Watkins was born 100 years ago, on July 21, 1924, on Chehalam Mountain, Oregon. She was raised on the Oregon coast during the Great Depression. Her family, the Brunsons, were loggers, farmers, and hunters. At age 14, Marj started writing a regular column for the Tillamook newspaper. She wrote ad copy…
By Kathy Abascal Blueberry plants are nothing short of amazing. They produce luscious berries that most of us love to eat and are rich in a type of omega 3 fat that we do not get enough of. In addition, blueberry leaves and berries have useful medicinal properties. They grow well in the Northwest, and…