By Orin Edwards Growing up, my family kept chickens. Most everybody did in those days, it was considered normal. Just part of being here. Of course, you could also get store-bought eggs from up at the grocery. White for Easter, for dyeing and decorating. Mother could make them look like jewels. We kept our flock to…
By Stephen Buller The official annual rate of inflation reported in April 2024 was 3.36%. That word “official” usually gives credibility to facts and figures, but if you know anything about inflation, you know the opposite holds true here. The consumer price index (CPI) tracks “a chosen basket of goods and services.” Chosen by whom?…
There’s a joke going around that, in 2004, you had to be a computer wizard to find what you wanted on the internet. In 2014, anybody could do it. In 2024, we’re back to only computer wizards finding what they want. What happened? My list of culprits would include click farms, search engine rigging, and…
By Daniel Hooker Two Stories. A young woman, maybe 35 years old, came to the table. “Do you have any formal dress clothes? I just got a job. It starts tomorrow.” She went on to explain that, in Seattle, someone had broken into her car and stolen all her clothes and shoes. She was nine…
By Caitlin Rothermel In February 2024 in The Vashon Loop, Jenny Bell reported on Puget Sound Energy’s “tree wire” project, a PSE program working to clear roadside vegetation and upgrade Vashon’s power infrastructure. “Tree wire” is sturdy and well-insulated, and considered likely to fare well in storms, resist tree falls, and reduce the need for frequent…
By Lyndsey Braun-Palmer Everything spring-like is springing into action, including egg production! I’d like to introduce a favorite method for creating shelf-stable eggs – dehydration! Dehydrating eggs when you are producing more than you need is a great way to store this food essential for future use. Here’s my step-by-step guide. Ingredients Fresh eggs Instructions…
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…