As a Christmas gift, my son planned a rustic overnight excursion for myself and my mom and aunt, both in their 80′s. My other son joined in, too. This mystery excursion took place March 23rd and 24th 2009. After the excursion Aunti Vi, who is 89 years young, wrote up her account of it and I added pictures to her story (below). Feel free to copy our itinerary and journey and enjoy!

ANOTHER ADVENTURE WITH DAN
Written by Viola Ala
Pictures by Penny Wight

It had been promised as a Christmas gift to his Nana and Great Aunt and Penny, his mom! What adventure had been conjured up this time? Whatever it might be, it was always something to look forward to, so when the idea had jelled in Dan’s mind in March 2009, his Nana and I, his great aunt, and Penny were filled with eager anticipation. The trip would also include Dan’s brother Ian.

The anticipation was palpable as we eagerly set off after a hearty breakfast served by Penny. How grateful we were as Dan disdained freeways as much as the rest of us, so what an absolute delight as we traveled rural roads to our first stop. It was to have been a garden for roses (Antique Rose Garden south of Snohomish) but it was closed. Miraculously, McAuliffe’s Nursery was nearby and as it looked inviting, we drove in. Never have I seen a nursery so beautifully laid out, with paths of slate, plants of all descriptions, planter “boxes” whose three-foot sides were made of many kinds of stones embedded in concrete. It was just like strolling through a park!

“Isn’t it time for a cup of coffee or something?” someone inquired. The Snohomish Café (Bakery) loomed ahead and so we stopped. An antique store had to be browsed through before continuing on through Lake Stevens along the Lake to Granite Falls, up the Mountain Loop Road with a stop at a very small (National Forest – Turlo) campground that nested on the banks of the Stillaguamish River. I am prone to enjoy sculptures created by mosses. Here, my imagination saw several grotesque “animals”…

and “birds”.

Dan continued up this Loop Road until there seemed to be too much snow. As we drove down, Dan decided to take off on a logging road on Green Mountain. We traveled up it until his passengers urged, “Please, Dan, turn around. This doesn’t look like much fun!” We had to admit some of the snow-laden scenery was spectacular, but we all sighed with relief when we got to the main road!

“Hey! Aren’t we ever going to stop to eat?” I groaned. Driving through a few more miles of charming farm country, at last, we stopped at the hometown café in Stanwood, decorated in an old western motif. There we savored our main meal, accompanied with a pitcher of beer.
Now it was on to our overnight accommodations which Dan had reserved at Cama Beach State Park. He had reserved a cabin that faced Saratoga Pass, a beautiful spot.

These cabins had originally been build in the 1930’s for fishermen. They had now been refurbished and opened to the public just this year. One feature of the camp reminded me of traveling cross country in the 1970’s. In those early days, many campgrounds had the sinks and toilets in a central spot for everyone’s use. And so it was here! What should we do if we had to use the facility in the middle of the night? Wake somebody up so we didn’t have to go alone in the dark? Well, let’s hope we can hold off until morning! And so we did! But early morning found we three females getting dressed and off to the “biffy.” But isn’t this what makes a trip memorable, something out of the ordinary?
Our ingenious host prepared a wonderful breakfast in the morning, using the cabin’s microwave oven to serve an egg and a slice of ham on an English muffin half – very delicious!

As we were preparing to get in the van to be driven to our car (cars were parked on a hill just above the campground) the driver asked if we’d like to see how their canoes were built. We had just seen a display of several beautiful boats in the boat house and, of course, we all wanted to see how they were made. We saw canoes in several stages of construction. The builder was just removing staples, hundreds of them, one by one from a canoe about fifteen feet long. These staples had held the material that made the canoe water proof. Seemed like a tedious task! This was an added “plus” to our stay at Cama Beach State Park.

After transferring our gear to the car, including bedding, dishes, etc., Dan drove to Camano Island State Park to walk the beach.

Beautiful sunshine, water so calm…

that when a sudden spout of water broke the surface, we knew it had to be a whale, and a gray whale at that! Soon after a beautiful loon swam near the shore. What a treat –a whale and a loon all in one “fell swoop”!

Time to leave came all too soon. As Dan drove along those country roads, we coffee “hounds” were once again ready for some coffee. This time it was a most interesting café (The Station) in Stanwood. We surmised it to be a teen “hang-out” with its couches, tables with puzzles and books and in one section pool tables. It looked like a safe haven for teens to spend a little time if they followed certain posted rules. We were served superb coffee, too.

As we traveled, Penny mentioned having seen snow geese in a field in this area a few years back. Lo and behold, there appeared a field, (between Conway and La Conner) white as snow with hundreds of snow geese feeding and flying about. We stopped to enjoy cookies and milk in a lovely gazebo surrounded by the large rose garden at the home and public gardens of orginal owners of Christiansen’s Nursery near La Conner. Then, of course, we had to inspect the nursery next door. (This nursery is one of Penny and her mom’s favorite places to purchase flower and vegetable garden goodies. Penny bought her mom three small special geraniums to replace ones that had bloomed for years – until this year’s chill. Dan bought some tiny plants. These purchases were amazingly tucked safely into nooks in the car with us…including on the front console of the car!)

Our journey continued on (through Bow-Edison) to Chuckanut Drive, our next stop being Larrabee State Park as Dan needed a park with a grill for preparing our evening meal. He had ingeniously fashioned a small carrying case that held bits of kindling, paper and matches for starting a fire, as well as a can of chili and kettle to heat it in; also a dessert he wrapped in foil and did a very credible job of “baking” it on the grill! He had even provided a beer to serve with the food. No repast could have tasted better!

There was one more adventure before heading to Edmonds. In Bellingham a stop was made at a coffee shop (Adagio) run by a friend (and ex-barista) of Penny’s who served his friends a free cup of coffee. What a treat to end the two-day adventure as now – Dan did enter the freeway, making it home in about an hour.
Imagine packing all this into a two-day adventure! This had to take a great deal of planning as everything just seemed to “roll along” so well, a wonderful and interesting trip.

view from your offices

This is too good a deal not to let you know about, so I decided to post an unabashed advertisement about our lovely and available Lynnwood space!   

It won’t last for long… 

We have one 1,200 sq.ft. and perhaps one 1,650 sq. ft. (someone has already expressed interest in the larger space) professional space overlooking our gardens and pond available @ about $1/s.f. in Lynnwood, WA.    The two flexible spaces are next to Espresso Buono.  Also on our property are a bookstore and several professionals and business persons.  Our space has outdoor patios and spaces for potential business, arts and community events.  The available professional spaces/studios are on two floors of a three story building and could be used by a single business, two separate businesses, or shared by group(s) of business persons, professionals, artists.    You and your customers/clients would be able to access your offices via 196th street, the main thoroughfare through Lynnwood,  or via 200th street very near the Lynnwood transit center.    You’d have a part in the ambiance and art of our “secret haven” in the middle of growing Lynnwood and you could get great coffee and food and conversation and connections at my real life coffee shop — Espresso Buono Garden Cafe!     Contact me, Penny here or at:

espressobuono.com 

relax@espressobuono.com
Contact Penny here or at    espressobuono.com

Elke guides us writers and would be writers through four short exercises inspired by the book, Writing Down the Bones – Freeing the Writer Within,  by Natalie Goldberg.  You can purchase Ms. Goldberg’s book at Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Down-Bones-Freeing-Writer/dp/0877733759

Also look for Natalie Goldberg’s books at one of my favorite local bookstores:

http://thirdplacebooks.com/NASApp/store/IndexJsp 

This really works!   I became a fan of the book years ago,  but only now have experienced this writing freedom in the company of others.     No pre-planning, no inhibitions, no rules except that everyone started with the same first sentence.  This exercise was free-flowing and followed three other more structured writing exercises.   The following is my first fifteen minute, off the cuff, pencil to paper, without pauses… writing:

That was the last time she saw it.  Seventy Eight years ago.  It still seemed like yesterday to her.  Oh how lovely it would be, she thought, to go back to that time in her life — with all the experience, wisdom and love she’s gained during the intervening years.  She’d dress a little differently.  Listen a little better.  Walk more.  Ask lots and lots of questions and not be embarrassed that she didn’t know about something…or laugh at the right time at folks trying to be amusing.  She’d definately have a huge garden.  And not just work in it, but sit in it…right on the dirt…beer in hand on a hot sunny day marveling at the magic of growing things!  She’d travel, of course.  Not just to far away places she’d always wanted to see, but also just around the corner with a tourist’s state of mind.  She’d take advantage of tiny lulls in her mandated activities.  Mini-vacations. Thirty second chortles.  Five minute reflections.  Memory moments.  Prayers for people on her mind.   Oh to be 20 again!  

Yes.  I’m 98 years old!   How can that be?  Am I as wise as 98 years should make me?  Do I still have hidden talents?  Could I get myself up out of this comfy chair to do anything now?  Should I?  Or should I just continue to ponder what to tell my great, great grand daughter in answer to her questions about what I was like when I was 20 years old like her.  Amazingly, I still feel young.  And yes, that item I saw last some seventy eight years ago?  I would pick it up and save it for all eternity!

by Penny Wight

Espresso Buono Garden Cafe - Lynnwood, WA USA

Can one recreate on-line the ambiance and artistic attitude of a coffee shop in impressionist era Paris?  Or the character of a little coffee shop I visited pre coffee franchise era in Port Angeles, Washington (now gone) that made me want to spend time there to develop plots and characters  in writing?  Or the shop in the movie Chocolat where arrogance, inhibitions and intolerance gradually melted away to create a new flavor of community?   I am hopeful that this on-line blog site can take on an adventurous, creative, respectful, inspiring and comforting life of its own with wide and varied accounts and examples of personal  journeys and achievements. 

Can one also “virtually” pursue and promote art on-line as well as in an inspired setting with creative energy and leadership?  At my age and as a small business owner in today’s economy, I may not earn enough soon enough to participate in the more extravagant artistic adventures I dream of.  For example, while designing the layout and decorating  my real life Espresso Buono  Garden Cafe in Lynnwood, Washington USA, I decided one of the walls in the cozy back room really required  I take an intensive nine-month Tromp L’oeil class in Florence, Italy!   I have experienced the breathtaking art in Florence as well as other awe inspiring museums and venues in Europe and the United States.  Lacking the funds for a return trip to Florence for the tromp L’oeil class, I found a wonderful wall-paper mural to precisely fit the wall.    The wall receives many compliments…but I still yearn to learn the real art!      Fortunately, I’ve discovered one can widely broaden artistic horizons on-line as well as  through the arts and artists I support at my little garden cafe!  

Thus, I hope to share my pursuit and support of art and ambiance  here with you, though you may be half way around the world from my cafe.   So, get your favorite Coffee, put your feet up under your computer desk and enjoy my blog!    Don’t forget to tell me about your own coffee, art and ambiance favorites, dreams, and personal achievements!    

Penny