It was the green that lured us. The hills that surround the Yakima Valley have an ease and softness to them that is unique—like creation exhaled over the land, and as its breath slowly fell to the earth, the roundedness of the downward drift held its shape. This time of year, with extra moisture and … Continued
The sun feels good on my head as I look at our distorted reflection in the quilted chrome of Le Truck on a recent blue sky day in Yakima. Aileen, Shelley and I are waiting patiently to get a bite of the tasty, truck-born vittles we have been hearing so much about. Standing around waiting … Continued
It’s fantastic to be on the downhill side of the winter solstice. With the shortest day of the year behind us, there is something about our time in the sunlight getting incrementally longer with each passing day that makes the cold and the snow that much easier to embrace. I always think of this time … Continued
After being hypnotized by the auctioneer’s steady hum at the Toppenish Livestock Commission last week, we thought we’d go full circle and visit a local butcher to see what it takes to get that meat to plate. Just off of Jones Road near Highway 97 in the Wapato countryside, we pulled off the pavement in … Continued
I was surprised to feel the vibration in my feet. The auctioneer’s chant was so loud and continuous it actually created a noticeable presence in the space, like a thick sonorous fog slowly curling into every corner of the amphitheater and penetrating the walls and floorboards, my shoes helpless to stop the din as it … Continued
It’s January, and the heavens have opened up and scattered a giant sheet of fluffy ice crystals across the land, as winter is wont to do. If you happen to find yourself out in the wide white space of the countryside, stand still in the silence and fix your ear to the wind. You just … Continued
Just before bedtime on December 24, millions of children everywhere are setting a glass full of milk and a plate of cookies out near the Christmas tree, with the hopes of sating the snack time desires of Santa Claus himself. No surprise that a man whose midsection is compared to a bowl full of jelly … Continued
Out with friends one Yakima Friday night, with our kids in tow after a school event, and of course the dreaded, age-old question is uttered—“where should we go?” It’s interesting that no matter where in the world you find yourself, this is always a difficult query to address. So when someone in our group quickly … Continued
Here in the Yakima Valley, we live in the birthplace of food. The earth is torn open every year, filled with seed, and voile! A gorgeous assortment of sustenance. Cattle graze, sheep munch, pigs root, and chickens scratch. We have it all, and that’s a wonderful thing, but something special is finding a person who … Continued
Barefoot in the kitchen. It’s unfortunate that this image is associated with the ball and chain of housewivery and keeping the ladies down, because really, it’s a fantastic thing. To me, it implies intimacy with the space, that get close and nuzzle up familiarity that only comes after the shoes are kicked off—for the ladies … Continued