Author: Kay

Java: Coffee time in Sequim

Living in the Pacific Northwest means never having to worry where to get your next cup of coffee. I’ve been struck by how many coffee shops and kiosks we have for a small town. So join me in the coming days to tour Sequim’s local coffee spots. Starting at the east end of town here’s the first one on Washington Street, Adagio Bean and Leaf.

“In Seattle you haven’t had enough coffee until you can thread a sewing machine while it’s running.”  — Jeff Bezos

Thistle threads

Thistles grow in open, disturbed areas all over the Olympic Peninsula. After they bloom in late summer they explode into threadlike floating seeds that drift on the wind like dancers in Disney’s “Fantasia.”  As seeds they have moments of poetry. Ironically, most of the plants they germinate are nasty and tenacious — some are prickly enough to draw blood.

This is what the plants look like as they shed the seeds.  

And this is what they look like before they go to seed. The spider just came along for a moment of fame.

Loafin’ around

I think the French have a handle on living a good life.  There’s usually a good boulangerie (bakery) in the neighborhood where people can pick up the day’s loaf of bread, fresh and delicious. Pane d’Amore in Sequim is nestled off Washington Street and is easy to miss but it offers the kinds of artisan breads that say “life is good” and can spoil you for anything else. Their baguette makes me dream of Paris.

One quickly learns to not get there late in the day, as I did. They may be easy to miss, but they have a loyal following and if you arrive toward the end of the day the selection may be slim.

The nice ladies who work there begin their day with the racks to the right full of beautifully made breads as well as cookies and a selection of pasteries.

There is also a small selection of goodies for a nice gourmet gift basket or a well stocked larder at home.

Pan d’Amore breads are offered in other stores around Sequim and they also have bakeries on Bainbridge Island and in Port Townsend.

No farms no food

It’s dinnertime. Do you know where your food came from?

I love that Sequim still has working farms. We have a grange, feed stores, and farmers who wear dirty boots and overalls because they spent the day in the field. Like so many places there is always pressure to develop and the area has lost many family farms. This bumper sticker can be seen around here: No Farms No Food.  I hope we never forget this.