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Exploring Snohomish & Island counties

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R E S O R T

WHAT’S INSIDE 8 THE FAIR CITY There’s much more to Monroe than the Evergreen State Fair.

TALES OF THE WEST

SPOOKY SNOHOMISH

FALL 2019

Contents

Edmonds author shares true stories from the frontier.

The stories behind four purportedly haunted buildings.

SAY CHEESE

LORD OF THE VALLEY

These farmers make cheddar with goat and sheep’s milk.

Exploring the park that soars above the Snohomish River.

26 32

NEON REIMAGINED He makes glowing signs with old-school craftsmanship.

NARDOLAND

OLIVIA VANNI / COAST

An old phone booth and lots of vintage signs are just a few of the treasures at Nardoland in Maltby. See Page 32.

ON THE COVER

Get a glimpse of this Maltby icon’s incredible collections.

SOUND OF HEALING Lynnwood practitioner plays Himalayan singing bowls.

WHIDBEY GROWN Week-long event celebrates food grown on the island.

42 44

TRUFFLE FINDERS Arlington trainer’s dogs sniff out culinary treasure.

SIGNATURE DISH Mill Creek chef shares the recipe for her best-selling tapas.

FALL COCKTAILS Five killer seasonal libations from local distillers.

IN EVERY ISSUE 4 5 48 50

Editor’s Note Everett Sketcher Our Favorite Events Why I Love It Here

KEVIN CLARK / COAST

Kim Parker plays singing bowls made in Nepal for “sound bath” sessions at her yoga studio in Lynnwood. See Page 36.

Tim Leonard of Langley makes neon signs that recall the Atomic Age, including this one, on display at his arcade called The Machine Shop, that says “Boom.” See Page 26. PHOTO BY OLIVIA VANNI / COAST

A specially trained dog searches for truffles in California’s Napa Valley in 2015. In Snohomish County, an Arlington woman teaches pooches how to find the valuable fungi. See Page 42. ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 3

FALL ISSUE: Small, tasty bites

double date at Tablas Woodstone Taverna in Mill Creek has inspired me to throw a tapas party. The restaurant in the Mill Creek Town Center groups its tapas under the themes taverna, surf, winery, garden and turf. My boyfriend and I ordered the turf board for two, featuring empanadas, lamb chops, beef skewers, rosemary potatoes, grilled chorizo, baconwrapped stuffed dates and pineapple chicken wraps. Our friends, both vegetarians, ordered the garden board for two, which was filled with falafel and tzatziki sauce, manchego cheese and membrillo jelly, baked feta, hummus, potato tortillas, stuffed grape leaves, baked giant beans and seasonal OLIVIA VANNI / COAST Sara Bruestle waits for her order to arrive at Tablas Woodstone Taverna in vegetables. Mill Creek. Two of us also ordered wine flights with our meals — because Spanish tapas should be enjoyed with Spanish five generations of Kemptons. wine. (Yes, one of the flights was for me.) Or read about local farms that are making Now, I’m planning my tapas dinner artisan cheeses, but not with cow’s milk. St. party. After research on Pinterest and John Creamery near Stanwood produces food blogs, here’s my menu: I’ll make unpasteurized goat milk cheeses such as poblano and corn empanadas; chorizo, cheddar and gouda. Glendale Shepherd manchego and olive skewers; mushroom near Clinton cares for 80 milking ewes that and ham croquettes; Spanish-style tomato produce as many as seven types of cheeses. and butter bean dip; flank steak with goat Then there’s our feature on Tim Leonard, cheese on toast, and chorizo meatballs. a fabricator who owns a neon sign-buildIn this issue of Washington North Coast ing company and an arcade in Langley. His Magazine, you’ll find the recipe for Tablas work incites a feeling of nostalgia because it restaurant’s top-selling tapas: baconis reminiscent of the Atomic Age of signage wrapped dates stuffed with your choice — think ’50s diners and skate decks. Leonof either chorizo, serrano peppers or blue ard’s neon signs literally light up Langley. cheese. The saltiness of the bacon and the Oops, I forgot: Tablas’ bacon-wrapped sweetness of the date mixes perfectly with stuffed dates will definitely be served at my each spicy or sharp-flavored filling. tapas party. You’ll also meet Trudy Kempton Dana from Edmonds, the author of a historical trilogy on her family of pioneering Montana ranchers. “The Kemptons: Sara Bruestle Adventures of a Montana Ranch Family, Editor 1880-1964” tells true stories of the Wild editor@washingtonnorthcoast.com West that were lived and experienced by

4 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

THE EVERETT

SKETCHER

Toggle’s Bottle Shop Toggle’s Bottle Shop, on Hewitt Avenue near The New Mexicans and Abbott’s restaurants, is bustling every time I walk by. What exactly is a bottle shop? It’s a place where you can purchase individual bottles of beers, rather than cases, so you can mix and match whatever combinations suit you. It makes it easier to try fancy or unusual beers. There’s also beer on tap to enjoy in the shop. The owners Danielle and Colin Lothrop — who

named the business after their dearly departed dog, Toggle — are passionate about bringing high-end beer to Everett. Around the bar prowls Sugi, the couple’s 3-year-old shiba inu. They got a new dog for the new business, which opened in November 2017. Toggle’s boasts 21 craft beers and ciders on tap, plus 20 coolers full of bottled and canned beers, a dog-friendly environment and ambiance to spare. Thanks for making Everett a little more happening! —Elizabeth Person

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WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 5

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CONTACT INFO For advertising inquiries, subscriptions, change of address and back issues, please call: 425-339-3200 Washington North Coast Magazine is published quarterly by The Daily Herald, a division of Sound Publishing, Inc., and may not be reproduced without express written permission, all rights reserved. No liability is assumed by Washington North Coast Magazine, The Daily Herald or Sound Publishing regarding any content in this publication. Subscriptions to Washington North Coast Magazine are $14 annually. Single copies are available at select locations throughout the Puget Sound region.

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The fair city BY G A L E F I E G E

When the baby boomers who grew up in Snohomish County were kids, they looked forward to the Monroe Fair. The official name became the Evergreen State Fair pretty early on, but to many of us it’s still the Monroe Fair. Today the fair is the biggest annual event in the county. Monroe, however, is far more than its fair.

OLIVIA VANNI / COAST FILE

Fairgoers take a spin on the Yoyo ride at the 2018 Evergreen State Fair. Monroe’s best known for the fair, but there are a host of other things to do and see there.

8 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

The Evergreen State Fair may be its centerpiece, but Monroe offers so much more to do.

PHOTOS BY SOFIA JARAMILLO / COAST FILE

The fairgrounds host events year-round, like the 2014 Cascade Mountain Men show, where Floyd Bond modeled a hat.

Whether you’re reading this article on the last weekend of the fair or a month later, it’s still a good time to explore Monroe and the area near where the Skykomish and Snoqualmie rivers meet to form the Snohomish River. First off, people can see a lot of other events at the fairgrounds, located just off U.S. 2. Stock car and other races are scheduled at the Evergreen Speedway nearly every Saturday through October. Horse shows are ongoing almost monthly, as are indoor motorsports. Look for antique shows, swap meets, quilt shows, flea markets and the Oddmall Emporium of Weird. Dog, pygmy goat and rabbit shows are among the monthly animal events at the fairgrounds. Go to evergreenfair.org/calendar to get the details. And on the east side of the fairgrounds is the museum called the Western Heritage Center. It’s recently been revamped and is now open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The center features displays on the county’s mining, logging, agricultural and transportation history. That history in Monroe is linked inextricably with the coming of the Great Northern Railway and the establishment

Kerry Linn watches his dog play at Wiggly Field Park in 2014.

of a train route though the Cascade Range at Stevens Pass. A walk through historic downtown Monroe offers hours of entertainment. Like many cities in Snohomish County, Monroe was incorporated around the turn of the 20th century — in this case, about 117 years ago. WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 9

SOFIA JARAMILLO / COAST FILE

The Monroe Historical Society offers exhibits in its museum in the old City Hall, 207 E. Main St. Stop by from noon to 3 p.m. on a Monday, Wednesday or Saturday and pick up a self-guided Main Street walking tour booklet. While checking out the historical buildings, duck into chef Adam Hoffman’s Northwest Bistro and Twin Rivers Brewing Co. and tasting room at 104 N. Lewis St. for a yummy treat or a big meal. With its large Hispanic population, Monroe also is home to several Mexican restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores, especially in the Historic Downtown area. Check out Tienda Vallarta for edible cactus leaves and Mexican spices and Pueblo Viejo’s cookies, tortillas and pinatas. Las Tres Marias is a good family restaurant that makes an excellent chile relleno. Also in Historic Downtown is the Sky River Bakery, which for 32 years has been housed in what used to be the Savoy Hotel at 117 W. Main St. The bakery’s granola and its morning glory muffins are some of its many treats. At press time, owners Mary Thorgerson and Andrew Abt were looking for a buyer. Check out downtown’s several antique shops and fun gift shops, including Main Street Books at 110 E. Main St., with its old books and new local titles. Further down Main Street, one can view some of the city’s century-old heritage trees. Then head south on Lewis Street, a lovely boulevard with old homes on either side, to Tualco Valley on the highway to Duvall. Some of the land to the west once was farmed by the prisoners at the Monroe reformatory (now the Correctional Complex). “Tualco” is the English rewrite of a native Lushootseed word for the confluence of the rivers. Turn east just after you cross the Skykomish to take a ride on Ben Howard Road for some of the county’s prettiest rural 10 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

Fenway Rowland reads a book at Main St. Books in Monroe’s Historic Downtown in 2014. You’ll also find a number of restaurants and the Monroe Historical Society & Museum there.

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countryside. Nearby Snohomish County Parks include Lord Hill (see the article on Page 22) and Flowing Lake. But the city has great parks of its own. Lake Tye Park on Fryelands Boulevard is home to athletic fields, a great new play area and year-round use of the trail around the park’s man-made lake. In the summer, there are concerts at the lake and lots of picnics going on. Monroe’s other large park, Al Borlin, is a 90-acre peninsula formed by the Skykomish River and Woods Creek. Thickly wooded, it has a network of trails. Get to it from Railroad Avenue and Simons Road at the east end of downtown. Fall would be a great time to visit Borlin. Car buffs should check out Jim & Betty Green’s Hot Rod Gallery at 17520 147th St. SE on the west side of town. The auto museum had its beginnings as Jim Green’s Performance Center in Lynnwood, where it was located for 42 years. Green and his family also designed and raced cars. Jim started racing in 1958 with his B-Boys Dragster, and Betty began racing with him in 1963. They opened the museum in 2012. Children will love the Reptile Zoo, a mile east of downtown at 22715 U.S. 2. Scott Petersen founded the zoo in 1996 after teaching high school biology. He has performed with his reptiles at more than 800 schools, as well as on TV. The zoo features an albino alligator, pythons and rattlesnakes, a two-headed turtle, lizards and arachnids. My granddaughters especially liked

SOFIA JARAMILLO / COAST FILE

Jose Perez cuts spines off nopales, edible cactus leaves, at Tienda Vallarta in 2014.

being able to pet the tops of the tortoises’ shells. Finally, in September and April, the chimney at the Frank Wagner Education Center on Main Street is visited by migrating Vaux’s swifts. The birds perform aerial acrobatics as they enter the chimney each night and draw crowds to watch. And don’t forget next year’s fair, in late August and early September.

WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 11

Edmonds woman writes the history of her Montana ranching family

FAMILY PHOTO

ABOVE: James Berney “JB” Kempton moved to Montana after the Civil War to make his fortune.

OLIVIA VANNI / COAST

LEFT: Trudy Kempton Dana of Edmonds looks over a copy of “The Kemptons,” her anthology of stories passed down through her family.

BY E VA N T H O M P S O N

rudy Kempton Dana didn’t grow up listening to fairy tales. Her father told her true stories of the Wild West: of farmers, traders, pioneers, cowboys and ranchers. They were stories about her family. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Kemptons were one of the most respected and celebrated families in eastern Montana. The Kempton name resonates today in the town of Terry, Montana, where the family built a ranch and hotel that still exist. Young Trudy loved the stories her dad, Jerry Kempton, told her. When it was her turn, she retold them to her daughters and granddaughters. “One of my daughters said, ‘You know, Mom, when you’re gone, the stories will be gone forever,’” she said. “I started writing them (down), thinking I maybe had enough

for a thin book, (but) it just kept going and going.” Dana, of Edmonds, spent five years researching and writing a historical trilogy, “The Kemptons: Adventures of a Montana Ranch Family, 1880-1964.” The first book was recently published by Farcountry Press. The second is scheduled to publish in 2020, followed by the third book in 2021. A retired crime prevention officer who spent 20 years with the Lynnwood Police Department, Dana, 73, pored over photographs, historical records and diaries to help flesh out her dad’s stories. “They were a good family, trying to do the very best they could in tough times,” said Dana, who wrote the book to illustrate the grit, integrity and endurance it took to thrive on the frontier. The Kempton family’s Western saga began

12 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

“The Kemptons: Adventures of a Montana Ranch Family, 1880-1964” By Trudy Kempton Dana Farcountry Press. $17.95.

in the mid-1800s, when Joseph Kempton (1817-1909), a whaling ship captain who was Dana’s great-great grandfather, and wife, Sabrina, traveled west in an oxcart. They first settled in Michigan, where their children were born, then moved to Colorado, where they established a hay farm. James Berney “JB” Kempton, their eldest son, grew up on the farm. After fighting in the Union Army during the Civil War, JB moved to Montana to make his fortune. He established the Kempton Ranch in 1882 near Terry. On its more than 3,500 acres, he raised horses for the army and polo-playing royalty. Kempton Ranch also was the first to ship beef cattle on the Northern Pacific Railway. JB (1843-1910) invested in the town of Terry, just a few miles away, by establishing its first bank, a church and a ranching supply company. He and his wife, Maria, whose mother was Sioux, raised six children. Among his other distinctions, JB was friends with Theodore Roosevelt, the 29th president of the United States. Dana said she believes JB forged a friendship with the future president during his days as a rancher in North Dakota. Later, Roosevelt personally helped the family when a government livestock agent gave them trouble over shipping cattle to the Midwest. JB’s eldest son, Berney Edmond Kempton (1870-1942), grew up with a rope in his hand. He became one of the most famous rough riders and bronco busters in the West. In his late teens, he toured the world with Doc Carver’s Wild West Show, which was best known for its diving horses attraction, dramatized in a 1991 Disney movie called “Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken.” His mother had taught him the Sioux language, and he chatted with native men in the show. Berney’s cowboy skills are remembered to this day; he was inducted into the Montana Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2015. Away from the ranch, Berney built the Kempton Hotel in 1913, which lodged two notable guests: Theodore Dreiser, author of “An American Tragedy,” and Ernestine SchumannHeink, a famous German-American operatic contralto. The family sold the ranch and hotel a few years after Berney’s death. His son Jerry Kempton (1912-1994) married and moved to Anchorage, Alaska, where Dana was born and raised. Jenny Steinhagen, Dana’s daughter, said she’s impressed by her mother’s research. She’d heard the stories many times growing up, but not with this level of detail. “It’s amazing the amount of effort and time that she’s put into this,” Steinhagen said. “We knew there was a property in Montana, but I didn’t really know any specifics at all. I think that’s why this is fun for her. There were some things she found (out) that she never knew.” Dana’s book is getting attention in Terry, Montana. Kathy Galland, owner of a gift shop there called Prairie Unique, displays the book near the front door. Locals and tourists alike come in specifically asking about it. “The Kempton is the oldest continually operated hotel in Montana, so just hearing the name draws them in,” she said. “These are true stories, and people here can relate to it.” Galland, 66, grew up in Terry’s Prairie County, and her family were also homesteaders and cowboys. She was particularly touched by one scene in the book when a young Jerry asked Berney why he never revealed his fame as a star performer in

FAMILY PHOTO

The Kempton Hotel, opened in 1913 by Berney Kempton, is still in business in Terry, Montana.

FAMILY PHOTO

Berney Kempton, at far right, toured with Doc Carver’s Wild West Show for two years.

the Doc Carver show. “He just says, ‘Well, it’s not relevant,’” Galland said. “A lot of these old homesteaders were like that. They never bragged about themselves. That made it so personal to me, because my dad was like that.” Dana will stop in Terry this September during a book tour. She plans to stay in the Kempton Hotel and tour the ranch, which has been renamed to Beefland. But she’s no cowgirl. “Here I am, writing about cattle, horses and ranching, and I don’t like horses,” she said. “I don’t even own cowboy boots.”

About the author Trudy Kempton Dana, of Edmonds, has written a saga about her family of Montana pioneering ranchers. The Kempton family includes a Mayflower pilgrim, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a Sioux chief and a star roper and rider with Doc Carver’s Wild West Show. Both the ranch and the Kempton Hotel still exist in the small town of Terry in eastern Montana. The first of three books is illustrated with nearly 100 historical photos. WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 13

Spooky Snohomish

The stories behind 4 supposedly haunted places

A vintage photo of the Snohomish Carnegie Library.

BY M AG G Y L E H M I C K E

erhaps it’s because Snohomish is one of the oldest towns in the county. Perhaps it’s because of all those Victorian homes that remind you of Norman Bates’ house in “Psycho.” Perhaps it’s because of the place’s colorful history as a “wet” town when the darkness of Prohibition was descending on the land. Whatever the reason, Snohomish is a chill-inducing hotbed of paranormal activity. Ghost-hunting teams have conducted several well-publicized research expeditions there in recent years. And stories persist of haunted buildings. Just in time for Halloween, here are four spooky places to check out in Snohomish.

14 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

Catherine McMurchy (right) with fellow librarian Emma Patric in the 1950s.

EVERETT PUBLIC LIBRARY PHOTOS

WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 15

Spooky Snohomish

PHOTOS BY KEVIN CLARK / COAST

The Cabbage Patch Restaurant is reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a child and a man who may be her uncle.

The Oxford Saloon’s colorful past may have come back to haunt it — literally.

The Oxford Saloon If the “Ghostbusters” crew ever rolls into town in the ECTO-1, this will be their first stop. These days, the Oxford’s best known for its live music and generally rollicking atmosphere. But the joint on First Street possesses a ghostly

16 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

provenance tracing back to the turn of the century. Built in 1900, the Oxford’s Victorian storefront originally housed Blackman’s Dry Goods. The rooms on the second floor were ostensibly a boarding house, but rumor had it that a businesswoman, named Kathleen or Katherine, rented them out as a high-class bordello. The Oxford also was the scene of bloody mayhem over the years, including a fracas in which the bar bouncer, an offduty cop named Henry, was fatally stabbed. These days, folks have reported seeing three ghostly figures — a man in a bowler hat and two women, one of whom may be Kathleen/Katherine — on the second floor. Downstairs, the Henry entity has allegedly been spotted many times, in the stairs leading to the basement and, rather disturbingly, in the women’s restroom — where some even report being pinched by him. He always flees when confronted. Henry also seems to have strong opinions on bartending. “I was told by a former bartender at the Oxford that bottles would move when he was making a particular drink,” said Pam Schilaty, manager at the Snohomish Chamber of Commerce. “He said he thought a ‘former bartender’ didn’t like the way he was making the drink.” The Washington State Ghost Society has searched for paranormal activity at the Oxford. During one 2007 session, ghosthunters, deploying video and camera equipment, an infrared thermometer and other gear, said they sensed a male entity on the main floor and a basement storage room.

The Marks Building / the old county jail Built in 1888, the Marks Building on First Street housed the county courthouse and jail back when Snohomish was the county seat. Snohomish was one of the county’s few

“wet” towns in the late 1890s, and the jail was often filled with troublemaking drunks. In her book “Haunted Snohomish,” Deborah Cuyle writes that much of the reported paranormal activity occurs in the basement, where the jail was located — unexplained moans, jangling keys and loud bangs. Building tenants have also reported multiple instances of the locked elevator moving floors without an operator, and an older female apparition who seems to reside in the basement. In her book, Cuyle relays stories from Marks Building tenants and employees, including this from a person identified only as “J”: “One night the elevator door just kept opening even though it was locked … Every time it happened, my dog’s hair would stand straight up and she would go crazy … I knew of another tenant who refused to stay here after 6 p.m. unless someone else was here … He never told me what spooked him.”

Cabbage Patch Restaurant The Cabbage Patch Restaurant on Avenue A has been in business since 1975 — an eternity in the restaurant business. But its haunted history dates way back before that. The restaurant’s website tells the tale of a girl named Sybil who fell down the stairs and broke her neck in the early 1900s. Even though the staircase was relocated after the building burned down in 2004, ongoing reports of the ghost of a dark-haired girl around the staircase suggest that Sybil stuck around for the restaurant’s re-opening in 2005. In 2007, a group from Paranormal Research and Investigations performed an overnight vigil at the restaurant, resulting in numerous chilling discoveries. The investigators not only claim to have conversed with Sybil, but also said they felt the presence of an older man who is thought to be her uncle. Could he have been the one responsible for Sybil falling to her death?

The Carnegie building / old Snohomish Library Built in 1910, this is one of 32 Carnegie Library buildings left in the state. All were built with money from Andrew Carnegie, the 19th century industrialist and philanthropist. It’s been suggested that the library is haunted by Catherine McMurchy, a librarian there from 1923 to 1939, who died in 1956. Reportedly, her spirit visits the building to rearrange supplies and peer through windows — but, oddly enough, not to shush talkers. According to Cuyle’s book, some believe Catherine haunts the library because she was buried with no tombstone — suggesting that her passing may have felt incomplete. With the help of residents and the Evergreen-Washelli Cemetery, Catherine’s burying place now has a gravestone that reads “Cherished Snohomish Librarian.” An anonymous person who worked in an art gallery at the building told Cuyle that she frequently would think she heard a customer enter the room. When she turned to greet them, no one was there: “I would get a cold chill and a very creepy feeling up my spine. It took everything out of me to finish my shift!” WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 17

St. John Creamery owner Marcia St. John walks her goats in a field near Stanwood.

Cheddar from another udder BY S H A R O N S A LY ER • P H OTO S BY O L I V I A VA N N I

Remember the Y2K doomsday scenario? The computer glitch that was supposed to send civilization back to the Stone Age? Marcia St. John does. “I thought Y2K was going to be the end of the world,” she said. So she prepared. She spent months learning about self-sufficiency, gardening, herbal medicine, beekeeping and tree grafting. She even defied Seattle city code and smuggled some goats into her Ballard back yard. “Then, the world didn’t end,” she said. “But I laugh. My world ended.” Thanks to Y2K, she discovered a new passion: goat farming. “I was smitten with the goats,” she said. “They are the most joyful creatures on the planet. It’s hard to be in a bad mood when you’re around the goats.” 18 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

St. John left her career in the city and moved to a 3-acre farm in Issaquah with her husband. When he died in 2001, when she was 40, caring for the goats helped her work through her grief. She remarried in 2002 and moved to a farm in the Lake Stevens area, where the herd grew to about 36 animals. Although the marriage eventually ended, St. John remained in Lake Stevens until 2017. St. John and her goats moved three more times before finally settling on a farm on Pioneer Highway near Stanwood in December. Her herd has now grown to 165 oberhasli goats, a Swiss breed whose milk she sums up in one word: “Incredible.” Her farm, St. John Creamery, produces unpasteurized milk and cheeses such as cheddar, gouda and feta. The milk from the creamery is delivered to co-ops from

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WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 19

Bellingham to Tacoma. Cheese sales, which had stalled due to her moves, resumed in August, available at local farmers markets and co-ops. Her goats’ milk is collected in three-gallon stainless steel buckets and taken to the creamery, where it is double-filtered. The milk is bottled, labeled, sold and delivered to customers. What’s left over is kept for cheeses. All told, it takes about 38 gallons of milk to produce 27 pounds of cheese. About three batches are made each week when the goats are in production. They stop producing milk when they are pregnant. Although farmers with dairy cows might argue the point, St. John said cheese made from goat milk has more complex flavors — “almost like a symphony” — with nuances that aren’t there in cheese made from cow’s milk. St. John, now 58, has been running a goat dairy for 11 years, assisted by interns who come from around the country to

Lynn Swanson and Gary Harp talk as they milk the sheep at the Glendale Shepard farm near Clinton.

Shawn Martin breaks up goat cheese as the last bit of whey drains at St. John Creamery.

20 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

study raw goat milk production. One of the favorite parts of her day is when she calls out “C’mon, girls!” — the call to put her animals out to pasture. “They come kicking and spinning, they’re so excited,” she said. “Goats are silly and inquisitive and love to dance. Anything they’re excited about, they jump and spin and make you laugh.” The hilly pastures near Clinton on Whidbey Island provide premium grazing area for the 80 milking ewes on the Glendale Shepherd farm. “They do well on the slopes; it’s good drainage for their feet,” said Lynn Swanson, who runs the sheep farm with her husband, Stan, and grown son, Erik. The herd, a mixture of European and American breeds, produce as many as seven cheeses, available at farmers markets in Langley and Seattle. But even with photos of the farm’s animals before them, sometimes farmers market customers confuse what’s being sold, asking: “What kind of goat cheese is that?” “Many people say ‘I didn’t know you could milk a sheep,’” Lynn Swanson said. Although dairy sheep are relatively rare in the United States, they are widespread in Greece, France, Europe and the Middle East. “Some of the most famous cheeses in the world are made from sheep milk,” Swanson said. The Swansons have been producing cheese and yogurt from sheep milk since 2011, when the farm was granted a Grade A dairy license. Of their seven varieties of cheeses — some pasteurized and some raw — the most popular is Island Brebis, aged for up to a year. “It sells out faster than we can keep up,” she said. The cheese types available at any one time come and go because the sheep produce milk for only about six months of the year. By splitting the flocks into three bands, she hopes eventually to produce cheese year-round. Splitting the herd spreads out the lambing season to three times a year, with births of about 40 to 50 lambs rather than 150 all at once. Regardless of the size of the lambing season, preparations make for a busy schedule of cleaning barns, moving sheep and preparing for the newborns. The lambs are kept in a special barn so they can nurse around the clock. “It’s my favorite part of the year, for sure,” Lynn Swanson said. “There’s nothing like seeing those lambs being born and being beautiful and healthy. That is just the biggest, most rewarding part of it.” Photos from their “lamb cams” of pregnant ewes are sometimes posted on the farm’s Facebook page. The family business began with Erik Swanson’s interest in organic farming. The family had a band of sheep and began milking them. Lynn Swanson began experimenting with making cheese in her kitchen. Although she experienced what she candidly describes as some spectacular failures, she said she was surprised at how

good many of the cheeses turned out. She took classes and workshops in cheese making to refine her skills. Meanwhile, Erik Swanson visited sheep dairies to learn the business. In addition to making several varieties of cheeses, the farm now produces an average of 30 gallons per week of yogurt — an estimated 1,400 gallons per year. The family’s work has earned it a growing supply of regular customers, as well as national recognition. In 2014, its Island Brebis cheese was selected for a national Good Food Award, which recognizes environmental responsibility, craftsmanship and flavor. “The milk is excellent and just makes great cheese,” Lynn Swanson said. “I don’t think you could have that kind of control over your product if you weren’t milking them yourself.”

Washington cheese Since the early 2000s, Washington’s artisan cheese industry has grown to 58 licensed cheese makers. They range from large producers, such as Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, to small-scale independents that sell out of their own shops or farmers markets, said Lindsay Slevin, president of the Washington State Cheesemakers Association. The cheeses they produce are made from cow, sheep and goat milk, produced in fresh and aged styles, made from raw and pasteurized milk. Despite the growth in artisan cheese making, Slevin said there’s still room for those who wish to pursue the art. But those who do want to start producing cheese need to know it’s a tough industry to get into, with high regulation and expenses, she said. “You don’t just turn a key and start making cheese,” she said.

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Mountain bikers encounter horseback riders on a trail at Lord Hill Park in 2018. ANDY BRONSON / COAST FILE

Rising 630 feet above the Snohomish River, 1,463-acre Lord Hill Park offers trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding

Lord valley

BY SH A RO N S A LY ER

Daylight’s waning, but fall color is intensifying. That means it’s a good time to explore Lord Hill Regional Park near Snohomish. This 1,463-acre nature preserve has more than 33 miles of trails and an overlook at 630 feet elevation that on clear days provides views of the Seattle skyline. There are biking and equestrian trails, opportunities for birding, and river access where lucky fishermen sometimes land a steelhead pulled fighting from the Snohomish River. And there’s one more park allure that only happens this time of year. “Fall is special because of the color of the large-leaf maple trees,” said John Tucker, senior park ranger. “Folks love the sound of the leaves crunching under their feet as they’re hiking.” 22 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

And after all the leaves have fallen, park views that otherwise are hidden are opened up. “You get a better idea of the terrain,” Tucker said. His tips: If you’re hiking with family and friends, have the tallest person take the lead to clear away the spider webs. And if you want to hear the crunch of the leaves under your feet, get there before the steady fall rain turns them to slushy mush. Amy Lucas, a senior planner in the county’s parks and recreation department, said she, too, especially enjoys the park’s fall foliage. One of her favorite walks is the northern part of the park along the Pipeline and Main trails, with its bigleaf maples and hardwood trees that pop with fall colors. Some people head to the park for another seasonal reason

— mushroom hunting, she said. Wildlife that can be spotted at the park include deer, beavers and coyotes, and there’s even been some reports of bobcat sightings. The variety of birds are so numerous that the Pilchuck Audubon Society compiled a survey of the park’s species. They include black-throated gray warblers, Pacific slope flycatchers, warbling vireos and Western tanagers. Speaking of beavers, yes, you really can see them at the park’s Beaver Lodge Pond. “Usually you hear them before you see them,” Tucker said. “They’ll slap their tails on the water, warning other beavers or maybe trying to scare us away.” Go early in the morning or around dusk if you’d like to see them at work — or play. A quick look at the park’s map shows so many winding, interwoven trails that they look like a plate of spaghetti. Here are tips from Lucas and Tucker on some of their favorite park trails:

“Fall is special because of the color of the large-leaf maple trees.” — John Tucker, senior park ranger at Lord Hill Park

KEVIN CLARK / COAST

Runners make their way on one of Lord Hill Park’s 33 miles of trails.

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KEVIN CLARK / COAST

Horses share Lord Hill Park’s trails with humans.

ANDY BRONSON / COAST FILE

Most of the park’s maze of trails are unsigned.

Rock Candy Lookout: Also known as Viewpoint 630, named for the elevation at that spot, it “offers 360-degree views of the Snohomish River valley, Mount Rainier and south toward Seattle,” Lucas said. Also look for glacier-scraped bedrock and erratic boulders, rocks that are dissimilar from those typically found in the area and deposited by glaciers, here and elsewhere in the park. Main Trail and West View Loop: These two trails are good ones for fall color. Temple Pond Loop: Take note of forest transitions from deciduous trees, such as cottonwoods and maples, to evergreens as you traverse around the pond. An important heads-up on the trails: As previously mentioned, they are winding and intersecting. Of the 33 miles of trails, only 6 miles are marked and named, and many intersections are not signed. Plans are underway for more signs, but until that occurs, take time to orient yourself to the trails and landscape. If Yelp reviews of the park are any indication, plenty of folks get lost there.

Live Happy, Live Healthy

KEVIN CLARK / COAST

Temple Pond is reached via a loop trail.

KEVIN CLARK / COAST

Walkers stroll under deciduous trees in Lord Hill Park.

Oh, and there’s another If you go complaint frequently Lord Hill Regional Park, expressed online: horse 12921 150th St. SE, manure on the equestrian Snohomish, is open trails. 7 a.m. to dusk. Equestrian At the south end of the parking is available at 14911 park, there’s access to the 127th Ave. SE. There are no Snohomish River, with parking or entry fees. trails out to several nice sandbars, Lucas said. That spot holds one of Lucas’ most vivid memories of the park in his three decades of working for the county’s parks department. He recalls the day he saw several steelhead fishermen on the bank of the river: “As soon as I got down there, this guy hooked an 18-pound steelhead and brought it ashore,” Lucas said. “It was fun seeing him fight that fish and bring it in.” Asked if all the park’s mix of qualities makes it his favorite park, he responded without hesitation. “Oh yeah, by far.”

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WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 25

Tim Leonard sits next to his “Be AmaZing” sign, made in honor of his daughter, Zippy, who died in a tragic accident on Christmas Day 2011. OLIVIA VANNI / COAST

Tim Leonard’s fabrication skills and entrepreneurial spirit light up Langley CO M P I L E D BY A N D R E A B R O W N

WHO: My name is Tim Leonard. I’m an artist and entrepreneur. I own a custom metal fabrication shop, a neon sign-building company and an arcade in Langley. I grew up in Maryland, learning boat building and custom sheet metal starting when I was 13. In my mid-20s I moved to Whidbey Island to blaze my own trail. South Whidbey fit my need to be surrounded by nature and fellow creative, nurturing people. In 2005, I quit my day job to begin Heavy Metal Works, a metal fabrication studio that DWAYNE LAN D produces custom designs for the city of Langley, local businesses, new construction and individual clients. CHRYSLER DODGE CHRYS Three years ago, I opened The Machine Shop arcade, which now has over 85 vintage, and some new, coin-fed pinball machines, video games and a large virtual reality room. I needed a place to display my finished neon works and the arcade was a great EVERETT space for this. “Be amaZing,” which was one of my first pieces that is displayed there, was made with an extra large Z, in honor of 425.267.900 my youngest daughter, Zippy. (She passed away when a tree fell on the family’s car on Christmas Day 2011. She was only 9. Her father was seriously injured in the accident.) With the help from a lot of friends and overwhelming support from the community, I started making neon and letter-bulb signs during my recovery. The mechanical art aspect also inspired my collecting and restoring pinball machines. The arcade was inspired partly by Zippy. She shared my enthusiasm for arcade games. The 26 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

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PHOTOS COURTESY TIM LEONARD

The Machine Shop in Langley is home to Tim Leonard’s vintage pinball machines and original neon signs.

Leonard says he’s most proud of the sign he made for the Langley Motel.

Neon diamonds and stars decorate The Machine Shop. Leonard made them all using old-school tools and techniques. 28 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

The Machine Shop’s sign advertises the vintage arcade pinball machines inside.

arcade doubles as a community hub for other local art, music and movie events. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate and give back to our local scene.

WHAT: My focus is to revisit and revise the golden age of sculptural lighting from the past. Neon work incites a feeling of nostalgia because it is reminiscent to that of the Atomic Age of signage. There are few shops left that operate with these old-school principles in mind. Every step of the process is done by hand, from drafting to production to installation, with commitment to quality craftsmanship and design. WHEN: Since I was 8 years old, I was tinkering, taking apart, painting and drawing. I began working to support all my hobbies of building model planes, rockets and cars. My uncle started me at 13 at the boat shop — he put sandpaper in my hand and I never stopped. I knew soon after that this was what I wanted to do in life. At 17, I began an apprenticeship as a sheet metal worker and now hold a journeyman card. In my mid-20s, I moved from the dizzy Baltimore-Annapolis area and relocated to Whidbey

OLIVIA VANNI / COAST FILE

Young Machine Shop patrons enjoy games and snacks in 2018.

Island. I worked in various shops, absorbing skills and experience and working on exciting projects like assisting in the construction of the Experience Music Project, now MoPOP, at Seattle Center.

WHERE: Walking around the city of Langley, the metal and neon works can be seen displayed nearly everywhere. Many original light works are displayed at The Machine Shop. At night, one

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gets a taste for the expansive body of work produced, as luminous works can be seen around town, from the local ice cream shop to the motel. The Heavy Light Works shop is nestled in the scenic, wooded outskirts of Langley and provides a quiet environment that is perfectly conducive for creative pursuits.

WHY: The iconic and intrinsically magical glow of neon has always felt timeless and fascinating. I still remember when I was little, the sound of the internal mechanical flashers, the clickity-clack of the internal switches causing the flashing attraction, and the glare of brilliant light bulbs and neon signs walking the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. There is something colorfully bold and stark about the heavy metal bodies and artistic light working together in unison that is a good composition. Classic pinball machines have a similar effect. I was also heavily inspired by touring the Neon Museum in Las Vegas. While strolling through the skeletal remains, I found myself captivated. I used my fabrication background to analyze the techniques of sign-making masters of the past century,

and observing special features, like what size screws and joints were used in the construction of the historical marquees.

HOW: It is a unique process in that all

parts are fabricated, finished and assembled in-house and most of all the layout is still done by hand. The equipment used at the shop is hand-operated, the same type of machinery used back in the day, with some of the machines dating back to the 1940s. The neon process is the same method used 100 years ago. Basically, we take and use the best of the old and make new and exciting work.

FAVORITE PIECE: The Langley Motel sign. It is welcoming and inviting when turning into town, and those vibrant yet subtle colors and shape stand so humble.

More neon signs

“My focus is to

revisit and revise the golden age of sculptural lighting from the past ... There is something colorfully bold and stark about the heavy metal bodies and artistic light working together in unison.” — Tim Leonard, owner of The Machine Shop in Langley

See more of Tim Leonard’s work at The Machine Shop, 630 Second St., Langley. For more information, call 425-367-3319 or go to themachineshop.org.

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WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 31

Ron Nardone walks in front of his replica Shell service station on the Nardoland grounds in Maltby.

32 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

to Nardoland A beloved Maltby icon is the steward of a one-of-a-kind vintage sign collection BY M E G A N C A M P B EL L P H OTO S BY O L I V I A VA N N I

he property off Paradise Lake Road in the Maltby area is like no other. Despite the “no trespassing” signs, passersby can’t help but pull into the driveway, antique gas station pumps beckoning them forward, to a green gate barring entrance to a land where relics from an age gone by rest. A tiny barbershop, marked by its red-and-white striped, rotating sign, sits to the right of the main house. These are just two of the 10 buildings dotting the 12-acre property. But the buildings are not the main attraction; rather, it’s the stuff around them — like a 14-foot-tall chicken on top of a massive KFC bucket. The owners may call it “Nardoland,” but it’s not an amusement park. A giant eagle — a rare item from the long-gone automotive service company Richfield Oil Corp. — looks over the entrance to Ron “Nardo” and Sally-Jo Nardone’s home from WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 33

“My elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top floor.” — Ron “Nardo” Nardone

Ron Nardone peeks out the window of a coffee stand in the shape of a giant red coffee cup. It’s one of many unique structures at Nardoland.

its perch on the garage, surrounded by classic signs like an 8-foot-by-4-foot 1930s Coca Cola sign, which is one of only a thousand made. Behind that, Nardo’s Shell Service stands, decorated with old Shell Gas Station signs and pumps. Inside this building, the Nardones’ collection dates back to their high school years, with memorabilia and old buses from Bothell and Ballard high schools. Outside the building are field goal uprights and a score clock from Bothell High. Ron, a 1961 Bothell High School graduate, displays other high school relics at yearly class reunions, where he and schoolmates gather for a trip down memory lane. Along with decades-old cheer uniforms and yearbooks on display, hundreds of license plates — representing states from Hawaii to New York — wooden-handled ice cream scoops and Disney lunch boxes from the 1950s and ’60s decorate the walls. Every square inch of this building, and the rest, is covered in vintage signage or classic collectibles. And this is only a small portion of Nardoland. Ron began collecting signs in the 1950s. His father let him store them in his garage. At one point, his dad — concerned or, perhaps, half-joking — suggested Ron see a therapist about his habit. Ron didn’t go see the shrink, but he does jokingly admit that, “My elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top floor.” A landlord by trade, Ron began buying up property in the Bothell, Woodinville and Maltby areas in the 1960s. That’s where he first met Sally-Jo. 34 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

“(My grandfather) always told me, ‘Buy dirt, boy. Buy dirt,’” Ron said. And so he did. Back then, he could get property for $30,000 to $40,000 — real estate that goes for more than $600,000 today. “Ground was cheap,” Ron said. He and Sally-Jo bought the first of three plots of what would become “Nardoland” more than 20 years ago. They built their current house in the early 2000s. They got together in the mid-1980s, when Sally-Jo, who now maintains the gardens where 1940s tractors sit among the daffodils, was renting a home in Maltby from Ron. In addition to being his tenant, Sally-Jo was his barber. After about a year, Ron, having gone through a divorce, asked Sally-Jo on a date. She was sick with pneumonia, so he brought her soup, throat lozenges, aspirin and flowers. They dated for 19 years before he proposed to her in the kitchen of their new home. “He’s the best thing that ever happened to me and my family,” said Sally-Jo, who has three grown children. Ron dotes on his wife. He says that out of everything on the property, Sally-Jo is the most cherished. Other notable structures in Nardoland are the metal dinosaur in front of the house, the red espresso stand from the old Maltby school yard, the Lorax (a Dr. Seuss character) in the tree protecting the gardens, the walk-in red Nardoland mailbox and the colorful fire hydrants lining the path to the outdoor theater. There’s also a set of giant silverware,

if you can spot them, scattered around. The property has been a place for weddings and funerals alike. A couple years ago, it was one of five stops on the Woodinville Garden Club’s Tour of Gardens. “Over 1,000 people came through here,” Sally-Jo said. “They didn’t want to leave.” Ron added, “A couple people came back through.” Ron, 76, and Sally-Jo, 71, have slowed down over the years. They say they’re going to need help taking care of the place soon. It takes eight hours to mow the lawn alone. But, “(Ron) loves doing it,” said a longtime family friend, Alan “Speck” Strand. “They work tirelessly,” said Strand’s wife, Nancy. Alan went to high school with Ron. They’ve been friends for more than 50 years. “(Ron’s) helped more people than you can shake a stick at,” Alan said. “Ron’s an outstanding citizen.” Ron, a towering 6-foot-4-incher with a gray beard, happily talks about the history of the items and structures in Nardoland. But he doesn’t like to talk about himself and his role in the community, or that he’s been recognized on the Northshore School District’s Wall of Honor. “He doesn’t brag,” Alan said. For being a “selfless community and youth activist,” Ron was inducted into the Wall of Honor in 2016. “After Army service in Vietnam, Nardone founded a construction company, revitalized the Maltby community, mentored people of all ages and built a monument to local nostalgia,” the Northshore School District’s website states.

“The latter project began with Nardone’s love of sports and support of local athletics. After buying up much of old Maltby, he opened the school gym to anyone for drop-in basketball, helped launch a semi-pro team and was a player/coach for 25 years.” The Strands and the Nardones still like to get together, though it’s hard to pull Ron and Sally-Jo away from Nardoland sometimes. But Strand knows his friend’s weak spot. “As long as I say ‘banana cream pie,’ Ron’s on his way.”

Nardone talks about his collection of license plates, just a small bit of the stuff he has amassed since he starting collecting signs in the 1950s.

The sign welcoming visitors to Nardoland, which has hosted events such as weddings but is not open to drop-ins. WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 35

The

sound of healing

Kim Parker of Kim Parker Yoga specializes in “sound baths” in her studio in Lynnwood. KEVIN CLARK / COAST

Lynnwood yoga teacher’s students chill out to the soothing music of Himalayan singing bowls BY S A R A B R U E S T L E

’m not the kind of woman who draws herself a hot bath after a stressful work day. I’ve tried it, but even with bath bubbles, glowing candles and a glass of wine, I can’t seem to relax. Recently, Kim Parker, a yoga teacher and sound healer with a studio in Lynnwood, recommended a different kind of bath: a “sound bath.” A sound bath at Kim Parker Yoga has nothing to do with bathing. You don’t get naked, you aren’t in a tub. Instead of water, sound washes over you. The sound waves, which Parker produces by playing Himalayan singing bowls, are said to calm the nervous sys-

tem and balance the energy that vibrates throughout the body. “The idea is that at a cellular level, we’re made up of vibration,” said Parker, 32, a 2005 Jackson High School graduate. “When the vibration is a little bit off, it’s kind of like a band being out of tune. It feels kind of wonky and it sounds kind of icky and it makes us tense. So by reintroducing these harmonic patterns through sound and vibration, we’re able to reset that vibration. It’s like re-tuning your cells at a physics level. “It may sound like a woo-woo thing, but it’s actually backed by science,” she said. Sound bathing is said to provide relief

36 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

from stress, insomnia, anxiety, depression and chronic pain. Music soothes me when a hot bath can’t — I like to listen to Bob Marley and the Wailers after a hard day — so it made sense to me that singing bowls have their benefits. It turns out that our brains are wired to respond to music. “It basically calms the nervous system by turning off the fight or flight response,” said Paul Schoenfeld, clinical psychologist at The Everett Clinic. “When we listen to music, our brains send our bodies a message to slow our heart rate down, slow our breathing down and relax our muscles.

“That’s why so many of us, when we’re feeling stressed about work, we come home and turn on some beautiful music.” The metal bowls, which vary in size from 3 inches to 21 inches wide, are played by ringing or rubbing them with a mallet to produce a sustained musical note. A wool- or leather-covered mallet is rotated around the outside rim to excite continuous vibrations in the bowl — the same way you may play water-tuned musical glasses. The volume of the musical note depends on the speed of the mallet and the force that is applied. The bowls are placed on a cushion when played to allow the rim to vibrate freely, though small bowls may be held gently in the hand. The bowls also can be placed directly on the body to give a “sound massage.” Himalayan bowls are native to India and Nepal, but they are often referred to as Tibetan bowls because many Westerners encounter the bowls in Tibet. Some Buddhist religious practices incorporate bowls with meditation and chanting — but instead of making the bowls sing, they strike them. The bowls were introduced to the West in the 1970s. They have since become a popular instrument for music therapists, sound healers and yoga practitioners. Parker turned to yoga when she was stressed. She was working two jobs to pay off student loans in the Great Recession. The stress from it all took a toll on her. It exacerbated her chronic back pain and disrupted her sleep, digestion and mental focus. Yoga became her lifeline: a way to achieve peace and maintain balance. In 2014, Parker was introduced to singing bowls during a yoga retreat. She had played the clarinet since she was in fifth grade, but this was the first time Parker had experienced music as vibration. “I just felt like fireworks were going

“It just touched me down to the core in a way that I can’t quite figure out how to describe.”

— Kim Parker, on being introduced to singing bowls

off in my head,” she said. “It was like ‘Oh my god, I have to learn how to do this.’ It just touched me down to the core in a way that I can’t quite figure out how to describe.” So, after 17 years with the clarinet, Parker found herself a new instrument: singing bowls. Parker, a certified yoga instructor and singing bowl practitioner, started Kim Parker Yoga in 2015 to help stressed-out people through restorative yoga and healing sound baths. She loves that her job helps them find some much-needed calm. “Music was always important to me, but I didn’t realize exactly what role it was playing until I got introduced to the singing bowls,” she said. “I started paying attention to how the sounds that we experience throughout our day affect our energy levels, affect our focus, affect our emotions. There’s a reason you listen to upbeat music to work out and soothing music to relax and go to sleep.” She also has a bachelor’s degree in global studies and comparative religions

from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma — “That’s kind of yoga-y,” she said. On a recent day, I had an introductory session with Parker and her singing bowls. Parker asked me to share my pains and stresses, and name my intentions for healing, so she could focus the sound waves in ways that would best help me. She had me lay down in a nest of blankets and pillows so that I would be comfortable for the 45-minute sound bath. She placed an eye pillow on my face to block out light. She first guided my breathing to relax my mind and body, so that I could feel more at ease during my session. Then she started playing the singing bowls. Sound waves from the bowls washed over me as they filled the room. Every so often, when Parker placed one of them on my chest, I could feel the vibrations resonate through me. “The bowls are set up in a pattern of perfect fourths and fifths — those are the musical patterns handed down from the masters,” she said. Perfect fourths and fifths are musical intervals corresponding to a pair of pitches in a diatonic scale. The notes played together are the most pleasing to the ear. “The different patterns help induce relaxation and help with mental clarity.” Before the sound bath, I had only tried meditation for minutes at a time. I’m not very good at keeping my thoughts

VAL McKINLEY

As her sound bath clients relax, Parker plays singing bowls. WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 37

at bay. But every time Parker rubbed a singing bowl, the continuous note she played immediately made my brain chatter stop. All my mind wanted was to bask in the warm tone. I left my sound bath mesmerized. I had truly gained a moment of mindfulness. Parker finishes most sessions with an affirmation, mantra or reading for students to reflect on for continued healing. She likes to read from the book “The Radiance Sutras” as well as her favorite Mary Oliver poetry. After my sound bath, she recommended a few books so I could read up on the healing power of music. (See the list of books at right.) Parker said the singing bowls don’t have any one result because sound affects everyone in different ways. The experience can be both invigorating and relaxing. Not all of her students turn to the bowls for therapy and meditation, she said, but they’ve all been touched by the experience. Christina Patterson, 46, of Arlington, said the singing bowls bring her mind to an altered state.

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38 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

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A 10-day celebration this fall centers on island food and the people who create it

Homegrown Whidbey Sam Leingang works on an irrigation system at the Organic Farm School in Langley.

BY M AGG Y L EH M I C K E • P H OTO S BY O L I V I A VA N N I

ach year from late September to early October, Whidbey Island hosts a series of events across the island to celebrate the bounty of the season. The 10-day celebration known as Whidbey Island Grown Week brings attention to local farmers, chefs, specialty food suppliers and artisans that call the island home. Farm-to-table dinners, cooking classes and lots of fresh produce are just a few of the perks to look forward to. All week, restaurants, grocery stores and farmers markets partner with farms, wineries, breweries and distilleries. Only a 15-minute ferry ride from Mukilteo, Whidbey’s culinary scene has gained traction in recent years, thanks to its agricultural heritage and contemporary dining. Restaurants such as The Oystercatcher in Coupeville, serving farm-to-table fare, and Langley’s Prima Bistro, with its French-inspired Northwest cuisine, are two of the eateries getting noticed off island. Sustainable agriculture is ingrained in Whidbey Island’s culture, with many farms tracing back more than four generations. The island also is home to the Organic Farm School — an ecologically focused training program for 40 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

Julia Beck (left) and Raelani Kesler, both farmers in training, trim tomato plants at the Organic Farm School.

aspiring farmers. “Many of the young farmers came here to take part in the studies at the Organic Farm School and chose to start farms on the island,” said Inge Morascini, executive director of the Langley Chamber of Commerce. Two of the farm school’s graduates founded Deep Harvest Farm in Freeland. They not only sell their produce to local

restaurants and markets, but they also have a heritage seed business. “Farming on Whidbey Island highlights the need for a sustainable, regionally independent food system,” said Nathaniel Talbot, who owns the farm with his wife, Annie Jesperson. “Island communities will be the first to feel scarcity during times when food transport is costly, or perhaps even impossible, due to global market forces or regional calamity. “We’re a tight-knit community that really supports its local producers, business owners and artisans.” Whidbey is home to about 20 farms and at least six farmer’s markets. These include vegetable, dairy and lavender farms, flower nurseries, alpaca ranches and pumpkin patches. The island is one of the main sources for butter and potatoes in the region and is home to numerous wineries, breweries, vineyards and tasting rooms, according to Whidbey and Camano Islands Tourism. “Whidbey is not a particularly easy place to farm in terms of soils, but the community is what makes farming here so attractive,” said Judy Feldman, executive director of the Organic Farm School. “Maybe it’s because the island is so beautiful, but the people here seem to readily grow relationships, and that includes the relationship with their food and the farmers.” Whidbey Island Grown Week was started in 2009 as a celebration of locally grown and locally produced food. Over the years it has evolved, and its scope has expanded to include artisans, lodgings, venues, restaurants and markets. This year’s event will take place Sept. 27 to Oct. 6. Self-guided farm tours, special restaurant menus and a number of other agriculture-related events will be scheduled throughout the week. New to this year’s celebration is the Whidbey Island Harvest Festival — a four-day event featuring workshops, seminars and tastings. Classes will cover a variety of interests, ranging from small farm techniques and winemaking, to fine arts and woodworking. Local growers and artisans also will have their goods available for purchase at the event.

If you go Whidbey Island Grown Week is Sept. 27 to Oct. 6 around Whidbey Island. Find a calendar of events, with ticket pricing and times, at whidbeyislandgrown.com. Or find Whidbey Island Grown on Facebook for more information. Whidbey Island Cider Festival is Sept. 28 at Pacific Rim Institute, 180 Parker Road, Coupeville. Taste ciders from a variety of Northwest cideries, learn about cider making and, if you need your apple tree identified by an expert, bring an apple or two along. There will be live music, farm tours and brick oven pizza. Harvest Faire is Sept. 29 at Greenbank Farm, 765 Wonn Road, Greenbank. Whidbey Island’s farming heritage is the focus of this fest featuring local products. There also will be live music, food trucks, antique cars, arts and crafts, wine tastings and a pie-eating contest. Whidbey Island Harvest Festival is Oct. 3-6 at the Island County Fairgrounds, 819 Camano Ave., Langley. New to Whidbey Island Grown Week, the festival features agriculture-related workshops and seminars, as well as meet-and-greets with food vendors, beer and wine tastings and a showing of the 2019 farming documentary, “The Biggest Little Farm.”

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Truffle finder

An Arlington woman’s specially trained dogs are a chef’s best friend

BY M A R K C A R L S O N

There’s culinary gold in them thar tree roots. That’s because fall is truffle season in the rainy woods of Snohomish County. But before chefs can garnish bowls of creamy polenta with paper-thin slices of shaved truffle, they need Kristin Rosenbach’s dogs to find the elusive fungi. Rosenbach, 45, runs Wagnificent K9 Truffle Dogs out of her home near Arlington. Her four dogs are trained to find truffles, and she teaches the skill to clients’ dogs, in the field and online. Truffles grow underground in the roots of trees. In the old days, pigs were used to sniff them out. The thing is, pigs like to eat truffles. Dogs don’t — and they’re much easier to work with, Rosenbach said. Truffle dogs are trained to find only ripe truffles. Unripe ones are worthless, and once harvested, unripe truffles will not ripen. That’s why it’s a terrible idea to rake for truffles — you’ll get unripe truffles along with the ripe ones, and you’ll do environmental damage, Rosenbach said. “When dogs alert on ripe truffles, there are unripe ones there that you can go back to at that spot later,” she said. “You follow the dog.” In Europe, the classic truffle dog is the lagotto romagnolo, an Italian breed that resembles a standard poodle. But Rosenbach says any dog can be trained to hunt truffles — although flat-faced and very small pooches will be at a disadvantage in the field. “There is no best breed. So much of it comes down to the relationship and partnership” with the dog’s human, she said.

PHOTO COURTESY LISA KAUFMAN

Kristin Rosenbach of Arlington runs Wagnificent K9 Truffle Dogs.

Foraging season for white truffles typically begins in November and runs through March. Black truffles are available year-round, but they’re hard to find in summer, Rosenbach said. Rosenbach says her students get to keep most of the truffles they find on hunts. She sells her excess truffles to restaurants for $25 an ounce. In contrast, the most prized Italian white truffles sell for upwards of $150 an ounce. Tasting those Italian truffles helped give Rosenbach, a former athletic trainer who’d been doing agility training and herding with her dogs, the idea for the truffle business. “My husband and I vacationed in Italy in the summer of 2010. Rick Steves said try truffles, so we did,” she said. That fall, she needed an activity to keep Callie, her border collie, busy, and hit on the truffle idea. She learned about

42 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

the fungi from an expert in Oregon, then took that information to a friend who trains search and rescue and explosives-detection dogs. Rosenbach has four dogs now, led by Callie, who is a senior dog and still going strong. The value of truffles raises the possibility of poaching by trespassers. One Snohomish County landowner who has worked with Rosenbach says the location of his truffle-bearing property is a closely guarded secret. “Otherwise you’ll get the tweakers out there ripping the hell out of your property,” he said. Rosenbach says she hasn’t heard any reports of poaching here, but she knows it’s a problem elsewhere. Law-enforcement officials in western Oregon say truffle theft is a growing problem, particularly on tree farms in the Coast Range.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

An Italian lagotto romagnolo hunts for truffles at a vineyard in Napa, California. Although the lagotto romagnolo is the classic truffle dog, Rosenbach says nearly any pooch can be trained to find truffles.

Rosenbach hunts on private land, with permission. “If I see a property that seems likely, I approach the landowner for permission to take a look,” she said. “If I find truffles, we come up with some sort of arrangement with the landowner. Either it’s a fee, or I give them some of the truffles.” Her students must sign nondisclosure agreements to keep the truffles’ source a secret. “Protecting (landowners’) privacy is paramount with me,” she said. Rosenbach says poachers would be disappointed, anyway. Pacific Northwest truffles aren’t as valuable as European ones. “There’s a misconception that you’ll get rich,” she said. “You won’t.” What about cooking with truffles? “I like to create dishes that play to the earthy aromas of the truffle itself,” said Andy Nguyen, a chef in Lynden who buys truffles from Rosenbach. “It could be a simple pasta dish or robust smoked dishes.” One of Nguyen’s most memorable truffle dishes was one he created in the field while on a foraging trip with Rosenbach. “I had the opportunity to go on a hunt with Kristin and her pet friends and …

This truffle, mushroom and sea bean toast was made by Andy Nguyen while on a truffle hunt with Rosenbach and her dogs.

we made a dish literally in the middle of the woods after freshly foraging some truffles,” he said. “(It was) a toasted crostini point with sauteed mushrooms, foraged sea beans and fresh-churned butter. That dish was literally created on a whim and in sub-freezing temperatures.” Truffles must be handled with care, Nguyen said. They can’t be kept much longer than a week. Truffles’ flavor comes from their earthy, musky aroma, which begins to fade as soon as they’re removed from the ground. “The second they come out of the ground, they start aging and decaying,” he said. “We (delay this) by gently wrapping them in loose towels to help

them breathe.” Andrew Culp, owner of Salt & Vine in Anacortes, said home cooks can use truffles — but advises restraint. “Truffles, being fungi, are a great addition to any dish that calls for mushrooms,” he said. “Notice I said addition, not substitution. Truffles are intense in flavor and aroma, so a little goes a long way. “Because of their depths of flavor and expense, they are typically shaved to garnish anything from pasta, to risotto, and even burgers,” he said. Rosenbach enjoys eating the pungent fruit of her labors. “I love them. By the time truffle season starts, I’m usually craving them,” she said. “My husband (Josh Rosenbach, principal at Centennial Middle School in Arlington) makes an amazing venison black truffle burger.” But for Rosenbach, eating truffles takes a back seat to finding them. “For me, it’s never about the truffle. It’s always about the partnership and relationship with the dog,” she said. “It’s such a beautiful experience … to watch the dog problem-solve and find the truffle and show you where it is. It’s an amazing conversation with your dog. “The truffle is a delicious byproduct.”

WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 43

SIGNATURE DISH CLARA GUTIERREZ CARROLL, TABLAS WOODSTONE TAVERNA IN MILL CREEK BY S A R A BRUES T L E PH OTOS BY O L I V I A VA NNI

apas are the culinary signature of Spain. The small plates ubiquitous in Spanish bars and restaurants are served hot or cold, day or night. Eat one or two of these dishes as a snack, or have a few more and make a meal of them. Clara Gutierrez Carroll, chef and part owner of Tablas Woodstone Taverna in Mill Creek, knows her tapas. The restaurant offers a variety of Spanish tapas served on a wood board (tablas in Spanish, hence the restaurant’s name) that are meant to be shared at the table. Tablas groups its tapas under the themes taverna, surf, winery, garden and turf. Though tapa literally means “cover” or “lid,” in Spain it also has become a term for this style of food. Legend has it that in 18th-century Spain the original tapas — back then a slice of cheese, meat or bread — were served over the top of a glass of sherry to keep the fruit flies out. Today these shareables have such culinary and cultural importance that the Spanish verb tapear specifically means “to have tapas.” “In Spain when you order a glass of wine or beer, they give you a tapa for free,” Carroll said. “It’s going to make you more thirsty, so you feel like drinking another glass.” The bestseller at Tablas is the baconwrapped stuffed dates. The dish features medjool dates filled with the chef’s choice of either serrano peppers, Spanish chorizo or blue cheese. The head chef said the saltiness of the bacon and the sweetness of the date

Clara Gutierrez Carroll’s bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with Spanish chorizo (left) and serrano peppers. The dates also can be filled with blue cheese.

If you go Tablas Woodstone Taverna, 15522 Main St., Mill Creek, is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Call 425-948-7654 or go to kafeneowoodstonegroup.com for more information. mixes perfectly with either the spiciness of the chorizo or serrano, or the sharpness of the blue cheese. “I always try to adapt the classic Spanish dish to the American taste,” said Carroll, who is originally from Spain. “I’m an ambassador of Spanish food and wine. I love to put out the word.” Carroll owns Tablas with Sofeea Huffman, founder of the Edmonds-based

44 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

Kafé Neo Woodstone Group. The family of restaurants includes Demetris Woodstone Taverna in Edmonds and Kafé Neo in Arlington, Edmonds, Kingston, Marysville and Mill Creek. “We actually serve them in every one of our restaurants,” Huffman said of the bacon-wrapped stuffed dates. “It’s probably our No. 1 appetizer — we just call them something different; tapa (in Spanish) or meze (in Greek). It’s as simple as could be and yet it’s got a ton of flavor.” Carroll, of Edmonds, was hired as chef of Kafé Neo before Huffman opened both Tablas and Demetris in 2010. With Carroll’s Spanish influence in the kitchen, Huffman saw potential to open a Spanish restaurant and a Greek-Spanish fusion restaurant. “I always say they’re sisters, but they’re not twins,” said Huffman, who

is of Greek heritage. “I don’t know if Clara would agree with me, but I’ve been to both places and I feel like … there’s definitely a Mediterranean commonality there.” Carroll has been working in restaurants for more than 14 years. She is an expert in Spanish wines, cheeses, seafood and cured meats. She grew up on a pig and grain farm in Valladolid, a city about 120 miles north of Madrid, where her family literally ate farm-to-table. After helping out at her aunt’s restaurants, Carroll earned an international business degree from the Complutense University of Madrid, specializing in imports and exports. “I just grew up in the restaurant business,” she said. “I was not professionally trained. It’s in my blood.” Before she joined the Kafé Neo Woodstone Group in 2006, Carroll served as head chef of Madrid 522, which was a tapas bar and restaurant in Seattle. Carroll also was a restaurant consultant and caterer in the Seattle area for several years. Carroll said she’s right where she wants to be — in the kitchen, making Spanish tapas. “It’s very rewarding,” she said. “I always feel like I’m close to my roots in Spain.”

Tablas’ Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Dates 12 large medjool dates 4 ounces semi-cured Spanish chorizo, or 4 serrano peppers or 4 ounces blue cheese 12 slices smoked bacon 1 ounce balsamic vinegar reduction (see note) 1 liter olive/canola oil blend Pit the dates by slicing off both ends of each date with a paring knife, then removing each pit by pushing them out with a skewer. Slice the serrano peppers, chorizo or blue cheese to fit inside the pitted dates. Tip: Remove the seeds from the serrano peppers before slicing to reduce the heat.

Executive chef and part owner Clara Gutierrez Carroll works in the kitchen at Tablas Woodstone Taverna in Mill Creek.

Stuff the dates with your choice of filling. Wrap each date with a slice of bacon. Secure the bacon with a skewer or toothpick. Pour the oil blend into a large pot. Heat the oil to 350 degrees and fry the wrapped dates for 2 to 3 minutes or until the bacon is golden crisp. (Check the temperature with a frying thermometer.) Drain on paper towels.

Drizzle the dates with balsamic reduction. Optional: Serve with extra balsamic in a sauce dish. Note: You can make your own balsamic reduction at home. Bring 1 cup of balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce the temperature and simmer for 10-15 minutes. When the balsamic has reduced in volume by half, take it off the heat. Let it cool.

WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 45

FALL

flavor 5

The leaves are turning, the temperature is dropping, the Sunday TV is tuned to football. It’s fall. We asked five of our favorite Snohomish and Island county distilleries for a fall cocktail recipe. Some are sweet, some are spicy. All complement the season like pumpkin pie and vanilla ice cream.

COCKTAILS TO TOAST AUTUMN IN THE NORTHWEST

BY E VA N T H O M P SO N Mix-a-lot 1 sprig thyme Fill rocks (aka old fashioned) glass with ice, pour in the Bad Dog Bourbon and top with GloryBucha Berry Mix-aLot. Gently stir. Garnish with thyme. Serves 1.

Whiskey Root Beer Float James Bay Distillers Ltd.’s root beer float, topped with light cream and ice cream, features the distillery’s own Canadian whiskey, available soon. The British Columbia-based James Bay recently opened a distillery near Paine Field. Have this one for dessert. 3 to 4 ice cubes

BourbonBucha Made with a berry-infused kombucha from Arlington’s GloryBucha and bourbon from Bad Dog Distillery, also of Arlington, this fizzy, slightly tangy cocktail is perfect for kombucha lovers. 3 to 4 ice cubes 2 ounces Bad Dog Bourbon 1 cup GloryBucha Berry

46 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

1 ounce James Bay Galloping Goose Canadian Whisky 6 ounces chilled root beer of your choice 1 to 2 ounces light cream 1 scoop vanilla ice cream Add the ingredients to a chilled milkshake glass. Stir gently. Serves 1.

Blackberry Bunker Old Fashioned Whidbey Island Distillery’s spin on the classic old fashioned strikes a balance between sweet and tart. The blackberries and blackberry liqueur will have you reminiscing about summer, while the warm notes from the rye whiskey are a shield against the cold weather ahead.

Scratch Distillery’s The Fremont Troll in is made with WAquavit, vodka, lemon juice and simple syrup. KEVIN CLARK / COAST

2 to 3 fresh or frozen blackberries

Garnish with a fresh orange slice.

2 ounces Woodcut Barrel Rested Gin

1 orange slice

Serves 1.

1 ounce fresh lemon juice

Winter Revival

2/3 ounces clove-infused simple syrup (recipe below)

2 ounces Whidbey Island Distillery Bunker Rye Whiskey 1 ounce Whidbey Island Distillery Blackberry Liqueur

Lynnwood’s Temple Distilling’s cocktail might be just the thing if you feel a cold coming on. It features gin aged in whiskey barrels and a blend of cloves, citrus and absinthe.

2 dashes Angostura Bitters Splash soda water Muddle 2 blackberries, the orange slice and the bitters in a rocks glass. Add the rye whiskey and blackberry liqueur. Fill the glass with ice, stir and top with a splash of soda water. Skewer a blackberry for garnish. Serves 1.

Dash absinthe Shake the ingredients together for 30 seconds, then strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a fresh lemon peel skewered with a whole clove. Serves 1.

spirit, aged in barrels for six or more months and infused with caraway, dill, cardamom and orange peel. 1 ounce Scratch WAquavit 1 ounce Scratch Wheat Vodka

The Fremont Troll

¾ ounces fresh lemon juice

Scratch Distillery’s cocktail features WAquavit, the Edmonds distiller’s wheat spin on the traditional Scandinavian

¾ ounces simple syrup

Making the clove-infused simple syrup: Heat 1 cup of water with 1 cup of sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is almost boiling. Then add ¼ cup whole cloves, remove from heat and let sit for 1 hour to cool and infuse. Strain syrup into a bottle and refrigerate. It should last several weeks.

Pour all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into a martini glass. WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019 • 47

OUR FAVORITE

EVENTS

SEPTEMBER

Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival SEPT. 6-8 The festival is 4 p.m. to midnight Friday, 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Lighthouse Park, 609 Front St., Mukilteo. Live entertainment, food, children’s activities, parade on Harbour Pointe Boulevard at 11 a.m. Saturday, fireworks, fishing derby and more. Volunteers needed. mukilteolighthousefestival.com

“Steel Magnolias” SEPT. 6-22 Red Curtain performs the play that the 1989 movie starring Julia Roberts was based on at the Red Curtain Arts Center, 9315 State Ave., Suite J, Marysville. Truvy’s Hair Salon is the gathering place for six Southern women as they share love and laughter, life and death, and celebrate the special bond of friendship. redcurtainfoundation.org

Schack-toberfest SEPT. 12-22 The festival featuring glass pumpkins and harvest art is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Schack Art Center, 2921 Hoyt Ave., Everett. Closes Sept. 19 at 4 p.m. Pints & Pumpkins with beer, bites, live music and silent auction is 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 19. Kids activities are 1 to 4 p.m. Sept. 15 and 22. Sign up to make your own glass pumpkin. schack.org

Puget Sound Bird Fest SEPT. 13-15

at the Wade James Theatre, 950 Main St., Edmonds. When the low-born Monty Navarro finds out that he’s eighth in line for an earldom in the lofty D’Ysquith family, he figures his chances of outliving his predecessors are slight and sets off down a far more ghoulish path.

edmondsdriftwoodplayers.org

Northwest Viking Fest SEPT. 14-15 Offered by Norse by Northwest, the festival is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, SaukSuiattle grounds, 5318 Chief Brown Lane, Darrington. Sword fighting, weaving and other Viking skills demonstrated. norsebynorthwest.org

Art in Legion Park SEPT. 14-15 The festival is 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Legion Memorial Park, 114 N. Olympic Ave., Arlington. Features art of many kinds, live music, beer and wine garden. arlingtonartscouncil.net

Edmonds Oktoberfest SEPT. 20-21 The new Bavarian-themed brew fest is 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and features local breweries — though there also will be wine and root beer. Bouncy houses, food trucks, arts and crafts, 5K and 1K runs at 10 a.m. and a pet parade at 10:15 a.m. at Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main St., Edmonds. edmondsoktoberfest.com

Edmonds Art Studio Tour SEPT. 21-22

The festival includes speakers, exhibits, field trips and activities all about birding. Frances Anderson Center, 700 Main St., Edmonds. Keynote speaker is nature photographer Tim Boyer on “Understanding Shorebirds: The Miracle of Migration.” Free. Opening reception is 7:30 p.m. Friday at Edmonds Plaza Room, 650 Main St.

The self-guided tour is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Edmonds area. Free. Features 19 private studios displaying the work of 36 local artists. Watch artists at work, see newly created and in-progress pieces, and purchase high-quality art directly from the artists: paintings, sculptures, jewelry, wood pieces, glasswork and pottery.

pugetsoundbirdfest.org

edmondsartstudiotour.com

“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”

Snohomish Tweed Ride

SEPT. 13-29

Fancy a cycle along the Centennial Trail while sporting your finest? No modern garb allowed. Meet at 10 a.m. at the

The Edmonds Driftwood Players perform the Tony Award-winning show

SEPT. 21

48 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

historic Machias Depot, 1626 Virginia St., for tea and sweets (bring your own cup) photo ops and a treasure hunt. Prizes go to the most dapper and dandily dressed ladies and gents on bicycles. historicdowntownsnohomish.org

Arts of the Terrace SEPT. 21-OCT. 5 The art show is noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Mountlake Terrace Library, 23300 58th Ave. W., Mountlake Terrace. Features paintings, prints, drawings, miniatures, photography, 3-D and artisan works by the region’s top artists. Reception is 7 p.m. Sept. 20. MLTArts.org

“Ladies Man” SEPT. 27-OCT. 20 A recently married man tells a tiny lie to cover an innocent, but embarrassing, indiscretion. From that single untruth tumbles a cascade of deceptions, misunderstandings and mistaken identities. Phoenix Theatre presents the zany farce at the Edmonds theater of the same name at 9673 Firdale Ave. tptedmonds.org

Arlington Airport Appreciation Day SEPT. 28 The festival is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Arlington Municipal Airport, 18204 59th Ave. NE, Arlington. Free airplane rides, face painting, helicopter tours, flight simulators, inflatables, tractor rides, ice cream, flyovers and more. arlingtonwa.gov

Return of the Salmon Celebration SEPT. 28 The festival is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Osprey Park, 801 First St., Sultan. Features riverside tours, drumming, cedar weaving, dancing, horse-drawn wagon rides and fish hatchery tour. Kids get to release a fish from the hatchery into the river. 5K run from Osprey to River park starts at 9 a.m. skyvalleychamber.com

Everett Sausage Festival SEPT. 28-30

Pacifica Chamber Orchestra SEPT. 29 The opening concert will be performed 3 p.m. at the Trinity Episcopal Church, 2301 Hoyt Ave., Everett. The program includes Nielsen’s “Humorous Bagatellees Op. 11 for Winds,” “Four Temperaments for Piano and Strings” by Hindemith and Coricelli’s “Argentine Encores for Winds.” Tickets are $20 adult, $15 seniors, students. pacificachamberorchestra.org

OCTOBER Snohomish Valley Festival of Pumpkins THROUGH OCT. 31 Activities at seven family farms in Snohomish Valley — Bailey’s, Bob’s, Carleton’s, Craven’s, Stocker’s, Swan’s Trail and Thomas — include pumpkin patches, corn mazes, zombie paintball, dark mazes, hay rides, a haunted house and bonfires. festivalofpumpkins.org

Monster Bash OCT. 5 The event is 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum, 3407 109th St. SW, Everett. Features tanks, tractors, monster trucks, vintage aircraft and vehicles. Touch, explore, ride and trick-or-treat. Tickets are $20 adults, $15 youth 6-17, $10 youth in costume. Children 5 and younger get in free. flyingheritage.org

Sky Valley Farm Festival OCT. 12 The festival is 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on River’s End Cattle Ranch and Groeneveld Dairy Farm along Fern Bluff Road in Sultan. Features farm tours, wagon rides, horse rides, apple slingshot, roping lessons. Some activities have a fee. skyvalleychamber.com

Everett Philharmonic Orchestra OCT. 13

The festival is noon to midnight Friday and Saturday, noon to 7 p.m. Sunday on the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church grounds, 2619 Cedar St., Everett. Features live entertainment, carnival rides, kids games, beer and wine garden, food, arts and crafts, bingo, dinner haus, raffles.

The “Masterworks” concert will be performed 3 p.m. at the Everett Civic Auditorium, 2415 Colby Ave., Everett. The program includes “Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major” by Haydn featuring Nathan Chan on cello. Tickets are $25 general, $20 seniors and military, $10 youth and students with ID. Children 12 and younger get in free.

everettsausagefest.com

everettphil.org

“Dark of the Moon” OCT. 18-NOV. 3 Red Curtain performs the 1945 Broadway play based on the haunting “Ballad of Barbara Allen” at the Red Curtain Arts Center, 9315 State Ave., Suite J, Marysville. Deep in the Appalachian Mountains, a witch boy sacrifices his immortality for the love of a young mortal woman, but the townsfolk want nothing to do with his kind. redcurtainfoundation.org

Fiber Fusion Northwest OCT. 19-20 The festival is 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds, 14405 179th Ave. SE, Monroe. Features a live fiber animal exhibit, a fiber arts show, a spin-in event, free demonstrations and a variety of classes, as well as a fleece show and sale. fiberfusion.net

Cascade Symphony Orchestra OCT. 21 The “Brahms Passion” concert will be performed 7:30 p.m. at the Edmonds Center for the Arts, 410 Fourth Ave.

NOVEMBER

N., Edmonds. The program includes “Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major” by Haydn featuring Amos Yang on cello. Tickets are $27 adults, $22 seniors, $15 students, $10 youth.

Camano Island Chili & Chowder Cook-Off

cascadesymphony.org

NOV. 9

“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”

The event is 3 to 7 p.m. at the Camano Center, 606 Arrowhead Road, Camano Island. Professional and amateur chefs vie for top honors in three categories: best chili, best chowder and bestdecorated booth. Live music, raffles, beer and wine. Tickets are $10.

OCT. 25-NOV. 17 The musical follows an eclectic group of middle schoolers as they fight for the title of regional spelling bee champ — and all the glory that comes with it. Village Theatre performs the comedic hit at the Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett. villagetheatre.org

Snohomish Zombie Walk OCT. 26 All zombies and ghouls are invited to walk at 4 p.m. through downtown Snohomish. Meet at 3 p.m. at Artisans Mercantile, 117 Glen St. Lurch south on Union Street to First Street, then to Avenue D, then U-turn back east on First Street. Sidewalk only. About ½ mile total. Bring “rations for the survivors” — aka donations for the Snohomish Food Bank. historicdowntownsnohomish.org

local church’s annual production of “The Christmas Story,” causing panic throughout the town. redcurtainfoundation.org

camanoisland.org

Rock & Gem Show NOV. 9-10 The show is 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Maplewood Rock & Gem Club, 8802 196th St. SW, Edmonds. Free. Features demonstrations, raffles, children’s activities. maplewoodrockclub.com

“Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical” NOV. 29-DEC. 15 Red Curtain performs this new musical adaptation of the beloved family holiday classic at the Red Curtain Arts Center, 9315 State Ave., Suite J, Marysville. The rowdy Herdman kids join their

“A Christmas Story: The Musical” NOV. 29-DEC. 22 The Edmonds Driftwood Players perform the musical based on the 1983 film “A Christmas Story.” All the iconic scenes from the movie are here: Ralphie’s friend, Flick, getting his tongue stuck to the flagpole; his brother, Randy, getting dressed in his snowsuit; the bullies, Farkus and Dill; the leg lamp award; the bunny suit; the Chinese restaurant and Christmas dinner. edmondsdriftwoodplayers.org

“Inspecting Carol” NOV. 29-DEC. 22 Phoenix Theatre presents the madcap Christmas comedy at the Edmonds theater of the same name at 9673 Firdale Ave. Behind the scenes of a struggling theater’s annual clumsy production of “A Christmas Carol,” rehearsals are at a standstill. Tim is no longer Tiny, Scrooge wants to do the play in Spanish and the play’s funding is on hold. www.tptedmonds.org

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Why I Love It Here

PATRICE DOERR

OLIVIA VANNI / COAST

Patrice Doerr lives in a historic north Everett bungalow.

More about Patrice Patrice Doerr, 60 in September, and her family moved to Washington in 1988. After 20 years in north Seattle, she made Everett her home three years ago, along with her dog and two cats. Patrice worked in cosmetics sales for Nordstrom. She and her late husband, David, raised three children. 50 • WASHINGTON NORTH COAST MAGAZINE • FALL 2019

I was born in Los Angeles and grew up there and in Portland, Oregon. But I love living in Everett. I quickly adapted to the Northwest. I fell in love with how the mountains meet the sea. North Everett reminds me of the Portland I knew as a girl. My perfect day starts on my porch under the big, bright Everett sky, serenaded by “The Star Spangled Banner” playing on loudspeakers on the Navy base. There’s something so romantic and exciting to look out the window and see sailboats gliding across the sparkling water and the fishing boats making their way down the river to open water. I think I dreamed of this all my life! I love zig-zagging through the neighborhood streets lined with beautiful and potentially beautiful homes and gardens. Some are grand, some small, and nearly all of them are charming. I love grabbing a coffee from Cafe Zippy, our old-school coffee shop and wine bar in north Everett, or a latte from Narrative Coffee downtown. I love to visit Legion Park, set atop the bluff overlooking Port Gardner and Hat and Whidbey islands. I’ve seen some incredible sunsets there, and I look forward to Sorticulture, Everett’s garden arts festival. For my nature walk, I stroll through the Evergreen Arboretum next door. Then I sometimes walk or drive south to Everett’s downtown business district. I love it! It’s so manageable. One day, I went on a historical walking tour, then took in the Fisherman’s Village Music Festival. Last Memorial Day weekend, I entered Maxine, my 1965 Buick Skylark, in the Cruzin’ to Colby car show. She’s named after the original owner. Yeah, I’m having fun in Everett. I can dress up and head downtown to enjoy a nice dinner at Capers and Olives, or ribs from J&L BBQ. I like to shop locally. I would say I did 90% of my Christmas shopping right here in my community. I’ve attended fashion shows put on by Burkett’s Savvy Clothing for Women. As a movie buff, I was sure to check out the Everett Film Festival, founded by a group of local women and featuring films made by women. I live in an older home in north Everett, and I’ve been invited to participate in the Historic Everett Home Tour. Speaking of homes, I’m also having my houseboat, the Bella Barca, restored in Port Townsend. It will be towed back to Bainbridge Island when it’s done. And speaking of invitations, I was invited by my 90-year-old neighbor to participate in a creative writing group for seniors at the Y. That just makes me smile. I really enjoy my neighbors, both young and the young at heart. I visit with so many people who have lived here all their lives, or formerly lived here, moved away, then moved back. That says a lot about the place you call home. That’s why I love it here.

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