Studying = Peaches

‘Oot and aboot in the Boonies

Yesterday my roommate, Allison, and one of my classmates, Clarke, and I decided that we needed to get out of town. For one we had been no where other than class (work for Allison) and home literally all week and for another there was a cougar football game. We just couldn’t handle the millions of drunken undergraduates all wearing maroon. Also the night before we went to the Vet Schools annual ‘White Trash’ party (yes we dressed up, and yes it was in a trailer park, and yes we had fun), so we needed to go somewhere where we could concentrate. So we headed out to the cute town of Palouse. We set out driving north of town, with in moments of beginning our drive there was nothing other than recently harvested wheat fields and no more than half a dozen barns in the 15 mile stretch. Eventually a small hill covered in trees becomes evident in the distance, after another couple of minutes we reached the town. We crossed over the bridge into the most wonderful little place. The town is very Northern Exposure-esk place. There is one main bar, a few antique stores, a newspaper museum (open Saturdays only from 10-2) and my favorite Café-The Green Frog. At the end of the stretch of stores in the brick faced buildings lies this wonderful place, the out side is painted in all kinds of crazy colors and designs, and the inside is no different. The café has wonderful food, and great coffee. It is owned and run by two great women. One appears to have just re-located from Capitol hill in Seattle –tattoos, a few piercing, and the deepest passion for all things food, friend, and life related. The other women looks more ‘conservative’ and decade or two older, and always has a smile on her face, and is excited to see each new face that walks in the door.

We arrived, picked a nice big study table, ordered food and of course coffee. We were there for hours studying. Different people came and went. There was a wedding in town so next door there was a live string quartet which we could hear through the door. We were very productive in our studying. At one point a group of people came in who seemed to know everyone in town, including the Green Frog gals. They were some of the official tasters for the recent barley contest in which people in the community turn in their best barley recipe. So there was a wonderful conversation regarding the finer art of barley. At this point Alli Clarke and I all look at each other and almost in unison mutter under our breath “is this really happening… where do we live… how did we all get here?” A little later another women stops in and starts talking to these same people about her recent trip to Royal City to get fruit for canning for her family for the winter. She picked up 550 lbs of peaches and 600 lbs of pears!! She said she had a few extra boxes she was trying to get these barley people to take home. She spent 10 or 15 minutes trying to convince them, with little success. So I said I would take them. And here I am Saturday morning trying to decide what to do with 30lbs of rapidly ripening peaches.

I will let you know what I end up doing with them.

P.S. We also went to the Colfax rodeo last night—cowboy hats and all… Good times!