Community Cupboard

Washington – Monday, August 12

Christy headed off to work first thing in the morning, and it took me a while to finish up some computer stuff and my laundry and then I packed up. By then a couple of the boys were up, so we chatted for a while – I wasn’t in a rush to leave! When I did finally get going, I headed back to the cute little town of Issaquah where we’d made the school supply donation yesterday because I wanted to do some walking there. Tula and I set off through town, and then found a nice shady bike path and we covered almost 3 miles. From there I headed a little north to pick up a scenic road heading east – through national forests and mountains. We drove for a couple hours and came to the town of Leavenworth, which resembles a Bavarian Village in the Alps, complete with flowers in window boxes. I was going to be making my donation here today at a place called the Community Cupboard, which is part of the Upper Valley MEND (Meeting Each Need with Dignity). I had called to see if there were any items in particular that they needed, and the lady told me they could use cereal, juice, peanut butter and tuna, so I found a grocery store outside of town and shopped for those items. Then I found the food pantry, which was located inside a thrift store, which also helps support the pantry. Even this building was painted with a Bavarian theme. Once I was done with the donation, Tula and I walked all around town, and then found some trails in the woods across the river. Then I walked through town again – it was fun to just enjoy the European atmosphere and listen to the clip-clop of some horse-drawn buggies. There was even some oom-pah music in the park. Altogether we walked a little over 4 miles in Leavenworth.

Then I continued driving east to Cashmere, which seemed more like an old-west town with its covered wooden sidewalks – quite a contrast from the Bavarian town of Leavenwort! Cashmere’s claim to fame is the production of Aplets and Cotlets, candies which I had never heard of before. From what I understand, they’re sort of jelly-like candies – aplets are apple flavored, and cotlets are apricot flavored. Free tours are offered in the factory, but it was too late for that! I finished off my walking for the day in Cashmere, and drove about 10 more miles in the fading light to Wenatchee, where I stopped for the night.