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Terry's tales from Willowbrook Manor
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The Tulips Say Hello!~
Hello! And how are you?
It was so good to hear from many of you about how you are doing with the 'stay at home' mandate. I appreciated the positivity from many of you, despite layoffs, trip cancelations and other inconveniences. Thank you for taking time to drop a note and share what is going on in your world.
At Willowbrook, the cool weather has slowed the tulips coming into bloom. I honestly hoped that it was a bit of fate that would allow Tea and Tulips to happen, postponing it a bit, but still giving us the chance to celebrate Spring with tea! But our 'stay at home' is in place until the first week in May. So Tea and Tulips is cancelled. I have refunded all of the Tea and Tulip reservations and have decided to do the same for Mothers Tea just to be safe. But don't despair! I have a tea event for the month of May that I think you will enjoy, and some nice gift ideas for Mom. More about that in a bit. But first.....
Story Time~
I have always loved to hike. No...that is not true. When I was a kid, my parents were into backpacking and I thought it was awful. I complained and whined and wussed. My brother and sister carried all of their gear, but I could only manage my sleeping bag. One overnighter, my dad stuffed some potatoes into my sleeping bag and when we got to camp and I discovered that I had carried three potatoes extra, I was so upset. "How could they have made me carry FOOD?" I thought. I found a picture of that hike. I'm diggin' my mom's cool 70's plaid pants. I'm the one in front of her. It looks like there is nothing on my pack, but I assure you there is the heaviest potato-stuffed sleeping bag attached to my frame. The stuff bag was white so you can't see it.
I don't know when the change happened, but once I got to be a teenager I loved hiking. In fact, for my 16th birthday, my dad took me to Yeagers Sporting Goods store in Bellingham and bought me my very own royal blue, external frame backpack. I can remember it like it was yesterday. That pack became my best friend. I found a picture of our hike to Lake Ann my junior year of high school with Penny Catanzaro. Both of our dads and brothers were there too. (Do you love the socks?) Pretty cool backpack huh?
But back to my original story. My chamomile farm sits in the middle of East Skagit Valley with foothills to the North and South and the Cascade range to the East. For years I got my exercise hiking up a logging road close to home. In fact, when all of the kids were young, and the littlest two being 16 months apart, I referred to my hiking regiment as, "Hill or Hell'. Meaning, if I hiked the hill I felt good, if not..... well, you know.
Often I would carry a pack with about 25 pounds of weight in it, for a better workout. My blue external frame pack was long-gone, but I could fit a 25 pound bag of flour in my internal frame pack. (Davey Crocket meets Betty Crocker). But one time I grabbed a pack from the garage and threw in whatever was on the shelf from the emergency supplies and ended up with a ten pound bag of pinto beans and two bottles of liquid paraffin. I used that pack for months, but one day something strange happened. I noticed on the way up the hill, my hiking pants kept slipping down, like the elastic was giving out or something, and I would catch a faint whiff of kerosene. Once I got to where the view opened up (the turn around spot), I realized that one of the liquid paraffin bottles had sprung a leak, soaked into the bag of beans, saturated the pack and oozed out onto my pants. What got me noticing it was the irritation on the skin of my backside. I ended up dumping the pack, and trading my pants for my jacket wrapped around my waist. My neighbor and hiking buddy, Jeanie, got a good chuckle out of it all. I had to sit in the creek on the way down the mountain for relief. Further down the hill I found a puddle to sit in, which felt wonderful.
It was a most memorable hike. I don't think I used a backpack for additional weight after the day I burned my buttocks with liquid paraffin.
With the present quarantine, Jeanie and I are hiking the hill again, along with Jolene, my tea helper. Since we can't be hosting Tea and Tulips, we might as well be hiking the hill! It has been a long time since I have hiked this hill on a regular basis. After the bear attack, I turned my energies to cycling. (The bear attack is a story for another day)
My younger brother, Clay (remember the Christmas newsletter?) has been an avid cyclist for years, and when I didn't feel safe hiking my favorite hill anymore, he suggested that I buy a road bike and take up cycling. So I did! I still remember going to Skagit Cycle to pick up my new bike! It felt that same thrill I had when I got my blue backpack so many years before. I knew my bike and I would become the best of friends.
Both hiking and biking have been my source of wellness for me through the years. The exercise and scenery give me a dopamine rush, I have also processed a lot of life's challenges by putting miles under the wheels of that bike. I have also worked through a lot of 'stuff' as I trudged up that hill. My rule of thumb was to let my brain grind on difficult things on the way up the hill, then I would turn, look a the valley below, take a deep breath, and head down the hill feeling much lighter. It worked! Both hiking and biking have been my exercise, my therapy, my joy.
Tea and Tour was born from my love for cycling, the great outdoors, and of course, my love for tea! There is a wellness that comes from getting on a bike and spending time in nature. Coupling that with tea makes the experience even richer!
With the need for wellness all around us, I have decided to begin the Tea and Tour season earlier than usual. Once the governor lifts the 'stay and home' mandate, I will begin our self-guided bike tours. With our new fleet of e-bikes`anyone can enjoy our 8 to 10 mile bike tours with ease. They really are fun to ride!
I'm changing to a picnic tea instead of serving under the tea tent. My thought is to continue social distancing just a little longer. Tea and Tour now has tea picnic bags for guests to take along with them on their bike ride. I love a picnic tea and I think you will too.
There are picnic areas along the tour routes for Warm scones are packed into a picnic bag along with tea cups, a tea pot, china plates, pressed napkins and a linen tablecloth for guests to take on their bike ride and enjoy on their ride.
There is something fun and wholesome about having a tea picnic.
It is something all ages can enjoy
A thermos of hot water accompanies the tea picnic bag allowing you to steep your favorite Willowbrook tea!
Melted butter and lemon curd on warm Willowbrook scones make for a delicious tea picnic!
My self-guided tours are rich with the history of the area. Tour posts along each route share pictures and stories of the area from days gone by. The Cascade Trail takes you through forest and farmland with beautiful views of the Skagit River.
Tea and Tour provides a wellness experience! It is good for the body and mind. And tea is always good for the soul!
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