4-13-18

Walla Walla, WA is a big, little town.  We passed these two chickens loose on the road on our way to downtown, but the town has everything it needs.  It is big enough to have several Starbucks (Yay!!), a Safeway and other grocery stores, Macy's but still maintains a cozy, small feeling.

We read about Melody Mufflers and had to go see it for ourselves.  It is a working muffler shop but the proprietor welds figures from old parts and displays them at his shop and around town.  Many have been sold locally and around the country.

There was also a sign we appreciated at Melody Mufflers.

Another sign we liked was in front of a local church.  It said, "Come as you are, you can change inside.".

We ate lunch at a restaurant recommended by Joli and Phil called Bacon and Eggs.  It was in the old school downtown area.  Parking was a problem so the downtown must be doing well.  Here is a sculpture we saw down there.  We also saw this table and chair set displayed.

In the late afternoon we drove to Milton-Freewater, OR.  These were once two towns that combined in a very controversial vote.  We visited a creamery where we tried many good cheeses and bought a few, then we went to a local chocolate shop.  They specialized in dark chocolate so Gary was happy.

It is hard to see but the window in tonight's restaurant had a leaded pattern that looked like a spider web.

On a more serious note, Walla Walla has a small community of yurts where homeless people sleep. There are probably thirty yurts behind a sturdy fence.  It is locked during the day but there is a list of places posted on the fence where people can get food, medical attention and other services.  I haven't seen anything like it in Portland but it looked like a good idea.

For those of you who didn't see it on Facebook, I shared a quote that really spoke to me.  See what you think.