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Holding eggs from his son’s chickens and popcorn from his own garden in one large hand, Wayne carefully navigates the curving Salmon Creek road with the other hand gripping the handlebars of his quad.  Bundled behind him is a bag with wild mushrooms harvested by a friendly neighbor.

He tells me with awe that homegrown popcorn scraped from the ears by hand and popped has a unique nutty taste.  Delighted at the unexpected bounty, he tells me that the chickens are only 5 1/2 months old and already laying prolifically.  Sure, he answers a question from me with pleasure, the beautiful mushrooms I saw the other day a mile up the road are Shaggy Manes and our artist neighbor, Gail gathered and ate them.

The green mantra is eat food grown within 100 miles your home.  Dinner, at Wayne’s, sometimes comes from within a mile.  And, anyone who has ever eaten food grown or harvested by themselves understands the grin on his face.

Sometimes people mistake hillfolk for simple people because of the joy they harvest from daily life. But Wayne is a wise man that meets the bitterness of life with a laugh and willingness to reveal in the simple pleasures of food and friends.

Here’s to Wayne who knows how to enjoy life.  Here’s to us all taking some time today to do the same.