By Sarah Schrock
Last year, my entire immediate family of 22 came to the Methow, so naturally, it was our turn to go the distance, track the pass reports, and don some purple for the Apple Cup (sorry, Cougs).
Despite the otherwise joyful family gathering, minus a day of a violent stomach bug, it always fills me with gratitude to make it home safely. And there’s a precise spot, a moment upon return to town, where I always feel like we made it.
Arriving from the south along Highway 20, dropping down the bench at the airport and into town limits, with the backdrop of the North Cascades beckoning us home — that’s the place. It’s the point where the tangent of the vertical alignment of road changes, in other words, the grade drops, and it feels as if for a moment, you are suspended in air as you look ahead at the mountains. In fact, I imagine if you were doing above 60 mph you would be in the air.
This year, as we descended the hill into Twisp, I noticed the overwhelming messages of gratitude written on the gallery of reader boards along the highway. Now, these reader boards are ubiquitous and therefore easy to ignore, but it occurred to me on this return that each one has its own personality (or lack thereof). The culmination of them represents a snapshot in time, telling a part of the story of this place. A traveler passing through Twisp might just grasp a little piece of this town by reading the boards. So, for the heck’s sake, here’s what this week’s boards say.
“Keep the Attitude of Gratitude” is the first proclamation provided by the Cascade Bible Church, whose boards typically send messages of virtue such as hope, faith, love and redemption. If you blink you might miss the next board provided by AeroMethow Rescue Service, which naturally offers safety tips with a bit of salty humor. In keeping with their tone and in honor of Turkey Day, this week’s board reads, “Wearing your Seatbelt Could Save your Giblets.”
Granted, many of these of boards serve the purpose of advertising, so as you continue down the row we find out that bird seed, ice melt and snow shovels are available at the Do It Center. But wait! What’s that? A new sign at the Loup Loup Ski Shop! Shiny and bright, this new addition informs us the shop is open Wednesday-Sunday for the season and has Obermeyer ski attire for the whole family.
Up next, our handy time-and-temperature gauge, the Hank’s Harvest Foods electronic board, tells us what’s for dinner on a dime. Onward ho and you’ll find out at Windermere that you can buy a view lot within walking distance of Twisp, and despite the Seahawk’s loss Sunday, they are still an official Hawks sponsor. Just before the highway curve, the Eagles Lodge sign offers up lunch and dinner menus along with game time details. Passing the curve, Les Schwab is there to reveal some winter driving tips, if you step inside. Finally, Twisp Feed and Rental reminds us that there’s “So Much to Be Thankful For.”
Indeed. So, whether you left town or stayed; whether you were with family or hosted a “Friends-giving;” or whether you listened to conversations (three glasses of wine in) extolling the virtues of Libertarianism, to the dangers of a Trump presidency, or to conspiracy theories regarding the Federal Reserve and alien cover-ups by the government, Thanksgiving, as intended, refocuses our awareness to the simple pleasures, like children giggling or a warm meal, that deserve gratitude every day.
