Podcast and bread baking day today, but I mixed up my routine and started the day with a long walk. The sun was out and the skies were clear, so I headed out to Rock Bay for coffee beans.
I walked further than usual, because I wanted to try Bows Coffee Roasters on Gorge. Renee raved about the quality of the beans and I was looking for a change, so gave it a go.
The good news was the single farm Mexican beans promised cacao and creme brulee notes. The slightly shocking news was that they cost me $24. And the outrageous news was their 'pound' of coffee was only 300g! That's wild. 20% more for 20% fewer beans than my regular local roaster. These better be some magic f'ing beans.
So I started walking home, trying to focus on the sun warming my face rather than the heat of over paying for coffee beans. I ended up on Ellis Street and snapped back to reality right quick. The entire block, on both sidewalks, was full of tents. People, tents and ramshackle piles of their belongings, drying out after three days of rain. There was a Cool-Aid van bringing food and supplies and caring for a couple folks who were having an especially hard time.
I felt like a fool. Ashamed that I was moaning over paying too much for my artisanal beans. Then ashamed that I have turned into a hipster doofus that obsesses over coffee beans. And then angry that there was such crying and moaning about getting the tents off Pandora, but we didn't help anyone. We just shuffled them into Rock Bay and out of sight.
I know this is supposed to be a nature diary, but I can't write about whales and hummingbirds and how this is such a beautiful, miraculous place, without acknowledging that there is so much needless suffering all around me as well. I can't hide amongst the cedars and peacocks and refuse to see what is right in front of me.