Letters to the Editor

Our fine feathered friends?

It is interesting and sad to read of the origin and fate of Green Lake's Canada geese ("Goose Heaven," July 17). But sadder is the fate of some others caught in the slaughter. Three cloud-white domestic geese had found their way to the park and made themselves members of the Canada goose flock. Initially, they were a bit timid and unsure of their abilities. They would honk miserably when the flock took flight, leaving them stranded.

Finally, one good day, they were stretching their wings and soaring with the rest of the birds. They mastered the long, grouchy hiss that makes a goose a goose. They waddled and swam and flew for all to enjoy. And they were killed.

How much poop did three white geese produce? Evidently, it simply did not matter.

Tom Cole, Lynnwood

A real family affair

Emory Bundy and I were thrilled with the issue ("Outdoor Living," July 10) and of course with the article on our garden ("Wild in the City") and wonderful photos. The first paragraph in our story was really masterful — in a literary way it led one down the stone path into the garden and into another world where the old house waited. Lovely.

The mention of the house as an (Ellsworth) Storey-designed home was especially meaningful to us for the following reason: Emory and I on late Saturday afternoon bought a couple of Sunday papers to get an early peek. We had just sat down in those wicker garden chairs with a glass of wine and were reading to each other out loud when an older couple came into the garden from the street and asked: "Are you the Bundys?" Both of us looked at each other and had the same thought: Have people figured out where the garden is already?!

Astonishingly, the woman introduced herself as a Storey granddaughter. They had just come from the wedding of her niece at the Storey-designed chapel of Epiphany Episcopal Church in the neighborhood. She has memories of the house, and because they live in Virginia and don't get out here very often, wanted to take a look. We invited them to sit down and have a glass of wine, and we chatted happily for an hour, when they had to return to the church for the reception. Of course they knew nothing of the magazine piece, so we sent them away with two copies to share with cousins and great-grandchildren.

(On July 10) we hosted several more of the clan who loved seeing the house and garden, and told more stories about their forebears who lived here. What a dream it was for us! Thank you so much for a wonderful article on our place, and for the rest of the very interesting pieces on the other extraordinary gardens. We will cherish this.

Noel Angell, Seattle

Feeling very blue

I enjoyed the "Enter, the Blue Period" article in Pacific Northwest magazine (Taste, June 12). I have been acquiring and refining a taste in blue cheeses over the past several years and wanted to share my favorite blue cheese — the Roaring Forties blue from Australia (which I have only been able to find in this area at Whole Foods Markets in Seattle and Bellevue). This cheese has more character than any other blue I've tried, and is not for the faint-of-heart (or tongue). To borrow a wine descriptor, it has the longest "finish" of any cheese I've ever tasted . . . and is a perfect accompaniment for a big, bold Australian shiraz.

Joe McCarthy, Woodinville