There was no email newsletter last week because we were out of town, making the most of the kids' week off of school. We took our new-to-us RV and visited 6 national parks/monuments, and got to see relatives in Oregon and in Washington. The weather was so nice that the Rim Road was fully open around Crater Lake, we could drive through Lassen, and all the roads in Mount Rainier were still accessible.

Gold leaves greeted us along every river bed and back road, and although a lot of the campgrounds were closed, we were able to find somewhere to stay every night. It was a memorable trip, made even better by the fact that we had no agenda or plan, and weren't even sure we would get beyond Downieville (we had only owned the RV for a week).

Then this week we had the fun of the Downtown Trick or Treat on Wednesday. Our theme was "Neverland," and Peter Pan and Tinkerbell came to visit us in person. Then my kids had two more days off school, so we ran up to Tahoe for a quick extension of our vacation. Archie, Lucy and their parents came too, and we were all entertained by Archie contradicting Caroline's "look at Lake Tahoe!" comment with a "no, it's water, Caroline." They argued about it all weekend, with big smiles on their faces. They also enjoyed riding bikes/scooters around the mostly closed Sugar Pine Point campground, and playing in the water (they're crazy--it's cold!).

Since I didn't get a chance to tell you about last week's featured coffee, we're keeping it around for another week. This is our Fair Trade Organic Nicaragua Segovia. It comes from the Promotora de Desarrollo Cooperativo de Las Segovias (PRODECOOP), an organization with the stated goal (translated) to "contribute to the sustainable improvement of the quality of life of the families of the small and small producers affiliated with PRODECOOP" (see their website here). They have a dry mill for their members to use, and they are able to help with education, business skills, gender equity, and economic improvement for the farmers.

In addition to all that, this is a delicious cup of coffee. It has bold nutty and chocolate flavors, and is easy to drink. You can support small farmers and enjoy your morning brew at the same time: always a good goal.

This week we are featuring someone who has worked for us for 13 years! That milestone came just last week. Our deliveryman, Mike, keeps us all on our toes with his great sense of humor. Enjoy reading his profile, and enjoy this November weekend. And most of all, drink good coffee. Cheers!

--Holly Fike