My Small Town Strolls - Part Two

A Post Office Promenade

The humble building pictured above houses the Tieton Post Office, the beating heart of daily activity in zip code 98947. Every morning at 9 am except weekends and holidays, the small, side-entry door to the office lobby opens, so residents can begin sending their cards, letters, and packages out to the wider world. But instead of trying to navigate a way through the surly and impatient treatment that Big City postal clerks often project towards customers, visitors to Tieton’s post office are often surprised to encounter only kind and knowledgeable postal employees who go out of their way to provide individual attention for every resident’s mailing needs. This personal touch is especially important for Tieton’s Spanish-speakers, because they are sometimes hesitant to speak English.

I understand how challenging it can be to learn a language other than my own, and for the last several months I’ve been trying to revive my previous, near-fluent Spanish language skills back to a more useful and comfortable level. I’ve now initiated a dedicated personal study technique that will accelerate this language-learning process forward even more: on my “Art Nun Strolls” through town, I always make it a point to greet or chat briefly with my Spanish language neighbors for ongoing fun, enlightenment, and practice. 

Behind the Scenes at the Tieton Post Office

During one of my recent visits to the post office, I greeted an older woman who was waiting in line at the front counter. It only took a few words from me, in Spanish, to set a calm and attentive tone to help generate the ensuing exchange of information. After my initial inquiry, she immediately responded with a wide smile and a colorful story of her previous life in Mexico as a younger woman. 

The postal clerk on duty behind the counter took note of this brief conversation, and when the Spanish speaker completed her mailing and left the lobby, the clerk took me me aside and told me that I should seriously consider applying for a job at the Tieton post office! She carefully described the perks that would accompany this opportunity: easy hours combined with good pay and benefits, including vacations, and a chance to lend assistance to Spanish speakers, while improving my own Spanish at the same time. Since I lived only a three-minute walk from my nearby loft to the Post Office, to her it seemed like a perfect fit. 

Unfortunately, I had to decline the job opportunity, since it would be incompatible with the nearly full-time work I do with my art and writing projects. Additionally, as I explained: 

I am terrible with numbers, and don’t feel comfortable multitasking under pressure!

But I thanked the clerk for her faith in my abilities, then remembered the part about the “good pay and benefits,” she had mentioned. Maybe next year? 

I’ll keep you posted.

The Eccentric “Artiste” Stops By

Tieton post office clerks sell stamps, boxes, padded mailers and packing tape. They also provide secure lockers for package pick up, and honor requests to hold mail when residents are out of town. But best of all for an "artiste" like me, after several years of ongoing interactions, the friendly clerks now recognize me, and don’t mind following my recommendations for placing my beautiful, artistic postage stamps in just the “right” places on letters and packages, to ensure that the mailings will appear uncluttered and elegant. As an old friend who taught The Philosophy of Mathematics at Oxford once reminded me:

You’re an artist, and you’re supposed to be weird!

It's a comfort to know that the clerks behind the Tieton post office counter appreciate and accept me as I am. As a final customer service flourish that they can fulfill on request, clerks will hand-cancel the stamps on my mail, using a vintage metal press that says, “From the Top of the Valley,” which is the official City of Tieton slogan. My Art Nun Journal subscribers and patrons always enjoy receiving these unconventional “special delivery” mailings:

Familiar Faces on my Small Town Strolls

In the past several weeks as I’ve continued my Small Town Strolls through Tieton, I’ve enjoyed initiating friendly chats with sole proprietors, post office employees, and members of family-owned establishments who generate so much warmth and goodwill exchange in our town. Since many of Tieton’s larger businesses have already received extensive coverage in Yakima’s mainstream newspaper or the glossy, advertisement-filled Yakima Valley official travel guide, in this post, I’m highlighting a few of the people and businesses that are not well-known outside of Tieton.

Nikki’s Café

Located diagonally across the corner from the Tieton post office, Nikki's Café is the place to meet friends and neighbors for a morning “El Jefe” brand coffee, combined with freshly-made scones or heavier fare. Nikki's cortados are the very best in the Upper Valley.

It’s Always “Party Central” at Fernando’s

Every year in early summer, “Tieton Community Days” takes place. This celebration of multiple cultures and traditions that co-exist within Tieton includes a parade of floats, a marching band, and “all ages” activities in the town square, capped off with a lively (and loud!) evening street dance. This year’s Community Days takes place June 5-7, and the celebration is never complete without Fernando’s magical hospitality touch. Advance revelers have likely already reserved several tables on the corner outside his restaurant, accompanied by delicious food and drink, to properly “prepare” for the dance. 

A Family Memoir

Juan Santos wakes up at 5 am every morning except Sundays, to arrive at his bakery and adjacent shop, in time to put the final touches on the display of breads, rolls, sandwiches, and desserts that he offers for sale to his loyal customers.

In this combined profile and memoir, I’ll be sharing some of the extended Santos family history, which I learned through an in-person interview with Juan’s son, Brian. His support work for the family business (interacting with suppliers, tracking incoming deliveries, and more) frees his father to do the work he loves best: 

Baking! Baking! and more Baking!

From their original home in Encarnación de Díaz—a town and municipality located in the far northeast of the state of Jalisco in north-central Mexico—the Santos family has experienced both set-backs and successes on their long and multifaceted journey to a new life in Tieton. 

Juan Santo’s grandparents in Mexico were beekeepers and farmers who collected honey from their hives and also grew corn and beans to sell. When he was 7 years old, Juan combined his early school studies with after-school-hour visits to the local town bakery, where he watched the resident panadero’s techniques and helped out with small, “child-sized” bakery tasks. Little by little, his fascination with baking increased through observation and informal mentorship. When Juan reached the age of 19, he decided to team up with a few other friends to sublet a small bakery on the outskirts of town, where the rent was cheaper. But he and his friends chose a location so far away that hardly anyone ever stopped by to purchase their offerings. Unfortunately, the bakery had to close. 

During the era when visits to the USA and back to Mexico were possible with proper documentation and work permits, several Santos family members began leaving Encarnación de Díaz to arrive in Tieton to find seasonal employment in the many fruit processing warehouses that were open day and night in and around the town. 

After working many long and tiring shifts in the warehouses and saving up their reserves, the Santos family learned through casual conversations with other employees that the only existing bakery in Tieton would soon become available for sale. The offering would include all the previous store’s commercial appliances and non-perishable stock, together with the building itself. Extended family members excitedly pooled their joint financial resources to raise capital for this unusual (and very timely) dream-come-true opportunity. And when the formal papers were finally drawn up and signed, Juan Santos and his family were the elated owners of a well-deserved new bakery and general store.

During my interview with Brian, he relayed to me a story that his dad had told him more than once: in the early days of owning the new business, Juan had to tuck away the store’s daily earnings in a little covered box, because the previous owner had not included the cash register as part of the deal. These days, Juan Santos no longer needs his little box to store money or give out change. His front desk employees are happy to oversee these tasks while chatting with customers. And yes, Juan now owns a real cash register. 

On Saturday morning, June 6, 2026, the date of this post’s publication, Santos Panaderia and Tienda will open as usual at 6:30 am to welcome his regular “early bird” customers, who have already lined up patiently outside to await entry. And when the double doors finally open, they will begin stocking up on fresh fruits and vegetables to take home to their families, along with cheeses, ground spices, and dried chiles. But most importantly, they will seek out the hand-made breads and morning pastries provided by Tieton’s kindly panadero, Juan Santos, who learned baking skills on his own, and now offers the following wise encouragement to everyone he knows:

¡Si, se pueden! (Yes, you can!)
    — Juan Santos

A Final Addendum

To visually illustrate the nostalgic “flavor” of small town life that still exists in Tieton, I’m ending today’s post with a short video clip of the beloved mobile ice cream truck that regularly visits Tieton. The truck’s owner makes the 30 minute drive—all the way from Yakima—to offer ice cream and fruit popsicles to Tieton’s children at the end of the day, next to the local city playground. The video features an impromptu appearance by the well-known local artist Trimpin, who enthusiastically conducts the truck’s enticing, kid-friendly, musical refrain, for all to enjoy.