ordering drinks, talking, laughing, and having a great time. All the tables are full - some with animated conversations, some quiet, and others have a single person lingering over their morning coffee while reading on a laptop. The sultry scent of coffee lingers over the eager crowd. 

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In an instant someone emerges to stand in the center of the multitude without anyone noticing. A familiar sound cue raises your antennas. What is that sound you wonder? A low pitched silky vibration followed by a resonance that flows like charismatic rolling thunder emanates throughout the room. Louder with more power, it seems like someone actually may be singing an opera song. Within seconds the murmurs of the room transition to the pin drop quiet of a movie theatre that has just started the previews. And indeed that is exactly the scene.

 

What just took place was a barista slipped out from behind the counter, stood in the middle of the crowd, then belted out a dreamlike, one song performance. Applause and hoots erupt at the end, and Margaret quietly walks back behind the counter and resumes making espresso. This is one of the many stories of Yellow Wood and I am so thankful for people like Margaret who brought joy to many with her beautiful voice and presence.

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Hi there! My name is Mike Duensing and I’m glad you stopped by. My wife and I owned a coffee, tea, and wine cafe called Yellow Wood for many years in beautiful California. We served world class coffee and wine, and feel privileged to serve an amazing community in an inviting experience during that time.

 

Many who have tasted coffee from Yellow Wood ask me how they can make such a rich, flavorful cup of coffee at home. Usually the questions include wanting to know what coffee, equipment, recipes, where to buy, etc. After many emails and conversations of passing this information along to people who asked, I decided to create a place online to show anyone how to create deep, full-bodied coffee each time they make it.

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I am a perfectionist in the pursuit of remarkable coffee taste that is just right, so my hope is that as you follow my instructions you will easily be able to wake up each morning to an amazing cup of coffee to start your day with just a little more joy.

 

One last thing - in case you are wondering why we named the cafe “Yellow Wood Coffee and Tea”, the name was inspired by the poem “The Road Not Taken” by the American poet Robert Frost. In the poem he ponders a divergence in a hiking trail that morphs into two paths leading through a forest. He calls it a yellow wood because of the brilliant color show sprawling from the dense display of autumn leaves in the forest before him. One of the paths beneath his weathered leather boots is wider than the other, and well worn because of its inordinate use. Presumably that is the trail that most people take at this particular fork in the path. I don’t think this is the first time he has pondered this segue.

 

The adjacent split in the trail leads down a much narrower path that is overgrown with foliage. He concludes that the latter path is the one not many people take. Yet why not go down that path? Certainly it must be riskier, more uncertain, and perhaps dangerous. It definitely is not the “sure thing”, since obviously everyone is going the other way. The well-worn path is probably the way to go. In the end he takes the the former, less traveled path, and declares that this is the one that made a markable difference, and he was glad for it.

 

Walking through the Yellow Wood in the poem depicts how Lauren and I have been walking through life together. We have never desired to do anything because “that’s what others normally do.” Taking the less worn path doesn’t have to be something big. Most often it is something quite small. It can be approaching someone at an event that no one else seems to want to talk to. Or becoming a friend to someone that isn’t “cool” in the eyes of others. Or giving time or money to serve others in need. Or investing yourself in areas that build relationships instead of buying more things for yourself, or upgrading your car, or working every weekend on your home. Seeking adventure in getting outdoors and enjoying nature and fitness is also a key attribute. Yellow Wood became the name that would capture this spirit.

 

Anyways, now you know a little about who we are. I hope you enjoy the information on the Yellow Wood site!

 

All the best,

-Mike