Issue date: 2/13/08 Section: LIFE

Fry Street may have lost The Tomato, Texas Jive and Mr. Chopsticks, but Michael "E.B." Latimer and his herbal smoking blends are there to stay.
Latimer set up shop on the corner of Fry Street 12 years ago and has been selling his wares in his signature spot ever since.
"I love it here," Latimer said. "It's far enough south that I can street vend in the winter, the cops are pretty laid back and jerks are a definite minority."
On nearly any given night, Latimer can be seen in front of his office - a blue '88 Delta that carries his goods.
He parks in the same spot every night, pulls out a rug that has left a permanent outline on the sidewalk where it lies and sets up a table displaying his herbal concoctions, pipes, incense and massage oils and creams.
Aside from the incense, all of Latimer's goods are homemade.
He creates and mixes all of his herbal blends and even harvests his own herbs when he has the chance.
His massage oils and creams are original recipes and he hollows out acorns to make the bowls for his pipes.
Latimer's herbal blends are his signature ware. He has five mixes, and each one has five to 20 herbs and a special purpose.
The No. 2, called the 'Easy Breathing' mix, is made of white sage, dalmation sage, mullen leaves, bearberry and cavandish and helps with sinus congestion and allergies, he said.
The No. 5, the 'Anti-Stress' mix, helps to relieve stress and tension without affecting focus, he said, and is especially popular around finals time.
"A friend of mine bought one of his blends," Plano junior Kelley Jensen said. "She left it in my car, and when I went home my parents found it and thought it was pot. I got in a lot of trouble."
Though Latimer's blends may resemble illegal herbs, he said he does not sell marijuana, nor does he use it recreationally because he prefers his own blends.
Latimer has been supporting himself by selling these blends on Fry Street but has seen a decline in business since Fry Street's recent destruction.
"A lot of people who used to come out won't come anymore because the sight depresses them," Latimer said.
There are other places, though, where Latimer said his goods remain popular. He travels to Renaissance festivals and pagan retreats where more people "appreciate the herbal arts."
"I used to go to 13 or 14 Renaissance festivals a year," he said. "I only go to about two or three now, but I still love doing it. You drum and dance all night - not necessarily vertically."
Latimer also used to set up his table in Deep Ellum but stopped coming when the clubs started shutting down and the area became less inviting, he said.
"People kept stealing off my table, and one night I saw a guy get knifed for having a $20 bill in his pocket," he said.
Latimer is content to vend in his spot on Fry Street, though he is concerned about the decline in business and said he may be forced to find alternative work. He is no stranger to traditional jobs, though, and has worked for banks, hotels and food service industries in the past.
He also worked as a shepherd and fisherman in Norway, where he lived as an unofficial exchange student at the age of 16.
Though he is prepared to re-enter the work force, he said he would rather get his massage certification so he can use his oils, creams and his special skill of vibrating his hands in a way that reaches deep tissues without inflicting pain, he said.
Until then, Latimer and his herbal blends will remain a staple attraction of Denton.

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