So, you find dandelions to be less than dandy, knotweed has you in knots, and you’ve lost your patience with purslane. Some advice: If you can’t beat ’em, eat ’em. These plants and many other so-called “weeds” are actually tasty and good for you. Numerous plants that people consider to be weeds are actually not. […]
Richard Walker
Richard Walker is a journalist and mariner. He is the author of "Point No Point" (2019, Arcadia Publishing) and author, co-author or editor of four other books. He and his wife, Molly, share a Craftsman-style home with their black Lab, Mowita, and two cats.
Posted inHome
The Ol’ Garage Door — From Functional to Smart and Classy
National Curb Appeal Month (apparently, it’s a thing) was in August, and this year the focus was on garage doors. And for good reason. Once the sole domain of the family car, today’s garage serves a multitude of purposes. People play in them, work in them, store belongings in them, keep supplies in them. The […]
Posted inFeatured
An Evening Fit for a President
Americans vote on Nov. 3 for the president of the United States — the 59th presidential election since George Washington was elected in 1788. Celebrate this quadrennial occasion by hosting a dinner party fit for a president, featuring food, libations and pastimes enjoyed by our chief executives. Besides getting to know our presidents on a […]
Posted inHome
How to Become a Barbecue Master
It’s summer. That means long days, fun outings, get-togethers with family and friends — and, of course, barbecue. Mmmmm, barbecue: bold, smoky, sweet, tangy. The flavors are as much a part of summer memories as the smell of fresh-cut lawn and the feel of beach sand under the feet. But before you break out the […]
Posted inHome
Take Your Kitchen Out of Doors
An outdoor kitchen can be a stylish and comfortable space that makes the out-of-doors a functional part of your home. Designed with all seasons in mind, it can be a comfortable gathering and dining place in spring, summer, fall and winter. And, according to a report by Zillow, an outdoor kitchen can bump up the […]
Posted inGarden
Day Trip — The Region’s Finest Self-Guided Garden Tours
There is no such thing as a new idea, Mark Twain said. “We simply take a lot of old ideas, give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations.” Kitsap County is the home of several botanical wonders — among them Albers Vista in Bremerton, Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island and Heronswood in […]
Posted inHome
The Family Room — Home Theater and More
Those wireless devices and the flat-screen TV you own are pretty cool, but your grandparents and great-grandparents were pretty cool in their day too. In the early 1900s, they listened to the top pop tunes of the day on the technological marvel of the time, the phonograph. (Shoppers checking out the Edison Phonograph in 1906 […]
Posted inPeople & Places
From Backyard Game to International Sport
The fastest-growing sport in America was developed one rainy day on Bainbridge Island when some bored teens were sent outside to play on a badminton court with some paddles and a perforated ball. It was the genesis of pickleball. And since its simple birth as a backyard game, pickleball has evolved into an organized sport […]
Posted inHome
America’s Outdoor Living Room is Back — The Allure of the Front Porch
One of the best, most succinct explanations of the appeal of the American front porch comes from an Englishman — actor and editor Dan Stevens — who wrote in the online literary magazine The Junket: “The good ol’ American front porch seems to stand for positivity and openness; a platform from which to welcome or […]