She’s definitely the island’s small-biz matriarch. The Berry Patch Kitchen Store turned a half century old last year, and Jane Pomeroy, the longest-continuous solo owner of a Bainbridge Island retail shop, has been present ever since — unpacking boxes, rearranging displays and assisting … read more

SunDog Ranch received its occupancy permit five days before the COVID-19 lockdown began. Dean and Sherri Church, owners of Liberty Bay Auto, were both delighted and shocked to find themselves virtually home alone with their two teenage sons. Where did the contractors go? … read more

Bainbridge Island needs no introduction to Peggy Brunton. She is a favorite local artist whose lush, expressive canvases of acres of flowers, rowboats and water, bicycles and pies, gardens and wild bouquets record the emotional life of a magical island. She is also … read more

Cancelled vacations. Postponed honeymoons. Delayed holidays. This is how we will remember 2020. Travel plans all for naught. As this most-memorable year draws closer to an end, it might be the right time to plan a close-to-home getaway. A weekend or longer that … read more

Christmas starts in October at Ann Ryan’s home on Oyster Bay. That’s when she hauls out the boxes and boxes of holiday decorations she’s collected over the years and starts decking the halls of the 100-year-old home. Ryan’s collection includes Christmas-themed paintings, dozens … read more

Yes, there is a Santa Claus. He lives on the Key Peninsula when he is not at the North Pole tending his reindeer or supervising the elves in the toy shop. His “Ho! Ho! Ho!” is most convincing, and he has a bag … read more

Don and Nancy Davenport have always hung Christmas lights on the front of their house, which is situated at the end of a long driveway on a cul-de-sac in Gig Harbor. “Because our house sits back so far from the street, hardly anyone … read more

The way people work and conduct business has evolved from a traditional, brick-and-mortar platform (think factories and office buildings) to a less structured, more fluid environment. Many can now establish an office or workspace anywhere in the world and still conduct their business … read more

Garden books are often dry and read more like an encyclopedia. Yet not so with Ciscoe Morris’ book, “Oh, La La!: Homegrown Stories, Helpful Tips, and Garden Wisdom.” Well known for the tales he peppers into his garden talks, Morris has a talent … read more