Mountain Lions (Puma Concolor) Here kitty, kitty. Not really, but mountain lions are actually closely related to domestic cats. But when hungry, they can also prey on and eat domestic cats, so keep your cats safely indoors, at least during the hours of dusk to morning light. Most people call them cougars or mountain lions […]
outdoors
Posted inGarden
Debbie Teashon’s Rainy Side Garden
Jefferson Beach photographer, writer and gardener Debbie Teashon personifies the term “rainy side gardener,” which happens also to be the name of her popular website. Teashon lived in Marysville on the east side of Puget Sound and had a successful photography career, along with writing for a Canadian publication. She frequently visited the Kitsap Peninsula. […]
Posted inGarden
Hummingbirds of Winter are not The Same
Hummingbirds may appear dainty because of their diminutive size, but these dazzling visitors to local gardens are bursting with energy. And they need to refuel often to maintain their dizzying blur of activity. But those who love hummingbirds are always sad when the birds leave for the winter. Or do they? Devoted hummingbird fans are […]
Posted inGarden
Get The Dirt — On Home Gardening
Castor canadensis Castor canadensis (beavers) are the largest rodents on our continent. They can be 3 to 4 feet long from head to the tip of their paddle-shaped tails and stand a foot tall at the shoulders. Their front feet (with claws for digging and grasping) and back, webbed feet are perfectly adapted for their […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Fly Fishing With the Reel Girls
The scene at Titlow Park in Tacoma attracts a few curious glances. Eleven women are spread out across the lawn, fly rods in hand, practicing their roll casts, false casts and presentation casts. The instruction this day is provided by Judy Graham, an energetic, patient tutor and expert casting instructor, who periodically calls the group […]
Posted inFood & Entertainment
Local Foodies Dish About Picnics
AMY IGLOI Amy Igloi is a well-known figure in the Port Orchard community. For the past seven years, she’s owned and managed Amy’s on the Bay, just steps from the waterfront in Port Orchard. What are your three favorite places for picnics on the Kitsap Peninsula? Belfair State Park, Scenic Beach State Park and Manchester […]
Posted inFood & Entertainment
An Outdoor Kitchen Paradise: For the King of The Grill
It’s perhaps the most lavish setup ever designed for a smoker banished from the house. Oh sure, Carl likes to barbecue any time of year on his deluxe stainless-steel gas grill and to entertain guests seated on swivel stools at the black-granite countertops flanking the grill. But the genesis for creating the covered patio and […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Heronswood — Springing Back to Life
Heronswood Gardens in Kingston is springing back to life like the Phoenix rising from the ashes. In 2012, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe purchased the former 15-acre Heronswood Garden and Nursery site in auction from W. Atlee Burpee. In November 2012 a small band of former Heronistas (the name for the much-loved employees of the […]
Posted inGarden
By the Light of the Silvery Moon
A garden can be a magical place after dark. As the sun wanes in the sky, subtle evening light begins to illuminate the garden in a completely new way. Flowers and foliage add a new dimension to a garden when caught by the light of a full moon. Moonlight gardens are not meant to do […]