Lynn and Jim McIntyre’s garden is a bird sanctuary. Cedar waxwings visit each year to feed on red elderberry fruit. Nuthatches hop along the trunks of trees looking for insects. Pileated woodpeckers tear apart rotting wood in search of a meal, and sapsuckers riddle the ghostly birch trees with rows of sap-filled holes. Chattery flocks […]
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Posted inHome
A North Kitsap Barn Raising
Hunter Thompson had a dream. In his imagination was the perfect house, one of space and light and comfort. His house would be timber-framed with the homespun understatement and straightforward lines of a domestic barn. It would incorporate the highest quality materials and systems. Above all, it would be a passion project, handmade by Thompson; […]
Posted inAt Home
How to Make Your Own Small-Batch Sauerkraut
When thinking of food preservation, many people have visions of some big-production, time-consuming project with dozens of jars to fill with pounds and pounds of produce. But that doesn’t have to be the case. The first thing most people say to me, after expressing a desire to learn to ferment or preserve something, is, “But […]
Posted inHome
The Bungalow is Back
Walk into Wayne and Anne Blair’s Poulsbo bungalow and it could be 1918 rather than 2018. True to the aesthetic of the Arts and Crafts era, their home features a river-rock fireplace with a mantel shelf made of old-growth maple; stone countertops and tile backsplashes; wood doors and trim throughout; three-over-one window sashes that frame […]
Posted inGarden
Putting Down Roots in ‘Plant Paradise’
When Don and Lenore Lynch moved to Kitsap County from Pasco, Eastern Washington, about 10 years ago, they each began a gardening love affair. Lenore, with a strong design background, was swept away by the wondrously greater plant palette of foliage and flower, color and texture that thrives here. Don, a scientist, embraced the coastal […]
Posted inPeople & Places
Local Indie Feed Stores Still Making Their Mark in World of Growing Competition
Stroll around the grounds of Bay Hay & Feed on Bainbridge Island and you get the sense of walking back in time. It’s like visiting an old-fashioned country store, with a modern twist. There’s a nursery and greenhouse, filled with about every plant and tree imaginable. There’s live stock and pet supplies, dog and cat […]
Posted inAround West Sound
Is an Early College Application Right for Your High School Senior?
For many students, now is the time when their college lists have started to take shape. They’ve (hopefully) gotten ahead with their college essays, and now they’re sorting out one of the final pieces of the application puzzle: deadlines. After dedicating so much effort to deciding where to apply, it can be difficult to find […]
Posted inGarden
Permaculture Garden Becomes Museum of Edible Trees
In the middle of Bainbridge Island, there is an unusual garden gem. “This started out as a permaculture project, but mostly I just have a lot of fun with trees,” says Mark Shaffer. In 1978, Shaffer and his wife, Susan, purchased 1908 farmhouse on 5 acres, half wooded and half “old growth scotch broom.” The […]
Posted inFood & Entertainment
The Key Pen Farm Tour and Fiber Arts Show
The Key Peninsula’s two flagship annual events, Farm Tour and Fiber Arts Show, are returning on Oct. 6, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Last year, more than 1,100 people from 46 different ZIP codes were reported at one tour location alone. Expect a family-friendly day filled with music, food, arts and crafts, demonstrations, kids’ activities […]