As many people have noticed over the last few years, there aren’t anywhere near as many sea stars around as there used to be. Beaches that were home to hundreds of stars now maybe have a dozen or perhaps none at all. This mass death of sea stars has been caused by an illness called […]
water
Posted inFeatured, Garden
Private Spaces in the Garden
“More than anything else, a garden is a portal, a passage into another world, one of your own thoughts and your making; it is whatever you want it to be and you are what you want to be.” ~ William Longgood Creating your own private space in your garden is something you may not have […]
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
Poulsbo’s Fish Park — A Study in Community Leadership
In my 25 years of public life, I have come to believe that community leadership is the key to a good community. Leaders create positive change. This was proven true again in 2002, when a very small group of civic leaders decided to work with the city to save a 13-acre site near downtown Poulsbo. […]
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
The Sentinel of Yesteryear Still Beckons Visitors
Long before American ports became a major part of a burgeoning transportation industry — and before roads became as common as Northwest rain — Puget Sound was a bustling maritime throughway. The gateway to Puget Sound for all the ships too large to enter Deception Pass was Admiralty Inlet, where the Point No Point shoal […]
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
Best Friends Build Wherry for Good Cause
This beautiful wineglass wherry was built by Vaughn resident Frank Garratt and his friend, Buzz Bowman, of Annapolis, MD. The two high school friends decided to do a project together when they retired. The 14-foot, two-station, classic rowing skiff was designed by Pygmy Boats of Port Townsend. Many Key Peninsula residents helped out with the […]
Posted inBlog, The Outdoors
NOAA’s West Sound buoys help us learn about winds, weathers and general Sound health
NOAA, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, part of the U. S. Department of Commerce, has deployed many distinctive, yellow data-gathering buoys globally. Six of them, all technically owned and managed by the University of Washington for NOAA, are located in Puget Sound. Five of those are in our West Sound region. Here’s a list […]
Posted inBlog, The Outdoors
Stranded or Sleeping? What to Do if You Find a Harbor Seal on the Beach
From late June to early September, harbor seals all over the Puget Sound are giving birth to their young. While these fuzzy, Bambi-eyed babies are drop-dead adorable, it is extremely important that beach visitors give these little friends a lot of space. If you happen upon any seals while strolling down your local beach, do […]
Posted inBlog, The Outdoors
Pigeon Guillemot — the Whistler
There is at least one bird that really whistles. Most of the time, when you hear what sounds like a whistling bird, it is air passing through its feathers when it flies. This “whistler” is a small, black bird seen on Northwest waters all year. The pigeon guillemot’s vocal endeavor has been described as a […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, The Outdoors
How Long is Truly Our West Sound Coastline? It’s a Bit of a Paradox
By simply using prominent points around the peninsula and measuring by the mile, the Coastal Zone Atlas of Washington (a product of the Washington State Department of Ecology) says the coastline of Kitsap County is 246 miles, Mason County’s 218 miles and Pierce County’s 232 miles. But the eastern half of Pierce would not be […]