Leaves falling. Crisp days and often stiff nights with much cooler air temps. It’s raining again. Moving air is no longer just a breeze but an outright wind. The sun seems to spend a few hours paralleling the horizon then dips out of … read more

In December, night comes earlier, temperatures are colder and lights cast halos in the mist. Sounds are muffled as people file off the Kingston ferry, mesmerized by the iridescent world of exotic sea creatures and spellbinding aquatic gardens, all made out of tiny … read more

This isn’t about the design of a new garden; this is all about an existing one. As the garden ever changes, much can be said about how it grows and develops character. Then there are the spaces that do not age gracefully; the … read more

In the 1980s I worked for the Tacoma Park District at the W.W. Seymour Conservatory and at the Point Defiance Greenhouses. We had a little gift shop at the conservatory with plants for sale. Occasionally we would get a customer who wanted advice … read more

Picture your kitchen counter. Is it a dumping ground for mail, backpacks, briefcases, coupons and family messages that usually get lost in the shuffle? Do you yearn for a serene, organized location to store frequently used items, house grubby shoes and to act … read more

Each year, thousands of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) return from feeding in the open ocean to the stream they hatched three to five years earlier. In Gig Harbor, the chum salmon migration takes place in the late fall and early winter, long after … read more

More than 50 women gathered for a British high tea in Gig Harbor in June — not just for a fun afternoon but also for a good cause. The Royal Ascot Northwest Style, in its second year, raised money for Haller, an international … read more

Sisters Jean Boyle and Bethany McDonald live in Suquamish just a short walk from each other. They are often mistaken for twins but one is actually older than the other by nearly two years. McDonald has gardened in Suquamish for 35 years, but … read more

A constricted waterfront lot. Complicated drain field regulations. Dreams of an elegant yet budget-conscious home. Hardly a job for the average architect. What the owners of this construction conundrum at the mouth of Fletcher Bay needed was a puzzle master, and they found … read more