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January’s snow storm provided a wonderful sledding hill on the road going to the Jefferson Beach Fishing Pier near Kingston Wa.  The sledders were flying down as soon as the road became packed enough for the sleds. Since the road curves and is a good distance from start to finish it was an exhilarating experience for sledders of all ages including moms, dads, kids, and even grandpas. Approximately 6 inches of snow was received in a day long burst of winter weather making a winter wonder land for everyone to enjoy. People seemed to be out all day taking walks, sledding, visiting neighbors, and sharing food. Chili, fresh baked corn bread and hot chocolate were enjoyed in our neighborhood, especially by the youngsters who worked up enormous appetites dragging their sleds up the hills. Our local children slept especially well that night.

 

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The monochromatic scenery supplied a dramatic backdrop for even amateur photographers.

Jefferson Beach in the winter

 

Yacht Club Broiler

A January morning breakfast at the Yacht Club Broiler in Silverdale Wa was just the way to brighten a dreary blustery winter day. We enjoyed  roast beef hash with eggs, scones and coffee laced with a little Baileys to warm us. Yummy!

yacht club broiler

The perfect picture of our Northwest winter weather can be seen from the deck of the Yacht Club Broiler.  Dare say this is the weather that makes us enjoy chowder, bread and coffee.

A flock of Mallards were enjoying the winter weather at the Silverdale Waterfront Park. It was quite evident the weather suits them just fine. Guess our weather is for the birds.

silverdale park

gulls

 

Boutique

One of the new shops in Poulsbo Wa is the Good Looks Boutique. Anita opened the charming store about 6 months ago and has filled it with clothes, jewelry, vintage goods, and tea.

Pearl Collection

Anita has a collection of pearls that is quite appealing.

Good Looks

Her displays are beautiful, the shop is pleasantly organized, and the merchandise is varied and appealing to all ages.

Good Looks

tea for sale

Anita sells Tea Forte, which is a line of tea with wonderful exotic flavors and exquisite packaging. These teas make beautiful and enjoyable gifts for any tea lover.

box of tea

forte tea box

While in Poulsbo drop in for a visit with Anita and enjoy her shop and wonderful collection of merchandise. Be sure and tell her you saw her shop on Kitsap Now!

 

 

valley nursery trees

Christmas is in full swing at Valley Nursery in Poulsbo Wa. They have a generous selection of trees that can also be planted after the Christmas holiday is over.

 

valley nursery wreaths

Beautiful wreaths abound, but the hanging evergreen arrangements were my favorite.

make your own wreath

For those wanting a “hands on wreath making experience”, Valley Nursery provides all of the supplies for you to make and decorate your own.

gifts valley nursery

The gift shop is chocked full of seasonal gifts and well as an abundant selection of gardening supplies and books.

garden decor

valley nursery

While you are visiting and shopping, take a walk around to enjoy all of the plants and of course the beautiful water feature.

valley nursery

 

 

Judy Odell Kingston WA

Judy Odell was born and raised in the Northwest, consequently she is naturally drawn to the sea.  She has an incredible view of Puget Sound from her home and in recent years has discovered sport fishing by casting her line from her own beach on Puget Sound.  Her abstracts, seascapes, landscapes, sea birds and brightly colored florals, for which she is nationally acclaimed, represent the abundance and color of the West Coast.

Judy Odell giclee

One of my favorites of Judy Odell’s giclees is of the old cabins that used to be on the beach in front of her home. Of course they are gone now and new large Puget Sound homes are in their place but her art captures a sense of what life used to be in our region.  “The camera records realism much more accurately than the artist could, but it is the artist’s task to improve on realism by leaving something to the imagination of the viewer.”  She definitely achieves her goal!

The original of “Beach Shacks” hangs in the Edmonds Library and is included in the City of Edmonds Wa. permanent collection.

Skipjacks giclee by Judy Odell

 

Pt No Pt poster and giclee

The Point No Point Lighthouse painting was used for the poster for the Lighthouse Society.  Judy Odell thanks Jeff Gales, Director of the U.S. Lighthouse Society,  for encouraging her to paint her Point No Point Lighthouse painting and for using it for the US. Lighthouse commerative poster.  The painting was later donated to The Friends of the Point No Point Lighthouse and was raffled this past summer to raise funds for the preservation of the lighthouse. The Point No Point Lighthouse in Hansville, Wa is headquarters of the United States Lighthouse Society.

Springtime giclee by Judy Odell

The “Springtime” giclee is a large 36″ x 48″ and was used for the poster for the Kitsap Arts and Crafts Festival in 2011. Judy is working in coordination with their scholarship fund. The original was painted in 1984 and won first prize in the Kitsap Arts and Crafts Festival that year.   Nordstrom had asked artists for paintings for window displays and this one was chosen and displayed with shoes of all the colors in the painting. Wouldn’t that have been a site to see!

Judy Odell paints in an impressionistic style in oil, watercolor and acrylic. She has studied with the great Russian artist, Sergei Bongart and with John Solminen, an internationally acclaimed watercolorist. Judy is a long-standing member of the Seattle Co-Arts, International Society of Acrylic Painters, San Diego Watercolor Society, and the Pt. Loma Artists Assn.

Judy Odell At Home

“Artists never retire. That is why we are so happy. The days are not long enough and there is so much out there to paint.”

Visit Judy at her web site or contact her for a commission or purchase. www.judyodell.com/Site/Welcome.html

Or visit her blog http://judyodell.blogspot.com/

 


 

 

 

 

 

grand pianos

I was fortunate to make a visit to Langlois Pianos in East Bremerton.  5959 State Highway 303 NE, Suite 101, Bremerton Wa. to be exact.  Langlois Pianos, in business since 1865, is the oldest family-run business in the state of Washington. Ira Langlois III continues his family tradition of making custom hand made Grand Pianos and Upright Pianos.

piano store

In addition to custom hand made Langlois Pianos he also sells Kawai,  Perzina, and others, plus he has an impressive selection of grade “A”  used pianos.

pianos

beautiful piano

piano interior

This is a gorgeous Samick Millennium Revolution Grand Piano in showroom condition with a Bubinga polish finish that completely captured my eye. What a beauty!!

Ira playing piano

Here is Ira tickling the old ivories for me on a Langlois Piano.  The sound was captivating with richness and fullness. For a description of what goes into the production of a hand made Langlois Piano go to this link on Ira’s web site.

www.langloispiano.com/c/LL/Langlois+%26+Sons.html

Check out this utube video of  Marina Lashkul playing a Langlois Piano. This can give you an idea of the sound of a Langlois Piano and also a brief introduction to Marina’s beautiful playing.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiYgZHiuoW8

hand made piano

music books

Langlois Pianos carries the widest selection of sheet music and instructional materials/books in the region.  I was amazed at the variety and breadth of the selection of books Ira presents.

more music books

books on music

Langlois Pianos lists a portion of their selection on their web site and they also do special orders.

www.langloispiano.com/c/SM/Sheet+Music.html

Ira in store

So next time you are in East Bremerton, or want to schedule a visit, Ira would love to help you in your search for “the perfect piano for you”.  His family history is quite extensive and an asset to our local area and lore.  Or if you are simply in the mood for some new sheet music or music instruction he is definitely the man to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Legion Park Poulsbo, WA

The American Legion Park of Poulsbo Wa is located just off Front Street.  It can also be accessed at the north end of the Boardwalk at the Liberty Bay Park  on the waterfront.

This is a shot of the boardwalk connecting the two parks.  It is a very safe boardwalk and perfectly maintained for accommodating baby strollers, toddlers, walkers of all ages, and even bicycles (except for the overcrowding factor).

This great boardwalk offers an enjoyable view of Liberty Bay.

This photo was taken exiting off the boardwalk into the park.

The biking trails are  especially good for younger riders practicing their skills.

There are several little private beach areas which are wonderful for children or intimate conversations.

Plus there are larger open areas, picnic tables, restroom  and a playground. Birds are abundant here so bird watching would be favorable.

Check out this great little park next time you are looking for something to do in Poulsbo or take a shopping break from the downtown, relax for awhile and have a picnic!

 

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This is the checkout  at the Clear Creek Nursery and Produce Stand in Poulsbo Wa.

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These pots greet you and indicate the entrance into the fencing wall used to distinguish and protect the nursery.  It is located on the corner of Hostmark and Hwy 305, and is a satellite nursery of the main Clear Creek Nursery in Silverdale, Wa.

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This charming little nursery has lots of plants, pots, and garden decor.  The lady working at the nursery is most helpful and has a fantastic knowledge of their inventory.

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It also has an interesting selection of homemade relishes, jams, canned fruit, pickles, and even pickled eggs. They are Made in Washington and look absolutely delicious. I purchased beets from the produce section and came away determined to make my own pickled beets. The jars of canned goods were so wonderful that I was encouraged to give it a try.

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Next time you drive past the intersection, swing on in and give some support to this fledgling business.  We want them to stay and expand.  Given the depth of inventory and beauty of the Clear Creek Nursery in Silverdale, they are certainly capable of providing an outstanding new business to Poulsbo.

 

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On the Summer Solstice this year Mother Nature gave us the most incredible whole day of gorgeous summer weather.  The Port of Kingston Marina was fantastic with Mount Rainier shining in the background.  Even the commuters unloading from the ferry were strolling, not hurrying.

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This sign in this summer weather probably made golfers long to be on the golf course.  That Kingston Rotary event must have done quite well with a large turnout.  The White Horse Golf Club is beautiful and offers a  free Edmonds/Kingston Golf Shuttle for golfers coming from the other side of Puget Sound.  The Pro Shop is open seven days a week and you can reserve your tee times online.

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These beautiful periwinkle colored flowers are in the planter at the Port of Kingston Marina.  Does anyone know what they are?

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The  Fishing Pier at Jefferson Beach outside of Kingston was another place to capture the shining Mount Rainier on the solstice.

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These flowers seemed to be an exuberant expression of summer.

 

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Indianola Wa pier and beach at low tide.  This is a public fishing pier, a dive spot to an underwater wreck,  and a great beach to walk children and dogs, plus it has a long history for being a desirable place to dock all kinds of boats.

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The tide flats are prominent in this very minus tide.

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Looking across Agate Pass Bridge with Bainbridge Island on the left.

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Here are some fun stairs to the beach.  Imagine packing picnic supplies or beach toys up and down.  Whew!

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Here is an old and very worn rope swing.  It is easy to imagine all the fun this worn out swing has seen in better days!

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This house on the beach is so fascinating because it is RIGHT THERE on the beach.  No one is allowed to build like that anymore.  Can you imagine the thrill of being in this house during one of our winter storms?  It would truly be dramatic.

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Looking out across the very long pier is rather amazing.  A great place to take kids and do a little fishing.

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Looking back from the pier at the little town of Indianola.  The famous Indianola Country Store is just on the left after one exits off the pier. This little store is an active neighborhood hangout which serves sandwiches, snacks and carries an excellent array of merchandise to save residents a trip to a neighboring town such as Kingston or Poulsbo. The owners are friendly and offer great service.  Fun to get a coffee and walk the beach.

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Fantastic fun play day for dogs on the beach.  Life doesn’t get much better than this!

 

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This is serious business!  This construction began sometime near the middle to the end of March and at this point is totally a “construction zone”.  Apparently business owners have had to deal with noise and an extreme amount of dust.

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The construction zone runs up the whole of the Winslow Way business district.

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Needless to say the downtown merchants will be glad when this is all over.  Some businesses have moved or closed rather that try to weather the drop in sales.  The latest news is that the completion date is sometime in July.  Our sympathies go out to the business owners along Winslow Way as an interruption of this magnitude in a down economy is hard.  Of course they are all looking to the future. With spring and summer coming on and the construction finishing, things will start looking up and new exciting businesses will surely open.  One has to look to the future in this type of situation.

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One extremely charming area has developed as a result of this construction and that is the outdoor cafe set up on Madrone Lane.  Love the apple green umbrellas!

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Public parking is available in the gravel lot accessible through the City Hall lot.  There is a 3 hour limit, which is enough time for a meal or shopping.  Give Bainbridge a boost and the merchants a perk by doing a little shopping and eating there!  Can’t beat the Blackbird Bakery for a wonderful latte and dessert!

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