Members of the Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club (AGYC) are eagerly anticipating their opening events of the season, which begin in April (which starts just next week! Can you believe it?)

Specifically, the Ladies’ Club of the Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club will be having their opening event, Spring Swing, on April 1st at 10 a.m. No fooling!

Spring Swing is a nine-hole scramble which also includes cards, bridge, lunch, and lots of fun.

The Men’s Club will have its first meeting of the season on April 2nd, followed by 18 holes of golf. I’ll be posting more about the Men’s Club on April 1st, so be sure to check back for all the details.

These events are open to members of the Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club, and one really great way to become a member is to buy a house from Alderbrook Properties! If you haven’t checked out their beautiful, semi-custom homes lately, you can find some pictures here.

Or stop by the office and take a tour of some finished or partially finished homes. I think you’ll like what you see!

I confess … I like listening to the radio stations that play the “oldies” or, as I prefer to call them, the “classics.” I will also confess to occasionally watching those cheesy, late-night TV commercials advertising all those great collections of hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Why? Because the music just makes me feel good. It brings back memories from early (let me emphasize EARLY!) childhood and beyond. Call me old-fashioned, but I like music with intelligible words, melodic tunes, and pleasant harmonies. (Just don’t call me old!)

If you also enjoy the “classics,” then you won’t want to miss the special Music on the Hill Community Concert featuring the Annas Bay Chorale on Sunday, March 30th at 2 p.m. at the North Mason United Methodist Church in Belfair. For this program (“Happy Together: Family-Friendly Classic Rock of the 60s, 70s and 80s), the Annas Bay Chorale will be previewing selections from their Spring Concert, with selections taken from the music of Bread, Dan Fogelberg, Simon & Garfunkel, and others.
 
The Music on the Hill Community Concerts are presented monthly as a free gift to the community. It’s a great way to kick back on a Sunday afternoon with the family and enjoy some great, feel-good music with others in the community. So mark your calendars and plan to attend!

By the way, they say confession is good for the soul.  Join me and confess: what’s YOUR favorite music, and why?

Need a fun, family-friendly activity for Easter Sunday afternoon? Check out the North Mason 21st Annual Egg-Stravaganza, held in the meadow by North Bay Mortgage on State Route 3, just north of Belfair Elementary School.

It’s the largest Easter egg hunt on the Olympic Peninsula, featuring over 40,000 plastic eggs filled with candy and over 100 prize tickets. There will be three separate hunts for different age groups, so the little ones don’t get trampled by the bigger kids.

In addition to the Easter Egg Hunt, there will also be a big, blow-up bouncy house for bigger kids, and a smaller house filled with colorful balls for the younger kids, so come early (12 noon) to allow some time for bouncing before the hunts begin. A clown will be available for face-painting (adults are also eligible for this), and of course, the Easter Bunny will be making a visit. After all, what’s an Easter Egg Hunt without the Easter Bunny?

And I haven’t even told you the best part yet … It’s all FREE! You can read more about it at the website for the North Mason Chamber of Commerce.

Due to the ongoing construction of a new clubhouse, the traditional Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club Easter Brunch and Easter Egg Hunt will not be happening this year, so this is a great alternative for families living in the Alderbrook area.

Not a big fan of Easter Egg Hunts? What’s your favorite way to spend Easter?

Residents of Hood Canal who regularly travel along State Route 106 (milepost 14, between Union & Belfair) have been missing something lately: a wooden bear who goes by the name of Ralph Shakesbear. For years, Ralph has entertained travelers by holding various quotes in his paws, quotes like, “My back goes out more than I do” or “Dentists bore me to tears.” To our profound regret, Ralph “retired” in January, and hasn’t been seen since.

Ralph was carved by chainsaw by Pete Merrill, a long-time Hood Canal resident. Mr. Merrill has been responsible for selecting the 2500+ quotes Ralph has held in his paws which have provoked thought and smiles for passers-by since 1991. Mr. Merrill attempted to retire Ralph back in 2006, but public outcry prevented it.

Mr. Merrill has written two fiction books about Ralph: Ralph – Conversations with a Bear and Council of Bears in the Olympic National Park.  You can get an idea about Mr. Merrill’s writing style from his short story, “Foxworthy Pembroke” or “The Bear that went to Bremerton” (Warning: some rough language is alluded to a few times in this story, and so this may not be the best choice for children, or for those adults who prefer to avoid such language).

It looks like Ralph Shakesbear has truly retired this time, so we’ll just quote Ralph’s namesake, William Shakespeare, and say, “Farewell, sweet playfellow” (Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 1 Scene 1) and wish him and Mr. Merrill a satisfying retirement.

Do you have a favorite Ralph quote (or just a favorite quote)? Share it in our comments section.

       Here’s a round up of some events happening right here on the Olympic Peninsula this weekend. If you’re going to be at loose ends on Friday or Saturday, you might consider attending one of these …

On Friday, March 14th, the Admiral Theatre in Bremerton will be featuring a performance by Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a Grammy-winning a capella chorus from South Africa. They sang with Paul Simon on his album, Graceland, and were nominated for two Grammy awards for their 2006 album, “Long Walk to Freedom.” You can see a sample of their work here, and get more information on this performance at the Web site for the Admiral Theatre.

If you’re into gardening, you might be interested in the Sustainable Gardening Workshop with Ann Lovejoy, held all day Saturday, March 15th from 10 am to 4 pm at the Harmony Hill Retreat Center. You can get more information on this at the Harmony Hill Web site.

Saturday night brings a few more options to consider. If you’re in the mood for some more entertainment with an international flair, head back to the Admiral Theatre and enjoy some traditional Irish music with a folk/rock twist by An Dochas, with dancing performed by the Haran Irish Dancers. Check out their performance here.

If your tastes run more toward the classical end of the spectrum, you may prefer to attend the Bremerton Symphony Concert Chorale, performing songs about love and lovers from Brahms, Gershwin, and more. You can get more information about this performance at the Bremerton Symphony’s Web site.

Enjoy! And if you get a chance to attend any of these events, leave your review in our comments section.

My husband got a call a few weeks back from a California-based mortgage lender, wondering if we wanted to refinance our mortgage (we don’t). Over the course of the call, this lender told my husband that, while real estate is down over most of the country, Oregon and Washington communities are still seeing some real estate appreciation, although it has slowed from the double-digit annual gains we had been seeing.

When you combine this fact with the recent IRS ruling that now allows 1031 exchanges on vacation homes (provided certain conditions are met), it seems that real estate may still be a good strategy for long-term investment. And if you’re looking for a place to invest … make sure you check out the beautiful homes at Alderbrook Properties (and check out the pictures right here in this post)!

If you want a good explanation of what this means for owners of second/vacation homes, check out this post at BawldGuy Talking (one of my favorite real estate investing blogs) on the ruling. The Bawld Guy gives a good summary. In another post (just below the linked post), he also makes a great case for real estate investing, comparing it to stock market investing. If you’re wondering where to invest these days, you’ll want to read the whole post.

What do you think? Is real estate still a good long-term investment?

Here’s a great gift idea for the golfer who has everything: a Segway made specifically for the golf course. Check it out …

Yup, that’s right! Golfers have their own specially-designed Segway to get them around the greens in style.

The Segway x2 Golf was named “New Product of the Year” by the Association of Private Clubs and Directors at the Golf Industry Show this year. According to Segway’s press release:

Unlike golf carts, the Segway x2 Golf can travel on fairways, speed up game play, and save on costly turf maintenance. It has low-pressure turf tires, a scorecard holder, and a bag carrier that automatically positions clubs upright when the unit is parked. It features breakthrough LeanSteer™ technology that makes the ride intuitive, and a wireless InfoKey™ controller that provides added convenience and security.

Now, that’s all well and good, but I think what really sells this is the “cool factor.” I mean, who wants to ride in an old-fashioned golf cart when you can be the envy of the course, arriving at your next hole in style? It’s like having a golf cart and a caddy all in one!

Of course, I’m waiting for the version that will tell me which club to use on this hole while giving me pointers on how to improve my swing. Now, THAT would be cool!

March is here, and spring is just around the corner. Unless you were one of the intrepid folks who braved the cold to get in a few holes of golf during the winter months, it’s been a while since you took a swing.

As we ease into spring, it’s tempting to head out for a round of golf on the first sunny, warm day. But be careful … you don’t want to end up injuring yourself! Take a few minutes and spend some time warming up your muscles before you head into the game. This is especially important when you haven’t played for a while, but it’s also a great habit that will improve your game.

Warming up before playing is one of the things separating good players from great players, and amateurs from professionals. Experts recommend taking up to half an hour before you golf to warm up your muscles by walking, stretching, and taking some practice swings. Start with slower, smoother putting swings and work your way up to the full swing drives.

You can find some specific stretches for golfers at www.golf-trainer.com and other golf Web sites.

And while you’re surfing the net, check out this video on improving your golf swing. Be sure and take notes. (grin) Feel free to share your own suggestions for improving golf swings in our comments section.