This weekend begins the annual “Fathoms O’Fun” festival in Port Orchard, which includes a carnival by the bay, a scholarship pageant, a kids’ pet parade, a fun run/walk sponsored by the Rotary, a Grand Parade and lots of other fun activities.

The carnival runs from June 26th to July 4th. The Grand Parade begins at 6 p.m. on June 28th and boasts 110 entries, 1500 participants and over 10,000 viewers. Additional activities on parade day include an arts and crafts fair, a kids’ frog jump and snake race, a horseshoe tournament, and a street scramble.

A street scramble is a type of urban treasure hunt which involves visiting 30 scenic locations (the “treasures”) marked on a map. The challenge is to visit as many as you can in two hours. The cost is $5 per person, and you can walk, run or bike to each location. Family teams of up to 4 (with one participant under 12 years of age) can participate.

The festival concludes on July 4th with a fantastic fireworks show in Sinclair Inlet. The fireworks can be seen from Bremerton, the Naval Shipyard and Port Orchard.

For more information on the “Fathoms O’ Fun” festival, you can contact the Port Orchard Chamber of Commerce at 360-876-3505.

Summer has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest, and it is beautiful! Blue skies, white puffy clouds, green grass and trees, colorful flowers, ripening fruit on vines and trees, picturesque ferries crossing blue-green waters with whitecaps, snow-capped mountains, roaring waterfalls fed by melting mountain snow … summer in the northwest part of the United States (and on Hood Canal in particular) is something special!

It’s not only beautiful, but there’s so much to do here in the summer. Picking (and eating) berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, huckleberries, gooseberries), going for a ferry ride, visiting farmers’ markets, boating, fishing, picnics on the beach, digging shellfish, swimming, scuba diving, hiking, geocaching, gardening, antiquing, horseback riding, bicycling, climbing, camping, collecting seashells on the beach, motorcycle touring, community art walks, bird watching, skateboarding, waterskiing, windsurfing/sailboarding, and of course, golfing at our own Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club (as well as other area golf courses).

So pick an activity you enjoy, and get out there and celebrate summer! And if you’re looking for an extra-unique way to celebrate, check out Bremerton’s East Park “Melt Down” on Friday, June 27th from 5-8 pm. They will have piles of snow for snowmen and snow angels, a snowman building contest, carnival games, music and more – all to celebrate the beginning of summer! (More information available at 360-473-4525.) Sounds like fun to me!

Have you decided what to do this weekend? If not, here are some excellent ideas both on the Hood Canal and nearby to get you started.

Thursday June 19

Cruz Port Gamble-Thursdays at 5:00 PM at Forest Ridge, behind Historic Grounds Espresso. Classic cars and hot rods welcome. Call 360-297-8114 for more information.

Friday June 20

Battle at Port Gamble (Street Battle)-7:30 PM-Civil War-Re-enactment (Battles & Encampments). Includes hospital demonstrations, period fashion shows, magic lantern exhibitions, music & historic displays. More information or email millerj73@hotmail.com.

Parking Lot Sale-Christian Life Center, 1780 SE Lincoln Avenue, Port Orchard. 8 AM to 6 PM. Proceeds go to the benevolence fund. For more information call Sue at 360-621-1502 or the church at 360-876-5595.

Saturday June 21

Belfair Farmer’s Market- Theler Community Center, south parking lot. Take State Route 3 in downtown Belfair. Hours are 9am-3pm. For more information, contact Norma Stencil at 275-0616 or visit.

Shelton Farmer’s Market- Located on 3rd Street between Cedar and Franklin in downtown Shelton. Hours are from 9am to 2pm.

Port Orchard Farmer’s Market-Waterfront Marina from 9 AM to 3 PM. This is our 30th Anniversary season and we hope that you will join us for children’s activities, music, entertainment, art demonstrations and much more.

Parking Lot Sale-Christian Life Center, 1780 SE Lincoln Avenue, Port Orchard. 8 AM to 5 PM. Proceeds go to the benevolence fund. For more information call Sue at 360-621-1502 or the church at 360-876-5595.

Battle at Port Gamble-9 AM to 5 PM-Civil War-Re-enactment (Battles & Encampments). Includes hospital demonstrations, period fashion shows, magic lantern exhibitions, music & historic displays. More information or email millerj73@hotmail.com.

Secret Gardens Tour- in and around Port Townsend. Sponsored by the WA State University Jefferson County Master Gardeners, 10 Am to 4 PM. Six private gardens open for self-guided tours. Enjoy live music and Master Gardener docents on hand to answer questions. No pets. Tickets available at various garden centers or call Kathi Boyker at 360-765-4717. Email kboyker@mindspring.com for more information.

Summer Reading Kick-Off-from 1 PM to 4 PM at the Poulsbo library. Goody bags, treats, balloons and more available. St Hans, Midsummer Fest-from 4 PM to 9 PM at the Poulsbo waterfront and Sons of Norway. This is a Scandinavian tradition of celebrating the Summer Solstice.

Summer Reading Kick-Off-from 1 PM to 4 PM at the Silverdale library, 3450 NW Carlton, Silverdale 98383-8325. Come watch “Charlotte’s Web” with us.

Sunday June 22

Port Gamble Sunday Market-11 AM to 4 PM. Come visit crafters, artisans and farmers on Puget Way, next to the maintenance shop and tennis courts. For more information, call 360-297-8074.

Digging for clams is one of the quintessential experiences of the Pacific Northwest. And if you’re going to dig for clams, then you might as well go for the king of the clams: the geoduck (pronounced “gooey-duck”). They’re ugly but delicious in clam chowder, and a prized delicacy in Asia, where they are called “King Clams.” And one of the best places to find (and dig) them is right here along the Hood Canal at Dosewallips State Park.

The geoduck (panopea abrupta) is the world’s largest burrowing clam, although once they are full-grown, they don’t move much. The average size is 1.9 pounds, although they can grow much bigger. They can live as long as 168 years, reaching full size at around 15 years old.

They are usually found buried two to four feet deep in mud, sand or gravel, and can only be found at very low tides (-2.0 feet or more). And before you go digging, be sure you have the appropriate licenses/permits, and have learned the rules and laws related to digging clams in Washington State. If you don’t observe the laws, you can get a hefty fine!

You can get more information about digging for geoducks at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife website. Clam digging opened at Dosewallips on April 1st, and runs through September 30th. You might want to head over there at the next extremely low tide to watch “expert geoduck diggers” at work, before giving it a try yourself. And if you do try it yourself, be prepared to get wet and dirty while having a lot of fun!

Mason County has some great loops and trails near Shelton for those who love to run in the great outdoors instead of on a treadmill.

First, you have the Huff’n’Puff Trail, a scenic 1.45 mile groomed trail which winds through a forest. You will find the parking lot located across from the Shelton High School on Shelton Springs Road.

Then there’s the Shelton Valley Loop, located a mile west of downtown Shelton. This 5.5 mile run starts on Shelton Valley Road. Park by the school or the 7th Day Adventist Church, and start running on Shelton Valley Road, turning left on West Deegan Road, then left on Shelton-Matlock Road, then left back onto Shelton Valley Road, until you reach your parking spot.

Finally, we’ve got the Old Airport Loop, which offers a longer run through all kinds of terrain. The run starts on Dayton-Airport Road (SR 102) by the big field at the north end of the industrial park near Sanderson Field on Highway 101. Run west on Dayton-Airport Road, passing the Washington State Patrol Academy on the left. Turn left on a dirt road and go for about a mile. At the bottom of the hill, take the footpath across the clearcut area until you reach the airport runway, then follow that back to where you parked.

And if, by chance, you like to participate in Fun Runs, then you’re in luck, because the 3.2 mile Mountain Fun Run is scheduled for this Saturday morning, June 14th, at 9 a.m. You can find contact information, as well as a calendar of all scheduled runs in Kitsap County, sponsored by the Kitsap Roadrunners, here.

So if you’re a runner, a jogger, or even a walker, take a break from that treadmill and check out these trails. You need the fresh air! (hat tip for the running routes goes to the Mason County 2008 Visitor’s Guide)

My image of kayaking has always been one of conditioned athletes shoehorned into a small opening in a long, narrow boat which is prone to tip over. And to be honest, there’s not much in that image to entice me to try it. But I have it on good authority that kayaking is not just for those trim of build and athletic in spirit … at least, that’s what the owners of Kayak Hood Canal believe.

Just a few minutes down the hill from Alderbrook Properties lays the Hood Canal Marina and Alderbrook Resort. There you will also find Kayak Hood Canal, a family business begun back in 2003. They believe everyone should “Get Off Shore” (their motto) and that “everyone, regardless of size, fitness level, or experience, can get in a kayak and start paddling.” They emphasize safety for renters of their kayaks, purchasing wider kayaks which don’t tip over easily, and giving everyone a briefing on safety which includes paddling techniques, landing safely, climbing in and out of a kayak, and getting back into the kayak if it tips over. They also insist that every renter wears a life vest. In fact, if you don’t wear one, they won’t rent to you.

The relatively peaceful waters of Hood Canal offer wonderful opportunities to learn kayaking, and Kayak Hood Canal stands ready to help you experience this wonderful sport. Why don’t you check it out? Who knows, maybe you’ll even see me out there!

Did you know that Hood Canal is a fjord? A fjord is a “long, narrow inlet with steep sides, created in a valley carved by glacial activity” (hat tip: Wikipedia).

Most people think of places like Norway or New Zealand when they hear of fjords, but residents of the Pacific Northwest only need travel to Hood Canal to enjoy the beauty of this unique geographical feature.

Hood Canal separates the Kitsap Peninsula from the Olympic Peninsula, and averages 1.5 miles wide and 177 feet deep. It’s long, extending for about 50 miles from its entrance between Foulweather Bluff and Tala Point down to Union, Washington, (just down the road from Alderbrook Properties) where it makes a sharp turn, known as The Great Bend. It continues for 15 miles to the northeast, ending in the shallow tidelands of Lynch Cove, near Belfair.

Hood Canal got its name from Captain George Vancouver, who named it for Admiral Lord Samuel Hood, on May 13, 1792. It boasts the world’s third longest floating bridge, the Hood Canal Bridge, which spans 6,521 feet. (Information and statistics courtesy of Wikipedia, here.)

Hood Canal is a great place for all kinds of water activities: kayaking, boating, fishing, whale-watching, shellfishing, and scuba diving, to name just a few. It features many state parks along its coastline, such as Belfair, Twanoh, and Potlatch, where you can swim, fly kites, picnic, camp overnight, and generally enjoy the beauty of Hood Canal. Or, if you prefer, you can enjoy the beauty of Hood Canal from your automobile on the Hood Canal Scenic Drive.

Like much of the rest of the country, we’ve had strange weather here in the Pacific Northwest this year … late spring snows, large temperature fluctuations from day to day, overcast and rainy weather one day, then sunny and warm weather the next. The seasons seem confused.

Some might say this sounds normal; after all, the Pacific Northwest has a reputation as a rainy, cold place. But is that reputation deserved? Overall, the average rainfall here is only 65 inches a year (although the Olympic foothills do get just a bit more rain: 135 inches annually – they don’t call it the rain forest for nothing!) And in the months of July and August (and sometimes September), we usually have a bit of a seasonal drought, with very little rain falling.

And as far as temperatures go, the weather here is, in a word, moderate. It rarely gets below 10 degrees Fahrenheit in winter, or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in summer. And those are the extremes. We’re much more likely to see temperatures in the 30-50 degree range in winter, and in the 60-85 degree range in summer. (Hat tip: weather statistics are from the Shelton-Mason County Journal’s 2008 Visitor’s Guide)

I recently met two different women who had moved here from the southern United States. The first woman told me she planned to move back to the South. “It’s just too cold. I’ve been here for two years and I’m freezing all the time!” she explained. The second woman told me she loved it here and would never move back to the South. “I just called my mama and she told me it was 98 degrees in Alabama. She sounded miserable. I told her it was 68 degrees here and beautiful. I’ll never go back to the South.”

As they say, different strokes for different folks. I guess everybody has their own idea of perfection. But in my opinion, it’s hard to beat the natural beauty and moderate climes of the Pacific Northwest. After all, if we had only dry, warm weather here, we wouldn’t have all the beautiful green trees and meadows, or the stunning snow-clad mountains to enjoy.