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!

The people in charge of Earth Day suggest that one way we can help make a difference in our environment is to replace our incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs.

As more and more people make this switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs, one problem is emerging: how to dispose of them.

Why is this an issue? Because each compact fluorescent light bulb contains a small amount of mercury, a toxic element which must be handled carefully. You can’t just throw these light bulbs into the garbage can when they burn out.

Thankfully, here on the Olympic Peninsula, Public Utility District #3 (PUD 3) is proactively setting up a recycling program for its customers with burned out compact fluorescent light bulbs. PUD 3 has arranged for proper disposal at recycling stations in Shelton and Belfair; in fact, PUD 3 is among the first in the nation to offer this service to its customers.

PUD 3 does ask that people carefully place their burned out compact fluorescent light bulbs carefully in the correct slot, because damaged and broken bulbs cannot be accepted.

Celebrate Earth Day by properly recycling your old, burned-out compact fluorescent bulbs, and you can rest easy, knowing that this toxic waste will be properly handled and disposed of.

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!

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.

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.

A few miles down the road from Alderbrook Properties you will find the community of Belfair. And at the heart of Belfair you’ll find something called the Theler Community Center & Wetland Trails.

The Mary E. Theler Community Center was named for the wife of real estate developer Sam Theler, who donated land to the community. The Community Center provides a wide variety of services to the community: events for youth and senior citizens, weddings, boy and girl scout groups, family events (like family bingo), community social events … all of these find a home at the Community Center.

The Theler Wetlands are an additional community resource, providing four separate walking trails contained within 75 acres of wetlands. This is prime bird-watching and photo-taking territory, where you might see a blue heron or even a bald eagle. The trails are open daily from dawn to dusk, and admission is free. (No pets allowed.)

If you want to support the Theler Center, then you’ll be glad to know that they are holding a Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Art Auction on March 1 from 5 – 7:30 p.m. to help recoup the costs of resources used during the December 2007 Flood Relief effort, when Theler Community Center provided shelter, food and other necessities to those in need. The monthly art show hosted by the Community Center will also be selling watercolors and pen and ink drawings of trilliums (on notecards and bookmarks) as an additional fundraiser.

Come on out and support this great community treasure … you’ll be glad you did your part to keep this heart of a community beating!

I don’t have to commute anymore, since I work from home. But I remember what commuting was like, and I imagine most people have commutes that look something like this:

And here’s a commute scene similar to what you might see in the Pacific Northwest:

Now compare those photos with the photo below, taken by a resident of the Alderbrook community as he drove to catch a ferry one recent morning.  I would guess there aren’t too many places where people can enjoy a commute with a view like this one:

Well, OK, I’ll grant you that it might not look like this every day. On cloudier days, the mountains may go into hiding, but you still have the evergreen-studded hills rising out of the water. And stormy days have a beauty all of their own, with white-capped waves whipped up by the wind against a backdrop of green trees and gray skies.

This is one of the great things about living on Hood Canal: you have close proximity to western Washington’s largest, most influential cities (with all the amenities they provide) but you don’t have  many of the hassles that come with living right in the midst of those cities.

What do you think? Would you like to have a commute with a view?

Here’s a little round-up of three very different opportunities taking place this weekend, right here on the Olympic Peninsula.

First of all, the Viking Jazz Festival in Poulsbo is offering an evening concert on Friday, February 1st, featuring some of the best Jr. and Sr. High School Jazz Bands in the state. Contact David Dunbar (360-598-8704) for more information.

Secondly, the local Master Gardeners group is teaching a workshop on vineyard pruning at the Mason County Fairgrounds Master Gardener’s demonstration garden on Sunday, February 3rd, from 10 am to 12 noon. Come and learn how to grow your own grapes, and take home some cuttings for your own garden!

Finally, all Alderbrook Golf & Yacht Club members are invited to a Super Bowl party on Sunday, February 3rd at the old clubhouse. (This is the last scheduled event at the clubhouse before demolition begins.) It’s a potluck, so bring your favorite appetizers and beverages to share, and be there before the 2:30 p.m. kickoff.

Are you a jazz lover, a gardening enthusiast, or a football fan (or maybe all three?) There’s a little something here for everyone. Leave a comment, and let us know which of these activities you’ll attend!