Tag Archives: Hood Canal

North Shore Easter Decorations

Posted on March 16, 2013 | 1 comment

Bunnies, chicks, eggs, and more


They decorate their property for Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day. Now another holiday can be added to the list. “They” is a family who owns a home on North Shore Road just west of Belfair State Park. In the past, I have seen spooks and goblins, Christmas ornaments, and hearts hanging from the trees along their road frontage.

When I posted the Valentine’s Day photo last month I wondered if the next set of decorations would be for St. Patrick’s Day. But instead of seeing shamrocks and leprechauns on a cold, wet bike ride yesterday, I noticed all things Easter (see photo) in the area that I call “holiday woods.” The only thing the Happy Easter message from Hood Canal’s North Shore needs is some warmer weather to go with it.

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North Shore Valentine

Posted on January 26, 2013 | 1 comment

Happy Valentine’s Day


From previous bike rides along the North Shore Road, I know that a family who owns property not far from Belfair State Park likes to decorate it for Halloween and Christmas. However, until today I didn’t know that they also put up a Valentine’s Day display (see photo). I’m not sure how long it’s been there as I seldom bike the North Shore Road this time of year. They probably didn’t beat local merchants though, who began showcasing Valentine’s Day items in the first week of January.

Now, I’m wondering what other days that we celebrate rate a display at what could be dubbed “holiday woods.” If we ignore the presidents, the next up is Saint Patrick’s Day. I will check back in late February or early March expecting to see shamrocks. Hopefully by then the weather will be good enough to rate at least a weekly bike ride along the Hood Canal.

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The Dalby Waterwheel

Posted on January 5, 2012 | 1 comment

Big wheel keep on turning


I have always wanted my own waterwheel. Since I have never owned any property with flowing water, the next best thing is to visit the Dalby Waterwheel (see photo) whenever a day trip takes me along Hood Canal’s South Shore Road. The old waterwheel, now an historic landmark, is located on State Route 106 near mile post 7 just east of the Alderbrook Resort. Water from Dalby Creek has been turning the old waterwheel for almost 90 years.
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The Missing Chums

Posted on November 8, 2011 | 4 comments

No fall chum salmon yet


I’m not going to pass up a great title even if it isn’t completely apt and also needs to be credited to the Hardy Boys. The fall chum salmon aren’t really missing (I hope) just late in arriving to the creeks at the eastern end of lower Hood Canal near Belfair. Perhaps we should call on Frank and Joe to solve the mystery of what’s keeping them or at least to find out where they are. The brothers’ motorboat, Sleuth, would come in handy.
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Lower Elfendahl Pass Road Reopens

Posted on November 2, 2011 | 3 comments

New fill and asphalt, old culvert


For nearly four years vehicles couldn’t drive on one of the most scenic roads on the Kitsap Peninsula. The lower section of Elfendahl Pass Road had been closed since December 2007, when 12 inches of rain over two days flooded Stimson Creek and caused several serious washouts. The photo shows the repairs to one of them. The road reopened last Thursday.

Photos of some of the damage caused by the December 2007 storm are included after the jump.
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North Shore Halloween Display

Posted on October 14, 2011 | 3 comments

Boo!


A Halloween display near Belfair State Park (see photo) has just about everything: ghosts, goblins, Jack ‘O Lanterns, witches, scarecrows, and a collection of stuffed raggedy harvest figures. The only things missing are a black cat and a skeleton or two. The strings of small red lights likely add a spooky touch at night although I don’t know that for sure. In case there are any malevolent spirits about, I took the picture during the relative safety of early afternoon.

Clearly the family who lives here likes to decorate their road frontage on Hood Canal’s North Shore Road. Last February in A Thousand Icicles I included a picture of the icicle tree they created in the same spot. They also go all out at Christmas with lights, snowmen, and hanging snowflakes. But the Halloween display, with its party atmosphere, might be the most impressive of the three.

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A Thousand Icicles

Posted on February 26, 2011 | 2 comments

North Shore ice


The weather has been frigid the last few days with daytime highs in the thirties and lows in the teens at night. A few days ago most of Puget Sound was on an extended snow watch with some areas getting up to six inches of snow. Even so I was surprised to see an icicle tree on my bike ride today (see photo). The winter wonder is on Hood Canal’s North Shore Road about a half mile west of Belfair State Park.

The family who lives there usually decorates the trees along the road at Christmas time with lights and hanging snowflakes (a few are visible under the ice). For this late February display they seem to be going for the spiky frozen look. I don’t know if they sprayed the tree with a hose or perhaps a sprinkler head broke and supplied the water. Either way the icicles are real (brr) but probably not natural. The green layer under the frozen branches is a mixture of rhododendrons and sword ferns, leaves heavily encased in ice.

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A Perfect Sign for Labor Day

Posted on September 4, 2009 | 1 comment
An o not an e

An o not an e

This entry is part of my “sign” series, which features my favorite signs from local biking trips. You can also see great signs from the car, of course, but it’s a lot easier to stop for a photo if you are pedaling by. This particular one marks a vacation place on the Hood Canal as seen from the North Shore Road. When I told K about it, she gently pointed out that I was reading the sign incorrectly. The word moron wasn’t mentioned.

I still like the sign—although originally I thought the second word was “Leaf.” Obviously the second word is “Loaf,” to make the sign say “Let us Loaf,” a perfect name for a vacation place. However, “Lettuce Leaf” conveys a certain whimsy that appeals to me and, I assumed, the owners. I haven’t included a photo of the house, but their beach shack is painted the color of the popular salad vegetable. I should ride by the place on Monday (as American Labor takes a well-earned holiday) to make sure the owners are taking their sign to heart.

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