Independence Day

July 4

July 4th in the U.S.A. is often celebrated with food: barbecues, picnics, potlucks. Food usually includes something we love but really shouldn’t eat. We fly more flags than usual, shoot off fireworks, and make noise if we don’t have anything sparkling in the air. On the Olympic Peninsula there are parades or games for families. All in all, a nice way to celebrate independence and remember that for most of us life is pretty darned good. Happy 4th!

Revisiting the Camperdown elm

C elm summer

Last spring I posted shots of an unusual Camperdown elm tree that is in Port Gamble, about an hour’s drive from Sequim. It caught my eye because it looked more like a visual puzzle of twisted gnarls than something resembling a tree. Take a look at it here. On our way back from the Kingston Ferry last week we stopped to take another look at it, above.

C elm

I was amazed at the lush growth, reaching fully to the ground around it. And in the middle was an opening that allows the curious to walk inside the canopy and have a look around.

C elm trunk

Leaves cover the twisted and bumpy trunk. Yet bits and pieces still peer out, almost like a forest gnome or something from a Grimm’s fairy tale.

Theme Day: Celebrating summer

Collage summer lavender

Meeting the City Daily Photo theme challenge this month was a no-brainer. In Sequim for many people “celebrating summer” is all about lavender. Sequim is one of the largest lavender-growing regions in North America. In mid-July our city and local growers host the Sequim Lavender Weekend, revolving around all things lavender. So if you want to celebrate summer with us, think purple!

To see how other bloggers have risen to the “celebrating summer” challenge, click here.

Open again

Blue Mtn 1

The Blue Mountain Transfer Station is open again for regular operations, collecting trash as well as the usual recycling operations. Hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The building you see here replaces one that burned down last November, closing the facility for several months, then reducing collection to recycling only until recently.