Effective today, Key Peninsula Discovered has a new home! Please continue to enjoy discovering the people, places and businesses of the Key Peninsula at our new location: Key Peninsula Discovered.
Sue Redkey is a writer and Fun Facilitator who lives and writes in the Key Peninsula.
Photo by Sue Redkey
89 Degrees at 6:30 pm
As my niece Lucy says, we’ve had a really pleasant winter this year . . . right up until today, that is, when the temps are in the 80’s (maybe 90’s in Seattle). According to the weather reports, we’ll have at least 4 of these really hot days, which means this is only the second weekend this summer with the temps in the 80’s or higher. That means the rest of the summer has pretty much stayed in the 60’s and 70’s – just the way I like it!
Now normally this kind of heat, dry though it may be, would make me grumpy, but this year I don’t feel I can complain. First, most of the rest of the country has been way hotter, and with high humidity, for many weeks now, so complaining would be insensitive and in extremely poor taste; after all, we have friends and relatives who live in some of those sweltering places. Second, here in the Key Peninsula, it’s not always so hot as in surrounding areas; and third, we do have a heat pump that keeps us cool indoors on days like this, so I’m really not suffering unless I choose to go outside and exert myself (and that’s not gonna happen).
So I’ll just join with those of you who have been longing for hot weather and say it’s nice, for a change, to have a really warm day. I especially like being able to eat lunch on the back deck, where many days this year it has been too chilly to do so comfortably. We still have our cool nights, which are good for sleeping and early morning walks, so I’m content. (We’ll see how I feel after 3 more hot days . . . .)
For now, here’s wishing that you, too, are peaceful with the weather, whatever your preferences.
Sue Redkey is a writer and Fun Facilitator who lives in the Key Peninsula.
Photos by Sue Redkey
Mountain View from Mom & Dad's
One of my favorite places to go for a day trip any time of year is the Victorian town of Port Townsend at the northeastern-most tip of the Olympic Peninsula. So on our way to Sequim and Port Angeles one recent Saturday, Saracristina and I decided to skip up to Port Townsend and buy some fun socks (details below).
Sunset from Mom & Dad's
My folks retired to this lovely spot in 1973, building a home in Cape George Colony, a few miles south of town. So for the next 30 years before Dan and I moved out from New Hampshire, Port Townsend was my home away from home. And one of the things I liked best about those visits was getting to explore PT’s downtown.
The center of town is easily walkable, where drivers defer to pedestrians, and it’s fun to stroll along the sidewalks, peering into the dozens of artsy shops nestled into vintage, Victorian buildings all along Water Street and its side streets. Some of our favorites are Phoenix Rising, a huge Metaphysical book store; Elevated Ice Cream Co. and Candy Shop, which actually was at one time situated in a second-story location; and Forest Gems where Dan and Saracristina can pick up wood for their respective woodcraft projects, and where I fall in love with furniture, wall hangings and other exotic wood creations, around which I dream of designing a whole house someday. Sigh.
Wall of Socks at Expressions Apparel
But this day our reason for being in PT was Expressions Apparel at 834 Water St. This is where Saracristina and I discovered, a couple of years ago, a whole wall of fun socks. Since that time, I have added playful socks to my repertoire of ways to have fun – one of those things you can do to entertain yourself, even if others never notice (tee, hee) – so we needed socks. Ah . . . so many socks, so few feet . . . .
Laura Burch Bag
Of course, there are lots of other fun things in this store, including a whole collection of Laura Burch items (like this tote bag that I already owned) and beautiful women’s apparel. And helping us have fun that day was Loretta, who obviously understands the fun nature of this store, and whose assistance we greatly appreciated.
Loretta at Expressions Apparel
So if you happen to be up this way – or even if you don’t – I heartily recommend a trip to Port Townsend. There is so much more to this enchanting town than there is room here to describe, so I’ll just say, “treat yourself – you deserve it!”
Sue Redkey is a writer and Fun Facilitator who lives in the Key Peninsula.
Photos by Sue Redkey
Frank's Diner
As promised, here is the place to go for breakfast in Spokane: Frank’s Diner. We stopped there on our way out of town our last day, and were immediately taken in by the charm and history of the diner, as well as by the service and great food!
If you check out the Frank’s Diner Web site, you’ll see better photos of the interior than we were able to get, and you can read about the unusual history of this rail car that at one time served as the private car for the president of the Northern Pacific Railroad.
We highly recommend Frank’s Diner and encourage you to stop by and see for yourself. Bon appetit!
Sue Redkey is a writer and Fun Facilitator who lives in the Key Peninsula.
Photos and Video by Sue Redkey
Spokane's Famous Clocktower
As I mentioned in my previous post, one of the things I love about Spokane is that its downtown is easily walkable. On our recent visit, I got to spend most of one whole day walking, and most of my walking was in and around the beautiful Riverfront Park that hugs the Spokane River where it flows through the city.
One Set of Falls on Spokane River
This downtown collaboration of art, fun and nature is the legacy of the 1974 World’s Fair – EXPO ‘74 – which inspired the clean-up of the river, the removal of the rail yards, and the demolition of the Great Northern Railroad Depot on Havermale Island. The depot’s clocktower was left standing, and remains one of Spokane’s most famous landmarks.
In addition to wide sidewalks that wind around both sides of the river, the park includes an entire tour of unusual sculptures; a fountain whose varying spouts and flows are as functional on hot days as they are visually pleasing; an IMAX theater; amusement rides; a tram for viewing the city from on high; and a 100-year old carrousel.
Riverfront Rotary Fountain
Spokane Falls SkyRide
Looff Carrousel
Here’s my favorite of the sculptures – life-size figures as if in participating in marathon at the corner of a major intersection: people of all ages running, walking, in wheelchairs. Great fun!
The Joy of Running Together by David Govedare
The Joy of Running Together by David Govedare
Finally, for your visual and auditory enjoyment, is a video of one of the many falls on the Spokane River.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this brief look at Spokane. Next, I’ll share with you Spokane’s very best place to have breakfast!
Sue Redkey is a writer and Fun Facilitator who lives in the Key Peninsula.
Photos by Sue Redkey
Clock Tower in Riverfront Park
I suppose most Americans have heard of Spokane, Washington (pronounced spoh-can), even if they have no idea how the city’s name is spelled. But I’ll bet most people who’ve never been there don’t know that Spokane is more than just the last Starbucks stop before you reach Idaho: this Eastern Washington city is a fine destination in its own right (although hosting more than one Starbucks does make it even more so for some of us coffee-lovin’ visitors).
Recently I had the opportunity to accompany hubby Dan on a business trip to Spokane, an annual drive across Washington for which I love to tag along; I find the 5-hour trip relaxing, the scenery intoxicating, and the break in routine refreshing. Full disclosure: first, because we’re in his company car, Dan does all the driving, hence my ability to relax; second, this trip is always in the summer, so there’s no rain or snow to interfere with the view.
Windmills in Central Washington
Actually, this time we did have to deal with some fog before crossing the Cascades, but once across the mountains we had blue skies, white puffy clouds, and eagles above, with lots of windmills and sagebrush at ground level.
Columbia River Gorge
Rattlesnake Warning, Columbia River Gorge
We stopped briefly at the Columbia River Gorge, where we always keep an eye out for rattlesnakes, although we’ve yet to actually see one. There was coffee in Ellensburg, (at Starbucks, of course), then lunch in Moses Lake before arriving in Spokane by late afternoon.
The summers are always warmer in Spokane than they are here in Western Washington, but it’s a dry heat, and this year we were here in May and it was actually quite comfortable. And personally, I enjoy Spokane no matter how hot it is because it is a great walking city. No matter where we stay, we’re always near the Riverfront Park, and while Dan’s working, I can walk for miles on both sides of the Spokane River.
This year, we happened to be out at the right time to hear the carillon at St. John’s Cathedral, and I recorded some of the beautiful sound. At the time, I thought the sound was coming from the old Clocktowe, shown in the video below, which is a famous Spokane landmark in its own right.
According to Wikipedia, “The carillon in Bishop Cross Tower, one of the finest in the world and one of very few in the Pacific Northwest, consists of 49 cast bells.”
There’s more, but I’ll save that for Part 2. Hope you’ve enjoyed traveling with me today.
Sue Redkey is a writer and Fun Facilitator living in the Key Peninsula.
Photos and video by Saracristina
Me and The Boys
For a seemingly quiet, out-of-the-way place, Key Peninsula certainly is hopping this summer!
This afternoon, Dan, Saracristina and I dropped in on the Key Peninsula Farmer’s Market, which is held each Sunday from 10:00-3:00 in the parking lot of O’Callahan’s, right at the main intersection in Key Center. After appreciating the plants and the produce, we took our places at a table out back and spent a couple of hours listening to some outstanding bluegrass music.
Thea Wescott
The band was Me And the Boys, and the featured guest singer was Thea Wescott, Belridge’s own singer/songwriter whose first CD was released last March. We always love to hear Thea, whether live or on her CD, but we were new to Me and The Boys. They were a wonderful treat, demonstrating some amazing talent. And they sounded great with Thea.
“The Boys,” who can be heard throughout the Puget Sound area, are Roger Ferguson – Guitar/Mandolin/Fiddle/Vocals); Terry Enyeart – Mandolin/Guitar/Vocals; Rick Meade – Guitar/Banjo/Dobro/Vocals; and Nick Nicholson – Upright Bass/Vocals.
Here’s a video of Thea and the Boys singing one of our favorites from her CD – “Alice.”
Great job, guys! Thank you for a delightful Sunday afternoon!
Sue Redkey is a writer and Fun Facilitator who lives in the Key Peninsula.
Photos by Saracristina
Recently I introduced you to On the Way Deli in Key Center, and lamented the fact that I was dieting at the time; I wanted so much to try their homemade brownies.
Triple-Chocolate Brownies
Well last week, I had my moment. My daughter and I stopped by to say hi to Lisa Larson and her dad, Steve Smith, and we finally got to indulge ourselves and taste those marvelous brownies. OMG! (as you young folks put it) You don’t have to be chocolate lovers like us to experience a heavenly high from this triple-chocolate treat! I mean, these were so delectable, I get high again just remembering the experience. And big! The brownies were so big, they couldn’t be finished in one sitting. Life just doesn’t get much better.
So the next time you’re passing through Key Center, be good to yourself and stop by On the Way Deli and tell Lisa I sent you. And try those brownies!
Sue Redkey is a writer and Keller Williams Realtor who lives in the Key Peninsula.
If you would like information about buying or selling property in the Key Peninsula, please contact her at 253-380-0096 or sredkey@kw.com.
Photos by Sue Redkey
I’m one of those people who find diversity exciting and stimulating; I enjoy experiencing and exploring variety in people, ideas, possibilities, perspectives, places, cultures, etc. That’s one reason I love attending Gay Pride events, where I always find diversity being enthusiastically embraced and celebrated. (These images are from last month’s San Francisco Pride event, which Saracristina and I attended while visiting in the Bay Area.)
Flickr VideoQuite aside from the fact that I have always loved rainbows – long before I knew of the symbol they would become for some of my favorite people – I revel in the visual feast of color and the intoxicating mood of fun and silliness at Gay Pride. Most of all though, there’s a kind of sacredness about a place where everyone is free to be her/himself, without apology or fear. There are no taboos on being authentic: if you want to shed your weekday suit and tie to wear a feather boa for a day, go for it! If you want to hold hands with your sweetie in public, that’s OK; if you want to imagine for a weekend that the world is a reasonable place and that feeling good is valid goal, come on down to Pride!
More Rainbows Over San Francisco
So here’s to all who dare to be who they are and at the same time allow me to be me! May your lives be rich with diversity!
Sue Redkey is a writer and Keller Williams Realtor who lives in the Key Peninsula.
If you would like information about buying or selling property in the Key Peninsula, please contact her at 253-380-0096 or sredkey@kw.com.
Video by Saracristina
Who Knew?
Flickr VideoYou see, I grew up in Maryland, where fireworks were illegal except for public displays, so for me, fireworks were what happened on July 4th on the Mall in DC at the foot of the Washington Monument. In the 1950’s and early 60’s, there was no Metro (today’s rapid transit train system), so we would pile into the car, my mom and dad and my brother Bill, and drive downtown to join the happy crowd.
The car I remember was a roomy, blue Kaiser (I know, I’m dating myself), that easily held the four of us, along with blankets and a picnic basket. July 4th on the mall was an annual event to which we eagerly looked forward; living near the nation’s capitol certainly had its advantages – like the cherry blossom festival every spring, which I loved . . .but I digress.
We would arrive early enough to find a good spot to spread our blanket and enjoy some treats as we watched the empty spaces around us slowly fill with groups large and small. Looking back, it seems an innocent time when people greeted one another sincerely and the crowd was polite – reverent, even. This was a patriotic event, after all, and in those days it seemed everyone was on the same page with simple patriotism. And in my mind, nothing supported that mood better than the stirring performance of a John Phillip Sousa march by the US Navy Band.
Finally, the long-awaited darkness would overtake the city and the real fun would begin. Lying on our backs, eyes to the sky, we would ooh and aah as one colorful explosion after another held our rapt attention. It may not have been anything like the shows we see today, but it was awesome to us.
Now don’t tell anyone this next part: since fireworks were legal in DC, our parents would buy us some sparklers while we were downtown. Then, once back home, in the privacy of our own back yard (where, remember, this was illegal), and under close supervision of Mom and Dad, we would delightedly and surreptitiously engage in an annual misdemeanor.
And that, to me, is all I ever knew of neighborhood fireworks. Living now in a state where every neighborhood seems to have its own show – or several shows – I have been used to hearing and seeing local explosions every July, but I had never really taken part up close. Last night that all changed.
We live on a loop of roughly square shape, and last night three of our four corners had a mini-fireworks show. So Dan, Saracristina and I decided to join the neighbors and watch the fun. I had no idea that there is such a thing as a fireworks cart, that holds everything, including a bucket of water; or that there were so many different types of home fireworks to enjoy – everything from colorful, ground-level puffs of smoke that entice little girls to dance in the street, to high, loud bursts that rival the professional shows. I was impressed with the adult supervision and safety precautions – and I can now see this annual neighborhood ritual as a fun community event rather than something that “should be illegal.”
Flickr VideoThose are Belridge children wearing glow-lite necklaces and bracelets.
Thank you, Neighbors, for a fun evening and for opening my eyes to what I’ve been missing!
Sue Redkey is a writer and Keller Williams Realtor who lives in the Key Peninsula.
If you would like information about buying or selling property in the Key Peninsula, please contact her at 253-380-0096 or sredkey@kw.com.
