Sequim July Summer Round-up

Dear Sequim visitors,

Well, to tell you the truth, so far Sequim and the Olympic Peninsula did not really enjoy a summer, yet. The annual precipitation is already over 10" very close to our annual average of 12". Too many gray and rainy days and only sporadic days of sunshine but our Sequim vacation rental guests are so happy to escape the long lasting heat waves in AZ, TX, NM or PA. What can we say? We still feel blessed and comfortable to be able to enjoy the cooler weather in Sequim this summer when 22 states of the rest of the nation are exposed to sweltering temperatures. So what's happening this summer in Sequim?

Sequim Lavender Festival

Despite the rain during this year's Lavender Festival - long time Sequim residents told us that this is a first - I think it was a success. When I visited the new Lavender Festival in the Park on Saturday I missed a bit the vibe of the Street Fair in Fir (we had some drizzle rain then), which we enjoyed on Sunday noon. Great audience, beautiful arts and crafts. Everybody had a great time! I did not go to a farm with the tour bus but saw that the buses were crowded as usual. Yesterday I shopped at Jardin du Soleil and they told me that they had a great crowd enjoying the lavender fields and their lavender products!

You pick Berries in Sequim

The Camron Strawberry and Graysmarsh Berry Farm opened late this year in June for picking strawberries. However, since the rainy weather fruits were not really big and sweet, so u-pick strawberry season was not a big success this year. Yesterday I picked for the first time raspberries at Graysmarsh after I had picked the first sweet berries at my bushes. Raspberries obviously loved the rain. The fruits are big, juicy and sweet. Graysmarsh sells them for $2/lb I also checked their early blueberries which should be ripe for picking by the end of the week.

2011 Tribal Canoe Journey

When walking to SARC yesterday, where Keoki is teaching his Easy Stretch class, I noticed in Fir St next to the Sequim High School tennis courts tons of tents on the grassy area which had a sign for the'2011 Tribal Canoe Journey', which is organized by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe. Their colorful canoes are coming from the west while others are crossing from the Straits of Juan de Fuca. Today the canoes will paddle to Port Townsend and then head further to their gathering place at La Conner.

New Sequim Soccer Fields in Carrie Blake Park

Yes, that's what the current dirt piles on a huge 13 acre area will be in Carrie Blake Park. Before all that digging, there was 'just' grass and Canadian geese and ducks roaming around on it, bikers biking the Olympic Discovery Trail and the senior people of Sequim walking through the peaceful scenery with beautiful views of the Olympic Mountains. Looks like some people came up with the idea this area should be made into 5 large and 3 small new soccer fields. We heard of a petition so we could vote for or against this project, but we and most of our friends never saw it.

Now we are wondering whether this new Sequim project, which is actually paid for by donations to Sequim Family Advocates, will not only be in the best interest of the 'alleged 1000 children waiting to play there' but also of the senior community of a retirement town like Sequim! How that can be accomplished will still to be seen. Another interesting question will be who will be paying for the maintenance costs for 13 acres of playground since the city of Sequim is already under financial pressure as is.

Let's hope the new Sequim soccer fields in Carrie Blake Park will be an improvement for Sequim, for the children AND the seniors and last but not least fro the wild life in Carrie Blake Park!

Tags: summer in Sequim, Sequim events, Sequim City projects