Sequim Winter

Yes, Sequim winter is here! Like the rest of the state of Washington, Sequim got its first snow of this 2008/2009 winter season. However, as we tell our blog visitors again and again, Sequim weather is special. From all the big announced winter storm with the coldest temperatures in 20 years and many inches of snow, we received maybe one inch of snow (our long driveway was 'licked' blank again by the sun within hours, the southern exposure helps, of course) and the coldest we had here at our house at night time was 26 F, whereas Bellingham got hit by a low of 5F. Brrrrr!

Remember the Carrie Blake Park photo from our last blog post about visiting Sequim for the holidays? Everything still looking green and in fall colors. Let's give you this Sequim photo update from yesterday, Sunday 12/14/2008. How is that for a Sequim winter photo? Actually, in 2006 during our first winter in Sequim, we experienced the first snow in November. See our photos in Sequim Winter Wonderland when we still lived in Sun Meadows.

What's new for this 2008 Christmas season in Sequim? Most houses are nicely decorated without going to the extreme. So, it's really fun to walk the neighborhood in the late afternoon when the Christmas lights inside and outside are already switched on. In addition, we exchange holiday visits with friends and neighbors while we listen to some traditional Christmas music and indulge in some special Christmas treats.

We had joined a very special Christmas party of our Hawaii expats in Port Angeles. Hawaiian pot luck, ukulele music and hula dances with teacher Mahina as the leader of the hula ladies from the Sequim Senior Center made this a great fun gathering and got us all in the spirit of the holidays.

As during the past 2 Christmases, we cut our own tree at the Lazy Tree Farm. Who has never done it, believe us, it's great fun. Just walking around between all the available trees, is kind of different compared to picking up a tree from one of the Christmas tree locations. One thing is for sure, the tree is definitely fresh and it's the one you selected. We love the shorter Blue Spruce trees and really like the one we've found...and the price was right: $15!



We also read in the Peninsula Daily News that one can get a permit for just $5 to cut a tree in the woods but as the tree cutting permits are not available at special locations (Quinault, Forks, Quilcene and Hoodsort) and Christmas tree cutting is only allowed at designated areas, the Lazy Tree Farm is as good as it gets. Enjoy the holiday season and peaceful hours with family and friends! Happy Holidays from Heidi and Keoki from Sequim


Tags: Sequim, Sequim vacation, Christmas in Sequim

Christmas in Sequim - Merry Christmas everybody!

We just made it back from our 2-week vacation in Puerto Vallarta. Second time we were there, at an all-inclusive hotel in Bucerias, which is about 20 miles out of town. One can really get spoilt...no needs for shopping, great food (lots of fruits) with 5 specialty restaurants, peaceful adult pool and lots of stretches of empty beaches. After our return, our Sequim neighbors told us that we did not miss anything in Sequim. That it had been pretty rainy and gray even in sunny Sequim during that time of late November.

Ever since we have been back, we experienced our Sequim blue hole again, even if it's just for 2-3 hours a day. It's enough time for a nice walk in Carrie Blake Park, getting some decent exercise, watching the dogs at the dog park and feeding the ducks. Nice to see Sequim town and our neighborhood in all the festive Christmas decoration with lots of lights to brighten the season.

Next day after our return I went to the Lazy Tree Farm, about 10miles west from Sequim, to pick up our Christmas tree which we had tagged before we left for Mexico. To our surprise, we were lucky another time and our wonderful blue spruce tree was still standing there. It was up to me to saw it off. It was pretty proud when I had finally accomplished this task. Now, the most beautiful Christmas tree is bringing joy and nature to our lovely new house.

We wish all our Sequim friends and Sequim visitors a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Ever wondered what Christmas in Hawaii is like see here.
p.s.
Two good news from Sequim town:

Today, the Sequim Senior Center is celebrating Christmas with Christmas dinners at 11am and 2pm.

We recently found out that Sequim residents who don't have medications covered with a health plan, can pick up a Sequim RX discount card at the Senior Center or the Sequim library and save up to 20% on their meds. Why nobody at Wal Mart ever told us that, we have no clue but at least, we know now. We saved big on Keoki's recent meds! Go get your discount card for Sequim residents.

Tags: Christmas at Sequim, Sequim weather

Christmas in Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula

Sequim at Christmas

Sequim is beautiful at all times of the year, at least to us Sequimers who always enjoy the dramatic panorama of the Olympic Mountains and like to watch the change of the seasons. Sorry for the delay with this post. It must be the season. Yes, holiday season it is. We love it!

The Sequim Intermezzo with the snow has been over for about two weeks. It’s all melted away. Should we say luckily or sadly?! Even with the restrictions involved through the snow (for the first two days, no snow plough made it through Sun Meadows, so we decided to leave the car just in the garage, with its summer tires we were not too convinced about its performance anyways), we loved the sight of the snow…the snow covered trees, garden, houses and mountains. A white Christmas at the end of November! All Sequim residents told us that they had not experienced so much snow in years. If there had been a few flakes, they would never lie for long. Well, this time they lasted a week!

Now, Sequim life is back to normal or better: to celebrating the Christmas season. Not only the center of town is nicely decorated with Christmas wreaths and lots of lights but Sun Meadows where we live has its own homeowners’ Christmas decoration competition. The best decorated house will win $50. We love to do a nice walk in the crisp mountain air, all bundled up, enjoying the different decoration efforts of the homeowners. We did not join the contest - only decorated our pine tree in the front garden with a nice colored light chain.

However, you should see our blue spruce Christmas tree in the house! We had tagged it on the Christmas tree farm before the snowstorm came and it was really still there afterwards. In joint efforts, we dug it out of the ground, put it in a big planting container, found the best spot in the living room for surviving the season, decorated it beautifully and enjoy the wonderful tree each day and hour. We water and fertilize it on a regular basis and give it lots of love. So far, so good! We are optimistic that we will be able to plant the tree in our garden in spring of next year.

You intend to move to Sequim and retire in in this amazing small town on the Peninsula, stay with us and check what we have to tell you about our new life in Sequim. We wish everybody Happy Holidays and A Merry Christmas. Peace and love from the Sequimers

Tags: Life in Sequim