Author: Kay

Christmas according to dog

“Yeah. We’re gonna take it home and then they stand it up and put stuff all over it. It’s kind of a big deal. Don’t get too close to it or they’ll start yelling. Later they tear stuff apart and make a big mess. Everyone is pretty happy. Last year they made me wear a stupid hat with bells on it and then they gave me a bunch of cookies. Then it dies and it all goes away.”

Best of the Peninsula: Jewelry

This year’s polling of Peninsula Daily News readers awarded Sequim’s Costco with “Best Jewelry” honors. If you thought that Costco is focused strictly on low cost production jewels, take a look at the price tags for these baubles. In addition to expected gift gems, they carry pieces that are definitely outside the typical impulse purchase price range.

'Tis the season

In addition to the now standard U.S. “Black Friday” sales – the day after our Thanksgiving that launches big retail sales and holiday buying – it’s also holiday bazaar season on the Olympic Peninsula. Churches, service organizations, and even the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, above, give crafters and vendors an opportunity to sell their wares. There are dozens of these events here in November and December.

A side note: Thank you to all for your get well wishes. I prefer to keep this blog focused on photos of the Olympic Peninsula I love but my recent illness has made it hard to be taking daily photos. I hope to be back on my feet soon but I’m navigating a new, unknown, and challenging landscape.

Exploring a new normal

This is where people in Sequim get MRIs, or magnetic resonance imaging. It’s quite an impressive piece of equipment in that it provides high definition imagery without radiation exposure. If not your soul, it reveals the secrets of your body to those who practice medicine.

Without trying to sound dramatic I’ve spent entirely too much time lately getting to know this machine. The good news is that it’s just a bump in the road when all the alternatives are considered. But after a couple of weeks of tests, uncertainty, and treatments that are not yet complete I need to take a short break from blogging. Do check back again soon – I hope to get out to take some fresh photos and, when I can, post a few that have been waiting for their moment.

Dungeness School

The Dungeness School was opened on February 27, 1893 with 73 pupils aged from five to 20 years old. The school’s teacher lived in quarters that were provided on the second floor. The original building was rectangular; the wing you see to the left, with the door, was added in 1921 with modern heating, plumbing and wide stairs to the second floor.

By 1923 two teachers taught eight classes. After 1940, seventh and eighth graders were sent to Sequim High School. School districts were consolidated and the Dungeness School was closed in 1955. The land and building was purchased from the Sequim School District by the Dungeness Community Club in 1967 and refurbished and maintained through extensive volunteer work.

The facility was donated in 1995 to the local Museum and Art Center which now maintains and rents it to the community.

The Dungeness School was designated a Washington State Historical Site in 1973 and listed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1988.