Author: Kay

Totem poles

Totem poles are part of the First Nations heritage in the Pacific Northwest. The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, centered in Blyn, just east of Sequim, commissioned a master carver, Dale Faulstich and a carver/painter, Nathan Gilles, and many volunteer carvers to produce totems that grace their tribal operations.

The poles tell stories: of history, of religious, traditional, and cultural folklore. The figures carved into totems can represent people, animals, spirits, and events. Though nature is often representated in totem art, the pole immediately below on the right is a representation of elements the tribe calls into play for the success of the 7 Cedars Casino where it is located. It includes a financier portrayed, not accidentally, as a bird of prey. And at its top government oversight is represented in the form of a mouse, described as “the little rodent that eats at every man’s table.”  

The Casino has a striking array of totem poles that primarily represent the art of the Coast Salish Tribes. But there are also four that show the carving style of regional tribes of north of here, in British Columbia. The pole at left is carved and painted in the Haida style and the one at the right is carved in the Nuxalt style.

Here are details of some of the poles.

The tribe is succeeding in its casino venture. In recent voting conducted by the local Peninsula Daily News the 7 Cedars Casino won “Best of Olympic Peninsula” in the “Best Buffet” and “Best Dancing” categories.

I’ll post examples of other S’Klallam totem art in the coming days, including photos of the workshop where carving is done.

Animal architecture

 

This might pass for a spooky Halloween mask but for its odd setting, attached securely into a bush of wild roses. I’m fairly sure this is a paper wasp nest. Nobody came or went while I was photographing, so there were no clues there. It was on the large side, about eight inches tall and perhaps six inches wide. Notice how it’s constructed completely around branches of the rose, with a “front door” opening at its base. Much as we prefer to dislike wasps and yellowjackets, they are beneficial insects that eat pests that can damage trees and shrubs. Here is more information from the Washington State University Cooperative Extension.

Here’s another view that shows more of the setting, surrounded by ripening rose hips. Though the insects abandon the nest around now, it’s not a bad neighborhood if you’re an insect looking for a nice spot.  This is not near any human homes.

Driveway plane

There is a lot of private aviation in the Sequim valley area.  This plane  parks near a small private airstrip adjacent to the Dungeness Recreation Area bluffs. Planes using this airstrip fly over Kitchen-Dick Road as they approach the field.  It can be a real surprise as you drive if you don’t see them until they’re overhead.  I have no doubt that many local pilots have great appreciation for our panoramas.

Bitter cherry

 

One of the last wild fruits of summer is the native bitter cherry. The fruits are small, about a quarter of an inch, and a very bright, shiny red. They have the unmistakable taste of cherry, but they’re not called “bitter” for nothing and easily half the fruit is seed. The bitter cherry leaves are among the first to take on the yellow gold of autumn and are quickly starting to pave trails in the Dungeness Recreation Area.