Businesses – Page 27 – Sequim Daily Photo

Life 100 years ago

The Shafer Baillie Mansion in Seattle offers an insight into the modern life of the wealthy a hundred years ago. We can also see early versions of today’s technology. The shower above is a pioneering form of shower massage.

Here are the shower controls. Happily this was not in our room. I don’t require staff for daily activities but can see the appeal of a lady’s maid to confront these controls every morning.

I was taken enough with this phone and light switch to photograph them but neglected to look carefully enough at this early communications device. I think it’s an intercom.

Sadly the fine, detailed craftsmanship that made so many places beautiful is largely a thing of the past.

Mansion living

A one night stay in the Shafer Baillie Mansion in Seattle was an interesting taste of how the other half might have lived a hundred years ago. The ground floor of the mansion was equipped with a library, above, a large dining room, and a lovely sun room. The kitchen and any other working spaces for servants were, naturally, behind closed doors.

The living room was decorated for Christmas. I took this shot with my phone. Not bad, eh?

This is one of the bed and breakfast guest rooms which would have been part of the family quarters when it was a residence.

I was taken with the gorgeous woodwork. I’ll show you a few more details tomorrow.

Dockside Grill

I did a little holiday celebrating recently and went to the Dockside Grill. It’s Sequim’s only waterfront restaurant and has a nice view of the John Wayne Marina. (Yes, it’s named after that John Wayne. He boated here and owned land which his family donated for the marina.) It was a memorable meal for all the right reasons.

Sluy’s Bakery

Back in Poulsbo again, here’s Sluy’s Bakery, a Poulsbo institution. Established in 1966 it offers classic sweet pastries, cookies, and breads that keep people coming back for more. Last week its windows were decorated with gingerbread houses made by owners and employees.

Lots of little houses were on display. Look carefully and you can see some of the sweet rolls displayed in the front window.

On my earlier post about Poulsbo on Wednesday a couple of comments expressed curiosity about the attraction of the Pacific Northwest to Scandinavian settlers. Authors Ruth Kirk and Carmela Alexander address this in “Exploring Washington’s Past”: Conditions on the Kitsap Peninsula paralleled Norwegians’ home-country landscape: a long coastline with many harbors where they could pursue fishing; dense timber for logging; and, once the trees were cut, stumpland to transform into farms.

Theme Day: Shop Window

The window of Port Book and News in Port Angeles suggested itself for this month’s City Daily Photo theme of “Shop Window.” I liked the holiday tree made from books. Although daylight precluded seeing twinkling holiday lights I liked the reflection of a nearby building.

Click here to see other interpretations of today’s theme from photographers around the world.

It’s back!

This oil drilling rig, Polar Pioneer, was parked in the Port Angeles harbor last April as it was outfitted in anticipation of a trip to the Arctic. Its subsequent visit to Seattle prior to its embarkation generated protests. By summer’s end its owner Royal Dutch Shell announced disappointment with its oil exploration efforts and subsequently abandoned the venture. Polar Pioneer is now back in the Port Angeles harbor to offload equipment and supplies. It’s expected to stay for perhaps a month or longer and its future destination has not been announced.

Sequim savannah

We stopped near the Olympic Game Farm the other day, overlooking an area that isn’t usually populated with the wide variety of animals that call this place home. First we saw a group of horned, long-haired cattle-ish critters (that aren’t named on their website). Then along came llamas, purposefully heading to a grassy corner of the enclosure. Finally, along came two zebras. Not your typical backyard animals.