Fernwoodsy

Indianola Holiday Art Fair is Saturday, November 17th, 2012, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. at the IBIC Clubhouse. Lot’s of creative folks live in Indianola. Come and meet many of them who are showing their work next Saturday — browse and discover unique crafts, art and gift items. Carolyn will be there with her awesome baked goodies. Some choice Fernwoodsy framed photographs will be available for purchase. I’ll be checking out Dahlia’s beautiful hand knit sweaters and Melinda West’s wall pieces made from local bark and wood. (Be sure to check out her clam rattle necklaces.)

Indianola Holiday Art Fair exhibitors:

Passiko True – jewelry  | Melinda West – baskets & jewelry  | Jim Ennis & Jerry Anderson – Damnmit Dolls | Dahlia Malin – knits | Lauren Silver – spun wool yarn & knitted & felted wearable art | Elizabeth Reed Smith – art prints & cards Leanne Peterson – handbags | Terry Logan – clothing, buttons, accessories | Holly Hughes – books  | Candy House – ceramics | Zann Jacobrown – art prints | Kathleen McKeehan – cards & prints | Karrie & Jay Stemmler – Indianola Pottery | Tory – hand crafted wall figurines | Matthew Warden – tapestry bags and framed antique sheet music | Raven and Andrea Goldman – handmade animals, head bands & pillows | Anne Briggs – jewelry | Barbie Brooking – flower arrangements | Tim Celeski – fine outdoor furniture | Leslie Newman (aka Fernwoodsy) – holiday cards & photographic prints | Carolyn Helgeson – food (yum!)

I hope to see you there.

It’s the last day of September and more sunshine is expected today. I’m not complaining, I think we’re making up for a dreary, very wet Spring. Here are the amazing rainfall stats from a very, very nearby weather station in Indianola. It’s a record breaking dry spell for August & September at nearby SeaTac Airport, with no rain in the forecast for the coming week.

But days are getting shorter, and nights longer so it does feel a bit like fall. My plants are thirsty and anxious for some soaking rains, but most folks around here are enjoying the blue skies and sun while it lasts, we know soon it will be gray and wetness all the time.

Central Washington is a different story. They desperately need rain to put out the terrible wildfires. Sadly it’s been a devastating fire season. So bring on the Fall rain, please.

Summer is finally here! I hope the sun and warm temps holds on for Indianola Days next weekend. This is the big event of the year for Indianola. The community comes together and has a blast!  The Breeze arrived and I thought I’d post the busy schedule for those searching online. Check out the schedule of fun activities for all ages.

Friday, June 21
StuntNite! 7-9pm (still accepting acts, email stuntnite@98342.org to sign up)

Saturday, June 22
Sand Castle Contest (low tide 12:55, judging 1pm)
Steve Kikuchi Fun Run & Walk

9:15 am sign-up (in front of the store)
9:30 am Kids begin 1/4 run
9:45 am Adults begin 2 mile run

Street Fair, 10am-5 pm
Kid’s Beach Games, 11am
Kid’s Corn Husking Contest, 12:30pm
Salmon Dinner*, 4:30 – 7pm
21+ Dance, 8-Midnight

Sunday, June 23
Pet Parade, 10 am (sign-up at 9:30)
Unique Car Show, 10 am-2 pm
East vs West Baseball Game, 12:30 pm

*Pre-purchase Salmon Bake tickets at the IBIC Garage at the Saturday Market

There are many opportunities to volunteer, check the signup sheets on the community bulletin boards. Indianola Days is produced by the Indianola Beach Improvement Club (IBIC).

Imagine this beach filled with LOTs of people, dogs and sandcastles.

I have a feeling there are people out on the Internets wondering when Indianola Days is this year. Now you know, it’s July 21 & 22 (with Stunt Night on Fri. July 20). Saturday is the sand castle contest (no professionals please) and the famous salmon bake dinner. Sunday brings the oh-so-cute pet parade, and a shiny car show (I think — I’m not the official source of details). This is a local affair, a semi-secret festival of fun for Indianola residents and their friends and family. But they don’t check your identity papers, so if you’re an out-of-towner you may be able to sneak in. If you’re lucky you’ll be there, and the sun will be shining on us all.

Not to be missed is Stunt Night on July 20, it’s most charming talent show you’ll ever see. Many were disappointed that Stunt Night didn’t happen last year, so surely there is pent up Indianola talent waiting to show itself. Details about participating in Stunt Night, volunteering for Indianola Days and getting tickets for the Salmon dinner are in the Breeze (mailed to IBIC members) and posted on the three Indianola bulletin boards (that’s actual bulletin boards, not the new fashioned electronic bulletin boards). If you are an Indianola resident and inspired to show your talent at Stunt Night email stuntnight@98342.org By the way Indianola Days is organized/sponsored by the IBIC (Indianola Beach Improvement Club). Hooray for the IBIC and all it’s dedicated volunteers!

May 5th brought us a Super Moon. That’s when the moon is full and comes in close proximity to Earth. It looks bigger and brighter than usual. That evening I went with a friend to the beach to watch it rise. It was a beautiful clear evening and the Moon was spectacular. Along with the big full moon came very low tides that day and the next several. The minus tides were conveniently timed around noon and the weather was warm and sunny, perfect for folks to go explore the tidal zone. Crabs, moon snails, sea stars, tube worms, anemones were exposed and wishing it wasn’t so warm and sunny. But for the humans it was perfect beach combing conditions. The Indianola dock was completely exposed.

It’s the almost the end of March and it’s 43 degrees. We’ve had rain 22 days this month. (According to our very nearby Indianola weather station). Oh we’ve had a few “sun breaks”, but I’m ready for the real thing. The bees are anxious to get to work, and all this wind and rain is cramping their style. Mine too.

I love these pure white berries hanging from spindly bare branches. This photo was taken Dec. 4. but even now the bushes are still filled with the puffy berries. The birds will get around to eating them soon I’m sure. These are tough shrubs, Symphoricarpos albus, are native to the Pacific Northwest. My row of snowberry bushes started out as bare root sticks from the Kitsap Conservation District Tree Sale about three years ago. They have thrived in the mostly shade. Our honeybee hives are close by and surely contribute to the abundance of berries. Cut branches with berries are striking in flower arrangements. We probably won’t have snow on Christmas, but we can enjoy the beauty of the snowberries.

75 degrees and Sunshine! Sunshine has been rare this summer, but finally we’ve had a good stretch of warmth. Pitifully, this year we consider 72 degrees warm. The bees are not slacking off. We’re hoping for a bountiful honeyola harvest this year.

It’s high season in Indianola, you wouldn’t know it by the weather. But hey we can’t sit around waiting for good weather, it’s summertime now, gray, rain or shine. Indianola Days is this weekend. There’s lots happening Saturday and Sunday. Sadly no Stunt Night was scheduled, maybe next year. It’s hard to find info online about our charming Summer celebration, so I thought I’d post the schedule of events here.

SATURDAY – JULY 30
Sand Castle Contest — low-tide is minus 2.1 ft at around 11 am, judging is at Noon. This isn’t one of those fancy sculpture contests with trucked in fancy sand and pros doing the designing. This is locals having a blast on the beach, coming up with crazy ideas and getting down and dirty building their creations. So join in the fun or come on down and take a tour. It lasts until high tide washes it away.
Steve Kikuchi Fun Run & Walk — 9:15 sign-up, 9:30 kids begin 1/4 mile run, 9:45 adults begin 2 mile run.
Street Fair — 10 am-5 pm, local arts & crafts
Kid’s Beach Games — 11 am
Horseshoe Contest — 11:30 am (right side of dock on tideflats)
Kid’s Corn Husking Contest — 1:30
Indianola Days Salmon Bake — 4:30-7:30, at the Bud Merrill pavilion, the highlight, always well attended, last year over 800 meals served. Cost is $12 for a great salmon dinner, $6 for hot dogs. Bring your own plate, cup and utensils, or add $2 for compostable items. This event leaves a small environmental footprint, I believe all the trash gets composted at Persephone Farm. (Volunteers are needed to help prep/serve/clean up and provide bread and pies — info in the Breeze or check the big Indianola bulletin board or Post Office bulletin board. Or email Fernwoodsy if you want a phone number to call.)
21+ Dance— 8-Midnight at the Clubhouse (not sure of the cost)

SUNDAY – JULY 31
Unique Car Show — 10 am-2 pm
Pet Parade! — 9:30 sign up near clubhouse, parade starts at 10
East vs. West Baseball Game — 11 am

Where is Indianola? OMG you don’t know?
Here’s a link to Indianola, WA on Google Maps.

Beach and pet parade photos above are from 2010 Indianola Days (it was warm and sunny!). All info is from the July 2011 issue of the Indianola Breeze.

The honeybee hives are close by and when it’s warm enough for them to leave the hive I can usually find a few feeding on the pretty pink blossoms of red-flowering currant, Ribes sanguineum. I dug out our old Nikon Coolpix 4500 and captured this macro shot. I love that camera, it’s slow, but is great for capturing bugs on flowers. Naturally the hummingbirds love this plant as well. About two years ago I planted three bare root sticks of red flowering currant I got from the Kitsap Conservation district annual native plant sale. Actually I planted ten sticks around the property. At the time they did not look very impressive. But the three nearest my studio have thrived, become monsters actually, this year the were covered in blossoms and are pushing 6 ft tall.

Red-flowering currant, Ribes sanguineum