About Grapeview's Stretch Island

Yesterday and today, with temperatures reaching into the 90s around here, we have enjoyed swimming to cool down in both the lakes and the saltwater. Late yesteday afternoon, I drove my 2 sons to Stretch Island to beach comb and swim and noticed hundreds of seals on the north side chasing anchovies. With the spectacular Olympic Mountains, Mt. Rainier, and surrrounded by water, this area is the best in the world! We watched an eagle dive down to the water to catch a fish as we swam. We have great deals on this kind of property.

1.The first bird domesticated by man was the goose.

2.There are more chickens in the world than people.

3.Chickens absorb vitamin-D through their combs from sunshine.

4.The average hen will lay 227 eggs a year

5.Roosters can't crow if they can't fully extend their necks.

6.A group of geese on the ground is gaggle, a group of geese in the air is skein.

7.A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.

8.Chickens that lay brown eggs have red ear lobes. There is a genetic link between the two.

9.Nine yolks have been found in one chicken egg.

10.A chicken has been documented as having survived 18 months...headless!

What weird facts do you know?

It was one of those days that you have to carry your camera with you everywhere you go. I could not stop taking pictures today.The waters were still and the views incredible. This is a view from the Treasure Island bridge looking over to the Stretch Island Bridge. Years ago the twin Islands were called Reach and Stretch.This was long before the bridges- when the school children took boats to school. It was said it took a "Reach" and a "Stretch." Since then Reach Island is now referred to as Treasure Island. The name is appropriate, and if you viewed the picture from my last post you can see why.

Ever wonder why so many people flock to Mason County, Washington. I bet he does too, although I think he likes the handouts.

The freedom and nature here are remarkable. We are minutes away from sailing, boating, fishing, clamming, hiking, biking, and enjoying the local wildlife.It is the one stop spot for getting away from it all yet only 30 to 40 minutes away by car or ferry to getting back to it all.

I was sitting here in the office this morning, commiserating with another agent in my office, Peter Cahan, about the nasty weather we are having today. Wind, rain and just down right cold when he said to me, "You know what I did this morning?" And so he told me this story which reminded me of why I love living and working where I do.....

It was about 6 AM this morning, Peter was at home working away on his computer when his wife yells to him "Peter!Come here and bring the binoculars!" Peter and his wife live on the waterfront on Stretch Island - a beautiful island in Grapeview, WA in the waters of Puget Sound (see Localism for more stories and info on Stretch Island).

He focuses the binoculars on where his wife is pointing out on the water at a sailboat that she believes is adrift. He squint and scrutinizes and tells her that he doesn't think it is, he thinks it is anchored because the bow is into the wind.... She disagrees but they agree to wait a half hour and see if it moves. Peter goes back to his computer endeavors and a short while later she calls down again. "Peter you'd better come look now." And so he does, grabbing the binoculars and focusing them once again to where his wife is now pointing. The sailboat has definetely moved position as the bow is now on the beach-he can't disagree with her now!

Remember the time of day it is and the fact that the weather is one of those types of days in the Northwest that you just want to hunker down and sit by the fireplace with a warm cup of cocoa and a good book.

Peter does not keep his boats in the water in the winter, but he knows that one of his neighbors usually does and so he makes a call to that neighbor. Sure enough the neighbor has a boat in the water that Peter can use for the rescue of the sailboat. He fills the neighbor in on the sailboat that has drifted to the beach, asking the neighbor if he would like to help him rescue it. Without a second thought or a pause to the wind and the rain, both Peter and the neighbor clambor aboard the neighbors boat to make the rescue.

After a few cut fingers, chilled through and through and drenched to the bone from the wind,the rain and the waves, Peter and his neighbor succesfully anchor the sailboat and return to their humble abodes to resume their normal days activities - all without a pause or second thought as if rescuing sailboats were something they did each and every day.

It truly is the people in a community who MAKE THE COMMUNITY A COMMUNITY.And that is one of the main reasons I love living where I do....

Oh and they do not know who owns the sailboat, so if you know of someone missing a saliboat in the waters of Case Inlet/Puget Sound... give Peter a shout. He just might know where it is....

Thanks for stopping in! ~~~Valerie~~~Hood Canal & Puget Sound Waterfront Real Estate Expert~~~