I was out and about today and I was in the wonderful neighborhood of Mason Lake Washington. I took a few photo's and looked up some information to share with our community. Mason Lake, Washington Mason Lake Info More than a thousand residents live yearlong around the shores of Mason Lake, the second largest freshwater lake in Mason County. Originally a summer vacation community, the lake has always been known for its power boats, jet skis and water skiing. A county park provides swimming, picnic and boat launching access. The community of Mason Lake is located centrally between Grapeview and Harstine Island to the east, and Twanoh State Park to the west. Much of the area surrounding Mason Lake is commercial timberland in various states of harvest. This is a photo of the private boat are... 11/15/2008

"Island Belle"is a light-bodied hybrid grape (vitis labrusca), also known as Campbell's Early. The Grape made its debut around 1890 on Stretch Island located in Grapeview, Washington along the shore line of South Puget Sound. The "Island Belle" is a concord type vine that was cross breed with native American vines from New York. After a lot of experimenting, the "Island Belle" became well suited to the vineyards on Stretch Island. The new Hybrid soon became the most widely planted variety in the Puget Sound area. The "Island Belle" grape got its name from a descendant of the Eckert Family. The tale I heard was that an exceptionally lovely young Lottie Eckert attended a dance on the Island and was considered the "Belle of the Ball". Shortly after the dance the family went to the Pacific ... 11/14/2008

This time of year brings out a side of my husband I can't ignore. One of the only things I have found to help him during this time of crisis is- good beer, junk food, & more beer ( at a certain point the quality of the beer does not matter as much).It is important to leave him a lot of room to jump up suddenly from his chair, scream at people who can not hear him( although at times I think they actually can) and listen to him berate skilled athletes. I wrote a calming Haiku poem for this Sunday. I will let you read it first before I share it with him during the middle of the game, in hopes that it makes him feel better. Blue,Green, touchdown screams Seahawks rule my husbands world cold noses, hot heads   Wish me luck! 10/26/2008

A Brief History The first settler in our area was Lambert Evans in 1872.  He was a veteran of the Confederate Army from Florida and was 36 years of age when he settled on Stretch Island.  He purchased 40 acres of the island for $2.50 per acre.  Later he filed homestead papers on the northern 172 acres.  He planted grapevines from cuttings he obtained during his long travel to the area.  Fruit trees were also planted and he sold his crops by rowing to Olympia and Steilacoom.  For 11 years he remained the only settler for miles and later in life became known as the "first citizen" of the community. Late in the 19th century more settlers came to Stretch Island, Reach Island and the mainland opposite the islands. Members of early sailing expeditions of Puget Sound named much of our area.  T... 10/21/2008

We took a new listing yesterday. It is a beautiful home. My partner has already put it on Localism (811 April Ave. Grapeview, Wa) if you are curious. We laughed and talked as we went over the listing agreement, answered questions, and then went over the comps. The wife spoke up as we were talking about the different homes, and pointed to one of our other listings in a magazine that we advertise in " Oh, I have been through that one, and it is gorgeous!" This comment startled and concerned me. Was I slacking on the job? The only way to see that home is to make an appointment, and I was not aware of her scheduling to see the home. So I asked her when she had been in. Maybe she knew the owners. She replied" I wasn't actually at the house, but I saw all of it online!" It is amazing that we ... 10/20/2008

The chilly autumn air inspired a couple Haikus today. If you are not familiar with a haiku, it is a poem. They originated in Japan and are very simple and are usually about nature. The first line in 5 syllables and the second is 7 syllables followed again by 5 syllables in the third. Glowing pumpkin smiles Branches shaking clear the leaves I can see my breath   Colors are in the air Rusty red, bright gold excitement for fall 10/19/2008