Please Don't Take My Sunshine Away

Wind. Rain. A permanent cloud cover above our heads. It's officially winter in the Pacific Northwest, and am I the only one who feels like Grays Harbor gets the brunt of it? When I cross that county line between Thurston and Grays Harbor everyday on my way home from work I can swear everything gets a little bit...well, "Gray"er. As with every winter, during these next few months I know I will find myself longing for the beautiful sunny scenes that we are treated to in August and September.

Like this one...

GH National Wildlife Refuge


Ahhh... and this one.

Ocean Shores Kite Festival

(Feel any warmer?) If you're anything like me, you take a healthy dose of the sunshine supplement daily (vitamin D) and seriously consider taking up tanning just to feel sun-kissed (I always manage to talk myself out of it) to get through these colder, wetter months.

So as we begin the journey through winter in Grays Harbor yet again (only 83 days left!) I'm keeping my eye on the sunshine prize. You should do the same; I suggest something effortless yet instantly gratifying like changing your desktop photo to your favorite outdoor snapshot from the summer.

Music Monday: Party Time

Now that Christmas has passed by (and I hope it was a good one), it's time to get your New Year's Eve playlist ready! Here are a few suggestions:

Ugly Christmas Sweaters

At one point,they were just considered Christmas Sweaters. I know, it baffles me too. Who actually liked wearing the tacky knitted scenes we see on thrift store racks and late night QVC? How did enveloping yourself in an array of iron-on Christmas images become a great way to show off your holiday spirit? Who knows. Not me. But someone (probably women over 50) at some point (I'm guessing 1980-1994) enjoyed it, and to them I say thank you. Why? Because they've given our generation the greatest gift of the season: another excuse to party!
Yes, the Ugly Christmas Sweater has been a party-theme favorite since people realized that, well, their beloved seasonal sweaters were actually incredibly ugly (I'd say 1995). And as I make final preparations for my ugly Christmas outfit for tonight's shindig, I thought I would share my five favorite types of holiday sweater:

1) The Scene Sweater. It's like a Christmas card you can wear. Which is great for me because I always forget to send cards anyway.

2) The Hodge Podge Sweater. The one with the most Christmas crammed in is clearly the most spirited person.

3) The 3D Sweater. Covered in real live holiday flotsam. An excellent choice for the tactile person.

4) The Slight Disconnect Sweater. Santa's lassoing a cactus, or reindeer are swimming. You don't really know what's going on, but Christmas is in there somewhere.

5) The Vest & Turtleneck: A Sophisticated Sweater Alternative. Or a great choice for those who can't have just one pattern.

And this, my friends, is the choice I'm going with tonight! I will be sporting a lovely holiday vest with turtleneck, both in the 'holly' pattern. I know you're jealous. Just wait until you see my poinsettia headband.

I hope to see you all at the Harborena at 7pm in your finest holiday fashion faux pas! Remember, it's $10 at the door and it includes your skate rental!

Let Me Introduce Myself

You might be starting to wonder where this blog came from and who is behind it... well, let me tell you.

It's quite the epic tale that involves five friends crossing rivers, deserts and the Washington/Oregon border to find themselves back in their homeland. Upon their return they began to wonder... where have all the cowboys people gone?

We love Grays Harbor and think it's an amazing place to be! We are surrounded by the ocean, rainforests and a great community and we want to acknowledge this awesomeness as well as spread the word. Mostly, we want to show all of you who live locally where to find the best food, drinks, entertainment, adventures and fun on the Harbor. Our ultimate goal is to see the local community grow and thrive.


So, the important thing here is that we want you involved! We have a number of blog posts planned that require your participation and we hope you will take this opportunity to share with us all that you love about living here. And please share this blog with your family and friends!

Over the next few Wednesdays, we will be introducing you to each of our blog contributors individually. If you want to get involved, contribute a story to our blog, have suggestions or just want to know who makes the best burger in town email us at gogograysharbor@gmail.com.

Don't Be a Bowl Grabber

As the holidays are fast approaching, we want to make sure you know how to impress your friends and family at this weekend's dinner party. Here are 8 tips on how to drink wine.

This Thursday!

Man invented the wheel for one reason and one reason alone: roller skates.

I know what you're thinking, and I second guessed it myself, but I Googled it AND searched Wikipedia. It's true. 100%. For real. In honor of this invention, the miracle that is the ugly sweater and Christmas, we're throwing a party, nay, an extravaganza. It's appropriately titled, "Ugly Sweaters & Roller Skates Holiday Extravaganza." Pretty clever, eh?

If you'd like to attend this extravaganza (I know you do), join us at the Haborena, Thursday, December 22, from 7pm-9pm. $10. I guarantee there will be roller skates, ugly sweaters (prize for the ugliest sweater!), awesome music, food and beverages. I predict there will be laughter, falling, the Funky Chicken, the Hokey Pokey, and Chuck Norris dressed as Santa Claus. The last one was predicted by a nice, completely sane and sober, individual I encountered in a dark bar at 1am. They admitted they weren't Nostradamus but claimed to have eaten a piece of toast that matched his image - and that's good enough for me.



Anyway, I can promise it will be a good time. After the extravaganza, to celebrate the massive success of the "Ugly Sweaters & Roller Skates Holiday Extravaganza," we invite you to join us at a secret location. Hint: this location is the perfect place to encounter the kind of nice, completely sane and sober, people I mentioned earlier. Second hint: alcohol heals all roller skate related wounds and bruising. Hope to see you there!!!!

Chaneling "The Chipmunks" at Christmas...

While we may be a little under one week til Christmas, the music of the season has been ringing in our ears for months! Which made it very easy for me to pick out my favorite tune of the holidays.

I hope everyone enjoys, as I know just how hard it is to be without the ones you love this time of the year...

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town--Jackson 5 - The funniest home videos are here

Music Monday!

Hey friends, it's Music Monday! Every Monday, we plan to bring you some of our favorite songs from the week and since Christmas is coming up so soon, we want to share our fave holiday tunes!

Sweaters ready?

Obviously this guy is getting warmed up for the party on Thursday...

Christmas Time is Here

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? It certainly is cold enough for it. Maybe this will warm you up.



Kris Orlowski lives in Seattle but has told me he has a lot of family in Aberdeen, so I felt he has enough Harbor street cred to get his video on this blog. You can hear more from Kris on his website www.krisorlowski.com.

And I certainly hope you are getting your Christmas sweater ready for our party next Thursday, December 22nd at the Harborena! You'll have the opportunity to meet new people and see old friends, hear some awesome tunes from a sought after house-party DJ (me), and eat some snacks! Just try not to fall down from all the excitement.



7pm to 9pm. Tickets are $10 at the door. Includes your skate rentals, snacks and beverages (of the non-alcoholic sort, but if you spike the egg nog we'll look the other way). Sorry kiddos, 21+ only. After party at a local bar (to be announced at the party).

Stay Local

The holidays are almost here! Check out these local spots for last minute gifts and entertainment:

Galway Bay Irish Restaurant and Pub (and Gift Store) - A restaurant gift card might be the way to go, but make sure you check out their gift shop. They have many gifts from Ireland including home goods, clothing, jewelry and accessories.

The Salty Dog at Seabrook - If you really want to spoil your dog, this is the place to go. Super cute dog toys, sweaters, beds and snacks.

Rosevear's Music Center - Splurge and get someone a new guitar or sign them up for lessons here. You will also find a variety of accessories and CD's from local bands.

Westport Winery - Buy a bottle of wine and some accessories to go along with it. Wine bottle openers, bottle stoppers, fancy napkins and glasses, and more. Also they carry scarves, books, delicious cheese and Rogue beer.

Jackson Street Books - This cute little shop has both new and used books in every genre. Why not grab a coffee to go at Tully's down the street and spend some time browsing?

Grand Heron & Waugh's Men's & Women's Store - For your fancypants friends out there, you'll find plenty of gifts for them at these shops and they are within one block of each other! Grab some new clothes and a few bottles of wine at Waugh's and head to the Grand Heron to make your home look as beautiful as you do.

Elk Head Tap Room - For the beer lover in your life, grab a growler full of whatever brew you prefer. And you get to try them all for free!

What are your other local places to do your gift shopping?

The Polson Museum

The Grays Harbor area's history might be fairly short, but this little area has gone through a lot in the last 150 years! I payed a visit to the Polson Museum on Sunday for their Holiday Open House. They warmed me up with their hospitality and hot apple cider then filled my head with a lot of interesting stories about logging history, Native American crafts and 100 year old photos, among other things.



Since I am a semi-professional HGTV viewer, I couldn't wait to see the layout of this mansion, built for the Polson Family in 1926. My home-gawking needs were more than fulfilled by this place. It is beautiful and maintains it's historical integrity, including a couple of closets full of antique clothing and a child's bedroom full of toys (although maybe if you have an irrational fear of dolls like I do, this isn't a room you'll want to check out - at least if it's dark).


If you are interested in the early history of Hoquiam and Aberdeen, they have a great deal of old photographs. I actually got to step into their offices (the old maid's quarters) to see the area where they archive old photos, some from as far back as the mid 1800's. I was told that they have digitized somewhere around 13,000 photos! I imagine that I could spend weeks in there just looking at all the old photos, but I held back and only spent about 2 hours there looking at old slides and learning more and more about what life was like back in the days of the logging boom.




The Polson Museum also has a lovely little gift shop where they sell a variety of local books, gifts and posters. They even have their own wine which they sell at Swanson's grocery!


The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 4pm. There is a minimal entrance fee. Find out more about their exhibits and history on their website www.polsonmuseum.org.

It's Friday!

This seems to be the weekend for some holiday parties. Have fun!

Cat Power

I know how to solve the economic troubles on the Harbor. More cat videos!

What's Happening This Weekend

Northwest Harvest Funds and Food Raiser
Top Foods, Aberdeen
Saturday, 7 am to 3pm
The Elks 593 Singers will be performing from 1-3, and King-5 personalities will be attending, taking donations. All donations received stay in our local communities. Team Harvest will also purchase more items to aid in our hometown effort.

Ho Ho Hoquiam Fun Run
Sponsored by City of Hoquiam
2 mile walk, 2 mile, 5k and 10k runs
Registration at 9 a.m. and run at 10 a.m. on Saturday
Begins in front of 7th Street Theatre
$5 without a shirt and $15 with a shirt

Santa Comes to Hoquiam
sponsored by Hoquiam Development Association
11 a.m. at Central Grade School
Free pictures with Santa

Cocoa Stroll and Festival of Trees
Sponsored by Tully's Coffee and Hoquiam Business Association
Saturday, 4-7 p.m. Downtown Hoquiam
Shoppers should register at Tully's Coffee beginning at 4 p.m. on December 3rd to receive their voting sheet. First 100 to register receive a complementary Ho Ho Hoquiam 2011 collectible ornament. Then stroll around Hoquiam with your complementary cocoa to view and judge the trees decorated by the businesses.

Christmas Tree Lighting
Sponsored by Timberland Bank
Saturday, 7:00 p.m. in the Timberland Bank parking lot

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
7th Street Theatre
Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
$5 for adults and $3 for students
Moose mug raffle, moose mug punch bowl silent auction and Cousin Eddie look-alike contest (winner receives a moose mug!)

Go Go Grays Harbor Flickr Pool

Go Go Grays Harbor Flickr Pool, a group on Flickr.

Hey Look! Now you can add your photos from Flickr to our Flickr Pool and share your photography skills with the world! Your photos could end up on the blog!