Real Estate in the Cottage Lake Community of Woodinville, WA --- There are many reasons why buying Real Estate and living in the Cottage Lake community of Woodinville, WA is a great idea. Recreation always tops the list for why people like living in the Pacific Northwest. One of our favorite recreation facilities is Cottage Lake Park. This park originally was a private resort for the east side of the Puget Sound area. It was purchased by King County and converted to a great public facility for all ages. Covered picnic areas, an outdoor pool, a playground, and a new high-climbing challenge course are some of the main activity areas. We particularly like to walk our dog along the lake and out onto the fishing and swimming pier that juts out into Cottage Lake. There are wonderful paved wal... 03/24/2010

We never grow tired of facing west around sunset to look for a warm glow in the sky here in Woodinville. A dramatic sunset seems to add an exclamation mark to the events of the day. It is always fun to anticipate how brilliant the show might be as the clouds build up toward the coast and set up the reflecting dynamics. We always seem to pay attention to the dark wispy clouds that make a wonderful contrast to the brilliant light at the horizon. Last night, when we took this picture, the air was a bit chilly outside as we sat on the front porch. But there was an unmistakable visual energy radiating our way that more than warmed our souls. I don't ever want to be too busy to take the time to enjoy the beauty of nature, and hope you also will savor those special moments that are always out ... 03/22/2010

Have you ever felt like you needed to climb out on a limb? You know, take advantage of an opportunity, while wondering if the risk is worth the chance you'll need to take. The guys in these two pictures are engaged in one of the most dangerous occupations in this country. At the same time they maintain a great spirit that exemplifies an incredible strength and determination. Courage is a given. These pictures, shot a few days ago, are of high climbers working on taking down a couple of trees in our backyard that were compromised and in danger of falling on our home during a future windstorm. Now, you wouldn't catch me up there these days where this guy is, even though I've done a little bit of this type of work many years ago. Those were the days of my reckless youth. __________________... 03/10/2010

Spring in Woodinville, WA In an earlier post I indicated that spring was definitely beginning to make an appearance in Woodinville, WA. This was after believing that our weather prognosticator, Benny the Mountain Beaver knew more than that over-pampered, not quite so intelligent rodent named Phil, back east. Well, our plant of record, an azalea, began its blooming several days ago (as seen in the first picture), and now today it is in its glory, as seen in the second picture. We can now announce, without any doubt, spring is here in Woodinville, WA and throughout the Northwest . . . come and enjoy . . .     ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ 03/07/2010

The Doctor is In --- In Woodinville, WA Fortunately, even though Woodinville, WA is a small town in some respects, because of its demographics, Woodinville does have big town resources and facilities. By demographics I'm referring to lots of Microsoft, Boeing, and other major company employees living in the Woodinville area. One of the most important resources we should investigate when considering relocating to a new area, but sometimes not thought about until needed, are the medical facilities and available doctors. Medical facilities in Woodinville are outstanding with a wide variety of doctors and other health services available. With the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle considered one of the premier hospitals and medical centers in the nation, Woodinville is very ... 03/06/2010

How Do They Do It? We just got back from a walk, during which we met up with a neighbor grazing her horse by the side of the road. Her horse had been working that patch for a while. Not that the horse doesn't get all the high quality feed hay it could desire . . . just seems to have a hankering for the fresh green stuff. So my question is, how does this powerful animal, a mass of muscle and protein structure, make it on a very simple vegetarian diet? I've heard that veggies actually offer the amino acids necessary for protein. And may even be easier to assimilate. As humans we insist on such a diverse diet, not necessarily to our best health. Sometimes simple not only seems, but is, better. There does seem to be a Green, Simplify trend that is catching on in housing these days, with sma... 03/02/2010

Woodinville, Washington Rocks! We are about to embark on a major project we've been planning for some time. With friends and family showing up in a few weeks, we know it will be time to do some serious partying in our backyard. But our backyard is not quite ready, it needs a bit of landscaping and a few rock features to really create an inviting and fun space. So, we starting asking around for a close by location where we might get the rocks and stones to use for our landscaping adventure. The advice we got was to go to Clearview Nursery & Stone. We were not disappointed. It is about a ten minute drive northeast from Woodinville to Clearview. The variety of products is quite impressive, from bark and gravel to standing rock columns, flagstone, and decorative rocks of all sizes. There al... 02/28/2010

What is the Real Hollywood, Washington Connection? If you did a Google search for Hollywood Washington, you'd most likely come up with a bunch of glitter meets power type results. Unless you looked closely, you might miss the real Hollywood, Washington connection. Today, while touring properties, I spent some enjoyable time in Hollywood, Washington. In Woodinville, Washington, there is a fine historical landmark brick schoolhouse built in 1912. This structure was constructed to take the place of the original one room school house in the Hollywood Hill neighborhood of Woodinville. Tradition is that the name came from all the holly bushes in the area. The totally remodeled 16,000 square feet of indoor space is now used for special events, banquets, and weddings. It is referred to as the m... 02/28/2010

Inspired by Debi Boucher and her post --- What's in YOUR Backyard? . . . I decided to go take a look (as I always do what I'm told ;-) What I found was evidence of our early Woodinville, WA spring. Many of my favorite plants are coming out of a dormant stage and beginning their growth cycle. Two of my favorites include the azalea I transplanted to the top of a hill we developed a couple of years ago. It always blooms first before anything else. It blossoms into Mary's favorite color. __________________________________________________________________ Then there is the bush that will display brilliant blue hydrangea flowers in a few months, just beginning to unfurl its first growth of the year. As I walked around surveying the yard, I began to feel a joy rivaling what I expect to experien... 02/24/2010

Why Does the Glorious Weather in Woodinville WA Get Us So Excited? --- It is all about the gardens. As the weather today is pushing toward 60 degrees and full sun in Woodinville WA, we are already preparing our gardens for the incredible displays ahead. Our heather is blooming and the azaleas are starting to tease their color. One of the premium joys in our area is the gardens you will find everywhere, not only in Woodinville WA, but throughout the Northwest. Perhaps it is due to the abundant fresh water or the crisp clean air and brilliant sunlight,  but whatever the reason, just visit the area and you can't miss the passion for gardening we've not experienced anywhere else. This bouquet from last year is a mix from our neighborhood in the Ring Hill area of Woodinville. Most are out of... 02/19/2010

Washington State Home Buyers, Do You Have Questions About Closing Costs? Here is a three minute video produced by WAHomeowners.com that summarizes the closing process and some of the costs to complete a home purchase. There are other similar videos and guides available at WAHomeowners.com to assist new and existing homeowners understand the buying process. You can also find links to assistance programs that go beyond the current homebuyer tax credit opportunity. Check out the video, and then give us a call and we'll help you through the process. ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________   02/18/2010

Looking for the Best Bakery in Western Washington State? You’ve Got to Try the Hillcrest Bakery in Bothell --- While searching for a new park for Ziggy to explore years ago, we discovered the Bothell Landing Park with a set of great features along the Sammamish River. To add icing to the cake of discovering this beautiful park we chanced upon a little out of the way bakery nearby.     You have to understand, bakeries rank up there in importance with schools, hospitals and other area features for us. So, when we saw the word “Bakery” it was a mad dash to check it out. We soon discovered what was to become “The Bakery” in our future outings, also known as the Hillcrest Bakery. Now when we consider making the drive to Bothell to take Ziggy to one of our favorite parks, the unspoken underst... 02/17/2010

Time Limit to be in Contract for Home Buyer Tax Credit is Rapidly Approaching --- There is no time to waste.  It is important to realize that there is increased buyer activity searching out the best buys in a fairly small inventory of quality homes. So, the competition is getting intense. The time limit to enter into a purchase and sale agreement to qualify for the Home Buyer Tax Credit is April 30, 2010. If you have any questions about qualifying for the tax credit as either a first time home buyer or an existing homeowner wanting to purchase another house, please give us a call and we can help you through the process. If you are close to identifying the home you want, we can assist you in getting into an appropriate contract. If you wish to use an Internet site without any registratio... 02/16/2010

Help for Washington State Homeowners Facing Foreclosure --- Washington State Bar Legal Aid Project --- New Funding --- On February 11, 2010 a press release from the Washington State Office of the Attorney General went pretty well unnoticed. In the press release it was stated that cash from a Countrywide settlement will be dispersed to help some Washington State homeowners facing foreclosure.     The intent of the assistance is to provide counseling to those in trouble, with an understanding that homeowners seeking help stand a much better chance of saving their home than those that try to go it alone. The links below will take you to more information about the foreclosure prevention efforts: Attorney General Press Release Where you will find links to other efforts focused on helping hom... 02/15/2010

Groundhog Day in the Seattle / Woodinville, WA Area --- "Spring Comes Early" - - - Forget Punxsutawney, PA for the rodent forecast for how long winter will last. You want the smartest rodent alive for that kind of prediction. That rodent, Benjamin, lives in Woodinville, WA. And, here he says, "Spring comes early." Who is Benjamin, this wisest of all rodents? Well, Benjamin is from the oldest existing order of rodents on earth: the Mountain Beaver. The Mountain Beaver is not to be confused with the North American Beaver. Here is a picture of our Mountain Beaver, Benjamin, phoning in the prediction via his iPaw ©. This photo was created with the cooperation of the Wikipedia public domain crew ;-))   You see, our Mountain Beaver, Benjamin, is so shy smart he refuses to come out for the pre... 02/02/2010

Home Buyer Tax Credit Deadline Extended for Military to 2011 - See One Minute Video Below. The IRS has done the right thing by taking the pressure off our military personnel relative to the deadline dates to qualify for the current homebuyer tax credit. Please click on the one minute video below to get a quick overview of the IRS ruling for our military and other related services. Thank you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Other Posts in this Series: How Can We Assist Our Defenders of Liberty McChord Air Force Base, Defender of Liberty Fort Lewis, Defender of Liberty     ------------------------------------------------------------------------------   01/31/2010

One of my favorite decorating styles is what I call "casually elegant".  To me that means a home enviornment that is beautiful, yet welcoming and approachable, not stuffy or formal. We staged this vacant home in Woodville's Bear Creek Country Club last weekend.  The view out the living room windows is of the community golf course.  This staged home epitomizes a "casually elegant" lifestyle!                 Staging Provided by SISTERS Interior Redesign, Edmonds, WA, 425.776.7890, www.sistersredesign.com Give your listing the advantage of professional staging.  Contact us today for a complimentary quote. We look forward to working with you!     01/28/2010

Snoqualmie Falls - - - Great Puget Sound, WA Destination - - - Snoqualmie Falls is one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of Washington State. Located near the scenic North Bend area and the fabulous collection of old railroad trains and equipment in the town of Snoqualmie. Fortunately, it is not far from my hometown of Woodinville, and Nina's home at the south end of Lake Washington. Also in the area of the falls is one of Mary's favorite dining spots, the Fall City Roadhouse. What a great area to spend a few days, just soaking up all the wonderful scenery and things to do. The Snoqualmie Falls area also offers wonderful hiking opportunities down to the river below for magnificent views of the falls from the river. But be careful, the hike down and up is not for the faint-... 01/24/2010

Good News at the Columbia Winery in Woodinville, WA - - - It was disheartening to have read a while back that the Columbia Winery in Woodinville, WA was considering closing up after the dinner train was placed on a siding for the time being. It must have been a real shock to business not to have that great crowd stop and get off at the Columbia Winery. But, there is good news to follow . . .   When Mary and I stopped by the other day, it was good news to hear they've had a change of heart and are planning on staying open for years to come. The Columbia Winery is a wonderful destination for many reasons. Tasting some of their incredible wines is the obvious one, but then there is also a fine gift shop, cozy fireplace, and banquet facilities. It is also fun to just stroll around the prope... 01/24/2010

The Widow Part - 5 This thing became huge! 240 people from our church offered to come. 150 actually did come and sign in. I think all but 8 were from our Church. We even had one of the Church buses running back and forth with people. 5 parking people. A general contractor from our church in charge of all the projects. Contractors in charge of each individual project. 25 extra large pizzas for lunch paid for by a member of the church. It was wonderful! A reporter from the local paper made a report. He seemed to miss entirely that it was our church project, but his write up is interesting... Big hometown rally at the Babcock place Written by Don Mann    Monday, 25 January 2010 10:46  Annie Babcock, 83, offers direction to Jason Burt, a family friend, during the roof-party at her place on ... 01/23/2010