(December , the second week; my Sequim, WA journal)

Weather warning ahead
A serious cold snap ahead
for the Northwest

It has been three years since we travelled to see the Christmas lights of Leavenworth, WA. We joined a group of Sequimites enjoying an overnight motorcoach excursion there that week. It was a trip that took us through both Western Washington's Cascade Mountain passes. Skiers were at play in each place. It was a snowy touch of winter absent in Sequim at the time. Those who live in the Seattle area can take the "Snow Train" to Leavenworth and make it an all-day railroad excursion; dinner is served on the return to the big City.

In winter Leavenworth is bedecked all throughout the town with hundreds of thousands of little white lights on the buildings and trees. This photo shows the mountain setting, too.

The clock tower building was one that received a new facade years ago

In the Cascades just beyond Steven Pass is the little town that reinvented itself quite successfully. Leavenworth WA, in the early 1960s, was suffering the doldrums of losing its rail service and timber industries.
City residents got together, looked at their alpine setting, in the middle of the Cascade Mts. and declared themselves a "Bavarian Village". Today, the buildings have been recreated as if located in Europe; many of the area restaurants feature central German cuisine, and we can have a "Bavarian experience" without a long air journey!

5 miles west of Leavenworth is the Alps candy factory - they were the first Building to adopt the Bavarian theme.

Leavenworth has become a major Washington tourist attraction. The Holiday decorations were delightful. The Inn was wonderfully comfortable, the accordian player talented, the meals delicious. Some Leavenworth music students provided the background Christmas music at the piano, at breakfast-time.

the whole alphorn is very long... After breakfast the group, and the village, was serenaded by the proprietor of the Enzian Inn, an accomplished alphorn player. He perched on the caprail of the fourth-floor balcony for the performance! It is a very long horn; the bell sits on its own little feet.

In early December we could see the chairlifts operating, but the mountain slopes were hidden in the fog.

On the return to Sequim, the tour director routed us through Snoqualmie Pass, where the skiers were already enjoying the winter's snowfall. Once through the Cascades, we were back in our snow-free late fall weather.

The Sequim Calendar for next week:

Santa and his helpers make several appearances in Sequim this weekend.

'Santa Claws' will be at the fundraiser for The Peninsula Friends of Animals - posing for photos with your dogs and pets at the Dancing Dog Saturday from 10-3 p.m. Suggested donation is $8 for 2 5 x 7 poses. PFOA members Mpountain Magic will do the photography honors. They can also create a special printing of the photo of your choice onto Tshirts and Sweatshirts, as the supplies hold out. First come, first chooses. There will also be a Christmas Box available for your donations of pet supplies and food donations to go to some of the more financially - strapped four-footed community members caregivers.
and of course Santa will stop by the Bank Square Park each Saturday to visit with young and old, from 1 to 3. The carollers will be there too, adding their voices to the Christmas festivities. Hope the weather holds for them.

Breakfast with Santa at Carrie Blake is on Saturday. What a treat for the kiddies!
and on Friday t at 7 p.m., and onSaturday and Sunday at 3 p.m., at the Presbyterian Church, come see the 'Christmas Celebration' - over 150 performers celebrating the season.

The Sequim Pioneer Histories, volume 1, detailed the stories of 189 pioneer families. The second volume of the histories has 157 additional stories and 290 pictures. The editing committee was led by Al and Sara Courtney and all put in many hours in this labor of love. Both volumes are available at the Museum store. They make a wonderful Christmas gift.

Swain's in Sequim, and McCombs Nursery, have a new bough-stapling machines and you can make reservations to use it to make your own holiday wreaths. Custom, by hand (yours)

Sequim community sharing programs include these:

The Trolley is running on Saturdays from 10 til 3 - just hop on and ride to the other parts of Sequim anywhere between The QFC mall to JCPenneys. It's too far to walk when carrying packages, but riding is free!

The local banks are holding toy drives and those, along with the Food Bank's gift baskets, will be distributed Dec. 19th. These items go not only to welfare recipients, but to those who are employed but just don't have enough money left over for Christmas presents.

Lots of places to drop off items for the food bank - and unwrapped presents for the Salvation Army's Toys for Kids tree- QFC, for one that you see every day. And, of course, drop in your spare change into their Red Kettles and smile at the bell ringers. That's a cold job these winter's days.