Vampires, Moss and Red Hot Pokers

What do these obscure manifestations have in common? The Olympic Peninsula, of course, where we have decided to Summer.

Where I come from, the growing season is only about 14 days long, on a good year - you can drive through any neighborhood in Bend in early July and see blankets covering and protecting the petunias....believe me. So red hot pokers only bloom on average, once every 5 years. The plant is small and depressing looking and the bloom baffles most Central Oregonians, because we never see such a site. Here in Sequim Washington, they grow and bloom as a weed. With a growing season just shy of 500 days a year, everything flourish's here. Including moss and vampires.

What better place to welcome vampires.

The days are gray and overcast, even in June, so not only are vampires welcome, they thrive as they never have to hide from the sun. The moss, mist and eerie, exposed root systems just add to the blood suckers "movie-like" ambiance.

Personally, I don't know any vampires yet, but I think I like them better than mosquitoes. It has been over a week, and I still haven't been bit by anything with wings. In contrast, a mosquito heard I was in South Africa for a visit and flew all the way from Sudan to bite me! True story!

Regardless, this is a beautiful area with rugged coastline, beaches, palm trees, rivers, lakes, rain forests, really tall firs and pines, and not so tall mountains. The people are friendly and unrushed and always ready to have a cup of coffee and visit.

If you are wondering why vampires are welcome here, this is the area the Twilight series is based on, and the folks are very proud of that fact. My daughter has read the series and seen the movies with affection. She was to send the books with me so I could read up and be in the know, but like other items forgotten and left behind, it didn't happen. Sometimes being ignorance is bliss.