Pacific North West

I have been here in Bremerton for five days now, living in the Pacific North West.  I could get used to the fresh air, the tall pines and firs, and even the slugs.  The roads are hilly and curvy which are my favorite kind of roads.  The shoulders on the roads are narrow and I would not feel comfortable walking around on the country roads for fear I would be run over.  And I would not use a bicycle out here either.  I like living by the sea.  Since this area is on the Dyer Inlet the water is fairly calm.  The tide makes the water level vary by probably 8 or 9 feet.  I would really enjoy using my kayak around here.  I've seen a couple people canoeing but no kayakers yet.  Gasoline is more expensive and traffic is pretty bad.  Many people use the ferry to get their car to Seattle or other towns on the Puget Sound.  Traffic is bad around ferry times.  Some times the ferry line is so long that even if you get there early there may not be room for your car to fit.  Today we visited a nursery.  Oh, the flowering shrubs around here are outstanding.  Ground covers seriously cover the ground and come in many more varieties than we have at home.  Gardening would be a lot of fun but also work because everything grows so lush you have to really work at trimming it back before it takes over your yard and your house.  If I did live out here I'd have to go on several guided birding hikes before I felt comfortable identifying the birds.  I see birds flying around here that I can't even find in the bird guide.