The Flower Lady on the corner of North St. and Cleveland Avenue is one of my favorite Olympia sights. She's always dressed for the occasion and pulls off being sparkly without appearing gaudy. The Flower Lady looks simply fabulous, despite being a full figured multiple X plus size. However does she do it? I guess it's not so hard looking all glam when you have several people devoted to styling your wardrobe and accessories. I've actually witnessed a wardrobe change while stopped at a red light once. I imagine the flower lady to be my age and relate to her because she's a fellow business woman. The store Artistry in Flowers is her shop. I've been in there several times, buying potted plants and bouquets, and I'm always tempted to go to the back of the store and peek in the flower lady's... 06/07/2010

  Sunshine in Olympia this past Saturday had our family downtown playing along with many others.  Now Olympia does not actually have a public outdoor pool when sunshine calls you to go get in the water.  But this interactive fountain sure serves the purpose well!  Kids (OK - all ages!) enjoy playing in the fountain or watching the fun from the grass surrounding it.  The water spouts up unexpectedly, making sure everyone is giggly and wet before long. And then you can stroll along by Capitol Lake across the street, or start up a game of frisbee in the grass.  Ahhhh, sunshine in Olympia - a precious thing and not to be wasted!!   06/07/2010

If you've never been able to attend the Deschutes Duck Dash and want to know what exactly goes on there, take a look at these pictures and you'll get the general idea.     As you can gather from the name of the event and from these pictures, it's all about ducks...   ...ducks, which will be dropped from this bridge and which will have to maneuver over this waterfall. The first bunch of ducks to arrive at the lake below will win the race and the lucky sponsors of these ducks will win one of many fantastic prizes, from cars to cash, and everything in between.   Duck Dash visitors are entertained with music performances, food, and a carnival atmosphere with fun for young and old, starting at 11:00 a.m.   At 4:00 p.m., to the loud sounding of an air horn, and jeers from the spectators, hun... 06/06/2010

If you're German, are interested in Germany, or want to speak German, come join the Olympia German Club. Members get together once a month at Wagner's European Bakery in Olympia to speak German, talk about what's new in Germany, exchange German magazines or DVDs and have a gemuetliche Kaffeklatsch. But this is not all... the German Club also puts on fundraisers, organizes "Wandertage", and puts on great traditional celebrations. If this sounds like fun, come join us.     Find out more about the German Club Olympia at their website www.germanclubolympia.com or become a Facebook friend of the German Club at www.facebook,com/germanclubolympia       06/05/2010

Don't miss the annual Deschutes Duck Dash, a rubber duck race put on by the Lacey Rotary Club, with proceeds benefiting local community organizations. Each year thousands of bright yellow rubber ducks get dropped over the Tumater Falls Park bridge. They are dumped, they descend and the ducks dash down the Deschutes River. Buy a few or buy a whole flock and have multiple chances to win prizes ranging from cars to cash and everything in between. This is the event that starts off summer in Olympia. Stop by on Saturday, the 5th of June 2010. Ducks drop at 4:00 pm, but come early and enjoy all the fun and festivities.   Here is the schedule of events:  11:00 AM      Event Begins and Kids' activities open 11:45 AM      Johnny Lewis Band 1:00 PM        Chris Ward 1:45 PM        Sponsors Duck ... 06/04/2010

  Olympia's Farmer's Market is just starting to get fresh, locally grown strawberries in - and did they ever go fast!!  When I got to the market, I made a beeline to find the berries and they were already down to less than a dozen little containers.  I quickly bought two - oh my gosh they look good!! By the time I made the rounds to get some other things and came back past the strawberry booth, all that was left was this "Sold Out" sign.  So looks like we better make the ones I bought last til next week! The cherries are also in stock and though more plentiful in quantity, were selling fast too.  So I added a pound of cherries to my bag... Then I went off to look at flowers, and admired the many glorious hanging baskets - beautiful! And I did buy some purple wave petunias and these chee... 06/04/2010

Many people in Olympia and other areas buy an older home and do their best to do repairs and make it more efficient. They soon find that the money has run out and they are stuck. That is when a new program from Thurston Energy comes in where you can make your home more efficient and be rewarded.This program is being offered by the Thurston Climate Action Team and Thurston County Economic Development Council fueled by a $1 million federal stimulus grant from the federal Department of Energy. The program has been underway for a small group of citizens for awhile now, and since progress has been made it will now be offered to a larger group of homeowners.Program director, Ramsey Zimmerman, hopes to be able to do 40 audits a week. From the audits,  homeowners will receive a detailed report ... 06/01/2010

Happy Memorial Day from Olympia, WA     05/31/2010

The Olympia Downtown Association organizes a Girls Night Out event each year in May. This year was the first time I attended, and it was a ton of fun.   Here's how it works. Participants reserve a pink shopping bag in advance at one of several predetermined locations. Bags can also be bought on the day of the event, but only a limited number of bags are available and the price jumps from $10.00 a bag to $15.00 if you don't reserve in advance.   The bag contains coupons, gift certificates and treats from participating vendors, along with a pink admittance bracelet for the bag holder. Participating businesses are identified by pink balloons out front and stay open until 8:00 p.m.   Armed with a map and coupons, the shoppers go on their merry way to visit the downtown stores. For every $1... 05/29/2010

Olympia is a great place to live, according to the results of last year's Citizens Survey poll by Elway Research, Inc.A survey of 400 head of households taken at the end of 2009 shows people enjoy living in Olympia. Eight of ten respondents were generally satisfied living in Olympia, and nine out of ten noted that they enjoyed the small town atmosphere and physical beauty. Only 7 percent of those polled felt Olympia was a less than satisfactory place to live.When asked what they would like to see changed, the answers varied incredibly with nothing really sticking out. Some wanted to see the economy boom, others wanted less growth, or a revitalized downtown. There were even a few that wanted a change in government or wanted to see better planning in the future.The biggest change in the a... 05/27/2010

This weekend's visit to Olympia's Farmer's Market had so many goodies that I had to make two trips back out to my car!  I actually went to the market to get some more veggie plants for the garden, but got sidetracked a time or two on the way - not unusual for a market full of yummy, yummy things! The asparagus from Eastern Washington was still looking so good that I NEEDED some of that....and a couple more apples....  And oh my - just look at the Walla Walla sweet onions that just came in! And then the flowers reminded me that I really MUST have a few more things for my pots on the front walkway. I did manage to also get what I truly came for - several varieties of tomatoes, some cucumber plants, a couple zucchini plants - then had to run back again since I forgot the cilantro.  Gotta h... 05/23/2010

Although 299,000 homeowners, some in the Olympia area, received permanent loan modifications in April, over 277,000 people who have started the process have dropped out of the program, leading us to believe that homeowners are not interested in the Mortgage Aid Program. Over 23 percent of candidates dropped out during the trial phase in April, a 79 percent increase over March. Treasury Department officials feel this program is helping the housing market turn around, while creditors believe it will cause more foreclosures.To finish the program, you must make at least three payments on time.   Many borrowers feel the mortgage companies are unorganized and the paperwork is not moving fast enough. This is leaving many people at a loss. Treasury officials acknowledge that long delays have be... 05/19/2010

SPECIAL PROVISIONS FOR ARMED FORCES SERVING OVERSEAS FROM JANUARY 1, 2009 to MAY 1, 2010 Military personnel who served outside the United States for at least 90 days in 2009 have an additional year to take advantage of the first time home buyers tax credit of up to $8000.00 or the move up buyers credit of up to $6500.00. The buyers must have signed a binding contract by April 30, 2011 and close by June 30, 2011. Also, where civilian home buyers must live in their homes for at least 3 years or pay the tax credit back if they sell, members of the Armed Forces who were forced to sell due to official business will not have to repay the tax credit. Below is the link to the IRS tax information on this special provision. Please review this for additional information; http://www.irs.gov/newsro... 05/18/2010

Yesterday was a gorgeous day in Olympia - and spending it downtown at the annual Wooden Boat Fair was a terrific way to spend Mother's Day!! So many cool boats were lined up at the Percival landing boardwalk area, including many that encouraged people to come aboard and check out the detail. Some of the boats had history galore, from the Sand Man which is now in its 100th year, or another boat whose info sheet showed that it was used as a patrol boat in World War 2. The food booths were bustling with people getting everything from shrimp cocktails to Fried Twinkies (no, I didn't try that one!!).  And the booths of jewelry, artwork, clothing and just about everything else were a popular stop for the moms in the crowd to browse along. The Olympic Mountains shone with snowy tops in the dis... 05/10/2010

Olympia Wooden Boat Fair This weekend marks the 31st annual Olympia Wooden Boat Fair in downtown Olympia. Each spring wooden boat enthusiasts, as well as those just looking for a social gathering, head down to Percival Landing to check out this great local event put on by the Olympia Wooden Boat Association. The event is made possible by the dozens of wooden boat owners who proudly put their boats on display and welcome visitors aboard. Whether you know anything about boating or not, you can't help but appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into these gorgeous boats. Weather permitting, the Olympia Wooden Boat Fair makes a great way to spend the weekend! Food, crafts, live entertainment, people watching, and the smell of fresh Puget Sound air. If you don't already have a full schedule f... 05/04/2010

No more waiting. I am seeing new listings that are bank owned properties.  Many of these homes are priced incredibly low.  I am even seeing homes that were considered "Luxury" homes at the lowest prices I have ever seen.  Call me if you are ready to purchase.  I recently viewed a home on 5 acres with 5000 square feet and a water / territorial view, loaded with upgrades.  This home would have been worth 900,000 2 years ago and is now 470,000. Now is your chance for more home with less money! Bernie Moats 360-701-3131  04/30/2010

Many homeowners, looking for help with the Obama Administration's mortgage assistance program, may finally be getting help that addresses the real problems they face, but they may be more vulnerable to fraud. Inspector General Neil Barofsky explained in his quarterly report that when criminals see desperate homeowners they feed on their confusion, especially when changes are made to a program. The changes announced in March were intended to help homeowners fighting off foreclosure, but they were not warned about the chance of possible fraud. After the Making Home Affordable Program was criticized for not dealing with the problems caused by negative equity and unemployment, the most recent version of the program offered new option. Mortgage lenders were offered incentives if the reduced ... 04/29/2010

Olympia Real Estate Market Update 2010 has welcomed a productive Olympia real estate market, with the number of sales up 5% from first the first quarter of 2009 and market time down. However, we are beginning to see the impact of the Olympia short sales and foreclosures market, with median prices in the first quarter of 2010 slipping 7.5% from the first quarter of 2009. With the deadline for the homebuyer tax credits looming this week we will soon see how buyers react to a market without cash incentives. Here is a look at current Olympia real estate market conditions:   Olympia Real Estate First Quarter 2010 268 sold, totalling $72,032,344 (2009: 223 sold, totalling $63,557,096) Median Sales Price: $244,000 (2009: $263,799) Median Days on the Market: 49 (2009: 68) Percentage of Homes So... 04/25/2010

If you saw LOTS of strange creatures in the streets of Olympia yesterday, you weren't dreaming or hallucinating!  It was our annual Procession of the Species - a chance for the creative spirit to flourish in Olympia as people pay tribute to our natural world and the elements and creatures within it. The crowd starts to gather well before the start time of the procession, but there is plenty of chalk to keep everyone well entertained drawing in the streets.  And even many of the spectators are dressed up for the occasion so there is crowd watching at its best. The Procession of the Species begins with some beautiful artwork in the form of banners displaying some of the theme ideas of this natural world and its elements. Then the procession brings everything from a tree walking along... t... 04/25/2010

Spring Olympia Arts Walk 2010 Map This weekend (April 23 & 24) hundreds of downtown businesses will open their doors for the Spring Olympia Arts Walk. Featuring works from practically every form of art, the Olympia Arts Walk makes a great way to dive in to the culture of the city. In addition to the exhibits, don't miss the famous Procession of the Species parade on Saturday at 4:30, a truly unique Olympia event! If you would like to plan your weekend tour, here is a map of the businesses participating in the Olympia Arts Walk. See you downtown!   View Olympia Arts Walk 2010 Map in a larger map 04/22/2010