Hola fellow gardeners. I have just returned from a three week trip to Costa Rica where I labored day after day exploring local nurseries and gardens with an occasional trip to the white sand beaches and local restaurants. Or was it day after day to the beaches and restaurants and an occasional trip to a nursery? Ah, what’s the difference? What’s important is that I spent three weeks somewhere other than here where it was still the dead of winter with cold, foggy days and even colder nights. I am thinking I might have to do this again next year, just to keep myself current with tropical foliage trends of course.
Everyone knows that laughter is good.
EVERETT — Woodland owners from around the Puget Sound region are invited to attend a nine-week course on forest stewardship starting Feb. 24 at the WSU Snohomish County Extension Cougar Auditorium in McCollum Park, 600 128th St SE, Everett.
The Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society and the Marysville Historical Society were two of four organizations nominated for the 2008 Malstrom Award, but they lost to a collaborative project of the Stanwood Area Historical Society and Stanwood Public Library, “Setting the Stage for ‘The Last Town on Earth’ Panel Discussion Program.”
The winners of the region’s 2009 Scholastic Art Awards have been announced by the Arts Council of Snohomish County and several Arlington and Marysville students have won Gold and Silver Key awards.
• Arlington Garden Club members Carol and Leroy Jacques will present a slide show on their trip to gardens in Italy at the next Turn Your Thumb Green workshop, 10 – 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Feb. 14 at the Arlington Boys & Girls Club, 18513 59th Ave. NE, in Arlington For information see the Web site at www.arlingtongardenclub.org send an email to events@arlingtongardenclub.org or call Judy Ness at 360-403-0820.
ARLINGTON — Mark Moder, the new president of the Youth Dynamics organization, will be the featured speaker at a fundraiser that starts at 7 p.m., Feb. 5, at Haller Middle School, according to Stuart Delony, director of Arlington’s Youth Dynamics program for four years.
Marysville Community Playhouse Association has announced a new play-reading group will meet 7 – 9 p.m., on the first and third Thursdays of each month starting Feb. 5 at Marysville’s United Methodist Church, 5600 64th St. N.E. to read aloud and discuss comedy, drama, farce and other genres of theater. The first play featured will be a comedy by Sam Bobrick called “Getting Sarah Married.” Scripts will be provided and meetings are free. Local playwrights are encouraged to bring their work for the group to read. Experienced actors are also encouraged, as well as those with a secret dream of acting, or any theater lovers in general. For more information, call Karen Davis at 425-238-5109 or Kelly McClain at 360-653-3402.
ARLINGTON — A former teacher in Arlington and a long-time birder, Virginia Clark wants young people to become interested in birds.
Last week, I celebrated my 34th birthday, and for some reason, I had three cakes. Yes, three. Cake was available all week. Talk about a fitness resolution pitfall.
LAKEWOOD — Camp Killoqua is registering youth for summer day and resident camp sessions, plus a new spring break day camp.
Darrington — The town of Darrington has purchased 11 acres of forestland along the Sauk River providing additional public access, protecting one of the most diverse salmon habitat streams in the region and taking an important step toward creating for the town another large park, according to Town Councilmember Dan Rankin.
