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So TripAdvisor has this new fun feature that lets you make your own little VIDEO….so we thought we would give it a try!  Enjoy and share with your friends!

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Fall in the Pacific Northwest is always beautiful and the farm this time of year it has a certain peaceful quietness about it.  The lavender plants (thanks to Jose) have all been trimmed back into nice little balls, the trees around the farm have put on their coat of many colors, the apples in the orchard are red and ripe for picking and the birds are cleaning up the last remnants of the sunflower seeds. It’s just very serene…however, there really is nothing like summer on the farm and one of our wonderful guests took the time this past summer to take his drone up for a spin and share with us a “birds-eye view” of Purple Haze-so here is the result!   Beautiful…..no wonder all of us worker bees at Purple Haze love our jobs so much!  Just missing summer at little bit today……we hope you enjoy this virtual tour that will give you a view of Purple Haze from a little different angle.

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As we enter our 19th year of growing lavender at Purple Haze it is nice to be recognized for the efforts that we have put into the lavender industry here in Sequim.  It was not without risk that those of us that started the lavender movement here took when we agreed to start the Lavender Festival,  by opening our farms to the public, booking food vendors, live music and hiring extra staff to make sure that weekend would be an “scentsational” event for the thousands of visitors that came from all over the world to visit our farms.  We never imagined at that time what an amazing event it would grow into!  Now in our 19th year Purple Haze will celebrate the Lavender Festival with “Purple Haze Daze” we hope you will join us for the best 3 day lavender party around!  Check out our great line up of musicians, food from one of the best loved restaurants in town and an eclectic selection of artisan vendors and of course lots and lots of beautiful fields of lavender!  Purchase your tickets early and receive a $5.00 off coupon!  Date are July 17th, 18th, & 19th!

It is always fun to be out and about and talking with folks about Sequim and they say “Oh that is where you grow all that lavender!”  Yes it is and we love sharing it with the world!  Hope you enjoy this article on Sequim and why it’s such a special place to grow lavender-truly a lavender destination all summer long!

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At Purple Haze we have been distilling lavender oil since 1996, when we purchased a 5 gallon copper still
from The Essential Oil Company in Portland, Oregon. I’ve shipped and
carried that little still all over the country for distillation
demonstrations and talks over the years and it’s always been quite a
hit.

Around 2001 or so we upgraded to a 55 gallon, food grade stainless steel distiller. This still was also electric powered and was a nice tic up from our original equipment and made our job much easier during the harvesting and distilling season. We even started distilling for other folks and did quite a bit of “contract distilling” over the next few years.

It was in 2007, that we had the opportunity to purchase our present distillation plant, a 1.2 million btu propane fired unit that has really served us well. The retort is on wheels so we can tow the unit out in the fields and fill it up, bring it back to the generator and distill on the spot. The retort holds approximately 750 pounds of flower material.

Distillation at the farm typically starts the week after our big Lavender Weekend here in Sequim, (www.purplehazedaze.com ), and continues until all the lavender has been harvested. We have done distillation demonstrations for groups over the years and welcome more. Be sure and
call ahead. 360 683 1714

Good Morning America’s Weekend Window did a segment on Purple Haze a couple of years ago and caught a bit of the distilling action with our “distilling guru” Patrick.
You might enjoy watching that piece as well!

It seems as though every week some new article is published regarding
the benefits of lavender essential oil. All of the oil distilled here
at the farm is certified organic, we are proud to say. It is used in
our product line or sold as is to both the wholesale and retail
market.

We hope you enjoy the article and we think you will find it an informative read!

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While having these little bees around early is nice, they are also a gentle, solitary creature. It’s almost impossible to goad them into stinging and it’s a cool pastime to see them laying their eggs in your provided housing. These newly laid eggs will then provide one with future generations of mason bees in the years to come. The term “mason” is derived from the fact that after laying and egg and depositing some pollen for food, the female bee will then seal off the “birth” chamber with a wall of mud. She will then go out, gather more pollen, lay another egg with  pollen food included, and seal it off with more mud. This will go on for around 4-5 weeks when sadly, the bee will die. She will, hopefully, have left future generations of bees sealed up until the next spring when the entire process starts over again.

Mason bees are fun for the whole family. They’re harmless, hard working, can be observed up closely and will provide you with a bountiful fruit harvest year after year. For more information on raising mason bees try visiting www.crownbees.com …and have fun!

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The Purple Haze Farmhouse is the perfect place to stay while taking in this event and you may even get to do a bit
of “bird watching” at the farm during your stay-here is a sampling of the “Birds of Purple Haze”!

The variety of birds that we see here at the farm everyday is

astounding. Maybe it’s because we keep dozens of feeders out year
round that does the trick. We feed suet of two kinds, wild bird seed
and a finch mix of sunflower chips, black oil whole sunflowers, an
assortment of wild bird blocks for the ground feeders, a specialty
woodpecker block, and a multitude of hummingbird feeders.

The Anna’s Hummingbirds are now staying with us year round and arevery demanding about their feeders. We make sure we keep their nectar feeders topped off rather than have them buzz us as we step on the
back deck. Hummers are one of my favorite birds at the feeder as they really learn to “trust” us humans quickly and will give us “up close and personal” experiences once they get to know us. Just keep thefeeder full!

One of the more populous birds at our feeding stations during thewinter are the Juncos.  Little black headed dudes everywhere just
outside our door pecking at anything that’s not tied down. They are
constantly moving and frivolous and will sometimes land on me when I’m
filling the feeders. They’re pretty prolific poopers too, so the hose
is out there washing the deck down frequently. Throw the Black Capped
Chickadee into the mix and our feeders are alive with action. Their
distinctive call lets one know that they are near even when they
aren’t at the feeder.

Starting early in February we had a flock of about 20 Evening Grosbeaks
show up and eat their way through our feeders. Talk about an exotic
looking bird! Wow! They always show up as a gang of them; roar through
the feeders unabandoned then out of there like it never happened.
They’ve been back about every other day now …. I
look forward to their visits.

I started putting finch food out the beginning of February also and “Oh Boy” did the finch family show up.
Dozens of House Finches with a pile of Pine Siskens swarming the feeders. During the summer months it’s a circus here at the farm with the clouds of Goldfinches. Most ofour visitors to Purple Haze marvel at the bright colors and darting
nature of our state bird and they sure can eat their way through a
pile of sunflower chips. In the fall, after our sunflowers have
bloomed and gone dormant, they are a descended upon by our Goldfinches
as they bulk up for the upcoming winter. A fun activity is sitting on
the front porch of the Purple Haze Farmhouse and watching the bird
activity as it whirls around you.

Other birds that frequent our back deck are Rufous Sided Towhees,
White Crowned Sparrows, two pair of Downy Woodpeckers, Robins by the
dozen, Red Wing Blackbirds, the evil starlings, Eurasion Collared
doves, Stellar Jays, maybe 5 coveys of California Quail that rush in
from every corner of the farm, (always running, never flying), and a
pair of mallards that are thinking of brooding on our pond. They
waddle their way up the hundred of yards or so from the pond and eat
daily at the feeders. Their plumage is so brilliant now with the
upcoming mating season.

Every now and then a predator roars in and takes a bite…sorry;
called a food chain. But this past month we have observed Red Tail
Hawks, and Marsh Hawks and Sparrow Hawks all taking a swipe at our
feeder station, we had what I believe to be a juvenile Goshawk, swoop
in and land on our back deck within 4 feet of our back door. I wish I
had better camera at hand as it was a gorgeous opportunity at that
distance. And then he proceeded to do it several days in a row. We
never were able to get a good pic. But Boy, are the opportunities out
there.

We’ve had Bald Eagles take chickens from our coop; walk around the
corner and there he is with one of our egg layers in his talons having
claimed his dinner for the day. How can one argue with that???..He’s 4
foot tall and BALD!!  This is why the chicken coop is now covered!

The birds here at Purple Haze are amazing! We feed them, we enjoy
them, we embrace who they are and what they provide us with. We love
our birds. Take them in. Enjoy them with us.

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Whew!…we made it to 10. We love our town. We do….and we love our neighbors too. So to finish off Mike’s Top Ten Likes, I’d like to suggest to the wary visitor some special places to visit downtown.

How can we do this without starting with Purple Haze Lavender’s downtown store? We can’t. You’ll see, the fragrance drifts out on the sidewalk and pulls you inside…you’ll see.

The Blue Whole Gallery,(play on words, here) is right next to Purple Haze’s store and showcases the plethora of local artists that grace the Sequim-Dungeness Valley. Take
a stroll here and enjoy some darn fine art.

Over the Fence is a unique boutique garden/art/eclectic/ bla, bla, bla store where you can find just about anything clever for your home or garden. My bride has spent way too much time and/or money at this very cute store just down the block. Geri Sanford has owned it from the get go and she knows how to get it done.

A new kid on the block in downtown Sequim is Hart’s Fine
Books Etcetera. Just like it sounds, there’s a whole bunch more than just books here. It’s been described by the big boys as “The most beautiful bookstore on the west coast.” I have to agree. Stop in and ask Pam or Celeste for the short version of it’s history. They’ll be more than accommodating….and pick up a classic book while you’re at it. 360 683 8080

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9.  Let’s EAT!

I’m proud to say our little town has come into it’s own with quality
eating establishments. It’s like we’ve grown up, foodwise. There’s
really no room here to list them all, but why would I?…some things
just have to be left to be discovered. On just about any late
afternoon or early evening you might find my bride and I at the
following gastric delights.

Blondies Plate ranks right up there in our top three dinner venues.
Did you notice I mentioned it first? Yup! Fresh seafood and yummy
northwest cuisine is what it’s all about at Blondies. An intimate cozy
bar serves up Blondies famous Moscow Mules in a chilled copper cup. ”
Would you like a half dozen oysters on the half shell with that sir?”
Call ahead to have her save you a spot. 360-683-2233.

Not to be denied, another of our favorite dinner spots is at The
Dockside Grill at John Wayne Marina, just down the road from Purple Haze
Farm. When’s the last time you had a steaming bowl of seafood
bouillabaisse placed in front of you?  You can enjoy a portion of this gourmet soup while gazing out over the marina and beautiful tranquil Sequim Bay. It just doesn’t get  much better than this! Once again, call ahead as this is a really popular spot. 360 683 7510 .

Sequim brims over with delicious lunch spots. I rotate through three
of them regularly. Jose’s Famous Salsa and Tamales ranks right up
there for the finest in Mexican cuisine. To give you an idea, when we
go to our home in Mexico, we take Jose’s Salsa with us. Try the carne
asada taco or my bride’s favorite, the vegetarian taco.We buy his
tamales by the dozen for super bowl parties. His place literally
buzzes with the sound, smells and flavor of Mexico. And yes, there
really is a Jose! 360-681-8598

Thai food anyone? Right behind Purple Haze’s downtown store is a little restaurant called Galare Thai. Just an unassuming little building tucked away on a back street, Galare Thai rivals any Thai food I’ve ever eaten anywhere. Anywhere! It’s a regular stopping off
spot for my honey and I a couple times a week for our favorite, Tom
kha gai, a spicy coconut milk and chicken soup that makes ones eyes
water. Of course, we like it with 4 stars so it’s our fault. Another
fave for a “large” lunch is Asian Swimmer, a delectable duck dish that
will rock you world. I can go on and on but won’t. 360-683-8069

The Oak Table is all class! Our staff meets there for business lunches and usually
comes away groaning…with delight! Soups and sandwiches to die for
and the portions are, like the owner, Billy, huge! There’s a reason
there is a line out the door. You’ll never go wrong at the Oak Table.
360 683 2179  The Oak Table also gets our nod
for the finest, biggest and best breakfast on all of the Olympic
Peninsula. Try the Famous Apple Pancake; four inches tall and a
serving platter wide, you’ll be taking some of this baby home in a
box. Just Fabulous!!

And if you want to hear the real “hum and thrum” of Sequim, stop by  the Sunshine Cafe for a grownup dose of super breakfast items and local gossip. Located right downtown, The Sunshine has been a fixture in Sequim since time began. Throw caution to the wind and try their notorious Pig Out; you’ll be glad you did!

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7. Shhhhhhh!!! Don’t tell anyone about this one! Just up from Sequim
in the foothills is a magical place. We call it “two forks” but I
think it’s proper name is Dungeness Forks campground. It’s where the
Dungeness river and the Greywolf river come together. It’s a U.S.
Forest Service campground that is opened seasonally for camping but
during the winter is still available to stroll through as a day use
facility. The roar of these two fascinating rivers is so great most of
the time, one can’t hear himself think but who cares? We rummage
around up there frequently scrounging for the abundant edible
mushrooms that inhabit the area. Maps and directions to this area are
available just east of Sequim at the U.S. Forest Service Headquarters
in the little logging town of Quilcene. Now you have to promise to
keep this one under your hat.

8. Oysters anyone?

I like oysters..and crab…and clams. That’s one of the main reason I planted myself here. Shellfish I am.

Just about anytime of the year, one of these delicacies are available
here in the Sequim area. Just a short hop from Purple Haze Farm is
some of the best clam and oyster beds on the planet. Sequim and
Dungeness Bay are famous for these delicious shellfish.
Did someone say “Dungeness Crab” ?? A short stone’s throw from Sequim
is Dungeness Bay, home of these tasty critters and available almost
year round. You can wade for them, or put out pots or rings. Be sure
and consult the rules and regulations in regards to the harvest of all
shellfish species.  You might even want to take in The Crab Festival that happens every year in October-the dates this year are Oct. 9-11, 2015!  The Purple Haze Farmhouse would be the perfect cozy place to stay while taking in the Festival!

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