Two Oldsmobiles

Dec. 10, 2011.

Gordon's entrance

Dec. 9, 2012. The entrance doors used to face Simpson Avenue back in the 1960s. After they were changed to the west wall, the store had the experience of getting blasted with Pacific wind whenever the doors opened, which is really fun in the dead of winter.

It is cold out there

Dec. 8, 2013

December low sun afternoon light

Dec. 8, 2013

A bowl of pennies

Dec. 8, 2013

December Dawn on First Street

Dec. 8, 2011

View of Hospital Hill

Dec. 8, 2010. From Cedar St. on Rabbit Hill. At the time this photo was taken Mark Reed Hospital, the building at the highest elevation, was still operating. The hills in the background are in Mason County.

No matter the season

Dec. 8, 2010. The view from Cedar St. up on Rabbit Hill, no matter the season, reveals McCleary to be a town carved into the forest. We are independent from sprawl, out here in the twilight zone where the Aberdeen and Olympia spheres of influence do not touch. McCleary is a dangerous town to underestimate, as so many of our more urban neighbors have done.

Blue sky in December

Dec. 8, 2010. How often does that happen?

Cedar Street view from Rabbit Hill.

Two forks and a drain

Dec. 7, 2013

Red snowman

Dec. 6, 2013. Inflatable. Actually, this could be the stuff of nightmares.

Sunrise on First Street

Dec. 3, 2011

The tree that refuses to die

Dec. 1, 2013

Welcome

Dec. 1, 2012. Gordon's parking lot. I shop at Gordon's as much as I can to support our town. Plus, they have a superb customer-oriented workforce. This place is an essential part of our community.

Downpour before morning commute

Nov. 29, 2011. Preparing to drive through a dark deluge in the wee hours.

This cold world turns and the sun melts the frost

Nov. 28, 2013. First Street.

Frost on First

Nov. 28, 2013

Streetlamp in the fog

Nov. 28, 2011. 5th and Oak.

Rain Country tablecloth

Nov. 28, 2010

This slot is/has now been closed

Nov. 26, 2014. McCleary Post Office, covering all bases. I can't tell if the "/" symbol was added later by the punctuation police or not.

Retro phone booth

Nov. 26, 2011. This phone booth probably was not considered retro when it was installed long ago, next to the Police Station on 3rd St., but by the time it was removed, not too long after this photo was taken, it was a museum piece. It was a McCleary icon and I miss it. Also, it was the last working phone booth in town.

Preparing for Christmas

Nov. 26, 2011. The Santa display in Beerbower Park is ready to light up by Thanksgiving.

The dresser

Nov. 23, 2013

Half dead, half alive

Nov. 21, 2012. The storefronts from left to right: A dead tavern, a dead cafe, an office space of uncertain business, usually real estate or insurance or something like that, and Rain Country restaurant. The third storefront was originally the Post Office from the early 1950s-early 1960s.

This photo was taken nearly four years ago, but the situation remains the same today.

First snow of the season

Nov. 21, 2011

Setting off for the morning commute

Nov. 20, 2012. Many working stiffs don't see their homes during daylight except on weekends for half the year

The green of summer yields to the yellow of fall

Nov. 20, 2011

Investigating this, investigating that, y'know, general investigation

Nov. 20, 2011. Charlie and Dreamer are on the case.

Now I'm stepping out this old brown shoe, baby

Nov. 19, 2013

The Uncola

Nov. 19, 2011