Happy New Year everyone! Once again it's time for me to thank you all for your interest in the Clearwater Guesthouse during the past year. Depending upon the time of year you visited you experienced snow and ice, intense windstorms, the usual heavy rain or temperatures that reached as high as 99 degrees in July. We had it all but I think the heat in July and the snow-covered New Years periods were most memorable. Most frightening were the two near hurricanes we had in November which seem to be getting routine in the area. Those of you who visit early this year will see some of their aftermath beyond the house, a huge hemlock that snapped off about 40 feet from the ground and crashed into the pond after stripping nearby alders on the way down, and a couple other hemlocks that came down out back in our miniature rain forest. It takes a real blow to bring these guys down and each of the storms featured winds in excess of 75mph, another reason to bring a lantern, a campstove and some water with you when you book late fall and early winter dates since storms of this type are nearly always accompanied by a power outage of some length.

2009 was finally the year of the new woodshed/garage. I had threatened to tear down the ramshackle structure that had stood for some 25 years for the past couple years but decided it was time to 'git 'er done'. Credit card in hand I headed for the lumber yards, rounded up a friendly Forks contractor, a few friends and every spare moment I had between the middle of June and November and built an entirely new structure that mission-creeped into more than I had ever imagined in my earlier planning. The result: a great looking building that serves a basic need and generally matches the guesthouse itself. Winter visitors will appreciate the motion sensor lights that come on and make finding and hauling in firewood much easier. And, of course, there's the advantage of having lots of room undercover to chop a bit of kindling and load up the wheelbarrow. Anyway, it's finally a done deal and now I can begin the next all-consuming project: the removal of the old boatshed and the redo of the greenhouse. Being an inveterate gardener, this is a project that I've had in mind for years and if I can get my battery recharged by spring...

Fishing for salmon was terrific this past fall, with the coho large and plentiful. If it hadn't been for the many rainouts it might have been the best fishing in a decade but we did lose lots of dates to those late October and November storms. Earlier in the year the hatchery steelhead fishing was also impacted by winter storms but the late run was a good one and when the rivers were in shape lines were pretty tight. This fall razor clamming re-opened at Kalaloch for the first time in two years and there were lots of clams for the digging. These are mainly mid-sized clams but they're in very good shape and growing, so spring digs should be well worthwhile. I know I'll be on the beach New Years Eve and New Years Day if the weather cooperates. If you enjoy mushrooms, this was another great year until the heaviest of the rains fell. What a great treasure a chantrelle mushroom is! Smelting was slow again this year and it's looking more and more as though the overall population of these delicious little fish is declining. But it's still worth a try if you're coming down during the summer or early fall. A few of our visitors enjoyed canoeing or tubing the Clearwater. This is a great activity in summer but be sure to wear a life vest and use common sense before heading down any river, especially when children are involved.

2009 marked the end for a couple landmark buildings in Clearwater: the old Northrup homestead across from the guesthouse and the huge Gentemann barn about a half mile down the road. The barn collapsed in one of our private hurricanes this November and the homestead's fate was sealed when it was declared too expensive to rehabilitate. It saddened us to see them go but time marches on.

Pepper had lots of competition from raccoons this fall though they seem to be out of the picture for now. But, we've taken to keeping the ping pong room latched shut so that they can't get near her food and would appreciate your help with this simple way of preventing their access to her food dish in that room. Regulars will notice that I've changed the container I keep her food in to an old Coleman cooler that needs to be unlatched to open. The 'coons had discovered that if someone left the door unlatched, they could get into the room, tip over the old cooler and dump out the cat food. For a while there I was buying Friskies at a wholesale level. But, with the door and cooler latched they found themselves back on their natural diet. Now, if I can just get rid of those that have been pestering me here in Tacoma...

This year our rates will remain essentially the same as they have been for the past few years. They can be seen at the website, www.clearwaterguesthouse.com, along with lots of other information about the guesthouse, the area and the many activities the area is known for.

I continue to offer housecleaning to visitors who wish to make a quicker departure and leave the cleaning to a pro. However, if you'd like this service be sure to let me know at the time of your booking so that I can make sure the lady who does this will be available the day of your departure.

Reservations for the New Year can be made at the website or by calling me at 253.759.8738. Please remember to plan your dates carefully so that cancellations are kept to a minimum. All reservations must be accompanied by a non-refundable deposit within one week of the booking otherwise dates requested will be released to other potential visitors.

Again, thanks for your interest in the guesthouse and your support throughout the year.

Happy New Year,
Joe Novak