My husband, Hank, and I moved to the Island in the middle of May. The beauty of Mercer Island has been good for my soul; the lush forests and trees, the flowers, ferns and cedar trees — I feel like a leprechaun living in an enchanted forest.
I might mention that I moved here from Montana; Butte, Mont., to be more specific. Although Montana’s beauty is extraordinary, I felt more like a penguin living in the Arctic in Butte than an elf in the woods here in the Northwest.
We live on the north side of the Island and have enjoyed taking advantage of the great trails. Exploring the trails on my bicycle or walking them is a daily occurrence for me, and I look forward to it every day.
The first thing that got my attention was the number of families spending time with their kids in the parks. I love seeing dads playing catch with their children and joggers getting their exercise while pushing the stroller with the baby tucked away comfortably inside. No wonder the kids do so well in school here. The large number of families playing together on the Island is a regular sight.
I have actually felt my blood pressure drop in the grocery stores here. I like that the stores are small, yet carry just about everything I need. I even had an employee ask me if I needed help carrying my small basket to the checkout stand after filling it with wine (I found a great sale and bought more than I needed)! I have been treated very well and find the customer service excellent from the places that I have done business with on the Island.
Even my mail carrier, Debbie, took the time to introduce herself to us and welcome us to the Island.
Drivers are courteous when I am riding my bicycle or walking. Unfortunately, and here is the bad news, folks, I have not found the same type of respectful behavior from other bicycle enthusiasts. Okay, I said it, but as long as I am sharing first impressions, I thought it would be good to give you the whole picture. If I remember correctly, bicyclists must follow the same rules of the road for moving vehicles if they are riding on the road. We’ll all want to remember the ‘rules of the road,’ whether we are on foot, two wheels or four wheels.
Mercer Island is a wonderful place to live, work and play. We are all fortunate to call the Island home. We’ll see you all next weekend during Summer Celebration!
Janet Taylor is the publisher of the Mercer Island Reporter and the Bellevue Reporter. You can find her on Mercer Island or in Bellevue when she isn’t exploring the trail system on the Island.
