October 2, 2010 Joint Haiku Meeting at Fort Worden

Schedule

10:30 a.m. Meet at the Olympic Hostel in Fort Worden (directions below). From there we’ll walk along the beach to the Point Wilson Lighthouse where volunteer Coast Guard Auxiliary docents will show us a brief video and take us on a tour of the facility. The tour is free but donations are encouraged. Just a few bucks each should suffice.

12:30 p.m. Rendezvous for lunch back at the Olympic Hostel. Unfortunately, Fort Worden’s Local Goods Café closes after Labor Day so you’ll need to bring a sack lunch with you.

1:30 p.m. (Please join us at this time if you can’t meet at 10:30 a.m.) Gather for the meeting in the upstairs meeting room of Fort Worden’s Olympic Hostel. We’ll have a round of introductions. Along with your name, where you’re from, and how you became interested in haiku, please also bring a small item that’s meaningful to you or reflects the place you live. These items will be displayed on a table throughout the meeting. The rest of us may wish to write our own haiku about one or more of them. We encourage you to bring haiku inspired by your own special item as well. The haiku you bring, along with those you may write during the lighthouse ginkō or about items shared by other poets, may be submitted anonymously to the kukai (haiku competition).

Following introductions, we’ll have a round of reading. They can be haiku or senryu that you composed on the ginkō, or ones written earlier. These will just be shared without critique.

2:30 p.m. Brief break to stretch our legs. At this time, we’ll pass around note cards on which to write haiku for the kukai. The cards will be numbered and set out on a table to be studied later in the day.

2:45 p.m. Reading of the lighthouse haiku selected from those submitted to us prior to the meeting.

3:00 p.m. Another round reading of our poems, current or otherwise.

3:15 p.m. A surprise special tribute.

3:30 p.m. Break for refreshments and to study kukai poems.

3:45 p.m. Kukai voting and awarding of prize(s)

4:15 p.m. Anonymous haiku critique session.

5:00 p.m. Time to go. For those who wish to continue socializing, we invite you to join us for dinner at the Banana Leaf Thai Bistro at 609 Washington Street in downtown Po rt Townsend (360-379-6993). The restaurant serves delicious entrees from a variety of Asian locales and includes some fine vegetarian and vegan dishes. 

Directions to the Olympic Hostel at Fort Worden 

FROM THE BELLINGHAM AREA VIA KEYSTONE FERRY DOCK ON WHIDBEY ISLAND

When reaching the Port Townsend ferry dock:

1. Turn left at Water St                                                  0.3 mi

2. Continue onto E Sims Way                                        0.2 mi

3. Turn right at Kearney St                                                 0.4 mi

4. Turn right at Blaine St                                                     0.2 mi

5. Turn left at Walker St                                                      0.2 mi

6. Continue onto Cherry St                                                 1.0 mi

7. Continue onto Fort Worden Way                                  0.3 mi

8. Turn right at Alexanders Loop/Battery Way            0.1 mi

9. Take the 1st left                                                                 46 ft

10. Take the 1st left                                                                308 ft

The Hostel is a two-story building on your left. We’ll try to set up a sign. Go up the stairs to the living area. Should you get lost, you can ask at the park office, gift shop, or Centrum office. The hostel contact is Christopher Overman (phone 360-385-0655).

FROM SEATTLE AREA VIA BAINBRIDGE ISLAND FERRY

1. Head northwest on WA-305 N/Ferry Dock/Olympic Dr SE toward Harborview Dr SE

2. Continue to follow WA-305 N                                                                  13.4 mi

3. Turn right onto the Wasington 3 N ramp to Olympic Peninsula   0.3 mi

4. Merge onto WA-3 N                                                                                   6.8 mi

5. Turn left at WA-104 W/Hood Canal Bridge

  Continue to follow WA-104 W                                                                    6.7 mi

6. Turn right at WA-19 N/Beaver Valley Rd

  Continue to follow WA-19 N                                                                    14.1 mi

7. Continue onto WA-20 E                                                                            2.5 mi

8. At the traffic circle, continue straight onto W Sims Way                  0.2 mi

9. At the traffic circle, continue straight to stay on W Sims Way       1.5 mi

10. Turn left at Kearney St                                                                            0.4 mi

11. Turn right at Blaine St                                                                             0.2 mi

12. Turn left at Walker St                                                                              0.2 mi

13. Continue onto Cherry St                                                                         1.0 mi

14. Continue onto Fort Worden Way                                                          0.3 mi

15. Turn right at Alexanders Loop/Battery Way                                     0.1 mi

16. Take the 1st left                                                                                         46 ft

17. Take the 1st left                                                                                         308 ft

The Hostel is a two-story building on your left. We’ll try to set up a sign. Go up the stairs to the living area. Should you get lost, you can ask at the park office, gift shop, or Centrum office. The hostel contact is Christopher Overman (phone 360-385-0655).