Footsteps of the undead will be heard stomping about downtown Snohomish real estate on Saturday, September 17, 2016 at 5 p.m. The third annual Zombie Walk moans and groans its way onto the Carnegie Hall parking lot creating mayhem and madness everywhere.

This spooky stroll through Snohomish property benefits the Snohomish Food Bank. Participating creatures are asked to join in on the macabre spirit of giving by offering “rations for the survivors”. Volunteers will be onsite to gather up the donations of canned goods between 4:30 and 5 p.m. Once the scary creatures have arrived walking instructions and guidelines will be announced, chaos will reign on downtown Snohomish real estate starting on 5:30. The search for the unsuspecting begins on 1st Street and continues toward Avenue D and around again. The whole trek covers about a half mile.

Undead Snohomish Property Owners Collect Food for Charity

Those needing assistance getting into character can find a helping hand at Holly’s Images Art and Design Studio. Expert face painters will be at the shop from 12 to 5 p.m. to aid in creepy and crawly transformations. Costs will range from $5 to $20.

More information about the evening may be found on the event Facebook page. Zombie on and enjoy an evening of nightmarish fun! 

Monroe property owners can learn to distinguish which wild mushrooms on the forest floor are edible and which are not. Author and explorer Daniel Winkler provides an educational presentation on the adventure of “MushRoaming” at the Monroe Library on September 15, 2016 at 6 p.m. An exhibit of photographs comparing and contrasting edible plants and their poisonous counterparts will be on display in the Monroe Meeting Room.

Go to the MushRoaming Talk on Monroe Real Estate

During the talk, insight will be given into where to seek out various mushrooms, peak harvesting times and more. Speaker Daniel Winkler has created multiple field guides for the Pacific Northwest to assist those living on Monroe property with an interest in foraging. Ancient Egyptians considered the mushroom a “plant of immortality.” Winkler will pass on other interesting bits of trivia and folklore associated with this traditional plant. With a background as a worldwide traveler, he will also discuss MushRoaming trips around the globe and his time spent on ethno-mycological research in Tibet.

A captivating speaker with many tales to tell, residents of Monroe real estate will not want to miss this intriguing discussion. Those in attendance will be able to confidently seek out mushrooms on their next nature hike and try to identify them. See the Monroe Library website for more information. 

Agriculture is a way for life for many who live in Snohomish and all get to reap the benefits of fresh produce. A great place to stop by to pick up some fresh and affordable produce is Stocker Farms Country Market. Drop in to get your pickling cucumbers including bread and butter and dill. All slicing cucumbers are on super sale right now and flavor grenades can be found for a great price. In addition to these items, find a large variety of farm fresh produce grown right here at Stocker Farms, as well as produce from around the state. Cut into watermelons, nibble Mount Vernon corn, munch on Italian prunes, enjoy honey crisp, gala, and golden delicious apples. Pick up some tasty house made snacks, sauces, and jams too. Order some peaches, and let the staff know if there is anything else you are looking for.

Great Produce Awaits Shoppers who Live in Snohomish

Enjoy a walk around the barn and beautiful property during your visit, which many who live in Snohomish and the surrounding areas rent out for special events. Also keep Stocker Farms in mind for fall festivities including the pumpkin patch, corn maze, apple cannons, and great food such as cheeseburgers, coffee, kettle corn, and mini donuts. Start a family tradition by cutting down your own Christmas tree at Stocker Farms, what a great lasting memory. Nourish your family with healthy fresh produce and create lasting memories during the fall and winter. Find out more at Stocker Farms. 

Get off of the couch of your Lake Stevens home and participate in or cheer on those participating in the 2016 Lake Stevens Triathlon. Carry on the joy of competition and physical fitness from the Olympic Games in Rio. This event will take place on Saturday, September 10, 2016 beginning at 8 a.m. BuDu Racing, LLC has pledged a portion of all entry fees to help support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which conducts research to help treat and hopefully someday cure this devastating autoimmune disease.

Cheer on the Triathletes near Your Lake Stevens Home

Participants can choose from the Olympic or Sprint events that both start with the swim at North Cove Park. Olympic racers will swim 1 mile, bike 25 miles, and run 6.2 miles. Sprint racers will swim .25 miles, bike 9.8 miles, and run 3.2 miles. Those taking on the challenge of the race will get to appreciate the beautiful scenery along the back roads for the bike race and the shore of the lake for the run. Anyone wishing to register can still do so until 12:10 a.m. on September 9, 2016. This is a USA Triathlon sanctioned event, so non USA Triathlon members will have to pay extra for a one day license. Even if participating is not your idea of a fun time, come out anyway to enjoy the beautiful day and to cheer on those taking on the challenge. Introduce the triathlon to youth who call Lake Stevens home. Help them see what the human body is capable of. Find more information and register for the Lake Stevens Triathlon. 

Life is expensive and saving is tough.

Staying on top of your student loan payments, car payments, utility bills, health insurance, groceries, cell phone bill, and maybe having a liiiiiittle fun along the way will cost you a pretty penny. I didn’t even mention the skyrocketing cost of rent. Payday is always exciting. It’s so much fun watching the money magically appear in your account on payday. But then after all your bills, bills, and more bills, do you even have enough to survive, let alone save for something intimidating like a down payment???

It’s tough for everyone, even an average month. It seems like clockwork once you start to get ahead:

• Your friend gets engaged and wants you to be in the wedding!! How exciting!!! (average cost of being in someone’s wedding is $1500)

• Your car runs perfectly fine until one day, it doesn’t. Totally unexpected $1200 mechanic bill. We’ve all been there.

• Your pet gets sick. Vet bills can be huge and out of the blue.

• The Seahawks have a big game coming up. Can’t miss that!! No really, you can’t miss it. That’ll set you back a good $600 if you include tickets, parking, food, etc.

Maybe all these things happen to you all in the same year. You don’t have much in the way of savings, you even have some debt.

Sure, buying a home would be great. Paying down the equity every month, watching the value increase over time, and taking advantage of the tax write-offs.

“But what’s the point of even trying?” you think to yourself.

It’s not your fault. But here’s my advice for you. Let’s get together and talk about one or more of these things.

1. You might not need a down payment. You can put zero down. There are two major loan programs that don’t require a down payment at all. What’s the catch you ask? Depending on the loan type, there might not be a catch. One loan I’m referring to you will mean a .25% higher interest rate. Totally not worth delaying your home purchase over that!!

2. Even if you do need a down payment, you don’t need 20% down. Or 10% down. You personally, or the home you’re buying might not qualify for a zero down program. The next best thing would be 3% or 3.5% down. You can usually get away with one of those small down payments easily. It’s actually really, really rare that someone puts down 20%. When they do, it’s probably because they sold a home and are now using the proceeds from the sale as their down payment.

3. I’ve personally saved for down payments three times now... The first time, I was 22, single, and every penny I had earned was from serving tables. I have some experience with saving money and would be happy to share with you.

What I am preaching here might not be applicable advice for you. But, do let me know if you have a coworker, friend, or family member who might benefit from this information. I can sit down with them too!

-Katherine Persinger

All Lake Stevens property owners are invited to view the fall program schedule for the Lake Stevens High School Pool that is effective September 6, 2016 to November 13, 2016. This facility is a great option to remain active even when the rain starts coming down again and it gets more difficult to get outside. The high school will be using the pool for their programs during the day, but lessons, lap swim, water aerobics, open swim, and facility rentals are available during evenings and weekends. Youth who enjoy swimming are also invited to consider joining the Storm Swim Team, which practices here several times every week.

Kids Take Swim Lessons at Public Pool on Lake Stevens Property

Choose to pay for a single visit, or save a little money by purchasing a punch card. Prices range from just $1.50 for district employees to $3.00 for adults. Lessons are available for children as young as six months and offer many levels to meet any child’s needs. Anyone looking for a great and fun space to hold a birthday party, church group event, or corporate party can also rent the pool for as low as $80 per hour for up to 25 swimmers. Be sure to keep an eye on the events calendar for more information about Pumpkin Patch in the Pool in October. Take a short drive from your Lake Stevens property to come out for two for one open swims from 12:30 pm. to 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. This is a great way to check out the pool for a cheap price. Find a full schedule of all fall programs and details about how to register for lessons online. 

Families that live in Monroe can kick back at the Evergreen State Fair from August 25 to September 5, 2016. The Monroe Fair Days parade starts off the festivities at 11 a.m. with a jaunt down Main Street on August 25th. Head on over to the fairgrounds and join in the annual revelry. Foodies will love searching out their fave fair food. Carnival rides will satisfy thrill seekers and spectators will find plenty of entertainment and exhibits to keep themselves occupied.

Music, Contests, and Carnival Fun: LIVE in Monroe

Jump in and join the fun by entering a contest. There are plenty to choose from and they are not just for kids who live in Monroe but are all age appropriate. Babies can have a blast in the Baby Diaper Derby on the Courtyard Stage while children ages four to ten can search for a Quarter In A Haystack. Eating contests have “fair” written all over them so enter into the chili cook off, dig into to pies, fried chicken and salsa and more.

Evergreen State Fair hours are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Special admission deals include free gate admission until 1 p.m. on opening day, family days and senior and military discounts. Daily schedules of events can be found online. Head on down to the Evergreen Fair on Monroe property, it’s “Fun For The Whole Herd!”

Get it fresh from the farm at Maltby Produce Market located near Snohomish homes. Crops of luscious fruits and vegetables cover the ground and stack the stalls in the market. Shoppers can choose from juicy, ripe tomatoes to plump strawberries, blueberries and whatever else is in season. From Asian pears to zucchini there is more than enough to choose from. Free range ducks and chickens also scratch about on the grounds offering up their healthy eggs for purchase. Snacking foods include nuts, dried fruits and delicious rich honey.

Customers can also pick up a bottle of high quality wine to bring back to enjoy with dinner at their Snohomish homes. Locally crafted by Maralblis Estate Winery, Pinot Noir is the favorite choice for the table but by far not the only option.

Everyone from Snohomish Homes Should Meet the Farm’s Animals

Behind the store sits a quaint little animal farm. Open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, visitors can come say hello. There are numerous critters living on this lovely rural property. Proud peacocks will ruffle their feathers to show off their beautiful shades of color while ducks quack a welcome hello. Plenty of goats and sheep are also available to observe as they graze the grass in their backyard pens.

Shop locally at Maltby Produce Market and feel good feeding the family farm to table.