In this week’s edition of The Leader you’ll notice a photo essay in our section C. The Rhody Keepsake, as we call it. It is a compilation of our team’s hard work, bouncing from corner to corner of our beloved community during one week in May.

We’re pretty proud of our work so of course, we hope you’ll like it. But these photographs represent moments in time depicting the people of this community. We all owe them a debt of thanks. They care. And that’s what makes a great community.

Our heartfelt thanks go out to all of you who helped make the 84th rendition of the festival an absolute smash.

From the undeniably adorable trike races to the ridiculously strange beard contest, Rhody Fest is uniquely Port Townsend and Jefferson County. We saw well-coordinated sword fights at our grand parade followed by dancing and cake at Pope Marine Park.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, it’s time to welcome the tourists coming in by the ferry-load. The skies have cleared and our cozy seaside community will be bustling with friendly faces looking to take a piece of our unique community home.

So, take a breath, grab a beer or glass of wine and enjoy that last bit of rest.

We’re in for a busy summer.