Bunnies By The BayElsie Doll

Our Hareytale: The Story of Bunnies By The Bay

We grew up on Fidalgo Island on the West Coast of North America, surrounded by the tulip fields of Washington State and the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Like many fishing families we knew the wonders, the joys, and, yes, the power of the sea. In 1983 we lost fourteen men and their two crab boats in the Bering Sea. The men included our Father, Uncle and Cousin, lost in this fishing tragedy that devastated our entire community.

In the months that followed, our Gram, a seamstress, comforted us with stories about bunnies who lived in her garden. Sitting in her sewing circle, these tales helped to mend our broken hearts and soothed us to sleep at night. Soon we started making up our own adventures and sewing cloth characters to make our stories come alive.

Fidalgo became “Cricket Island” and our imaginary friends were modeled on the brave people around us.

Almost four decades later we are still making our bunnies, and we remain on “Cricket Island” where our stories began. Our haven is a world of fishing, whale watching, and tulip growing, beautiful in so many ways. It would be delightful if you’d stop in and say “hello.”