Thought my ears were burning....
That was a lot of great info you shared, Donald...thanks again! Dylan..the link to that
thread is here:
https://permies.com/t/56401/real-estate/homestead-farming-culture-Western-WA
As a side note, I've become (online) friendly with several people from the area I'm interested in moving to, Seabeck (eastern side of Hood Canal)...found them on area-specific forums like on
Facebook, as well as (obviously) HERE. I've seriously been
impressed with how friendly folks are, and very community-oriented, looking out for one another!

I had a lot of questions for them re: activities for elderly folk, as my 87 y.o. mom may be moving with us when we move up there.....I was given a ton of links to activities in nearby Silverdale. A bit far from Brinnon, but I'm guessing your father might find the same*friendly-factor* in nearby towns (?) if he ends up seeking camaraderie if you leave!
I
should amend the above to say...not all forums are the same when it comes to "friendly". I encountered one or two before I found this one, for example, where a core group of Washingtonians darn near had me convinced by their hostile attitudes that all Washingtonians hate anyone moving into their area, but ESPECIALLY Californians...some even going so far as to say they'd rather not
sell their house at all, than sell it a Californian. Wull, I'm happy to report that that folks like that are a teeny minority overall. I've since found and met (online) far more friendly, and more-than-helpful Washingtonians who go so far as to
volunteer a place for you to stay till you get settled in!