I’m thankful for Halloween taking my mind off not homeschooling anymore. I went for a walk this morning and cased the town collecting elements for a costume – Sandy from Grease. I barely dress in anything other than jeans and my black Patagonia jacket during the winter, so Halloween is …
I sit here at a quiet table. A jar of pencils not being used. A homeschooling schedule no longer being followed. An empty house way too quiet and cold. I came in an hour ago from a walk alone. The house is vacant. Sure, there’s always laundry to fold and …
Some activities are possible right now, and Running Camp is one of them. Kids are out in the open, getting some great physical activity and a little camaraderie. It’s one of the few semi-social things out there, and it’s so nice to see humans again when I go and watch …
Next weekend, Halloween is going to happen here! One of the first things our kids lamented when the pandemic hit was the thought that Halloween would not happen. Not so! This Saturday from 3:00-5:30 PM will be the first community gathering we islanders have experienced since March, as trick-or-treating families …
I didn’t originally envision writing a blog that would have less to do with people and community and more to do with scenics and home life, but I suppose that’s what transpires during a pandemic. I’ve asked local people to write about various experiences so I can post their stories …
Sometimes it’s just the simple things – a dark room lit by a tiny glinting swath of sunlight at a specific hour, casting shadows of fall leaves blowing fiercely in the wind, juxtaposed with oscillating colors beaming out of a lamp as modern and synthetic as it gets. The partially …
My Mom is 86 years old. She moved from Orcas Island back to Texas last year and she’s stayed in her senior apartment, nice and distanced, for all these months. My siblings visit her, but for her to go out is an extremely rare thing. The other day, my mom …
Here’s a little beauty for the mycologists out there… It’s amazing how these soft, delicate things burst out of the hardest, rockiest, most packed ground around… I love how a few of the little rocks they pushed through are still resting on the tops of their heads.
Streets here aren’t given arbitrary names. They are very aptly named for their characteristics. Prune Alley is dotted with plum trees. Rose Hip Road greets visitors with bright orange hips in the fall. And Enchanted Forest Road is just that – beautifully enchanting. We locals are surrounded by stunning scenery …
Regarding the previous post’s explanation of biologist/naturalist E.O. Wilson and his documentary, my younger son and I wrote letters yesterday, asking Wilson to thoughtfully consider my son’s requests for animals, since they can’t speak for themselves. For the sake of our son’s privacy, I have not included his letter. It …
When you have kids that love to learn, homeschooling is not only enjoyable, it’s almost therapeutic. I read thousands of books to our kids as they were growing up. I went on daily adventures with them out in the natural world. I met their ever-inquisitiveness with thorough explanations that were …
Just in case you’ve begun to wonder if community life actually happened as you remember it, it did! Wonderfully cozily and maskless, too! Here’s a glimpse of festivities we were accustomed to enjoying together – community cob-oven pizza nights, Camp Orkila’s Fall Festivals, pumpkin carvings and cider pressings, team sports, …
The smoke has been in and out, as has the fog brought on by the smoke, and seasonal change has been creeping in slowly in the midst (mist) of it all. It’s not quite jacket weather. I’m still in shorts, but I don a sweatshirt and Uggs in the evening …
