Orcas Island in Snow
Here is a little montage of the scenes we’ve seen over the past few days…
Year: 2021
Merry Snowy Day After Christmas
I sit here writing on Christmas night in Lake Oswego, Oregon. We are visiting my husband’s family, enjoying love and laughter, and eating meal after beautifully crafted meal. After two all-too-quiet Christmases, the usual things that go along with gathering feel unspeakably special this year – being in someone else’s …
A Christmas Carol by Orcas Christian School
The upperclassmen at Orcas Christian School just produced a phenomenal audio rendition of A Christmas Carol, available for listening on YouTube here: Mr. Rivera’s done it again, tapping into the theatrical arts of his students, after last year’s production of Romeo and Juliet. Yes, my son was the sound engineer, …
Take Care of Yourself
I’ve been talking a lot about the festivities each week, but it’s really important not to gloss over the hardships. Some people are lonely and isolated from loved ones. Some people are surrounded by the same loved ones and are lonely for everyone else they can’t visit. Some are having …
Kinfolk Travel: Slower Ways to See the World
This is the title of a new book in Darvill’s Bookstore, with an article called “The Ferry to Orcas Island,” written by local author Ayn Gailey and photographed by non-local Anthony Blasko. Here is an excerpt from the beginning of the article… Traveling to Orcas Island in the Pacific Northwest …
The Festivities Continue
What another lovely week it’s been in this Christmas season. Last Sunday, the library hosted the 8th Annual Children’s Christmas Market. This is one of the events that makes Orcas Island so special and unique. Any child can enter by paying $5 for a table, and the wares they make …
Festivity Central
We are smack dab in the middle of one of the most eventful weekends in almost two years, y’all. Yesterday morning, Tide Pool Coffeehouse and the new Salish Sea Yarn Co. (previously Enzo’s) opened the floodgates for people to circulate meaningfully through the upper area of North Beach Road. Wow, …
Options
Happy Thanksgiving weekend and Merry Christmas season! The rain has provided ample time to gather ‘round the glowing screen and ponder life as it used to be and where it’s headed. Always in search of fascinating documentaries, we watched the new Netflix series Countdown: Inspiration4 Mission to Space about the four civilian …
Orcas Vikings Are State Soccer Champs
This is their return to the island this morning after winning the state championship last night…
Thankful
I was born in Texas, the fifth child 11 years after my closest sibling. They were all born about a year apart and when my Catholic mom was pregnant with the fourth, my grandfather said to her, “JoAnn, this is getting a little embarrassing.” She must have taken it to …
TMI
When I was 15, I lost my period for a year. It was great! No bothering with feminine products or the potential for embarrassing mishaps. Talking about personal stuff didn’t happen much in my mother-daughter relationship. It wasn’t until my mom remarked one day about how odd it was that …
Flooding
Rain here is usually a constant, light pitter-patter. Even when it’s “pouring,” it’s nothing like the storms I experienced growing up in Texas. Over the last couple days, the rain was more than a pitter-patter and it just didn’t stop. If you were anything like us, you hunkered down and …
Festivity Inventory
Take a look at the following festivities that we islanders have grown so accustomed to celebrating together throughout the year, every year… Seniors Have Talent show at the Senior Center (November) Hops on the Rock in Eastsound (November) Clay Cafe in the Public School art room (November) Community Thanksgiving Potluck at …
Photo of the Day: The Road Washed Away in Doe Bay
The hairpin left turn immediately after Doe Bay Resort!
Our Island’s Halloween Weekend
Last Saturday afternoon, Camp Orkila kicked off the weekend festivities with its Annual Fall Festival: ziplining, donut-dangling, goat-petting, pumpkin-painting, hayriding, and other fun activities. Not only do they have their staff serve and entertain the whole town, they also generously feed us as well – for free! – sausages, homemade …
The Real Orcas Island
Sometimes I forget why I feel different these days. It’s not just the gray blanket across the sky, blocking the possibility of Vitamin D production. Then I remember. Ten years ago we moved here with young children. Life was bursting at the seams. Not only in the natural world but …
When the Sun Breaks Out
This is what happens when you’re visiting Orcas Island for a quick day trip and I happen upon you as the sun is coming out and illuminating the background scenery. Meet Jacque Breyer and Elise Meade, a traveling nurse and a physical therapist from Tennessee. It was chilly and overcast …
Urgent
The following is my son’s article on the October 24th Sun Days column on The Orcasonian. Hello. My name is Levi and I am 11 years old. My mom let me write the column this week. I want to say something that I actually don’t think many adults will listen …
Unexpected Healing
Two years ago, I was out running with my husband. We hadn’t exercised much at all together over the past 14 years, and I was elated to finally be doing it again, especially since that’s how we met and courted. Parenting had taken center stage over the years, and there …
Island Time Explained
Let’s get to the root of “island time.” I can speak on this topic because I am an expert. It’s not something I go around touting; rather, I’m a bit ashamed of it. We’re all supposed to be prompt individuals, mindful of basic courtesy, right? In my head, I’m punctual; …
Helping Salmon Proliferate
I had no idea what I was walking into this morning. It was a National Geographic kind of experience. Our son’s class was going to Glenwood Springs salmon hatchery to watch a process that has been carried out by Long Live the Kings for decades. (Since 1986, LLTK has worked …
Walking Italy’s Scenic Towns VII: Capri’s Marina Piccola
Today’s episode in the travelogue is a short post. We finally stayed put in the same general vicinity, walking only to a beach and back. It was lovely. Marina Piccola – or “small marina” – is the main swimming beach on Capri, with its crystalline waters and view of the …
Film Festival: October 7-11
Speaking of presentations, performances, events, and activity bubbling up again in that direction (referencing the previous post), the Orcas Island Film Festival is coming! Here is the film schedule. Click here to read about each film. Sixteen films will be shown over five days at the Sea View Theatre here …
The Ancient and the Interstellar
We used to live in a college town. That meant there were endless lectures and performances to attend all year round – dance companies from around the world, music groups from Montana to Mongolia, and talks on topics from astronomy to zoology. I had front-row seats for Stephen Hawking’s lecture; …
Photo of the Day: Crescent Beach Guardian
I love Joanie’s sculptures. (And this is what she oversees…)
Like Mice
Our younger son has two mice. They live in a plastic storage bin, sleeping in a little box during the day, and busybodying all night long. In the morning, their entire landscape is usually completely rearranged, and their leavings on the mouse wheel indicate ultramarathons they have run in the …
Photo of the Day: Coffee Date at Roots
Love in front of Roots…
Photo of the Day: Beaming Through the Forest
Just your ordinary, typical scenery here on the island.
Walking Italy’s Scenic Towns VI: The Isle of Capri
(A momentary departure from Orcas Island life, continued from Walking Italy’s Scenic Towns V: Minori to Maiori…) Sixteen years ago, our newborn baby nursed every two hours on the dot – his internal clock, not mine. Days were full, and sometimes during one of those restful nursing times I would …
Behind Closed Doors… Music Makers
The dark skies and rain are already upon us. People turn inward – literally and figuratively – and it’s right around now that I start wanting to see behind closed doors. Creative juices are flowing. People are binding books, writing plays, inventing gadgets, arranging stained glass, painting masterpieces, felting creatures, …
The Nuances of a Blackberry II
There are so many aspects of life that we get to repeat seasonally – jumping in the lake in the heat of summer; baking pies in the cool of fall; cozying around warm fireplaces in the cold of winter; marveling at new seedlings in the cool, green spring. I love …
Photo of the Day: Pear Season
Another giant cobbler in the works. I’ll miss this when pear season ends.
Writing Is My Cookie Dough
Everyone has a favorite treat. Mine is writing. Years ago, I realized I didn’t want to waste any treat-eating on desserts that aren’t really my thing. For me, nothing compares to cookie dough. So I might as well keep some at all times in the freezer. That way, while others …
Photo of the Day: Pears Everywheres
Too many to collect! If I eat any more cobbler I’ll be waddling!
Photo of the Day: Crisp and Clear
Today was one of those crisp, clear, perfect days – the type of weather that you wish would hold for the next five months.
Walking Italy’s Scenic Towns V: Minori to Maiori
(A momentary departure from Orcas Island life, continued from Walking Italy’s Scenic Towns IV: Amalfi to Ravello…) I awakened early each morning while everyone else was still sleeping in order to plan the day’s or week’s transportation, book trains ahead of time, put QR codes into my Notes app, and …
The Nuances of a Blackberry I
The blackberry’s time has passed. Blackberries still hang heavily on bushes but they no longer fill our hands, our bowls, our mouths. It’s not because we’ve had our fill. It’s because we know the life cycle of the berry. When they first start bursting off bushes in late July, we …
Photo of the Day: What an Overlook
This would be my new favorite place if it was within walking distance from my house.
Walking Italy’s Scenic Towns IV: Amalfi to Ravello
(A momentary departure from Orcas Island life, continued from Walking Italy’s Scenic Towns III: Sorrento…) This is a day I had looked forward to for a long time. If you look up the Amalfi Coast on Google, it gives you thousands of stunning images. This is my favorite one, and …
Photo of the Day: Beautiful Green Eggs
Even the eggs on Orcas Island are beautiful. Too pretty to eat! (Though I will.) I think I need to get some library books on eggshell artmaking. Thank you, Stephanie, for this beautiful, consumable palette!
Walking Italy’s Scenic Towns III: Sorrento
(A momentary departure from Orcas Island life, continued from Walking Italy’s Scenic Towns II: Rome Arrival…) At about this time – our first morning in Rome, headed for Sorrento – it dawned on me that I was in no pain. For two years, I’ve had zapping pain down the back …
A Letter to My Children: Hardship
We live here on beautiful Orcas Island where the air is perfect. Forested hills reflect off of the calm ocean, and not even the buzz of a mosquito disturbs the lovely peace and quiet. Birds sing outside, and apples, plums, and berries hang heavily off branches outside our windows. We …
Photo of the Day: Lake Like Glass
The lagoon…
Island Thyme
I’m really impressed with Chris and Eliza Morris. They epitomize quiet strength and perseverance. I’ve observed them over the years and I find their silent resolve to be quite remarkable. At a time when businesses closed and renting space was a scary venture, the Morrises expanded their presence here on …
The Ferry Landing’s Kelp Kraken
Meet The Kelp Kraken. It’s somewhere between 30 and 40 feet long, spanning what used to be a disconcerting cliff between the road and the ferry landing area. That’s why it’s there, to distract people’s minds from wanting to hover over the edge. If you live here, you know immediately …
COVID Testing at the Public School
Thank you, Orcas Island School District, for your free Wednesday COVID testing. Our kids have been tested three Wednesdays by you in the past month (two of which were in the past week), for a total of five tests surrounding our international travels, including a Walgreens before boarding a flight …
Walking Italy’s Scenic Towns II: Rome Arrival
(A momentary departure from Orcas Island life, continued from Walking Italy’s Scenic Towns I: The Planning…) Dumbfounded that we actually made it on a plane to Europe in COVID times, headed for a vacation in Italy, it was good to have ten hours to let it all sink in before …
Photo of the Day: What Rosario Sees
Morning at Rosario…
Walking Italy’s Scenic Towns I: The Planning
Back in the dark months of COVID when there was no vaccine and no end in sight to isolation and “sheltering in place,” we were bundling up in the winter air and watching European travel documentaries by Rick Steves and Stanley Tucci’s food travelogue called Searching for Italy. Our boys …
Friday Night’s Musicians & Acrobats
Orcas Center did it again. Friday night was yet another wonderful evening of entertainment at the Village Green for the Summer Series Finale. I didn’t even realize it was going to happen until I saw the aerial rope & silk apparatus erected a few hours beforehand, with accompanying acrobats warming …
Photo of the Day: Blackberry Everything
Enjoy them before they’re gone…
Orcas Island Fashions in Italy
Three weeks ago, I ran down to Sequel for a quick look around. At the last minute, I realized I might need a few outfits that were lighter and thinner than anything I normally wear here on the island. I had in mind a post I might write upon returning …
Photo of the Day: Salamander Buddy
This is a sweet little salamander the length of a child’s pinkie finger. My son “raised” it in a bucket from the larval stage, when it looked like a little opaque axolotl. His pond treasures gathered in June made for a fascinating glimpse into nature’s miraculous stages of life over …
Photo of the Day: Trail into Town
This is one of the many trails leading into town. I love that walking into Eastsound means being on the stunning seashore or in a beautiful forest. I can’t believe how dense this little jaunt has become in the last year. Once bright with sunlight, it’s now thick, green, and …
Photo of the Day: Blackberry Breakfast
Gotta love our seasonal fruit growing on the side of the road!
Photo of the Day: Peaceful Pond
This just makes you feel good.
Photo of the Day: View from Rosario’s Edge
What a morning at Rosario…
An Afternoon Jaunt to Friday Harbor
Playing tourist for several hours and visiting another island is like an easy, lighthearted mini-vacation. It takes about 45 minutes (if you pick the right ferry) to get to San Juan Island. The town of Friday Harbor sits right where the ferry sets your feet on land. The days are …
Marathoning Around the World
Meet Brian and Jackie. The other day before heading up the Turtleback trail, they walked by my car and we started chatting. Look at his shirt. It says Bagan Temple Marathon Myanmar. Whoa whoa whoa. Wait a minute. A marathoner who has run in Myanmar (formerly Burma)? I had to …
Behind the Scenes at Faraways
I love seeing what’s going on behind closed doors here on the island – people working on their music, their business, their craft, their passion, their art, their acting, etc. Anytime I am allowed access into a new environment, I jump at it. After watching and writing about the live …
Photo of the Day: Blackberry Accents
Blackberry season is upon us now! Hooray! If you’re visiting the island, be sure to ask if it’s okay to pick someone’s berries before going for it. Our neighbors kindly allow us to pick theirs.
Photo of the Day: Eastsound’s Salvadorian Street Food
Salvadorian street food in the Ray’s Pharmacy parking lot. Four beef tacos for $10. They also sell pupusas, burritos, quesdadillas, etc.
Film ~ Bono & Eugene Peterson: The Psalms
Tonight our church had a presentation and Q & A session about a film called Bono & Eugene Peterson: The Psalms. You probably know of Bono, lead singer of U2. If you’ve read The Message, a translation of the bible in contemporary language, then you know of its author, Eugene …
In-Person Addendum
The post before this one, “Church in Person,” was a post I wrote last week. I postdated it to come out today, and haven’t thought about it since. One of my readers – C.O. – reminded me that it went live today, and I thank her for reaching out. The …
Church in Person!
This is what communion has looked like for over a year – whatever we’ve had on hand in the kitchen. Juice and rice cakes. Water and donut pieces. Sparkling cider and crackers. No more! What a joy it is to walk into Orcas Island Community Church and see what has …
Life Through Louise Tucker’s Eyes
One of my favorite locals to “visit” on Facebook is Louise Tucker. What she posts is downright therapeutic. It’s calming. It’s innocent. It’s clean and pure. It’s peaceful. Louise notices all that’s right in front of her. She not only takes time to look, she quietly seeks out everyday miracles. …
Brograss & The Talbott Brothers
What a feeling it is to have Orcas Island back to normal. Our inner tanks are filling with every unmasked face we see, every smile we reciprocate, and every gathering we attend! How appropriate it is that our local Brograss just put on a concert at the Village Green to …
Fabulous Low Tide Creatures
Low tide around Indian Island is a phenomenal experience for nature lovers. It’s ever-important to treat all creatures gently out there, and docents look after the area to make sure locals and visitors are extremely conscientious. When the tide goes out, you only have a few hours to look around …
New Friends Atop Indian Island
I love how life leads you to experiences you just can’t plan out, especially here on Orcas Island. That’s why I always leave ample room for spontaneous conversations and wonderful “happenings.” Meet my new friend, Anne Thomas – someone I’ve known about for years – and her lifelong friend, Joy. …
The New Visitor Guide
A big thank you to Lance and the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce for using some of my photos for the new visitor guide. It’s a great resource to have for information on hikes, restaurants, accommodations, etc. You can get one at 65 North Beach Road right in the heart …
Photo of the Day: Bridge Jumping
Summer at the lake is the best. It’s free all-day fun, and there’s a perfect spot for everyone.
A Tragic Mistake
A young life was lost several days ago. Many of our teenagers worked alongside Issac at Rosario Resort and talked to him on one of his last nights. It is a heavy thing, and leaves a long-lasting impression – especially on young people unaccustomed to death – when someone is …
Faraways Boutique Live!
Elizabeth Schermerhorn came up with a great idea during the pandemic when we were all staying at home, and she’s still at it today. Every Wednesday night and Sunday night at 8 PM, she creates a “live” store in which she and local women model the clothing in her business …
Women’s Sailing Classes
This summer, Sail Orcas in West Sound is offering women’s sailing lessons each Monday night from 5:30-7:30 PM – a beautiful time in the afternoon to be out on the water learning some of the most important life skills you could have on an island! The classes are full for …
Putt-Putt!
Well lookee here! The Orcas Island Golf Course now has an 18-hole mini-golf course. When you do it, you’ll see just how much imagination, creativity, and work went into dreaming it up and making it happen. Come along on a lovely evening… For more information, click here. Thank you, Shelly …
Photo of the Day: Amish Visitors
How excited I was when these two women passed me in town on their bicycles! You see people from all over the world here, but I’ve never run across an Amish visitor. I called to them to stop so I could say hello and introduce myself, as I’m always so …
On the Radio
This past Friday morning, Gretchen Krampf co-hosted a radio show – Lift Your Spirits! with Dena Marie on Alternative Talk 1150 KKNW – and invited me to be on and talk about this blog. Click here to listen. The segment I’m in starts at 20:10, and the following segment features …
The Making of VBS
Every summer around the 4th of July, Orcas Island Community Church puts on Vacation Bible School. It’s free or by donation and is open to any pre-K through 6th-grade child on the island – local or visitor. Keep it in mind next year in case you missed it this time …
Vacation Bible School!
In 30 minutes it begins! All kids are welcome, even if you just found out about it and your kids can’t make it today but can make it for the rest of the week. VBS is from 12:45-3:15 each day this week at Orcas Island Community Church. It’s free (or …
4th of July Laser Light Show
Fireworks were cancelled again this year, but thankfully another laser light show was planned at Mt Baker Farm. We didn’t hear about it last year until it was too late, so this year I didn’t want to miss out on the only community fesitvities for the big night. Oh my …
Last Day for the Magic Show
Last night we attended the very first unmasked indoor show on Orcas Island since March of last year. Matthew the Magician is one of our local phenoms, and his magic show is not to be missed. He is unbelievably impressive. We’ve been attending Matthew’s shows since he was 13 years …
Our New Mayor – A Lizard
Here on Orcas Island, we choose an honorary mayor each year by casting our monetary votes to see who gets the most. It’s a clever fundraiser that benefits Orcas Island Children’s House. This year’s candidates? A line-up of various dogs, a bunny, and a bearded dragon. Every year after the …
4th of July’s Refreshing Normalcy
Freedom took on a whole new meaning at today’s 4th of July parade. With the mask mandate newly lifted from San Juan County – one of the most highly vaccinated counties in the nation – today was a celebration not only of our country’s freedom but also our personal, physical …
Lum Farm on Coffelt Farm Preserve
I’ve been wanting to highlight the Lums for a long time. Eric and Amy are staples here on the island, known for all of the myriad ways they work the land and help others learn basic skills. When I think of Eric and Amy, I see two knowledgeable people who …
Waiting for the Ferry in Anacortes
It happens. You’re already 30-60 minutes early in the ferry line so you don’t lose your reservation, and then a ferry is removed from the day’s schedule for a repair, or an important ferry worker has an emergency, or someone brings a car full of ammunition and everything comes to …
QR Code for Life on Orcas Island
Pass it on!
Eating Tip at SeaTac Airport
I had one of the best salads ever. In the airport, of all places. I’m so elated that there is healthy food in airports these days. When traveling, I don’t want McDonald’s hamburgers. I also want access to good food that doesn’t come in a tiny plastic package and cost …
The Kitchen
Eating out on Orcas Island can be a pretty pricey pastime. I’d rather wear used clothes, eat at home, and save the money for traveling. The rare times we do eat out that aren’t birthdays or anniversaries, we choose places that are tasty, healthy, filling, and moderately affordable. The Kitchen …
Skagit Valley from the Passenger Seat
If you’re a parent, you know how it feels to raise children – the days are long but the years fly by. So much energy, emotion, and education flow out of you every single day, and you can feel like you’ll have young children for a lifetime. Not so. All …
Stalking Bullfrogs
When you hear the deep croaking of bullfrogs and the sound of their big bodies plunking into the water, you can’t resist grabbing the nets and boots for a try at finding one. Unfortunately, dozens of them can hide well in even the shallowest of marshes, so we never held …
The Making of Romeo & Juliet
Two months ago, Mr. Rivera, the high school English, history, and guitar teacher at Orcas Christian School, decided that the students would be putting on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. They had read and discussed the play the previous year when COVID shut down school at school for the last months …
Last Chance!
Tonight is the final performance of Romeo & Juliet at Orcas Christian School. The high schoolers and teachers are doing so well – the line memorization, the acting, the dancing, the costume-donning – it’s a feast for the eyes, ears, and soul! Especially after this quiet, isolated year! I’m bursting …
Romeo & Juliet – Tonight and Tomorrow!
Come down to Orcas Christian School tonight at 9 PM or tomorrow night at 8:30 PM to enjoy an outdoor, evening performance of Romeo & Juliet! The students have been working for over two months to make it a wonderful event. The cost is $5 per adult and $2 per …
Photo of the Day: West Sound Poppies
I saw these poppies and knew they wouldn’t last for months so I had to pull off the road for a quick photo opportunity. It’s interesting to note how much a picture is enhanced when you get down low for a close-up versus photographing a scene from a standing position…
Lush Grounds at the Library
I used to love going to the library to write for several hours each day (pre-COVID). Now, I’m loving the grounds surrounding it. If you haven’t been lately, go soak in the fantastic flora that’s filling out so nicely. Note, too, that the new hours are 10-5 on Mondays, Wednesdays, …
Our Island’s Only Town
There are no stoplights here. The maximum speed limit is 40 MPH. And our only town is basically two main streets and their off-shoots. Join me on a stroll on a lazy, sunny afternoon through Eastsound…
Photo of the Day: Overlook
Two of my favorite things…
A Ride on the Evening Ferry
Come along with me for a beautiful, tranquil ride on the ferry home after a day away in “America”…
All’s a’Burstin’
No flashy entertainment needed around here. Just evening walks through town, soaking in all of the floral drama draping down and bursting out…
Scenes from Town
What a Response to the Pandemic!
Marsh family, I salute you, from our island to yours. You may know of them; I saw their Les Miserables parody many moons ago, but wow, have they been prolific ever since! We are now in some good sunshine and demasking here – the fragrance of spring blossoms filling our …
Lummi Nation Totem Pole Journey to DC
Orcas Island hasn’t seen many gatherings over the past year, but yesterday there was a huge turnout to support the people of the Lummi Nation and the totem pole they are taking to Washington, D.C., as they stop at various important sites along the way to educate people and raise …
Photo of the Day: Fishing with Her Grandfather
A girl and her grandfather fishing at the lake. Ahh, the good life.
Spring is Bursting
I can’t stop taking pictures of the hope incarnate hanging off branches and blossoming above and below me.
Photo of the Day: Chess at the Exchange
This is so quintessentially Orcas Island…random, rugged, intelligent… Greg Books and Fabrice van Putten in a spontaneous chess sesh, making brief intermittent moves in between placing incoming items and ringing up customers at The Exchange. Thank you, Fabrice, for letting me use the camera on your phone and emailing me …
Evening Olga
Living near Eastsound, it’s rare that I find myself strolling through Olga out on the east side of the island. A few days ago, I took a leisurely evening walk (6:00 – 7:00 PM) through the Olga neighborhood while our son was helping someone fix their technology. Come meander along …
The Beauty of Orkila
A week ago the Orcas Island Cross Country team hosted the island’s first cross country meet, which took place on the grounds of Camp Orkila. While walking the route a few times before the meet, I thought about all of the memories our family has there, from festivals to school …
Orcas Island Leather Goods
Mike Connell and Mindy Sonshine have been quite the busy bees. Over the course of this quiet, isolated pandemic year, they’ve been building a leather business that looks like it’s going to absolutely thrive here on the island – and beyond! Last week, they opened the doors of their new …
One Down, One to Go
One thousand doses made their way here today thanks to the National Guard. They’ve been to Orcas Center before for health workers, teachers, coaches, the immune-compromised, and folks 65 and up, and Ray’s Pharmacy has been vaccinating as well, but now vaccinations have been opened up to everyone 18 years …
Learning to Drive Here
I’m seeing our island with new eyes now – from the passenger seat! I can’t believe how quickly this phase came. It seems like just yesterday that we spent the bulk of our family time exploring the low tidelands catching crabs, hiking magical forest trails, fishing for newts in ponds, …
Lizards with Ticks
Spring is bursting here with a week of nonstop sunshine and no clouds in the sky – a near-anomaly for this place before summer. Deer are grazing, bunnies are hopping, birds are chirping, and two snakes and two alligator lizards found themselves in our critter cage this afternoon (we catch …
Spring Radiance
How uplifting it is to have a full week of sunshine – it changes everything! Walking around town, stopping in stores, riding the ferry, and hiking the trails now feels a lot more invigorating with blue skies, beaming sun, light filtering through fresh new leaves, and the scent of blossoms …
Happy Easter!
You might love some cheering up for Easter. If you’d like to attend one of Orcas Island Community Church’s Easter services tomorrow, there will be an in-person, outdoor sunrise service at 6:30 AM out in OICC’s backyard, which you can also watch livestreaming here: There will also be an in-person …
Come Away With Me…
Sometimes you just need to be swept away into a beautiful storybook land. That’s how I feel every time I do this hike. I’ve done it over and over in the past few weeks and I can’t stop taking photos of the verdant moss, tiny details, and stunning views. (They …
Salish Sea Yarn Co.
Katie Gaible didn’t let the pandemic stop her from living out her dream. Last October, she opened Salish Sea Yarn Co. right in the heart of Eastsound. In such a tiny little village, it’s important to be in the middle of where all of the main action is. From what …
Be Wise, Islanders and Visitors
This past Saturday, we drove through town and it was packed. There was a car in every single parking space and there was actual traffic. After life looking like a ghost town every day and every weekend for a year, I loved it! I couldn’t figure out why all of …
World History Icon Day at School
If you’re starved for performance, as I am, you will have a ball watching these speeches the 9th and 10th graders at Orcas Christian High recorded on March 2nd for World History Icon Day at school. Thanks to the generosity of Orcas Center, the students were able to comb through …
Drone Work, Tech Help, and Fixing
“You may know Evan Kulper because he’s helped you with your computer. Or perhaps you attended “Tech Time” at the Senior Center, where for three years he volunteered to show seniors how to use their devices. Maybe you happened upon the underwater ROV he built and demonstrated at the Funhouse …
Snowboarding Mt Baker
Here on Orcas Island, we see Mt Baker whenever we go to North Beach and look east toward the mainland and whenever we head up the aptly named Mt Baker Road to take the car to the mechanic. We also get a fantastic view of it whenever we take friends …
Traveling at Home
I’ve been doing a lot of travel-drooling from my kitchen table. I am one of those people who, freed from my “cage,” will want to go everywhere people are once we can joyously gather and communally eat and lightheartedly frolic! Two of the only promotional-deal email lists I’m voluntarily on …
Cohabitating with Moss, Mud, and Mold
The same moisture that leads to all of the green lushness and beautiful, undulating, moss-covered rocks here is also responsible for the unique growth that happens inside our houses, on our cars, and within any unfinished wood surface. You know you live in the Pacific Northwest when… You experience your …
Don’t Be Foolish, Texans
I can’t believe the governor in my home state (during childhood) has opened Texas up completely. It’s daunting foolishness, considering how long we’ve been waiting for the moment when we can finally be safe together, and how very close we are to that moment. To jump the gun on it …
Current Local COVID Dashboard
Good job San Juan Islands!! NO active cases on ANY island! Here are the latest statistics regarding COVID-19 cases and vaccination numbers in San Juan County. Go to their site of origin to read all of the accompanying fine print. Total Positive Cases to Date Total Positive Test Results Lopez …
Meet Aviator Matthew Carter
If you don’t already know Matthew Carter, he is a gem. If the world were all Matthew Carters, it would be a kind, respectful, peaceful, polite, pure-minded world. Matthew is pursuing a career as a Mission Aviation Fellowship Pilot. MAF trains pilots to fly into remote, isolated areas in order …
A Library Boost
The simplest things bring me joy right now. The library is one of them. If you haven’t already heard, the Orcas Library is open to the public – up to 20 people can be in there for 20 minutes each from 12-3 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. It …
Thank You
I just wanted to write a little note of thanks to all of you who reached out or asked about me after having seen my “Incapacitated” post. The hospital drugs wore off after a week and I felt quite good. I drove back to the same hospital to get an …
Out from the Cover of Darkness
As weird as it sounds, sometimes we don’t notice the newness happening all around us here until the sun finally comes out. All of a sudden, inconspicuous Orcas Island looks like a lush, life-filled paradise that had been hidden under a dark gray cover for months. The bright greens pop, …
Pandemic Quirk #10: Compounding Disinterest
In normal times, life on Orcas Island entails bumping into all kinds of people throughout the day, having interesting and meaningful conversations, and living in uplifting community with one another. If you’ve ever gone to church or studied the bible with other people, there’s a common phrase – a “God-shaped …
Incapacitated
For 10 days and nights in the past two weeks, I’ve been lying in bed. I know every inch of my ceiling, and have watched ten episodes of Virgin River, a Netflix series about a nurse working in a small rural town (filmed in Vancouver, Canada, 45 miles as a …
Snow Ice Cream for Breakfast
We are milking the snow on the ground for all it’s worth before it melts completely, thanks to a post on Facebook by Mandy R. showing her family’s homemade snow ice cream. I’m so glad she thought of it, as I’m wanting to do everything possible with snow since we …
A Video Walking Tour
Step into the fleeting beauty blanketing this place. This rare gift of snow will be gone in the blink of an eye… Not long from now, we’ll all be surprised at how springy the world looks – plants bursting from the ground, buds bulging on branches, and gardens delighting our …
Out on the Snowy Streets
Today was yet another thick-snow day – what a treat! Here are some scenes from out on the streets… I hope you had a wonderful Valentine’s Day wherever you are! Sweet dreams.
The Excitement of Snow!
We all knew that yesterday morning we would awaken to snow, thanks to the weather reports. Our first real snow of winter. We got a little dinky one awhile ago, and here you never know if you’ll get another. This is a good one! Beautiful, deep powder. What a transformation …
Vitamin D
Here’s another glimpse of our island beauty when the sun shines. It beamed all day yesterday – Hava Nagila! – and is back to rainy and gray all day today. I must say, I’ll be happy to stop saying “I” in this blog and report less on weather whenever the …
Garden Post Follow-up
In late September, I posted an article detailing my not-so-sparkling gardening experiences here. My woes. In an effort to learn more, I read a bunch of books. Hoping that advice from the masters might somehow take hold in my rocky, acidic soil, I planted fava beans to overwinter. The idea, …
Can’t Stop Hiking This Trail
Whenever the incessant rain and cloudiness clears, I just have to book it up to my favorite spot, Ship Peak on the south side of Turtleback Trail. You can see why… Thank you, Walker, for allowing me to photograph you when I came upon you.
Nature’s Hieroglyphics
This log is stunning to me. It deserves its own post. The bark beetles who create these tunnels make amazing art. (Can you tell there aren’t too many people out and about when I’m highlighting wood?) Some areas remind me of the Nazca Lines in Peru (crop circles). Others resemble …
The Emptiness is Filling
Some things you don’t imagine. I don’t think anyone ever imagined empty, quiet public schools. It’s been almost a year, and it’s been scarily quiet every time I’ve walked through the campus. Students through 3rd grade have recently been welcomed back, which is beyond wonderful for them, their teachers, their …
All or Nothing
You can get by pretty well here on the island with the few stores that exist. But every now and then, when our food’s getting low and we’re starting to pay way too much for the basics at the local store, it’s time to devote one whole day to ferrying …
Pandemic Quirk #9: The Great Amaryllis Race
There was no gathering during Christmastime, so my sister sent all of us amaryllis bulbs. Her idea: our first annual family amaryllis race from afar – something living to hold us together in spirit and keep us in contact with each other over the life span of our plants during …
Pandemic Quirk #8: Impulse Buys in Isolated Times
During an isolating pandemic that provides month after month of familial togetherness, what do you buy on impulse? Why, games, of course! We’ve played instruments. Bought tools. Seen movies. Tried foods. Read books aloud. Popped endless corn. Answered trivia. Exhausted Apples to Apples. Scattered our gories. But what? The board …
Pandemic Quirk #7: Exp-hair-imenting
I’m the official barber for the three guys in our household – their hair hasn’t been cut by anyone but me. And mine, well, it usually keeps growing and growing. Until COVID. After a month of life without people aside from family, my isolation from the rest of humanity resulted …
Virtual Church in All the Beauty
Ten minutes into our virtual church service, and I’m wanting to post it, as each speaker is speaking from some beautiful spot on the island. (It’s recorded but we still watch it at 10:00 every Sunday so we can be virtually “with” everyone in spirit.) I should be posting the …
Is This Really Where We Live?
This is how Orcas Island would look all winter if the sun stayed out. Between the thick, lush moss at our feet and the dotting of islands out in the glimmering sea, it’s a living, breathing fairytale. Thank you, Ashley, for allowing me to capture you overlooking all of that …
The Toxic Term of Perpetual Self-Aggrandizement Has Finally Come to an End
It’s been a long, deep, all-day exhale. A much-needed emotional break for the limbic system. I’m not one to watch much TV, especially in the daytime, but today I needed every second of the 5 straight hours I watched. Sitting motionless with rapt attention on the raw, real, uncommentated footage …
Canoe Island’s French Pastries
I just had the funnest experience. Granted, I get pretty excited about anything new in these pandemic times. (Gosh, I get excited when I even see another human being!) Several days ago, a friend of mine sent me a link to Canoe Island French Camp’s bread and pastry order form …
Milkin’ This Weather
Here’s the beauty we experience on trails that are just a short drive from our front doorsteps here on Orcas Island. Sometimes you don’t even see another soul out there. This is yesterday around Mt. Constitution.
Pandemic, Politics, and Now a Power Outage?
Orcas Island goes the extra mile to keep us residents flexible! When town is already quiet from a pandemic, and political news is keeping us on our toes, we awaken one morning to silent machines and black digital clocks. Power outages in wintertime are a thing here. You never know …
Pandemic Quirk #6: Dinner – The Main Event
Don’t get me wrong here. I’m not complaining. I am grateful for food; three meals a day; a grocery store minutes from our house with produce from around the world. But wow. With no community gatherings, family reunions, concerts, farmer’s markets, school events, or traveling, dinner has become the thing. …
Pandemic Quirk #5: Early Dementia
I don’t know about you, but my mind is getting slow! I search for words that would normally be on the tip of my tongue. I reach for names that I’ve always known. I sound like a grandmother and I’m only in my mid-40s. Sure, we have our families to …
A “Dream Weaver” Morning
When I was very little, my oldest sister had a poster in the room we shared of a couple standing on a mountain, holding hands, silhouetted by an ethereal background of bright yellow sunlight muted dreamily by swirling clouds. Almost like an island setting overlooking the ocean, but I can’t …
Love Those Crows
Within moments of moving here almost nine years ago, we heard about Body Boat Blade – the kayaking pros renowned for the professionality of their ocean classes. In college, I was part of UC Santa Barbara’s Adventure Programs, in which I learned first how to rockclimb and kayak, then how …
