Scenes of Life Here Before the New Year Begins
Month: December 2022
Farmer to Farmland Program & Farmer Mentorship Program
Do you need land to farm, have land and can host a farmer, or have experience and can mentor a beginner farmer? This is Chelsea Thorpe, the Farmer to Farmland Coordinator. I want you to get a closer look at the brochure she’s holding – it’s important. Please contact Chelsea …
Robert Dash’s Micrographs in National Geographic
Some of you already knew this months ago but it was news to me as of a few weeks ago… Local photographer and book author, the kind and humble Robert Dash, was featured in National Geographic‘s February issue. He had a table at the Winter Artisans Market at the Odd …
Come to the Carters’ Concert at the Community Church Tonight at 7 PM
Emy and Lisa Carter have invited their musical friends to entertain us tonight at Orcas Island Community Church – everyone in the community is welcome and it is free (or by donation if you’d like). They put on a concert several months ago and it was fantastic! Don’t miss this …
High Tide Engulfs the Road at Crescent Beach
I’ve been loving Jerremy Foss’s photographs lately. On his birthday walk the other morning, he captured one of the rare times that high tide overtakes the road along Crescent Beach, pushing all the driftwood across it. I didn’t get to see it, so I loved coming across his photos… Jerremy …
Hahaha! This Sticker Sums it Up…
Hilarious bumper sticker that Ray’s Pharmacy just got in… I’m not a cusser but couldn’t resist!
Merry Christmas!
What a wild week it was! No power Thursday from 4:ish PM to 2:ish AM, no power Saturday 8:ish AM to 3:ish PM, thick powdery snow, icy streets, people unable to leave their driveways, and 4-degree temperatures at times with wind chill. On Friday night, temperatures rose quickly and snow …
Rosario’s Festival of Trees
Sometime on Saturday from 12-6, stop by Rosario Resort to see their Festival of Trees (I happened to visit before the snow)…
Life on Orcas Island Book Signing at Ray’s, 10:30-6 PM Today
If you’re in town running your last errands, I’ll be in Ray’s Pharmacy signing books all day if you need some last-minute gifts for Christmas.
The Power is Out
Time now slows down… The islands are out… While your computer still has power (and if your WiFi lasts several more hours), you can go here to check on the power outage.
Scenes from Today
We thoroughly enjoyed the snow out there today, knowing it will be gone soon. Snow is predicted every hour tonight, and then higher temperatures and rain tomorrow will most likely wash it all away.
Upcoming Events…
Several events have been added to this schedule since the last one I posted several weeks ago (though snow and low temperatures may cancel some of these)… Thurs, Dec 22 Orcas Island Elementary School Concert in the High School Gym, 6:30 PM Fri, Dec 23 Life on Orcas Island book …
Solstice Mercantile at Orcas Winery
Several weeks ago was the Solstice Mercantile at Orcas Winery (December 3rd). Here’s a glimpse…
The Annual Children’s Holiday Market at the Library
I only saw the final 10 minutes of the 2-hour Children’s Holiday Market on December 11th at the library – one of my favorite events of the entire Christmas season, in which kids of all ages dream up hundreds of items to make and sell. It’s quite a thing to …
Keep Your Radar Out for Rafe Pearlman
Did you see the KANU concert at Orcas Center before Thanksgiving? I didn’t plan to, but our neighbors called the morning after the first night and said they had been talking about the concert for TWO hours! Even though we were packing for a trip to Texas, I decided our …
Savoring the Snow Day
What perfect, deep powder the night’s snowfall left for us this morning – terrible for snowballs, amazing for sledding! It’s always hard to come in from a winter wonderland here because you never know what the conditions will be like tomorrow – it could all be gone in a flash. …
Our Midnight Snow Globe
I was just about to head to bed around 10:30 when it hit me – ‘What am I thinking? Tonight’s one of those rare, virgin-snow nights! I’ve gotta walk into town and see the white, solitary sights before they’ve changed by the morning!’ Here’s what town looked like… The only …
A Look at the Winter Holiday Artisans Market Last Weekend
In case you missed the Holiday Market days at the Odd Fellows Hall last weekend, here’s a look… Great job to the San Juan Makers Guild and specifically Marcy, Tabitha, and Stephen for putting it on.
Santa Came to Deer Harbor
We’ve been visiting Santa in Deer Harbor every December since our kids were little. They were sick in bed this whole past week of school before their break, which was such a bummer for them. Sometimes that happens – the sickness persists when kids want to be at school, then …
Life in Our Little Snow Globe
I’ve always thought life here is like being in a little magical shake-up globe world. Especially on snow days like these (to you who live afar, snow isn’t an everyday thing for us)…
Book Signing All Day at Ray’s Today!
If you’re needing more Christmas gifts, I’ll be signing books at Ray’s Pharmacy from 10-6 today. Come on in and visit me!
Orcas Island Community Foundation – Highest Gifts Per Capita in the Nation
The GiveOrcas Campaign is going strong right now, and will continue until December 15th. A link on the OICF site takes you to the information below. Wow, the generosity! Check out the 2020 statistics from this site:
Upcoming Author Signings at Ray’s Pharmacy
Ray’s Pharmacy will be hosting four more author signings for Life on Orcas Island, the perfect Christmas gift for anyone who loves this place!… Tuesday, December 13, 1-3 PM Thursday, December 15, 1-3 PM Friday, December 16, 9:30-6 PM Friday, December 23, 9:30-6 PM Thanks so much to all the …
Orcas Choral Society & Youth Chorus Concert TONIGHT at Orcas Center!
These adults and kids have been working really hard (and joyfully!) over the past several months to bring this concert to you! Click here to get tickets for Saturday at 7 PM or Sunday at 2 PM at Orcas Center. You will be treated to various music and musicians, so …
Amanda Sparks Is Our Flat Person of the Year
Food Bank Director Amanda Sparks is the 2022 GiveOrcas Flat Person, serving as the ambassador for the GiveOrcas Holiday Campaign. I just happened upon her at Orcas Center, as the Choral Society was rehearsing for their weekend concerts. She now joins the Flat Person Family – the people chosen from previous years… Flat …
Winter Artisan Market & Night Market at Odd Fellows Hall This Weekend
There are a lot of fun Christmas activities happening this weekend! Saturday starts off with an awesome Winter Holiday Artisan Market from 10-3, then a Night Market from 5-8 (the Night Market time on the sign below is incorrect), both at the Odd Fellows Hall. We were just setting up …
Book Signing NOW at Ray’s Pharmacy, 1-3 PM
The perfect gift for the person who loves Orcas Island and already has everything they want!
Photo of the Day: Sun Sparkling Over the Labyrinth
The gray blanket threatened to persist, but the sun broke through!
Gingerbread Creations at Island Market – WOW!
I LOVE seeing all the gingerbread contestants’ creations for our annual local contest, thanks to the Funhouse and Island Market! We have phenomenal culinary artists here! You’ll have to go in Island Market and see them if you haven’t yet. As you look at them, imagine how much effort EVERY …
The 2022 Holiday GiveOrcas Campaign
This annual tradition continues, and if you haven’t heard about it, it is a fundraiser that turns out AMAZING results for local organizations, thanks to the INCREDIBLE GENEROSITY of this community. Here’s the lowdown from their website: Today is one of the game days mentioned above, so if you read …
Photo of the Day: Christmas Trees at Lum Farm
Ah, choosing a tree. Everyone has an opinion. ‘Tis the season for joy and compromise 🙂 …
Family Day at the Historical Museum till 4 PM!
The cookies and crafts are all set up and ready for kids and families to come on in and have fun!…
Auction: Local Winter Artisan Market
Leading up to the Winter Holiday Artisan Markets happening at the Odd Fellows Hall the weekend of December 9-11th, there will be an auction of similar local goods and experiences here. The auction is hosted by the San Juan Islands Makers Guild, featuring 48 artists and artisans. All items are …
Photo of the Day: Christmas Tree Lighting
And the tree was lit… (Eastsound Village Green)
Recent Patterns – Seals, Gulls, and Jellies
If you went out walking on Crescent Beach right now and looked at the surface of the water very carefully, you’d see the tops of dozens of seals’ heads. Look even more carefully and you’ll see that they are watching you. I talk to them – I’m trying to get …
Upcoming December Events – Updated!
Fri, Dec 2 Lum Farm Christmas Trees for sale & Farmstand w/ homemade ice cream, cheeses, gifts, etc., 11-5 Online Auction for Winter Holiday Artisan Market Goods from Orcas, Lopez and San Juan Islands Gangstagrass at Orcas Center, 7 PM Sat, Dec 3 American Legion Holiday Bazaar, 10-3 Lum Farm’s …
