Polar Bear Plunge at 11 AM on New Year’s Day!
See you then at Cascade Lake!…
Month: December 2025
Need a Polished Video or Photos Right Away? Evan is Charging $300 per Video and $75 for Photos
Would you like a polished video or photos of your business, organization, property, vehicle, event, family, pet, or something else? My son, Evan, is a junior in college with a major in product design. He is home for Christmas and is building his portfolio ~ he is an excellent photographer, …
Shaye Spinner & Justin Krisch-Derr Live at Matthew’s Smokehouse Dec 19 at 6 PM
Don’t Fret is the name of Shaye Spinner and Justin Krisch-Derr’s duo, and Friday the 19th will be their second performance on the island. Come on out for it! Shaye and I have been obsessed with music for a long time now, and we would occasionally think about what it would …
New Radio Interviews on the Life on Orcas Island Show on KIXP and Podcast
If you’ve happened to miss any Life on Orcas Island interviews, which air Sunday mornings at 10 AM on 102.3 FM KIXP, they are up on the podcast and can be listened to and shared as much as you’d like! Click here to go to the podcast and play any …
Bake Sale Do-Gooders
This is only three-and-a-half months overdue but still very cool. Tatum, Hans, and Ayla had this table out during the final concert of the summer series. Scroll down to the final photo…
Stroll Through the Seasons With Me
Relax into a comfy chair, warm your hands around a gingerbread latte, and enjoy a visual tour through the seasons, from September to December… Enjoy the beauty around you in this holiday season…
Mush, You Huskies, Mush! ~ A Local, Wintery Christmas Gift for Adventurous Tweens
Another big thank you to Erin at the Dragonfly Coffee House for hosting the book unveiling! And a big thanks to Darvill’s for carrying it on the Local Authors table…
Happy Happy Fungi
A walk around Mountain Lake is a mushroom fest if you look closely…
Indoor Fall Farmers Market Recap
Until next year!…
Sweet Craft Bakeshop’s Handcrafted Treats
Lisa Walters of Sweet Craft Bakeshop makes phenomenal edible art. I’m not a big macaron person, but hers and only hers keep me coming back to the Dragonfly Coffee House now and again when I have a sweet tooth. None compare to hers. You will definitely see her phenomenal baked …
Pearce Fine Jewelry: Recycled Gold Jewelry and Goldsmithing Workshops
Leah Altman of Pearce Fine Jewelry, below, crafts investment-quality pieces that use 100% recycled gold and natural gemstones. And she is quite a fine person herself! Before meeting her at the Flocking Swans Mercantile over the weekend, I happened to be reading a flyer at the post office announcing that …
Flocking Swans: The Annual Mammoth Barn Mercantile
If you’ve never been, this is what I mean by mammoth barn… Let’s begin at the barn’s front entrance on the lower level and work our way upstairs to what you see above… And that’s just a tiny selection of the businesses throughout the barn showcasing lovely eye candy. Here …
Matthew O’Brien’s Phenomenal Handbuilt Chairs
On Sunday at Flocking Swans Mercantile in the giant barn, I sat in the most comfortable chair I had ever felt. This one, with the Lum Farm sheepskin on it… Someone had suggested earlier that morning that I visit Matthew O’Brien’s furniture at the barn shindig. I feel drawn to …
The Library Tea and Children’s Holiday Craft Fair
It was a busy weekend for the Library this past Saturday and Sunday!… Thank you, Library and Friends of the Library! You make this island even more magical!!!
Orcas Choral Society’s Midnight Light Performance with Orcas Dance Collective
The Choral Society always creates an event that ushers the island into the warmth and joy of the Christmas season. This time, Tiffany Loney choreographed dance to accompany the singing by Orcas Dance Collective. The first half of the program, called Midnight Mass for Christmas, was written by French Baroque …
The Happy Cat – Retail Items and Room Rentals for Meetings and Individual Workspace
Meet Gina and Ava, business partners who run the new Happy Cat in the Airport Center, 1286 Mt Baker Rd, Suite B108 (drive into the Airport Center, park at the far end as if you are headed to the runway, and The Happy Cat is the last space on the …
Leah Song and Duncan Wickel of Rising Appalachia at Victorian Valley Chapel
For years, I’ve told Alexa to play “Harmonize” and “Resilient” as I’ve sung along in my kitchen while preparing meals for our kids. Leah Song and Chloe Smith are the sisters of Rising Appalachia… A few weeks ago, Orcas Island had the pleasure of welcoming Leah Song and bandmate Duncan …
The Circle: A 5-Hour 1,000-Person Concert at St Mark’s Cathedral with Max Ribner and Friends
I ended up at this concert because I missed one of the last performances at the Imagine Festival here on Orcas Island that happened in September at Doe Bay. A friend and I got to chatting with a couple who had fascinating life stories while Max Ribner and friends were …
A KIXP Interview with Andy Rivera Today (Sunday) at 10 AM
Listen to 102.3 FM KIXP either on your radio or online at kixp.org and press the play button at 10 AM today to hear Andy Rivera – Camino de Santiago Pilgrim, Polyglot, Orcas Christian High School Teacher (English, Literature, History, Guitar, Drama, Government, and Economics), Guitarist, Choral Society Singer, World Traveler, and the …
Magician Henry ‘Oz: December 28th at 4 PM at the Odd Fellows Hall
Following Henry ‘Oz‘s successful debut at Sea View Theatre in November, which drew 135 guests and received a standing ovation (4.95/5 stars from 21 reviews), this upcoming family-friendly show features audience interaction, comedy, mystery games, and carefully selected illusions. Click here to get tickets. I just got mine!
Ava Berge’s New Happy Cat Business: Holiday Open House Today, 4-6 PM
Come on down to the Airport Center today from 4-6 PM at 1286 Mt Baker Rd, Suite B108! Ava Berge and her business partner Gina Minoia will be there to welcome you to their new creative space that doubles as a shared workspace and a retail business with local, eclectic …
