Twenty years ago to this day – March 16th – marks the first time Kelly Carpenter stepped foot on Orcas Island. She has never had to write the date down in order to remember it. Raised on a small farm in rural Minnesota, Kelly’s aspirations after graduating from college with …
Masks are coming off, the sun is beginning to come out more, the geese are honking, the birds are chirping, and while it’s still cold outside, the air carries a louder buzz than ever of spring’s renewal and joy in it. Warmth and hope are on the horizon in a …
If you haven’t already met her, Beverly Franklet is a stunning go-getter. Not in a hyper, can’t-sit-still kind of way but in a calm, adventurous, live-life-to-its-fullest sense. Do you remember several years ago when Michell Marshall decided to put up a white board at the back of The Office Cupboard …
Many months ago, we planned a February trip to Fiji, not knowing if it would all work out in COVID times, but spending endless hours on location planning and COVID testing research (they have stringent rules). After two years of isolation and pandemic weirdness, and knowing we (I, especially) might …
I love emotion. I love happy. I love love. When you’re in a community of Christians, you sometimes hear that someone “heard” God speak to them. You often hear people say they “love” the Lord. And it’s common for people to talk of their “relationship” with God. I’m here to …
We’ve come to the time of year when I start thinking, ‘What are we doing here?’ The place is a ghost town except for the market, and the lack of sun has become this palpable frustration that Vitamin D capsules just don’t fix, at least for me. Born in Texas, …
There was a tragic accident here a few weeks ago. I’ve been thinking about the person whose life completely changed after the moment of impact. Seeing as I’m not a family member, a close friend, a news reporter, or even an acquaintance, I don’t feel right about saying more about …
Even after living on Orcas Island for almost a decade, I’m still not accustomed to one very all-encompassing aspect of life here… Constant rain naturally drives people indoors. Especially kids. This isn’t coming from someone who is easily discouraged by dreary weather. I walk every day, rain or rain (shine’s …
It has been an unusually snowy and sunny few days here, the white blanket holding longer than usual in the tolerable dry briskness, as all of the moisture is frozen. We’ve had temperatures as low as -2 degrees due to windchill during the past week but last night we shot …
Here is a little montage of the scenes we’ve seen over the past few days…
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
This is their return to the island this morning after winning the state championship last night…
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
The hairpin left turn immediately after Doe Bay Resort!
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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; …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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; …
I love Joanie’s sculptures. (And this is what she oversees…)
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 …
Love in front of Roots…
Just your ordinary, typical scenery here on the island.
(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 …
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, …
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 …
Another giant cobbler in the works. I’ll miss this when pear season ends.
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 …
Too many to collect! If I eat any more cobbler I’ll be waddling!
Today was one of those crisp, clear, perfect days – the type of weather that you wish would hold for the next five months.
(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 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 …
This would be my new favorite place if it was within walking distance from my house.
(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 …
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!
(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 …
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 …
The lagoon…
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 …
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 …
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 …
(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 …
Morning at Rosario…
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 …
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 …
Enjoy them before they’re gone…
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 …
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 …
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 …
Gotta love our seasonal fruit growing on the side of the road!
This just makes you feel good.
What a morning at Rosario…
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
Salvadorian street food in the Ray’s Pharmacy parking lot. Four beef tacos for $10. They also sell pupusas, burritos, quesdadillas, etc.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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. …
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 …
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 …
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. …
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 …
Summer at the lake is the best. It’s free all-day fun, and there’s a perfect spot for everyone.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Pass it on!
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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…
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, …
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…
Two of my favorite things…
Come along with me for a beautiful, tranquil ride on the ferry home after a day away in “America”…
No flashy entertainment needed around here. Just evening walks through town, soaking in all of the floral drama draping down and bursting out…
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 …
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 …
A girl and her grandfather fishing at the lake. Ahh, the good life.
I can’t stop taking pictures of the hope incarnate hanging off branches and blossoming above and below me.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
“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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
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 …
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 …
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, …
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.
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
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 …
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. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
After watching Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen throw back a couple shots in a near-empty Times Square with constant references to Planet Fitness, then some guy named Pitbull rap around with four girls in red spandex tonight, I got to thinking, ‘Wow, this is the weirdest end to the weirdest …
What does your living room communicate about how you live? Now that home isn’t just the place we all come back to – it’s the place a lot of us spend our days during these COVID times – the supposed living room in our house is completely functionless for my …
On the windiest, stormiest days, I seem to look out of our kitchen window at just the right moment to catch sight of a tiny human form out in the Sound, barreling toward shore on a stand-up paddleboard at a pace that’s normally unheard of. Adrenaline shoots through me – …
Not ready for Christmas to end? It doesn’t have to! We just found out about a series called The Chosen, and it’s one of the best portrayals we’ve seen of Jesus’ life. It’s not stiff and rigid. It’s not corny and cheesy. It’s not heavy and dour. It’s totally human. …
Needing that warm, loving feeling of Christmas Eve Service during these house-bound pandemic times? Here is Orcas Island Community Church’s service, which will bring songs, joy, and warmth into your home…
Metaphorically, we’re getting a taste of that verse here on the island! And at just the perfect time for Christmas! The sun has been beaming and glinting and adorning and gilding, all yesterday and all day today. What a treat in a season when darkness normally reigns supreme. I made …
There may be no gathering with relatives this year; no warm, lively Christmas concerts to attend; no holiday teas or parties. But that won’t stop us from the fun! So what is there to do with the same few family members you’ve been with in the same house since March? …
All-day rain was Monday’s forecast. It was a very dark morning, almost like permanent dusk. A perfect family movie day, if there ever was one. But something began to happen outside our window. We watched as the rain slowly morphed into heavier-looking lumps, then ice, then full-on thick snow. We …
I already respected people who had to move their jobs from the classroom, the business, or the church to the makeshift video production room – the hallway, the bathroom, the basement. We looked on as our kids’ teachers scrambled – seemingly seamlessly on our end – to create online math …
This is one of the quietest, most enchanting hikes when the elements all line up. I sometimes see a few other people, sometimes no one. It’s unrelentingly uphill, which is great for wintertime conditioning, but the other draw is its beauty – the thick moss, the dense fog that settles …
COVID times have meant watching a lot more shows and movies than we ever did in the past. Our two latest series have inspired our younger son to create miniature replicas. We were excited each Friday to watch The Mandalorian, and we grew quite attached to The Child (baby Yoda). …
If you haven’t seen them yet, you’ll have to look at the winning gingerbread houses displayed at Island Market. They are downright incredible. The Funhouse had a competition for all ages on Orcas Island, and the results are stunning – you’d think the winners are from a national competition. It …
Hunger no longer. Yesterday I experienced the gift of watching the Orcas Christian School music class practicing their Christmas songs, led by their wonderful teacher Mr. Rivera. There are no performances this year, of course, but I’m thankful for the boon of video recording so that I can pass these …
This one is really weird for me. I’m actually having thoughts of living in a city. Never in my life has this happened before. Well, actually, in college I used to get in “Malibu Moods,” as I called them, and beg one of my eight suitemates to drive us all …
During normal times, depending on the person I’m hanging out with, I’m anywhere from a fair listener to a very good listener. (The more you talk, the more I listen; the more you listen, the more I talk.) But dang, do I get on a roll talking when I haven’t …
This is about as real as it gets. Here’s how it goes on Orcas Island, thanks to the Lum Farm, formerly Coffelt Farm. (Go soon! No more trees are available after these are gone due to fires and other stops in the supply chain.)
Funny things subtly shift inside you during a pandemic. Putting all heaviness aside, I thought I’d share with you some of my little quirky changes. I never buy wrapping paper. I can’t stand waste, especially one-time-use waste if I can avoid it. My kids have grown up unwrapping birthday and …
My son and his good friend know they can’t come in to play, so they make the most of their playdates outside, even when the weather is cold or drizzly. The other day a little buddy joined them for lunch, just long enough for a brief conversation and a quick …
These are the months when we islanders assume a blanket of gray may cover the land for quite some time. But the last two days have been dazzlers. You folks out there who see the sun every day don’t realize the giddiness that comes with sunshine when you don’t get …
Someone reached out to us a few weeks ago, wondering what kinds of science kits we’ve done with our kids and which we would highly recommend. Our older son was always hungry for more and more science – building, electrifying, wiring, soldering – whatever he could find out there, he …
Had I not put everything aside to enjoy the kids’ week-long break from school, this is what I would have shared with you several days ago. Better late than never… I caught the last moments of a DJ on the radio saying something like, “…and remember that a lot of …
If you’re not a Hebrew scholar, this says “Shabbat shalom,” or Sabbath peace. All of my young life, Sundays weren’t synonymous with peace, per se. More like pure tedium. A test of patience. Endurance was required to go to church and get through the dullness until I had my own …
I love to know all of the quiet little wonders people are working on when the weather turns dark and the elements force us inside. Especially during these pandemic times when we can’t do much with other people. This is Gordon Koenig. He’s our ukulele instructor. If you live here, …
We’ve never watched so much TV in our family life until now. I’m always big on habits – developing good ones and steering clear of bad ones. Well, we may be in deep now, as it seems we watch a movie almost every day. It’s one of the only ways …
Island life is now chilly, rainy, and windy. Digging in the garden all day and paddle boarding in the warm sunshine no longer happen. I read that orca whales were recently spotted in the area right outside our living room window where I used to paddle. Were it still summer, …
A Belated Story for Veteran’s Day… My dad grew up in a poor Norwegian family in the 1930s in Janesville, Wisconsin. The only Christmas present he ever remembered getting was a pair of shoes. His father worked as an electrician, often taking his lunch break standing atop a telephone pole. …
Saturday, November 7, 2020: Joe Biden elected 46th President of the United States. I took deep, nourishing breaths of relief all day long. We just witnessed a most unusual, stunning sunset – brilliant oranges reflected off of clouds and colored everything on the ground and sea in a way I’ve …
One thing I love about Orcas Island is that we are a mish-mash of all kinds of people. It is one of our strengths. Living here, you hang out with people of all walks of life, all opinions, all faiths, and all kinds of experiences. There is definitely not any …
Our first community event since March was such a nice thing! My 10-year-old had to remind me to really be with him, as my excitement was almost pure adrenaline, talking to people and walking around near groups of other humans! As always, Orcas Islanders didn’t disappoint. Here’s a little visual …
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 …
Last Saturday, we spent the day out working on our property. I let the dog out to wander around and get some fresh air, and I took my eyes and mind off of her for a good half-hour. Remembering, I quickly asked the kids if they’d seen her. The worst …
Our last lake day was September 6th, twenty days ago. Then came the smoke. Then the fog. Then the wind. Then the rain. The gifts of introversion and introspection have begun, abruptly and a little early this year. Today was a morning of fall cleaning. Of putting some sparkle into …
Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. Japanese proverb Boy, have I been humbled by gardening. Really humbled. No amount of hard work will make a garden grow if you don’t know what you’re doing. You might be lucky for a time or have all …
Bob and Lark have been together for 23 years, since she was born. You’ve probably passed Lark a hundred times when you’ve been heading to the ferry and she’s been out grazing. Lark was a descendent of champion horses… But more importantly, she was a kind, gentle horse. A beautiful …
If there’s anything in full swing, it’s the local slug life! There’s some full-on mollusk traffic abounding on the wet sidewalks, and you know you love nature when you’re contorting yourself to get just the right angle for a slug mug. Tread gently out there; these tiny little guys – …
The smoke’s particulates have somehow encouraged fog to lock in on the land. We can see hints of blue sky straight above us, and light is being cast on our living room floor at home, but the scene outside remains gray-white. I tend to go ever-inward with life’s difficulties. Not …
We islanders can be grateful that fires aren’t plaguing us. Though four days of white skies from smoke makes for a pretty empty feeling inside, we certainly can’t complain, considering that people in California, Oregon, and Washington are losing their homes right and left and it looks like midnight during …
I’m going through old photos to catch up on annual family photo books and came across some pictures of Nest. When COVID hit, Cindy Morgan, the owner, had to make the tough decision to close her doors. She never rested, was a master at arranging everything from flowers to open …
This morning may have been gloomy, but this past week was stunning. The air has been beautiful, if you can call air beautiful. I don’t know that there’s a word in the English language that encapsulates all of the wonder in such perfect, pre-fall air. Thursday was particularly exceptional. In …
Here’s a look back at a sight we hadn’t ever seen until COVID happened. I put off an MRI in March, but decided it was pretty essential after a few months (everything turned out okay). So in May, I found myself on a near-empty ferry to the mainland. At the …
I’m a gleaner by nature. I love finding food in trees and on bushes. When blackberry season is in full swing, I’m there. I even wear a certain jacket rife with tears and holes thanks to annual thorny August picking. Blackberries go in cereal, in salads, in cobbler, in pie, …
These are definitely interesting times. Some kids and teachers are doing school from home all year. Some kids and teachers are at school – masked, sanitized, and distanced. Some people are self-quarantining. Some are having parties. Some people are dutifully masked. Some are covering their faces yet asserting their opinion …
Vegetable gardening on our property has made me feel like a failure over the years. The soil is terrible, the warmest spot gets only two hours of full sun, and despite all of my hopes and efforts, oregano and sage are some of the only plants that grow robustly. So …
One of our primary motivations for moving to Orcas Island was the peace, the tranquility, watching the sun set and the moon rise in the quiet of the evening. As tourists before moving here, we spent every night sitting in chairs, watching the colors of the sky change over the …
With five days left of summer before school begins, we’re enjoying every last ray of sunshine, every last chance to swim in the lake, some tent “camping” with our pets in the front yard and the living room (the black tent is for our shedding cat), some all-morning book reading, …
The Enchanted Food Forest at Orcas Christian School is producing some beautiful edibles that are available for free to the community on Sundays. To register for a time slot this Sunday, click here. We went this past Sunday and enjoyed clipping purple peas, massive collard green leaves, deep purple kale, …
Summer was on and off until about July 6th. Some days at the lake, I was wrapped in blankets under gentle rain until the swimming kids got so cold that their tremors sent us home. Thankfully over the past several weeks, the sun has been strong and the fun has …
One of the prettiest views on the island is the view from the top of Turtleback Mountain trail, starting from the south end. If you want a place for your ashes to be scattered, it’s quite the contender. Here’s a look at the views up there on a sunny day…
The following is a lament, not meant to bring you down, only meant to express what I am feeling right now. I miss you, family. I miss you, friends. I miss you, church. I miss you, teachers. I miss you, store owners. I miss you, Orcas folks. I miss you, …
Here are some views of Orcas Island from the sky. Thanks to an app that accompanied his drone, our son is learning regulations and flight paths, requesting FAA permissions, and taking advantage of summer’s long daylight hours to capture the island’s beauty from above. (He has no desire to invade …
It feels really weird to pull out my iPod and take photos during church, but I did it for just a few moments this past Sunday during our first service outside of our homes since the start of COVID. It was so nice to be out and around each other, …
Every now and then, we’ll get a proliferation of orange-colored something or other in the ocean. It can start on just the edges of shore and by the next day you’ll see massive areas of it around Fishing Bay right off Eastsound, as though an accidental spillage of sludge from …
This summer has been a more gloomy one than I can remember. Usually by a certain point, the sun is beaming strong all summer long. I’ve spent about four lake days huddled under a blanket or towel with a book, rather than swimming across to the other side and jumping …
One of the best ways to make the most of an ultra-low daytime tide is walking out to Indian Island, right off Eastsound. Normally surrounded by water, it becomes accessible via a “tombolo” – a raised trail that is uncovered by ebbing water. The scientists who run Kwiaht, a conservation …
On a walk today, I didn’t make it past town. The sun was shining after a lot of gray-white days, and all of the little peaceful spaces and benches and cozies just gleamed and stood out. I simply had to capture them. Steve Templin, this one’s for you – a …
I realized tonight that 4th of July is one of my favorite days of the whole year. I was already pretty sure of it all of the other years, but tonight sealed the deal. Not getting to celebrate it with gobs of people, cheery festivity, happy crowds off work and …
You and I may not agree about masks. You may believe it’s ridiculous to wear them. I believe it’s about the easiest way to stop airborne germ transmission from me to you, or you to me. Nevertheless, we need to agree to disagree by respecting each other’s space. When you …
There are myriad opportunities to encounter wildlife here on Orcas Island. Yesterday while my husband was out in the forest pulling out ivy, he came upon a baby Western Tanager on the ground. Its parents up in the trees were responding to its calls, so he put it in a …
I’ve walked past this building and its twin for the past eight years and fantasized about their potential. They’re sitting on one of the most enviable locations on the island – at the beginning of town, overlooking the Sound through a line of trees facing Indian Island. In all of …
Our family volunteered to do the “kids’ minute” for this week’s online church service… And here are the bloopers!… Here’s the whole service…
Orcas Island was militantly careful with sanitizing, not touching, not traveling, and not communing for three months, and that was when it was just us islanders here. Now that phases dictate our activities and restrictions have mellowed drastically, tourists from all over the place are coming in thicker by the …
Last night I went for a long walk and happened upon Colleen Stewart, the gardener in charge of all of the wonder in the public school garden. Except for people I passed at Buck Park, she was one of the only other humans I came across. She didn’t know she …
Be careful what you wish for. Years ago, I wished to be stranded on an island someday. I was thinking tropical, but this is pretty darn good. I’m well-fed, clothed, warm, dry, and loved. That’s a pretty big step up from what I imagined. God has a sense of humor …
Life is heavy right now – the virus, the protests, the lack of personal contact and community, cancelled family reunions, empty streets, empty calendars, even the constant rain in June – one of our coveted summer months to hope for sun. We’re all experiencing lack in some way. We lack …
I miss humans so much. I miss community activities. I miss crowds. There is a definite hole that can’t be filled with exercise, cookie dough, Zooming with others, or conversing with the same three people in my house (no offense, family). We humans just plain need a lot of other …
The video production for Orcas Island High School’s graduating seniors is outstanding. Take that, COVID! Watch it… What sweet graduates! It was a joy to celebrate them on the streets today – celebrating is something we haven’t gotten to do for months, and they deserved it…
I hadn’t planned on writing about race. I was simply listening and learning from the voices coming out of the George Floyd tragedy. Then it occurred to me that my life experience may actually help the dialogue in some way… My grandmother never told my mom what her heritage was. …
It strikes me pretty hard every time I’m out on a walk that I don’t see many – or sometimes any – kids out playing. Streets are empty, traffic is absent, tourism is almost nonexistent, and spring is in full swing. It’s a kid’s dream out there, or at least …
Thanks to COVID’s stay-at-home mandate, I’m now a paddleboarder seeing striking beauty reflected back at me or quivering beneath me unexpectedly. I spend hours out on the water, listening to fantastic audiobooks that my husband uploads for me on my iPod and sweet-talking seals, geese, and otters. I hope that …
Life continues, as still as it may feel. And yet it’s so not still in new ways. Normalcy came to a physical and social halt, but humanity didn’t. There are some new uncomfortable normals, at least for now. As we choose to smile, choose to laugh, and choose to see …
Here are just a few messages that speak to you as you walk around Eastsound – reminders of community, humanity, strength, touch, love, and connecting with each other. Oh, how we could all use a community potluck, a soulful hoedown, a gigantic song circle, a country barn dance, or just …
Every anniversary, we go to Mijitas for dinner. It’s our favorite place on the island and eating out is a rarity for us, so we thoroughly enjoy it when we go. We even get the same dishes every time (I get the quinoa cakes and he gets the fish tacos). …
My favorite color has always been this radiant spring green we are treated to in May, and I just can’t take enough photos of it. If you live here, you will know every curve of this as Crescent Beach Trail, plus a few on my way home…
When we were tourists, we used to rent a surprisingly affordable vacation house right on the water, just a few doors down from Lieber Haven. Two weeks there each summer and we were ready to drop everything and move to Orcas. After seven years of touristing, we did. We thought …
After six months of down jackets, I yearn for the day that sunny weather is here to stay. This was our first full week of straight sun, uninhibited by blocks of cold cloudiness. Last week, on an eerie, rainy, Saturday walk, my husband was one of the only people I …
I used to have a “rejection file” in high school and college, as I called it. It was all the letters I had gotten in response to opportunities I tried for. I tried for everything that came my way – contests, jobs, internships, essay competitions, design solicitations, etc. I’ve always …
After four years of high school sports every single season, I decided not to be on the softball team my senior year. I was free after school for the first time in my life since 7th grade. I had been an average athlete, and my varsity status could only be …
Need a little infusion of ever-changing Orcas beauty?…
It’s ever-so-quiet in these Orcas COVID times. But the circle of life continues on all around us… The rock circle was already there – credit goes to the unknown artist.
In a quest to get fitter from home, I recently searched for a YouTube channel that had workouts I would like doing all the time. Found! I love it. The channel is called MadFit and I thought I’d pass it on to you. There are workouts of all lengths – …
Yesterday we needed to burn some serious energy, and Crescent Beach was hot and sparkling, calling to me. The tide was in, there wasn’t a breath of wind, and we planned to revel in the water despite the frigid temperature. We packed the car with rafts, boogie boards, towels, and …
Breaks from school are usually our kids’ most productive times. They love to invent, create, mechanize, electrify, etc. Now that all of schooling is at home, they get done with school and move into the laundry room, also known as TMI (our home version of MIT – ‘Too Much Information’), …
I can’t believe how fortunate we islanders are. See you out there!
This is so funny…
A pandemic circling the globe gets you thinking on all kinds of levels – serious, introspective, and downright silly. We here on Orcas Island have the incredible luxury of not yet being very affected by it physically, and we also have gobs of space and natural beauty to wallow in …
My husband used to draw the cartoons for his college newspaper (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo). With this abundant time at home to be creative, these are his latest drawings… Cartoons by Michael Kulper
Jake Perrine, the Artistic Director at Orcas Center, wrote a great letter for the Islands Sounder. As everything came to an abrupt end with the Coronavirus staying-at-home, so did all of the myriad artistic endeavors on the island and beyond. Jake encapsulates all of it here… Hello community! What an …
It’s deafeningly quiet here, and when you walk or drive into town all of the parking spots and lots are empty. Almost every store has a sign posted on the door. A few places are still open – Island Market, The Co-op (call in and pick up orders), Ray’s Pharmacy, …
The other day, the boys and I got our first take-out since the virus outbreak. It will be our only take-out during this time. I’ve felt convicted ever since then not to do it again until the coast is completely clear. The person who made our food did one glaringly …
Those of us whose communities aren’t yet as affected as others can and do remain hopeful. I aim to stay that way, but I also have to pass this article on to you, written by an ICU doctor and published in the New York Times. It is so chilling, and …
This is Orcas Island when it sparkles and dazzles in the sunshine. It was taken the other day by our older son on our favorite low-tide, rock-hopping jaunt and edited by him in Adobe Premiere. In these stay-at-home days, it’s great to experiment with programs that have free trials. Since …
Holing up translates into doing a lot of things we either didn’t do or didn’t have time for before the Coronavirus stay-at-home mandate. Spending more time at home together, I’m enjoying watching or partaking in some of the art projects my son’s teacher has been assigning. Like the ‘henna hand’ …
April Fools Day here began with snow falling. What???? We couldn’t believe what we were seeing. It didn’t stick and the air coming in our bedroom windows still felt light and spring-y. It was very odd. By this afternoon, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The dazzling sunshine and …
Go here: https://orcaschurch.org/
May 5th was the last time my little evening women’s bible study group of five met to eat dinner together and talk about our study. We didn’t hug or touch that night, and there was concern in the air. At the time, I didn’t know all that much about the …
What the Coronavirus is doing to communities around the world reminds me of a short story I read in high school called “The Lottery,” written by Shirley Jackson and published in The New Yorker in its June 26, 1948 issue. Here it is. Daunting… The morning of June 27th was …
In the midst of abrupt social change, nature continues on…
Done. Shwoo. Long hours of learning in a drastically narrower, quieter, less dynamic environment – home. No friends, no playdates, no sports, no basketball games at recess, some Zoom. And cookie dough. For me. We made it to the weekend – ahhh….a break. Good job everyone – kids working relentlessly, …
If you’re willing, I’d like to hear how the Coronavirus, quarantining, or the stay-at-home mandates across the world have directly affected your life. Record yourself telling your story, upload it to YouTube, and email the link to me at edeekulper@gmail.com and I’ll post it here on this blog. It would …
Edee, For the years to come, while you’re yearning for spring to spring, before you even feel an inkling to go out in the cold dreary garden, PLANT SEEDS INSIDE on March 1st. Because every year, the minute the clouds go away and the sun finally comes out, you realize …
Wondering how to define “shelter in place” literally? Driftwood shelter assemblers on Crescent Beach If someone had told me a year ago that in March of 2020 we would be keeping ourselves safe from a huge calamity by either staying at home with our families to cuddle, watch movies, bake, …
This is our second Sunday service being livestreamed and it will be mostly in the hands of our youth group and youth pastor, Jon Hane. I look forward to it, and good job in advance to the kids! Go here. There will also be a virtual coffee hour afterward via …
It is confirmed – an Orcas Islander has the first documented case of the Coronavirus in the San Juan Islands as of yesterday. It’s probably safe to say that it’s been here for some time undocumented, given that we haven’t had much testing and locals are going to and from …
Local islander Diane Morris gets to have some time again with her daughter, Britt Johnson, who recently moved back to Orcas with her husband Steve after traveling the globe for a year with another couple and capturing it all for the world to see. I’ve been enjoying watching her super-entertaining …
Judging by our stunning scenery finally bathed in beaming solar bliss this week, you’d never know there was anything haywire going on in the world… Photos Copyright © 2020 Edee Kulper
This is the end of Orcas Island’s first week of sun, self-quarantining, and school at home. And of course, the continuation of another s – a plummeting stock market. We walked to Orcas Christian School today to turn in work finished this week and pick up new assignments for next …
Whether you call it isolation, lockdown, shelter in place, social distancing, stay at home, or self-quarantining, I’m proud of and inspired by how people are living it out… “’Shelter in place.’…This morning, prompted by an amazing instant coffee drink Clara made for John and I, the girls and I did …
It was fun while it lasted – three practices and one game for Orcas Christian School’s flag football season. Then school at school was cancelled. It was our first-ever team game to watch one of our kids play in. His first team sport. I’m sad it came and went so …
My husband, a retired accounting professor, stays current on all financial news. After listening to this interview with investor Bill Ackman today, he played it for me. It’s probably the best solution I’ve heard, and it’s compelling. The whole interview is, if you have 13 minutes to listen to it… …
To the giver of my pet rock (you know who you are!), thank you for my new companion. It fits wonderfully in the palm of my hand as I walk along the road. Odyssey is its new name. When I was a kid, my favorite words were odyssey and crisp. …
A lot of things are shutting down at this point here. The library’s last day is today and several shops are dark and quiet. Schools are suspended for six weeks. Performances at Orcas Center are on hold until further notice. Island Market, Ray’s Pharmacy, Darvill’s, banks, the athletic club, and …
Now, whether in lockdown or voluntary quarantining, it’s a time to build strength not just in health. Strength in relationships. Bonding. Being together. Building up. Conversing. Calling relatives. Getting creative in the areas that always called to us. Drawing. Building. Reading. Mending. Writing. Inventing. Learning. Encouraging. Pulling inspiration from what …
What a strange time. Next week, schools here on Orcas Island will close their doors. All children are to stay home. Some parents both work and will now have latchkey kids. Some parents will have to choose which one will quit their job to homeschool. Some parents must work their …
Remember… Even though it’s getting windier and colder right now, adding to the doubly gray-blanketed spirits plagued by viral unknowns, spring is close. We may not know it other than seeing buds on branches and hearing geese honking on Indian Island. The rare day or moment of sunshine is almost …
I’m smitten with David Densmore’s painting style. It’s bursting with Orcas Island’s colors and tangible beauty, ever-striking with each new canvas’s subject. I haven’t seen many in real life, but every now and then I come across one of them when he’s been commissioned to paint a scene someone wants …
With things so heavy with the virus right now, this makes me laugh. I didn’t realize my husband was recording it. Ah, country life… Cover photo of kitty by Evan Kulper
I don’t own a cell phone; I could probably barely text to save my life. We don’t have cable. I have no idea what the shows are that people talk about watching and could be called despicably ignorant of daily news and current events. Heck, I barely even know how …
I just added a new page to this site called What I Do. Here is a fast link to it. I’m stepping back into wedding photography with the added bonus of our 14-year-old as my assistant. I stepped out of it 8 years ago to be an ever-present mother and …
Kids here have a midwinter break from school in February. Sometimes it happens to snow, but otherwise there’s not a whole lot to do on the island during that week off unless you enjoy family walks in drizzle or rain each day. We planned a trip back “home” to Santa …
February can be a mentally hard month here. By this point in the winter, it’s been gray and rainy for a long time, and sunshine is something our Orcas psyches pine for. I find that I’m least motivated in February to go out and walk, hike, or do anything in …
Several weeks ago we went “to America” for an orthodontist appointment and groceries. The kids and I stopped one final place and I lost my head and stayed about five minutes too long. “Oh my gosh, you guys!! I don’t know what I was thinking! We had plenty of time …
I woke up around midnight and couldn’t get back to sleep. The rain was pounding on the skylights and I couldn’t get my mind off of the fact that there are people who have been running in the 100-mile race ever since we watched them take off at 8 o’clock …
The number of people on little Orcas Island has temporarily increased by about 5% thanks to the 100-mile race that began this morning at 8 AM. Around 100 runners and about 200 “pit crew,” volunteers, and family members are here. Runners paid between $270 to $325 to enter and have …
Here is our third commercial in the series…
I’m frugal, frugal, frugal. Eight years ago, I knew Orcas Island was for us when I discovered there were three used clothing stores within a three-block radius. Torture for me is walking around a retail store, burdened by the idea of buying any item for more than $20. I wear …
This past weekend I drew up some simple storyboards and our son and I filmed three commercials, just for fun. For some reason this one took three day-long tries at uploading before it was finally successful. So here’s the second of the series. The irony being that I still don’t …
Time to come out of the woodwork… J.Lo – you’re beautiful, you can dance, you can sing, and you’re famous enough to do it all for the Super Bowl halftime show. But I don’t really get it. It’s all still a bunch of sex-sensationalizing Madonna mimicry, just 30 years later. …
This is what you see on a morning walk on Orcas Island. It equates to a lot of priceless thinking time…
Since our big snow, the rain has taken over. We’ve heard that the ground here is 100% saturated. You see streams where trails were, new creeks cutting through the forest, and water glossing out over the roads. Cascade Lake has overflowed into the parking lot and into the whole grassy …
The next time you have an extra half-hour or so while awaiting your ferry back to Orcas Island, check this place out! It’s an overlook right in Anacortes that is pretty darn stunning, and it takes no time at all to get to. Just drive down Commercial Ave in Anacortes …
Ever since our big snow, it’s been gray and rainy. You know what that means – lots of indoor creativity! Time for some good, down-home apple-pie-making!
What do you do with rainy Northwest winter days and a son who’s well-versed in all kinds of technology? Why, you make commercials, of course! Here’s our first of the series…
I’m far from Type A. Type Z, really. I love spontaneity, change, variety, surprise, and living a different life every day. I don’t make plans with my free time. I don’t live by structure or routine. I loathe sameness and prefer to see what life offers over what I demand …
I love when young people are given the opportunity to live out their passions. When I opened The Islands’ Sounder today and saw that Nikko Naugle, 9-year-old public elementary school student, is going to be a contributor to the paper, I was so thrilled. Thank you, editor Colleen, for helping …
Whenever we eat out, which is a rarity, we go to the same place every time – Mijitas. We even order the same things. Everything’s good, and we’ve found the dishes we love most. Coming from California, we were used to eating Mexican food all the time. Thank you, Raul, …
As weather reports predicted, we awakened to a wonderfully thick covering of snow this morning – perfect powder for sledding. Dreamy, really. It felt like today was a vacation somewhere else. Tired out from hiking the sledding hill, we walked into town for some après-sled mochas and cozy relaxation at …
I just can’t get enough of Eastsound blanketed in snow at night, paired with the night mode on my son’s iPhone. The images are sometimes ethereal, sometimes haunting, and sometimes nothing at all like what I see with my eyes. In general, everything I see is quite dark. Then night …
Water is always flowing here in the winter. In certain places, you’re only aware of it once it freezes. The high tide has given these a haircut… After taking these, my iPod shut off. It got too cold. Five minutes later, the most beautiful golden sunshine peeked through the clouds …
My husband, an avid triathlete, watches the weather like a hawk. He’s found that weather.com is accurate almost to the minute, and he always knows exactly when his windows are for running and biking. In the years we’ve been here, he’s never seen the “Wind Chill Warning” that was posted …
According to the weather report, snow will start again at 6 PM and continue all night tonight. There’s a good chance we’ll be waking up tomorrow to snow joy and sledding! The weather right now reminds me of a day years ago that my husband captured… For now, we’re milking …
Last night the snow began around 4:30. Five hours later, downtown Eastsound was blanketed in white. It was absolutely silent, except for fierce gusts of wind now and then that sent snow swirling in funnels. No one was around. I didn’t want to come home, as the fallen snow lit …
Yesterday. Today. Photos by Evan Kulper. I love this cartoon filter he has on his phone, and the way it makes nature photos look.
One of the planes you see flying above Orcas Island is this one… Inside it are a flight instructor and a student, from school age to adult, working to earn their pilot’s license. The plane belongs to the Airhawks Flying Club, a 501(c)(3) organization that exists with the intent to …
I’ve been wanting to post Brown Bear Baking for a long time now, but they’re so good at what they do, there’s usually a line out the door. For the sake of preserving people’s anonymity, I’ve been waiting for the perfect moment. Today is it! The wind and rain are …
We’ve had a lot of winters here on Orcas Island that are like gray blankets over the sky for two or three months straight with nonstop drizzle. This year, winter has been so wonderfully different. We haven’t had even a blanketed week. Sun has been in and out, which is …
At the same time I began this blog about Orcas Island, I wanted to start another one as well. I put it off, so as not to be overwhelmed. I’ve been sick in bed for the last several days, so it now exists… It’s called Navigating Christianity… and Finding God …
Orcas Island Community Church’s Christmas Eve candlelight service encapsulates all that Christmas is about. At the end of the service, we turn off all of the lights. One candle is brought forward and from that one, each person lights the next candle. It goes on until every person’s candle is …
Aeronautical Services sounds like some NASA-marine-spy agency that works pseudo-undercover in white vans. Actually, they are one or our package delivery services. Everything gets to Orcas Island by small plane (aero) or ferry (nautical), then is distributed by either the Post Office, FedEx, or Aeronautical Services. Thank you to all …
Between going to Christmas plays and concerts, and cozying at home with my family, it just doesn’t get much better than this. Orcas Christian School’s Christmas play… Crow Valley String Band’s dauntingly great performance at Orcas Center… And my favorite, the gift of home… The Christmas Eve candlelight service at …
I can’t believe it’s a few days from now! If you need some last Christmas gifts, there’s a pop-up shop where Sequel used to be, next to Ray’s Pharmacy. Painter and photographer Deb Jones, cardboard illustrator and beach trash artist Brook Meinhardt, and basket weaver Maria Bullock have their beauties …
Meet Jan Pliler. I just did in Darvill’s Bookstore. You may have met her over the course of your life here. She and her husband honeymooned here, they came here every year with their kids, her kids grew up paddling across Cascade Lake to what they call “Gummy Bear Bridge” …
I just love this. I gave each child in my youth group a ball of clay, a manger scene figurine to mimic if needed, and 20 minutes to sculpt. That’s a really short time to make art, but that’s what we had. The next week, I gave each child paintbrushes, …
Last year I homeschooled our boys in conjunction with the OASIS program, which meant our younger son was able to attend Mandy Randolph’s beautiful Farm-to-Classroom program, assisted by garden keeper Colleen Stewart. Wow. Mandy has endless creative hands-on ideas for the kids. I was so impressed. I wish our kids …
This is a post my cousin recently put on Facebook, worthy of being repeated here… “Makes me so sad to see adults on television and on Twitter and Facebook posting news articles and sources calling out and trying to discredit or demean a 16 year old girl who was selected …
I had no idea Martha Farish painted all of those beautiful pieces I pass all the time at Outlook Inn; I had no idea she painted at all! Nor had I heard of The Huntress Guild! Those are just a few things I’ve gleaned from the website about this new …
Thank you, Michele Rodriguez! You have made my recent Saturday afternoons a blast! I’ll always be a kid at heart, and I’m sure loving roller skating at the new old gym! What a blast to spend THREE HOURS skating with my kids! Michele says that a prerequisite of the rebuilding …
After a hungry hike up Turtleback and down, we arrived at the Lum Farm on Coffelt’s Farm Preserve borderline hangry, trying to fit too many things into the day without enough meal planning. Had we filled our tummies adequately, we would’ve loved to enjoy the wintry farm feeling, the lovely …
I’m a daily walker. I like to cover a good distance and take it all in. But our dog is quirky. She doesn’t like to walk in certain places. She stops. It’s gotten to the point that I have to carry her for half of my walk until she goes …
The night before I went into labor with our firstborn, I asked my husband a really embarrassing question… “Will you give me an enema?” You see, our baby was several days past due and kept growing by leaps and bounds in utero. The skin of my stomach was beyond taut …
Eastsound is a tiny little town. Here’s a quick time-lapse my son took while skateboarding to his church youth group this morning. This will give you a swift idea of how the place is laid out if you’ve never been here before…
This family makes music that will stun you. We just got our tickets for their December 20th performance at Orcas Center, and we rarely miss them when they play. Between Crow Valley String Band (the family) and Brograss (their teenage sons), you can’t believe their talent. We’ve been watching them …
The Annual Children’s Christmas Market was a beautiful thing. Almost 60 kids participated, and their creations and displays were beyond impressive. It was a lucrative day, too, for many. Here’s a photo tour of some of the carefully crafted items for sale… I do my best to avoid showing children’s …
Now that the Christmas season is upon us, make sure you stop in the library this Saturday (November 30th) between 11:00 and 2:00. Local kids have been busy this month building up their stocks of creations to sell at the Annual Children’s Christmas Market. If you haven’t been before, it’s …
Our family’s Thanksgiving tradition since moving to Orcas Island is to luxuriate in a few days free of cooking and walk over to the Oddfellows Hall for their late afternoon Thanksgiving potluck feast (and come home to a clean kitchen!). Turkeys and potatoes are donated by local businesses and cooked …
Our tech-loving teenager saved the money he earned from working for Orcas Island Youth Conservation Corps this summer in order to buy a 3D printer. It just came three days ago and he is more than thrilled, as he’s been designing, printing, and painting a chromium atom for a school …
…at Troller Point Fisheries.” That’s what his wife, Daphne, wrote on Facebook. If you don’t live here, Troller Point Fisheries is a family fishing business, and a boat comes over to Orcas Island a couple times a year to sell their beautiful, conscientiously-caught fish from Alaska. A lot of us …
In my teens I used to wonder if people ever sat around reading the bible. I grew up in a Catholic family. We were taught to be loving and good, but we never opened a bible together, so I didn’t know if it was ever done. If people were actually …
You’re oh-so-familiar with the ferry landing if you live here. If you don’t, here’s a look at where you land when you reach Orcas Island, and where you depart from when you leave (unless you fly). My son was helping someone with their devices, so I walked around capturing the …
Except for an hour-ish walk by myself each day, my every moment since the birth of our first child has been filled. Until now. It’s been a wonderful thing, all these years. I’m all or nothing, so I was never interested in doing my own things when it meant I’d …
When I look out our windows at home, the colder November sights I see are always accompanied by the sounds of A Winter’s Solstice or Celtic Christmas by Windham Hill – a few series of CDs I’ve played since college. In my junior year, one of my roommates was playing …
At night, all is quiet in a way you can’t really comprehend unless you’ve been here. It’s so quiet you can stand out in the forest, look up at the stars twinkling through, and feel like you’re the only one in existence. Sometimes you feel like your normal speaking voice …
Clay Cafe is a pop-up ceramics-painting workshop in the public high school’s art room that happens twice a year in November and April. It is hosted by art teachers who are volunteering their time to raise money for the A-OK program. You go in, choose a blank bowl, plate, tea …
A walk around the neighborhood…
This is the last photo taken on the way home from the team’s final meet of this Cross Country season, crossing the Deception Pass Bridge after South Whidbey Island’s district championships. Sighhhhh…. What a nice team; it’s sad to see it already ending. Girls, we need some of you next …
I just love the morning fog and the sun’s rays that characterize the dawn skies in the interior part of our island. You’re almost always guaranteed some amazing sights if you venture inward between Fowler’s Pond and OrcaSong Farm.
The other day in the library, I was admiring a very professionally carved pumpkin that was sitting on the counter. “Who did this?” I asked. “She’s right over there,” pointed the librarian. The artist happened to be a few footsteps away. Her name is Laura Hanks and I asked her …
I love these photos taken on Halloween by Denise Thomasin! Great idea, girls!
Actually, the day began with pouring, blowing, sideways rain, unlike the usual pitter-patter of Orcas. In the middle of a morning walk, I ducked into Darvill’s Bookstore so as to avoid getting soaked, but realized I’d be camping out for quite some time. I accepted the idea of being drenched, …
I am “mainstream.” I don’t live in an off-the-grid yurt clad with solar panels. I don’t grow my own food. I live in a house, use my heater in the winter, and own a car. I learned these things from birth from my culture, which taught me to live easy, …
As my siblings and I were carrying our mom’s things to the U-Haul for her move to Texas, a big, beautiful buck walked up to her window and looked right at her as if to give her one last gift from this magical place. Deer are everywhere, but this doesn’t …
Some of our common sights…
I’m starting a new series of quasi-interviews in which I email questions to a local person I’d like to know more about. Here are Michael Armenia’s answers, in his own words… Edee: I see you around town and in the library a lot – what do you do and what …
Reminiscing about our children’s younger years has brought me to photos of our fall fun at Mimi and Steve Diepenbrock’s farm five years ago… Thank you so much for the memories, y’all!
As we all know here on the island, anything you want to do on the mainland will mean an all-day trip no matter what – a 45-minute dermatologist appointment, a 25-minute 5K run on the Cross Country team, a dive into Costco for needed supplies, a haircut, a movie, you …
Walk in nature for an hour or so with my husband, blend up a kale-banana-peanut-butter-date smoothie once home, set it in my bike basket along with my computer, bike down to the Co-op to buy a warm loaf of Endswell Bakehouse sesame or wheat and brown sugar and oats bread, …
There’s no place like Orcas Island in the fall. Here’s a glimpse of Salmonberry School’s celebration of it when our kids were five years younger. Oh so magical.
I’ve been looking at our family photos here in the islands from Octobers past. Here’s a glimpse of early fall…
One of the perks of homeschooling last year was seeking out dreamy opportunities. My son happened to notice the 3D printer at the Funhouse one day when he was at Running Club, so he asked if we could stop by sometime and ask if anyone was allowed to use it. …
It feels like eons since I’ve posted anything. My computer has gotten so elderly that it no longer allows me to access my blog. But as fall tends to bring, change is in the air, and the blog (or “blob,” as my mom thinks it’s called) has been set aside …
You’ve probably noticed a big change when you drive by Orcas Christian School on Enchanted Forest Road – the green, grassy field in front that used to be the play field is now a permaculture garden in the works, bursting with color and edibles. The brainchild and design of Alex …
Three years ago, I was trying to figure out some kind of short-term mission trip we could take as a family to help people. The point of it would be to find some talent our kids have that they can use to benefit other people. I mentioned to a friend …
My mom turned 85 in July and it’s probably the last birthday I will get to celebrate with her. She lived out her dream of moving to Orcas Island, and she will soon be moving to Texas to have closer proximity to health care and assisted living situations near three …
A Different Kind of List You Won’t See on My Resume… I have deep memories of how I felt for my first love at 13. I held my beloved dog on my lap as she slowly and convulsively died. I loved a guy with every cell of my being for …
I love that people come together at The Village Green in the middle of Eastsound for all kinds of very Orcas-y gatherings, from Saturday Farmers’ Markets and Sunday night music concerts all summer to open-air movie nights with lawn chairs and blankets. The Orcas Island Film Festival organized three such …
13-year-old’s entry fee: $5 corn dog, elephant ear, and cotton candy: $19 three rides on Gravitron: $15 vomiting at 2AM: priceless (…if you remember the MasterCard “priceless” commercials)
My mom moved here about six years ago, thanks to a rental literally hanging over the ocean. It’s the bottom floor of a beautiful home and the madrona trees hold it in place on its breathtaking precipice. My mom always said she wanted to live in the forest and look …
Kids on this island are so fortunate because the world comes to them. We were recently treated to a planetarium show in the public school cafeteria, thanks to our library and the Pacific Science Center. We entered this mobile, inflatable dome, which became the night sky complete with constellations and …
Exo has been gone for some time now, but I’ve finally taken the time to upload some videos of his Parkouring with Orcas folks. Enjoy…
This is Exo. Super nice guy. You may have seen him flipping off walls here and there around the island, followed by burgeoning parkour enthusiasts. What’s parkour? It is “the activity or sport of moving rapidly through an area, typically in an urban environment, negotiating obstacles by running, jumping, and …
Last week our local Community Church put on our annual Vacation Bible School. This year’s “Roar” African theme meant decorating all of the church’s rooms with appropriately patterned fabrics and rattans, sunset silhouettes of giraffes and rhinos, and colors galore. It was my role as a “safari guide” to accompany …
My mom and I were just reminiscing about my brother’s first visit to Orcas Island five years ago. She happened upon a tiny journal he kept while here and then left for her to have. It encapsulates all the unique and magical summery things every tourist and local revels in. …
I asked my husband, who used to be the cartoonist for his college paper (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo), if he’d draw something that was on my mind. Here it is… It’s too small to read, so I’ll break it up for you… Thank you, husband. Well done.
Devices and video games are so prevalent that some kids can’t imagine a day (or sadly an hour) without them. When we were traveling in the Cook Islands, we met a woman who works with addicts and some of her main clients now are parents of screen-addicted kids. Some of …
I’m proud of Island Market! They are now, as of today, charging 25 cents per paper bag. Hooray! Get sewing, ladies and gentlemen! All the bag money they do receive will go toward critical needs here on the island. Thank you, corporation, for making sensical change! Keep it up!
Cathy Ellis is a firecracker of a lady. You’ve seen her biking all over the place, living life like a 20-year-old. You’ve probably signed petitions she’s shown you on the ferry in order to protect the Orcas. Perhaps you went to her talk a few years ago about her volunteering …
Do we really get to live here? Taken at 9:21 tonight on Turtleback Mountain. Thank you, Jude Nash, for permission to post this. Dreamy, fairytale, heavenly, speechless.
I love when I am given complete freedom to create. I also love hearing the stories of missionaries; they are celebrities in my mind (along with doctors, teachers, etc.). The missions group at our church lets me design the mission board, and I have such a ball doing it. The …
We don’t have a human mayor here on Orcas Island. It can be a dog, a cat, a whale, a donkey, just about anything. Our current mayor is Tinker, a rabbit. (Lucky us, he’s our neighbor.) Soon, we islanders will choose a new honorary mayor by voting with our dollars, …
Dear Children of the World, Be encouraged by our president. He is proof that you can do anything in the world that you want to do, regardless of how you choose to live. His life was not lived morally, and he now stands for truth and justice. His ego was …
It’s now over, but thanks to Susan Slapin’s colorful photos, we can relive our locally-made Cirque-US a little bit longer…
I love that on Orcas Island, you can pick just about any stunning place to go on a beautiful day and you’ll be some of the only people there. Our younger one decided he wanted a birthday party in the woods. We planned plant-potting, woodsy-house-building, bouquet-making, scavenger hunting, and edible-plant …
I’ve been trained by my culture to be mindless. I’m retraining myself. Will you join me?… STORE BAGS About 10 or 12 years ago, I started bringing my own bags to the store. At first, I’d forget them in my trunk, wander the aisles, and remember to go back to …
It’s an all-day affair for an Orcas Islander to simply go to a doctor’s appointment on the mainland. Ferry line at 6:15, arrive in Anacortes at 8:15, drive to Burlington, Bellingham, or Seattle, then barely make it into Safeway before getting back in the ferry line for the voyage home. …
WOW. I went to Cirque-US the other night at Orcas Center. Talk about DYNAMIC! Probably the best show I’ve ever seen here on Orcas Island. It was NONSTOP, BIG entertainment – WILD costumes, FABULOUS makeup, COOL freakiness, IMPRESSIVE choreography, and people stepping out of their comfort zones to do AMAZING …
There are a lot of sources of goodies here on the island – a lot – but one thing we lack is a little, affordable bakery with good muffins, cookies, and donuts. People often open businesses here that you just know will go under within months. Tragically, we watch it …
Bread was seen as evil in my house growing up. We never seemed to eat it much. I think it was thought only to bloat and plumpify. That’s fine, I guess. Most of it’s crap – white, bleached, dead stuff. Unless I’m eating warm garlic rolls at an Italian restaurant, …
Every now and then when the weather is gorgeous, we opt to catch the 15-minute ferry to Shaw Island for the day. We walk on, get the kids an ice cream cone at the little General Store, and then we spend the afternoon walking a few miles to the sandy …
Most people experience it when their children are young, but today is the first day in almost 14 years that both of my children have gone to school all day. It’s Test Drive Day at the Christian School, so they’re getting a feel for what 3rd grade and 8th grade …
A few days ago, it was hot summer. Yesterday was chilly fall. Today was half and half. I’m sure the garden is a little mixed up. So am I. Either way, I’m loving spring and visiting Lorna’s nursery a little too often. Our garden under the forest canopy has made …
One life-changing hour…
Scenes of Orcas Island in this beautiful spring weather…
Yesterday I was running into the Island Market to get some dinner greens. In front of the store was a mouth-watering spread of goodies to raise money for 3rd-8th graders from Orcas Christian School for their end-of-the-year trip to Victoria. It’s a common thing here on the island to walk …
For years I’ve wanted to make a stunning costume out of junked materials for the Trashion Fashion Show here on the island. While I didn’t have time to devote to it this year, I nevertheless contacted the woman who makes it happen – Asifa Pasin. I thought that perhaps I …
Things are warming up here on Orcas Island. Not just the weather. Flyers and sandwich boards are proliferating with events and quintessentially Orcas kinds of things. I just love the talent shows here – Orcas Has Talent for adults, Whale of a Show for kids, and now this – the …
This past Sunday at 1:30 was the annual Spring ROAR at Camp Orkila. (ROAR stands for Rogue Obstacle Adventure Race.) It’s a really short, fun, family-friendly race that Orkila started hosting several years ago. Everyone has a blast doing it. You’ll probably recognize a lot of faces…
Yesterday Time for Three, a super dynamic and charismatic trio, performed for the Orcas Island Public School kids at Orcas Center. Double bassist Ranaan Meyer, violinist Nick Kendall, and violinist Charles Yang wowed us all with their combination of skill, improvisation, and easy humor while playing classical and modern mixes …
