Sun, 14 Mar 2010 Today there was a break in the rain we've been having and my family took advantage of the nicer weather to check out the newly opened trail at Steigerwald National Wildlife Refuge about 10 miles east of Vancouver, Washington. There were little signs of spring everywhere, like these pussy willows: There were some gloomy looking clouds, but also some sun breaks, which made for beautiful cloud patterns in the sky and reflecting in the water: Also flying over the water was my first year bird of the day, a tree swallow (109)! Actually, while I was expecting to just see one or two, there were several dozen swallows about the refuge. We also spotted the single mute swan that has been hanging out at the refuge. I'm very tempted to count it on the year list, but since it is undoubtedly an escapee I've decided against it. Besides, I know Dave would give me too much flak! I made up for it on the rest of the hike around the refuge by spotting a hairy woodpecker (110), and my dad also found a very well camouflaged American bittern (111). We had heard it was in the area, but it still amazes me how much they can look like a clump of grass. All in all, we saw 28 species on the refuge, including a small flock of yellow-rumped warblers: There were hundreds of canada and cackling geese around, but the other oddity was this single Canada goose perched more than fifty feet off the ground in this tree! It seemed to be eating buds off the limbs: After hiking the refuge trail, we continued east about another 30 miles on highway 14 to Drano Lake on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge. The goal was to locate the coveted tufted duck that has been reported there in the last week or two. Upon arriving at the boat ramp overlooking the lake we saw two common mergansers and....nothing else. We set up the scope and across the lake spotted two ring-necked ducks and a pair of horned grebes. Disappointing so far! Next we took the access road that goes around part of the lake and found some more birds hanging out towards the back end of the lake: more mergansers as well as bufflehead, common goldeneyes, and best of all, a pair of barrow's goldeneyes (112). Still, the large flock of scaup where the tufted duck was likely hanging out was no where to be seen. So it was time to pull back on the highway to head up to Hood River to grab a late lunch....but wait! As we headed down the highway alongside the lake I spotted some ducks close to the shoreline that we couldn't make out from the boat ramp. We slowed down, and in the closest group of ducks, visible right under the guard rail, was a beautiful male tufted duck (113)! By the time we pulled over properly the ducks had moved away from the shore so no pictures were possible, but we got a longer look to confirm what is not only the fifth bird to add to the year list today, but also a life bird for me!

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 the other day we heard this really load drumming sound coming from the barn. I figured it was a woodpecker of some sort but couldn't find it until I looked up and saw this flicker drumming on the metal roof. He had a found a place to make a really big noise.

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 My friend Kim awarded me with the Kreativ Blogger award! Thanks for a bright spot in the day Kim ! Now as part of the award I have to do seven things: (1)Post the image of the award (2)Thank the person who gave it to me (3)Link to the person who gave it to me (4)Tell you seven things about myself that you wouldn't know (5)Choose seven great bloggers to give this award to. (6)Give a link to their blogs (7)Leave them a message on their blog Seven things about me: 1. One of my hobbies used to sky diving 2. I used to run half marathons 3.I am descended from wonderful Irish families - with a hint of the Brit thrown into the mix! 4. I am a voracious reader and  love historical fiction, non-fiction history and art/craft books. I like     Richard III and think he has been more maligned than he really was. Did he really kill the     Princes in the Tower - children of Elizabeth Woodville and her king. 5. I love tea - especially herbals - and have one mug of coffee a day too. 6. I love wild birds and purring felines. 7. I am blessed to also have to have a loving husband and also the the love of a few, but supremely       special, friends - they all make my world go 'round. I am giving this award to the following Kreativ Bloggers: 1. Kathy 2. Sarah 3. Lisa 4. Julie 5. Sandra 6.  Robin 7. Stacy

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 Here are two more places we visited while camped on the cliff at Goosenecks. First, Monument Valley. The first day we went close to Monument Valley it was foggy and this is what we saw, so we went into town for propane and water. They charged us $6.00 to fill our water container. We forgot to tell them that our water container was 40 gallons. Then a couple of days later it was sunny and nice, so we went back and actually entered Monument Valley. Monument Valley is on the indian reservation. There is a new hotel, gift shop and restaurant there, with beautiful views of the valley. It's nice to be able to get pictures with blue sky and not rain and snow. If we remember right our plan was to stay in warm places, so what are we doing here? The road through Monument Valley is rough and not very comfortable, but we sure wouldn't suggest that that stop anyone. The views are spectacular. Catch the moon in this shot? (And this one is not photo-shopped!) Lots of the old western movies were shot in this park. John Wayne spent many a day riding through here. The shear rock walls are over 1000' tall but sorry you can't climb them in this park. We thought this would make a good natural amphitheatre on the right, just spend a few minutes clearing out some of the loose rocks. Every turn of the road brought into view another beautiful and scenic view for us to try and remember. Another day we drove up to Moki Dugway with Robbie and Alice. Here is the sign at the bottom of the road. Can you see where the road goes? We couldn't, and weren't sure we wanted to go! The road gained about 1000' of elevation in about 2 miles and was all dirt and mud. We went up it twice and down once. No we did not pull the rig up or down. And this is looking down on the grade from part-way up. Alice wanted to go from the top to the overlook, where we'd be 2000' up from the river, but unfortunately there was way too much snow and the road to the overlook was all mud and snow. Something for next time, I guess. Another view from above looking out over the Valley of the Gods. Pretty impressive scenery in this part of the country if you like BIG rocks, and we do. To be continued...

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 Good song samples, some of my faves.  Thanks for posting.  I'll be coming up from a little town called Seattle.  Looking forward to some rest, relaxation and now it looks like some rock & roll.  The ale house had a page on their website with an Irish ...

Sat, 13 Mar 2010

Sat, 13 Mar 2010

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 DailyCognition.com has the post: Icebergs in the Antarctic area sometimes have stripes, formed by layers of snow that react to different conditions. Blue stripes are often created when a crevice in the ice sheet fills up with meltwater and freezes so quickly that no bubbles form. When an iceberg falls into the sea, a layer of salty seawater [...]

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 Length 23′ on deck – 25.5′ overall Beam 8.6 Fuel:  65 gallons Dead rise: 18 deg Freeboard: 36″ Radios:  3 vhf (AIS capable) Radar:  Furuno Chartplotter:  Garmin Power:  Honda 225ph (Ed. note:  Yep – that’s me at the wheel.)

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 Question: Do I need a pump for a pond? I am using it to grow lotuses, but I also want to add a few goldfish to it to make it more interesting. Would I need to buy a pump for the fish, or would the plants provide the oxygen needed? Answer: You don't need a pump for your pond. If you add goldfish, you must add submerged vegetation for them to eat, but never feed them anything else or the water will get foul. The submerged vegetation (anacharis, hornwort, cabomba) will add enough O2 for the fish. Add a few mosquito fish to keep mosquitoes away. To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com And to meet a great community of gardeners, join us at   Gardeners  Gumbo

Sat, 13 Mar 2010

Sat, 13 Mar 2010 Okay, I'm back to my blog. I've been working at learning how to locate my pictures on this new computer. They are all there but finding them and then uploading them is a learning experience. So I managed to find this picture of James" helping" me wind a warp for a series of potholders. I've finished three batches of rag rugs and have a basket of scraps of leftover cotton flannel fabric. These make lovely potholders that sell well. Yes, in spite of the help, I got the warp wound and on the loom.

Sat, 13 Mar 2010

Sat, 13 Mar 2010

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 Salvage at Orcas Photo via Tom Tillman This 25′ Coronado went aground at the Orcas Ferry landing in a blow last night.  Towline Marine Assist (Capt. Deb Fritz) was on the job until 03:00 this morning.  The boat was pumped, stabilized, and towed to Friday Harbor where the owner will repair the hull.

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 Over the years countless numbers of people walked on the old timbers going alongside the market to the Limekilm Restaurant, just above the fuel docks at Roche Harbor.

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 Question: Does a cal pond pump make noise when on? We have a pond and bought a cal pump for the filtration of the pond and was wondering if we'd know that it was on. Does a cal brand pond pump make any noises, such as a running noise? Also, how do I work it? how to turn on, keep on, and how to get it working. Answer: Calpump makes one of the finest pond pumps. It makes no noise at all. You can feel it humming if you touch it, but that's it. To work it, drop it in the water, and plug it in. Hook it up to the hose you want it to pump water through before you put it in the water. I would use a prefilter to keep debris out of the impeller. To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com And to meet a great community of gardeners, join us at   Gardeners  Gumbo

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 You can find so many beach side in San Juan Island.You can tie your tent any were you want to. As you are thinking to lite a fire i think it would be better if you tie your tent near the forest side, by this you can easily get a fire wood. I have been ...

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 here again is lonely sunset and that familiar emptiness growing even as the light itself diminishes, like touching hands through a screen door knowing that departure comes next even while wondering why how I feel each time you slip from the passenger seat into the cool arms of the night, cold metal and glass suddenly a wall between me and you and your brisk steps away from me, the last look over your shoulder before you disappear behind the corner some kind of ship that sinks nightly drowning the tiny clutching hands of my attachments, spilling their contents into the sea of darkening night, longing and desire set adrift, flotsam on the currents of passing time another day has slipped like water through my fingers and I have nothing to show for the air and water and sunlight consumed, nothing but these aging hairs upon my head imperceptibly marking time and this calendar of heartbeats I cannot read what will I do with the sunlight if given again tomorrow? when will I be infinitely aware that every moment, each exhaled breath is sunset? and every next moment, each new rising of my chest an un-promised sunrise? when will I unflinchingly see that time passes at the speed of light, and yet any moment, cupped like precious water in my hands, holds infinitely still? for ADM, march 2008

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 Does anyone know if the Ale House having a St Patrick's shin-dig??  Or other establishments??

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 Question: Is it possible to turn a pool filter into a filter for my Koi pond? I know i can't use the sand in it, I will take that out. What type of media should i use? 

Answer: Yes it's possible, even recommended. If you want to take it out, use lava rock, beads or bioballs instead. To find more pond information, go to pondlady.com And to meet a great community of gardeners, join us at   Gardeners  Gumbo

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 …click to listen: …about the music A bit foggy across from the Olympic mountains, indeed. We all know the dance: See email inbox fill up. Answer many emails. Momentarily enjoy much emptier inbox. Go to bed. Awake to completely re-filled inbox of responses to your responses. Repeat. Yessiree, for those of us who do much of our biz [...]

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 I have been thinking about labrynths lately. This thinking has been focused on relational hiddeness for me. I really don't know what the signifcance of labrynths are in ones spiritual journey. The pictures I share here are just to get you tracking with me as I talk about how humans (I) hide in relationships, and why this is so destructive. My context is mainly in the world of men, and that is where I will focus this blog post. The labrynth that I visualize is the one above, made from shrubs. In this labrynth see how I could hide around the corners and get lost, seeking the next turn to stay away from you. It could be a fun game to stay hidden from you, as you try desperately to find me. It's the old "hide and go seek" game I used to play with my neighborhood friends, only this time in a labrynth. Unfortunately, I have learned that I can play that same game with relationships and I don't need a labrynth. The labrynth of hiddeness exists in me. I have crafted the labrynth out of the pain, hurt and guilt I've experienced in relationships over the years. Actually I was born into the labrynth so to speak. Here is how that happened. Take a look at what is recorded in the Bible...Genesis Chapter 3 - 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.' " 4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?" 10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid ." Hiding was the response the first humans had after they disobeyed God and chose to be their own Gods. Adam and Eve set hiddeness in motion for the rest of us and we've been practicing it ever since...creating elaborate labrynths of hiddeness for our lives. We even deny and make excuses for our hiding, just as our ancient ancestors did in the Bible. Not much has changed over the centuries. There are more stories of hiddeness in the news every day. The good news...there is freedom from the labrynth of hiddeness, and the cost for the freedom is free for you and me. Free for you and me, doesn't that sound good! In my next post I will share with you how I came into this freedom and am continuing to experience it in deeper ways every day. Love has everything to do with it, but that is for the next post. See you soon.

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 grief my first home can you imagine making wreathes of wind for your hair? I should be happy with duty with obedience comes more than my share every necessity comes with resignation until we find ourselves holding hands with an agitated inconsolable inward stare

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 JUMPING THE GUN, but this prize winning shot of a Hawksbill turtle must start off Deb’s posting. She took it in the Tobago Cays, part of St. Vincent & the Grenadines on her second day visiting us on Moody Blues. “Jeez, California to Miami to Puerto Rico to Grenada (check into customs) to Carriacou (check out of [...]

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 Well we have ordered and received 26 new baby chicks, some fryers, some layers. We opened the box up Monday the 8th with the help of Kenzie's third grade class. Now they all reside under a heatlamp in an unused bathtub. On the eve of their arrival, a raccoon killed one of our newest layers, and then last night, returned and got two more of the birds by reaching into the coup, and grabbing them. It appears that the rooster too was grabbed in this manner. I do believe that the chickens run to the rescue of each other. I have spent the day repairing the coup, and nervously awaiting Kenzie's arrival home from school, and my telling her of the bad news regarding the coup, and the loss of two birds, one being her favorite! The cirlce of farm life! We have two eggs in an incubator now, from her favorite bird Wendy, and I found some other eggs in the coup, and placed these fertile ones under the heat lamp as well.. We need to continue on with our poultry...!

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 Right now we're experiencing colder temperatures than in February - both Portland and Friday Harbor had some snow flurries earlier in the week - but there are still signs that spring is just around the corner. The cherry blossoms are now in bloom, and birds are continuing to partner up for the year. One cool example is a pair of red-tailed hawks that nest on a downtown office building, which you can follow via live streaming video on the KGW Audubon raptor cam . The above is a still photo I captured from the web cam just a few minutes ago. The hawk is currently incubating two eggs - one laid March 3rd and one laid March 7th. In addition to seeing what's going on live, you can also read the blog which shares highlights and answers questions. The blog is kept up by Bob Sallinger of the Portland Aubudon Society (a fellow Reed alum!).

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 On the southern entrance to Mosquito Pass, the body of water between Henry Island and San Juan.

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 Last night we had some of the coldest weather of the winter - as odd as that may seem! My feathered friends were really busy this morning trying to take in some calories. We have a pair of Downy Woodpeckers (this is the male) that come to feed generally 4 times a day. They are particularly fond of suet. I remember the first time I found Downy Woodpecker feathers on the forest floor. I was in awe of the lovely rows of white dots - and did not yet know what bird they were from. The Downy's have since become one of my favorite birds and I so pleased that they enjoy visiting us! We had 8 finches on one feeder this morning too and the Juncos literally looked like a moving ground cover! I hung the first of our many hummingbird feeders up this past weekend. Generally they arrive on or near St. Patrick's day, but this year, with everything else happening so early, I think they may show up early. I wanted to be ready for them. These are two of three journal pages that are in a 'traveling' journal. Ultimately, the journal (which is one of three different ones going around) will be auctioned off and the proceeds will benefit a children's charity. The idea was the brain child of Kim Owens   (with Jennifer Maroney) on her Yahoo group called Blissfully Art Journaling . There are three journals that are making the rounds with themes based on love, friendship and an open category. These are for the 'love' journal. The page below includes the Albert Einstein quote that says 'There are two ways to live your life; one is as though nothing is a miracle- the other is as though everything is a miracle'. Makes sense to me! The page below contains an ee cummings poem that I have always rather liked. At first glance the words mean little but if you say it over and over the meaning becomes more apparent - at least to me it does. Love is a place & through this place of love move (with brightness of peace) all places yes is a world & in this world of yes live (skilfully curled) all worlds

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 The astronaut Of the concealing mind Who said that human excrement Is the final proof Of the existence of a civilization ... Packed with suicides in reverse ... clean flickered Moments in arched wonder And a soul-less shaped compassion Not amounting to a blurred fuck To illuminate the way for the start of Monday Politically correct environmental rupturing In all the destruction of decimation And more ... Fiends exploit my astronaut Running out of Bedlam strained values A big display of black roses and green flies Of sparrow pains and arrow heads Imbedded in the soft of my heart A dead end slow Reflexes of accurate and articulate fires Burn as the fuel Of my astronaut's mind My magnolia and I remember touching The soft waters of my transplanted Peace trees Translated through the silk of space End

Tue, 9 Mar 2010 Last year’s Mr. San Juan Island fundraiser was such a success that the Friday Harbor Elementary School PTA is continuing the competition. This year’s pageant is being held Friday, March 19th, in the Pavilion Room at Roche Harbor. The event isn't about beauty, brains or talent (although they'll be exhibiting all three at the pageant), but how much money each candidate raises. As federal and state funding continues to dissipate, Friday Harbor Elementary School needs your support, now more than ever! Proceeds from the event benefit the FHES PTA and will go towards replacing the school’s 20+ year old gym mats and basic school supplies, as well as important programs such as PIP and music enrichment. The FHES PTA also contributes toward popular elementary school competitions, such as the Math Olympiad and the GeoBee. Mr. San Juan Island is a great way for ALL adults on our island to make a difference in a child's education. Chef Bill Shaw and emcee Boo Boo Keane will delight you with delectable hors d’ourves and witty banter while you meet this year’s contenders: Bob Benz, Dan DeShon, Donny Galt, Geody Howden, Patrick Minney, and Scott Zehner. Each dollar you spend on the candidate equals a "vote;" and these men are ready to earn your money! The evening will entail fashion, talent and trivia segments. The candidate that raises the most money will be crowned Mr. San Juan Island at the end of the evening. Along with the show, you'll have an opportunity to bid on some great adventures--like an overnight trip for four to Seattle and Safeco field to watch the Mariners play. Doors open at 6:30pm and the show begins at 7:00pm. A limited number of tickets are available and are $25 per person (21 years and older). They can be purchased at Market Chef, Griffin Bay Bookstore, or San Juan Island Fitness, or by calling Tanja Williamson at 378.6004 or Kerry Andrews at 378.1007.

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 Located on Decatur Island, across the moat from the mainland, this retreat is coming on the market this spring…

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 …click to listen: …about the music Upward. Photo: courtesy of Charles, who emailed this lovely vision from our driveway on the island as I gazed at yellow snow, rather than yellow flowers, in NYC. Much as I love my home town, I think I prefer the color on the flowers. I have no idea what those purple-blue blooms [...]

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 Before heading back south to Portland we did some birding in Skagit County, which is great in the winter for seeing raptors and waterfowl. One of the most impressive sights of winter birding in the Northwest are the huge flocks of snow geese. Here's a close up of some adults and first-year birds: Something spooked them and they took off in a cacophony of honking and wing flapping - a truly remarkable spectacle that the photos barely convey: Whatever it was, only the geese were scared by it, and after they took off the trumpeter swans and mallards that had been mixed in with them were revelaed: A recent article featuring winter birding in the Skagit said it's a good thing the waterfowl don't eat daffodil bulbs, because that keeps them from having a conflict with the local farmers. The daffodil fields were in full bloom, which was a beautiful sight in its own right, especially with the dreary gray clouds looming overhead:

Sun, 7 Mar 2010 Well, we finally made it to Arches National Park on Wednesday. We moved into the cabin and got settled in. On Thursday we started our new job as campground host and then turned the duties over to our co-hosts, Robbie and Alice. On Friday we hiked in the snow about 2 miles to landscape arch and got this picture to share as a tease of what to look forward to in the next two months. We must admit that the moon was a little added attraction to the photo by Dick. While camping at Goosenecks State Park we spent a lot of time traveling around the area. A small town just a few miles down the road is Mexican Hat. It got it's name from the balanced rock that looks like of all things a Mexican hat. What is just as interesting is the hills in the background. A close up of the rock and then on to the hills. Must use lots of glue to keep it there. If you look closely at the hills you can see the variegated ribbons of color running up and down the slopes. A little closer shot of the various colors in the slopes with still some snow on the hills. A little closer look at the zig-zag patterns on the hills. It was an overcast day so did not get a true picture of the distinct colors. Dick drove the 17 mile dirt road through the Valley of the Gods on another cloudy day so no blue sky here. But did see some great sights. Wonder how bright the red sand would show up with the evening sun shining on it. Around every corner was another unique rock formation, some in the distance. And then a little closer. Not sure what keeps some standing but they will all be gone in years to come. Lots of years. If you get just on the right side of this one you can figure out why it's called Rooster rock. We still have two more postings to follow before we start sharing our adventures here at Arches. There is just so much to see here in Utah--it's incredible. And we've only just begun. To be continued...

Sat, 6 Mar 2010 Seams spring is six weeks early or so around here. Today I got this guy to look back over his shoulder as he moved away from me The wild rabbits seem to be gone, but the fox are here to stay

Sat, 6 Mar 2010   I've been back on a "small work" kick. I really enjoy making ATC's because they are a challenge at times. "Faith" is felted wool embellished with embroidery and a few beads. The back is made from a wonderful customizable ATC stamp that I got from Etsy.I like having my name and address already on the stamp. It's very well made. The background is a hand painted piece of muslin that I am slowly embroidering - and I do mean slowly!     This next group of cards is made for an ATC swap through Roses On My Table . I am not at all good at making cards to fit a theme - I seem to work much better when I am making, simply, an ATC with no theme. The theme of this card swap is, perhaps obviously, "Alice In Wonderland". I am so looking forward to seeing the new movie with Johnny Depp and I think this was one of the considerations  when the Alice theme was chosen, Generally I pushing a deadline with these swaps - but for once I have them ready to go before they are due! I want to swap some more cards - with no real theme but have not yet found a place that is currently hosting one. Any ideas?     This is probably my favorite - but I am thinking that not too many folks may like it. I love doodling a la Zentangle - and that's what started me off with this card. I never realized how amazing the visions and words of author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson really were - so I was grateful to have a chance to review some of his more memorable quotes! Oh! To have an imagination such as his was!  

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 Well it has been awhile since I have update the blog. Reason...... 1. Posting to facebook just became much easier to deal with. 2. Managing the Discovery Sea Kayaks Facebook page. (Join DSK on FB http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=22729899977&ref=ts ) 3. Managing the Discovery Sea Kayaks Twitter page. (Join DSK here for Tweets http://twitter.com/DSKayaks ) 4. On and off the island a lot this winter. What I plan to do now. I have decided that keeping the blog going is fun and I need to be more active at making small post frequently. So you can expect to see more post. I plan to post reviews and short post on island kayaking. I hope to start adding more images once again for everyone to enjoy. Sorry it has been soooooo long. But what is up with the Washington State weather. There has not been much going on with the snow in the mountains. Overall the temps have been pretty mild on the island and plenty of sunny days. We are not seeing very much kayaker activity here yet and I am not sure why. So I wanted to post so that maybe local Washington State sea kayakers will start coming out. There are no crowds and almost zero boat traffic. A great time to be here and take advantage of this early spring weather. The above image was take on a trip I took this nice couple out in January. Blue skies and calm waters. I am looking out over the water now and it looks great!

Fri, 5 Mar 2010 There's always that one day that marks the end of winter and suddenly you're soaring into spring with all its glorious re-birthing. Today was that day for me! The crocus and daffodils are blooming earlier this year after a very mild winter. February was unusually warm... 40s and 50s, no freezing at night. My neighbor, over at Herb Crazed , grows hundreds of daffodils on her triangular property, a joy for all of us! Check out her two recent posts, one about deer resistant plants and one about daffodils. These are hers, by the way. The robins are back, hopping around moss-coated rocks in search of worms. Soon our 5 acres will team with all sorts of woodland birds. And two of them will commandeer our bird houses! This is the remains of a nest from last year, which my husband cleaned from one of their houses. If you study it, you can see that the little tykes know how to build! The sticks, carefully sized, are placed one west, one south, one east, one north and back to west. It was easier to see this pattern immediately after the nest came out of the bird house. I took this picture a day or so later and the wind had already begun to destroy it. This picture is the nest from our other bird house. I love the little feathers woven into the sticks. I think both residents were sparrows... but I could be wrong about that. Yesterday I spent the whole day with Christi of Sweatpea's Path on Lopez Island. We stitched, talked, ate delicious home-made chicken soup and walked the paths through her neighbor's 80-acre woods... 50+ degrees and sunny! Could it be better? Well, yes, it could. Add to the above that she's tamed a whole flock of chickadees to eat bird seed from her hand. They're so tame, some of them will sit or her dog's head. Wouldn't I love a picture of that!!! I fed them too. Amazing and sweet to feel their little feet on my fingers, look eye-to-eye with them and watch them choose a special seed. Chickadee-dee-dee! Words for March BJP March 1, sat outside on our deck, quietly contemplating the sky and madrona trees, then quickly wrote the first six words that came to mind. They are: Build Fly Reflect Explore Learn Dance Of these, the one which seemed the most compelling at the time was Explore, so that's my "featured" word for this month's BJP. While with Christi yesterday, I started stitching a bunch of different fabrics together, layering them. They may have to be part of it. Takin' a Leave of Absence for Two Weeks! My husband and I are taking our first significant vacation in 13 years of being together!!! We're going to Arizona, where we'll see a couple of Mariners spring training games, visit the Phoenix art museum, take a motor cycle ride to the Jerome-Sedona area, spend 2+ days at the Grand Canyon, and photograph blooming cactus (I hope) and wild flowers. We'll be away from our computers and home responsibilities for nearly 2 full weeks. Glorious!

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 Thanks to my new fancy MacBook I am back online and loving it. I don't yet have the camera software figured out for this new computer so no pictures yet. I have to laugh at myself as I have been very unhappy and downright whiney for the last week without my internet access. When I moved to this island in 1972, that's 38 years ago, there were no phones. A few people had marine radios for emergencies, but one of the things people came here for was to "get away from the phone". Then came cell phones. We had the first one on the island. I had an increasing frail father and a teen age daughter living off island with family and the chance to be able to talk to them without a trip to town was too much to pass up. We took messages for lots and lots of people on the island for years before bit by bit everyone had their own cell phone, and now internet access. I have to admit that I love the internet and highly prefer email to the phone. While I was computerless this last week it seems the phone rang and rang. I would charge into the house from the studio grumbling, "I love email!" The thing about email is that you can send a message when it is convenient for you and the recipient can get it when it is convenient for them. It doesn't interrupt dinner, force someone to run into the house from the garden, or interrupt an interesting conversation. So, while I was suffering internet withdrawal we were planting lots and lots of seeds in the greenhouse, yanking the quack grass out of the peony bed, tilling up soil in the garden, and planting early mustards in the hoophouse. I've been weaving lots of beautiful rugs and knitting more hats. Spring seems to have sprung with lots and lots of daffodils in bloom.

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 Fun in the sun, took my paints south and did these small oils on linen, easy to transport!

Wed, 3 Mar 2010 PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

Tue, 2 Mar 2010 Wow I didn't think that it had been so long since I had posted on my Retro Rose Design Blog. Sorry people if anyone came here and didn't find anything. I have not had any time to create! Well, maybe...

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 Please click on image to enlarge

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 …click to listen: …about the music Delicate. Balance. What is it about me and snowstorms this month? I’d take my ice-magnet abilities personally if only I didn’t know that most others in the U.S. feel about the same. My first full day in Columbus: a snowstorm that closed schools for a day. My first full day in New [...]

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 ONE ISSUE FOR us cruisers volunteering at the Mt. Airy Young Readers Program has been remembering and pronouncing the students’ names. It was decided a few weeks ago that name tags would really help not only us to connect better with the kids, and Grenadian names and spellings, but also, so that the kids connect our [...]

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 Tonight is our 9th night sitting on top this unbelievable chasm in the ground, but we will be leaving in the morning. We assume you have seen the two pictures that we posted earlier on our blog last week looking out our windows. It's time to share a little of where we are and what we can see around us. This is our two rigs sitting on the edge looking west. You don't get the full effect in this photo but you do get some of the beauty of the area. Going around and looking east you can see our rigs again at the top of the hill with a view all the way to the bottom and the San Juan river below. You will have to look closely to see us at the top of the 1000' drop. When we first set up our rig at the top we realized that we where straddling this large crack so decided to move over about 5' just in case the rock decided to drop off. If you look close in the previous photos you will notice how undercut the top layer of rocks is so that was another reason to move back a little. Looking down on the Goosenecks from our campsite is quite a view. It takes the river about 7 miles to cover about 3 land miles in this area. You can see how far the river has traveled quite a ways in the 3 spots that you can see here. This scene changes constantly all day long as the sun passes over the area. It's hard not to take a picture every hour. Just another view on one of the sunny days we had here. We would have 2 days of sun and then 2 days of clouds and storms. Spent a lot of time traveling the area on nice days and just relaxing and making cards and jewelry on the cold, cloudy and wet days. Alice decided on one of the better days it was a good time to pull up a chair, enjoy the view and a good book. We both continue to be amazed at what mother nature has carved out of desert and the beauty left behind. We took a drive in the surrounding countryside and on the way back it started to snow. In the morning we were greeted by some very strange sights around us. By 9:00 AM most of the snow has melted except for what was still clinging to the plants. The ground has turned to mud and we gain about an inch in height because of all the mud sticking to the bottom of our shoes as we walk around the area. What a mess but what can one do. The clouds sitting on the ground and coming up from the canyon gave this view to us as we got out in the morning. We are heading to the small town of Bluff in the morning to spend the night so we can flush out our tanks, do a little laundry and then will meet up with Robbie and Alice, who are staying here another night, for the last 100 miles to Moab Utah where we hope to get into our sites some- time early next week. The park is still full of snow but just maybe we can get settled and start to learn our volunteer routine and spend some time hiking the park and seeing the surrounding area. As a parting shot, here is a picture that Dick took late one evening with the clouds of a passing storm over the mountains. We had gone out for a ride and caught this sight as we came home. Yes he took a little liberty with a photo editing program to get the moon in just the right place. We still have pictures to share of Valley of the Gods, Monument Valley, Moki Dugway, Natural Bridges and more so stay tuned. To be continued...

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 We just got back from vacation, where we visited Red Rock national Park, and the wild donkeys.... we also passed thru the new Hoover Dam crossing project on our drive to Phoenix

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 WHEN ASKED WHERE to go for the “last lunch,” the answer was to the “unique tropical setting,” The Aquarium Restaurant.  It is on Magazine Beach. You get the picture. Enticing entry. As this is also Maca Bana, “an intimate collection of seven solar powered, artistically designed ‘banas’.” Ah, La Sirena.                                           Chilled wine cellar greeted us as we entered. Saucy artwork [...]

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 Two bloggers have started me thinking about polarities in the way we approach working on our BJP pages. Sharkeysday posted here about re-starting her February BJP page and about wanting to make her doll's chest less prominent. And Kali posted a comment on my blog about my February BJP page , giving some suggestions for how it could be improved and a list of artists renowned for their word/image art. One of her comments was that the heart seems crowded, overwhelmed and pushed down by the words, like the whole piece needs to be tipped upward, counterclockwise. (These are my words, my interpretation of Kali's suggestion.) Well, I got to thinking about it. I can see her point... viewing it as a piece of art. Yes, she's right about that. Yet, from the point of view of telling a story, my story, about these words... about my mom and me, it's right on the money the way it is. With Mom so near the end of her life, I feel like I'm slipping off the page . I feel like the words which belong to our 67-year relationship are surrounding me, close to the surface, especially the word cry . I feel the need to experience these Mom-words as much as I can right now, because the opportunity to do so is changing. To my eyes, the piece better tells my truth (the way it is now) than it would if it complied better with the precepts of good art. That got me thinking about two polarities for our BJP pages... On one hand, we have making art and doing it right . At the other end of the scale, we have just doing it, letting it be what it is . Making Art Just Do It Do It Right Let it Be. Where are you on this scale right now? Where do you want to be??? Personally, I want to lean as far as possible toward the letting go side, because that is where I believe I will find who I really am as a person and as an artist; that is where I'll discover my own unique way to tell a story. After thinking about this, my new way to approach those times when I don't like my work will be to ask, "What does this tell me about myself, my feelings... what is the story here, what truth is showing up in my work?" It doesn't mean I won't check into all of the artists suggested by Kali, filling my subconscious with inspirations from the way they tell their stories. Nor does it mean I'll ignore principles of art. It's just that I won't force the principles in any way. They will be just one component of my subconscious process. I hope!

Thu, 25 Feb 2010

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 We are still sitting on the top of the cliff at Goosenecks State Park. This is night 6 and it has been snowing all evening. Our plan was to leave here yesterday and head the last 125 miles to Arches National Park for 2 months of camp-hosting. Because of all the snow there is no way that we can get into the park so we sit and wait to get the all clear. After leaving Lake Havasu City our tour directors, Robbie and Alice, had us going to Flagstaff Arizona for 2 days of cleaning up the rigs and doing final shopping before going to Utah. We arrived there only to find the park full of snow and mud so decided to continue east another 50 miles and stop at Winslow Arizona. We did all our laundry, the four of us went out to dinner and just had to take some time out to "Stand on the corner of Winslow Arizona" (remember the song?). Let us tell you this is the best that Winslow has to offer and it aint much. We left Winslow and headed to Petrified Forest National Park where we found a place to camp right next to the fence of the park at a free campsite (we like free). The four of us set up camp and headed into the park to check out the history of the area and see all that petrified wood just lying every where you looked. We walked part of the park and Dick wished he could fill a bucket, but you can't pick up and take any of the pieces. Dick did find an area outside of the park and ended up with 38 pounds of petrified wood that filled a 5 gallon bucket. Just more rocks to pack around. The colors varied from red to blue to yellow; wow what a sight. The shops outside of the park sold large polished pieces for up to $10,000. We did purchase a small piece at the gift shop to put in the rig. (And Dick will tumble some of the ones he picked up and hopefully make jewelry out of them.) On another hike several miles away we found pieces lying everywhere. The next morning we hitched up and drove through the park and then the Painted Desert. This guy was looking for a handout but got nothing from us except this "shot". We continued to Chinle Arizona on the Navajo Reservation where we again camped at a free site on the Canyon de Chelly National Monument. After setting up we took a tour of the south rim, and let us tell you it was quite a sight. We will just share a few pictures with you here and hope you can appreciate what we saw. All up and down the canyon floor you can see small farms with the only means of access by jeep up the river flats. The walls of the canyon are full of ancient dwellings built into the cracks on the walls. If you look close at the horizontal crack in this wall you can see old dwellings from hundreds of years ago. Here is a shot of one of the small farms on the canyon floor. Before we pulled out the next day we took a short ride up the north rim and got a few more pictures. No sun today so it was really cold standing on the edge in the wind. To be continued...

Wed, 24 Feb 2010

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 As a family, we have been enjoying the Winter Olympics together on television. The games are going on just north of us and several times we've been tempted to hop in the car, head to Vancouver, to see some events. Our enthusiasm was squelched when we found that ticket prices are just outrageous. On the left is a picture of some Olympians who participated in the winter games of 1960. The games were held at Squaw Valley in No. Calif./Nevada. These athletes were true amateurs. I was explaining to Ellie and Carly, the Olympics are not for amateurs any longer. Every event we watch, for the most part, is filled with what are essentially professional athletes. For me, an older guy, some of the Olympic intrigue and connection is gone. The sponsorship of these athletes is all about big money. Seeing perseverance, teamwork and comraderie amongst the athletes is somewhat redeeming for me. I'll hang in there for a few more nights. It is a family night activity and a time for sharing too.

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 I look at magazines like the Feb. issue of Cloth Paper Scissors and think "I'll never be able to do collage well, especially collage with words." Then I have to remind myself about "baby steps" and about how learning takes time and practice. OK. That's the program for this year's BJP... one piece at a time... just do it... see how it grows (or doesn't)! My piece for February is finished and at least I like it better than the one for January . Here's how it looks (click picture to see detail). Originally, when I spontaneously chose six words for the month , I didn't have any sense that they were related. The word I circled as the most compelling at that moment was cry . Immediately I wanted to change my mind, to circle play or any of the other words. Three weeks later, with my piece complete, I'm so glad I stuck with my original choice because, little by little, I realized that all six of my words are about my Mom and our relationship. I wrote about my tear in the center of the beaded heart holding a picture of Mom and about my love surrounding her in my previous post here . Now, looking at the completed piece, so many associations and memories of Mom (some recent, some in the distant past of childhood) are unfolding... triggered by all six of the words! When I view it, not as attempted collage, not as art, but as a story about my Mom and me, it's a delight and a treasure! Maybe that's a lesson for us with our art... to view (and to value) it from the standpoint of what it tells us. Just a thought... The technical and design issue for me about collage with paper, cloth and beads is how to make all the elements interconnected and whole. To make the words for this piece, I created them in Photoshop and then printed them on fabric (poplin) with my inkjet printer. The heart is beaded on felt. The background is drawing paper painted with acrylic paints. When I first laid out the three elements, the paper and heart looked OK together, but the words looked dull and unrelated. What could I do to make them come forward a little, but not so much as to overpower the heart? The answer came in steps and with trial and error... First I stitched beads around the borders of each word. That helped a little, but not enough. I needed some way to enhance the edges of the words, bring the color and texture of them more in line with the little edge of felt showing around the beading on the heart. I tried crocheting a scalloped edge with a single strand of embroidery floss. Yuk! I tried drawing around the edges with marking pen. Yuk! Finally I got the idea of couching a six-strand length of embroidery floss around the edge. That worked pretty well... the color was right and it gave a slightly uneven texture, similar to the felt. Here's a picture of the three steps... 1- plain, 2- with beads and 3- with a couched edge. I'm looking forward to March and already curious about what six words will pop into my mind on March 1st! It's a fantastic pleasure to look at all the juicy, creative, fun, stimulating pieces being done by this year's BJP participants. OMG!!! We are soooooooooooooo way cool! Thanks to everyone who commented on my previous post about Mom and me and crying... I really appreciate your kindness and encouragement! Technical information: Black background paper - 8.5 x 11 inches Painted background paper - 7 x 7 inches Beading - completed on red wool felt, then stitched to background paper Words - created in Photoshop, printed on fabric, glued to paper with bookbinder's glue

Tue, 23 Feb 2010

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 The Farm Internship bill passed the state Senate last week unanimously . For 6349 to get to the Governor's desk to become law, it has to now get through the House committees and back to the Senate. This morning at 11 am, the Commerce & Labor committee will vote on moving Bill 6349 out of the committee and on through to other comittees and the Senate. Can you contact as many of our state representatives on this Committee as you can this morning, and let them know 6349 needs to pass? Rep. Steve Conway, 360-786-7906,Conway.Steve@leg.wa.gov Rep. Alex Wood, 360-786-7888, Wood.Alex@leg.wa.gov Rep. Cary Condotta , 360-786-7954, Condotta.Cary@leg.wa.gov Rep. Bruce Chandler, 360-786-7960, Chandler.Bruce@leg.wa.gov Rep. Larry Crouse , 360-786-7820, Crouse.Larry@leg.wa.gov Rep. Tami Green, 360-786-7958, Green.Tami@leg.wa.gov Rep. Jim Moeller , 360-786-7872, Moeller.Jim@leg.wa.gov Rep. Brendan Williams, 360-786-7940, Williams.Brendan@leg.wa.gov Below are some good reasons why full support of SB 6349 is important to establish a process for internships on small farms in Washington State: Recent audits of small farm internship practices by Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) have raised a serious issue for the small farmers in our state. Washington State labor law doesn't recognize farm internships as a valid worker category unless the participants are enrolled at a recognized educational institution. Because only a small percentage of farm interns are registered students, the majority of small farms teaching interns are likely not in compliance with L& I's requirements. Statewide, small farms are becoming increasingly important in maintaining a diverse and sustainable local economy. This bill allows small farms to establish an internship programs for future farmers to pass on crucial vocation knowledge of farming practices and enterprises. SB 6349 is essential for ensuring continued growth in the agricultural industry. Our state representatives can help farm interns and small family farms, and the communities and economies they are a part of in by voting SB 6349 out of committee. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Here's a link to the latest information available on 6349's progress . Once you've become involved in your democracy, you may want to watch what happens to this bill as it makes its journey to become law - here.

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 We arrived in Utah yesterday, set up camp with our friends, Robbie and Alice, who we will share the camp host duties at Arches National Park and have been our tour directors for the last week. We, again, have very poor Internet but hope to get a short blog off (2 pictures) as a little tease of where we are and what we have seen in the last few days. We stood on the corner in Winslow Arizona, visited the Petrified Forest and Dick found an area outside the park where he collected 38 pounds of petrified wood for tumbling and whatever. Then off to see the Painted Desert on our way to Chinle Arizona and the beautiful Canyon de Chelly and finally into Utah where we are camped at Goosenecks State Park 1000' straight above the San Juan River. We are on the edge of the cliff so have a view straight down from all our windows. When we get to a place with better internet we will share more details and pictures of each location, should be late next week. Here is the view from our dining table, and yes, at the lower left is the edge of the cliff. We have to remember to watch the first step when we come out of our rig. And the view out our back window, must remember to walk close to the rig when going around the back. It's cool here with snow in the forecast so we maybe here most of the week. Arches has 14" of snow with another 3 in the forcast today and again on Sunday. To be continued...

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 Very Exciting! - Besides letting us know about the Senate passing of WA Senate bill 6349 (see post below), the amazing Eleanor Hartman, along with Anna Spears, at our incredible San Juan Island Food Co Op have what they believe to be the first commercially produced flour grown on San Juan Island in decades, for sale at the Co Op while supplies last. So far, what we know is it's grown by Kim Sundstrom, HERE, and is in 25 lb Fairhaven Flour bags signed by Mr. Sundstrom. They're beautiful!! We'll post a picture ASAP. Other great news In addition to all their other fantastic island growers , the Co Op now has gorgeous Nootka Rose produce in their new glass cooler. Heritage Farm has sent out this season's letter offering their CSA (see page for contact info). Synergy Farmstand is open more hours, and we hear they are offering a bio-intensive gardening class to the public. Uprising Seeds from Acme/Bellingham , just to the east, has their new wonderful little seed catalogue out for this year. They're the first 100% certified organic seed co. in WA state, and have signed the Safe Seed Pledge. This young family writes stories about all their growers so you can be familiar with every place they get their seeds (they have a GREAT web page.) ORGANIC ALFALFA (WHAT ALL ORGANICALLY RAISED LIVESTOCK, INCLUDING MILK PRODUCERS, EAT) - NEEDS YOUR HELP - NOW! Please go to our Actions page for a more info and links, or directly to this alert . Also, please contact your WA state Representative about passing bill 6349! So, how about all those blossoms already on the trees?!!

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 We have been in and out of Internet coverage so have not been able to post a Blog. We could have done it without pictures but decided to just wait and fill you in on all out travels since we left Quartzsite Arizona. We left the big "Montana Circle" and headed back to Ehrenberg to dump tanks, clean the rig and do a big pile of laundry. We went into the park without reservations and they let us stay for two nights and then we had to move on because the park was full. We decided to go to an Arizona State park but also decided that it would be better to not to head out there on the weekend so it was back to the desert at Quartzsite. We went back to the remains of the circle where there was still about 8 rigs there. Three more showed up at about the same time we got there. We decided to stay for one night and ended up staying for 4 nights. It was great to see everyone if only for a short time. Some of us spent part of one day out in the desert searching for gold with metal detectors while Dick just wandered around and took pictures. After 4 days it was time to move on to our planned destination of Lake Alamo State park, about 30 miles out in the desert. This is a lake that was created by a dam that was built for flood control. It's also a location where there are herds of wild Burrows. We were fortunate to run across two packs of over ten burrows each. These three kept checking on us to make sure we stayed away from them. We took our new Christmas present, an inflatable canoe, out onto the lake and had a good time rowing around and checking out the dam. Another day we hiked over the earthen dam and here is Jackie checking out the big pile of rocks that held back the lake. We went out another day rock hounding only to find that because of the rain the lake had risen over 19' and the roads were all under water so took some time to get this shot after waiting for the 30 seconds of sun shining through the clouds to hit onto the winter trees with the mountains still in the shadows. Note that the trees are all in the flooded area. Looking out our rear window as we camped above the lake we watched the receding storm clouds moving into the next county. The storm has passed and we now have another beautiful sunny day. Again it was time to hitch up for our next destination. It was off to Lake Havasu City Arizona to see the annual fireworks that are a result of the Western Pyrotechnics Association convention. We found a spot on BLM land where one can camp for free. Several friends had been there for about a week before we got there. We arrived, set up for a long stay, when the local police showed up and said because this area was leased by the city we all had to pack up and leave. We all packed up and headed for another location that was four miles down the road. No one was happy to have to move but two days later the area filled up again with campers and no one made them move. I think this will be the last time we spend any of our money in Lake Havasu City because of their selective enforcement of regulations. We moved down the road and five of us were able to find another area on BLM land where we could have a nice fire every night and enjoy the fireworks. We all headed out one day for another hike into the surrounding mountains. Here is Dick and a friend on the edge of a cliff looking down onto the lake. This photo was taken by another friend. The reason for the trip was to see the firework show. We watched the first night sitting around the campfire, the second night four couples in our group packed up our chairs and went down to sit under the stars and the fireworks. (Dick's brother, Guy and his wife, Joan joined us for this event.) Dick ended up taking 198 pictures this night and wanted to share some of them with you. Another shot that filled the sky from from as far as we could see from side to side. The hardest fireworks to get into the camera was the bright white displays. But Dick lucked out getting these three rockets going off at the same time. The next evening we stayed at camp and the next three pictures were taken from our campsite that was three miles away. These are just three of over 100 he took that evening. It's interesting that Dick took about 300 photos in the two nights and was only really happy with about 12 shots. This was one of the displays that when it exploded the trails went every direction and filled the sky above the park. We are off in the morning for our two months as volunteer as camp hosts at Arches National Park near Moab Utah. We will arrive in late February and be there for the months of March and April. When we get set up and determine what we have for Internet we will post another Blog. In the meantime Alice and Robbie Simons (our co-hosts at Arches) will be showing us areas of Arizona and Utah they love, which just happen to be on the way to Arches. To be continued...

Sun, 14 Feb 2010

Fri, 12 Feb 2010

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 Thanks to Carla McDiarmid for taking the photo, to Jose for sending it, and to Carley Lamb for putting names and faces together. Left to right: Becky Volk, Carley Lamb, Carl, Jose' Domenech, Dan Seaton, Steven Pauelua, Lori Miyasaki, Vance Hashimoto. Bottom row: Amy Harold, Huy Diec is in the white shirt, Chris Lanueve, Nani Haia, Jenny Cheng. Just outside the picture climbing trees, eating cookies, chasing dogs, pitching tents, or actually paddling: Uncles Butch Calivo and David Halpern, Bonnie Stanger, Ben Goodman, Joanna De Pree, John Pachuta, Steve Bennett and our ohana chase crew. click here for more pictures

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 2 hour pose, Woman with hand Oil on linen STARTING MARCH 14TH, As a continuation to our Sunday morning drawing group, we will move to a new step in portraits. This next series will be painting the portrait. We will work simply with single color paintings, working in values, shapes and edges. See our drawing class at www.sundayart.blogspot.com/ If you are not on San Juan Island and would like to participate, let me know. I'd like to be able to include online learners.

Tue, 9 Feb 2010

Sat, 6 Feb 2010 My proposal for a big mural project......... 12 feet by 40 feet........ was accepted. I will be working on panels this spring for this project and hope to post here as things progress. The focus will be on the history of commercial fishing in my area of the San Juan Islands.

Sat, 6 Feb 2010 Becky Volk, Karrie Cooper and Shannon Calverly gearing up Martha (fearless captain) Isbister, Joanna Depree, Shannon and Wilbur sporting latest in PFDs--what a good mom he has! green-gloved hug (because my battery ran out) our illustrious escort not pictured: Dan Seaton in his single, Jose' Domenech and Rick Exstrom in the double, and David Halpern in his almost fast kayak

Fri, 5 Feb 2010 Several very vocal transient killer whale pods in western Haro Strait. Members from T30, T86, T90, T100, T101, T02, and T124's were present including the baby from T100 pod.

Mon, 1 Feb 2010 If you haven't guessed from my posts over the years, I find most things in the natural world kinda fascinating. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't see that as a bad thing at all! But it makes tasks take a bit longer than mayhaps they should. I am fortunate that the great people at Wolf Hollow are understanding about my photographic addiction and have only once, in the 5 years I have been there, asked me upon my return "So, did you get lost on the way out there or on the way back?" Fortunately it was said with an indulging smile. Don't know what I mean? Okay, let me give you an example. In early December we had pretty nippy noodles weather here. Therefore, frost was everywhere when I went down to feed the fawns. And here is how that trip went: Starting from about 30 feet outside the front door I saw this: I love when I see the moon over Wolf Hollow in the mornings! And then, after another fifty feet or so, there was this: I never could get the sparkliness of it all! And then the next thing to catch my eye on the way down the the fawn pen was this: The entire branch was like this. I found it very captivating! And lastly I saw this: By this time I was feeling a bit bad, so I rushed the rest of the way down there and fed these beauties: On the way back, there were still other things that caught my attention, like these red berries that just pop out against their grey backdrop.... ...and these white berries all clumped together. Even on the way home, the crispness outside made Mount Baker shine out like a beacon in the distance. So I parked my car in a small pullout and took to the middle of the street to get first this shot... ...and then this one. I just love intertwined trees and these two seriously look like they are reaching towards each other. But that's not all that can distract me obviously. I can get distracted by mushrooms, especially if they are oddly shaped... ...which I'll admit was a slight issue since Wolf Hollow exploded with fungi over a two week period this past year. Then there are the teeny tiny players. Like these fungal type growths one finds on an old wooden fawn pen fence. And then there are the crawly ones that have always intrigued me... ...as they can be so easily overlooked if you aren't keeping an eye out. And last, but certainly not least, are flowers. Sigh. Flowers of all kinds have me breaking out into super-macro mode. It can be any kind of flower, from ones I find in a planter box at a local coffee house... ...to the minute flowers that one finds growing in the moss. I told you folks, it's a serious addiction and it's one I hope to never get over! Yes, this world we live in is filled to the brim with wonders! Okay, so back to the Hollow. I actually didn't go in last week as I traveled to Lopez Island to take the Island's Oil Spill Association's Oiled Bird Class. Since I took my HAZWOPER class earlier, this means I am officially on-call if they have a major oil spill where wildlife might be impacted. Of course one hopes that never happens, but if it should, at least now I can do something to help! The first part of the class was about the different types of birds we might be dealing with, how oil spills affect them, and how they are checked in to be treated once caught. Then it was hands on time. Wolf Hollow keeps some dead birds in a freezer for hands on purposes and so does Julie Knight, who not only is our Executive Director of Wolf Hollow, but has also been a main player in IOSA since it first started over 20 year ago. Here Julie is sitting amongst the trainees, helping people identify what they are holding and what special features that particular bird might have. What can I say? Julie is awesome! Jackie Wolf has also been a main player for 10 years now and she is great! Here is my friend Traci with one of the birds. Whatcha got there Traci? Looks like a waterbird of some kind! Here Jackie is chatting with Traci and Tiffany while Tiffany learns to tube a bird for the first time. Everyone who hadn't done this before started out tubing one of the dead birds first. Then it was off for some live hands-on training! We were all sent to stations where all the tools and instruments needed to intake an oiled bird were setup for us. Intake sheet, leg band, thermometer, scale, stethoscope, tube feeding setup...you get the idea. And then we met our "patient." Here are Traci and Jenice. Jenice, also a Wolf Hollow Board member, is going over proper handling technique, which means supporting the legs, making sure the front bend of the wing is held securely, and that the head is restrained. All-in-all it was a great class! Thanks Julie and Jackie! See you March 6th for the Search & Rescue of Oiled Birds training! As for Wolf Hollow, yes, I did go in yesterday so I will update all of you on the current patients in my next post, including this Bald eagle suffering from lead poisoning.... ...and who knows what else. Yeesh! Til next time... 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Sun, 31 Jan 2010 We caught up with J1 Ruffles in Haro Strait making his way northbound. With the hydrophone in the water he was quite vocal for being all alone, must have been calling and waiting for the rest of J pod which were up north and were spotted southbound down Haro the following day.

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 Prayer before launch from July's Lopez campout. Our Mother Club paddles over from Anacortes and we paddle over from Jackson Beach to celebrate another year of club paddling. Round Shaw Racers and Support Crew Bonnie Stanger and Becky Volk in the Sausage Pull. They nailed their maiden OC2 distance race, 6 miles on Lake Washington. Dan Seaton winning the Bainbridge Marathon for the OCs. That's 26.2 miles in 4 hours 27 minutes. Go Gold!!!

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 (Want to read about the new "Food Safety" bills in Congress? Go to Nov. 10th post at Land & Sea's Action page for more info. Very important.) For a printable list of where to buy local in SJ islands, go here . H i Everyone! Back to what's happening right here on San Juan island: Free showing of "Food, Inc."! Check just below, by the popcorn picture, for that. First, very important news, from Anna Spears & Eleanor Hartmann in the S J Community Co-op weekly letter, about keeping the family farmers in business who stock our shelves with produce, and keep us in meat, poultry, milk & eggs . From Anna & Eleanor: "There are some major moves being made by state Senator Ranker this week regarding internships on small farms. Interns are a crucial part to helping to sustain the vitality of our small farms .... For more information... and to make your voice heard visit http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=6349&year=2009 ". when Anna says this is crucial, she is not exaggerating. Please read Matt Marinkovich's great letter about this here . We're starting off the first annual, semi informal, all free Land & Sea Film Festival-teach in with "Food, Inc." at the public Activities Room in lovely Village at The Harbour . This is a great chance to take a look at the center, and also have free! organic butter topped or virgin olive oil sprinkled organic popcorn and see this very good movie free ! Show's at 6:30 pm on Friday Jan 22 and again at 6:30 Tues the 26th . Address: 543 Spring S t. (entrance across from the medical center). Activities director at the Village Deanna Osborne and Seannene Kennedy have opened their room to us to make both these free showings possible. Thanks Seannene and Deanna! Look ahead to more free showings : " Food, Inc . ", " The World According to Monsanto ", " The Real Dirt on Farmer John ", " Flow " , a movie we loved, also highly recommended to us by Becky B. and Gogo Green , "Tapped" - recommended by Stephanie Prima-Sarantopoulus , " The Future of Food ", " Farmed Salmon Exposed ", everyone's favorite " King Corn " and the ever popular " Super Size Me "! All films will feature delicious hot buttered, (or olive oiled, or ...) popcorn until we run out! We'll also plan to show what looks to be another great movie Ryan Browne just sent a clip of, " Garbage Warrior ". Send us your suggestions! Keep checking this space or the SJ Update , the Island Guardian , SJ Islander , and possibly the Journal for dates. We'll also update you with a note if you're on our email list - just drop us a line at slowfoodlandandsea@gmail.com if you're not on our list & want to be - no need to be a Land & Sea Slow Food member, but you can do that, too if you want. Maureen will keep you up-to date, (but not too frequently), with really good information. O ne last thing - look at any food label in your kitchen . Find the name of the company on the label. Get the address off the label or the internet, and shoot them an email or letter, or call to tell them you want their food to be labeled if it is genetically modified, chemically treated, nano particle altered , irradiated or compromised in any way. Tell them, if you don't want these things done to your food. Companies want you to buy their products. It's that simple. If we ALL tell them, it WILL make change, and fast . Sure, it seems like David v. Goliath at times, but like Laura Love says in the song, Sometimes Davey Wins . And if we all come together, we're actually a pretty big Davey.

Sat, 16 Jan 2010

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 We have another Bald Eagle in and it's an eagle that is VERY lucky. And why is that you might ask? Because it flew into a power line! Yes, this eagle may not have nine lives, but it obviously has at least two! Being an adult, it is pretty sketchy around people, so this first pic I took was through the window looking into the Indoor mew, hence the reflectiveness of the photo. It was also mid-feed, hence the feather in its beak. As you can see, it has wounds on its head and on its beak/ nare area. It was missing feathers on the top of its head and in their place were 1st and 2 nd degree burns. It was given an anti-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication for pain and a mild anti-bacterial/antiseptic cream was put on its head. Obviously, the pain and discomfort have had no effect on its appetite! After the wounds on the head healed.... ...we waited a bit more to make sure the nare wounds were healing and weren't going to be an issue when we placed it outside. But after being inside for almost a month, outside it went into the Heron Cage.... ...so it could start building up those flight muscles again. After a few weeks in there, and after the then-current-resident of the Eagle Flight Cage was released, in it went, to the final stage before release. Hey! Learning how to land on a rope perch is hard...it IS! Owls....who doesn't love them? Yes, that was rhetorical. This cutie of a Western Screech owl came to us from nearby Lopez island. Seems like it did a face plant into a car and was subsequently found sitting in the middle of the road. When he first arrived he held his left eye shut, but by the time Saturday rolled around it was open. But, as you can see, it is still more dilated , and squinty , than its right eye. He, too, was given an anti-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication for pain and swelling. When he was eating on his own for awhile and his eye was better, he was moved outside to a small mew. He didn't do so well the first time out. He actually stopped eating. Getting any animal ready to be released is always a gradual process and they will let you know if they aren't ready for that next step. So back inside he came for a few days. When he went back out again, we placed him in one of the aviaries, where it was a little bit darker and not so exposed to the weather. When I went out to check on him in Aviary 3, I just peeked through the left-side feed door. It's less intrusive that way and there pretty much isn't any area you can't see by looking in one feed door or the other. Hmmm ....where is he? I couldn't see him anywhere. I then put my camera through the opening and viewed as much of the aviary as I could via the camera's Live View screen. Still nothin '. I have to say, that's when I started getting a wee bit nervous. So over to the right feed door I went. I STILL couldn't see him. That's when I started my plea..."Please don't be dead...please!" Finally I put my camera in, looked all around again, and then turned it straight up and back to the corner right above the feed door and saw this glaring down at me: Whew! He has since been released! Our rehabber Penny was flying solo last Sunday, so I told her to feel free to call me if she needed help with anything and she actually took me up on my offer! She called me at 10am saying that she was getting a hawk in and she could use my help with the exam, so in I went. It ended up being a Red-tailed hawk and gads..what a MESS it was! Its a youngster, either this year's or last, and it came in with both eyes crusted shut and white cheesy-looking stuff in its mouth and plugging up its nostrils. When Penny checked its chest muscles to see how thin it was, she looked at me and said "It's still pretty well fleshed!?" I immediately asked how that could possibly be, as it had to have been down for awhile. She had no idea. So then we started wondering what we were dealing with that could cause these types of symptoms in what appeared to be a relatively short amount of time. Even with everything that was wrong with it, it was still upright, so that was a good thing. So, after Penny cleaned up his eyes as much as she could and then added ointment to them, she cleaned out its mouth and nares and took samples of this stuff and proceeded to walk me through the process of making culture slides. First she spread a thin layer of the cheesy stuff on 3 separate slides and "fixed" the stuff to the slides by applying a flame to the underside of the slide. Then each slide went through a series of... ...stain cycles with rinsing of the slided in between each stage. Each different colored stain will color different part of cells to highlight them. Then we set them on end to dry. After they are done drying, you slap them in the microscope and hope you have,, between the 3 slides, an answer as to what is affecting the hawk and therefore what is needed to treat it. Boy did we ever luck out! Behold! Penny was able to take this picture of a fungal remnant through one of the eye pieces. So she immediately decided to start it on oral anti-fungal medication. He was still doing well the next morning and was alert when she checked on him at Noon. But when she went in at 2pm, he had died. It's a bit harder to take when they are upright and seem alert and then they literally drop, versus when they act sick and you have a feeling they may be on their way out. To paraphrase Penny after she found him dead: Losing patients sucks most times. I'll second that. To end this posting on a MUCH brighter note, do you all remember this beauty? This juvie Trumpeter swan came in over a year ago, in November 2008. If you recall, she was found by her lonesome. Her family had flown away and left her by herself, which is tough, as they remain with their parents until full grown. So she came to us and we kept her for a few months, but the longer we kept her, the more things kept popping up, like her knee swelling. The problem was, by late February/early March, the swans would start migrating again and we desperately wanted to try and get her back out in the wild with any group of swans so that she could hopefully fly off with them. So once her swollen knee calmed down a bit it was decided to get her back out on the water, which would also take the weight off of her legs and give them time to heal the rest of the way. So she and I took a road trip northwards to a wildlife area that had a MASSIVE lake on it. A lake where we were assured that there were still swans there on a daily basis. So she got a leg band and a neck band of sorts, courtesy of Brad Otto from the local Dept. of Fish and Wildlife. It was made of very light weight plastic, and its big letters/numbers allows a wildlife biologist to read the band from afar. The she was released.... ...and she actually caught air for a bit! Considering how long she had been with us....about 4 months...this was a great sign! But I also remember thinking, as much as Brad said we would get updates when and if she was spotted, that we would probably never hear about her again. Well, imagine my surprise when I went into Wolf Hollow a few weeks back and was told she had been spotted on Fir Island, which is south of us. Yep, she's alive and doing great! Woohoo ! Til next time...

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 Welcome to Bo's Cafe. We have good coffee here, occasionally we serve some amazing desserts, but that all depends on the chef, whether he's up to it or not. Guaranteed there are some interesting characters here. Bo's meets at www.boscafe.com but you can also find us at other places around the states. Sometimes the cafe gathers in a home. Stay tuned!

Sun, 10 Jan 2010

Fri, 8 Jan 2010 I guess I'm just not well suited for it. The long haul, the monotony, the sameness, the tedium of being an adult. There is a gene I'm missing that almost everyone else seems to have. I think it gets activated at around 21 or maybe 30 years of age at the latest . I wouldn't know. It's the one where career building and learning about the details of money/society/politics/business kicks in and adulthood starts. For some it comes later in life and I'm still waiting at 47. "Maybe 50" I'm thinking. But that just sounds wrong. Fifty isn't for starting to figure things out. Fifty is for looking back and seeing your accomplishments and for watching that nest egg grow and for fantasizing about warm sandy beaches that you'll be able to visit when you retire in 15 years but won't because of the arthritic hip and your irritable bowel syndrome. It's not like I want to be an adolescent my whole life...that's not it. Partying and hanging with my buds isn't something I've ever wanted to do. It's more like I don't give a crap about the things that most people my age and even most people a lot younger seem to think about and talk about and worry about and spend time learning about. Retirement planning, 401-K's, investments, golf, meetings with division managers, the two week diving vacation in the Truk islands. I feel wrong. I feel like there is some big secret out there that I never was let in on. I think I cut class the day they discussed growing up. I have no idea how the system works. I read about the Federal Reserve and promissory notes and I'm more confused than ever. I laugh when I hear the term "futures markets" even though no one is joking. I can remember as a kid sitting in the backseat of the car driving in some city looking up at the sky scrapers thinking "what are all those people doing in there". I had the same damn experience last month. Millions of square feet of office space climbing up into the low fog of Seattle and I think the exact same thing! So I'm asking, "What are all those people doing up there?" I imagine dark power suits and meetings and business class airline tickets tucked into expensive shiny leather briefcases. I imagine stress and fluorescent lights and lots of money and after work, drinks like single malt scotch with the guys from the office...but what are they all DOING? Discussions of outsourcing and synergy come to mind but what they hell are they doing up there? The other day my mom asked me why I never wanted to get into the management side of nursing. Thoughts of meetings with number crunchers came to my mind. Thoughts of data analysis and spread sheets came to mind. Money streams, patient flow, blah blah. I'd rather just actually take care of patients and help them to help themselves get better. It is hard work and yet at the end of the day I don't ask myself what I did all day...I work and take care of people by poking holes in their skin and pushing chemicals into their blood streams and...jeez, that just sounds messed up. But that's another topic for another day. I'm missing something here. Again with the question, "what are all the managers doing up there...why is it that managers make more than the people who actually do the work?" The system is totally backward in my mind and that once again makes me feel weird...like I'm missing something. Maybe I just can't beyond the concrete operational (geek reference to Piaget and the development of the intellect) thinking of a 9 year old. Like I'm missing that last piece of the puzzle that has it all make sense. It keeps me asking over and over in my mind how we all got to this place where we accept it as normal and right. It all seems cockeyed and haywire. It all seems false and strange. How is it normal that people spend most of their waking hours in cars driving to, and then hanging out in, buildings for pieces of paper so they can give those pieces of paper to other workers who raise their children and grow their food and build their houses and do all of the other things that normally would give them a sense of joy and accomplishment? Do you see where I'm going with all of this? The more I ask these questions of the normal world the more crazy and "childish" I feel. "The sane people in an insane society appear crazy"...that old chestnut. As I get older but just as unable to answer all these questions I feel, not quite crazy, but stupid, inept. Just asking the question seems stupid. Take the blue pill! Invest in futures (corn is looking awesome right now!) and enjoy the Glenlivet. But dammit, there is no blue pill...there is no 401-K. My retirement plan is to move to Dharamsala and spend my few social security rupies on chai and dhal and watch the snow melt off of the Himalaya's, breathing incense and spinning the occasional prayer wheel. Childish? Sane?...depends on whether your looking up at the skyscrapers or out from their tinted windows. Looks like I'll never grow up.

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 "If Frodo Baggins says goodbye, again, to one more hobbit I'm going to shoot myself...and take out a few other people with me". My wife Sheryl just groaned, stewing away in her own pain and trying to ignore my empty (unarmed) threats. It's what happens when people sit too long suffering through an entire day of non-stop TV...by choice no less. We weren't even sick with the flu or on forced bed rest trying to pass the time. It all began when we thought it would be fun to have a New Years Eve party involving our two teenagers and whatever friends they wanted to have over for the day and watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy back to back. I remembered each movie being about three hours long and steeled myself for a butt numbing veg out of epic proportions. Now I love movies. I love the emotional impact and the visual beauty and the transportation to landscapes both interior and exterior that move me like few things can. I remember being rocked by the L.O.T.R. movies years ago and was looking forward a repeat. But doing the back to back thing was kind of daunting. Thank god it was dark, cold and rainy as it begged for the Great Indoors all day. To avoid the ordeal that the hobbits endured, staving off starvation by eating lembas ( geek reference to a sort of Elvish hardtack) we had prepared for the day. As Sheryl and I mounded bowls of pretzels, chips, guacamole, salsa, crackers, and hummus next to the gallon of assorted soda's onto our kitchen table, Corwin our 16 year old ordered the other teen staple of long haul movie watching...pizza. We planned for the movies to begin at 1pm thereby giving us plenty of time for stretch breaks/pee breaks/get outside and MOVE breaks plus a short dinner break. We figured that, as Frodo rode off into the sunset with Gandalf nine hours later (!) we would have just enough time to shout out our "Happy New Years!" by midnight. We planned wrong...for Corwin grabbed the 'Directors Cut' version of each film. You know, the one where Peter Jackson couldn't part with any scene...no matter how insignificant, tangential or LONG. Have you ever seen the end of a marathon long after the winners have crossed the tape? Where the runners barely arrive, exhausted and flagging, soaked in sweat? That's what we had prepared for...the 26 mile as kicking of a 9 hour movie day. We hadn't trained much, not owning a TV and all, so we knew that there would be some end of the day fatigue. But we were not ready for the Ultramarathon of the Peter Jackson version of L.O.T.R. Have you ever seen the end of an ultramarathon ? Probably not as watching people run non-stop for 100 miles doesn't make for very interesting television. The finishers of an ultramarathon look, well, bad. Incontinent of stool, poop running down their legs into their shoes, gaunt and dazed and skeletal they look a lot like the ER patients I see. Our 9 hour marathon had just become the ultramarathon of moviedom . And while the adults in the room shifted nervously, the teenagers couldn't believe their luck. Twelve glorious hours of couch surfing, TV and junk food all sanctioned and encouraged by the adults who always nag them to turn off the electronics and go outside for some exercise! As Sam and Frodo began their long and epic journey I was starting to relate to them. A dark and painful road lay ahead. By the middle of the second movie, six hours later, we had shared many ordeals; black riders, bands of murderous orks , a guacamole shortage, the end of the Dr. Pepper, the wandering eye of Sauron and the onset of 'flat butt syndrome'. A painful and debilitating disorder characterized by numb ass cheeks, agitation of the lower extremities and a strong desire to spank yourself. By the end of the 3rd movie, approaching 2:00am, the pain of Sam and Frodo baking in the lava fields of Mt. Doom paled to our own agony of indigestion, arthritic joints, muscle atrophy and chair sores (a lesser known form of bed sores). But just as the love and friendship of Sam and Frodo deepened through shared hardships, so did those of our family. In the future they might not sing songs and write poems about our ridiculous yet heroic movie day, but it will be remembered for a long time to come. Roll the credits!

Tue, 5 Jan 2010 Yes, after a drama filled 2009, I am more than ready to start the new year off right. And by that I mean sitting down and doing my first posting of 2010!! I'll wrap-up some adventures and I'll tell you about our latest residents! Sound good? Well let's get 'er started then!!! The fawns...they came in so long ago. Some had issews.... ...and some were quite distinguished! It seems like time went by so fast. They went from being inside, then to being outside in the mobile fawn pens, and before you knew it, they were out in a section of the "big fawn" outdoor pen. Then they went off the bottle, lost their spots,.... ...you find yourself helping to setup the fawn trailer next to their pen,.... ...and then they're gone! Sigh. Then there was this juvie Bald Eagle. It came in last June after being found on the ground, unable to stand, and very thin. Its feather-tips fascinated me! Once it started eating on its own we were pretty sure we were in the clear, and within a few weeks it was well enough to be moved outside to start building up its flight muscles. It started out in one of the smaller flight cages and over time it was progressively moved up to larger and even larger flight cages until it made it to its final destination in the journey through the ranks of Wolf Hollow...the Eagle Flight Cage. And there it stayed until we were told that the salmon run had started in the Skagit River. During this time a LOT of eagles congregate there to pick off the spawned out salmon. So, because the eating is good and easy, we try and release eagles there so as to give them the best start they can get upon release back into the wild. Well, this one wasn't released but a few weeks ago! Yep, it was with us for 6 months! Penny volunteered to drive it up to the Skagit when she headed off-island for the holidays, so I am borrowing her photos for this portion. Looking at it in its crate, I wonder what it was feeling, smelling the fish and hearing all the eagles? It certainly was anxious to rid itself of our company, as once Penny opened the carrier.... ...off it flew! So long and good luck!!!! Now, onto some of our 2010 residents. Have I mentioned the Turkey Vulture yet? No? REALLY?! Sheesh! I am behind then! This interesting bird came to us from nearby Orcas Island. When it was found, it was thin and dehydrated, most likely due to the fact that it couldn't fly really well, what with it missing its secondary flight feathers on both wings and feathers on its back. We tube-fed it fluids to rehydrate it and it was eating on its own after the first day. Pretty soon after that we got it outside to give it some wing room. First it was in one of the mews out in the woods... ..and then it was moved to the Slatted Flight Cage.... ...Isn't it cute?!...and it was just recently moved to the Heron Cage. For me, this vulture differs from the one we had in years ago. That one never seemed to get too agitated when I went in with it, as opposed to this guy, who, even if I just look at him sideways, does what every good vulture does when threatened....he pukes! Yep, everything in his crop comes out. It's an interesting defense mechanism, as what animal is going to go after some huge moving bird when it can have an easy and free meal? I am sure I will get plenty of opportunities to see this in action over and over again, as we are having to winter it with us, 'cause feathers or no feathers, it's too late for it to migrate. And, to round out the post, I would like to share the story of this GORGEOUS fella with you! This male Wood Duck was found on the mainland and shipped to us. Upon closer inspection, a puncture wound was found under its left wing. It immediately was started on antibiotics and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. Most people thought it had likely been shot, so an x-ray was scheduled. So x-ray it we did, and this is what we saw. Absolutely nothing. No pellets, bullets, or broken bones. So now we aren't sure what caused the puncture wound. It could have been predator related I guess, but we will never know for certain. So for now, it stays in the crate while its wound heals and then it, too, will go up through the ranks of flight cages until it is ready for release. I would like to end this post by wishing everyone a year full of love, wonder, happiness, and peace. Til next time...

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 One thing about the long winter nights here in the great Northwest; introspection. The endless summer days which call for hustle and bustle are long gone. The gardening for hours after work or BBQ's on the West side watching the sun go down at 10pm or warm 8pm bicycle rides. Those busy times are way back in my memory and I can remember even then looking forward to the slower pace and the longer nights of winter. WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?! Ah, the grass is always greener I guess but God alive bring back the longer days and the warmth and the 4:30am sunrises...please! And even the bustle...especially the bustle. Introspection. While not really wanting my life full of the distractions of the nutty, 24/7, overstimulated, over-caffeinated, "news" filled, "weather reports every 15 minutes and traffic reports every 12 minutes" world we all think of as normal, listening to the voices in my head all the time, all winter long doesn't really feel all that great either. I keep forgetting, as I lie there in my bed this morning, that the thoughts going through my mind are just the thoughts going through my mind. Nothing more and nothing less. The fact that I start believing them or the fact that by having those thoughts my emotional state is actually effected bugs me. I've read Eckhart Tolle, man. I should know by now, and I DO know by now that the thoughts upstairs have nothing to do with what is actually going on in my life. As I lay there this morning listening to how my life is not going anywhere and I'm just wasting away this precious gift of 'awareness' on 'time-wasters' like movies or DVD's I started to get that horrible feeling of worthlessness I get when everything isn't just perfect in my life (whatever that even means since everything actually IS perfect in my life...even the imperfections). I get taken away by those thoughts and transported to some land of pain where I am less and every one else is more. Where I am a loser and everyone else is a winner. Where I can NOT and everyone else can. I forget that those thoughts are only neurons firing in my brain and nothing else. The actual reality is that I was laying down wrapped up in flannel sheets. I was feeling the softest, smoothest skin on the planet (Sheryl's) and was well rested for whatever the day brought. It was a perfect moment...until I started to spin out on the thoughts in my head. I SHOULD be doing something else with my life. I SHOULD be...oh, I don't know...happier, deeper, more aware, more outgoing, less outgoing, more friendly, less banal...it's endless and it's absolutely ridiculous as there is no fulfilling the needs of my 'shouldy' brain. Have a shouldy day it says. I've been told I need to stop shoulding on myself. And I do when I actually remember what is real in my life and what is just crazy thinking. Sheryl just got a bumper sticker. "You don't have to believe everything you think". I love that. If only I could remember it. And that is why I am writing today. So that I can have this one way conversation and expose my dark self hatred to the world and just open it up to the light and see the thoughts. It helps. Thanks for reading...that helps too. Just knowing you're out there. The weather is still too cold, and the days still too short but it still helps dammit.

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 Kurt Schwalbe is a broadly trained, ecumenical minister, available to officiate at nondenominational weddings or to lead other types of services, tailored to your wishes.  Contact Kurt at 360-378-5473. Visitors planning a wedding in the San Juan Islands may want to checkout the San Juan Directory for more information on weddings, activities, and accommodations.

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 For Sale: A Nasty (as in nasty-good)Ride-- Honda XL 600 dual purpose street-legal.

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 Ah, winter running.  You got to love it, or it will drive you insane.   These past few weeks of running, with our Pacific Northwest cold snap, has brought back memories of winter running in Montana.  The most memorable winter was in 1992-1993.  Here's how it went, but before I start I need to go back to June, 92.   I had spent that spring training to run a Boston qualifier marathon, which was, for my age, a 3:15, and had planned on running the Governor's Cup Marathon the first of June.  My training worked out well and I did run a qualifying time - Boston, here I come!  That summer I ran regularly and kept my training up, though I didn't really started the big push, for Boston, until the first of November.  By this time I had met and befriended two other local runners, Mike and Ed, who were more into ultras.  Ed was really interested in training with me.  We ran, together, at least four times a week. Not only did I begin a push on my training, the weather began it's push for one of those "Seven Year Winters".  These are the type of winters that the locals enjoy because it sends all those who just moved up from California, back to California.  Snow, below zero temperatures, strong winds and just plain nastiness made this winter unbearable.  I mean that, it was just miserable. Here is a list of conditions that we dealt with: Snow.  A ton of snow feel on Helena that winter.  One weekend it was up over my knees. Below zero temperatures.  For about three weeks we had temperatures in the 20° below range.  Yes, 20° below zero.  Fahrenheit. Icy roads.  I slipped and feel more times that I care to think about.  Since we ran together, falling meant bring down your running buddy as well.  So much so that Ed made me a pair of studded running shoes. Frozen Body Parts and Things.  Twice I froze the tip of my nose.  Having the water in my water bottle freeze solid was a daily occurrence.  The trick was to drink enough water before it froze.  Eating a Power Bar during this time was impossible, though a chocolate glazed doughnut seemed to work. Running Winter Ware.  During this time I wore three layers of stuff to keep warm.  Since I would often run over 2 hours, in below freezing temperatures, my sweat would freeze on the inside of my nylon jacket.  I needed material to keep me warm when damp and became a big fan of a new material called Polar Fleece.   Darkness.  We ran, very often in the dark, since the really good headlamps of today were not on the market.  Though, running on snowy ground with a bright moon was a really cool experience. Wind.  Often these really strong winds would come blowing down off the continental divide, which was west of town.  Running in these winds was the most depressing experience of that winter. Long Winter.  This Seven Year Winter started in November and didn't really end until April.  Before heading to Boston, I had only run in just running shorts and bare legs, maybe, twice.  The cold never seemed to end.  We would often say, "Can't get much worse" and then it would. During this training cycle Ed and I ran in the 50 to 100 miles per week range.  We ran up and over mountain passes, steep canyons and, once, down the road where the Unabomber lived.  Yes, he was there during that time.  Oh the fun we had. Before I left for Boston, I would tell my friends that if the temperature, on race day, would in the below zero range, I would do really well.  My reality was, at Noon on Marathon Day, the temperature was in the 80° range.  Needless to say, I was not prepared for the heat.  Though, the race was great and worth all the effort to get there. This past week I ran in temperatures around 24° .  And I complained, though back in the Seven Year Winter, a run in 2 4 ° would be like running on a summer day.  Funny how things change over time and seasons. Winter running, got to love it.

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 Upcoming Services:  2009 -2010 Meeting at Mullis Center, 10:00 a.m. Sundays Nov 8 Passing the Equinox--Kurt Nov 15 Thanksgiving--Kurt Nov 17 Board Meeting at Key Bank, upstairs, 12:30 Nov 22 Connecting with Nature--Jennie Atkinson, Director of the Whale Museum Nov 29 No meeting (Thanksgiving week end) Dec 6 Pancake Breakfast Dec 13 Hanukkah: The Feast of Lights--Kurt Dec 15 Board Meeting at Key Bank, upstairs, 12:30 Dec 20 Christmas: The Light of the World--Kurt Dec 27 Holiday Potluck, 11:00, at Kurt and Elizabeth Schwalbe's home (293 Miller Rd. Take Egg Lake Rd to Three Corner Lake Rd to Miller Rd. Call 378-5473 if you need further directions. Bring a potluck dish to share and a wrapped gift to exchange---$10 limit.) 2010 Meetings Jan 3 Pancake Breakfast Jan 10 The Spirituality of India--Kurt Jan 17 Buddhism: The Universal Way--Kurt Jan 19 Board Meeting at Key Bank, upstairs, 12:30 Jan 24 Renewal: People and the World Practice Environmental Stewardship--Mary WillAllen Jan 31 Tibetan Buddhism: The Diamond Way--Kurt Feb 7 Pancake Breakfast Feb 14 TBD Feb 16 Board Meeting at Key Bank, upstairs, 12:30 Feb 21 TBD Feb 28 Lessons of a Life in Comparative Mythology, Joseph Campbell, Part 1--Jack McKenna Mar 7 Pancake Breakfast Mar 14 Joseph Campbell, Part 2--Jack McKenna Mar 16 Board Meeting at Key Bank, upstairs, 12:30 Mar 21 Discussion of book The Religious Case Against Belief, by James Carse--Joanruth B. Mar 28 Kurt speaks about his trip to India Apr 4 Pancake Breakfast (Easter) Apr 11 TBD Apr 18 Spirituality of China--Kurt Apr 20 Board Meeting at Key Bank, upstairs, 12:30 Apr 25 Resurgence of Religion in China--Kurt May 2 Pancake Breakfast May 9 TBD (Mother's Day) May 16 Living Biblically (Book discussion on The Year of Living Biblically)--Kurt May 18 Board Meeting at Key Bank, upstairs, 12:30 May 23 The Glorious Koran--Kurt May 30 The Man Who Found Time--Kurt June Potluck TBD July Potluck TBD August Potluck TBD

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} The news from last week of the passing of John Linde while vacationing, was a total shock to our community.  My thoughts go out to Carol and her children.   I find myself, at times like this, thinking about life.  My life.  This self-evaluation process is very valuable to me in understanding who I am.  I ask myself things like; what's going on presently and am I happy with those goings.  Am I on track to where I want to go?  What tweaks do I need to ensure success.  I mean, it's my life and I really need to be happy with it.  No one else to blame for things I have chosen to do or not to do.   John passed away at the age of 62.  I am 55.  Not too many years between us.  At times I see the light at the end of my tunnel of life.  I realize that I am not immortal as I once thought I was, and that, I think I best get in gear to accomplish all those things I want to.  Though I have given up the idea of becoming a Rock Star.   The bottom line for me is this.  I run.  I may not have much money.  I live in a tiny apartment and not a large house.  My retirement is slim.  But my life is greatly enhanced by running.  It gives me so much joy and satisfaction on my life road.  Each run provides me with adventure, thrills, social encounters and a huge sense of accomplishment.  All for the price of shoes and a hour a day.     I run to live.  We run to live.  This is what we do.  This is how we find our purpose and our being.   Run On!   Clark

Tue, 8 Dec 2009 With the holidays upon us, I think about all the crazy and useless gifts that I have been given over the years by very well meaning friends and family.  Some functional gifts and some not.  So, I thought I would present  five gifts ideas that would really benefit the runner in your life . Gift Number 1.  A hand held water bottle with holder.  From my experience a runner can’t have too many   water bottles.  Sometimes, on a really long run or race, it’s even nice to have two.  Really.  When you go shopping, make sure the bottle and holder feels comfortable in your hand and has some type of little pouch that your favorite runner can stash money, debit card or car keys.  There are a few brands that are selling a really nice bottle.  Add some icing on the cake by putting five or ten dollars in the pouch before you wrap it. Gift Number 2.  A box of small, round Band-Aids for your runner’s nipples.  Yes, for their nibbles.  I find on my long runs,   the friction of the shirt irritates me.  Sometimes to the point of bleeding.  Not a good thing.  Especially when one, afterwards, steps into a really hot shower.   Ouch.  Not only is this gift functional, it is also a kind gift as it will save your runner friend pain and the embarrassment that comes from a bloody shirt Gift Number 3.  A Gift Certificate to your runner's favorite running store.  Doesn't need to be a huge amount of money, though I suppose that wouldn't be such a bad idea.  Running shoes, short, tops, nutritional supplements, socks and rain gear.  The opportunities for delight are many.  Not only will your runner be grateful for the gift, they will be able to purchase the type of gear that benefits and helps them the most. Gift Number 4.  Race Entry.  Present your runner with a coupon for the race of their choice.  That type of gift would be really cool.  Not only will your gift save your runner some dollars, but will also provide them a new level of motivation to get out the door and run.  This type of gift would help your runner accomplish some worthy goals. Gift Number 5.  Road ID.  Road ID is a personal identification band that contains both contact phone numbers and medical information, while being a lifesaving piece of equipment, if by chance it would needed.  Very inexpensive, but yet invaluable.  Check out www.roadid.com for ordering information. Well, there you go.  That's Santa Clark's list for this Holiday Season.  

Mon, 7 Dec 2009 With the holidays upon us, I think about all the crazy and useless gifts that I have been given over the years by very well meaning friends and family. Some functional gifts and some not. So, I thought I would present five gifts ideas that would really benefit the runner in your life. Gift Number 1. A hand held water bottle with holder. From my experience a runner can’t have too many water bottles. Sometimes, on a really long run or race, it’s even nice to have two. Really. When you go shopping, make sure the bottle and holder feels comfortable in your hand and has some type of little pouch that your favorite runner can stash money, debit card or car keys. There are a few brands that are selling a really nice bottle. Add some icing on the cake by putting five or ten dollars in the pouch before you wrap it. Gift Number 2. A box of small, round Band-Aids for your runner’s nipples. Yes, for their nibbles. I find on my long runs, the friction of the shirt irritates me. Sometimes to the point of bleeding. Not a good thing. Especially when one, afterwards, steps into a really hot shower. Ouch. Not only is this gift functional, it is also a kind gift as it will save your runner friend pain and the embarrassment that comes from a bloody shirt Gift Number 3. A Gift Certificate to your runner's favorite running store. Doesn't need to be a huge amount of money, though I suppose that wouldn't be such a bad idea. Running shoes, short, tops, nutritional supplements, socks and rain gear. The opportunities for delight are many. Not only will your runner be grateful for the gift, they will be able to purchase the type of gear that benefits and helps them the most. Gift Number 4. Race Entry. Present your runner with a coupon for the race of their choice. That type of gift would be really cool. Not only will your gift save your runner some dollars, but will also provide them a new level of motivation to get out the door and run. This type of gift would help your runner accomplish some worthy goals. Gift Number 5. Road ID. Road ID is a personal identification band that contains both contact phone numbers and medical information, while being a lifesaving piece of equipment, if by chance it would needed. Very inexpensive, but yet invaluable. Check out www.roadid.com for ordering information. Well, there you go. That's Santa Clark's list for this Holiday Season.

Sun, 6 Dec 2009 Local interest is building for the first race series of 2010, the Nookachamps Winter Runs on January 16. The Winter Runs consists of a half marathon, 10K and a 5K. Starting time is 10 am, which makes it really easy for local runners who need to take the ferry. The semi-flat course, combined with views of fields full of visiting Trumpeter Swans makes this a positive experience. For more information, check out http://nookachamps.com/

Sat, 14 Nov 2009

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 I am so inspired. After spending the weekend in the company of fun, creative, innovative and motivated women and a few guys too, I am revived . The Funky Junk Sale was a success for me. Just being around people...

Tue, 27 Oct 2009

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 Island Stage Left celebrates their 10th anniversary of "Shakespeare Under the Stars" with The Tempest. Showing on San Juan Island from July 18 to August 23 (check http://www.islandstageleft.org for locations and showtimes), The Tempest, William Shakespeare's swansong, is perhaps his most glorious play. Featuring professional actors and local island residents on incredible outdoor stages, The Tempest will enthrall audiences of all ages. As usual, admission is free, with donations gladly accepted.

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 From http://www.sanjuanislandsTV.com . Madden Surbaugh, Chef/Owner of Steps Wine Bar & Cafe in Friday Harbor, talks about the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild (www.sjiagguild.com).

Fri, 9 Oct 2009 The weather here has been amazing. Most days I am still in short sleeve shirts and enjoying the warm temps. I know it will soon be changing, the Pacific Northwest always changes to the gray and wet. But for now I am happy to soak up the nice weather. On Oct 7th we headed off island on the 6 pm ferry. The sunset on the ferry ride was amazing. It felt a little silly leaving such a beautiful scene. But we were headed to Seattle to spend some time before heading off for a weekend of fun. I have included a picture of the sunset below. The weather has been nice here in Seattle the past couple of days. Oct 8th was my birthday and I spent it being pretty low key and then we went to Richard Dawkins lecture on his new book, The Greatest Show on Earth. It was the first time I have seen him speak. It was a pretty funny scene, but none the less it was fun to be there. A short stroll through campus and we were headed home. Our weekend plans are up in the air as of now. We had planned on going to Tonasket to the barter fair, but we are not sure right now. Looks like we are going to head to Leavenworth tonight. I know I usually share pictures of the beautiful San Juan Islands. But after the weekend I hope to share pictures from other areas of Washington State. Overall this is a beautiful state and many opportunities to see scenic views. The sunset from the car deck on the ferry. It was really a nice sunset. Actually on of the best ferry rides I taken. Messing about with the camera. I know it is a dark image, but it is still nice. Check back Monday for more pictures.

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 Yesterday I was happy to get out on the water for a few hours with friends. Robin had a childhood friend in town. They just got back from backpacking in the Olympic Mountains and wanted to go out for a short paddle. It was a beautiful day to kayak on San Juan Island. The heavy grey clouds loomed over head with a bit of rain falling. It was the perfect temperature out and we were ready to enjoy the smooth waters. We had a blast laughing and paddling the coast looking for sea stars and other creatures at the waters edge. Bald Eagles perched high in trees looking for an easy meal. Dall's porpoise were everywhere. Some groups were moving slowly along the surface making shallow dives and others were speeding along throwing a rooster tail of water forward. Drifting back home in the flood current was nice and easy and we just bobbed along with smiles. It was really nice to meet Robins friend Melissa. I hope she enjoyed here short stay on San Juan. OPEN YOUR EYES!!! LOL Robin enjoying the clam waters around San Juan. Ahhh. Old Friends. Melissa leaving Small Pox Bay Rafted checking out the beautiful scene. Kelp Beds are lots of fun. Heading down the coast! Well that is all I have to share. This is a wonderful time to come out and doing some kayaking. We ( Discovery Sea Kayaks ) will be running tours all fall, so come out and have some fun!

Wed, 9 Sep 2009 "One never knows what is in store for the day and today was no exception. We left the dock and headed out into Rosario Strait when Captain Carl spotted 4 Orcas traveling near Williamson Rocks. It was about 12:45 PM and no one had spotted these four moving near Anacortes!! And a what a find they were. It was the T19 subpod of Transient Orcas comprised of T19 (the mom) and her 3 offspring including her sprouter male son T19B- who was tagged a year ago this month fairly close to where we found them today! Tightly grouped they zigged and zagged but continued south towards Lawson Reef.

Wed, 2 Sep 2009 Round Lake  State Park Near Sandpoint Idaho  Sunset from the Tromp the Swamp hike. I asked my husband to find a state park in Northern Idaho near Silverwood theme park for our family vacation. I mentioned Priest Lake assuming that he would reserve one of their 435 campsites on the lake since it is so large and popular. [...]

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 We will begin our year on September 13 and will return to meeting at 10:00 am. Sunday mornings at the Mullis Center (589 Nash St). Note that we are going to make one of our Sundays a pancake breakfast social at the Mullis Center! Click here to see the schedule.

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 Picture Lake Path/Heather Meadows Mt. Shuksan/Mt. Baker Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie Forest    Picture Lake/Mt. Shuksan  I headed up to Mt Baker/Mt. Shuksan for a day of photography with a good friend of mine. The drive was long and slow, but the view and experience of being in and around those majestic mountains made the time it took to get there well [...]

Wed, 5 Aug 2009 Pictures say a thousand wordshelliphellipa feast for the eyes For the last week of our trip we are staying in Panama city to explore places we havenrsquot seen or even knew they existed by stumbling onto them. All the city noises makes us urn for our little quiet town of Friday Harbor. Speaking of stumbling and talking your way into places we went to the International Trade Show as buyers.