Sunny mornings…great way to start the day after days & days of Fogust… • What’s it like to take a sea kayak trip for someone off-island? Natalie reports how her trip with Crystal Seas Kayaking this week. • What’s new at Cotton Cotton Cotton? Gail & Randy have more: New merchandise at Cotton Cotton Cotton!   Continue Reading

I love this song by the Moody Blues – I think my favorite line in it is: “No one tells the wind which way to blow….” Here’s Dawning is the Day: Rise, let us see you, Dawning is the day, Miss, misty meadow, You will find your way, Wake up in the morning to yourself  Continue Reading

Here’s the word from Chris at Tif & Gif: Hey Ian, Just wanted to pass on the exciting news that you can now (finally!) purchase artisanally sharpened pencils from one of the finest craftsmen in the U.S. (maybe even the world!). Tif & Gif Creative just finished up a collaboration with David Rees (of Get  Continue Reading

Let’s see what’s up…. • Here’s a nice rainbow over the island, shot by Bill Wright at San Juan Safaris. • David Bayley is playing piano tonight in town & he’s pretty pumped: Hey, Ian! Just wanted to let you know I’ll be performing my rags, blues, boogie and more at the Rumor Mill, Thursday  Continue Reading

Let’s see what’s up…. • Tonight at Music on the Lawn (last one of the season!) it’s Rewind – Tom & Tami Doenges and Kate Schuman, from 6:30-8:30pm. Great way to end this year’s series – see you there! Rewind also plays at the Port from 5-7pm on Friday! Meanwhile, Steve Keys continues with Acoustic  Continue Reading

He’s a great one…solo acoustic guitar player Michael Gulezian is playing tonight (Friday) at 7pm at Free Horse Farm (215 Crow Valley Lane, off Boyce Road, 1/4th Mile from Beaverton Valley). $15. Here’s his website. See ya there!

Always liked Keb’ Mo’…here’s “Better Man” which he does for the Playing for Change folks:

This past weekend was a sunny, pleasant day to take in a bit of history as two tall ships were tied up in Roche Harbor. Folks could visit the vessels, and the two had a mock battle with cannon fire later in the afternoon… Hard not to let your mind wander back into the past….

Friday Harbor’s own Rhiana Franklin just won 1st place, out of 23 contestants, at The Colgate Country Showdown in Yakima. She now advances to the State Championship in Ellensburg on Sept. 5th. Here’s the vid:

Around the rock…. • Hey  – yesterday was 8/9/10. • Are you up for humor and mystery? A lazy way to spend a relaxed hour? Buy Marion Riles Soft-boiled Detective Stories – an ebook by islander R. D. Larson. Click here to read the first chapter free, and to order yours if you like. •  Continue Reading

Remember Jeff who used to work at the Journal? He reports that he’s moving east – here’s more: Hey, Ian: Just a note to you and your readers. After some years reporting for the San Juan Islands Journal, I recently retired from the South Whidbey Record (now based in Coupeville for some strange reason), and  Continue Reading

When Canadians Suzanne Chisholm & Michael Parfit (from Sidney, BC) came & showed their film Saving Luna here in November 2008, it was awesome. You could see why it had won some 24 national & international awards. And in the crowd here there were so many people who knew the story of Luna – there  Continue Reading

Debbie Sandwith from the Roche Harbor Market passes on the news that there will be a celebration of a 1977 Friday Harbor High graduate’s life this weekend: Celebration of Doug Grossarth’s life (Oct. 2, 1959 – Aug. 1, 2010) ~ Saturday, August 14th, San Juan Golf Course at 4pm with a no host bar, salad,  Continue Reading

Henry V runs this week & next (Thursday-Sundays at 8:15pm at Roche Harbor), and the folks who have seen it have told me, “Wow.” Here’s a note from Brenda to tell you her thoughts: Please don’t let your summer go by without seeing Island Stage Left’s “HENRY V”. I went last weekend only because I  Continue Reading

The National Park Service is taking comments till midnight tonight – you can write yours up & deliver it to their place on Mullis Street, or you can click here & send it online.

Interesting weekend, as we finally got some rain (you could feel & hear the ground, loving it & soaking it up) on Saturday, sandwiched between sunny days on Friday & Sunday… • I’ve heard about the backups at the transfer station, but got to experience it first hand when I went three times on Friday  Continue Reading