You already know that one of my all-time heroes is Woody Guthrie…I think that one of the best things you can do besides sing his songs is maybe check out this handwritten entry in his 1941 diary, listing what he’d do in the coming year – be sure & click on the picture so you  Continue Reading

They’ll be playing at Blue Water for tomorrow’s New Year’s Eve, and it’s fun to see the island’s Good Husbands again. The guys are Zach (Riv), Tyler (Guy Rob), T-Hart (THAT Tyler), and Spencer (Satin). They have some warmup bands playing as well…if you haven’t seen them lately, here’s their latest vid, produced by Trent  Continue Reading

Somebody told me that a consultant is someone who will borrow your watch to tell you what time it is…similarly, these may be things you already know… • Ken Clark tells me that Extreme Fitness has yoga classes planned for the new year – starting January 9th, Hatha yoga emphasizes stretching, grounding, breathing and deep  Continue Reading

You probably have made your plans by now, but just in case, here are some ideas from folks around the island: • One couple (who I KNOW you know) went out at Griffin Bay & at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s for 2000 & set up a barrel of water in a tree  Continue Reading

Join Island Rec and the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition to ring in 2012 at this alcohol-free community party! Music, entertainment, dancing, games, contests and activties for all ages. Bring a snack to share! All ages, FREE! Saturday, December 31 from 7-9 pm at the Mullis Center.

Are you caught up with your thank you notes yet? Me, neither….maybe we’ll get to them today… • Yep, it’s tonight at the Rumor Mill – The Duotones (Bob Leytze & Mike Adams) will also be joined by special guest Avery Adams (FHHS ’08) – see ya there! ++++++++++++ • It was great to wander  Continue Reading

A piece of our island’s spirit has passed away….former Town Councilman & Mayor Jim Cahail is going to be mightily missed by a town that was lucky to have him around for so many years…he was a great one.  A commemorative Mass for Jim will be conducted at St. Francis Catholic Church on Wednesday, Dec  Continue Reading

You know why I like this holiday? Because it celebrates Someone who offered some pretty good advice for making things good in the world. In honor of the day & the One who gave that advice, here’s the whole Sermon on the Mount, from the Gospel According to Matthew: And seeing the multitudes, he went  Continue Reading

++++++++++ Let’s check in before we get this long holiday weekend going… • I heard that Lori Stokes was interviewed by Where To Retire magazine (they have over 500,000 readers) recently, so I asked her what was the scoop: In the November/December issue of this magazine (which I haven’t been able to find on any  Continue Reading

• Thanks to Randall, and xkcd.com

Here are some places that are celebrating the holiday, ’round the island: • At Friday Harbor Presbyterian Church, Torrey reports: CHRISTMAS SEASON WORSHIP SERVICES Christmas Eve, Saturday, Dec 24th: Family Candlelight Service 4:30pm This will include carols, scripture lessons, praise team, choir, and children’s time. Communion Candlelight Service 7:00pm This will be a quieter, more  Continue Reading

Let’s see what’s going on around the island…. • Gregg told me yesterday that Mi Casita is opening today (Thursday) for sure…and I got this nice note from Carol just now that after 15 years at the other place – they’re ready! It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years!  Now the old will be  Continue Reading

It’s always cool to hear about islanders doing things to make our place a little better, and some make it a lot better. My friend Teresa wrote this little story & sent some pictures to give you the idea about what they did to improve a trail – you’ll love this: Favorite Trail Improved by  Continue Reading

You know the twelve days of Christmas start after the 25th, right? Used to be you got a gift a day till Epiphany on the sixth…kinda like an Advent calendar gone post-retro. Anyway, here’s a little version of the song that’ll tickle you, I bet:

Yep, there’s a new calf in J pod – wahoo! Here’s the word from Howard Garrett at the Orca Network: Big news! It’s been kept quiet to make sure all parties confirmed it, but NOAA’s NW Fisheries Science Center and the Center for Whale Research have confirmed that on December 17, 39-year-old J16 (Slick) gave  Continue Reading

It’s great to have a day that you know means….more light! From here on out (for a half year, anyway) the days just get longer – wahoo!

I love the way our Community Foundation pulls different parts of our community together  – here’s another super example: Women’s Fund Makes Grants to Enrich Lives for Island Residents The Women’s Fund (WF) of the San Juan Island Community Foundation announced its 2011 grant program after counting the ballots. The recipients are Friday Harbor Food  Continue Reading

Richie Havens in 1971…..

Happy Tuesday to you! • Oren at The Rumor Mill wants to invite you down tonight – he & Peggy are offering a Hanukkah menu with Chicken Matzo Ball soup, Latkes, Beef Brisket, & much more. Menorah lighting at 7pm, followed by live music with OPA. The celebration of traditional Hannukah food starts at 4pm  Continue Reading

Last night was the last night for MiCasita in its “old” location…Gregg & the gang closed the doors there & will re-open soon at spot in the Best Western where Homesteaders was last year & earlier this year….

When Zip San Juan opened late last year, and got off to a roaring start of a first summer this past year, the main reason as far as I can tell was the ebullient & positive & cheerful way that Pat & Stella Moll-Nevins do business. If you ever wonder whether word of mouth works  Continue Reading