Sharon Towson on Cobe and Theresa Simendinger on Zanzibar enjoy the Mitchell Hill trails – Louise Dustrude photo

For September’s Know Your Island walk, follow San Juan Islander Theresa Simendinger and her horse Zanzibar on a walk along her favorite trail; the Horse Trails on Mitchell Hill. She will make stops along the way and tell us about building trails for horses, how to share the trail, what it is like to take care of a horse and her love for the outdoors.

Saturday, September 22, from 1-4pm
Meet at Horse Trail Rd. entrance, off of West Valley Rd.
Distance: about 3 miles
Terrain: Easy, wooded trails
Please leave the dogs a home for this hike.

Susan Wingate – Contributed photo

Celebrating the publication of The Death of Vultures by Susan Wingate…

San Juan Islander Susan Wingate is launching her latest novel, The Death of Vultures, on Saturday, September 22, 2:00-4:00 pm at Griffin Bay Bookstore. If you’re an avid follower of Susan’s books, be sure to stop in the bookstore to chat with her and get your right-off-the press copy signed.

You can see letters from individuals supporting our candidates at the links below. Letters are listed in chronological order. As more letters come in, this list will be updated so be sure to check back.

For Nick Power:
Colleen Kenimond
Don Hall

For Randy Gaylord: 
Lyn Perry
Don Drozd
Cathy Ferran
Norm Stamper

Stephanie Prima – Peggy Sue McRae photo

Stephanie Prima has a message for you… 

Open Letter to Gen-X’ers, Baby Boomers & The Silent Generationals

There is something subtle, almost unnoticeable, that happens to many people as we start to age. Even if we are walking daily and stay fairly active, we can still display this mark of aging.

Like a sneaky invader, age creeps in and gradually slows our reflexes, diminishes our limits of stability, alters our balance and gait. Our ankles aren’t as flexible, our steps are shorter, our arms don’t swing as wide as when we were younger.

Do you know someone who has tripped and fallen while walking a pet? Stumbled on an uneven trail or over a rug? Got knocked accidently from the side and went down? Perhaps these and other falls seem like no big deal, but in reality they should be a wake-up call.

I remember how my mother was so looking forward to moving out of her big home when she was finally free of her family obligations. But she fell in the bathroom one night, cracked her hip, and was never able to return home again.

Falls can cause serious injury, even death, can rack up medical expenses, and dash our dreams for a long, happy life. I’m sure you want you to have the strength and reflexes to catch yourself like when you were younger. That’s why I’m offering two classes in Tai Ji Quan: Moving For Better Balanceâ (TJQMBB), to retrain your body so you can continue to do what you love to do. I believe if my mom had this training, she would still be with me today. Read More »

Susan Wingate with Robert – Contributed photo

Wingate fans have been eagerly anticipating her new psychological thriller, The Death of Vultures, a book that has been rocketing up the bestseller list at Amazon since its release on Saturday.

Wingate’s books, are sometimes referred to as “psychological suspense women’s fiction.” I wondered if that was because both the protagonist and the author are female. Here is what Susan says… “Women’s fiction, specifically stories bending toward family drama and mystery, have always resonated in me. Since a kid, I enjoyed watching movies like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, reading Tennessee Williams, books like A Doll’s House, anything Hitchcock. Those stories got into my bones. I love stories about the human condition where family and character are central to the story’s theme.”

The Death of Vultures stands ready to deliver on those early inspirations. Here is an excerpt from the back cover…  “When daughter, Lily, dies from an apparent heroin overdose, Meg becomes embroiled in a world as exotic as it is criminal after getting swept up in the drug world.  When her husband ends up dead too, Meg has nothing left to lose and she goes on the hunt. But will she be the hunter or the hunted? Nothing is as it seems.”

Susan leaves a message for her readers on her Amazon page, a message that may make her work all the more intriguing to her island readers… “That you have added this story to your library means the world to me. Possibly, because this story goes deep into a fictional crime world that I’ve set on the island where we live. Like any community, our small island has a dark underbelly. In VULTURES, I’ve chosen to bring that darkness into the light. Of course, as a fictionalized tale one I hope rings true for the reader.” And from her webpage… “Question: Can a sense of place living on an island in the Pacific Northwest, where wildlife is as abundant as rain, not influence my writing? Simply put, place desperately influences my writing”.

As our island’s seasons turn toward the dark and rainy the time seems right to cozy up with a good thriller. Be fore-warned. I leave you with the words of James Rollins, New York Times bestseller of The Demon Crown… “ I’m still reeling after finishing Susan Wingate’s latest, The Death of Vultures. Brilliantly written, here is a tale that grips you by the throat from the opening prologue to the gut-punch of an ending. Both tender and brutal, intelligent and visceral, each page carries a reader further down a harrowing path… this novel will leave an indelible mark on your soul.”

Link to: Susan Wingate

Walking with Trekking Poles – Peggy Sue McRae photo

One of the most critical components of maintaining happiness and health as we get older is staying mobile and not falling down. Regarding that, I have some good news and I have some some bad news. The good news is that most healthy Americans can expect to live well into their 80s and beyond. The bad news is, we may wear out a few parts and meet some obstacles along the way. Keeping active is the best way to retain mobility and sustain the quality of life mobility provides. The next challenge is not to fall down, a risk that will increase, as we get older.

Lots of things that affect seniors contribute to falling hazards. Loss of eyesight and hearing or a general slowing of reflexes can contribute to a loss of balance. Diabetes, heart disease, blood pressure, and many common medications can also affect your balance. All of the things we know we are suppose to do, eat right, sleep well, and exercise become all the more critical to maintaining active lives and do I even need to say it? Get yourself some sensible shoes.  Those platform sandals looked so cool… in the 70s. But now, Serena looks pretty cool in her Nikes and you can too.

Handy Handrail – Peggy Sue McRae photo

What is becoming fairly common these days, a knee replacement, temporarily slowed down my friend Margaret, an avid hiker and loyal dog walker. The operation was so successful she plans to get her other knee replaced too. To get back up to speed around the house she and husband Conrad have installed strategically placed handrails. They have also made use of trekking poles. Trekking poles provide balance and stability while walking and reducing impact on knees, other joints, and strain on muscles.

If keeping good balance is an issue for you please consider taking Stephanie Prima’s class, Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance starting October 4 at the Mullis Center. If you have already lost some mobility consider taking Katrina Wen’s Chair Yoga class also at the Mullis Center starting October 2.

To learn more about these classes link to: Island Senior: New Classes Starting This Fall at the Mullis Center.

Zylstra Lake Preserve – Jennifer Furber photo

There will be an Open House at Zylstra Lake Preserve on Sunday September 30 from noon to 4:00 pm, at Zylstra Lake Preserve, San Juan Island…

The San Juan County Land Bank and San Juan Preservation Trust board members and staff are hosting an open house at the preserve where you can learn about the project, walk the preserve, and share your vision!

Directions: From Friday Harbor, take San Juan Valley Road for just over three miles. Look for event signs alerting you to the turn onto the property.

Please call Tanja Williamson at 360-378-4402 or visit sjclandbank.org for more information.

On October 13^thfrom 11 am to 5 pm, the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) will deliver a free training session in Friday Harbor, WA for citizens interested in surveying for marine debris. The COASST Marine Debris program is focused on the intersection of science, conservation, and communities. Rather than simply identifying debris, the program characterizesit and measures its abundance in particular zones of the beach.

Through an interactive, hands-on workshop, trainees will learn how to collect data that speaks directly to the source and transport pathways of debris, as well as to the potential harm to people, wildlife, and local coastal ecosystems.  The COASST training provides participants with the tools to monitor for potential changes in the marine environment and promote stewardship of local marine resources.

COASST is a citizen science project of the University of Washington in partnership with state, tribal, and federal agencies, environmental organizations, and community groups. COASST believes citizens of coastal communities are essential scientific partners in monitoring marine ecosystem health. By collaborating with citizens, natural resource management agencies and environmental organizations, COASST works to translate long-term monitoring into effective marine conservation solutions.  Currently, nearly 1000 volunteers survey beaches in Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska.

The training session will be held at Friday Harbor Laboratories Commons (620 University Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250). There will be a short break in the middle of the session for lunch, so please bring your own sack lunch, or money to purchase food in the area. Volunteers need NO prior experience with scientific data collection, just a commitment to survey a specific beach at least once a month.

Reserve your training spot by calling COASST at 206-221-6893 or by emailing coasst@uw.edu.  For more information on COASST visit coasst.org