‘Round the rock…

I had to crawl to the top of the Crabhouse to shoot this picture for you (I'll do anything for you, you know) of the excellent paint job that Bob Benz & his crew did on the Cannery Landing building last month.

What’s happening….

• Pam Herber wrote to say that the Writers’ Café is tonight (Friday), at The Bean (behind the Pelindaba Lavender shop on First Street) from 5:00-6:30pm. She says to ring your fiction, nonfiction or poetry to read or join us to listen. Sign-up will be at 5:00 and we will start reading at 5:30. The Bean will offer coffee, tea, sodas and pastries for sale.

Rowan

• Meanwhile, in Madagascar – it’s been fun to keep up with Rowan Braybrook, who serving in the Peace Corps there.

Her blog has a video of the music, pictures of kids, and an interesting report this morning of dead bodies & the celebration of the openings of three new schools. And she reports about the aye-aye, which she describes as a lemur that looks like a cross between a raccoon and ET and has its own branch on the lemur family tree. You can read her blog for more.

Couple of weeks ago: LeeAnne GrosJacques celebrates Michael's 21st birthday - wahoo!

• This Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of the capture of local killer whale Lolita at Penn Cove, down on Whidbey Island. They’re having an even there, but there will be an event here at Lime Kiln from 6-9pm, too…Debbie Fincher tells me Christine Swedell is putting it together:

This gathering will be for those who cannot make it to the Penn Cove event earlier that day. All ideas at this point to mark this event will be welcomed. Please email Christine at: [email protected]. Note: Bring a candle to have lit at dusk.

• At the first of next week, you may see a lot of boats in the harbor – Vernadel from the Chamber of Commerce explains:

Friday Harbor is bracing themselves for a modern day pirate invasion August 9. There won’t be any old-fashioned pillaging or plundering, though. These “Brethren of the Sound” pirates are coming to visit Friday Harbor.

Latitudes & Attitudes’ ninth annual NW Cruiser Party and Share the Sail event comes to the San Juans next week and we expect more than 150 boats and upwards of 1,000 people.

“We throw six to seven of these cruisers’ parties around the country, mostly at the big boat shows. And one international party at a place like Antigua, Tonga, New Zealand. But this one is different as local readers started it and put it all together,” said Bob Bitchin, publisher of Latitudes & Attitudes Seafaring magazine. The first party was held in 2002 with about 20 people on Sucia Island. Last year’s event in Poulsbo drew an estimated 750 people.

“We plan on stopping at Spencer Spit, Friday Harbor, Sucia Island, Roche Harbor or Rosario, and Lopez Islander before heading back to Anacortes for the party,” said Friday Harbor resident Darren O’Brien, director of marketing for the magazine and producer/director of Latitudes & Attitudes TV.

On the morning of August 9, the flotilla will start arriving at the Port of Friday Harbor. That night, Florida-based “Endless Summer” and Friday Harbor’s own Ken Bateman will perform at the Rumor Mill. August 10, West Marine will host a “Meet Bob Bitchin” event from 8-10 a.m., then the flotilla will visit other locations in the islands.

Henry V - tonight! Photo by Jon Sinclair, concepia.com

• Yep, Henry V is on tonight & this weekend at Roche Harbor. See you there.

• Mike’s at the Library tonight at 7pm – “Fishing the salmon banks: a brief history” with Mike Vouri – San Juan Island National Historical Park chief of interpretation Mike Vouri explores the salmon fishery off American’s Camp’s South Beach and along San Juan Island’s southern shore. He’ll cover Indian reef-netting to fish traps and the purse seining that continues to this day. The program is co-sponsored by San Juan Island National Historical Park.

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