Around the island….

Remember Jeff VanDerford, who used to write & shoot pictures for the Journal? He & Nancy are retired in Virginia now, and he checks in every so often...that's them visiting the garden of the Governor's Palace at Williamsburg.

Looking around to see what’s up….

• I sure like the way Scott Hale has on the 123 West website, right at the top: “Ready, Set, Slow.”

Thor - at Griffin Bay on Thursday at 7pm

• Looks like Thor Hanson‘s set for his presentation on Thursday at Griffin Bay Bookstore this week – he was on NPR last weekend, and has nice reviews of his book Feathers in The Economist, Science News, The Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times.

Here’s more from Nancy at GB:

Griffin Bay Bookstore is proud to announce an evening with San Juan Island’s own Thor Hanson, noted author and conservation biologist, on Thursday night, June 30, 7:00 pm.

Hanson will regale us with stories from his latest work, FEATHERS: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle. This is an event sure to enchant, and to inspire you to learn about the many remarkable aspects of feathers – from how they evolved to how they are used to attract others (of both the avian and human variety). “There are many things in nature well adapted to a single purpose, but few things adapted to many purposes,” says Hanson. “Their sheer diversity of form and function make feathers unique, from waterproofing to flight, insulation, and colorful display.”

Be sure to attend our evening with Thor Hanson; he’ll be here at Griffin Bay Bookstore in between events on his nation-wide book tour. FEATHERS has received many accolades, including the following from Peter Matthiessen, National Book Award-winning author of The Snow Leopard and Shadow Country:

“A fascinating book about the most remarkable—and beautiful—of all avian evolutionary adaptations, with wonderful accounts of ornithological investigations and the solving of biological quandaries and questions, all of it unusually well-written. Highly recommended.”

Laurie & Tim and the crew at Market Chef open on Saturdays during the summer, and last week's first Saturday was jammed on the deck out front...drop by & say hey this weekend!

• Here’s the word from the Washington State Ferries for this weekend:

Please plan ahead for heavy traffic this Fourth of July weekend. We encourage customers to walk on instead of taking their vehicles. Paid parking is available at the Anacortes terminal. The San Juan routes will operate on the regular summer sailing schedule.

Last Friday singer & songwriter Dana Lyons delighted the crowd at the Library with his wit & social conscience & very singable songs...and checked with Melina to make sure the library has his book, "The Tree."

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