Happy Autumnal Equinox! It is now officially fall, harvest time, and a time to enjoy the abundance of the harvest. Lori Ann at Aurora Farms tells me that the Aurora Farms, Farm Store is still open daily from 9 am – 6 pm. The store is self-serve with people around if you need them. They sell  Continue Reading

Salish Seeds Native Plant Sale  Sunday, September 23 – 1pm to 3pm at Red Mill Farm Nursery, San Juan Island… Come on out to the Salish Seeds Project nursery at Red Mill Farm, where you’ll find camas bulbs, wildflowers, Garry oak seedlings, and seed packets of other native plants for sale. Limited quantities on hand. Directions to  Continue Reading

Flu season is here and it is time to get your flu shot! San Juan County Health and Community Services will be offering the following flu vaccine clinics:  San Juan Health & Community Services Clinic  145 Rhone St, Friday Harbor By appointment: Call 360-378-4474 to schedule for the following dates: September 24, 2018 2:00pm –  Continue Reading

The Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor announces it will hold a Grand Opening Celebration for its new shelter facility, Saturday September 29 from 2:00-4:00 in the afternoon. Members of the community of all ages are invited to attend and tour the new animal shelter and enjoy light refreshments.  Parking will be limited, so carpooling  Continue Reading

Islanders unable to afford dental care can receive it for free thanks to the local nonprofit Fish for Teeth from Thursday, Oct. 4 – Saturday, Oct. 6. On Thursday, the van will be located at the Lopez Center for Community and Arts and on Friday and Saturday, it will be parked at the Mullis Community  Continue Reading

Local Artists and Writers Encouraged to Apply… The Orcas Island Lit Fest today issued a reminder to all San Juan County artists, writers and poets that the submissions window for proposals to be considered for the 2019 Lit Fest will close after September 30.   “Supporting and promoting local and regional writers is a key aspect  Continue Reading

There are so many things in this world I haven’t figured out yet.  The long green snake that spits water is just one of them.  And what about the big metal box with wheels that brought me here all the way from Texas?  What’s that all about?  And furthermore, why don’t people have tails?  My  Continue Reading

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  Continue Reading

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,  Continue Reading

Don’t we feel happiest when our bodies are flexible and our minds at ease? Did you know that prevention is far better (and cheaper) than cure? Designed for self-motivated people who enjoy living life to its fullest. Come to learn ways to take charge and optimize your wellbeing from the inside out! Date: Monday & Wednesday 6:00 – 7:30pm, October 1, 3,  Continue Reading

Join us at the Mullis Community Center for this classic small-town event. Enjoy a delicious lunch and an afternoon of BINGO! This is a great way to start off your weekend. We meet every 2nd Friday of the month.  This Friday enjoy Pasta with Marinara Sauce, Caesar Salad w/ Garlic Croutons, and Chef Eugene’s Famous  Continue Reading

Monday, Sept. 10 from noon-2:00 pm, at the San Juan Island Grange, the League of Women Voters of the San Juans is presenting a discussion on the affordable housing initiative that will be on the November ballot. The proposal would establish a real estate excise tax, or REET, to help fund construction of affordable housing. Featured  Continue Reading

From photographer John Miller, “Caught this young fellow (Eric)  practicing on the ferry the other day.” 

Online licensing services will be unavailable from Sunday, August 26, through Monday, September 3; and state licensing offices will be closed Friday, August 31, through Monday, September 3. As a result, many county licensing offices – including San Juan County’s – will also be closed Friday, August 31. Normal services will resume September 4. The  Continue Reading

Griffin Bay Bookstore & the San Juan Island Library Present author Jonathan White Jonathan White’s Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean won accolades when it first came out, garnering early praise from fellow writers Peter Matthiessen, Thor Hanson, Susan Casey, Gretel Ehrlich, and Carl Safina, among others. Since then he has gone on  Continue Reading

The Town of Friday Harbor has hired SFE Global to perform “smoke testing” of the sewer systems within your neighborhood beginning September 4, 2018 through September 6, 2018. The purpose of smoke testing is to identify areas of leaks and cross-connections where rainwater and other surface drainage may be entering the sanitary sewer system. The  Continue Reading

Application deadline September 5th for 2019 Town LTAC Grants The Town of Friday Harbor’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) is accepting 2019 grant applications until Wednesday, September 5th. LTAC grants will be awarded for tourism promotion of 2019 events and activities taking place within the town. Preference is given to those operations and activities that  Continue Reading

San Juan Island National Historical Park Issues Fire Restrictions Due to very dry conditions and increasing fire danger on San Juan Island, Superintendent Elexis Fredy has announced fire restrictions in San Juan Island National Historical Park. Beginning August 21, 2018, fire restrictions prohibit: Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire, charcoal grill, tiki  Continue Reading

Click below to see more images from the San Juan County Fair. These are all from Day Two

Island Senior is a regular column on the SJ Update written by Peggy Sue McRae… August is a busy month at the Mullis Center. The month starts out by adding a special seasonal flourish to our first Sunday of the month (August 5) Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser: Adding fresh local berries and whipped cream to the  Continue Reading

Scholarship Awards and Leadership Skills Every July, youth from rural electric utilities throughout the Northwest gather at the College of Idaho to learn leadership skills, compete for college scholarships, expand their horizons and build camaraderie with peers from eight western states. 2018 OPALCO scholars Henry Miller, Arlo Harold, Natalie Meenan and Aida Must attended the  Continue Reading

Island Senior is a regular column on the SJ Update written by Peggy Sue McRae… Now that hot summer weather has finally come to our neck of the woods we may rejoice but we also need to take care. High temperatures can be dangerous. The July issue of San Juan Island Senior Signal*, the Mullis Senior  Continue Reading