|
prepared weekly
or so by Ian Byington July 12, 2000
Glorious Fourth: You know, there are several days each year which are true community events: the County Fair, the Journal Run, Opening Day in the Harbor, the Lighted Boat Parade at Christmas, certain shows at the Theatre, the Children's Festival... and the Fourth. Actually, almost every day is a community day one way or another. That's why we live here. That's why it takes so long to buy stuff at the grocery store... talking to people you know... The Fourth was great... starting with the parade, which this year included 80 or so members of the University of Washington marching band. Then there were all the activities and music behind the Historical Museum, followed by the Street Dance downtown, and barbecues all over the island. The big finale was the fireworks over the harbor (sponsored by the Chamber, who hustled the funds to make it happen). There also were fireworks over at Roche Harbor, and you could see Lopez Island's if you positioned yourself right. There are pictures of all this on Matt & Sharon's SanJuanIslander.com site - check 'em out! Enoch stays: Word is that School Superintendent Steve Enoch, who had applied for a similar job down sound, didn't get it. That's good... it's good to have him here. Glad he's staying. Kelley in: As previously rumored, Democrat Kelley Balcomb- Bartok has entered the County Commissioner's race for this fall. He joins Republican Greg Hertel in opposing incumbent Demo Darcie Nielsen in the September primary...the Democrat and Republican (if any other Republicans jump in) with the most votes in the September primary square off in November for the whole enchilada. Final filing date for candidates is later this month.
Sure brightens up the place. Reunion rocks: It was great. You should have been there...but if you weren't at last weekend's FHHS all-class reunion, you'll get the idea from the FHHS reunion page and from Matt & Sharon's page (they were there with the cameras!)
Play: It's nice out. Quit looking at this stuff & get outside and play. June 25, 2000
Sunsets: There was a ceremony last night at Lime Kiln on the west side for one of the whales who passed away. As folks were speaking and singing, J & K pods strolled by, according to Christian and Lea from Olympic Lights, who were in attendance. The boys and I missed the ceremony in favor of watching the sun set over Vancouver Island (above), which was absolutely wonderful. We saw a couple of straggling whales catching up to the pods passing, and waved at them. The Whale Museum keeps up a nice update/press release thing on their website you might want to take a peek at, if you care about how the whales are doing. Deer Harbor Charters also updates their Notes from the Field on a regular basis (they saw new baby L-99 last week, and report lots of inter-pod activity.) Good way to stay current with what's up with our orca friends. Finally - what a mob at Lime Kiln! With all the new parking spaces and trails, it was pretty easy for a number of people to congregate to show their respects to the whales. Hitched: Sharon Kivisto & Matt Pranger got married this weekend, and celebrated with a potluck and friends last night. Their child, the SanJuanIslander.com, is doing well...have you looked at it lately? Kids & libraries go together: Children's librarian Carrie at the Library sends this note:
Quote: This comes from the classroom wall poster of one of the finer science teachers in the state: "This is what you should do: Love earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown to any man. "Re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss what insults your own soul, and your very flesh shall be a great poem." - Walt Whitman.
June 21, 2000 Summer, now: Happy Solstice to ya! Get outside and play.
Golf Course, of course - The Club has renovated...have you been by to see the new carpets, the extension, new bar, sun room, and the dining hall upstairs, with its new dance floor? Workin' out: School's out, but that doesn't mean kids aren't working...the FHHS girls basketball team is off to team camp next week. A lot of kids are working at restaurants: The Place has Jennie Bordi, Katie Ellingson, Kelly Domico (who also makes websites for By Design), Derin Ross, Natalia Lawrence, and Sam Barnhart. Over at The Hungry Clam there's Sarah Werling, Quinn Gillespie, and Josh Eckl. Rob (hasn't he been there forever?) Combs and Donny Columbus are working the Pub, while Roger's Ice Cream employs Katie Phelan, Melissa Peacock, Mari Pemberton, Zack Williams, Joe Wilson. Lindsey Spaulding, John Mayo, and Lizzy Troxel are all working for the Port, and tons of folks are working at Roche Harbor.
Detour: Get used to it: Construction on Argyle Street there in front of the Fairgrounds has begun, craters & holes & digging and all. It'll be going on all through the summer till early fall. Quicker to go around the Mullis way, most days... Kelley deciding: Dropped by the Whale Museum to ask Kelley Balcomb-Bartok if he was really running for Darcie Nielsen's commish seat, and he says he's still thinking about it. Also running: Saw The Whale Museum's Clark Gilbert out running the Pear Point loop on Saturday morning...he coaches runners and runs himself. He also has a running club... Crack: Looks like that cracked wrist of Teri Ebey's will need surgery, she told me today. The Felicitations counter lady says it'll be cast for 6-8 weeks after that. Not a good deal for someone who works with their hands, but she just keeps smiling.... Eating out: School was out early on Thursday, so the boys and I ate lunch at Vic's, got a shake at Roy's, and got coffee at Felicitations. Over the weekend I got to have a great halibut dish at Friday Harbor House with a dear friend, and watched the NBA Finals at Haley's on Monday. (Saw The Trading Company's Tim there; his friend Jennifer works there; her friend Shelby was visiting from the Br. Virgin Islands.) You know, the chow around here is great. Each of these places does a super job.
June 14, 2000 Weather or not: You know, it really doesn't matter how crummy things get - and the weather HAS been kinda grey & crummy of late - it always fools you. Did you see how things cleared up Monday afternoon & evening, leading to that wonderful sunset? You just gotta believe. Always, there will come a time... Pears got points?: Last night my boys and I rode our bikes around Pear Point Road...you know, starting at the Fairgrounds, looping past Jackson's Beach and the gravel pit, up past Duffy House, around to Turn Point and Turn Island, back on into town, and back up to Argyle and the Fairgrounds again. A wonderful way to spend the evening, whether you're on foot for a walk, running (the boys call it Lori's Loop after a famous runner they know who ran it), or taking a leisurely drive. Check it out. Whales on the loose: Jean from Western Prince files this report in the Update's guestbook last week:
Over at Deer Harbor Charters, Tom keeps up a little whale watching notebook as well. And Bob Weimer has started a deal called OrcaCam which updates itself each time its whale watching boat goes out. Grads take flight: With FHHS's graduation Saturday, Spring Street School's on Sunday, and Skagit Valley College's this week, all the graduates are now loose in the world - and congratulations to them. The rest of the kids in school get out for the summer this Thursday... Quote: "Make
everything as simple as possible but no more." Commissioner race heats up: Sunday, FHHS teacher and Port of Friday Harbor commissioner Greg Hertel declared his intention to become part of another kind of commission: the County kind. The former Democrat is running as a Republican with hopes to face incumbent Darcie Nielsen in the November election. Meanwhile, word in the street has it that whale watcher/photographer Kelley Balcomb-Bartok plans to run as a Demo against Nielsen in the primary, set for September. Whale Tales redux: Peter Fromm is reading from the second volume of Whale Tales, just published a week ago. You can get your copy at his reading (The Whale Museum, tonight) or Island Studios, or any other bookstore around town. That cover by Bruce Conway should win awards, too... Quote: "We
end, I think, at what might be called the standard paradox of
the 20th century: our tools are better than we are, and grow
faster than we do. They suffice to crack the atom, to command
the tides. But they do not suffice for the oldest task in human
history: to live on a piece of land without spoiling Healing: Saw Ralph Smith, who retired from Harbor Press 2-3 years ago, on the ferry last week as he returned from a week in the hospital. He's better now, and says he's healing fine. Passing: Herb
Gubelman passed away last week... 'nough said. He was a great
one, the type who simply can't be replaced and who will long
be remembered. June 3, 2000 Greatest show on earth: After the week's crummy weather-mornings, lots of gray skies and enough rain to send people inside, the sun's been out in all its glory these last few nights. One of my boys and I went out Friday night to watch the sun go down on the west side of the island, with Dall's porpoises dancing around out in the water and the sun's reflection burnt into the ocean. It was great. It was nice to look south at the Olympic Mountains rising above the sea (that's toward Port Angeles, where wonderful things sometimes start), and look over the calm, slight-breeze ocean. It was cool. Family Fun Night: It WAS fun...Ginny Taylor and the PTA at the elementary school put on a nice event, with activities for kids, plenty of food, radio djs with lots of dancing, and more. Highlights included Tom Kearney and Dave Eden as the Blues Brothers, and Lisa McCormick going under what appeared to be a two-foot stick in the limbo contest. And a great time was had by all...it's what community is all about. You could see who had gotten out for the first time in the sun at the festivities, by all the pink & red & generally burnt faces. It sure FELT like the first day of summer. We kinda wandered into it, didn't we? like in Harry Chapin's song: "There's no clear cut beginnings, so far no dead ends." 18 days till the solstice. Ferry visitors: Coming home on the ferry the other day, it struck me how many people from other countries visit here. There was a Japanese family (speaking in Japanese) a table away from me, an Egyptian couple behind me (I asked), and a mama, papa, and kid from Colombia on the other side. When I went to get a newspaper from the recycling deal (where do you get YOUR news?) there was a guy talking about his "lorrey" down on the car deck, calling the ferry elevator a lift"; turns out he was from Manchester, England. And, of course, lots of our Canadian friends, eh? Steve remembered: Last Sunday was the the memorial for Steve Townsdin, who passed the week before...Steve was one of those folks you couldn't help but like the first time you met him, whose determination was shown as he battled the cancer that took over a year to take his life. He is much missed; Cathy's lost a great one, and Jens had the gift of having a great dad, if only for too short a time. Golf story: With the Celebrity Golf tourney this weekend (which I understand is going well), Mike Goff told me the other day he hit a drive over some trees that caught a piece of limb or something, and landed on a rock, which made the ball take off & hit Keith Guard's window during dinner...now there's a golfball-sized hole in the window. That in turn reminds me of Tim Dustrude's telling me he drives loose golf balls into Griffin Bay - he lives in Martha and Herb Gubelman's place off one of the fairways. Instead of picking the stray balls up from his yard, he just takes a driver to them and works on his swing. He doesn't do it when people are kayaking by, so don't worry if you're out in your boat. Graduation: Next week, Saturday at the high school. Be there. Market rolls on: If you haven't yet been by the Farmer's Market to get your vegetables (and more) for the week, make plans to get there this Saturday. Located in the Theatre parking lot...don't miss it! Roche history: If you have that special connection with Roche Harbor that so many people have, you'll want to drop by the Historical Museum (up by the Catholic Church, down the street from the community gardens, behind the baseball field, ya know). There's a retrospective of the last century and half's photos about the old kiln and settlement there, up to the present day. It runs till October 21. Meanwhile, Gary from Snug Harbor tell me next weekend they're doing some sort of African feast deal on Sunday, featuring indigenous meals. Check it out!
May 30, 2000 Baseball - So close, once again. Matt Pranger from the SanJuanIslander.com (he was there; click there for a more complete story!) told me tonight the FHHS Wolverines dropped a 4-3 game Friday night in a 10-inning thriller in Yakima that could have gone either way. Then they won Saturday to bring home the third place in the state trophy. This follows last year's near-championship finish (we were second), and sets up hopes for next year as many of the same cast returns. Way to go, guys! Rough road: At least the signs SAY it'll be rough, and it has been. The Spring Street paving project should be done in the next couple of weeks, but Roxanne from the county crew (she's one of the flaggers) tells me the real bottleneck'll start late this week as they begin on Argyle in the stretch between the Fairgrounds and Pear Point. That job should take till near early fall, even with a two-week break near Fair time in August. Plan on going around.... Tile styles: Have you seen all the ceremic tiles down at the Port's landing dock made by kids from the grade school? They're great! Drop by there next time you're taking your walk - the project (organized by Beth Spadafora and Chinmayo) turned out awesome. They did the mural thingie over the grade school door as well! Ferry home: It must be nearly summer - the ferries were behind an hour or so by mid-day, adjusting to the weekend crowd scene on Monday as islanders returned home & visitors headed east. Dress rehearsal for June... A dear scientist friend of mine mentioned over the weekend there are more species of beetle in the world than any other animal, although it's my sense it's possible there are more species of tourist. We'll run a count this summer...wonder if that includes beatles, too? Anyway, it's light so late! Nearing the solstice... Directory snags 300,000th visitor: Have you visited the San Juan Island Directory lately? It has websites from all over the island, and has been up since 1995. Even with the counter occasionally malfunctioning along the way, the site at http://www.friday-harbor.net registered its 300,000th hit this weekend. Drop by & see why! Grads: Do you have plans for the tenth? Drop by THE community event of the year at the high school - graduation. Speaking of which, have you dropped by the All-Grad Reunion site lately? The organizers tell me it's going really well - set for mid-July. Quote: "I bind unto myself today, the virtues of the starlit heaven, the glorious sun's life giving ray, the whiteness of the moon at even, the flashing of the lightning free, the whirling wind's tempestuous shocks, the stable earth, the deep salt sea, around the old eternal rocks." - St. Patrick's Breastplate, Hymn 370 in the Episcopal Church's 1982 Hymnal May 22, 2000 Totally: No one was hurt, but it was close & could have been worse. A truck broke a telephone pole on Argyle Street, just a half block from the Fairgrounds on Friday night. Wires were down, the pole was hanging, and somehow the truck rolled away. The neighborhood was out of power for a couple of hours, while the OPALCO and cable guys (yep, Randy was there) drove a hole & put in another pole. The fire guys and police stood by, ready for what one fireman told was a pretty dangerous situation, with all those lines down. And everything worked out. A reminder how well set up we are with emergency services around here...way to go, folks.
Peter tells me these stories add to the lore already explored in the first book. Can't wait to see it, especially if you enjoy explorin' lore.. Quote: "God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches and a thousand tempests and floods. But He cannot save them from fools." - John Muir Return of the Orcas: The Orcas Festival was well-attended again this weekend out at Roche Harbor. Heard the clam chowder competition was fun... Hope you got a chance to get out and play. Run by the beach: Is it my imagination, or are there more runners on the road these days? Seems like there are more every morning. Probably getting ready for the triathalon or the Journal's Run in August. Or maybe it's because I mentioned the Boston Marathon a few weeks back in these pages. Yep, that's probably it. Weather or not: It was cold, wet, and crummy Sunday morning, which got even wetter as the afternoon wore on. But doesn't it always happen? - you gotta put in your time with all that to get a great sunset like last night. Just another reminder that life won't STAY crummy, cold & wet... And, of course, we just keep getting closer to the solstice & the longest day...just 30 days left. Tree house burns: Went and visited with Outdoors Odysseys' Clark Casebolt about his treehouse burning. Clark and his brother have been building away at it on Cady Mountain for nearly three years, and it was beautiful with its craftsmanship and fine wooden finish. Then, in mid-April, it burned to the ground...the cause is uncertain & being looked into, but for sure, part of Clark's heart was lost as well.
They said having the orcas was wonderful and educational; that the whales are very well-taken care of (those were bred in captivity), and that they had no intention of letting them go. I asked how keeping these most social of beings away from other orcas constituted good care. I wondered how an animal that swims 75 miles a day in the wild makes it in a 100 meter tank...doesn't strike me as good care at all. They didn't let them go, so I guess we'll have to go ask again. Meanwhile, Keiko's getting closer to freedom in Iceland (here's a report) .... ....while Howie Garrett and the Tokitae Foundation are still working to rescue one of our whales (Lolita) from the Miami Seaquarium. She's been there 30 years...it's about time to go home, wouldn't you think? (Editor's note: You know how when you run a spellcheck it offers suggestions for stuff you may have mispelled, uh, misspelled? The word Seaquarium brought up "sickroom." There's some poetry in spellchecks, sometimes. Especially when one of your friends is imprisoned in a little tank.) Baseball & tennis: They won! The baseball boys return to the State Final Four on Friday, after beating somebody 9-2 on Saturday. Heard the games are in Yakima, not Spokane, as previously reported. Meanwhile, Allison Pemberton's path to state tennis was de-railed at tri-districts on Thursday & Friday. Still, she tells me she learned a lot & was glad she went as far as she did. The former all-league FHHS goalie plans to attend Whitworth College in Spokane this fall.
May 13, 2000
Then - there's all the construction out there! I hadn't been there since fall: there's a much bigger parking lot, a huge bathroom/outhouse with composting toilets (good move), and the path to the water is re-pathed. Billy, who works for the Park Service, tells me the new path has no more than a 5% grade, making it fairly easy for folks in wheelchairs to be able to go see the whales at the park. Cool. Wolverines move on: The baseball boys thumped Bellevue Christian (12-5) by a 3-1 count today here on the island. The win takes them to next weekend's game against whoever else won today, and one win away from a return trip to the final four in Spokane. 21: You've seen Brian Adler driving around town in the Aeronautical Services truck, doing deliveries...he turned 21 on Saturday. You remember when he played goalie for FHHS - nearly impossible to get anything past him. Theatre run: Last night of Guys & Dolls is tonight...it's played to good reviews with its large cast, songs & dance. Catch it if you can. May 12, 2000 Rain, rain go away: You'd think with all this rain we've had this week the weather would be crummy, but it seems to clear & set up sunny skies (or an approximation thereof) each afternoon...looks like sunny skies for this Mom's Day weekend. Third grader at school told me, "Hey. April showers bring May flowers. Know what May flowers bring?" I said, "No," and she said, "Pilgrims!" Not sure what May showers bring, but it sure helps the garden.
Run: My boys and I went out for a run on the high school track the other evening...looks like they're still working on it. Probably be summer before it's surfaced. Sure is nice to have a place to run for community folks. Baseball rocks: Coach Rich Warin & the boys (the Wolverines are something and two for the season, record-wise) begin their quest for a return to Spokane & the state finals (you'll remember we took second at state there last year; now that we know where the good motels are in Spokane, we wanna go back again) this weekend. Their first playoff game is here at noon tomorrow (Saturday). Support your local heroes...they're great. Meanwhile, the softball girls end their season tonight. Tennis district play is this weekend, as well. Fireworks: Bob down at the Little Store says the Chamber's collecting money to help put on the Fourth of July fireworks show again this year. Let him know if you can help; the fireworks over the Harbor are always a nice end to one of the most community-centered days around here... Open up: Did you go to Opening Day last weekend? The weather was great for getting the season started, wasn't it? Fun to see all the boats out in the harbor. Update writer busted: I went to Interwest (sponsor of the Mighty Mudsharks, see below) to do my banking yesterday. I asked Michele if it was OK to cash a check that I had in my pocket when I washed the clothes; it was a little washed-out & faded, but still readable. She said, "We gotta check with Jeremy." He looked at the check, examined it closely, and said, "I'm sorry, I have to report you," and he reached for the phone. "Why?" I asked. "What have I done?" He looked me in the eye. "Money laundering." Book 'em, Danno: You've been to the bookstores around here; go again soon & see all the new stuff they've got in. I visited Serendipity Sunday (FHHS tennis coach Dick Barnes was guest cashier for the day) and Griffin Bay (Katherine was pinch hitting there), and Harbor Books...all have new, cool stuff. Check 'em out. Baseball week: In Little League Majors play, the Red Sox continue their unbeaten ways (they surprised the Athletics a couple of weeks back), throwing a one-hitter at the Mudsharks a week ago. The surprises continued this week, as the Mariners (coached by Alan Marriner, who may be one of the most positive coaches around; he keeps his kids pumped up) earned their first win this year, thumping the Mudsharks 14-6. The 'Sharks then surprised the Athletics (who were something & one, record-wise; coached by the comparably positive Jim McNairy) 9-0 (after losing 14-3 in the first meeting) last night to further confuse things; the third game between those two should be interesting. That's the fun of baseball - you never know what's gonna happen. That's why we play the games... And yes, the Mariners ARE the only team with a coach by the same name. Cinco de Mayo: Congrats to the Dollars for Scholars folks for putting on a good show Saturday night for the Cinco de Mayo deal (yeah, I know it was on the sixth) at the fairgrounds. Good family fun; hope you were there. Everyone else was. Farmers' Market: It's open now. See you there on Saturday... locally grown food. Can't beat it. Where they come from: Someone wrote & asked me where these stories come from that I put in the Update. (Actually, they said, "Whence cometh this lore?" EEEE! Holy literariness, Batman.) I make 'em up.
May 3, 2000 Ben White's house burns: Ben White's home over on the road to Jackson Beach burned over the weekend...no one was hurt, but what a drag. He and his son Ben are figuring out their next move.
The three pods (J, K, and L) are here most of the summer, so you don't have to wait till the summer solstice to see them if you don't want to. (Photo of breeching upside down calf by Bon Accord Whalewatching). You try it. Courtney rocks: You know John & Louise Dustrude's son Tim? His 5-year-old girl Courtney has learned to ride a two wheel bike. Asked how she felt about this achievement, she replied, "I want to go faster and faster and faster." Hide the car keys, dad. In the street: Saw Nancy Hansen from the Toy Box - she's walking better since busting her foot last winter...Saw Clark Gilbert from the Whale Museum today & got to talking about running. Did you know he ran the Boston Marathon in '93? 26.2 miles in about 3 and a half hours. Wow! You try it. Quote: "Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." - Dr. Suess. Party: This weekend the Dollars for Scholars folks are putting on a family-focused Cinco de Mayo hoorah over at the Fairgrounds on Saturday (which is actually the Seis de Mayo). Take the kids & quit watchin' TV. Baseball: Jim McNairy's Mighty Athletics finished the first round of the Majors league schedule undefeated, knocking off the Mighty Mudsharks 14-4 last week. With some 8 or 9 sixth graders on their team (it's a 4-6th grade league), they look like the team to beat this season. Guru: Lisa Lawrence went with several students and parents from Spring Street School to India last month, and reports they saw the Dalai Lama while there...SSS's Peg Hope tells me it was the best trip she's ever been on & the kids were great. Quote: "One's attitude to life is very important. Mind is the creative power, and yet it is not sufficient just to build dream castles and expect them to materialize of their own accord. There is more to mind and to life than just that. Is it not strange to realize that the thoughts we think, the things we say, and the things we do today are the foundation of tomorrow? If we think aimlessly, with no specific direction, how can we create such a complex thing as a whole life, along constructive lines?" - Alfred J. Parker
Review the Update from January 1, 2000 - April 21, 2000 Review the Update from October 21, 1999 - December 31, 1999 Review the Update from August 12, 1999 - October 21, 1999 Review the Update from May 17, 1999 - August 12, 1999 Review the Update from April 8, 1999 - May 17, 1999 Review the Update from February 26, 1999 - April 8, 1999 Review the Update from January 3, 1998 - February 26, 1999 Review the Update from November 1, 1998 - January 3, 1998 Review the Update from August 31, 1998 - October 31, 1998 Review the Update from July 2, 1998 - August 30, 1998 Review the Update from May 25, 1998 - July 2, 1998 Review the Update from April 3 - May 25, 1998 Review the Update from January 22,
1998 to April 3, 1998. The information here is simply stuff we here at By Design think is important around Friday Harbor or on the Island. Some of it's news, some of it's old news, and all are just things we wanted to mention, with most of it about the things that make living here great. There will be more next
week, if anything happens. To comment, feel free to add to our guestbook, or view it.
|
|
||||||||||||||
Weather: It's been great outside, as you can see in the photo
of the
Port
employees dress down: Down at the
Port, the counter folks (like Lindsey, right) are wearing Hawaiian-looking
shirts that kind of remind me of the ones Port Commish Greg Hertel
always wears. I saw Port Commish Brian Calvert on the Fourth
with a colorful shirt as well...maybe they were his idea.
Friday
Harbor cracks: Those are some pretty
deep cracks down Argyle Street as the construction there continues
(photo, right). The work there will continue into the early fall....
go slow when you go through the area...
Sunday
morning blue skies: After the on-again,
off-again rain this spring, it's natural to wonder if it's going
to be wonderful like today, all summer. Beautiful day yesterday,
here comes another.
New
location: Mark N Pak's new store over
behind the Technology Center and Orca Inn is coming along...an
employee at the store says the old store'll close in late July
(if everything stays on schedule). The new one looks a little
like Timberline Lodge, which kinda goes with the neighborhood.
Birthdays:
Grant Schwinge (right) and Peter Duggins
had their birthdays together (with a few friends over) at British
Camp on Saturday. Ah, it's great to be nine...
More
Whale Tales: Peter Fromm's second
volume of Whale Tales: Human Interactions with Whales
will be available early next month. Volume One came out in late
1995, and has sold nearly 10,000 copies worldwide - pretty awesome
for a self-published book. You can order yours by calling Whale
Tales Press at 360-378-8378.
Not
free, Willy: Did I tell you I went
to Orlando last month for business...whilst there, I happened
to be staying next to Sea World, so I went and asked them when
they planned to let their performing orcas go. (I thought maybe
it simply hadn't occurred to them, and hearing from me would
help. Ha.)
Whales & sunsets:
Last night's sunset was incredible,
as seen from Lime Kiln Park. There were Dall's porpoises playing
out in the sun's reflection on the water (good way to go blind,
lookin' at 'em), some faraway orcas halfway to Victoria, and
every wonderful color you could imagine. A dear friend (who tends
to say wise, insightful things) once told me that in the book
The Color Purple, there's a passage about how if you walk
by a field of purple flowers without noticing, it annoys God
-- sorta would have felt the same to not participate in the loveliness
of this day, and its end.
Music
man moves to other island: FHHS &
FHMS Band teacher Dan Hammond and his wife Darby, a FHMS Humanities
Teacher, are taking a two-year leave to teach in the Philippines
next year. The district's looking for fill-ins for these hard-to-replace
teachers....
Whales:
Bill & Colleen Wright from