Dona carves her designs into the gourds....

One of the eighth wonders of the modern world (as far as I’m concerned) is this: How does Dona Reed make those incredible gourd thingies at Island Studios?

Since I wasn’t sure, I went down to IS when she was demonstrating the other day & it’s pretty amazing. Get down there & check it out yourself! Or…you can look at ’em online, right here.

Way to go, Dona!

Dona's gourd...

Debbie (left) and her pal Wendy at the Arts Fair last month

Next month Debbie Pigman moves on as the Chamber of Commerce director, and the board is looking for somebody to take her spot – click here to check in about that. The application period closes on August 22.

Replacing Debbie won’t be easy. She has brought organization to the Chamber, and set things up so that Chamber events like fireworks for the Fourth, the parade on the Fourth, the Arts Fair, December shopping in Friday Harbor, and all kinds of meetings actually happen. She handles everything with her easy Southern charm, and she’s not only always thinking ahead, she’s figuring out how people can communicate better. She’s been making things happen for the Town & for the island, and she’ll be missed.

This video is great fun  – if you went to Spring Street International School’s graduation, they played it there. You might have heard it before & you’ll remember how cool it was; if this is your FIRST TIME, you’ll love it.

Nice way to start the day, my friend.

Humor is something that thrives between man’s aspirations and his limitations. There is more logic in humor than in anything else. Because, you see, humor is truth.
Victor Borge

You gotta promise not to use 'em....

Do you ever look at the fine print on your software installs? You know, where you gotta hit the button that says, “I accept the terms & conditions of use,” or whatever….

A friend sent me this screen shot of the bottom part of the agreement when he installed iTunes on his PC (Macs, apparently, don’t get viruses, so they have different verbiage.)

Because you may decide to get rid of the biological weapons you have lying around the house so you CAN download iTunes, be sure & check with Helen Venada & the folks at the dump before just leaving them there.

Jumping over the rocks on the west side of the island....

That’s Erin Heydenreich on the west side, in a cool photo taken by Traci Walter.

Awakening, mixed media on birch by Jennifer Williams

This weekend there’s a new show opening at waterworks you’ll want to check out  – Jennifer Williams paints what she calls environmental landscapes, while Jeremy Newman & Allison Ciancibelli incorporate traditional glassblowing with woodworking and metalworking.

Here’s more about the show.

No prob when ya drop it...

You’ve seen the shoes – those sandals that are called Crocs… I noticed that Ruth Offen had a croc thingie for her cell phone.

She says it’s much better for the phone when ya drop it, this way…

Possible drawback: Not a great spectator sport...

One of the problems we sometimes have around here is the Navy wanting to do sonar testing off the west side, which is really not a good idea for marine mammals. So, I was thinking about it – they need something else to do…so why not submarine races?

We already have the Shaw Island Classic (where people in sailboats race around Shaw) and the Marathon (where people on foot race around the island) and the Loop Run next weekend (where people run around Pear Point Loop)… you see, islanders really like races. It’s a natural.

Think about it.

The garden in the back of Island Studios on Spring Street....

You already knew that Claudia has the front part of Island Studios looking good – there are over 130 artists, authors & musicians offering their fair wares there. It’s a good place to check out whether you’re buying a small gift for someone (it’s where I get greeting cards & I like the soaps), or you’re re-designing the look of your living room.

A nice surprise you might not have seen is the garden out back, which is a nice place to take your lunch at mid-day or your blended mocha from the Sweet Retreat in mid-afternoon. Next time you’re strolling by there, check it out!

Instead of comparing our lot with that of those who are more fortunate than we are, we should compare it with the lot of the great majority of our fellow men. It then appears that we are among the privileged. 
Helen Keller 

The pursuit of peace and progress cannot end in a few years in either victory or defeat. The pursuit of peace and progress, with its trials and its errors, its successes and its setbacks, can never be relaxed and never abandoned.
Dag Hammarskjold

I've looked at clouds from both sides now...

I asked John Simon about the pictures he took…he reports: “I shot them from Bob Anderson’s boat, the Euclid (he owns Star Surveying) while off of South Beach.”

Miniature Horse Barn, by Cinda Sue

Did you hear about this? Just got the press release (check here to see her website, so you can see how cool her pictures are):

Local Artist makes good at International Show with local subject matter.

Cinda Sue Dow’s  “Miniature Horse Barn” (a local SJI barn) received honorable mention at the Northwest Pastel Society 23rd International Open Exhibition. Cinda Sue’s piece is one of 70 selected out of 250 international entries, to be exhibited.

The show is being hosted by American Art Co., 1126 Broadway Plaza, Tacoma, WA.  It runs through Aug. 15th.

You also can view Cinda Sue’s most recent work, a large Mural, at Pampered Pets Grooming on Wold Road.

Holly (left) with Nancy at King's....

It’s always good to see old islanders when they come to visit – Bronwyn Bacon was here Saturday night, Sharon Adler was here on Sunday, and it was good to see Nancy Raichlen (she’s lives here) with Holly, who teaches on the mainland during the school year.

A familiar sight on the west side...Granny at the end of a breach...

Most researchers around here agree (after looking at photos from the 1910s) that Granny was born in 1911, which puts her at 98 years old this year – and still flying high. The picture above was shot by Jim Maya this weekend….