The beauty of a piece of music is not in its technique but in the Soul of its creator; nor is it in the sound vibrations of the piece but in the silence of the Light from which the sound springs.
Walter Russell

Duck Soup Inn, earlier this month...

I went out to Duck Soup Inn’s new happy hour three weeks ago, and it was pretty neat – they open at 4:30pm-6pm for it, on Fridays – check it out!

And…they now are open Wednesday through Sunday!

Duck Soup Inn, earlier this month...

I went out to Duck Soup Inn’s new happy hour three weeks ago, and it was pretty neat – they open at 4:30pm-6pm for it, on Fridays – check it out!

And…they now are open Wednesday through Sunday!

Remember when you were in school, and history went something like this:

TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America ..
MARIA: Here it  is.
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?
CLASS: Maria.

Well, it’s even better now. Amy Hull is teaching the FHES music classes this year, and have they got a show for you:

You are invited to explore Washington State History with the 4th graders from Friday Harbor Elementary School. The students will be presenting “People on the Move” Tuesday, June 2nd at 6:30p.m at the San Juan Community Theatre. You will be educated and entertained with wonderful music, student presentations and movement which chronicles the journey of people into our state.  Come enjoy an evening that celebrates our talented students and their hard work.

Amy Hull
Elementary Music Teacher

My friend Marisa in Seattle says they’re coming this way in June:

A Course for You
If you’ve ever wanted to enhance your practice – or your life – with in-depth knowledge of life coaching, hypnosis, Reiki & NLP, now is the time. This course is where you learn; really learn, about the power of healing, achievement, communication, and having fun! Continue Reading

My friend Marisa in Seattle says they’re coming this way in June:

A Course for You
If you’ve ever wanted to enhance your practice – or your life – with in-depth knowledge of life coaching, hypnosis, Reiki & NLP, now is the time. This course is where you learn; really learn, about the power of healing, achievement, communication, and having fun! Continue Reading

Rebecca Funke

FHHS grad Rebecca’s proud mom Beth just sent me this – it’s the kind of thing that makes an island proud – way to go Rebecca! Here’s more:

Rebecca N. Funke has the honor of being selected by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board to receive a Fulbright grant award to teach English in Spain for the 2009/2010 school year.  Rebecca will be representing the United States by demonstrating the qualities of service excellence and leadership which are the hallmark of the Fulbright program.  The principal purpose of the Fulbright program is to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of more than 150 participating countries.  Fulbrighters enrich the educational, political, economic, social, and cultural lives in countries around the world.

Rebecca will be teaching English to elementary students at the Can Andres Primary School in Colmenar Viejo, a small town located on the outskirts of Madrid, Spain.  Rebecca is a 2004 graduate of Friday Harbor High School and is the daughter of Kerry and Beth Anderson and granddaughter of Frank and Nelda Hastings, Friday Harbor.

Last evening, walking down Guard Street towards town...

Wasn’t it great yesterday? And it continued into the evening…hope you get out for a walk or a run on the warm spring nights…

A wedding anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year.
Paul Sweeney

The winners are (left to right): Noe, Hannah, Brooke, Shelby, Will, Elsa, Tristan, and Christine! Not pictured, but still winners: Emily, Eddie, John, Elwyn, Weston, Michael & Coleton.

Last night at the Library, the winners of the 2009 Teen Writing Contest were announced. Stories & poems were read, prizes were awarded, and overall it was cool to have all that literary talent in one spot. This is the seventh year of the program, and with 61 entries this year, it looks like it’s still going strong.

The judges for this year were former SSIS language arts teacher Catherine Barnhart, ace FHHS junior & three-year Library volunteer Kara Hirschel, and me, while the program itself was pulled together by the Library’s new Children’s Librarian, Jim Thomas.

The winners will have their stories & poems published by the Library (they’re on the shelf from previous years!) and whenever I can get them online, I’ll post that for you. (I know you’ll read ’em – surveys show the average Update reader reads 13.7 hours a day, and doesn’t sleep. That’s why I’ll post ’em.)

The winners from last night:

Senior high division:
Short stories – Brooke Jangard (1st place), Emily Schultz (2nd), Eddie Nash & Christine Olshefsky (3rd, tie), John MacCallum (honorable mention)

Poetry – Elwyn Pratt (1st), Hannah Snow (2nd), Weston Hedin (3rd), Will Tranfo & Tristan Wood & Michael Sandifer (honorable mention)

Junior high division:

Short story – Elsa Prieto-Lopez (winner)

Poetry – Shelby Estrada (1st), Noe Roberts (2nd), Shelby Estrada (3rd), Coleton Cartmill (honorable mention)

Words to live by....

That’s the way it is, sometimes….  -oo-

Scotch broom...pretty bad. Pull it!

It’s the time of year you see it everywhere, and the pretty yellow flowers on it are why that Scottish guy brought it to Victoria years ago.

Well, scotch broom is a noxious weed. A mature plant produces in excess of 10,000 seeds that can be ejected as far as 20 feet.  Since those seeds can remain viable in the soil for more than 60 years, keeping uninfested land free of broom is pretty important.

What’s so noxious about all this? Well, for example, it is estimated that in Oregon it is responsible for USD$47 million in lost timber production each year in that state. That’s pretty noxious.

The County’s website has a bit about this:

Why control Scotch broom? Scotch broom threatens San Juan County’s  fragile ecosytems  including madrone and Garry oak woodlands, meadows, shore-side cliffs and rocky balds by competing for space, nutrients, light and water. It forms dense stands of unpalatable vegetation which, when dry, pose a fire hazard.

It’s gonna be easier to pull now than later (did I tell you about the 10K seeds? C’mon!) … here’s more from the WSU Extension’s website (click here.) -oo-

Scotch broom...pretty bad. Pull it!

It’s the time of year you see it everywhere, and the pretty yellow flowers on it are why that Scottish guy brought it to Victoria years ago.

Well, scotch broom is a noxious weed. A mature plant produces in excess of 10,000 seeds that can be ejected as far as 20 feet.  Since those seeds can remain viable in the soil for more than 60 years, keeping uninfested land free of broom is pretty important.

What’s so noxious about all this? Well, for example, it is estimated that in Oregon it is responsible for USD$47 million in lost timber production each year in that state. That’s pretty noxious.

The County’s website has a bit about this:

Why control Scotch broom? Scotch broom threatens San Juan County’s  fragile ecosytems  including madrone and Garry oak woodlands, meadows, shore-side cliffs and rocky balds by competing for space, nutrients, light and water. It forms dense stands of unpalatable vegetation which, when dry, pose a fire hazard.

It’s gonna be easier to pull now than later (did I tell you about the 10K seeds? C’mon!) … here’s more from the WSU Extension’s website (click here.) -oo-

Deanna's coming this way this summer...

If you’re a visitor coming this way & would like to do a trip with just women, check out what Deanna Keahey offers with her tours to the islands. She offers bird watching & whale watching & kayaking & hiking & all the stuff those of us who live here do right before breakfast, each day. (What? You didn‘t kayak this morning?)

She’s been coming to the San Juans for years – check out her website at http://www.adventurouswench.com. I think I like her because she’s the only person I know who calls our islands “bewitching.” -oo-

The Washington State Ferries just wrote to tell me & you:

SEATTLE – The Washington State Department of Transportation is reminding citizens traveling to Canada to ensure they have the proper documentation and to be prepared for delays at border, whether traveling by road or via the Anacortes/Sidney, B.C. ferry.

As of June 1, U.S. and Canadian citizens age 16 and older who enter the United States at land and sea ports will need to present a passport, passport card, Washington State enhanced driver’s license (EDL) or a “trusted traveler” document such as the NEXUS card. Parents traveling with children ages 16 and under are required to provide a birth certificate for each child (original or certified copy). If both birth parents are not traveling, written authorization from a parent or proof of custody must be presented.

U.S. citizens who are Washington state residents are eligible to purchase an enhanced driver license (EDL) for the cost of a regular driver license plus an additional $15. The EDL meets the requirements for proof of citizenship to re-enter the U.S. from Canada. More information about the EDL is available at www.dol.wa.gov/about/news/priorities/edl.html.

In addition to ensuring proper documentation, travelers planning to take their vehicles on the ferry from Anacortes to Sidney, B.C. are strongly encouraged to make a reservation online (www.wsdot/wa/gov/ferries) or by phone (5-1-1).

Travelers can learn more about requirements for crossing the border at www.getyouhome.gov.
For more highway and ferry travel information, please visit www.wsdot.wa.gov.

The last few years have been ones in which preservation efforts can claim some successes. This is critical if we are to leave our children anything Continue Reading