Thyme in my Pocket

Griffin Bay Bookstore is hosting an author event that features long-time island resident Alison Johnston. Her creativity, usually expressed in beautiful paintings, has overflowed and spilled into her new book, “Thyme in my Pocket.”

What’s the book about?

Thyme in my Pocket is a visual memoir detailing Alison’s year in France with her husband, Art,  and son, Robin. Her work expresses her personal and heartfelt sense of place achieved in rural villages in the mediums of watercolor and writing. Her passion for Provence and in particular, her maladie de pierres delights and engages all her readers.

When is the event? 

The celebration will take place on Friday, August 10 at 7pm upstairs in the Griffin Bay Bookstore Cafe. Expect to see lots of excited locals!

Tim Dustrude continues his series with photos & stories about people around the island – here’s more about Scott & the bowling alley:

Paradise Lanes is Friday Harbor’s first and only bowling alley. Scott Olinger bought the business in March of 2008 and has been operating it ever since.

A bit of a jack-of-all-trades, he does everything there – Maintenance on the pin setting equipment; upkeep on the lanes to keep them oiled just right;  he runs the full service pro shop, matching gear to bowlers’ needs (including drilling the finger holes in your brand new bowling ball); he teaches bowling to beginning and advanced bowlers; and he manages the day to day operation of things including merchant leagues, open bowling and parties & special events.

(Click here for the rest of the story)

Photographer Tim Dustrude has put together a series of photos & stories called This Is Our Town about folks around the island, and his work is a regular feature here in the San Juan Update. Tim has been a professional photographer for over a decade, and does great work. Check out his website.

Grandma’s family Christmas sweaters are going to help me prove a point- sometimes it’s better to match. The Friday Harbor Elementary PTSA is announcing a great opportunity to help fund visual arts education for middle and elementary scholars. Here’s more from IMA Education Chair Peg Gerlock: 

A still from the 1st grader’s animation project…

The San Juan Island Community Foundation has created a Matching Gift Opportunity. They will match 50% of EVERY donation* made to the Arts in our Schools: STEAM II program through the Foundation’s website (*up to $5,000). So, we need to raise $10,000 to take full advantage. We have received $3,000 already, so just $7,000 to go. Donations of any amount are welcome!

This matching gift window will close on August 9! Please help us take advantage of this limited-time opportunity by donating now. To donate on the website click here. Prefer to donate by check? No worries! Simply make the check out to SJICF and be sure to write For Arts in our Schools: STEAM II matching program. Then mail to SJI Community Foundation, P.O. Box 1352, Friday Harbor, WA 98250 or drop off at the office located at 640 Mullis Street, Suite 104 in the Technology Center.

Also, be sure to check out an upbeat and inspiring video of the Nature with Kids animation project created by 1st grade students in the Arts Enrichment program last year, it’s amazing! The first 30 seconds is background, but your patience will be rewarded…

Can you believe Wolf Hollow is 29 years old? Well, that one is plausible. But working there for 23 years?

When Education Coordinator Shona Aitken told me that tidbit, my eyes widened and I thought to myself, “She must really love her job.” After talking to her a for a little longer, it clear to me that I was right.

Shona and Hannah on a beautiful day out at Lime Kiln…

Shona isn’t the only one excited to have a position at Wolf Hollow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center. The nonprofit attracts interns, volunteers, and workers from all across America and a few other countries. This year, they had 170 applications for interns, of which they took eight total, spread out over the summer so peak season had five positions.

What does peak season look like?

That would be about now – with 80 animals residing at the facility as of last week (this week numbers are lower, with 50 to 60 animals.) When asked what type of animals they have, Shona and volunteer Hannah listed every type off the top of their heads: mink, bald eagle, swallows, finches, songbirds, Great Horned Owl, red-tailed hawk, mallards, fawns, raccoon, and seals.

About sixty percent of the animals Wolf Hollow helps are birds….

About 60% of the animals they typically see are birds. When I asked Shona how they deal with rambunctious and scared birds (specifically keeping their talons away from vulnerable human skin), she told me that most birds calm right down if a sheet or other object is placed over their heads, making them believe they are hidden. The heavy duty gloves are still required, though.

The funding problem…

This is the sad part. The cushion the nonprofit had in 2009 is gone, and they are struggling to keep all the necessary services running. In fact, they are not only responsible for San Juan County, but also Skagit County and the north end of Whidbey Island. That’s a lot of terriority and animals for the resources available. The best way to help is by donating, which can be done easily on their website.

Are there informative events about local wildlife happening anytime soon?

On Saturdays from 2-4pm in August (excluding the Fair) at the Lime Kiln Lighthouse, Fridays from 1-3pm at English Camp, and Wednesdays at 7pm at the County Park, Shona will be available with a visual display and can answer questions anyone may have about Wolf Hollow or the wildlife.

John Sable

Tim Dustrude continues his series with photos & stories about people around the island – here’s more about the boss at the Rocky Bay Cafe on Spring Street, John Sable:

One of the best places in town for Breakfast and Lunch is the Rocky Bay Cafe, next door to the movie theater on one side and Sandpebble on the other. During the busy summer months (and sometimes even in the off-season) it is not uncommon to see a line of people outside waiting for a table, it’s that good.

(Click here for the rest of the story)

Photographer Tim Dustrude has put together a series of photos & stories called This Is Our Town about folks around the island, and his work is a regular feature here in the San Juan Update. Tim has been a professional photographer for over a decade, and does great work. Check out his website.

Bob Dylan, with his original version of The Times They Are A’Changin’.…..

Come gather ’round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You’ll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin’
Then you better start swimmin’
Or you’ll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin’.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won’t come again
And don’t speak too soon
For the wheel’s still in spin
And there’s no tellin’ who
That it’s namin’
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin’.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway
Don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There’s a battle outside
And it is ragin’
It’ll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin’.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one
If you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin’.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin’
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin’.

Jennifer Payne at Modern & Fabulous

Tim Dustrude continues his series with photos & stories about people around the island – here’s more about the someone you’ll want to call when you’re lookin’  for clothes so that you’re lookin’ good:

There’s a new women’s clothing store in town. Located at 818 Mullis Street #4, it’s called Modern & Fabulous with modern fashions at fabulous prices. This is the owner, Jennifer Payne holding up one of her new offerings. She offers athletic wear as well and new inventory comes in once a week.

Fashion being her passion…
(Click here for the rest of the story)

Photographer Tim Dustrude has put together a series of photos & stories called This Is Our Town about folks around the island, and his work is a regular feature here in the San Juan Update. Tim has been a professional photographer for over a decade, and does great work. Check out his website.

Here are some of the friendly faces I ran into on Saturday…

Juan and Heidi Lopez are back from a great trip where they explored Europe and reconnected with old friends, including Juan’s childhood exchange student.

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Cousin power at Saturday’s Farmer’s Market…

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Tucker Anderson just finished training for his new job as a ferry worker and is rocking the neon hat (while protecting his skin from the bright sunshine, atta boy!)

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Ursula Stegman and her boyfriend Dan take a well-deserved break from work and grab a quick lunch from Market Chef…

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The beautiful and always helpful Marissa Hubbard working at the Lime Kiln Cafe…

You may think you’ve done everything there is to do on this island, but there is always a surprise or two in store. 

An “oldie but goodie” photo from 2010, where an offisland group of paddlers set off to join the San Juan group over at Spencer Spit on Lopez. Photo courtesy of San Juan Canoe and Kayaking Club.

Early Sunday morning (and by early I mean in teenager time, so around 10am) a group of paddlers gathered at Jackson’s Beach for some quality time on the water in Outrigger canoes.  They are all part of the Outrigger Club, or as others may know it, the San Juan Canoe and Kayaking Club.

Although my family owns some beautiful Tongan paddles which reside decoratively over my fireplace, I am a newbie at the activity. So I received a run through from the group’s leader David Halpern before setting off for a 15 min jaunt around Jackson’s Beach.

Paddling a canoe is similar to kayaking at a glance, but with more attention to detail it’s plain to see a distinction in motion, speed, and mentality.

Experienced paddler Amy Harold even braves the cold water in the wintertime, she loves it that much! Photo courtesy of San Juan Canoe and Kayaking Club.

They use traditional Hawaiian words to initiate paddling and signal shifts in paddle position, which are easy to catch onto and help instill a sense of unity and timelessness on the water. The actual movement of the paddle has a bit more of a learning curve, but according to David, most people figure it out by their third time out on the water.

The group is relaxed, fun-loving, and nice to beginners (I can vouch for that especially.) There’s many different types of boats available to be taken out, from singles to ones that hold up to 6, and the group is always looking for more members. Races, such as the around Shaw race that happened yesterday, bring paddlers from many different groups around the Sound. So if you’re looking for a great form of exercise, a new circle of islanders to mingle with, or just trying out a new potential hobby, email David to be put on the email list at halpern(at)rockisland.com.

The group usually meets at Jackson’s Beach on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5pm and on Sunday at 10pm, weather dependent. For pictures and info about past happenings, check out www.happypaddlers.blogspot.com.

The blockhouse at English Camp is propped up & ready to start the process of removing the existing base & replacing it with the new one…….photo by David Harsh

The repair project on the blockhouse is coming along nicely – here’s more from the Park Service:

Maintenance worker David Harsh took these photos of the blockhouse rehabilitation project, which was begun in June. The park maintenance crews have completed the new structure, built in two sections on the parade ground, each log numbered and color-coded. Last week they constructed the cribbing on which the upper portion will sit while they dismantle the current lower story starting this week.

The new base, built this summer with logs from the island…photo by David Harsh

Nice to remember George….here are his friends (including Ringo, Elton & Eric) & him making beautiful music:

Visiting the west side, yesterday…photo by Kevin Culmback (click to see a larger version!)

Brittany from San Juan Outfitters was pretty excited about having a humpback along on yesterday’s trip:

Kevin Culmback got this great photo on our whale watch tour today (8/4/12)! We encountered the humpback (later identified as humpback #409) on the west side of San Juan Island, just about 2 miles north of the Lime Kiln Lighthouse.

Dog Walker (oil on canvas), by Jamie Ellsworth

This Saturday is the opening for a month of wonder at WaterWorks Gallery – here’s more from Ruth:

August 4-25

Jaime Ellsworth – Oil Paintings
Robin & John Gumaelius – Ceramic Sculpture

Past The Blue Horse (ceramic & metal), by John & Robin Gumaelius

When looking at the works of Jaime or Robin & John, one is filled with a sense of magic, of delight. How did that dog do that? Why is that bird on the creatures’s head?

This familiar sense of wonder enables us to delight in the paintings of Jaime Ellsworth. Using a modified color palette and design, Jaime imbues her paintings of dogs with memories of our own dogs.

Robin and John create mixed media magic with their creatures arriving in all shapes, sizes and stories. It is always the stories that are painted and fired onto the bodies of their fanciful creatures that evoke the fairy tales from days gone by.

And…on Saturday August 4:

Artist Talk 11am: Robin & John Gumaelius

Reception 2-5pm: Jaime Ellsworth & R & J Gumaelius

We encourage young artists in your family to attend.

The Port of Friday Harbor’s third annual Fly-In two weeks ago was a blast, with all kinds of flying machines for folks to see (and hear!) and even to ride in…here’s this week’s Update Minute, with photos & video by Rebecca Leff, and music by Ben Goodman:

Connar Smith, Marné Cook, Joe O’Bryant, Me’Taire Kilpatrick-Boe, Paige Carlson, and Cameron Schuh at the Youth Rally in Idaho…

The participants are back home on their respective islands and OPALCO’s Suzanne Olson has all the info about their week in Idaho. Here’s the scoop:

Six high-school students from San Juan County participated in the Idaho Consumer-Owned Utility Association (ICUA) Youth Rally through Orcas Power & Light’s scholarship program. Two of the students brought home top scholarships from the ICUA, and all of the students were excellent ambassadors for OPALCO and for San Juan County.

The students selected as OPALCO’s Nourdine Jensen Cooperative Youth (NJCY) Scholarship award winners are: Cameron Schuh (Orcas), Marné Cook and Joe O’Bryant (Lopez), and Paige Carlson and Me’Tairie Kilpatrick-Boe (San Juan Island).  Connar Smith, of San Juan Island, returned as a Youth Director at the Rally, a week-long leadership camp at the College of Idaho. Connar traveled to Idaho in March to plan the programming for the Rally. Cameron Schuh received the top scholarship award of $500 and was elected Youth Director for the 2013 program. Joe O’Bryant received a $400 scholarship and Marné Cook received a $100 award.

The students participated in forums with regional leaders from the power industry, learned the basics of electricity and how co-ops work from the grassroots up – and then put their knowledge to work in team building exercises and games.  The classroom time was balanced with fun summer camp activities such as bowling, roller-skating, social dances and a day at a water park. Check out a slide show of the 2012 Youth Rally on OPALCO’s website.

“This was a life-changing experience,” reported Cameron Schuh.  “I met so many new and interesting people and made friendships that will last a lifetime. I recommend this program to any upcoming sophomore or junior.”

OPALCO’s Nourdine Jensen Cooperative Youth Scholarship Program is open to sophomores and juniors of OPALCO member households. It includes a $500 OPALCO scholarship award, an all-expenses paid trip to the Youth Rally in Idaho and the chance to compete for additional scholarship awards at the Rally. More information is available online at www.opalco.com. Applications for the 2013 program will be accepted beginning in January 2013.

I had been pretty surprised to see a new building going up in the middle of what had been the Spring Street International School parking lot for many years, but after getting the scoop from Debbi Fincher, it all makes perfect sense. Here are the plans for this summer and beyond:

Head of School Louis O’Prussack in front of the newest building on Spring Street International School’s campus…

Construction has begun at Friday Harbor’s Spring Street International School this summer on a building to house two new classrooms for the kids of the school,  and a dormitory to accommodate 18 international and U.S. boarding students. The new classrooms and the dormitory represent the first phase of the school’s long-range campus plan that includes the addition of a Commons building, the remodeling of existing classroom buildings to double the number of classrooms and the addition of a third classroom building in the future.

This summer’s construction also will add off-street parking and create a series of pathways to formally connect all elements of the campus, which includes the historic Nash House, at the corner of Spring and Caines Streets, where the school has been located most of the time since it began 17 years ago.

Construction of the new classrooms building began earlier this month. Herko Construction of Friday Harbor is the contractor. It is scheduled for occupancy in time for the start of the school’s 2012-13 academic year. Construction of the dormitory is expected to be completed by November 1. The new dormitory replaces nearby leased space the school has used for its boarding students for the past five years. Armstrong Construction of Auburn is the contractor. Financing for the projects is being provided by Islander’s Bank and by contributions and loans from supporters and interested parties. Continue Reading