• Got this note from Juan Tabon’s daughter Alex (via Juan):
My 8 year old girl Alex would like to let everybody to know that she has a blue birdfeeder outside… so let all your friends’ birds in the neighborhood know that we have food for them. Thank you.

• Cold & want to get inside? Here’s a note from Rebecca Parks at the Best Western/Friday Harbor Suites:
Hi Ian!  Just thought folks might like to know that Friday Harbor Suites is offering a Snow Special – rates are the lowest ever and all rooms include a hot breakfast…Power out?  Stuck in town?  Come on over!

• Meanwhile, Wendy Meyers at Friday Harbor House has a deal too, if you need a place to stay:

We would like to extend an offer to our local neighbors to stay at the Friday Harbor House with the special snow rate of $79.00 per night, for the next couple of nights.

Let’s stay warm and safe!

• Just talked to Wes at Kings Market & he says they’re open till 9pm tonight.

• From Michele at Islanders Bank:
Due to the winter weather and for the safety of our staff, we are closing at 3:00pm today (1/18/12).  Night Drop & ATM services are available.

• From Brendan at the County’s Department of Emergency Management:
Band of snow showers lingering over the islands this morning. Could see a couple of more inches until it tapers off mid-morning. Reports of 2-4″ inches of new snow (and more in some places!) on ground this morning. School districts are closed, roads require extreme caution at moment, go slow and carefully. Colder and windier this afternoon will feel downright arctic.

• From Debbie at Roche Harbor Market (the freight truck couldn’t go to Roche Harbor this morning):
HUGE BIG Thank you to John McBride & John Simpson/Marketplace for securing RH Market Grocery Freight! So appreciated ~ ♥ our community ♥

Snow on the deck this morning....photo by John Boyd

• Just heard from Liz, about the Community Dinner tonight at the high school:
Good Snowy Morning!
Unfortunately, Mother Nature has other plans for us this evening. Stay warm, stay cozy and stay home! We will keep you posted on the next Community Dinner.
Thanks!

• Here’s the word from Dave Ryan, the airport manager:
Effective at 09:45 this morning, I elected to close Friday Harbor Airport for safety reasons. Continued snowfall, poor visibility and accumulations of snow on all surfaces have made air operations unsafe. We will be here monitoring the situation and as conditions improve, will begin trying to clear emergency medical services routes first, followed by other surfaces. If you have any questions please call (360) 378-4724.

Here's the marina in the snow, earlier this morning...photo by Kevin Holmes

• Check the ferry parking lot in Friday Harbor, with Island Cam:
http://www.islandcam.com/friday_harbor.html

• From Debbie Sandwith at Roche Harbor Market:
Roche Harbor Market is OPEN ~ we have sleds; gloves; hats and all the groceries you may need on this Snowy, Windy Winter Day!!!!

• From Sam at the Right of Way Driving School:
As Per The Driving School Lady at Right of Way Driving School, Please Remember To Turn Your Lights On While Driving Around. Be Seen!!!!

• From Sally at Island Rec:
Island Rec’s programs scheduled for today have been cancelled.  The list includes Active Senior Fitness, STAR, Study Time and Afternoon Recreation, TREC, Teen Drop in Recreation and Badminton and Ping Pong. Island Rec’s office is open during its regular office hours of 1-5pm. Island Rec program closures are listed on islandrec.org and on its recorded phone message at 378-4953.

• Cynthia Burke at XYZ Movement Arts says:
For all my XYZ students – all classes are cancelled Wednesday and most likely Thursday – we are busy building snow people – Enjoy the break, stay warm and safe!

• From Margie at the Library:
The Library will open as usual at 10 am. today & our parking lot has been plowed (at least for now!) But be careful out on the roads and sidewalks! If you are stuck at home, why not check out our online resources from Auto Repair Center to Consumer Reports to Worldbook Encyclopedia — it’s all there for you! You can also renew or request items by clicking on Your Account. Discover life’s possibilities @ www.sjlib.org!

• And here’s a little video of Tucker Avenue (from the road going to the Labs, near town) I took at 8:45 this morning – it’s come down even harder since, and the road isn’t getting worn down because hardly anyone is out on it:

Ralph and Phyllis Nansen

Nancy from Griffin Bay Bookstore just sent this over:

Griffin Bay Bookstore and the San Juan Island Library are pleased to host Ralph and Phyllis Nansen, Lopez Island, for a book reading and slide presentation at the Library on Saturday, January 21, 7:00 pm.

Intrepid sailors, the two authors covered many thousands of miles of ocean before settling on Lopez in 2001. Stone Boat Odyssey is a story about dreaming big; it takes you on a journey of the spirit as well as the sea. The Nansens are sure to enthrall sailing enthusiasts as well as those who like to hear about ocean-going adventures.

Available at Griffin Bay Bookstore

Set against the backdrop of mankind’s epic space odyssey is the tale of a dream that wouldn’t die and a stone boat that eventually sailed 40,000 ocean miles. Read about the thrills, the difficulties, and triumphant ending of an expedition of a lifetime in authors Ralph and Phyllis Nansen’s new book, Stone Boat Odyssey.

Despite false starts, setbacks, and near-tragedy, a boat named Fram set sail on its ocean-going adventure in 1987. This is the story of the remarkable couple who dared to dream of sailing the world’s oceans on the spark of an idea planted while mankind was aiming at the moon, and spent the next three decades completing their odyssey. In this book, readers will follow this amazing journey from the muddy bayous of Louisiana, to the verdant wilderness of British Columbia, and eventually to the palm-graced atolls of the South Pacific as they discover how to sail, how to build a boat, and how to live their dream.

Skilfully woven, very compelling, equally fascinating, Stone Boat Odyssey is an exciting read where everyone can find a fusion of life, love, and the beauty of sailing – and a turning of a wonderful dream into a glorious reality.

Ralph Nansen, now 80, is the author of two previous books: Energy Crisis: Solution from Space and Sun Power: The Global Solution for the Coming Energy Crisis.

Over at Friday Harbor Pet Supplies, store dog Wicket waits patiently for someone to throw her "potato" (in the foreground) for her to fetch. The store has a wide supply of everything you can think of for your pets, and is located at Surina Business Park.

Let’s check around a bit….

• Jody Burns & Kris Bayas have the season’s plant sale underway – here’s the deal:

Native Plant Sale—Pre-Order NOW!

Time to order bare root native plants. The Native Plant Sale sponsored by the Master Gardeners and the Convservation District is accepting pre-orders.

Lots of plants from which to choose, including Pacific Rhodendron, Pacific Ninebark, Pacific Crab Apple, Douglas Fir, Oregon Grape,  Red Flowering Currant!  All beautiful plants for your landscape.

Pre-order NOW for the best selection. Plants will be available for pick up on all three islands on March 24, 2012.  On San Juan Island, pick up will be at the 4-H building at the SJC Fairgrounds.   Order forms are on-line at  http://sanjuan.wsu.edu/mastergardeners/.  If you don’t have access to the internet, call the WSU Extension Office (378-4414) and we’ll mail you one.

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That's the Fish for Teeth van at Marketplace on Friday & Saturday...tons of folks got fish tacos on Friday, and bunches of kids' teeth were treated both days. Way to go, Matt & Maureen!

• The vote’s coming up – the ballots will be in the mail soon for the February 14th election….it’s a one issue ballot, with a request by the School District to approve the Capital Projects & Technology Levy. I say vote yes on this one, and if you need to see why, here’s the campaign’s website describing what we need to fix at the elementary school & the high school, and you’ll agree these are pressing needs. Check it out here.

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• I asked Carol Ford the other day how Sam was doing with his group Wizard Rifle (and bandmate Max) and she said here’s the latest news from Portland – they’ve signed a recording deal! Here’s more.

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• Got a note the other day that car fans & motorcycle nuts are gonna like to hear – this is from Kevin Holmes:

Please pass on to any of your friends with classic, foreign, exotic cars or any motorcycles.  IPS in Friday Harbor now has Ethanol FREE mid-grade Gas! Most of the car people who have been having vapor lock problems or car failure problems and motorcycles not running smooth is due to Ethanol water separation.  You may want to consider purchasing the Ethanol Free fuel from IPS – it will save the fuel system on your car.

Please pass it on!

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Dr. Michael Horn donated his time to help out the Fish For Teeth program last weekend....that's him in the van with his young patient.

Snow for San Juan Island is on the way....photo by Deb Langhans (a couple of years ago)

Got this report from Brendan at the County Department of Emergency Management at 2:30 or so on Monday (today):

Significant winter weather is in the forecast through the middle of this week:

• 3-6 inches of snow could fall before Tuesday morning.
• After a lull late Tuesday, snow through the day on Wednesday could total 6-12 inches.
• Islanders should keep an eye out for delays or cancellations to school and other activities
• Snow on Wednesday could change to rain, which could result in extremely heavy loads on roofs. Keep a close eye on car ports, sheds, and other structures prone to collapse.

For more winter weather preparedness tips, visit: www.sanjuandem.net/winter

Male Anna's Hummingbird

One of the most knowledgeable bird experts on San Juan Island is Susan Vernon, and she just checked in with a thought about one of our smaller friends:

Hi Ian,

I thought I would jot you a note regarding the overwintering Anna’s Hummingbirds on the island now.  I suspect some folks don’t know we have hummingbirds here in the winter and when we get ice and snow it can be a challenging time for the beautiful little birds.  Some island gardens has winter-blooming jasmine, mahonia, honeysuckle and other plants that are good nectar sources for them, but feeders can be very helpful to Anna when it snows or the temperatures take a dive.

Female Anna's Hummingbird

I have had a pair at my place all winter and they are staying close by my feeder  now.  I know several other islanders who have hummingbirds at their feeders, too.  Perhaps a little extra support would be a good thing for the next few days – or anytime this winter when the temperatures plummet.

Islanders who have feeders they put out for the Rufous Hummingbirds in the spring and summer might want to put them out now for Anna.   Thanks, Ian.

– Susan Vernon

The snow is coming...

Brendan at the County’s Department of Emergency Management has issued a heads up on the week ahead (you can “like” his Facebook page here; you can sign up for e-mails from him here):

Monday morning: Too soon to know for sure, but the Weather Service is forecasting a major snowstorm for Wednesday. Computer models are varying from 4-8″ to much more than that.

Very hard to predict exactly how this will shape up, but worth keeping an eye on the forecast and picking up some extra groceries in town Monday or Tuesday just in case. Here’s the forecast.

I had always known Maya Angelou’s autobiography, which she called “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.”

I had never looked up the poem it was based on, but this seems like a good day to share Paul Laurence Dunbar’s verse. Thinking about Dr. King, and the miles we still have to go…which may begin by understanding both the song and the cage.

Sympathy
by Paul Laurence Dunbar

I know what the caged bird feels, alas!
When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;
When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,
And the river flows like a stream of glass;
When the first bird sings and the first bud opes,
And the faint perfume from its chalice steals—
I know what the caged bird feels!

I know why the caged bird beats its wing
Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;
For he must fly back to his perch and cling
When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;
And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars
And they pulse again with a keener sting—
I know why he beats his wing!

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,—
When he beats his bars and he would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core,
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings—
I know why the caged bird sings!

"I have a dream..." - Dr. King in Washington in 1963.

This Monday is the celebration of Martin Luther King…and yes, one way you can join in remembering Dr. King is to do something to help the community. Here’s one way, sent over by Janet Thomas:

Celebrate the Spirit of MLK Jr. Day in Friday Harbor
Volunteer! An Afternoon of Community Service
Monday, January 16th

Come to the The Mullis Center from noon – 3 pm

Service with a smile, a song, some cookies and Teddy Deane on the piano
Indoor & outdoor work parties at the Mullis Center,
the Convalescent  Center
and the Family Resource Center

Work awhile with friends & neighbors, then join in an hour of spirit & song.
This is a great family time!

For Info: Liz Illg – 378-6104

The report: "There were friendly faces of Trivia at The Rumor Mill last night: The first is Jo, birthday girl on Thursday night at the Rumor Mill's Trivia Competition. Then Cecil, filling in for Jo - so she could play on her birthday! Lastly Briana, lovely waitstaff who is headed south to Mexico...." Photos by a shy friend (thanks!)

Let’s take a look around:

• Quote for the day: “Don’t be so afraid to step on someone’s toes that you forget that you came to dance!”

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Juniper Lane Guest House - getting the good buzz around the Internet....

• It was cool to hear from Juniper that her place is ranked so well – it should be! Here’s more:

So….I saw what you posted about Yelp and Serendipity and I couldn’t help but tell you that for San Juan Island hotels….Juniper Lane Guest House is the “Best of Yelp” ….ranked #1! Happy New Year!

Here are the reviews….

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Great to see the Olympics so clearly on Wednesday from the ferry, about an hour before sunset....

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• It was cool to see Jo Sandwith & her husband on the ferry last week, and report to you that they were coming back from Germany – problem was I said her husband was Pat (he’s married to Debbie Sandwith!)…just to get the record straight, Jo & Rob have been married for over 33 years!

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• Remember I posted that Jack Gibson was looking for someone to take on his dog Zoey? Well, someone stepped up & all is good….and Jack thanks everyone for helping out with that!

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The newly-painted rock, on the corner of Beaverton Valley & Egg Lake...this week. Tamara Weaver reports: "Another one of the many things that make living here great: You can always count on The Rock to restore your faith in humanity. Love is a rock."

Isabel Gabriel (left) and Sophie Marinkovich meetup with a friend after Thursday's rousing performance of "Little Women."

There are only 3 nights left for the Friday Harbor High Drama Group’s production of Little Women, and I hope that you get the chance to catch this one. Put on your calendar now–you don’t want to miss it!

Julie Hagn did an outstanding job as Marmee, and has fans crawling out of the woodwork, and the hoop skirt....(that's Elinor...)

This year’s director is FHHS alumna Bristol Whalen, who graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 2010 after learning her acting chops here in high school with her mentor Fred Yockers. Fred was at last night’s show and he agreed with me that this talented cast made what could be difficult drama come alive with a vibrant and authentic characterization of the main roles.

The show has its lighter moments, mixed with the shadows of death and the threat of death. As the show opens in the middle of the Civil War, the four “little women” are bonded with Marmee, their mom (Julie Hagn) as they deal with news of their father from the battlefield.

The rest of the show features the challenges they face with life, love, and hope, all with the certainty of their family’s love. Independent and ferociously intelligent Jo (Fiona Small) makes her family proud with her writing, and they rally with her when things get tough. Fragile Beth (Sarah Clark) is the  family’s deep concern, and her difficulties serve as a contrast to the successes and breakthroughs of her sisters.

Fiery Jo came alive with Fiona Small in Thursday night's production...she was congratulated by mom Shannon after the show.

Amy (Libby Anderson) is full of energy and spirit, but it’s not surprising that she looks up to her even-tempered and levelheaded older sister Meg (Isabel Gabriel) as she moves out into the world. The rest of the cast offers the counterpoint of difficult relatives, guys who are interested in the girls, and family friends. Good ensemble work!

The play spans five years, which gives the characters time to grow as people, and presents the young actors on stage with the challenge of showing their own understanding of each. They rise to the occasion well, which the opening night audience responded to with tears and laughter as everybody in the show grew up on stage. I was struck by the maturity of the students in the main roles, as they filled the theater with the energy of people who lived 160 years ago.

Bristol has come a long way since she played Don Quixote on the same stage seven years ago. She has successfully pulled a diverse group of kids together and made a team of them, and they really look like they enjoy working together. In her program notes, Bristol says, “You’ll not find a group of students more invested in life than this. You’ll be hard-pressed to not believe the love they feel onstage is real, abounding, and moving. These students are family, and taught me more about that might of love and hope than I could ever explain.”

Do yourself a favor and come see this excellent high school production. I’m glad I did.

Director Brostol Whalen pulled a spirited group together as a tight cast, with good results. She was congratulated by former FHHS drama teacher & director Fred Yockers after the show.

Randy Martin at SVC says there has been a lot of feedback asking for these classes, so register early! Call 378-3220 next Tuesday-Thursday to sign up:

House Building in San Juan County is offered by Richard Russell on 1/21/12 from 9am -4pm.  Cost is $57.00.  This workshop will prepare you for homebuilding and residential contracting while also introducing you to methods for conducting an effective and cost-conscious project. For those already experienced this class offers business practices to further sharpen your skills.

Richard is a fourth-generation carpenter, a mentor and a master builder with forty years of experience and has served as general contractor for PBS’s show “This Old House.”

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Liz Illg recommends this one: ” If you haven’t met Jane Alden you are in for a treat! A professional actress with 36 years experience in teaching, writing and producing theatre, she earned a BFA in drama from Carnegie Mellon University. As a founding member of The Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City and Los Angeles she acted, directed, produced, and wrote original pieces as well as taught acting and improv classes for professionals. Since coming to Orcas Island she co-created an after-school performing arts program for high school students, has taught various Shakespeare-themed classes for adults and youth and has been involved in several original productions. I’d heartily recommend this experience.”

Jane Alden

Shakespeare’s Anthony and Cleopatra will be examined from an actor’s perspective in a series of Saturday workshops from 1/21/12 through 2/25/12.  Cost is $79. In this workshop you will look at Shakespeare’s play as an actor or director would, seeking to discover the meaning behind the character’s words and actions.

Instructor Jane Alden has worked extensively in the Northwest as an actress and then a director, bringing a personal relationship to Shakespeare’s words beyond the difficult language and storylines.  Her theatre arts background enables her to share with students a deeper appreciation of Shakespeare’s work than is usually experienced in a classroom setting.

Here’s the word from Matt & Maureen:

Fish Tacos this Friday at Marketplace! Support Fish For Teeth!
Enjoy a FISH TACO caught and prepared by Matt Marinkovich and the Fish For Teeth Team!

When: Friday, January 13, 11:30-2:00 p.m.
How Much: $7.00 suggested donation
Where: MARKETPLACE parking lot
Why:  Support FISH for TEETH, who sponsored the DENTAL VAN that will be fixing peoples’ teeth for TWO DAYS this Friday and Saturday!  Read more here (scroll down to the bottom of that story).

In addition to a taco you can also buy the following:
Fresh Alaskan Rockfish: $8.00/lb (donation).  Caught by Matt, 100% to Fish For Teeth.
Fish for Teeth T-shirts*:  $25.00 (donation)
Fish For Teeth toothbrushes (good quality–adult/teen soft): $2.00 (donation)
Matt’s Fresh Fish T-shirts*: $25.00 ($5.00 donation to Fish For Teeth)
*T-shirts screen printed by Loea Design.

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Here’s the story from Matt & Maureen:

Matt: I’m in my fishing hibernation period now… dreaming of the days of summer when I can hand you a fresh one.

But on Friday, January 13th, I can hand you a freshly cooked and absolutely delicious FISH TACO that I, with a LOT of help from dedicated FISH for TEETH volunteers, will be cooking up for you.

They are made on a 10″ flour tortilla, with Alaskan rockfish caught by yours truly, served up with seasoned local cabbage from Heritage Farm, salsa from Pablito’s Taqueria, cheese, and a squeeze of lime.  YUMMY!!!

Fish Taco sales has been our biggest fundraiser for Fish for Teeth, which has bee
n patiently waiting for this opportunity to bring a DENTAL VAN, with TWO DENTAL CHAIRS and a team of LOCAL VOLUNTEER DENTAL PROFESSIONALS that will be FIXING PEOPLES TEETH FOR FREE on Friday and Saturday.  (The van is booked this time, but we hope to bring it back to San Juan Island on a quarterly basis)

This angelic dental van is operated by MEDICAL TEAMS INTERNATIONAL, a faith-based organization out of Redmond, WA.  Fish for Teeth is covering the fee to bring the van here for two days, Medical Teams International provides the van, van staff, and all supplies, and our wonderful local dentists and their assistants are going to work on the mouths of those who cannot otherwise afford dental treatment.

The Fish for Teeth Team decided to take care of dental emergencies first, but hope to bring the van back on a regular basis.  Our goal is to improve the overall dental heath of San Juan County by providing free dental treatment, prevention and education.

Hope to see you there!

Matt and Maureen Marinkovich
Fish For Teeth and Matt’s Fresh Fish

The Art of Business
by Teddy Deane

Business is usually thought of as business and art is, well, not business. But now, consider the following quotes with introductions from Linda Naiman author of “CreativityatWork.com”:

“The business of the artist is to create, navigate opportunity, explore possibility, and master creative breakthrough. We need to restore art, the creation of opportunity, to business.” -Brandweek

Miha Pogacnik, a concert violinist argues: ‘The world of arts must be rescued out of the prison of entertainment and the world of business must be led out of the desert of dullness of meaning!’. . . Art is a role model for business, since all great art pushes boundaries beyond the established norms.

The Harvard Business Review made the astonishing statement that an ‘MFA is the new MBA!’ It reports that ‘Businesses are realizing that the only way to differentiate their goods and services in today’s overstocked, materially abundant marketplace is to make their offerings. . . physically beautiful and emotionally compelling.’

In reviewing The Art of Business: Make All Your Work a Work of Art (Davis, 2005) Tom Peters commented: ‘We are entering an economy which will value a new way of looking at value creation. They call it moving from an emphasis on ‘economic flow’ (input-output) to ‘artistic flow’. See yourself as an artist, see your work as a work of art, see your customers as an audience, see your competition as teachers’.

Dan Pink, in his book A Whole New Mind, argues that left-brain analytical thinking is being replaced by right-brain empathy, inventiveness, and understanding as skills most needed by business. Pink points to Asia, automation, and abundance as the reasons behind the shift. He says ‘Logical and precise, left-brain thinking gave us the Information Age. Now comes the Conceptual Age – ruled by artistry, empathy, and emotion.’”

What does this mean for future jobs? We’ll see designers, inventors, social psychologists, and other right-brain folks coming out on top. Jobs without creativity will trend toward being outsourced. In light of these ideas, it becomes even more important to teach arts, enrich our island community and give our kid’s creative opportunities.

You’ve been sending great pictures this past week of the sunrises & moonsets – thanks!

Here’s one more…this morning I put my son Shay back on the plane (Kenmore Air) to fly to Seattle to get back to Boulder for his last semester at Naropa University…the sunrise was great on the ground, but as you can see, incredible from the sky. I think that’s Cape San Juan on the right, across from Lopez & Shark Reef, with Cattle Pass in between….

Thursday morning sunrise, by Shay Byington

Just got this note from Stacie Baisch about our friends & their new baby:

Atlas with his family....

Congratulations to Rob and Jessica Dickson on the birth of their son, Atlas Story Dickson, born December 13th, 2011.

Atlas arrived ten weeks early with a virus called Cytomegalovirus or CMV. He weighed in at 1lb 14 oz and was 14″ long. They are in great hands at the NICU at Providence Hospital in Everett and Jessica reports that Atlas is improving every day.  Rob works for Ravenhill Construction on San Juan Island and was able to scale back his hours in order to travel south every weekend to help with their daughter, Seven, and visit Atlas every week.

A large insurance deductible for Jess, huge travel expenses for Rob, and missed work for both will add up quickly.  We can’t do much to help speed up Atlas’ exit from the hospital, but we can help alleviate a little bit of stress for this wonderful family. If you’d like to help, please contribute to the Atlas Dickson Get Well Fund at Wells Fargo Bank.  Checks may be made out to Atlas Dickson Get Well Fund or to Rob or Jess Dickson.  Please mail checks to Wells Fargo Bank, PO Box 189, Friday Harbor WA 98250. The Dickson Family thanks you with great appreciation.

Please pass this message on to any friends I may have missed!