Looking across the valley, with the wind whipping the duststorm-like snow into clouds on Monday's frozen afternoon...photo by Jim Maya

Looking around the island….

• Yesterday, Val & Neil Curtis (and brother Cole!) welcomed Kate into the world. Sounds like everybody’s doing great! Wahoo!

Mona in action...photos by Felicity Milne

• Over the weekend, Felicity (she of the awesome cakes & Thanksgiving pies) caught Mona the Camel doing some construction work (or maybe destruction work) over at her place off Roche Harbor Road, where she habitually slows up traffic on both sides of the road..

Felicity caught the whole thing on film, as you can see.

You’ve seen Mona, of course, out with her white alpaca friend Lisa (Mona & Lisa – the two names go together, eh?), but this is one job she did all by herself.

Mona in action, part two....

That was cool, but that’s not all that is available on the web for Mona-watchers. Here is a fan vid called “How To Feed  A Camel,” which she stars in (it’s great fun), by Lilylulay & her friend:

Paul Chadwick

• It was cool to see Paul Chadwick’s interview on Guerrilla Geek – the island’s master cartoonist developed the internationally-known Concrete, as well as done work on The Matrix Online, and other cool projects. Read it – you’ll like it. (Way to go, Paul!)

• Linda & Maureen are watching the progress of the bill in Congress that would make genetically modified salmon get OK’d by the FDA…and be classified as a drug.

Weirdness…check their website for more info, and what to do to act.

Stacey and Cake Junkies (that's Curious George on the cake!)

• Have you been by Surina Business Park lately to see what Stacey‘s been up to? Besides making cakes, she has a retail spot at Cake Junkies with gluten-free Fridays, soup, and brownies & all kinds of treats, as well as the creativity to make the cake you’re looking for. Stop in and say hey!

Here’s more on her Facebook page!

Get a little TLC (Travel Light Cycles) with Mikial....

• Speaking of Surina Business Park, while you’re over there say hey to Mikial Denker (his name is pronounced like “McKyle”) and his place, Travel Light Cycles. He repairs bikes & sells ’em, and has a nice collection for you to pick through – great holiday present. He opened up last month & is off to a great start – check him out!

That's Gerard & Karen at work, filming the weekend's children's show at the Communiy Theatre. They've been doing this for years as Elan Video (elanvideo.net) & creating memories all that time.

There were these two older guys down by the marina. They were just a little hard of hearing.

“Wow, it sure is windy today!”

“No, it’s not. It’s Thursday.”

“Me, too. Let’s go get a beer.”

Barb Jensen & the Audubon Society are gearing up for the Bird Count, and they need you! Here’s the scoop, including the history of the annual event (the bird count USED to be about how many birds you could shoot):

It is that time of year for the Christmas Bird Count. Mark your calendar for Saturday, December 18th. We are getting the snow out of the way early this year so I am ordering calm, clear weather for that day. In any case, it will be a fun day. Continue Reading

Emma imitates art...actually I don't know whose idea the pixie haircut was, first, but I do know Allison saved more money, since she did it herself. That's her at opening night for Stars Lore on Friday.

Let’s look around & see what’s up around here….

• Shann Weston & Steve Porten celebrated their 25th anniversary this weekend – wahoo! Congrats, you guys!

• Here’s where to get your holiday wine – stock up!

Out on Roche Harbor Road....

– You can drop in & say hey to David & Kathryn at San Juan Cellars, next to the ferry landing:

Holiday Case Discounts
All San Juan Cellars Wines can be purchased with a 20% holiday discount on one case and a 25% discount on two or more cases. A case is 12 bottles. Mixed cases get the same discount. These case discounts also apply to other wines we have in the store.

– You’ll also want to drop in at San Juan Vineyards this weekend for their annual barrel tasting – here’s more about this.

Yep, it's cold! (I thought it said "beer" when I drove by, but it doesn't....)

• Tom Starr‘s been on the island music scene for decades, and he wants you to know there’s a show (he’s the leader of the band) this weekend:

Would you please put in the Update that the “Friday Harbor Old School Jazzers” will be playing a Traditional Jazz concert on Sunday, Nov. 28 from 2-4 pm at the Mullis Center. See you there!

• The FHHS girls basketball team gets the season underway with a jamboree on Saturday at Mount Tahoma High.

• Slow day for ya? Here’s Bob Dylan’s Christmas song from last year. Don’t listen to it twice, or you’ll get it stuck in your head.

• Kim Ott says you can get your pie ordered now!

Thanksgiving Pie Sale to Benefit Local Girl Scouts

Young island bakers and their parents are geared up and ready to continue a local tradition: Saving islanders the time of preparing Thanksgiving desserts and providing pies for the Community Thanksgiving Dinner.

Local Girl Scouts will be selling homemade pumpkin and pecan pies inside Marketplace on Wednesday, November 24^th from 8AM to 2PM. Folks may also choose to donate their pie(s) to the Community Thanksgiving Dinner and the girls will deliver them.

Islanders may also pre-order their pies (those pecans do sell out fast) and pick them up on Wednesday. For more information, contact Wendy Wood at 370-5462 or Jill Urbach at 378-5309.

• Hey, want to deck the stores with lights? Like, your store? Here’s the scoop about this year’s contest from the Chamber of Commerce‘s Julie Corey:

ISLAND LIGHTS FESTIVAL
CELEBRATING THE HOLIDAYS IN FRIDAY HARBOR
This year’s Decorating Contest theme is CELEBRATE!! Please remember, it’s not all about the most decorations, it’s about the displays, and the feeling you get when you look at them! So please do enter the contest.

Click here to download a copy of the entry form, or stop by the Chamber Office to pick one up. Entries and $20.00 entry fee are due by December 1st.

The winner receives a cash prize and a trophy they get to keep and display until next year’s contest, as well as bragging rights for the whole year!  They also get the honor of flipping the switch that lights the trees downtown at the Island Lights Festival!!

TREE LIGHTING FESTIVAL
Each year this event gets better and better! This year it will be held on Friday, Dec. 3rd, from 5:00 to 6:45pm.

Holiday Ornament Making: Island Rec will be in the same spot they were last year (in the alcove were Banana Belt and Blue Water Grill entrances are). Come join them and make a Holiday Ornament. This is typically an event for kids, but I saw a few adults in there last year, too, and that’s great!

Santa Photos at the Clock Tower Pier: Santa and Elf Mark Gardner will be all set up to take a photos with Santa inside the Clock Towr. The cost for a photo is just 2 cans of food for the Shelter.

Soroptomists International will be serving their AMAZING coffee at the Windermere porch! Free cookies!

Kiwanis will have the K-Boose at the Pier parking lot, serving up their hot dog meals and other goodies.

We even have someone roasting chestnuts, a local choir singing carols, and do not forget the Snowman, Gingerbreadman, Rudolph, and the Christmas Tree walking around with special treats for everyone!

If you have a idea for an added event and would like to join in, please let us know.

6:30 Tree Lighting:  we have an awesome sing-along for about 10 minutes, featuring many favorite holiday songs!

Julie Corey
President of the Board
San Juan Island Chamber of Commence

The moon in the clouds over the weekend...photo by Kevin Holmes (thanks, Kevin!)

• Just talked to Debbie – she has only 29 spots left in this year’s Derby:

Eighth Annual Salmon Classic Invitational at Roche Harbor Marine & Resort
A three-day sport fishing extravaganza that attracts anglers from all over the Northwest & Canada. With over $30,000 dollars in cash & prizes this event brings out fishermen from all walks of life to fish our island waters.

Cash Prizes include $10,000 First Place; $5,000 Second Place; $3000 Third Place; $2,000 4th place; $1,000 5th place; $2,000 Mystery Fish and $2,000 Best Boat Total weight ~ all in CASH!! Each night donated prizes are drawn from the Northwest’s favorite fishing tackle and accessory companies ie.  Frabill; Scotty; Shimano; Laminglass; Simrad; Berkely. In addition, each Angler qualifies for the grand prize drawing: A top of the line Sport Fishing Boat package as a part of the Northwest Marine Trade Association Derby Series!

Derby entries are limited to 100 boats with 4 anglers per vessel. $700.00 per boat (plus sales tax $54.60), which includes moorage and angler’s dinner all three nights, with Roche Harbor’s Finest Prime Rib Dinner on first night of Registration.

The high school got a light dusting of powdery snow (crummy for snowballs) on Monday...photo by Josie

The Tuesday report from the San Juan Island School District:

On Tuesday, November 23, 2010, the San Juan Island School District will be operating on the “Late Start” schedule, 1 1/2 hr late (9:45 am start).  Buses will be operating on snow routes.

Head Start will be closed on Tuesday Nov. 23rd.

posted at 5pm/Monday

The buses were all chained up shortly after lunch on Monday to take kids home in the afternoon, and to run snow routes this morning.

Everyone has some kind of creativity they express & share with the world,a nd each of us appreciates it in the folks around us…but it’s important not to sell our own stuf short. Here’s more from CD Baby founder and philosopher Derek Sivers:

Obvious to you. Amazing to others.

Any creator of anything knows this feeling:

You experience someone else’s innovative work.
It’s beautiful, brilliant, breath-taking.
You’re stunned.

Their ideas are unexpected and surprising, but perfect.

You think, “I never would have thought of that. How do they even come up with that? It’s genius!”

Afterwards, you think, “My ideas are so obvious.
I’ll never be as inventive as that.”

I get this feeling often.
Amazing books, music, movies, or even amazing conversations.
I’m in awe at how the creator thinks like that.
I’m humbled.

But I continue to do my work.
I tell my little tales.
I share my point of view.
Nothing spectacular.
Just my ordinary thoughts.

One day someone emailed me and said, “I never would have thought of that.
How did you even come up with that?
It’s genius!”

Of course I disagreed, and explained why it was nothing special.

But afterwards, I realized something surprisingly profound:

Everybody’s ideas seem obvious to them.

I’ll bet even John Coltrane or Richard Feynman felt that everything they were playing or saying was pretty obvious.

So maybe what’s obvious to me is amazing to someone else?

Hit songwriters, in interviews, often admit that their most successful hit song was one they thought was just stupid, even not worth recording.

We’re clearly a bad judge of our own creations. We should just put it out and let the world decide.

Are you holding back something that seems too obvious to share?

© Derek Sivers

See the heart in the shot? Thanks, Ary!

No, really…Ary Hobbel reported:

I found this (the attached screenshot) on the County web site for parcel searches … “I left my heart in Friday Harbor?”  — off Turn Point Road and due west of Jensen’s Shipyard.

A little snowman on a car Saturday night, as the sun retires in the west....the car probably came from the hills, 'cause that's more snow than the whole town got Saturday....

After a weekend of forecasts, it finally started snowing in Town this morning.

The forecast says it won’t get above freezing for a few days (17 degrees tonight!), so batten down & stay warm, my friends….

Orchards on the island...

Adrienne just let me know this has been cancelled due to the weather…

Adrienne at the Library tells me this is going to be fascinating:

Meet Historical Landscape Architect Susan Dolan at the Library!

Join us on Tuesday, November 23rd at 6:00pm in the Library Meeting Room, as we hear Susan Dolan discuss the significance of Historical Landscape & Gardening. Susan Dolan is the author of Fruitful Legacy: A Historic Context of Orchards in the United States, With Technical Information for Registering Orchards in the National Register of Historic Places. Ms. Dolan also works for the National Parks Service as a Historical Landscape Architect and has been instrumental in revitalizing the Sandwith Orchard on San Juan Island.

This event is co-sponsored by the National Parks, Master Gardeners, SJI Historical Museum, & San Juan County Landbank. Seating is limited in the Library Meeting Room, so please plan to arrive early.

All Library programs are free and open to the public, and graciously sponsored by the Friends of the Library.

This year's design...

I know where I’ll be getting mine – over at The Whale Museum. I love Peggy Sue’s art, and this is a chance to share both the art & the tidings of the season – here’s a bit more:

It’s an Island tradition! Each year Peggy Sue McRae designs a holiday card to sell in The Whale Museum’s gift shop (a great place to shop for holiday gifts!).

This year’s design just came out and is being sold singly at the museum for $2.00 each or you can order them directly from Peggy Sue at $20.00 per dozen by calling 370-5210.

Says Peggy Sue, “It is a fun challenge to come up with a new idea each year. This year’s card is called ‘Star Jumper.’  How can you not be merry when an whale leaps to the stars?”

You probably already knew this is you were catching the ferry this morning – here’s the report from WSF:

Due to necessary repairs the 6:20am sailing from Anacortes to Lopez and Friday Harbor was cancelled; this will also affect the 8:05am from Friday Harbor to Anacortes. The 9:30am sailing to Friday Harbor and the 11:05am sailing from Friday Harbor and 11:45am sailing from Lopez is also cancelled. Updates will occur when conditions change.

It started snowing two hours before we shot this, the evening of Nov. 19, 2010…we drove the streets of Friday Harbor to show you what it looks like, getting covered in snow. Hope you enjoy seeing our town by streetlight!

The play's writer/director Penelope celebrates opening night with music director Teddy Deane. The word most heard in the lobby after the final curtain: "Wow!"

Look…whatever you do this weekend, work it in that you make a visit to see the Community Theatre’s children’s show, Stars Lore: A Mythological Musical. I saw the show Friday night (it plays at 3pm on Saturday & Sunday), and it was great fun.

Written and directed by Penelope Haskew, the show drew in the opening night crowd (which included tons of elementary age kids) with catchy songs, dance numbers, and an easy to follow & easy to appreciate script. Against the backdrop of four international folk tales, Penelope weaves stories that kept the younger kids in the audience paying attention, and the older kids (like me) amazed at the themes she mixed in. She – and the show – tell a good tale.

The music was the glue that held the show together…kudos to the band, led by incredibly creative music director Teddy Deane & including Dennis Willows, Jonathon Piff, and Grace Willows, who kept the two hour show moving. The costumes were awesome, and the backstage moms did a super job of saying, “Shh! Shh! Shh! Oh, now you go on…be loud!”

The show’s music was mostly written by Teddy, except for a song by Dick Hieronymous and a song by me. I gotta tell you – it was really something to hear the little song I contributed turned into a Bollywood dance & chorus piece…wow. It feels great to have a song treated with such care & love….thanks, you guys.

Do yourself a favor…don’t miss this one. It’s a great one!

The barn was fully ablaze...photo by Ron Garner

For all the cold we have have coming this weekend, things were hot over on Miller Road yesterday, as the Fire Department were called to contain a fire that destroyed most of a man’s belongings. Here’s the little writeup I received today…(and thank you, Ron, for the pictures) – see if you can lend a hand at Islanders Bank:

On Thursday Nov. 18th, longtime islander Whit Dunham lost his shop/barn to a fire that left nothing salvageable.  Thankfully, no person or animal was hurt. Whit was not at home and the near-by house, where his daughter and grandchildren live, was not damaged thanks to the excellent work of our fire department. It is still uncertain as to how the fire started. Whit has made his living as a carpenter on San Juan Island for the past 30+ years.   He lost all of his belongings including his tools in the fire.

An account has been set up at Islanders Bank to help Whit.

It appears to have been a total loss...photo by Ron Garner

See you at the show!

The show opens tonight! Here’s more about it (including a full cast list), and here’s a little video that Teddy Deane sent to you & me that gives you a taste of what’s ahead (put together by Ken Serratt):

Dennis & Jerry

I checked out Jerry & Dennis‘ operation, and you’re gonna love it – they’re located right next to San Juan Fitness (where the Computer Place was, till Paul moved down the street to where The Spirit Tree was, next to Radio Shack)…and they have their Grand Opening this weekend – here’s more:

Grand Opening Scheduled for San Juan Supplements

San Juan Supplements is now open! Located at 435 Argyle Avenue Unit B, near San Juan Island Fitness, San Juan Supplements offers a variety of products designed for weight loss, sports fitness, and overall nutrition. San Juan Supplements was created with the goal of providing a one-stop island location for all supplement needs. San Juan Supplements carries over a dozen lines of popular brand-name products at competitive prices, including NOW vitamins, MuscleTech, BPI, BSN, Gaspari, VPX, and USP Labs. In addition to a full line of vitamins and minerals, health-conscious customers will find organic and vegan products, as well as select health foods and natural sweeteners.

Owners Dennis and Jerry Sears have been interested in nutrition and vitamin supplements for years. Dennis and Jerry are especially interested in sports nutrition: their history with supplements includes training for bodybuilding, reaching personal goals in developing muscle mass and gaining strength, using supplements to improve performance for racing motocross, and taking vitamins to improve their daily lifestyles.

San Juan Supplements will hold its Grand Opening on Saturday, November 20 from 10am to 2pm. Product samples will be provided. Islanders are encouraged to stop by to tour the store and learn how supplements can improve their physical performance and increase the quality of their overall life and health.

San Juan Supplements is open Monday through Friday from 9:30am to 5:30pm. A 10% discount on all products is offered to members of any island gym and to senior citizens. For more information, please call 370-5570 or visit www.SanJuanSupplements.com.