Music takes you where you need to go…take a moment to discuss it with Bobby McFerrin here:

The boat that sank yesterday...photo by Mike Close.

Mike Close from the San Juan Island Marine Center sent over this picture of a boat that started to sink yesterday…

Most geologists rate our chances to host the next big quake as pretty good. Here’s more.

All around the island….

Drop in & visit the folks at San Juan Interiors...

• Did you know it’s impossible to lick your elbow?

• The folks at San Juan Interiors sure make it easy to get a carpet put in, or to do the things you need to do to spiff up your home. Gabe & his crew (including Sarah, Christine & Michel) are helpful & friendly & really care about your job.

One way you can check them out is on their new website… one of the parts I like is when you pick a room & you can see what it looks like with different colors, online. Give it a try – click here!

Jack & Ann were still laughing at intermission at "The Dining Room" the other night...the show ends its run this weekend.

• Bill & Rita have a chance for you to dance – here’s more from Bill:

Dance Happy offers ongoing Line Dance classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Classes at Noon and 5:15pm.  Join anytime.  You don’t need a partner and we line dance to all genres of music:  disco, latin, salsa, swing, country, oldies, soul, and lots more!  A fun and easy exercise program.  Cost is $8 per class or $7 if you do 2 or more classes per week.  You pre-register for a 4 week series…classes are held at Dance Workshop II.  Call Bill and Rita, 378-9628.

• Spring sports are underway…yesterday was the first day of spring practice for Friday Harbor High‘s golf, softball, baseball, boys’ soccer & girls’ tennis teams. Dragons Lacrosse (that’s a club sport, so they already started) is underway as well.

Krissy & Michael were all smiles at the Playwrights' Festival last month...

• I hear former school superintendent Michael Soltman and Krissy Haugen (yep, you guessed it – she’s Carolyn’s daughter & she worked in the schools here too) are getting married on May 1st. They currently work on Vashon Island – congrats to you both! Wahoo!

• Did you know that 75% of people who hear they can’t lick their elbow, try anyway? Did you? I did.

• Here’s a little song we used to sing at the end of yoga class, which I’ve always thought was about the nicest thing you could hope for someone, and for yourself:

May the long time sun shine upon you
All love surround you
And the pure white light within you…guide your way home.

Click here & I’ll sing it for you.

Kerry & Boo Boo have it all under control.

It’s coming on March 21st this month…a new 10K run here on the island! And this one is for women only…here’s more from race organizers (and the leaders of Run Ladies Run) Boo Boo & Kerry:

On Sunday, March 21, Run Ladies Run is sponsoring a 10K run/walk at Roche Harbor, San Juan Island, WA.  And unless you’ve got a tutu, NO BOYS allowed. This is for girls, only.

Early registration is on-going at San Juan Fitness, while event day registration begins at 8 AM at the Lime Kiln Café at Roche Harbor Resort.  The cost is $10.

The race starts promptly at 10 AM.  This 10K is for runners and walkers.  Strollers and dogs on leashes are welcome.

Make it a weekend getaway with the ladies.  Roche Harbor Resort is offering special room rates starting at $99. For room reservations, please call the resort at 360.378.2155.

If you have any further questions, please contact Run Ladies Run at runladiesrun (at) yahoo.com, BooBoo at 360.378.6902 or Kerry at 360.378.1007.  You may also join our group of Facebook at sji-runladiesrun

Here’s a free deal tomorrow night you’ll find to be fun – more from Jan at the Community Theatre:

The Mysteries of the [Dining Room] Table Revealed in Free Lecture

A Northwest food historian explores the art of dining in a special free lecture at San Juan Community Theatre on Wednesday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Humanities Washington and Living History Lectures in conjunction with the SJCT production of A.R. Gurney’s The Dining Room* present Tames Alan’s Trial by Fork: Formal Victorian Dining Demystified.

Historian Alan’s one-hour program will “explore a time of forgotten elegance, when one changed into dinner clothes and chose jewelry to reflect candlelight…a time where setting the table was an art and serving a meal was a well-choreographed dance.”

Suitable for middle school students through adults, the entertaining and informative presentation also details how the formal manners of the Victorian age translated into the good manners of today.

*The Dining Room plays on the Whittier stage February 25-28 and March 4-6.

Frank Penwell sent this over:

Norm MacLeod

CAPR San Juan’s March 2nd, 2010 speaker will be Norm Macleod.  Please join us for an educational evening and dinner at the Grange Hall at 5:30pm.

Norman MacLeod is the president and CEO of Gaelic Wolf Consulting, a natural resource policy design and Internet strategy firm with locations in Hockessin, Delaware and Port Townsend Washington.  His firm’s clientele, past and present, include Delaware’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the Washington Department of Agriculture, Forester Communications, and more.

He has worked with natural resource issues in the Klamath Basin, throughout Washington State and beyond.  His current projects include evaluating the interface between climate change policy and its impacts on land use regulation and access to water resources.

Frustration with the level of quality in the sciences used to justify legislation, rules and regulations, Norm and a group of senior scientists recently founded the Environmental Sciences Peer Review Institute (ESPRI), where he currently serves as executive director.  ESPRI is already working internationally on the science issues that impact us locally.

Norm is a founding member of the Olympic Stewardship Foundation, with a goal of putting conservation on the ground for future generations, and firmly believes that the people working and residing in our rural areas are the very best stewards of the ecosystems they live in . . . and that government regulation is a poor substitute for the individual’s knowledgeable care.

It was fun to see longtime hockey player Tony with Lisa down at Haley's watching the Canada/USA game Sunday. Tony told me he's glad that his native Finland got the bronze, with kind of a wistful sigh...

Let’s see what’s going on around here….

• I keep hearing about different business moves in town…let’s see if we can keep ’em all straight.

Michelle has re-stocked the store...

Doug Bison is gonna move his gallery over to where the Guruda & I was for years on First Street.

Meanwhile, Michelle Waldron isn’t moving Daisy Bloom, but she’s been sharing her spot with Creme Brulee…now that they’re gone, she’s been re-stocking the store & the place looks great! Drop by & check it out!

Teri & Be Chic Boutique are aiming at a March 12th re-opening in her new spot where Dominique’s House was (Dom has everything out at Roche Harbor, now).

Heather & Ken get some help from the kids with Saturday night's raffle during the Xtreme Fitness anniversary party.

Heather & Ken aren’t moving Xtreme Fitness any time soon – they had a first year anniversary party last weekend at the bowling alley, and it appears the gym just keeps growing, as they passed their 500th membership signup last month.

Haven’t been by to see if Gordy’s re-opened the Bean yet…gotta get back to you on that.

Early spring goodies this weekend with the Saturday Farmers’ Market, which is moved inside at the high school’s commons/dining room. See ya from 10am-1pm

Meanwhile, Don Galt, Jr. & the Ace Hardware crew keep loading up the new Ace Hardware, due to open sometime this month.

The big trucks keep bringing stuff to load the shelves at Ace....that's one getting off the ferry last Friday morning in the fog.

• Another way to brighten your day…

Continental Divide, by Britt

You can download Alaskan songwriter 907Britt’s new album (and hear the individual tracks from it!) if you click right here.

She has a concert set on the 19th at the Doctor’s Office, too.

• One way to find out about the specials at Kings Market:

They change every week, and if you find the button over in the ads to your left, you’ll see what’s special this week. (Click here to get the idea.)

Last night's moon...photo by Cyndi Brast.

I reckon there’s a song that goes with everything, and that’s part of what makes each day that much more full & true…last night’s full moon brought this one up. Here’s Yusaf Islam from ’75 or so:

And here’s a version by Wayne Joyce.

A collapsed bridge over the Claro river is seen near the town of Camarico, Chile, some 112 miles south of Santiago. (AP/Aliosha Marquez)

The situation in Chile needs help….here’s the link to Doctors Without Borders.

Help if you can….

Lori Stokes of the Soroptimist Club sent me this…wow! Numbers-wise, we’re doing pretty well with the local club; achievement-wise, even better. Here’s more:

This month, the Friday Harbor Soroptimists passed the 100-member mark, with five women (pictured) being inducted as new members. This makes the group the largest of the island’s four service clubs, as well as the second largest in Soroptimist International of the Americas Federation which includes Canada, North America, South America, Japan, the Philippines and Guam.  SI of Chico, California is the only club larger than Friday Harbor’s. What an accomplishment, given the relatively small community in which the club operates!

San Juan Island’s club was founded in 1996 by a group of women who shared the vision of a service organization focusing on the needs of women and children. 44 islanders signed the charter, of which 13 are still active members of the club today: Lenore Bayuk, Carrie Brooks, Judy Cornell, Lynn Danaher, Phyllis Davis, Debbie Dickinson, Pat Hansen, Nancy Hanson, Carol Jackson, Mitzi Johnson, Judie Ross, Annette Schaffer and Vicky Thalacker.

The name Soroptimist means “best for women,” and that’s what the organization strives to achieve.  Soroptimists are women (and a few men!) at their best, working to help other women be their best. Club members share their time, talents and financial resources to enrich the island community through a variety of service projects, awards, and scholarships. In addition to the club’s commitment to the island community, members also contribute to projects around the country and the world through the Soroptimist International organization.

During the last year and a half, the club put over $35,000 back into our community with donations to over 20 different organizations/activities. The largest single amount was the $18,500 the club spent purchasing ferry tickets for cancer patients going to the mainland for treatment.  Friday Harbor Soroptimist thanks our wonderful community for all its support.  For more information check out www.SiFri.org.

New members: Deanna Osborn, Melissa Guard, Laura Sandstrom, Kira Sable and Stephanie Prima-Sarantopulos. Photo by Marie DiCristina

County Clerk Joan White just sent this over:

Gov. Gregoire appoints new Superior Court judge

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire today announced the appointment of Don Eaton to the San Juan County Superior Court. Eaton now serves as a San Juan County Superior Court Commissioner, and replaces Judge John O. Linde, who passed away late last year.

“I was impressed with Don the moment I met him,” Gregoire said. “He has a history of being honest, fair and compassionate, and has the respect of his community and colleagues. He brings extensive legal experience to this position which will greatly serve the citizens of San Juan County.”

“It is a great honor Continue Reading

Leadership lessons from the dancing guy....

Much is made of the importance of great leadership… Derek Sivers suggests that the first follower may be the more important part. I watched this a couple of weeks ago, and I find it seems to come up, in one way or another, almost every day. See what you think…the narrator is Derek:

If it seems kinda quiet in town, a part of that is because the SSIS kids are away to Peru & Asia…here’s a little writeup from Head of School Louis O’Prussack that uses the words of the students to tell the story. Thanks, Louis – here’s more:

Service projects are a core mission in student travels. Indian students in schools partially supported by SSIS fundraising.

For the past 15 years, since its inception, Spring Street students engage in enduring experiential education projects during February. Middle school students focus on Shakespeare and travel to Ashland. Younger high school students leave for Peru this Sunday for three weeks of homestays, language classes, and volunteer work in an orphanage. Older high school students are either pursuing internships such as working for a public health project in Ghana, or traveling to Thailand and India on a six-week expedition that includes service projects, cultural immersion, and lots of personal growth. I recently asked our eleven students currently in Thailand to describe their most memorable moment so far:

From Peg Hope, one of the trip leaders and SSIS founder: Students have just finished up their homestays in Mae Jo, where they worked together with the villagers on a service project – creating a firebreak to protect the village and the crops from the kind of fires that can rage in this area this time of year. As Ted is fond of saying, “there are only 3 things that matter, or can change the world — Love, shared work, and money.” We try to bring the first one with us everywhere we go, engage in the second whenever possible, and donate the third when we can, and when we know it will make a difference. The project was something the villagers themselves asked for, so right in line with our primary objective and mission.

Forrest-grade 11:

Climbing the third largest peak in Thailand was an experience I will always remember.  Tired for days, I feel stronger Continue Reading

That's "The Dining Room" cast: Dorian, James, Rosa, Amanda, Nick and Marcy

Went to see The Dining Room last night at the Community Theatre, which runs this weekend & next.

I know you’ll like it. This is a fun show…you can tell the actors are having fun, and the audience definitely was, too.

The show is a character-driven piece of interlaced tales…the six folks in the show play some 50-60 people (I was counting so I could tell you, and lost count) whose lives interweave with each other over eighty years, with the stories centered around a common, modest dining room table (on & under & about, too). Each actor is stretched in the 7-10 characters he/she plays…playing different ages & different stories, with a range of emotions & reactions that all ring true. Merritt Olsen’s well-paced direction of an unusual script lets the scenes flow onto the stage, as the tales of people – real people – come to life.

I’ve gotten to see all the players in different shows except Amanda & Marcy over the years (including Rosa in high school shows n the ’90s) & watched their growth as performers; this show feels like a scrapbook of that growth, as all the actors really push themselves – this may be each actor’s best show. When you see the show, you’ll know what I mean. James, Dorian, Rosa, Nick, Amanda and Marcy light it up.

The Dining Room plays this weekend & next – here’s more.

High above the chimney tops...photo by Art Smith.

That’s the rainbow yesterday evening, over the harbor…sent in by Argyle House‘s Art Smith this morning.

Didn’t want you to miss it…

Here’s Izzy’s song to go with it…this may be the most-requested song that my son & I get when we dj weddings & events. Here’s Israel Kamakawiwo’Ole: