Ace Olympics photographer Deborah Hopkins in action....

At the Island Rec New Year’s Party, folks were given a chance to get their photos taken for the Olympics, which are next month in Vancouver. Wahoo!

It’s the new year’s baby…J47! Here’s more from the Orca Network, including pictures.

And…here’s Howie’s proposal to retire Lolita from her forced labor at the Miami Seaquarium & bring her, finally, home. Here are some pictures he took of her recently, and yes, if that tank seems too small for a killer whale who would ordinarily swim 75 miles a day, you get the idea.

It’s the new year’s baby…J47! Here’s more from the Orca Network, including pictures.

And…here’s Howie’s proposal to retire Lolita from her forced labor at the Miami Seaquarium & bring her, finally, home. Here are some pictures he took of her recently, and yes, if that tank seems too small for a killer whale who would ordinarily swim 75 miles a day, you get the idea.

Margaret & Joel

It was cool to go by the Farmers’ Market on Saturday at the high school & see all  the produce, especially for this time of year….that’s Margaret & Joel Thorsen with their offerings from Thousand Flower Farm on Waldron Island. (Here’s more about the farm, and here’s Margaret’s blog.)

The next Market is the first weekend of February, which is why folks were buying so much this last one.

Margaret & Joel

It was cool to go by the Farmers’ Market on Saturday at the high school & see all  the produce, especially for this time of year….that’s Margaret & Joel Thorsen with their offerings from Thousand Flower Farm on Waldron Island. (Here’s more about the farm, and here’s Margaret’s blog.)

The next Market is the first weekend of February, which is why folks were buying so much this last one.

Where's Waldo?

We probably have more artists & photographers on this island than anywhere in the world, and they all are way above average, as you can tell by the Wilson family portrait above…but I’m not gonna tell ya who shot it.

Today & Thursday you can go by San Juan Healthcare for your flu shots – SHHC’s Susan Murfin says these are covered by Medicare. Here’s more about the clinic, which is available from 1:30-4:30pm both days.

You can get tea at TNB...

You can think what you want, but that’s just tea someone was buying at the Naked Bean the other day. Loose tea, in a bag.

Wetlands with mist in the background....photo by Shay Byington

That was the low-hanging mist off Beaverton Valley Road across from the entrance to Xtreme Fitness over the weekend….

Wildlife on the wall at Rocky Bay...

I love Keith Van Cleve’s photography – he catches the majesty of eagles’ flight with his split-second timing & great eye for framing a shot, and has the patience to catch other birds in their natural habitat as well.

It was cool to see that he and Jackie were hanging a show on the big wall at the Rocky Bay Cafe this weekend…drop by & check them out!

The ramp was stuck in the upright position for a while last night....

When I came home on the ferry last night on the last boat from Anacortes (I was coming from Lopez), we were surprised to find that the ferry folks in Friday Harbor had closed up the dock & gone home, apparently forgetting the schedule change that went into place this past weekend.

So…we got to wait with the ramp not able to be lowered for about 20 minutes while they went to get the key or something. Could you tell it was low tide?

The Front Street Ale House...photo by Shay Byington

When I heard from someone that the Front Street Ale House might be closing, I wanted to check on THAT…. when I went & asked Peggy & Oren about it, I was relieved to find that they’re closing this week for three months or so to completely remodel the inside of the place. I asked Oren to explain in more detail, so he sent this note (and don’t miss the part about the buffet tomorrow night!):

San Juan Brewing Company is expanding!

New operations will include the first Official Island Distillery, along with an expanded family friendly Restaurant.

San Juan County’s first and only brewery is about to set out on a brand new adventure!

The San Juan Brewing Company will go through a metamorphosis this winter, moving the brewing operation out of town, and introducing the island’s first micro distillery for the summer of 2010. This all-encompassing remodel will see the brewing space converted to family dining, the familiar downstairs pub being opened up so many more people can enjoy the ocean views, and a new chef-driven menu introduced, capitalizing on 17 years of being the Island’s most innovative fast casual dining experience.

Please join us Tuesday, Jan. 5^th, 2010, 5-9PM, for a Friends & Neighbors Party at the Pub to help us celebrate new beginnings. Complimentary buffet for patrons, $2 handcrafted pints.

The San Juan Brewing Company has brewed over 1.6 million pints of beer for our community since 1993. Our team is looking forward to brewing much more in the years to come. We are excited about the opportunity to refresh our business, and look forward to a new facility, more efficient, larger family dining area, more ocean view, and fun new libations & menu items. The renovation is expected to take about three months; our projected grand re-opening is anticipated April 2010.

Cheers & Happy New Year,
Oren & Peggy Combs, along with The Ale House Crew

Jordan & Jordyn....

It was good to see a couple of  grads from the Class of ’09 on the ferry last night before they went back to school – Jordan Nash (left, above) is heading back to Western Washington, while Jordyn Taylor returns to the Santa Cruz (CA) area to Cabrillo College.

Grant Schwinge (left), Robin Lohrey, and Chris Carter...the band also had Ryan Browne sit in for a while, and Evan Anderson had a guest song.

The kids are alright – it was good to see a full house for Saucerful at Pazzo Vivo on Saturday night…

Zach Milkus on drums....

The guys played two sets for nearly three hours, and it appears they just keep getting tighter.

Friends around the island this year....

Lots of people like to look back at the events of the year…I guess I prefer to look back over the folks that make up the tapestry this island weaves around us.

See who you know!

Throughout the year, I get to put together galleries of people doing what we do here, so I thought I’d take a moment & put ’em all in one place to show you.

See what you think. See whom you know. And notice that folks sure seem to find a lot to smile about around here. 🙂

The Father/Daughter Dance

The Whale Museum’s
Black & White Dinner 2009

Christmas at the Library
with preschool kids

The Commodore’s Ball

The Fairly Outrageous Fashion Trashion Show
(at the Fair)

San Juan Dragons Lacrosse 2009

The Festival of Trees Celebration
at the Community Theatre

The 8.8 Loop Run
(Island Rec’s run at the Fair)

Friday Harbor High Graduation 2009

The Island Artisans’ Holiday Marketplace
(the two days after Thanksgiving)

The San Juan County Fair
(faces at the Fair)

Spring Street International School
& Skagit Valley College Graduation

Halloween:
Kids & Really Big Kids

The Children’s Festival

FHHS Boys Soccer 2009

The Fourth of July
(Gallery One & Gallery Two)

The K-9 Carnival

Tracy & Jill

It was cool to see Jill And Andy Urbach last night down at the ferry landing.

Jessica & Sienna getting off the boat in Friday Harbor....

Jill was seeing off her friend Tracy on the boat…the two of them were roommates during their first year of college, and it was great that Tracy got a chance to come up & visit this week.

Other island stories: Did you know that Louisa & Steve Keys are in Mexico for New Year’s? Of course, Steve had a gig playing there for New Year’s Eve….

Also south of this border (locally, that means below South Beach), Juniper Maas is starting the year in Chile.

Oh, yeah – Kirk Fuhrmeister’s headed for Guatemala this weekend, and Island Stage Left’s Helen & Dan are heading for Mexico.

And, on the ferry yesterday, Jessica Chaffee (right) was bringing ten-month-old Sienna over to see grandma Nancy Fusare…Jessica is living on the mainland with her husband Tim & is working on her degree at the Art Institute of Seattle, while Sienna is working on walking….