Deer in the snow, out near Kanaka Bay. Photo by Deb Langhans, not this year (yet).

In the waning hours before Christmas, here a few things you might want on your radar:

• After a busy month since Thanksgiving, Printonyx will close for its annual winter break beginning December 24th at 4:00 p.m. and continuing through January 3rd. We use this characteristically slow time to visit family, clean and get ready for year-end accounting.  All customers with jobs to pick-up will be called or e-mailed with a reminder of our closure.

When we reopen on January 4th at 8:30a.m., we’ll have Customer Appreciation Days (Monday  through Wednesday) which will include healthy munchies and beverages along with 25% off all paper products in stock. That includes preprinted holiday border papers, envelopes, card stock and label stock. Absolutely no rainchecks as this is limited to stock on hand.

We appreciate your continued support and hope you have a blessed time with your family and friends.

The Staff of Printonyx
Kristine Brown, Jeff Fitts, Jonathan Reed, Clinton Gauthier and Susan Schwinge

Matt & Barbara from Gallery San Juan....photo by John Sinclair.

• I had heard that Barbara at Gallery San Juan had hung a commissioned job earlier this month – and she responded with the details:

I was commissioned by Horizon House, which is a large retirement facility in downtown Seattle, next to Swedish Hospital, to create two large bodies of work for the Chapel and Social Rooms. Horizon House has over 600 residents and the rooms are used daily by many. It was my good fortune to meet a couple this last summer who visited our gallery and liked my work.

Coincidentally, they live at HH and were on the art selection committee for this project.  They gave my card to the Director of the Chapel and she called me and invited me to come and talk to them about the project.  I submitted renderings based on the theme, which was Calming Waters of Compassion.   I was given colors and got to know the rooms where the art would live.  My renderings were approved and sizes were decided.

I started work in early November and Matt and I delivered the work on December 16th. I am amazed and honored that my work will be featured in these special rooms for many to enjoy.  Horizon House has been collecting original art for decades and they have an amazing collection.  Matt and I were given a tour of the main floors and we recognized many artists as well as one of his instructors from the Seattle Art Institute.

The Watercolor Collages are on Canvas and each Triptych is 9′ x 4′. Matt built a special 10″ easel in my studio to create the pieces.

Thanks to everyone that stopped by my studio and encouraged me along the way!
P.S.  Benji, my sweet dog  was with me every step of the way.

All my best for a wonderful New Year,
BJ Dollahite
Gallery San Juan

• Local heroes – Dodie & Jonathan sent this in to me a while ago, but it’s a good story about people who do good things here on the island:

When an unknown distressed and injured animal (in this case a big old shepherd mix) crawls into an inaccessible corner under your deck, who you gonna call?

We placed a “Lost/Found Dog” ad in the sanjuanislander and called the Sheriff’s office and the Animal Shelter.  It took several attempts over two days for Rina and Michelle from the Animal Shelter to retrieve the dog, with the aid of equipment borrowed from Deputy Ron Krebs, who was standing by to assist.  This was not an easy task but the dog, although terrified and in pain, turned out to be sweet natured.  Rina and Michelle got cold, wet and muddy, but they eventually got the dog to the Shelter.

There was no ID on the dog, no response to our advertisement, and nobody reported this sad old dog missing.  We do not know how long it had been hiding under the deck.

What next? We can only encourage everyone to think more about what our Shelter does for distressed island animals and how far beyond the norm the people there are willing to go.  Our biggest hope is, as always, for all domesticated animals to be cared for properly for the whole of their lives by their owners.  Until then, donations to the Animal Shelter will help them to continue to step in where we fail.

Dodie & Jonathan Taylor

• Keeping the auto tech program alive at FHHS – the San Juan Cruisers are the key. Here’s more from Larry Wight:

The San Juan Cruisers, led by President David Stegman, has donated the $3000 required to significantly remodel the FHHS Tech Building, which hosts most of the school’s technology classes. The Cruisers wanted to support the Auto Tech program and learned that funding was an obstacle to adding a garage door and some partitions to the building. Without hesitation, they offered to pay for all the materials for this remodel. They also offered to help with the labor to complete the remodel but, as it turned out, FHHS teacher Cecil Dent donated all the labor for the remodel himself.

As a result of the remodel, the Auto Tech capability has expanded significantly. We can now support larger classes. In addition, before the remodel we were limited in the size of the projects by the width of the doors. As a result we could, with effort, bring an engine into the shop but nothing bigger. Now we can bring an entire automobile into the shop where we can develop skills around brakes, steering, transmissions, charging and electrical systems, and auto body repairs.

Current projects in the shop include rebuilding a 1970 Ford 400 cid engine, working on a 1966 Buick GS, rebuilding an outboard motor, and repowering a lawn tractor with a diesel engine. If you would like to visit the new shop and, perhaps visit one of the classes, please contact Larry Wight at 622-6586

Yvonne goes postal, in a nice way.....

There may be miles & miles of lines at the post office (or seem like it), but everybody’s handling it with a smile, far as I can figure.

Torrey gets some helps from Scott posting her package...ho, ho, ho....

From the mailbag...this is the sunrise on San Juan Island on the morning of the 18th. Thanks for John Simon for sharing!

Every so often, folks write to me (and occasionally leave messages on the phone or pin things to my door) with interesting observations & stuff they’re interested in. Let’s take a look at that for a moment & see what’s happening:

Lopez....best spot for ya.

Q. Which part of the island do you think my husband & I should move to? We’re real estate developers with a string of successful condos on Maui and see a lot of possibilities here. – Brenda & Stu, Hawaii

A. Lopez.

Q. How come you never post Christmas songs? – Julio, Friday Harbor

A. Oops. Hey, thanks for the reminder.

Here’s one of my favorites:

Q. Did you sell your house yet? – Anna, Port Townsend & moving there in April

A. It would make a great home for you. Check it out here.

And he can read, too....

Q. How many dogs on the island actually come when you call their names? – Martha, Friday Harbor

A. I only know of three. And they’re all named Tucker, I believe.

Q. The rumor is that you’re planning to move away to Canada. – Dave, near Roche Harbor

A. That is correct. That IS the rumor. I’ll look into it. Till then, I reckon I’ll stay put, though.

Q. How did Friday Harbor get its name? – Jackie, just moved here from Nevada

A. You know the story about the two old guys who couldn’t hear that well. One says, “Wow, it sure is windy!” The other guys says, “No, it’s not, it’s Thursday!” So the first guy says, “Me, too! Let’s go to Haley’s & get a beer!”

Our town was named by a guy who knew a longer version of the joke, which has been lost to history. I’ll check with Kevin at the Historical Museum, but I believe I’m right about this one.

Q: When you put people’s e-mail addresses in posting, you write it like this: somebody (at) rockisland.com. Why don’t you use the “@” symbol? It’d be easier for me to write them. – Alex, on the westside

A: Mostly it’s that way so e-mail harvesters won’t take your e-mail off the Update & turn it into spam. (Here’s a link that explains why I use what’s called “cryptic text.)

Q. Do you believe in 2012? – Tiana, Adelaide

A. Yep.

Nelson Mandela borrowed from Marianne Williamson in his inaugural address in 1994, when he offered this:

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Sometimes you just gotta get in the back yard and make a video of your songs….so, Cameron called up his buddy Devon Schwinge here on the island & said, “Let’s go.” And they did…so check it out – song by Cameron Byington, all instruments by Cam, and videography by Devon. Pretty sure you’re gonna like this one:

Sgt. Bauschke helps a little girl in Afghanistan....

I had heard about what islander & medic Tom Bauschke was doing, and asked Bob Scwartzberg & Minnie Knych to get me some details…basically, he’s trying to help fill in the gaps where the support for American wounded comes up short. Here is his story:

A Walk for the Wounded – Kilimanjaro

Sgt. Bauschke

My name is Sergeant Thomas G. Bauschke. I am a Medic currently serving in Afghanistan with 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd BCT, 10th Mountain Division. I received a Purple Heart for a shrapnel wound from enemy RPG fire on May 1st 2009 (Permanent Orders 145-018, 25 May 2009). We are scheduled to return home to Fort Drum, NY in January 2010 after a yearlong deployment. My web blog at www.islandguardian.com (click on my name) will show you some highlights of my deployment.

During our Block Leave in February 2010, I will climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa to raise funds for The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). First, on February 11th, I will climb 30 miles up nearby 14,967-foot Mount Meru to get used to altitude. Then, on February 16th I will climb 38 miles to summit 19,340-foot Kilimanjaro. The climbs will total 68 miles, 24,305 feet gained and 24,918 feet lost over 11 days.

This is my 3rd fundraiser for The WWP. Continue Reading

Up on the roof....

Those were the seagulls poised on Carla Higginson’s place across from the high school on Saturday….photo shot by San Juan Update wildlife photographer Josie Byington.

It was a packed room for dinner at the San Juan Room at Friday Harbor House...

Gallery of photos from the evening – click here!

What better way to spend the evening than sharing a meal prepared by Seattle chef (and former islander) Greg Atkinson and Jason Codding from Friday Harbor House…it was a progressive dinner, starting with appetizers at The Bluff, then dinner in the San Juan Room at Friday Harbor House, with dessert at the Museum. Great chance for research & education supporters to get together & swap stories, and show their support for the Whale Museum.

The place was decked out beautifully by Jane Buck....

It was a packed room for dinner at the San Juan Room at Friday Harbor House...

Gallery of photos from the evening – click here!

What better way to spend the evening than sharing a meal prepared by Seattle chef (and former islander) Greg Atkinson and Jason Codding from Friday Harbor House…it was a progressive dinner, starting with appetizers at The Bluff, then dinner in the San Juan Room at Friday Harbor House, with dessert at the Museum. Great chance for research & education supporters to get together & swap stories, and show their support for the Whale Museum.

The place was decked out beautifully by Jane Buck....

Mike & Bob, gettin' down...

Friday night at Be Chic Boutique (which used to be Dominique’s Clothing), Teri had her annual Christmas party. No get-together would be complete without music, so she invited Mike Adams & Bob Leytze to play, and the two-part harmonies with outstanding bass & guitar work was great. Made a great evening perfect – they do a really good job.

The days get longer from here on out....

My read of this Wikipedia article is that solstice officially kicks in at 17:47 (GMT) today, which of course is eight hours ahead of us here in the Northwest.

And since this is the shortest day of the year, tomorrow is the second shortest. And it keeps getting better from there…wahoo!

Tracy James (left, with pup) and Wendy Wood at the Be Chic Boutique Christmas party on Friday...longtime islander Tracy has moved back stateside from Paris, and is setting up in Seattle....

Some notes from around town:

• John Sinclair at Concepia tells me: “I have a couple of fabulous deals going on for the holidays season: 50% off studio portraiture sessions, and 20% off everything else in the gallery – this includes books, photo printing and frames. I’m open seven days a week from 10-5.”

• Over at San Juan Wireless, Joy has this reminder: “Please mention that San Juan Wireless is offering special discounts from 30% – 100% on accessories this week.  Select a stocking from the tree to get your special discount. Also, the drawing for a Toshiba Blu-ray DVD will end on 12/24/09.

“Thanks for supporting local businesses!!!”

• Sarah & Bobby at Haley’s reminded me that they’ll be closing early on Christmas Eve, as will most businesses on the island…plan ahead!

• Among the CDs and calendars you can buy at Island Studios is Joe Bongiorno’s new album…it’s been selling really well, so get over there quick!

• Lisa’s looking for space: Here’s more from Lisa Holt:

Hi Ian,
I love the San Juan Update. Great job!
I’m hoping your readers can help me. I’m looking for around 5000-10,000 square feet of enclosed space or land to lease or rent, suitable for dog agility training and practice. One consideration is that I may be able to provide a temporary building structure on the right piece of land. I’m looking for ideas! Would need parking for up to 10 vehicles and unrestricted access to site.

Thank you.
Lisa Holt (378-4562, sanjuanlisa (at) gmail.com

Photo op with Santa last Friday.....

Gallery of photos from Santa’s visit – click here

It was fun to drop in on the preschoolers on Friday, as nearly 75 people (luckily, most of them were only 35-pounders) jammed into the conference room for songs & stories by youth librarian Melina, as well as Kathy Babbitt, which set the stage for the arrival of Santa (Michael Perrin does a great job!).

Then the kids hung around for cookies & crafts & a chance to sit on Santa’s lap. Here’s a gallery of photos from the day – see who you know!

Kayla and Katie were dressed up & ready to dance.....

Saturday night at Dance Workshop II was great fun.

Kels in action...

Kels Boreen put on a Solstice Masquerade Dance that drew dancers & listeners of all ages (I love it when there are events that everybody can go to – how else do the kids get to hear good music? And how else do the older folks get to hear the kids?)

Since it was cheaper to get in if you had a mask, a lot of folks dressed up, as you can see. The music was provided by acoustic guitarist/singer Ian Cooper (accompanied by Shay on hand drum), which set up an eclectic and very listenable two-hour set by the Kels Boreen Project.

Great way to welcome the Solstice…..!! Way to go, Kels!

Amy, Morgan and Ali, dancing the night away...

Kayla and Katie were dressed up & ready to dance.....

Saturday night at Dance Workshop II was great fun.

Kels in action...

Kels Boreen put on a Solstice Masquerade Dance that drew dancers & listeners of all ages (I love it when there are events that everybody can go to – how else do the kids get to hear good music? And how else do the older folks get to hear the kids?)

Since it was cheaper to get in if you had a mask, a lot of folks dressed up, as you can see. The music was provided by acoustic guitarist/singer Ian Cooper (accompanied by Shay on hand drum), which set up an eclectic and very listenable two-hour set by the Kels Boreen Project.

Great way to welcome the Solstice…..!! Way to go, Kels!

Amy, Morgan and Ali, dancing the night away...