San Juan Island Perspectives » Diana

Things to Do Week of April 16 to April 22

Diana — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:31:13 +0000

The sun is out again, reminding us of why we love San Juan Island.

Did you know that we get HALF as much rain as Seattle? The splendid outdoor lifestyle is a result of our location in the “rainshadow” of the mountains. An example of the health life and outdoor activities are the events that are coming up on our islands.

On San Juan, there is a goal to complete the multi-use athletic field at San Juan Island Community Fields and have it open to the public on September 1. How do islanders do that? In the time-honored and successful dinner and auction manner! This fundraiser will begin at 4 p.m. on April 21 and is called Fields of Dreams – you may have seen the posters around town. Planned events include a BBQ dinner, an auction of donated items, a beer garden, dancing, and live music at this fun-filled family oriented event. Tickets are available at Ace Hardware.

The San Juan County Fairground, in Friday Harbor, is a valuable resource for people living in the islands. It has been the scene of the County Fair since its inception. But there are a lot more things going on there…horse shows, 4-H classes, Sales Events, Children’s Festivals, etc. Following the Fields of Dreams Fundraiser at the Fairgrounds on Saturday will be a Scooter and Trike time at the huge cement floor of the main fair building. Afterwards, at 8:30 there will be roller skating. Island Rec does a great job of keeping us moving!

For the more sedate, on Friday at the same Fairgrounds facility, there is a wonderful play by the actors of Island Stage Left. It opened to a standing ovation at the first performance. This is “Someone to Watch Over Me.” This show, which begins at 7:30 on Friday, is also performed on Sunday at 4:00. The performances are free, although donations are always appreciated. This moving play will elicit tears and laughter as it celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.

Don’t forget that the third Saturday of every month at our Historic San Juan County Grange Hall building in Friday Harbor, there are Contra Dances from 7 until 9 in the evening. No partners are needed and all dances are taught with live music (fiddle, guitar, mandolin and piano). No experience is necessary and a $10 donation would be appreciated. Students are half price.

Whatever your plans are, take a moment to get moving and go outside by visiting the beaches and parks in the islands, and enjoy your weekend.

Things to Do Week of March 5 to March 11

Diana — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:39:10 +0000

Inside and Outside

Inside: Attend an Interesting Lecture at the University of Washington Labs in Friday Harbor

The next in San Juan Nature Institute’s current Arthur Whiteley Lecture Series will be a lecture by William Calvin entitled What to do about Climate. The lecture is free and open to the public and will take place at 7 p.m. on Thursday March 8 in the Commons at UW Friday Harbor Labs. Coffee and cookies will be available before and after the talk.

In this talk, Dr. Calvin, an Affiliate Professor at UW School of Medicine, regards the world as a patient with ‘global fever’. Called in to give a second opinion of the problem, he will examine the symptoms, make prognosis of what will happen if treatment is delayed and suggest a cure. Despite the dire prognosis, Calvin does not believe the situation is hopeless, but he does admit that the treatment must be bold, immediate and more than simple reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide.

William Calvin is author a dozen books for general readers. He writes, and speaks, with wit and insight. A student of the Evolution of the Brain, Calvin explored the influence of abrupt climate change on human evolution and he has written several books on climate change.

The San Juan Nature Institute offers a selection of courses and lectures each season that they hope will inspire people of all ages to participate in the lifelong process of learning and discovery. They use the San Juan Islands as their outdoor classroom, hosting field workshops, young naturalist programs, a lecture series, and a Partners in Science Program within the local school classrooms. To learn more about this organization, go to http://sjnature.org.

Outside: Baseball is just around the corner!

The High School Team can be seen on the field practicing sliding, throwing, and catching.

Softball and T-ball season begins soon too. This year baseball, softball, rookie and T-ball programs for kids from age 5-13 are offered. Tryouts for minor and major boys and girls programs will be held on March 11 at Friday Harbor Elementary School. Joel Arnold, president, suggests that it will be an exciting season and encourages volunteers to jump on board. To learn more, go to www.fhball.org.

For a complete community calendar, http://www.sanjuancalendar.com/

Things to Do Week of February 6 – February 12, 2012

Diana — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:54:22 +0000

Unseasonably great weather

The atypical wonderful sunny and warm weather has islanders out and about without jackets and donning sunglasses. Popular pursuits include getting the boats and garden prepared for Spring. Here is what to do this week in the islands, for further information please check our community calendar link. http://www.sanjuancalendar.com/
Feb. 5: Yesterday was the last day of the popular 2012 annual Salmon Classic Invitational fishing tournament at Roche Harbor. Someone who has had the pleasure of fishing in the smooth water in this sunny weather will have caught the winning fish and get a lucky $10,000 first prize, besides.
Feb. 5-18 is the 2012 Annual Islands Playwrights Festival. The abundance of fine writers and actors in the islands, many with experience in the greater non-island world, present a popular event for entertainment. This is made special by the fact that the actors and the playwrights may be well known by the audience members, and the topics may refer to well known aspects of island living. Or example, one play is about three women who plan an islander’s empty nest party when their children leave for college. This year there are six light-hearted plays, each of them about twelve minutes long. The event takes place at the community theatre in the evening at 7:30.
Coming up: for new boaters, there is a FREE comprehensive basic boating safety course for Power, Sail, and Paddle Boats being held at San Juan Island’s Skagit Valley College in Friday Harbor. It will take us six Monday evenings from 7-9 p.m. and begins on February 13th.

Things to Do Week of January 30 – February 5, 2012

Diana — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:56:05 +0000

A Good Time to Plan

If a San Juan Islander ever wanted to leave the island for a vacation, it would likely be during the winter, when the days are shorter and it rains or snows more. However, there are many reasons to enjoy this time of the year: it’s easy to find a parking place, no lines at the grocery store, a real small town feeling of appreciation for place. For these reasons, we suggest that this is a good week to visit to see how San Juan Island might fit into your future. Start your plans!

1. Plan for your future retirement or second home. Some people like to visit the islands during these quiet times to see the “off-season” island lifestyle. For them, it makes perfect sense to see what the San Juans are like on a year-round basis before they come to any decisions. They are not disappointed.
2. Plan a stress-free weekend in a place that is unique. Here in the islands you will not find a McDonalds, a Rite-Aid, or a Macy’s. Since the rates are less during the off-season, you can pick a comfy bed and breakfast in town, see some good live theatre or a movie, visit galleries and museums, and eat some great food. Drive down to South beach off of Pickett’s Lane at American Camp, if it is a windy day; see the waves roll in and crash on the beach. Wear a parka and try your skills at flying a kite. You deserve a break today!
3. Plan to see a few properties with a knowledgeable Realtor. (http://www.sanjuanrealestate.idxco.com/idx/3151/roster.php) This is the time of year when Realtors have more time to spend with you, and their knowledge is invaluable. Any of us would be happy to help you begin your search process and we understand that many people are not ready when they start looking.
4. Plan an event. Does your family have a reunion or a big birthday coming up? How about a wedding? Wedding providers in the island have gotten together recently to offer their services and suggestions. There are many places where you can have a unique wedding here in the islands, and now is the time to start checking out venues and dates for Spring and Summer events.

Islanders are planning; too, they are planning for the Spring Garden. It is hard to resist on a cloudy day, sitting down with a cup of tea and a seed catalog and making goals about the garden. Visitors or non-gardeners will want to visit our farmer’s market for seasonal delights. If you decide to come up this week for a visit, check out our Calendar of events. http://www.sanjuancalendar.com/ Have a great week!

Traffic and Parking in Friday Harbor

Diana — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:31:26 +0000

You will see when you pull off of the ferry that Friday Harbor is a ‘main street” town without any parking lights, overpasses, or four lane highways. When traffic gets busy and the ferry needs to unload in the summertime, a real person often directs the cars with a whistle and their arms. There are no pedestrian lights, either. Jaywalking is not unheard of and usually doesn’t get a second glance. There is a four way stop and people actually take turns with going through it. Often people in crosswalks will motion for a car to go ahead of them while they are in the crosswalk. Maybe not having lights and signals and laws regarding who is first has made us more considerate of our neighbors. I hope so.

Perspective

Diana — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:30:33 +0000

I remember the first time that I saw the shore of San Juan from a boat. I squinted to try to get a closer image of the houses that I had only seen from driveways in my car. How different everything looked from the water! Homes with docks and boat moorings and front patios on the water side seemed to have a secret life on the side that faced the Salish Sea. Long and winding wooded driveways visible from the interior of the island led to sparkling shiny homes with boats at the ready to escape to Canada’s Gulf Islands or over to Fisherman’s Bay on Lopez with the crab pot for a dinner on the deck. Looking up, I could see homes on hilltops that would have spectacular views of the Olympic Mountains and passing pods of whales, little kayaks, even me, a spec looking to the sky. I remembered this time recently when a real estate client who lived on a boat told me how different San Juan seemed to her from a car. She had no idea of the lovely farmland on the interior, no feeling for the difference between topography and climate on the north verses the south end of the island. She marveled at the limited amount of traffic and the friendly drivers. Thee two huge National Parks were amazing resources. She felt that what had seemed like a small port was actually a large, varied island with many choices of residence. She thought that this was where she should stay.

Artist’s Studio Tour

Diana — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 21:15:34 +0000

This weekend was the 20^th annual San Juan Island Artists’ Studio Tour, with sunny weather and friendly artists welcoming visitors into their studios. This happening started in 1990 when nine artists got together with the idea of having a free tour in Spring weather to give island residents and visitors an opportunity to see where they worked and what they had come up with over the winter. The idea was not to sell artwork, but to inspire others. Since that time the original concept has remained the same, but the increasing number of artists coming to the islands to live has increased the number of open studios to 19. We visited the studios with our grandson, age 4, who was welcomed as heartily as we were. We visited a bronze sculpture studio and a potters studio. On the way we saw alpacas in the fields getting ready to be shorn and stopped at Roche Harbor Store for a beverage. The quality of the work of the artists was truly inspiring and it was fascinating to learn how they created their work and found their inspirations. As the artists say in their brief history, “The fact that these diversely artistic people have come together united by their love of the arts and their willingness to mutually support each other is nothing short of a class act.”

Honoring the Island Daffodils

Diana — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:00:56 +0000

It’s that time of year again: the grass is threatening to grow and need mowing and the snow seems gone for good. Seed catalogs are coming in the mail and the flowering trees are starting to bud out. In my yard I can see the daffodils thrusting their long green leaves through the grass. These hardy and cheerful flowers can often be seen in fields of old farms, next to old homesteads, and in contemporary farms with livestock, a relic of the past. Nothing seems to like to eat the flowers, one of the first bulbs to give a bright face to the formerly grey days. Grazing animals and deer just leave it alone. Maybe they enjoy seeing the fields of flowers bending to the warm spring winds. It’s a Friday Harbor remembrance of those that came before. A reminder of older days and a harbinger of the warmth of spring. The botanists have developed bulbs that will yield huge bright yellow daffodils, even fragrant ones. But what I like best are the pale yellow ones with the smaller flowers that have been around so long. Look for them in the fields on all the islands soon.

Moving

Diana — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 23:10:05 +0000

It is said that our ties to the past are a road to the future. Our real estate office has moved to a new location which dates back to 1883. This was back in the times when Spring Street had a real Spring flowing down it. Our new address is #1 Spring Street, a great location which is close to the water and ferry terminal. The building was first used as a Green Grocer. In 1894 Jack Douglas took over the ownership and it became Saloon Best. (See photo below, from the University of Washington Libraries Special Collections WAS0896).

128 years later it is our turn. Realtors at Island Group Sotheby’s International Realty are confident that this is an ideal and welcoming location for marketing island properties. Some places are known as spots where people gather, and this is one. A warm and welcoming interior reflects through the wavy windows of the past and reminds one of our intimate ties to the sea. Here is where all-night festivities known as “fishermen dances” occurred when the fishing fleet was in, a place with an excellent pool table that beckoned travelers. In real estate it is said that the three most important elements of value are 1.Location 2.Location and 3.Location. It is also said that the only constant is change. We embrace both of these concepts now that the boxes are all unpacked and the files have been tucked away. Here is a picture of how our office and Spring Street appear today. Our signage will go up soon on the building with the curvy top, and a new era will begin.

Expectations of Visitors to San Juan

Diana — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 19:52:09 +0000

If you obey these expectations, you will be looked upon as a welcome visitor rather than a confused tourist!
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• Do not leave your car alarm on when you board the ferry!
• Do not act as if you are in a hurry, even if you are.
• Do not walk off the ferry and walk up the middle of the road as if it were not a street for cars also.
• Do not come to San Juan dressed in a suit unless you are an attorney or going to a wedding or a funeral.
• Do not apologize for being from California, many islanders come from California.
• There’s elbow room here! Do not tailgate people on the road or with your grocery cart.
• Keep your boats a great distance away from any Orca you are lucky enough to see. Use the telephoto lens on your camera or your binoculars to get close to them without disturbing them, or view them from the shore.
• Leave your jet skis at home! They are not legal to use in this county.
• Open the door for the next person as you leave the store, it’s what we do.
• It is considered impolite to pass by an island dog without saying hello.
• Watch where you stop you bike, but do pull your bike or moped off the road occasionally to let people in cars pass.
• Sit on a bench in town and watch small town life go by, it’s relaxing and humorous.