How nice the weather has been. The ferries I’ve been on have been the ones I was aiming for and the summer is about to kick in. Things are still tight, but good things are up ahead. The kids have jobs and business seems to be picking up a little.
The other day I had the privilege of watching a seemingly unchaperoned spotted fawn run the length of my father’s hedge and back again several times. Leaping about this way and that, the baby bobbed and swayed in exuberance to the joyful song of life.
This morning, when I opened my curtains, I was treated to an encounter with a pair of little ones and a number of parents and yearlings hanging about, having a light snack on the lawn.
I am glad to be alive today.
Spring is really coming. I saw the Bilbo’s crew getting the Taqueria ready and I knew that the season is finally changing. The sun has been peeking through more often and there is an hour or two in the afternoon where the temperature is actually balmy. Summer must be just around the corner!
I heard some exciting things this weekend. The Idleman’s had a baby– 10lbs 14oz. Almost a toddler already and i can’t wait to get my hands on him! Also ventured into the Ecotopian for the first time and found my good friend Kenny Sides had taken over operations so I enjoyed his good fortune, good wine, great company and outstanding food. We had the ahi and fried brie and enjoyed it so much we had to order a second round! Worth the trip, hands down. I say go there, but suggest you make reservations, because when the word gets around, it is going to be hard to get a table.
Also heard that some of Orcas’ finest won the Battle of the Bands in Seattle. Peter Vinson, Ian Sides and company–WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU!
Things are looking up, now that taxes or at least extensions are out of the way. It is going to be a great week : )
It takes an amazing amount of paper (dollars and letter-sized) to make the tax code go–declaring, defining, reporting and the black hole called record keeping. I would hate to even speculate how many trees gallantly give their lives for this process.
Technological inroads (i.e. digital) notwithstanding, and no matter what they say, original documents are still the greatest protection against audit-induced financial pain. Which brings us back to the amazing amount of paper : )
For more information about your taxes, and automatic extensions, CLICK HERE to visit IRS.gov
Traffic on Orcas seems to be on an up-swing–certainly more so than the temperature, although the sun is making appearances more frequently with each passing week. Visitors are a good thing. I heard that Rosario is opening next month–but I don’t know much more than that. Camp Orkila is waking up again, a sure sign of spring and I’m guessing they still have staffing slots to fill if you’re up for the challenge.
Happy Spring! Even on April 15th, it’s hard not to be in a good mood when the sun is finally shining and the flowers are smiling back.
I’m thinking that there are many among us who could go for a big do-over about now. Remember how the producers and directors of the show “Dallas” tried to regain lost ground by reversing bad story line choices like the death of Bobby Ewing by consigning at least one full season to the “bad dream” pile.
The second Bob Newhart Series about the B&B in the strange little New England town put the same “it was all a dream” tactic to work nicely at the end of that series, when Bob “woke up” back where he belonged, beside Emily (Susan Pleshette), his wife from the first series.
Lots of other parallels (characters?) and similarities probably exist between that strange little New England town and Orcas Island, but as I have no immediate plans to relocate, it is best to leave it at that. Selah.
With escalating national debt, decreasing liquidity of equity and dissolving credit availability, I am guessing that some of us would like a do-over for where we chose to put our faith–can I get an amen?
In the “other news” department, the Orcas Island Food Bank will begin food distribution services in donated space at the Orcas Island Community Church next week (Tuesday, April 7)–
Wow. It is amazing how time flies even when you aren’t having fun. So many great things going on. . .Jordan Griffin came home–visited school–VERY ENCOURAGING! Babies have been born or are imminent (baby showers are great fun) and meanwhile all the regular stuff has to been seen to. Add a week of vacation and a dash of drama, and you have a pretty good list of excuses for why there is such duration between this post and the last.
That’s not to say that we have had an easy time of it still, what with dangerous curves and difficult challenges still surrounding us. Unemployment is scary and prevalent locally–we miss Rosario! But, to round out the platitudes–if push comes to shove, things are not as bad as they could be, and in many instances they are looking better than they have been for some time.
Bottom line: still on the edge but hopeful–what about you?
Melted that snow right away, eh?! I heard the terminology was changing from “global warming” to– “climate change” so that proponents accomodate the prolonged cold weather of the 2009 winter season. Flexibility is the name of the game if you want to keep those earmarks coming. Pulled pork compliments of the PTB.
What a day on Orcas. Climate change definitley applied if we were comparing the morning with the afternoon. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that local school children were behind the weather–using it to score a nice half-day’s vacation.
Don’t forget to stop by Orcas Christian School Tuesday, 3-10-09, for a wonderful dinner hosted by the students and faculty and prepared by our favorite Bilbos kitchen artist Heather Thomas. After trying a multitude of southwest venues to find a chile relleno that measures up to the ones that were served at Christmas time by Heather, I can wholeheartedly nominate Heather as the “Mistress of the Chile” because although the southwest samples were delicious, there were none so delicious as those that she makes. I don’t know whether they are on the menu for tomorrow, but I know she is serving up a Mexican feast, and I have never been disappointed by anything she has prepared.
Dinner starts at 5PM. Don’t miss it!
Pretty nice here in Phoenix! Scouting the players for fantasy baseball–the Orcas Killer Whales are going to have a heck of a season. Ken Griffey, Jr. made an early spring appearance in a Mariners vs. the Australian national team in and exhibition game warm up just prior to The Aussies engagement in the WBC (World Baseball Classic). Jr. drew a walk and scored, and smacked a line drive caught right at the 410 yard marker in deep center field.
Adrien Beltre hit a double and a home run for the MY OH MY’s. Ever the good US hosts, the Mariners graciously let the Aussies win 11-9. It’s always nice to watch the prospects, and AA Mariner Mike Wilson did not disappoint. 2 solid line drives and a towering home-run raise the expectation that this is his season to make the Show. Looking like a great possiblity for free agent pick-up for the Orcas Killer Whales.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Next week is that last of the Community Dinners at OCS–and Heather from Bilbo’s is cooking, making it a “can’t miss” calendar appointment. Dinner is free, served from 5-8, and some of the cutest kids on the island will be on hand to facilitate your dining experience. Be there, be fed!
Well, it beats snow for road conditions, but the rain sure is marking a cadence on the roof this morning. Very exciting news this week–Jordan Griffin is due home tomorrow. If you don’t remember, this remarkable young man broke his neck snowboarding at the golf course in mid-December. For a glimpse at the journey he has been on to get to this homecoming moment, click here .
From his mother’s blog “. . .As of this writing, Jordan is making spectacular progress…he is moving his left pinky finger Voluntarily!! This is a HUGE step for him and shows there is some nerve progress in his hand!
He is also reported to the therapists and me that he can feel firm touch on his left toes, back of his left calf and the inside of his left knee….another major milestone! Still nomovement below his upper chest area…but I believe in miracles, patience, hard work and determination!!”
Nice to have some good news : ) –remember that fare sale for Southwest Airlines? I am off to see what stuff the Mariner’s got this year. I’ll be letting you know : )
It was sure nice to get a little sun this weekend, after a rough week last. Friends and friends of friends passing, hurting and being treated for diseases that ought not to be. There was a great birthday party at Oddfellows on Saturday, but as wonderful as the celebration was, it was still tinged with “missing you” because of the person who couldn’t make it because she’s in heaven now. Crazy stuff.
Looking out the window today, it is good to note that we are marching toward spring–less than a month to the first day of and I, for one, can hardly wait. There has been a little too much excitement this winter.
Speaking of excitement, Jordan Griffin, one of our own injured while enjoying his snowboard in mid-December, is expecting to return home the first week of March, and there is still a lot of work to be done on the apartment that is being prepared for him and his family–wheelchair access, paint and a number of other tasks are in the process of being applied. Contact Scott Harris if you have time, energy, or resources to spare. If you want to catch up with Jordan’s life, click here to visit his blog.
In other, very exciting, news–the Orcas Island Food Bank is changing location in the near future. By relocating into Eastsound proper, access and services to clients will improve ten-fold. The Food Bank will be the grateful tenant of Orcas Island Community Church while plans unfold for a permanent, in-town location on the same property. The Community church rocks! Thank you for supporting the efforts of the Orcas Island Food Bank, OICC!
Welcome to mid-winter break! It is a holiday that I do not remember from my primary school years. Mandatory time off for somebody in the middle of February to look after the little ones while the teachers rest?
Dinner at OCS was delicious as always. Lasagne and salad bar are definitley favorites for me. If you didn’t make this one, fret not–there is still another yet this year but mark the date now: March 10, 2009 or else you will have to wait for next year.
I got a chance this week to talk to the Orcas Idol 2009, Pamela Wright. It was a pleasure to be able to tell her how much she rocked! Hope we get to hear her sing some more.
Speaking of music, if you have not yet gotten around to hearing Grant Myles-Era sing at the Community Church on Sunday mornings at 10am, you are missing some of the best live music on the island. Ron Meyer can be found there often, tickling the ivories, accompanied by Linda Griffith and her Joyful Noise band featuring a fine selection of Orcas Island Community Band mates. The band at Lighthouse is a worthy musical experience also–rocking out weekly at the Senior center on Sunday mornings.
Wow of the Week: Amazing Grace in 4-part harmony sung by 50+ people in the pool space of the Orcas Athletic Center is an ‘amazing’ experience. Who knew?
