April 17th, 2009
Traveling The Liquid Highway
A former client of mine, who bought property on Decatur Island, told me recently that 
transportation was his only hesitation in buying outer island property. He went on to say that if he’d known how easy it was to travel back and forth, he’d have bought years earlier. He said I needed to write a blog about it….so here it is.
When I moved to Fidalgo Island, in the late 1980’s, I was amazed by how many people I met who’d never visited the islands to the west. Since then, I’ve logged hundreds of hours on the water and have come to view it as just another highway…albeit liquid, that’s in place to get me from one point to another. Viewed from that perspective, visiting the islands or even going up into Canada is just a matter of finding the right boat to get me where I want to go.
Currently, there are two passenger ferry companies doing an awesome job of shuttling people from Anacortes to points west. Traveling with them is a unique experience that only sounds intimidating the first time. After that, you’ll find meeting the fellow travelers going to docks or beaches throughout the San Juan Islands a wonderful addition to your travel experience. You’ll be amazed by the little coves and hidden rock outcroppings that people hop off onto to go to their island homes. At each stop, everyone pitches in to help load and unload and the sounds of laughter echo throughout the boat, as old acquaintances reunite and get caught up with each other. Sometimes, on busy summer weekends, the bow of the boat is so loaded with coolers, backpacks, groceries, plants, and building materials that it’s amazing the skipper can figure out what goes where….but they do. I’ve even met people who live on ferry-served islands that prefer using the passenger ferries instead of the Washington State Ferry. They claim it’s worth the extra expense because it’s so much easier and they get to their home much much faster. Paraclete Charters offers the opportunity to “go for a boat ride” so you can sample how fun it is to travel our liquid highway….maybe I’ll see you there. If so, say hi….I’ll be the one with the big black and white dog and a ridiculous amount of stuff….
March 13th, 2009
Frustrated Gardener….
M other Nature has been offering us dirt lovers some real challenges this year. Two 
weeks ago, it was sunny and beautiful so this happy gardener worked in the garden, developing new beds and starting all kinds of plants for future transplanting. Today, it’s snowing….a lot! As I type this, I look out over my garden and see 2 inches of snow on top of the newly planted peas. The wren houses, built by a friend and put up last week, look like little ski chalets and the seedlings, now ready for transplanting, fill my back bedroom. I know, I probably “jumped the gun” by starting them so early but the weather felt so promising. One day, it was downright HOT in the sun. Now, the wind is blowing the snow everywhere and it looks like Nebraska during the depression….yeesh!
Living in the Olympic rain shadow, we have very mild weather for most of the year and I really don’t have much right to complain. The weatherman says this is our last week of cool temperatures before we go into spring. On clear days, the eagles do their courtship dance above me and the daffodils seem ready to burst into bloom as soon as the sun comes out again. I don’t think there are many places as beautiful as these islands in the spring so….I’ll be patient. In the meantime, where are my snow boots??
November 14th, 2008
Studley the Ram
M any years ago, Decatur Island was the location of a couple large farms…one raising beef cattle and the other sheep. The area that was the sheep farm became Decatur Northwest and now a flock of feral sheep share the approximate 600 acres with the residents of that development. Once a year, on the first Saturday in May, the sheep are rounded up by shepherds and their wonderful dogs, to be shorn and inoculated. In August the lambs are taken off the island to market and the 120 ewes plus a couple of rams remain on the island for the winter.
This year, there seems to be a defector….a loan ram that I’ve named Studley, who has decided to leave the herd and visit the south end of the island. He particularly seems to like my property…maybe because of the three ewes that live here or maybe my apple orchard…I’m not really sure.
Living out here brings me very close to nature every day. I can tell it’s spring by the mating calls of the eagles and the almost deafening chorus of the frogs at dusk. Rabbits frolic and chase each other in and out of the brush and challenge me to continually fortify my garden fences. Sometimes, I look out my window and see my horses grazing in their pasture along with three or four momma does and their babies, the sheep and countless bunnies and I can’t help but think this is how it’s supposed to be.