by | February 18, 2012

Lunch at Goat Leap Treehouse

Posted by Sandi

Susan Scott at her treehouse on Orcas Island

Susan and friends

For Valentine’s Day my friend Susan treated me to lunch at her treehouse on the east side of Orcas Island. Susan Scott is no ordinary person, nor does she serve an ordinary lunch (green curry something-or-other and a fresh mango salad), so why would she have anything other than an extraordinary house?

When you arrive at Goat Leap and cross the bridge to her treehouse, you’re transported to a magical, playful world: An artful assemblage of funky materials – galvanized metal, homosote walls, reclaimed finds – wide plank flooring, old doors, rustic cabinet fronts, amidst bark-on timbers, cozy furnishings and colorful art. A kaleidoscope of fun, anchored in good design. Kudos to the architect – Mira Jean Steinbrecher, Susan and her design friends (including Pam at Red Ticking) for pulling it all together.

Although the treehouse has been featured in a magazine, this is not a pretentious showplace. Rather it’s a kick your shoes off, uncork another bottle and enjoy lap dances from her three pooches – Hamish, Tallulah and Dobby. It’s one of those places where everything is just so, and nothing is. A space that soothes the soul and makes your heart sing. Enjoy the tour, and thank you Susan!

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Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
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by | February 10, 2012

SEEDS

Posted by Teri 

Third Annual Heritage Seed and Plant Exchange

Feb. 2012 Westsound Seed Exchange. Includes anyone with extra seeds/plants/bulbs/tubers to share; anyone who wants to come and learn about seed saving and wants to acquire seeds and knowledge; anyone with knowledge or interest in seed saving.

Westsound Yacht Club 2012 Seed Exchange

The set-up: the Westsound Yacht Club was filled with tables covered with packets and jars of seeds. There were few rules explained at the beginning of the event. I believe “no elbowing thy neighbor” was one unspoken rule.  Was just thinking I may need to do this due to the way people were hovering over the tables they were going to work over first. It ended up very civilized and all went home with all the seeds they can manage for this season. Two rules: take only the amount of seeds you need for the coming grow season, and bring back seeds to share and exchange next year.

The tables were arranged by ease of growing. Seeds for beginners: radishes, pole beans and kale. Seeds for green thumbs: tomatoes, carrots and corn. I collected from all tables and collected several local seeds- Doe Bay Resort Garden, Bond Brothers Garden, Orcas Parsnips-5thgeneration.

Jars of Local Seeds

This event was sponsored by Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange and Seed Saver Exchange. Excess seeds are donated to the school’s garden and the food bank.

Another local group supporting “grow your own food” - Food Masters. Contact Lerner Limbach 376-4048 or foodmasters.orcas@gmail.com and find out how to order organic spuds. I just ordered 25 lbs. !!

Your will find me in my garden dreaming and planning this year’s harvest.

Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island? Contact T Williams Realty - we’ll help you find your way home.

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by | February 6, 2012

Kudos to our Power Company

Posted by Teri

Thank you OPALCO for always being there. Rain, sleet or snow our linemen are out making sure we stay safe, warm and see the light!

Old OPALCO truck door on Orcas Island

Old OPALCO truck door on Orcas Island

Outages here in the islands are not always because we live on an “island” but can be caused by mainland accidents or downed trees in areas that feed the underwater cables that are the power source for the islands.

Snow storms are not common but can also cause an outage. January’s ice and snow storm had the lower mainland in pretty bad shape with 100,000 plus residences facing outages, leaving people stranded in the cold without heat. Orcas saw two power outages that were relatively easy and quick to fix. Our lineman crew is the best, comprised of local boys who have been here most of their lives. They are experienced in being the person sitting in the dark wondering what caused the lights to go out, and asking “should we be cranking up the generator”? And they know most of these community members left in the dark!!  These guys have back up from OPALCO office crew who are working just as hard making sure the crew has hot coffee and food should the weather remain a hazard and it look like it will be an all night date.

Orcas Island Snow Fall 2012

Orcas Island Snow Fall 2012

Personally, I look forward to outages. I get an opportunity to just sit in front of the fire with a good book, put a pot of soup on the wood stove, find the candles and hunker down.   This time, it was the snow that helped put me in the rocking chair instead of a power outage. Islanders are just equipped and look forward to anything Mother Nature throws at us.

Check out OPALCO website http://www.opalco.com   to learn more about our members owned co-op and learn about the many programs that benefit its members.

Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
Contact T Williams Realty - we’ll help you find your way home.

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by | January 28, 2012

Snowy Owl Encounter

Posted by Sandi

I’ve read with excitement about the rare influx of  snowy owls to our region this year. The Journal reported that a pair were even spotted a few weeks ago on San Juan Island!

Snowy owl at Boundary Bay BC

At 24" tall, the snowies are our largest North American owl. Arctic summers have daylight almost 24-7 and the owls are equipped to hunt in the daytime.

Most of the time they live in the Arctic, but every four to six years the young ones fly south looking for food. This irruption cycle happens when their main food source (lemmings) surge in population and the owls have more babies than the environment will support.

Boundary Bay Regional Park signWhen I heard large numbers of these magnificent raptors were hanging out at Boundary Bay Regional Park  just 20ish miles north of Orcas (as the owl flies), I jumped at the first opportunity to hop across the border.

Boundary Bay is about a three hour drive from Anacortes. We went on a weekday and our border crossing wait time was only 10 minutes.

The bloggers were all saying the best place to see the owls is on the Dyke Trail 72nd Street access point, so that’s where we headed. Sure enough, just a few steps from the parking area there was a group of owls — called a ‘parliament’ – hanging out on driftwood about 30′ from the trail. Farther away we could see several other groups and solitary owls. 

We spent a few wonderful (and chilly) hours at the park while I got my owl fix. We also saw numerous eagles, hawks and herons. But oh those owls with their captivating yellow eyes. What a treat to see these creature. Here are a few shots by my photographer husband, Bob. Enjoy!

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Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
Contact T Williams Realty  - we’ll help you find your way home.

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by | January 21, 2012

Snow Days in the San Juans

Posted by Sandi

Well it doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, it’s wonderful.

The already relaxed winter pace stops abruptly in its snow-tracks, leaving us to cozy by our woodstoves, sip a steamy drink, read a coveted book, check on neighbors and marvel at the scene around us. The evergreen island you thought couldn’t possibly get more beautiful dons her white lace gown and simply takes your breath away. She doesn’t overstay her welcome – just long enough to shake up your routine in a good way, making time for introspection and new perspectives on the natural world. I love it.

I wanted to take photos around the island this week, but with the exception of a few shots on Sunday before “the storm,” it wasn’t meant to be. The steep road in our neighborhood was relegated to makeshift sleds, and my exploration limited to foot travel.  If you have some pics you’d like to share, please post them!

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Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
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by | January 9, 2012

Yummy Winter Greens Salad

Posted by Teri

We’ve had such a mild start to our fall/winter season it has left many of us cleaning the garden in late November early December. I love the clean up and putting the beds to rest for the winter just as much as I enjoy the planting in the spring. The planning of the next season’s bounty is always in my head any time of the year.

Brussel sprouts from Teri Williams garden on Orcas IslandI love Brussels sprouts and had a large crop, almost by accident last year. This year I planted many starts, thinned and spread them throughout my raised beds and dreamed of roasted gems for Thanksgiving.  Well you can see here my harvest included a hand full of pea-size sprouts. Most plants had no signs of little cabbage heads popping out. What a disappointment, but I decided to cherish the one meal I would have. I sautéed these little guys in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and topped a bowl of quinoa with them-yum. I wish I had a bag full of thee sweet garden treats and I’ll be picking next year’s crop while they are still young. Always optimistic about the next years bounty!

Here is one of my favorite winter salads that includes Brussels sprouts. Enjoy :)

Winter Greens Salad with Sunflower Seed

 1/3 c. raw sunflower seeds

1 Tbsp whole grain mustard

Brussel sprout salad by Teri Williams on Orcas Island3Tbsp fresh lemon juice (1 large lemon)

¾ tsp salt

1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

2 tsp sunflower oil (can use a good olive oil)

½ pound Brussels sprouts (can be raw or sauté for a minute to soften crunch)

4-6 leaves of leafy greens such as Swiss chard, baby spinach, kale

(I’ve also added finely chopped broccoli and/or chopped apple)

  1. Preheat oven to 375. Toast sunflower seeds (careful, this is usually where I burn somethingJ). Set aside to cool. Meanwhile stir mustard, lemon juice, salt and maple syrup together in a small bowl; whisk in oil until emulsified.
  2. Thinly slice Brussels sprouts and leafy greens, toss together, add seeds and pour in dressing; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Serves 4; total time 15 minutes.

You can play with maple syrup, salt and lemon juice to find your taste. If you add apples, they will add sweetness. I’ve also added other favorite seeds.

 

Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
Contact T Williams Realty  - we’ll help you find your way home.

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by | January 3, 2012

Homemade Gifts – Island Style

Posted by Teri

I was really looking forward to this year’s homemade gifts. Every year I try to create a gift that will be unique and meaningful to the receiver. Not always an easy task! The benefit for me, besides the joy of giving, is having my thoughts go to the person. I recall memories, shared times together, likes, dislikes and the energy that person gives from their heart.

This year I tried a few new gift ideas:

Hand-painted Mailbox by Teri Williams

Creating designs for communication boxes, formerly known as mail boxes. I believe these inexpensive Home Depot purchases can be used inside the home and can deliver all kinds of messages.

 

Cross-stitch Pillow

Cross-stitch a “teri” designed pillow. This is the reason I needed a new eyeglass prescription! I added second-hand store beads for a little more color and texture.

 

 

Moccasins made by Teri Williams

Martha Stewart design of moccasins. Martha’s design used felt. I wanted something a bit sturdier and found fur lined suede for my toe warming gift.

 

 

Canned goods by Teri Williams

And lastly, one of my favorites, home canned goods. I spent an evening with close friends in Bellingham. I brought them a box of canned goodies: tuna, salsa, apple pie filling, apple butter and pepper jelly. Well received!

 

Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
Contact T Williams Realty  - we’ll help you find your way home.

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by | December 21, 2011

Gifts From The Heart

Posted by Sandi

‘Tis the season for gift-giving (and receiving:). An upside of our down economy is that many of us have scaled back our purchases re-learned the joy of handmade gifts. This is especially true in our small island community with so many creative, resourceful people choosing to live a simpler, less materialistic life.

A gift from the heart conveys so much more meaning than the gift itself because of the time, effort and forethought involved. Money is tight, but time is universally more precious! A truly personal, one-of-a-kind gift will be cherished forever.

I’m excited about a few gifts I’ve made for Christmas this year (will save for a future post so as not to spoil the surprise.) In the meantime, here are some images from the archives. If you’ve given or received a gift from the heart that had special meaning, we’d love to hear about it!

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by | December 12, 2011

Festive Dining at the Luxurious Rosario Mansion

Posted by Sandi

This past Friday, after our holiday “Shop the Rock” excursion in Eastsound, Bob and I decided to have dinner at the Rosario’s Moran Mansion. We hadn’t done this in years, a consequence of lazily living on the opposite end of the island. Wow, am I glad we did!

Rosario Resort's Moran Mansion at Night

Arriving at the mansion you're greeted by the "Festival of Trees" decorated by local non-profits as a fundraising event.

Rosario was just kicking off its first-ever “Festival of Trees.” Each of seven trees were decorated by a local non-profit — Friends of Moran, The Funhouse, Kaleidoscope, OPAL Community Land Trust, Orcas Island Choral Society, Orcas Island Education Foundation, and Orcas Island Fire & Rescue. By purchasing raffle tickets for $1, you can give to your favorite non-profit by voting for their tree. 

Christmas Tree at Moran Mansion decorated by kids at the Funhouse on Orcas Island

It was hard not to give all our tickets to The Funhouse tree -- each colorful ornament was handmade by a child.

At the end of December, all voting tickets will be entered in a raffle to win round-trip tickets for two to Seattle on Kenmore Air with hotel, dinner for two in The Mansion Restaurant and a two-month spa pass!! Hmmm…. somehow I’m feeling extra “charitable” this evening.

On top of the cozy ambience of the festive historic mansion, our dinner was absolutely superb. I chose the Filet Mignon served with Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes and Carrot Puree. Even though I ordered it medium well (I know, I can hear the gasps), it still cut easily with a butter knife. I combined my plate with Bob’s melt-in-your-mouth Wild King Salmon and we both enjoyed a delightful surf and turf.

Living Room at Moran Mansion, Rosario Resort - Orcas Island

The Living Room is my favorite place in the Mansion. Next time I will ask to take our dessert by the fireplace, like this couple did.

For dessert we shared a chocolate souffl’ee with vanilla bean ice cream and salted caramel sauce. This alone would be worth driving an hour for. Pure ecstasy.

After dinner we leisurely toured the upstairs mansion on our own, marveling at the exquisite construction and trying to imagine what it would’ve been like to live here – a luxuriously large yet intimate space, warmed by mahogany throughout and a fireplace in every room, and a drop-dead gorgeous view down the sound. No wonder Robert Moran outlived his life expectancy by more than 30 years after moving here. I feel so thankful that this historic gem has been preserved and re-opened for us to enjoy. We will definitely be coming back!

 

Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
Contact T Williams Realty  - we’ll help you find your way home.

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by | November 27, 2011

Waiting for the Anacortes Ferry? Get Out of the Car and Onto the Beach!

Posted by Sandi

Trail to beach at Anacortes Ferry Landing

Trail to beach at the Anacortes Ferry Landing

I don’t go to the mainland often, but when I do, I like to get in the Anacortes ferry line early to make sure I can get the 3:35 boat back to Orcas. Usually I spend the extra time sitting in the car — reading, napping, catching up on emails or phone calls. But recently I tried something that Teri recommended: a relaxing walk on the beach.

Beach and marsh at the Anacortes ferry landing

Yes, Virginia, the sun DOES shine in November -- sometimes :)

It was a brisk November afternoon with the sun shining. From the ferry line I carefully crossed over the “pet” area and picked one of the sandy trails toward the beach. The first one dead ended in the marsh so I backtracked until I found the right one.
 
Beach at Anacortes ferry landing, Washington

Why did I wait so long to enjoy this sweet sandy beach?

At the end of the trail I was rewarded: A beautiful long sandy beach that felt far removed from the ferry traffic. In fact thanks to the wide marsh and sand dunes, the cars weren’t even visible. In the summer the beach is probably quite busy, but today it was all mine. I would be here awhile, glad I wore a watch.

You can’t tell from the photos, but near the water there were also small rocks of various colors, patterns and textures. I wonder, where do all these rocks come from? Did they travel large distances or are there are many large “mother rocks” under water? Is there an endless supply?

New boardwalk at Anacortes ferry landing

New boardwalk through the marsh - an easy walking trail ideal for bird watching.

I meandered down the beach until I came to the entrance of the new boardwalk Teri had told me about. Apparently it was built to give the new subdivision up the hill access to the beach. I walked a short way and decided I better get back to the the car. Next time I will arrive even earlier so I can explore more of the beach and boardwalk  – maybe even bring a picnic lunch!

Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
Contact T Williams Realty  - we’ll help you find your way home.

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