Spring arrived early this year and the calendar is turning quickly. It seems like every time I look around, there’s something new blooming in my native plant garden. Mother Nature has expertly planned a succession of blooms so there’s never a moment without color or interest. Just when I’m lamenting the loss of the beautiful calypso orchids…
…the Broadleaf Starflower steps up to center stage. Her delicate green leaves begin emerging in early spring as she creeps quietly along shady paths, playing the supporting role. Then suddenly she erupts with a sea of pale pink stars that last through June. All with zero effort on my part.
The effect at dusk or on a moonlit night is magical!
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Since we moved to Orcas we’ve cataloged much of the wildlife we’ve seen. It’s reassuring to look back over the years and see patterns repeating themselves. One of the “events” we track is the spring and fall migration of rough-skinned newts. These critters emerge from their winter hiding places as soon as the conditions are right — temperature and moisture — and head for bodies of water where they lay their eggs.
Newt crossing in Deer Harbor
We live near the Richardson Preserve in Deer Harbor where scores of newts have to cross the road to get to the wetland. They move extremely slowly and, sadly, many get crushed by cars. The other night, I was coming home about 8pm after a rain. The temp was 52 degrees, and my headlights illuminated a number of newts. I stopped my car, put on my flashers, and moved 21 newts across the road! It felt so good to have a measurable impact, regardless how tiny. (Note: rough-skinned newts are deadly poisonous — 10,000 times more toxic than cyanide – and you must wash your hands immediately after handling!)
Sign art from Kwiaht
We do have “amphibian crossing” signs erected, but they’re faded and have been there so long they don’t catch attention. After reading a blog post and article about our local newts by Russel Barsh of Kwiaht – I contacted him to inquire about getting more signs. There’s no money in their budget for the signs but he sent me the artwork and offered to help coordinate. He said indeed that section of road is one of the top 3 or 4 “worst traffic locations” in San Juan County for newt accidents. I’m confident I can pull together donations from our caring community members for new signs. In the meantime, if you’re driving in an area near a wetland, please pay close attention to the little ones just trying to make it across the road. Long live the Newts!
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We’re starting to see welcome signs of Spring here on Orcas. Days are longer, trees are budding and blooming, birds are singing. And if you’re a moss enthusiast, there’s a whole world of miniature lovemaking taking place.
After the sperm fertilizes the egg, a sporophyte emerges. The tip is a capsule filled with spores which will disperse to create new colonies.
Like many plants, mosses reproduce both sexually and asexually. Unlike seed plants, though, mosses have flagellated sperm that must swim to fertilize an egg. That’s one reason they can only survive in moist environments. In early spring, raindrops splash sperm from male plants to female plants. The sperm follow a trail of enticing chemicals in a film of water down a love canal to the egg chamber and bingo, they form a zygote. This is fascinating to me!
Some sporophytes are less conspicuous
Mosses are the oldest plants on land, evolving from algae in the sea that crept onto barren rock. In fact we have mosses to thank for all life that followed: it is their colonization and decay that formed the first organic material and created a hospitable environment for subsequent plants and critters to emerge.
Moss is a major part of our island landscape
Mosses are both delicate and hardy; they’ve survived ice ages and several mass extinctions. They’re ecologically important and sensually wonderful in so many ways, helping to create the serene green lushness the Northwest is famous for. They lie dormant during our summer drought and faithfully spring back to life when the rains return. Being surrounded by a soft green blanket of moss instead of traffic and pavement is just one more reason I love living on Orcas Island. Let the mating begin!
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Recently while showing property I happened across a neat surprise: a fairy house built on an old stump at the end of someone’s driveway. Instant enchantment! I went back to take pictures when I had more time. I just love it and am starting to look at stumps around my property a bit differently. Let me know what you think!
The most important feature of a fairy house is the door. This one has a roof overhang above, garnished with a bird's nest.
Closer inspection revealed that the fairy house was already inhabited. Look at the the cute candle above the bench!
Around back I found a stacked stone chimney. Cool!
And then I found another surprise - a second bird's nest! Someone really had fun with this.
There are many fairy house enthusists – and not all are children. You’ll find books, websites and even YouTube videos on building fairyhouses. All you really need, though is an imagination and desire to have fun outdoors. So go ahead – release your inner child!
And if this inspires you to make one, send me your pictures and I’ll include in a future post!
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For Valentine’s Day my friend Susan treated me to lunch at her treehouse on the east side of Orcas Island. Susan 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! [slideshow]
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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!
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.
When 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! [slideshow]
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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!
[slideshow]
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‘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!
[slideshow]
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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!
Arriving at the mansion you're greeted by the "Festival of Trees" decorated by local non-profits as a fundraising event.
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.
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!
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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.
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.
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 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!
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…the Broadleaf Starflower steps up to center stage. Her delicate green leaves begin emerging in early spring as she creeps quietly along shady paths, playing the supporting role. Then suddenly she erupts with a sea of pale pink stars that last through June. All with zero effort on my part.
