Spring is my favorite time of the year for so many reasons.
I’m back in my garden, seeds are sprouting, flowers are blooming, and birds are nesting and singing.
From hummingbirds zipping around my garden to eagles nesting across the valley, we have a huge variety of birds to appreciate.
Get your birding book out and enjoy learning about these little chirpers! This photo was found Googling birds in the San Juan Islands.
And Orcas celebrates our feathered friends with a little help from the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the annual Birdfest, a celebration of birds! This year, the Orcas Island Birdfest runs for four days: Thursday, April 30 through Sunday, May 2.
Sharp Shined Hawk
The schedule is packed with bird walks and nature tours, workshops, a fine art exhibition and scientific symposium, all focusing on the wonder of birds and grassroots solutions for maintaining healthy populations.
Even if you are not a “birder,” this is an unforgettable experience showcasing the natural splendor of the San Juan Islands.
Hooded Mergansers at Otter’s Pond, ready to have ducklings in a month.
Grab your binoculars, pack your Birding in the San Juan Islands by Mark G. Lewis, put your hiking boots on and get ready for some local color and sound.
Pileated woodpeckers are easy to spot.
Visit www.otterspond.com for a list of birds you can see on Orcas Island.
For information about the 2015 Birdfest and a complete calendar of events, visit OrcasIslandBirdFest.com.
There are so many mental and physical benefits to deep, intentional breathing yet we forget. At any given moment, stop and notice your breath. Likely, you’ll catch yourself taking short, shallow breaths or maybe holding your breath; happens to me all the time. Something as simple as one deep inhale makes such a profound difference for me and I just wanted to share.
Be excellent to everyone and don’t forget to breathe.
Do you like beer? Yeah, me too. That’s why after a day at the office or after a glorious, weekend hike on one of Orcas Island’s many trails, I like to grab mug #097 off the shelf and belly up to the counter at the Island Hoppin’ Brewery taproom. Talk about a place where everybody knows your name; 33 Hope Lane is the place, indeed. The staff is super friendly; always warm and inviting. And guess what? They’re open year round, everyday!
Hand thrown mugs made on Orcas.
Stop by Tuesday nights for Ping-Pong tournaments or Thursday nights for Mug Club drawing and a chance to win some cold, hard cash! No time to sit down and enjoy a beer? No problem, just grab a growler to go. Easy as pie! The tasting room is kid-friendly, so you can enjoy one of several amazing brews while you play Jenga with your Izze-guzzling, pretzel and peanut devouring rug rat. Right here on Orcas Island, ahhh the luxury.
Look, there’s the little, orange car!
If you see a bright orange car parked outside, and chances are you will—that’s me! So c’mon in and enjoy Nate, Becca and Jim’s Elwha Rock I.P.A. or one of their other delicious beers with me. Reason #129.5 to love living on beautiful Orcas Island!
Here are another 18 reasons to love living on beautiful Orcas Island. From time to time, each of these local establishments offers Island Hoppin’ Brewery’s beer on tap.
Beer selection currently on tap is listed on the board. I’ll take a #1, thanks!
If after visiting Island Hoppin’ Brewery you have found beer bliss and like me, you simply cannot go another minute without living nearby, give us a call at T. Williams Realty and we’ll get you squared away!
Here are 4 easy recipes to preserve your summer harvest.
No Cook Sunshine Tomato Sauce- Clean Eating September 2014-Give several summer ripe tomatoes a light rinse. Chop
Easy Sunshine Tomatoes Sauce
coarsely and dump into a large jar. Mash a few garlic cloves (I like a lot of garlic) add to jar. Add 1 cup of olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar. If you don’t have vinegar, use lemon or lime juice. The better the quality, the better the flavor on both oil and vinegar. Add sea salt and ground pepper to taste. If you have fresh basil, oregano, rosemary or thyme, tie up in bunch and toss in too. Put the lid on; shake the jar to mix contents, set in the sun or hot sunny window. Let sit to soak up the heat of the sun for 4 hours (can do longer time, do not recommend shorter time). Pull herbs out. Serve with crusty bread or use as a light raw sauce for pasta. I blended my jar contents and warmed in a cast iron skillet, spoon over ravioli, top with shaved parmesan cheese. You can freeze or keep in refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Homemade Tomato Paste- Maple Rock’s Farmer John-Take your split and over ripe toms and cook them down in a pot to the point that you can macerate them with a potato masher or even a stick blender if you have one. After mashing them, run them through a food mill to remove the skin and seeds (I skipped this step). At this point you have a watered down sauce (sometimes I’ll drain off some of that liquid prior to mashing). Transfer the sauce in the pot onto the biggest sheet pans (I used cake pans) that will fit in your oven and cook it down for one hour at 350 then take it down to 250 for another two- three hours. Stir occasionally and add some nice olive oil and salt to taste. We like to make as big of a batch of this as we can and freeze it in pint jars not quite filled to the top. Keep one in the fridge all the time to add to just about anything you can think of.
Salsa- Years of Adding and Subtracting in Teri’s Kitchen and Ball Blue Book
Add chips and tequila!!!!
10 cups chopped tomatoes (I include skin and seeds, can remove if desired) about 6 lbs.
5 cups chopped green bell pepper, seeded. About 2 lbs.
5 cups chopped onion (you choose type, I use Walla Walla) about 2 lbs.
2.5 cups chopped, seeded hot peppers. (I usually use a variety based on what my farmer is growing. Include some seeds for more heat). For deeper flavor, roast peppers first, then remove skins. About 1-2 lbs. Be sure to wear gloves
2 garlic heads. (can vary dependent on your taste, however, too little is not good).
1 tblsp hot sauce
2 tblsp dried red pepper
1-2 tblsp crushed cumin
1 ¼ cup cider vinegar
Salt to taste
Big hand full of chopped cilantro
Chopped and combine all ingredients (EXCEPT CILANTRO). Place in large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cilantro. Ladle hot salsa in prepared jars, leaving ½” headroom. Cover with seal/screw top. Process 20 minutes in a boiling water bath.
Dried Tomatoes- Easy-This is great use of blemished or split tomatoes. I usually use this method after I have done all of the
Can be done any time of the year!
above and am tired or ran out of jar space in the pantry. Clean tomatoes, cut stem and blemish/bad areas away. Slice the tomatoes about 1/8” thick. This is a guideline. Too thin, they come out crispy, too thick, they come out chewing and are more likely to mold in the jar. Coat the trays with a non stick spray or rub with olive oil to keep slices from sticking to the tray. Place slices on tray, leaving room around the slices so they have air circulation around all sides. Set dryer on 135 degrees for 5 hours. The timing can vary, checking every two hours until dried to your preference (close to potato chip crisp). Turn off the dryer and let tomatoes cool completely. Store in an airtight jar. Great to eat as is, or add to quiche, soups or sauces for a strong tomato flavor that will delight your taste buds.
Enjoy preserving, eating, sharing and pairing all of the above- teri
It all started when Rachel Dietzman, County Engineer, indicated the Public Works Department will not be paving Prune Alley (which really needs it) until the County can design and install some pedestrian features.
Rachel attended an Eastsound Planning Review Committee (EPRC) meeting to discuss how EPRC could help facilitate working with the community and develop a plan. As an EPRC member, I watched the events unfold.
Prune Alley – ready for a facelift!
Fred Klein, EPRC member, desired to take a whack at it and did a fantastic job, using the Streetscape Plan for Eastsound as a base. Fred’s proposed changes and additions encompassed all issues Public Works has with Prune Alley. Public Works wholeheartedly endorsed Fred’s plan and will use it for the Prune Alley Complete Streets design.
Grant Application
Public Works applied for some $600k to construct a “complete street” including share rows (bicycle and auto shared lanes like they have in Seattle). If Public Works is successful obtaining the grant, the County will be required to complete the design in 2013.
However, if Public Works is unsuccessful in obtaining the construction grant, they will still use Fred’s design to install some pedestrian features with a goal to fully implement the entire plan over the course of a few years.
EPRC’s goal was to create a design which will transform the streetscape of Prune Alley from its current state of being an undifferentiated-50-foot-wide-swath-of-chip-seal-and-gravel into the intimate, pedestrian-friendly, varied streetscape with curbs, sidewalks, and landscaping features exemplified by Main Street and North Beach Road.
Cooperative Community Spirit
EPRC met with property owners to determine how their concerns can be met using the optimal elements of the streetscape standards in the Eastsound Village Plan; these include several options for on-street parking (or no parking), a big concern for businesses. A cooperative community spirit resulted in a plan which is 100% supported by the landowners.
Next, EPRC will take the Prune Alley plan to the utility service providers later this month.
Come to one of our meetings – EPRC meets the first Thursday of each month at the Eastsound Fire Hall. Meetings are open to the public.
This is soooo easy, fresh and light. A dish that is just right for a summer casual patio dinner. I pulled the recipe out of a magazine (Rachel Ray’s, Whole Living, Light Cooking or Martha) Not sure which one. I have since lost the recipe so I create by memory… that’s my style. I do not like to follow directions.
Serves two people with a little left for Jay’s next day lunch.
Peel a hand full (10) prawns, set aside.
Local prawns
½ package of fettuccini. Place pasta in boiling pot of water while you make sauce below. Cook fettuccini to al dente. I have used many styles, rice, whole wheat, egg noodle. Any style you choose will be great with this light sauce.
Add 2 tbsp. of olive oil to a skillet (I have the biggest collect of cast iron skillets in San Juan County!)
Add chopped or grated garlic and sauté, careful not to burn.
Add ½ c. white wine and bring to a simmer.
Turn heat to low, add ½ c. Crème Fraiche and mix well. I have added more if my noodles seemed too much and needing more love.
Add 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice.
Add prawns and cook 2-3 minutes, just until they turn pink.
Add cook pasta and toss. Salt and pepper to taste.
Light, fresh sauce adds just the right touch to local seafood
Serve in bowls with freshly grated parmesan cheese, a hint of grated lemon peel and chopped chives.
I serve this with a side green salad. Top with a splash of color with sliced green grapes and strawberries.
Crudités are a great side as well
I recommend serving around a fire on the patio with a great bottle of wine-bonus= ROMANCE!!
Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island? Contact T Williams Realty – we’ll help you find your way home.
I’m not kidding! The newly elected mayor of Eastsound is April the Cow.
April - Outstanding in her field and the new Mayor of Eastsound
Our annual mayoral race is actually a fund-raiser for Children’s House. This year’s election raised nearly $5,000 which helps support pre-school programs and infant care for working families.
The election is lots of fun because the animal campaigns are hysterical. April beat out six other contenders as write-in candidate. She’s run for office for the past two years, and this is her first victory. I was personally compelled to vote for her after reading her “mooving” letter to the editor in Island’s Sounder.
A one-horn cow - perfect icon for our one-cow town
April lives right in town where she’s been ruminating for 15 years. You can read more about her story here. To me, April the Cow and the whole mayoral race are a great example of our laid-back fun-loving island!
Note: Photos courtesy of cow-whisperer Teri Williams
Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
Contact T Williams Realty – we’ll help you find your way home.
By Teri Williams
