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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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.
I 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
3Tbsp 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)
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.
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.
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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:
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 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.
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.
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?
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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!
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Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
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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 chose to celebrate my birthday last week with a quiet dinner at the Orcas Hotel, the beautiful turn-of-the-century landmark you see when you arrive at the ferry landing. Although I frequent the Cafe for breakfast during ferry waits, I hadn’t been to the restaurant in several years.
Former owners of Orcas Hotel
I love her grand architecture, history, and tended grounds. Plus Octavia’s Bistro / bar serves just the right blend of laid-back elegance. On Friday nights in the summer it’s hopping with live music and the menu turns casual. But on this off-season Wednesday night in November, the place is packed with locals just looking for a good meal. (Hint: Wednesday is Prime Rib night and reservations are recommended.)
Grilled salmon served with steamed rice, grilled asparagus and basil essence. Yum.
The Prime Rib Special includes Harris Ranch grass-fed all natural beef, tossed salad, baked potato, asparagus and yorkshire pudding. 12-oz cut for $28 or 8-oz for $22. Hmmm… A great deal but prime rib’s not my thing – I ordered the salmon and it was divine.
Who wants boring birthday cake when you can have a warm rasberry tart with vanilla ice cream?
If you really want to treat yourself, reserve one of the 12 boutique rooms to retreat to after dinner. They’re furnished with handmade quilts, antiques, books and island art, and two of the suites have balconies and Jacuzzi tubs for two. Rates range from $89 to $218 depending on time of year and room selected. In the morning meander down to the cafe for your complimentary breakfast in the cafe bakery, or enjoy a full breakfast in Octavia’s. Check for specials; this month they’re offering dinner for two when you stay in one of the jacuzzi suites.
It’s hard to believe this storybook hotel was once condemned and slated to be destroyed to make way for ferry parking. A group of islanders got together to purchase it, and eventually it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and fully renovated. Like many island stories, this one has a happy ending — just the kind I like! 🙂
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In case you haven’t noticed yet, I’m a native plant buff. When I moved from Florida to Orcas I was excited to start learning about the extraordinary native plants here in the Pacific Northwest. Our property is sloped and rocky, partially wooded, with moss and deer everywhere. So gardening with natives has turned out to be both practical and rewarding. An even bigger benefit, though, is conserving and promoting biodiversity. (Read this article to fully understand why this is so important.) I thought I’d share a few of my most-used resources and links:
This hand-illustrated guide is no longer on the Wallace H Hansen website, but I have a pdf copy I can share.
Wild Plants of the San Juan Islands – Atkinson/Sharpe
Gardening with Native Plants of the Pacific Northwest – Kruckeberg
Native Plants in the Coastal Garden – Pettinger/Costanzo
Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest – Link
I just had a fantastic onsite consultation this week with Michael Budnick and Laura Gibbons of Northwest Concepts. They are the go-to native plant landscapers in the San Juan Islands. I’m going to start implementing some of their ideas this fall and will post updates.
Got any favorite native plant resources? Please share!
Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
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Coming from Florida where it’s virtually one season year-round, I’m very attuned to (and appreciative of) the change of seasons here on Orcas. Spring and summer are wonderful, but Fall is my favorite.
In late September the pace slows and year-round residents reconnect after a busy summer. Days remain mild and light rains resurrect the mosses and replenish our aquifer. But I have to admit, it’s the eye candy that delights me most!
Here are a few of my favorite scenes (click on pictures to enlarge.) If you have any pics you’d like to share, I’d love to see them!
Berries on our native honeysuckle vine. Customers include finches, robins, flickers and juncos.
Mahonia (Oregon grape) sporadically changes its leaf color in fall but is a hardy evergreen – and deer proof!
Curiously growing at the base of Turtleback Mountain, this Autumn Crocus is a remnant of an old homestead.
Exquisite fall color along a private drive
Snowberries and rosehips decorate our roadsides.
Vine maples morphing into the color of Kingfish Inn in Westsound.
View from our office door at T Williams Realty. Teri loves to dress up our entry for the seasons.
Fleisher’s Farm in Crow Valley with Mt. Woolard glowing in the background.
Another picturesque farm in Crow Valley. One lucky day I snapped this photo on my way home when the light was simply magical.
A giant Sugar Maple towers above a three-story farmhouse in Deer Harbor. Imagine the view from inside!
Close-up of the same sugar stunning maple. Eye candy deluxe!
Kaleidescope of color on a Sumac tree.
A splashy Virginia Creeper overtaking chimney and roof.
Simple vignette capturing fall on Orcas.
Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
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…I looked at the mouth of Friday Harbor to the north and saw a whale jump! I could hardly believe my eyes when the pod of resident orcas started towards us. A few swam to the west of Turn Island but soon came back and headed past our boat toward the deeper waters of the channel. The activity unfolding in front of our eyes took my breath away. If you’ve not witnessed these graceful animals frolic in the water you really need to put it on your bucket (or birthday) list! I told Jay these were birthday whales and a gift I’ll never forget.
A perfect ending to a perfect day...Life is good.
After the show, we crossed the channel to the protected waters of Shaw Island’s Parks Bay, one of my top spots for viewing the sunset. It has good bottom for anchoring and is surrounded by undeveloped land owned by UW. Although you can’t go ashore, a row around the bay is a treat. You might see raccoons harvesting oysters or a blue heron patiently fishing in the shallows.
Sleep comes easy after a day on the water. Sunday morning we awoke refreshed enjoyed a leisurely breakfast – meals always taste better on a boat! We reviewed the currents and charted our course for motoring back to our slip at Bay Head. I like to head back early before the waves get sloppy and boat traffic heavy.
My birthday weekend was filled with love, laughter, good food, nature’s gifts and boating. I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate another year of life in the San Juan Islands!
Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
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As the cooler weather creeps in, I like to assemble my favorite memories of the summer to keep me warm throughout fall and winter. Topping the list this year was my birthday weekend in late August.
I can feel the warmth all over again when I look back at this blissful picture! My first gift was perfect weather.
It started with my husband and I sailing to Deer Harbor Marina where four of my closest friends had prepared a dockside dinner. They treated us with fresh crab, marinated local prawns, melt-in-your-mouth corn on the cob, chocolate cake from Roses Bakery and lotsa good wine. The weather was ideal for a night on the dock, and visiting boaters were friendly all around us.
Yellow Island on fire... on purpose
Saturday morning Jay and I headed out to sail San Juan Channel between Orcas and San Juan Island. While cruising past Yellow Island we spotted smoke and called 911. We were relieved to find out this was an annual controlled burn by the Nature Conservancy to keep the undergrowth from encroaching on the grasslands – a practice first used by Native Americans to protect camas bulbs and other food crops.
We continued out into the channel pushed by favorable warm wind. We were on the same path as the historic Adventuress and mirrored her course while feeling the pirate in our souls-arrrgh…. Only to be left behind with a few practiced tacks by the large crew aboard her deck.
Approaching beach at 35-acre Turn Island State Park
Midday we headed south to hook one of the buoys located on the north side of Turn Island. The entire island is a state park with nice easy trails, camp sites, and several sandy beaches on the west side- yes I said sand! I had just settled in with refreshment in hand, taking in the warm sea air and thinking ‘this is a great birthday’ when all of a sudden… (To Be Continued in Part Two!)
Looking to enjoy the simple life on beautiful Orcas Island?
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