Island Extraction--Orcas Happenings 1

Waiting in line to get on the ferry (summer time)

Living on an island makes things interesting.  It's not all that easy to extract yourself from this little bubble.  I was supposed to fly off today, it's a one hour flight straight into the heart of Seattle, alas, of course the one day that we've had rain and thunder this summer, has to be today.  Oh well.  The first time I took a plane off the island was last November, and I have to say, it was a really unpleasant flight, I'd prefer to drive on occasions like this.  

So, . . . now I'm in line at the ferry.  I guess my intuition was spot on because I had a reservation for the ferry just incase something like this happened.  They just started a reservation system this year, no more three hour waits if you are smart enough to book ahead of time.  And yes, the problem is, . . . you have to be smart enough to book ahead of time.  The ferry is loaded with 90% reservations which are opened up at different times, 2 months before departure, 2 weeks and then two days--incase you haven't done the math, this leaves only 10% of ferry space for people who don't have a reservation, that's not a lot.  During the summer, bookings need to be done as soon as they open up, otherwise you are screwed.  Honestly, a lot of people complain about the ferry system, so far I have appreciated it for the most part, but that's because I am good at planning.  I agree though, there are some serious quirks that need to get fixed within the system.  Where I think it sucks is for the islanders who need to get off the island ASAP, for whatever reason.  It's not easy.  

About the ferry.  It's a beautiful ride.  Right now I've set myself up with a project that I've been waiting to complete, yup, I'll be enjoying my ride armed with a pink tutu.  There's nothing like looking at the shores of the San Juans while you sew hot pink buttons on to an elastic wasteband.  And yes, I'm %100 serious here.  Despite the fact it can be a real pain in the You Know What to get off this island, the built in down time allows me to relax and enjoy the scenery a bit.  It's alone time, which is something that I don't get very much of, so I enjoy it where I can.

This weekend I'm heading into the city for a fun weekend.  The kiddos are with their papa.  I'm gonna hang with my awesome boyfriend.   I'm also going to see my old friend Dave who is in town helping my Dad move into his new house.  My Dad just recently purchased a house in Seattle! He is working on selling the house my brother and I grew up in, Dad lived in the house for something like 45 years.  It's a strange concept for me not to be able to go back to the house I grew up in, the payoff for a little strangeness is having my Dad close by, how cool is that?  I'm excited.  This weekend I'm going to get to view the new digs for the first time, along with receiving some old items that were my moms, her tincture press and her recorder.  Mom's spirit still shows up in surprising places. 

This blog post is kind of an experiment, I downloaded a blogger app on my phone and I want to see how it works!  I realized it had been a year since I wrote.  There are reasons for this, more about that later, but I'm turning over a new leaf here and am starting up a new business so it's time to connect back to my online community.  I love you all! More from this island gal later!

Orcas Dreams 6: Shades of Green

The beauty on Orcas.

As I left Orcas today to head into Seattle I was once again stunned by the beauty of this place.  Mist was clinging to the trees and the hillsides showed a thousand different shades of green.  How has it come that I am so lucky to live in a place such as this?  In Japan, people have do what's called "Forest Bathing", where they travel outside of their crazy cement jungle to be surrounded by green.  On Orcas, I am always surrounded by green.  Green.  Mmmmm, the color of the heart chakra.  The color of life.

At the ferry landing.  "See you soon Orcas Island!"

This is the second time this month I have come into Seattle, a necessary thing for me to do.  Sometimes I need to be around the buzz of the city to remind me why I like my quiet.  This need gets so strong at times that I begin to feel trapped on the island (a total illusion I realize once I get off of it!).  Funny thing is, now, when I drive off the ferry onto the mainland, I notice how my heart rate increases and my adrenaline begins to amp up.  Like I'm trying to find some "lost skills", as a friend had put it; or pay attention to things I haven't had to deal with in months.  I have seen more cars on the drive from Anacortes to Seattle than I have on the Island, where I have been for half a year.  I become bombarded by lights, cars, sounds and various other types of mental and emotional stimulai.  

When I am in the city, I notice my paranoia creeping in, "lock your doors!", "I'm exposed here.", "Why is he staring at my like that?", "Hold your purse tighter." Have I already become such a country gal?  Could it  have really happened that fast?  Or perhaps I've always been a country gal at heart and have instantly found myself at peace in my new home?  It's strange to say, but Orcas Dreams is now my reality and coming into the city now feels more surreal and dreamlike!

Bathing in sunlight.  I wanted to strip off my clothes and be totally naked in it, but alas, it was too cold.

 As for family updates, . . . winter has been tough, particularly January and February.  Yes people, the winter kicked my ass.  It was not so much the rain or the cold, but the darkness.  I found myself craving sunlight and praying to the skies for some good old vitamin D.  When the sun would peek through the clouds I would go outside and feel its warm caress upon my face.  

My sweet husband also struggled this winter.  In December he fell down and cracked a rib.  The combination of bed rest and lack of sun affected his mood and he went through, and is still struggling with, a depression.  This particularly was hard for me because I felt so helpless and it hurt to see somebody I love struggling so much.  I have lots of thoughts about depression and am trying to learn more about detaching with love and not become so taken in by others energy.  Alas, that will be for another blog post.

The kids are doing well, Silas is here in Seattle with me, it's a nice little refuge, as I know he will be going to bed fairly early and I will get some extra me time, hopefully! Although the cute little guy is teething hardcore, two of his molars just came and he has two more coming in on the other side.  That can't be fun for him.  There has been a lot of drool and a lot of tears, particularly at night.  Fingers crossed for some good sleep this weekend.

Silas enjoying his upside down time!

Ms. Serafin is at home having some Daddy time.  I'm glad for the two of them.  Since Gary has been sick Serafin has been missing spending her usual rough and tumble time with him.  I think this weekend will be a good opportunity for them to spoil each other and give each other love.

Serafin playing in front of the Orcas Center; our local theater which holds classes and puts on many different drama acts and shows.

Serafin is enjoying Orcas and finally calls it home!  As she makes new friends on the island, she speaks less and less of her old home.  She seems to be getting more comfortable in her shoes and each day I look at her and am amazed at what a beautiful girl we have, inside and out.  I am such a lucky mama.  

Yes!  Spring is on its way!  

Anyway my friends, I am happy to report that I have noticed the first buds appearing on the trees and sprouts coming out from the ground.  The days are lasting a little longer and  there is no need for my heavy jacket anymore.  I am excited to see what spring will bring in this new home of ours.  We plan on digging a pond this summer and possibly start keeping chickens.  We'll see.  I'm sure, regardless, you will hear all about it.  Love, love looooooove to you all!  xoxo

Orcas Dreams 2: What about the Garbage?

"The Exchange", . . . one persons trash is another's treasure.

A number of you have asked me what happens to our garbage here on Orcas.  It's really quite interesting and I hadn't thought about it till we got up here.  After two weeks our bins got full up and I thought, "Oh yeah, nobody will come and get this, we have to deal with it ourself."  It's amazing how much more aware one becomes when they don't have people doing their "dirty" work for them.  

Here on the island, there is no dump.   All trash needs to be put in dumpsters and shipped off the island.  There are hardly any public garbages bins in town, people are encouraged to deal with their trash themselves.  You would think that this would mean that there is trash everywhere, along the roads, at the beaches, not so, you might see some, but this place is sparkling compared to what I see driving along country roads on the mainland.  

San Juan County Solid Waste Disposal has recently started a new service for home pick up, but it hasn't caught on yet.  For the most part, people take their own trash and recycling to the waste area.  In fact, a trip to the "dump" is considered a social event, it's only open Thursday-Sunday and you'll see many familiar faces.  

Getting rid of our trash basically works like this, . . . you pay $5 for up to six trash cans/bags of recycling and $10 for up to 2 cans of garbage.  It's not weighed, there is no person there to help you get your trash in and out of your car, you stop at a little shed, pay your money, back your car right up to the edge of the dumpster and dump dump dump.  I was amazed to see that on any given day there are 4 dumpsters available for dumping, 3 of these were for recycling and one was for trash.  The 3 Rs (Re-duce, Re-Use and Re-cycle) are a way of life here, instilled in the brains of the community and culture.  Before we moved here I thought I was fairly thoughtful about the amount of trash I put out there, but here I am forced to be even more sensitive and I'm realizing that I have a lot to learn.  

Now, onto the more interesting aspect of Orcas Island's waste disposal system.  The Exchange.  What an amazing place!  No city should be without one and yet I have never seen a place quite like it!  You bring your "junk", anything from mop heads, old toys, books, art, furniture, sheets, sinks, doors, . . .you name it.  You either donate it or exchange for something else.  How many times have I tried to sell something on craigslist (for like a year) without any takers, but felt too guilty about throwing it in the trash or simply felt that it deserved more than just being tossed away.  Well, The Exchange will most likely take it and hand it off to some other creative sole.  It might be used as is or turned into some fabulous piece of art or functional object.  If you turn up at The Exchange empty handed, but need something, no fear!  Monetary donations are accepted as well and are an important part in keeping this spot up and running.  I almost wept tears of joy when I saw this place, it is awesome!  

Only pictures can describe, . . . 

Need a bike?  You would think that Critical Mass was coming through!

Or how about a door?

Serafin has had a thing about the Yellow Brick Road lately, at The Exchange, we followed the "White Sink Road".

I'll be curious to see what happens to these around Easter.

Speakers, music and other electronics.

Dishware, lamp shades and kitchen appliances

Clothes!  Everything from adult to children's clothing, costumes and shoes.

The Exchange library

We still haven't pulled our x-mas tree stand out of a box yet, if we can't find it at least we know where to come to get one!

O Holy Tree

I love this tree, the leaves are turning now and they are such beautiful colors.  I'm looking forward to raking them up and then jumping into a pile of leaves!

Today I went looking for my "Hug Tree".    Trees need love too, don't we all?   I had a "Hug Tree" back in Oakland.  Every time I walked by it, I would either hug it, or, if I was in a hurry, I would just say "hello" and send it my love.  Admittedly, there were a few times I was "caught" by fellow hikers while hugging my tree, sometimes I got a smile, other times I got strange looks.  It was my goal to not be embarrassed and be firm about my love for the trees.   Yes, I am a tried and true tree hugger.  Trees are wonderful.

What is it about the trees that I love?  I feel calm after hugging a tree.  More grounded.  Sometimes, I put my ear up to the trunk and it seems like I can even hear a heartbeat.  Maybe it's mother nature or a tree spirit, maybe it's the ongoing traffic vibrating through the ground, or maybe I'm going mad!  I don't care, it just feels so damned good to hug a tree.

One of my favorite things to do when I'm hugging a tree is to look up!  It reminds me of the bigger picture and of how small I really am!

When I hug a tree, sometimes I pretend my legs are roots, going deep into the ground, gaining stability.  I feel the solidity of the trunk against my body, so strong and hard.  Trees give me strength.  Trees connect me with the ultimate mother, our earth.  Perhaps that's one of the reasons I was drawn to our Orcas forest, to feel more connected with nature.

I love trees!  There is so much to learn from them!

Trees are also flexible.  Trees sway and bend in the wind, if they didn't they would snap and die, sometimes they do.  There are times when life is tough and I tell myself, "Bend in the wind Jessica!  Bend in the wind!"  Trees are such an inspiration.  

Sigh.  Oh trees.  And another sigh.

I took a reprieve from the bed today.  I've been stuck in bed for the past three days with a injured back and this afternoon I decided it was time to take a gentle walk and get my circulation going a bit.  What a perfect way to help with the healing process, hug a tree.  Serafin joined me, we were off and on our own little  mission to find our "Hug Tree".   As you can imagine, we didn't end up hugging just one tree, we hugged multiple trees!  

This was our first real hug tree, Serafin calls it "The Leaning Tree".  I didn't want to tromp through the uneven field with my bad back, but Serafin talked me into it.  She really wanted to hug this tree!

See!  There she is, . . . my little tree hugger!  Imagine how the world would be if we all just chilled the fuck out and hugged some trees!  (Can you tell I'm a passionate tree hugging advocate!)

Another beauty.

Tromping back through the field towards our house, but I wasn't ready to go home yet, . . .

. . . there were more trees to hug!

Pippin followed along too!  She's lost weight since we got here, all the fresh air and land to run on!

We headed off down our driveway and over to the road.  In order to get home, we must drive 5 minutes up this gravel road.  Part of the road goes through our property and up to the neighbors house.  It's dreamy being surrounded by all this green.

All trees have spirits, some have faces too!

This one's my favorite.  These were here when we moved in, we've found three so far, I'm on the lookout for others though.

Serafin had enough tree hugging and decided to go back home.  "Bye Mom!"

And off into the woods I go!  There are loads of deer trails around here, I keep trying to remember to bring my garden clippers to make the path a little cleaner and wider as I go.  I find myself meandering through the forest quite a bit.  The dogs go a bit crazy too, there are rabbits all over this land.

This tree was definitely ripe for hugging!  

Trees get scars, just like us!  I wonder what happened here.

And now it's time to head back home!

Maybe tomorrow I'll go and explore the backyard!  I can see some good trees for hugging!

Go hug a tree!  You won't regret it!

Orcas Dreams Part 1: Getting Our Feet Dirty

Our first morning here!  Silas gets his feet dirty as we enjoy the view and a danish!  Yummo!

Well, my computer has finally arrived, and now I am at a loss for words.  Obviously that's not totally true, I can always find something to say.  I had plans to sit down and account for all that has happened in the month since we arrived here, but now it feels like all too much to go back into my head and try and remember.  Below I'll post some pictures of the move and a few of our early island adventures, but I think that will be the best I can do.

The first three weeks after we arrived on Orcas we came into an Indian summer.  It was really nice to move up North and be greeted by gorgeous sunny and long days.  I think the memory of those days will keep me going through the darkness of winter.  I am nervous about winter.  We have moved into fall now.  The leaves are turning, there are splotches of red, orange and yellow dotted all over the island, their backdrop is the amazing emerald green trees of the Pacific North West.  Yes, it is beautiful here.

Our cat Henry got a chance to enjoy the sunshine as well.  We lost him just before the rains started.  He was a true example of a cat having nine lives.  He had been close to passing a number of times since he came into our lives, his will to live was incredibly strong and inspiring.  In conclusion, I believe that Henry wanted to see what all the ruckus was about, boxes everywhere, all the movement, Gary going back and forth.  Henry wanted to see Orcas, and he did.  Henry made it through a 24 hour car ride and enjoyed the fresh air for three full weeks.  We decided to help him along when he stopped eating his food, was having difficulty breathing and began having seizures.  He died with me holding him when a local vet came to our house to administer the shot.  All of his family was around him and he passed as the sun was setting.  It was really quite beautiful and I am again reminded of the beauty of life, and death.  When I see a passing like this, it moves me and I gain more courage for the future when it will be my time to move along.  Alas, we all die.  Thank you sweet Henry, I miss you.

Gary took some photos of Henry while  he hung out in the Garden.  He always seemed to really enjoy feeling the sun and breathing the fesh air.  He would hold his head up and close his eyes.  The true meaning of presence.

"Operation Orcas" is now null and void, since we are now living here, I will entitle my new series of lifestyle writings, "Orcas Dreams".  Gary and I had dreamt of doing this for ourselves and our children for quite some time and it only seems appropriate to honor that.  Also, this island certainly is dreamy, I keep having to pinch myself and reminding myself that I actually live here now.  We are blessed.

Life on the island is interesting.  There is definitely an island feel, fresh fish, water and beaches at the end of roads, the sound of the waves, high prices for food and gas, 2 or 3 markets, everybody knows each other, buoys and other beach items everywhere you look, . . .  you get the picture.  I am reminded of my sweet greek grandmother who lived on a small island all her life.  I wish I could talk to her and tell her about my adventures here.  In my dreams I suppose!

We are meeting some people, but I haven't connected with anybody yet, you know, that real connection where you are like, "hey, you're cool, let's hang out!".  It will take some time.  I miss my friends and family back at home and feel a bit lonely at times when I can't reach them.  I have been making an effort to get out though and Serafin also starts going to her new pre-school next week.  I have a feeling I will get to know some parents through there.

Her school is amazing!  I want to go there!  There are chickens and a huge play yard with impressive structures to climb on and explore.  The classroom is in a small building and has a loft with a blackboard for doodles, all the toys are wooden and there were a couple of instruments there that I even had trouble recognizing.   The school put on a "Fall Festival" of sorts with a pot luck lunch, a cider press for making fresh apple cider and there were even donkeys for riding.  Serafin had a blast, I did too.

The next couple of weeks there will be a lot of activity for us.  Aside from Serafin starting school, Gary has his birthday and then Silas his (I can't believe he's turning one!), after that it's Halloween, one of my favorite holidays! We've made ghosts for hanging in the trees and even made a Serafin and Silas scarecrow that greet any guests at the driveway entrance.

Another photo of Gary's, Serafin had fun making the scarecrows, she even wanted to put one in the bucket swing and watch it go!  

We won't be getting any trick-or-treaters on our 24 acre lot that's 5 minutes up a gravel road on Sunset Mountain.  Nope, not here, but we didn't in our last house either, so that's nothing new!  The stores in town, however, open their doors to kids on the island for trick-or-treating, they also do pumpkin carving, story telling, and hay rides.  The local stores are also participating in a scare-crow festival, so I look forward to see what Eastsound turns itself into this Halloween.

As for me, a lot of what I do depends on how I will be feeling next week.  I've been a bit bogged down this week with a hurt lower back.  I had Silas in his carrier and Serafin gave me the "Oh my god I've got to pee right now" cue, so we rushed to a public toilet and when I lifted her on to the seat I heard my back crunch.  I thought it was getting better and then over did it yesterday when I was eager to mop and clean the bathrooms (can't believe I said that).  Anyway, I have ended up stuck in bed all day today, good thing my computer arrived!  So that's all for now my friends.  It feels good to be back on the internet super highway!  BIG LOVE and talk soon!  Enjoy the pics!

Serafin crashes out in the car seat on the way to Orcas.  After being up since 3:30, I was surprised she made it as long as she did!  I had a quiet ride all the way to the ferry, a blessing for this tired mama!

"What a relief!  We made it!"

This was our moving truck!  We filled the entire thing up apparently!  See what I mean about having a lot of stuff.  How did that happen??

Thank goodness it wasn't raining when the movers arrived, it would have been a lot messier.  We have white carpets in this house (the only major flaw in my opinion) and muddy shoes on movers would not have been a nice welcome.  They had a good strategy though, take everything off the truck and put it in the driveway, then bring it into the house.

I have connected with my mom on this land already.  When we arrived, the echinacea was in full bloom!  I snipped the flowers for drying to make medicine.  I have also found Lavender, Yellow Dock,  Parsley, Nettles,  Thyme, Yerba Buena and Blackberry.  My mamma would be proud!

You all have seen this one before, this is a picture of the view from our deck, off of the dining room.  We've had some amazing sunsets, hence the name of where we live, Sunset Mountain.  Pinch.  Pinch.  See what I mean?  Do I really live here?

My beautiful six burner stovetop!  "I LOVE YOU"!  It's so much nicer to cook on this than my previous electric radiant stovetop.

Serafin playing at the beach!  I love that fresh clean water to play in is just 10 minutes away from our home and the big question of the day is "which beach are we going to go to?"

Serafin rides a donkey at her new school!

Operation Orcas Take 7: Where Buddha Sat

Gary took Buddha up to Orcas this week.  The morning after he left I walked out on the deck and found this, . . . the spot where buddha sat.  Now Buddha waits for us at our new abode.  

  Our move is less than a month away!  Buddha has left the building!  And, . . . emotions are in full swing.  I'm sad.  I'm excited.  I'm overwhelmed.  Sheesh!  Honestly, do I even have time to get emotional?  The answer is. . . always.  I find myself wondering how everything is going to get done, it feels like there is too little time and too much to do.  People keep telling me that somehow it just does.  I will believe it when I see it.  Thank goodness for my chill hubby who has talked me off the ledge many times in the past couple of weeks.  I love you Gary.

For those of you that know me and have been to my house, you may, or may not, believe that there is a little OCD in me.  I can never tell what people think when they enter my home, it's got a little bit of everything.  Behind the unkept garden, crazy loud animals that greet you at the door (dogs, birds, cats, . . .), and the slide that sits in the middle of our living room from time to time, you are also come into a home with an amazing view, bright colors, and good energy.  I will miss this place, but I am positive that we will make our new home just as bright and welcoming.  

Organizing my home and trying to keep things in place has always been challenging for me, especially now with two kids.  With this move I have a chance to start afresh, to develop some better organization techniques and really take inventory.

As I go through our "stuff" I am realizing how much "stuff" we actually have.  Yikes!  I've said it before, and I will say it again, it is AMAZINGLY (HORRIFYING) how much stuff one can accumulate.  As I dig into the far corners of our attic, I'm finding small treasures from my childhood and even boxes of things that I didn't know existed!  How did that happen?

So people. . . my declaration is this. . . . it is my goal, with this new home, to have a "place" for everything, to know where everything is, and to know exactly what I actually have!  

Yes, I did underline that AND put it in Bold Italics.  Now you know I'm serious.  Please kick my ass if I haven't kept my word!

Anyway, if you are curious, take a look at what's going on in our house, . . . .

****************

Boxes, boxes, everywhere, . . . (stacked all the way up to the ceiling in some places!)

Masking tape is my friend, . . . (now you can see the OCD in action; color coordinating boxes so the mover's know exactly where each one goes, there is a different color for every room).  

Is there a piano under there somewhere??

We have a TON of books.  This isn't even half of them.  FINALLY they are organized by category and author.  When we get to our new location books will definitely have their own place.

Ok, people that's all for now!  I'll keep you posted!