BY DAVID STERN
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
October 26, 2016
Thousands of families travel to Sherman’s Pioneer Farm in Coupeville each year to carry on or start a new tradition and create happy memories. The farm, with its squash, gourds, barns, and cows helps me reconnect with a time when I spent my summers on a farm as a teenager.
Sherman’s has been farming pumpkins and squash since the 1950s, and Dale and Liz Sherman produce some of the finest squash in Washington State. The Blue Hubbard variety grown here was developed by the Sherman family and has become a staple of chefs and fine grocers around the region. Hundreds of thousands of pounds of this squash are processed and packaged on the farm to be shipped all over the state.
But that is not why most people come to visit the farm in October. Taking a trolley ride to the pumpkin patch and selecting your own jack-o-lantern is the main attraction. The Sherman family’s sense of humor is obvious when you see all their toys on the farm. Dale Sherman pulls people to and from the pumpkin patch with a larger-than-life “Tonka” tractor.
For me, traditions start when I visit a place that I simply cannot go a year without re-visiting. Sherman’s Pioneer Farm is one of those places. The brightly colored pumpkins, squash, and gourds bring happiness during a season that ushers in many dreary days. Thankfully, families like the Shermans are committed to creating a beautiful place to visit, while also working a historic local farm.
Sherman’s Pioneer Farm is open for trolley rides Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in October. During the rest of the week, you can purchase pumpkins with cash or check by depositing your payment in the honesty box on the farm stand door.
The farm is located on Ebey’s Landing National Historic Reserve at 46. S Ebey Road. Coupeville, WA 98239.
Big Toys at Sherman’s Pioneer Farm in Coupeville.Buttercup squash is among the sweetest and creamiest of all varieties. As good as a sweet potato, and it grows on Whidbey Island.The Sugar Hubbard variety was developed by the Sherman family and is unique to Whidbey Island.Larger than life pumpkins welcome visitors to Sherman’s Pioneer Farm.Big boys need big toys.Dale Sherman’s cows are always on hand to help eat the rotten pumpkins. Nothing gets wasted on the farm.New friendships are made on the trolley to the pumpkin patch.The most common method for choosing a pumpkin is making sure it will stand up straight.The perfect pumpkin has been chosen.Dale Sherman bringing back a full load of happy families and their new pumpkins.
David Stern is aCoupeville-based photographer and co-owner of Whidbey Custom Photography with his wife Madisun Elizabeth. David was mentored by his grandfather, a world-famous landscape photographer based in New England. David hopes to work as a photojournalist one day, traveling the world and telling stories.
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BY RUSSELL CLEPPER
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
June 1, 2016
Kristi O’Donnell is no stranger to ideas. They are her bones and blood, and every time her broad grin stretches across her warm face you can almost see them poised on her tongue behind her teeth, ready to spring out into the world and change it.
“She makes things happen!” said Jo Oxreider, co-owner of Raven Rocks Gallery at the Greenbank Farm. “We are so fortunate to have her.”
O’Donnell swings a wide rope, as the cowboys say. (Okay, no cowboys say that.) But the multi-talented woman has carved out a wide place in the cultural life of the island. She’s a horticulturalist, a visual artist, a musician, a visionary and a fierce community activist. She does indeed make things happen.
New Coupeville Port Authority Events Coordinator Kristi O’Donnell wearing one of her many hats—here, the straw sun hat. (photo by David Welton)
And now she’s taken on the mantle of Events Coordinator for the Coupeville Port Authority in March. The Port Authority, under the leadership of new Executive Director Forrest Rambo, is now directly managing the farm after a controversial decision by the board of commissioners last summer to do away with the Greenbank Farm Management Group.
The surprise decision elicited outrage among long-time supporters of the Farm and consternation and confusion in the local community about what lay in store. Since then, two newly elected Port Authority commissioners have assumed their duties and Oxreider said she has been very pleased with the outcome so far.
“The commissioners have been great,” she said. “They have moved their offices here [to the Jim Davis house] and they come into the shop regularly. They listen to us. And Kristi is here.”
O’Donnell has been working hard to create a schedule for the Farm this summer. Her gift for generating ideas and seeing them through is apparently as vibrant as ever. Her past involvement as a leader in helping the community save the farm from developers 20 years ago is also serving her well in her new position. People she worked with back then and through the years are offering her their support.
“Greenbank Farm is still here and still available for the community,” O’Donnell said. “People are coming forward and saying ‘how can I help, what can I do?’”
There are many ways to enjoy Greenbank Farm. (photo by Marsha Morgan)
A couple of dedicated farm supporters, Jelcy and Conrad Romberg, gave $1,000 to start a music fund. “Our intention is to inspire other creative and civic-minded people to contribute matching dollars to this starter fund so we can continue to have music throughout the year,” O’Donnell said. “This gift supplies seed money for the summer series.”
The first music event is this Friday, June 3 at the historic main barn from 5 to 7 p.m. Rusty Fender and the Melody Wranglers will kick off this initiation of the First Friday Music Series with their Alt Country/Americana blend of two-steppin’ music. (Full disclosure: this article’s author is the lead singer of the group!)
The event will be part of the long-running First Friday at the Greenbank Farm, a promotion which includes an artwalk, wine tasting, and food and beverage offerings. Subsequent performances in the music series, as well as all the other Farm events, will be posted online. (Please see links at the end of this article.)
Another hat—the black beret. O’Donnell playing stand-up bass with Troy Chapman, left, and Keith Bowers. (photo by David Welton)
Wine lovers will want to check out new owner Hollie Swanson’s Greenback Wine Shop event that night as well. The vintner for Rain Shadow Cellars of Coupeville will be pouring his wine which will not only help educate participants in the finer points of wine appreciation, but may also help get their feet moving on the dance floor in the barn right next door. And Whidbey Pies—on the other side of the wine shop and long an island favorite—will be offering plenty of coffee, tea and delectables of all sorts including, of course, pie. They will also be selling beer for consumption on the premises.
Meanwhile, the artwalk gives visitors the chance to visit the three principal galleries at the Farm: the Rob Schouten Gallery, the Artworks Gallery and Raven Rocks Gallery. This Friday will see receptions at Schouten’s and the Artworks’ Galleries for new shows. Jandellyn Ward’s exhibit of her functional art pieces for home and garden will open at Artworks, where Quinn Fitzpatrick will provide yet more live music, while Rob Schouten will debut “Modern Relics: New Encaustic Paintings by Kathleen Otley.” The Greenbank Cheese Specialty Foods and Gift Shop will also be open, offering their impressive trove of gourmet foods and gifts that range from whimsical to practical.
In addition to First Fridays, O’Donnell is also introducing Last Sundays (not the official name of the event.). A bluegrass jam on the last Sunday of the months of June, July and August will not only provide an opportunity for devotees to get together and set their strings on fire, but a way for music lovers to contribute to the Farm’s music fund as well. The first session is set for June 26 from 1 to 3 p.m. All are welcome to play or to simply enjoy the music, O’Donnell said.
In turn, music can also be a way to raise money for other needs at the Farm. O’Donnell said that the Alder Quartet approached her with the idea to give a concert to help pay for new chairs for the barn. Group members Sue Baer, Maggie Storer, Linda Morris and Buell Neidlinger (Billy the celloist) often perform locally to help raise money for local causes. They all have long musical resumes and will offer their “Buy A Chair Benefit Concert” on Sunday, June 12, from 2 to 4 p.m., also in the main barn.
Some events that have been staple local events in recent years will not be on this year’s calendar. O’Donnell said. Both the Renaissance Festival and the Highland Games, are taking sabbaticals this year. The Loganberry Festival will undergo a process of re-imagination and be moved to a new date in September. “If you love the Loganberry Festival,” O’Donnell said, “I could use your help and your input to get this important event back up and running.”
Sunday, July 24 from noon until 4 p.m. will see the second annual Bounce Mania Children’s Carnival with old-fashioned games and activities for kids, including—ta-da! a loganberry pie-eating contest.
And yet another—the red beret. O’Donnell as community activist, participating in a flash dance at the ferry dock a few years ago (photo by David Welton)
Of course, O’Donnell has many more projects in the pipeline: a car show, wooden boat show, vintage trailer show with a bluegrass festival, an old-fashioned ice cream and pie social and more. She doesn’t yet know which of these, if any, will come to fruition. But all of them could potentially bring in revenue along with what the farm already generates from rental fees, weddings and other types of private gatherings and celebrations. The survival of the Farm depends in large measure on its ability to pay for itself.
But with Kristi O’Donnell and her mind full of ideas, and her track record of making them happen (including for example, Greenback Farm as it exists now), there’s reason to be optimistic.
“We fought the good fight,” said Oxreider, “We were heard. We have a future!”
Looks like it’s going to be a good summer on the Farm.
For more information on Greenback Farm, the Port of Coupeville and scheduled events please visit the following websites:
Also, Kristi O’Donnell wants the public to know that if they can’t attend the bluegrass jams, they can still support the music series by sending a check made out to: The Port of Coupeville, Greenbank Farm Music Series, PO Box 577, Coupeville, WA 98239.
Photo at top: Greenbank Farm (photo by Marsha Morgan)
Russell Clepper is a singer-songwriter who plies his trade locally and around the country. He also is a substitute teacher for the Oak Harbor School District.
WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.
BY KATY SHANER Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
May 4, 2016
Welcome to the May “Gallery Watch”. Enjoy the variety of art offered on Whidbey Island. “Gallery Watch” is a collaborative project between the Visitor Information Kiosk and Whidbey Life Magazine. Gallery information contributions collected by Katy Shaner from drewslist drewslist@whidbey.com and Whidbey Life Magazine www.whidbeylifemagazine.org,
“FIRST FRIDAY AT THE FARM” Greenbank Farm 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, May 6. 765 Wonn Road, Greenbank. Visit Rob Schouten Gallery, Artworks Gallery and Raven Rocks Gallery.
“FIRST SATURDAY ART WALK” Langley 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7. Visit Brackenwood Gallery, MUSEO, Whidbey Art Gallery, and Studio 106.
LANGLEY
DAVID PRICE – ENCAUSTICS 5 – 7 p.m. David Price’s works capture a sense of light through paint that reflect his “less is not more, less is better” approach to art and design. His minimalist paintings are created with a simple approach to composition, color and texture resulting in a space that seems to expand beyond the canvas. The gallery, edit. artdesignmercantile (next to Brackenwood Gallery on First St., Langley) features David’s encaustic works and will be open for First Saturday Artwalk on May 7. www.davidpriceartist
WHIDBEY ISLAND FINE ARTS STUDIO – DEMONSTRATION BY KATHY ANDERSON 10 a.m. Burrier Building at the Fairgrounds. The cost is $45. Kathy Anderson is a member of the Putney Painters in Vermont and a colleague and friend of Richard Schmid, with whom she paints. She will be doing a demonstration. For more on Kathy Anderson click to: http://www.kathyandersonstudio.com If you are interested in attending, please send email to: caryjur@gmail.com, we also still have a couple of spaces in the workshop. For more information contact Cary Jurriaans at WIFAS: www.whidbeyislandfas.com
BRACKENWOOD GALLERY – “THE FIGURE” 5 – 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7 is the artist reception. The history of the human figure is all but inseparable from the history of Western art. – Michael Brenson from Lascaux’s famous Paleolithic cave paintings, to Rodin, to Picasso, and beyond, artists have portrayed their visions of the human body throughout history. Visit the gallery during the month of May to see what our diverse group of artists – including Aaron Coberly, Ned Mueller, Sarah Sedwick, Carrie Whitney, Georgia Gerber, Jason Waskey, Jeff Day, Cary Jurriaans, Marc Bohne, and Pete Jordan – has to offer!
There will also be a Spotlight show on Celebrated Washington Artist Marc Bohne’s landscapes during the month of May. All shows run through the end of May. Brackenwood Gallery, 302 First St., Langley • 360-221-2978 • brackenwoodgallery@whidbey.com • www.brackenwoodgallery.com
THE WHIDBEY ART GALLERY 5 – 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7 is the artist reception. Whidbey Art Gallery is pleased to premier unique 2D and 3D art by guest artist Keith Scott, paintings by guest artist Mike Burroughs and a series of Dahlia photographs by featured member George Johnson in May.
The basis for Keith Scott’s original art uses layers of recycled automotive paint, scrounged from auto body shops. Considered hazardous waste when in the liquid form, the shops are usually glad to get rid of the paint. Built in layers, on the 3D pieces Keith adds a layer of clear urethane between layers to get the rigidity. He calls this raw product kalidium. He then carves, sands, and laminates the piece to get the finished product.
Guest artist, Mike Burroughs, who creates in both oil and watercolor, will share some of his work during May. Featured member George Johnson will be showing a new series of Dahlia photographs for the first time. Meet Keith Scott, George Johnson and members of the Whidbey Art Gallery, while you enjoy light refreshments and wander the gallery. Whidbey Art Gallery, 220 Second St., Langley • 360-221-7675 • www.whidbeyartists.com
STUDIO 106 5 – 7 p.m. Saturday, May 7 is the artist reception. Studio 106 will be hosting 4 guest artists to show their work. Please stop in and say hello to our friends Judith Van Arnam, Jean Mason, Kim Stokely-Barber and Mary Green. Studio 106 is a working art studio. Guests are welcomed for First Saturday Art Walk, by appointment, and whenever we are there working! Studio 106, 106 McLeod Alley (between Whidbey Island Bank & Star Store) • 206-679-7843
MUSEO GALLERY Artist’s reception will be 5 – 7 p.m., on Saturday, May 7. MUSEO Gallery, 215 First St., Langley • 360- 221-7737 • www.museo.cc
BAYVIEW
HIGH SCHOOL GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE ART SHOW On display through May 30. Bayview Cash Store, Goosefoot Office. What is the Youth Perspective on Climate Change? An invitation to all high school students to share thoughts, feelings, wonderings, dilemmas about climate change through a broad range of media. Prizes awarded. All submissions will be displayed at the Bayview Cash Store, 5603 Bayview Road, Langley. For more information, contact Julie Glover at: julieg@whidbey.com or Ann Linnea at: treewmn@whidbey.com • www.whidbeyearthday.org
ART FOR HORSE LOVERS! 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6 is opening reception for Heidi LaCourse and the work of mixed media artist Janet Pheifer, 3D encaustic artist Anne Smidt, and abstract painter Mike O’Connell. Blooms Winery’s Tasting Room at the historic Bayview Corner Store. Just in time for the opening of racing season, Blooms Winery is featuring the paintings of Heidi LaCourse, equine painter. Heidi’s work shows her love of horses. She has been around horses since she was five years old and spent a summer during college working exercising thoroughbred racehorses at Longacres. She has ridden in the Washington State hunter/jumper circuit and trained grand prix show jumpers in Ireland. Having owned and trained many ex-racehorses over the years she is fascinated with the beauty of these stunning athletes. The show will run through May and June. Blooms Winery Tasting, 5603 Bayview Road, Langley • 360-331-4084 • www.bloomswinery.com/
FREELAND
FREELAND ART STUDIOS – JEFF DAY SCULPTURE AND PAINTINGS “Reflection” Istanbul and China continuing thru June 27. Artists at the Freeland Art Studios produce original works of art in stone, bronze, metals, clay, glass, mixed media, and water in motion. At the studios you will find fine art sculpture for in or outdoors, tile, clay portraiture, jewelry, leaping and swirling concepts in water, custom designs in tile – all in a working environment. If you’re curious about how art is conceived, planned and executed, stop and watch artists at work. Freeland Artist Studios, 1660 Roberta Ave., Freeland • https://freelandartstudios.com/
GREENBANK
RAVEN ROCKS GALLERY – “ROXALLANNE MEDLEY’S WHIMSICAL DELIGHTS IN CERAMIC” 5 – 7 p.m. Friday, May 6 is the opening reception. Show runs through May 31. The Gallery presents the heartwarming and wonderfully whimsical work of Roxallanne Medley, the featured artist for May. A local resident of Coupeville, her work is best described in her own words: “My ceramic work includes original, painted and hand-cut relief tiles and hand-painted ceramic serving pieces. I apply watercolor techniques to ceramic tiles, plates and platters.”
All this month the gallery will be presenting new weekly offerings of paintings, fiber arts and mixed media works from both Mary Jo Oxrieder and Windwalker Taibi. Raven Rocks Gallery is a member of The Whidbey Art Trail, a year-round self-guided tour of galleries and studios featuring the work of local and regional artists. Raven Rocks Gallery is located at Greenbank Farm, 765 Wonn Road,C-101, Greenbank. 360-222-0102 • www.ravenrocksgallery.com
ROB SCHOUTEN GALLERY – “ALONG WATER’S EDGE” WATERCOLORS BY PEGGY WOODS 5 – 7 p.m. Friday, May 6 is the artist’s reception. Show runs through May 30. Light Refreshments will be served. Rob Schouten Gallery is pleased to welcome Anacortes watercolorist Peggy Woods to her debut showing on Whidbey Island. Woods’ watercolor paintings skillfully explore the play of light on water, whether glowing with strong contrast or misty and soft, creating tranquil dramas that convey the poignancy of everyday coastal life. Her paintings are renowned for realism and detail, but her soulful connection to her subjects is what makes them come alive. Rob Schouten Gallery – a premier showcase for Whidbey Island and Northwest artists at Historic Greenbank Farm, 765 Wonn Road, Greenbank • 360-222-3070 • info@robschoutengallery.com • www.robschoutengallery.com/
ARTWORKS GALLERY – GAYLEN WHITEMAN 5 – 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 6 is the artist reception. During May Artworks Gallery will feature artist Gaylen Whiteman and her “May Madness” show. Light snacks and beverages will be served. Live music will be performed by guitarist Steve DeHaven. Other Artworks Gallery artists will be on hand to greet visitors during the reception.
Gaylen, who typically paints in a realist fashion, has recently been experimenting with abstraction and, as she says, “having a blast.” She says, “I am especially enjoying the contrast between precise and deliberate painting for realism to the pure joy and spontaneity of abstraction.” In her “May Madness” show, Gaylen will devote half of her display to favorite works in realism, and half to favorite and recent abstract art. Her art includes paintings in watercolor, acrylic, and oil. Artworks Gallery is located on Greenbank Farm, 765 Wonn Road • 360-222-3010 • www.artworkswhidbey.com
COUPEVILLE
PENN COVE GALLERY– MARK LUCERO Mark Lucero is Penn Cove Gallery’s May featured artist. Mark paints with acrylics, usually on wood panels which are carved with high-speed routers. With bold colors and uninhibited and expressive lines, he creates movement while maintaining a careful sense of balance. His compositions range from realism to fully abstract. He thinks of his artwork as both self-discovery and self-disclosure, so that many paintings originate from fundamental truths about human experience. His intention is to give joyous and lighthearted expression to some of life’s deeper truths. Mark will be at Penn Cove Gallery 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Monday, May 30, when he will discuss the methods and meanings behind his paintings. Penn Cove Gallery, 9 NW Front St., Coupeville. • 360-678-1176 • www.penncovegallery.com • www.MarkLuceroArt.com
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The Organic Farm School (OFS) on Whidbey Island will begin relocating to the Maxwelton Valley this April, setting up shop for students to arrive in March of 2017. Faced with an uncertain future at Greenbank Farm, as new Port Commissioners wrestle with defining a vision for use of the acreage there, the non-profit farmer training program began looking for alternative sites in January of this year.
“We loved being at Greenbank Farm,” says OFS Executive Director, Judy Feldman, “yet we realized that last year’s changes gave us an opportunity to look for other locations that might provide more stability and a more unified vision for our work.”
Author Kristin Ohlson (“The Soil Will Save Us)”, looks on as Training Manager, Jessica Babcock and Assistant Program Director, Sebastian Aguilar, take a look at the soil they’ll be working with at the Sher Farm. Everyone is looking forward to incorporating climate/carbon-aware farming methods as the ground is prepared for cover crops this year.
That opportunity made possible a conversation with Ron and Eva Sher in Maxwelton Valley. They have been reassembling pieces of the historic Feek Farm for years, and just this past December had begun to ask themselves how they could return some of the farm acreage to agriculture.
“We didn’t have any clear sense of a path forward, but we trusted that something would come to us,” Eva Sher said.
Thanks to an abundance of community connections, including mutual relationships with the Whidbey Institute, Whidbey Camano Land Trust, Greg Gilles and more, the Organic Farm School reached out to the Shers at the exact time they were looking for ways to support place-based, sustainable agriculture.
The result has been invigorating. “I’d say it’s exciting,” Feldman said, “but it’s deeper than that. There is no doubt that the Shers offer us a level of support and land access that we could not have imagined last fall. But what is also remarkable is how they share our land ethic and the desire to train a new generation of farmers that can adapt to a rapidly changing world in environmentally sensitive ways. They get what we do, and they want it to be part of their legacy…growing hope through good agricultural practices taught here and taken out into the world.”
This view gives a sense of the shape of the space we’ll be farming. “The Organic Farm School,” Judy Feldman noted, “will soon begin planting cover crops to increase soil fertility and organic matter inside what once was a training track for race horses.”
It’s only March, and Feldman first talked with the Shers at the end of January. There is still a lot of work to be done in fleshing out the agreement. But no one sees any roadblocks.
One of the elements that makes the endeavor so desirable is the neighborhood of like-minded contributors already working in the vitalization of the Maxwelton Valley. It is an area steeped in agricultural history. “We want to make sure that everyone currently working with us sees the inclusion of the farmer training program as a positive addition,” Ron Sher said. “So far, we have confirmation that it is.”
A 7.5-month experiential program based on agroecology principles, the Organic Farm School has graduated 41 students over the past seven years. It is run by a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that funds the program through a combination of tuition, grants, farm revenue generated by vegetable and seed production, and donations. To date, 78% of its graduates continue to farm, and 11 new farms have been started on Whidbey and beyond.
With 91 million agricultural acres needing new farmers in the next five years, and only 8% of our farmers under age 35, the OFS is part of a national network of training programs meeting a very real and urgent need.
“New View” is just that. “This bench will offer a great vantage point from which to watch the Organic Farm School prepare the field for a 2017 class of farming students,” Feldman said.
“Like the Shers, we subscribe to an ethic of working with the land, not in spite of it,” said Jessica Babcock, Lead Instructor. “It’s critically important that we offer training in ag, business and marketing skills, but it’s equally important that our students see the land as their business partner, and that they learn how to observe natural systems for guidance in their farming activities.”
The Shers and the OFS anticipate finalizing written agreements by mid-April. The OFS will be undertaking a significant fundraising campaign to support the transition from Greenbank to the Maxwelton Valley.
For more details about the future of the Organic Farm School on Whidbey, please call Judy Feldman at 360-222-3171, or e-mail mailto:ofs@organicfarmschool.org.
WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org
For some reason, people like to call this time of year the season of light. Really, it is the season of dark, as far as I’m concerned. This time of year, I question my judgment, for making the decision to move, and then stay in the Pacific Northwest. These short days lead to endless introspection. They lead to turning on as many lights as possible. Maybe it’s actually the season of lights, come to think of it.
There is no end to the possibilities that I present myself with, and then argue with myself, over which direction is the right way to go. It’s a good thing I like to spend time by myself. For a creative person, that alone time is essential. It’s hard to find the voices inside my head when there is too much going on around me. As a painter and a writer, I spend a lot of time shuffling around in my head. It’s where the work happens.
“What if I did this?”
“What if I did that?”
What do I do when the dark, the rain, the cold (well, okay, it hasn’t been that cold yet this winter) get to be too much? Sometimes I go to Italy! Not actually, since it’s pretty cold there too, and I have way too much work to do here. (Not to mention a limited budget.) I mean that I fire up the lights in the studio, and work on a painting from one of my several Italian adventures.
There is something magical about being in a well-lighted room, looking out over the cold and misty woods that surround my house. And when I look at the painting on my easel I remember the warm, sunny afternoons sitting in the piazza in Cortona, sketching and thinking about dinner.
Other times, when the dark and cold are too much, my mind turns to pandas. Really, if watching a video of panda toddlers going down a slide doesn’t cheer you up, I don’t know what will. The pandas entered my life when the economy was turning to crap, and I see no reason to let them go now that it is improving a bit.
If drawing cartoons of pandas, and creating stories for them wasn’t enough to brighten my world, the responses of the people who have found them would certainly do the trick. (They like them, they really like them!)
There are far worse things in the world than a little dark and rain. If you watch even a little bit of the news, you know what they are. We all need something to get us through the long wet nights of the Northwest winters. I have paintings and pandas. What brings light back into your world?
The only thing more cheery than pandas is coloring pictures of pandas.
Anne Belov is a painter, printmaker, and illustrator. Her wordless picture bookPandamorphosis is a celebration of magic and pandas. She has recently published her 6th collection of the Panda Chronicles cartoons:We R Endangered,as well as a Panda Chronicles coloring book. All are available atMoonraker Booksin Langley. You can see her paintings atThe Rob Schouten Galleryat the Greenbank Farm and atThe Fountainhead Gallery in Seattle. There is still no MacArthur Fellowship awarded in Panda Satire. Read her weekly cartoons atYourBrainonPandas.com.
WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.
Is your reaction the same as mine? Tentative, if not downright skeptical?
Who would waste good butter and sugar and flour making a cobbler crust only to sprinkle it on the humble, bland, and frequently oversized zucchini?
Kathy Floyd, that’s who…as her entry in Slow Food Whidbey Island’s summer cooking contest this past Friday.
And, by the way, she didn’t waste a bit of butter. The zucchini in her cobbler tasted like essence of apple, pear, vanilla, lemon and something unidentifiable but delicious. In the spirit of investigative journalism, I ate one, two, three pieces trying to detect just what. And I grilled Kathy relentlessly: hadn’t she snuck in an apple? Hadn’t a pear made its way from orchard to cutting board? Hadn’t something more exotic, more difficult to detect, migrated in? A quince? A handful of gooseberries? Hadn’t something been mashed beyond recognition and stirred into the so-called zucchini?
She swore (as much as Kathy swears, which I’m guessing isn’t much) that her cobbler contained zucchini and only zucchini. She has a very honest face.
Still, the zucchini is a troublesome vegetable from almost any perspective. Does it contain a double “c,” a double “n” or both? To get around the tricky spelling, and to enhance its appeal, the Brits call the cucumber-shaped-squash-with-smooth-skin a courgette.
Courgette Cobbler. Yep, I’m liking the sound of that. And there’s no denying I liked the taste.
The Courgette Cobbler wasn’t the only interesting dish on the menu. The “Root-to-Stalk” prize was awarded to Jim Hicken for a jelly made from the bits of pears and apples he removed before drying the rest of the fruit. This core-and-peel concoction glowed a lovely deep pink color and was nicely and naturally firm (the pectins come prepackaged in the peels).
But it was local writer Vicki Robin (“Blessing the Hands that Feed Us” is her most recent book) who walked away with the big prize, a heaping basket of vegetables, in recognition of her…zucchini relish. (Yes, the Z; it’s last in the alphabet but first on the ingredient list, at least at this time of year.) I’m told that recipes from the potluck can be found on the organization’s Facebook page.
Among the wonders and pleasures of dinnertime with the Slow Food folks was a chance to meet and hear from some of the young farmers working our island’s acres. (They also acted as judges, handing out chef’s hats to winners.) Present were six of the up-and-comers, some apprenticing at the Rosehip Farm in Coupeville, others at Greenbank Farm’s Organic Farm School.
I enjoyed (one could say “relished”) hearing them—average age, 25—singing the praises of kale. (At 25, I’d never tasted kale; that pleasure arrived sometime in my fifties.) And don’t get these farmers started on kohlrabi! (Peel, slice into medallions, dip in hummus! Or, for kohlrabi chips, slice thinly and bake!)
As the Slow Foodie Farmers shared their discoveries, their recipes, their enthusiasm, I noticed the older folks in the room smiling in a particular way; I think of it as the nostalgia smile, the smile of people who grew up on farms, whose parents had gardens, who learned to use what was on hand and find a way to preserve the excess for leaner times.
Indeed, who wouldn’t admire the fervor and the sheer physical stamina that propelled these young farmers to attend a potluck after a day of bending and picking, plucking and hauling? Who wouldn’t admire Amber’s tattoo; her arm from shoulder to elbow covered with a tomato plant twined with a pea vine? It’s her unique, clever and utterly endearing way of wearing her heart on her sleeve.
So, thanks to Slow Food Whidbey for featuring the next generation of farmers…and for showing me that zucchini can be a sweet treat, kohlrabi can be a thin chip and my upper arm can be a garden.
As always, wish you were here.
Dianna
Image at the beginning of the article: Dianna in her summer hat (photo by Martha McCartney)
Dianna MacLeod holds a journalism degree from the University of Michigan and has worked as a writer and editor for individuals and nonprofit organizations. An alumna of Hedgebrook. She moved to the Isle of Whidbey in 2011 to complete a novel—and never left.
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BY VICKY BROWN Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
August 5, 2015 (republished from Spring WLM print magazine—May, 2015)
It’s been ten years since I hung up my heels at the corporate office and traded them for muck boots. I went from Chief Financial Officer to Chief Milkmaid on a little five-acre farm in Freeland. My farm has goats, sheep and a llama. The Little Brown Farm is a working dairy. I make cheeses to sell at farmers markets and to exceptional chefs. The animals, mentors and vets have taught me a lot about goats and animal husbandry. Over the years I’ve learned a lot about cheese, cheesemaking, curds and whey. I’ve also learned a lot about the local hay I feed my dairy girls. With all that information, I still have no idea what it takes to grow food.
This year when I decided to take a year off from goat milking, I realized I might have time for the garden I’ve always envisioned at Little Brown Farm. After working to clear the area and adding some precious goat manure compost to the native soil, I was stumped. It turns out I don’t know beans about seeds, but I did know who would.
The team at Greenbank Farm.
Intrigued by the rumor of a mobile seed harvesting unit for rent, I decided to pay a visit.
The heirloom purple collard must be left to bloom to produce the seeds that will be harvested for the Seed Saver Exchange. Crops for seed are grown differently than those for produce harvest, including adjustments made for spacing and growth time. (photo by Marsha Morgan)
As I pulled into the parking lot at Greenbank Farm, 60 or so herons were leaving their rookery for the day. As they took flight, the prehistoric looking birds cast impressive shadows over the fields of freshly turned soil, a stark contrast to the sleepy farmland just barely waking for spring. It was farmland that brought the three of us together: Executive Director Judy Feldman, Farm Manager and Lead Instructor Jessica Babcock, and me.
Seeds were the topic of the day. By navigating grants, policies and protocols, Greenbank Farm has managed to create a lending library of sorts. They call it the Organic Seed Project, and what they lend is a seed-harvesting trailer outfitted with equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars.
Lorn Brace-Wessel and Melissa Cipollone, Farm School students, learn that adding compost and adjusting nutrients in the soil is important for a healthy crop. (photo by Marsha Morgan)
When I casually mentioned Burpee as one of the giant names I associate with cheap seed packets, Babcock’s eyes lit up “Whatever gets someone growing, whatever their gateway seed is, that is the perfect seed for them at that time.” Babcock’s an advocate for just getting some dirt under your fingernails, confident that a passion and excitement for growing food will awaken in you once you do.
Babcock is growing organic farmers, harvesting organic seeds and running varietal trials of organically grown heirloom varieties at Greenbank Farm. What she values even more than organic practices is simply growing.
“If more people grew something, they’d realize what it takes and how gratifying it is to produce food,” said Feldman. While both agree even first-time gardeners are more likely to be successful with plants acclimated to their area, just getting people to put seeds in the ground seems to be their plan.
The urgency of their plan and the Organic Seed Project became clearer when I learned that over 93 percent of seed varieties available to farmers have gone extinct since 1903. Have you ever wondered why tomatoes don’t taste like they did that summer at grandma’s house? It’s probably because that variety is extinct.
What happens to our food when there is only one variety of cucumber seed left? According to the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, cucumbers have dropped from 285 strains to just 16. Could the last cucumber die in a bad drought year or from a disease brought in by a visiting hummingbird? The loss of plant varieties isn’t just a loss of flavor, texture and resistant crops; it’s the loss of our food security.
Jessica Babcock uses equipment from the Organic Seed Program to clean Bouquet Dill seeds, grown in the Greenbank Farm field and acclimated to the Pacific Northwest. (photo by Marsha Morgan)
The simple act of saving seeds gave birth to agriculture. Saving seeds is now a profound act, critical for our food security and the survival of non-industrial farms. The situation is made more dire by global corporations that claim a patent on certain seed varieties—asserting themselves as owners of a life form—and heft their political weight to make seed saving and sharing a criminal offense. Some countries, including Guatemala, Argentina and the United States, have already outlawed the sharing of patented seeds. In these countries, farmers are routinely sued if rogue patented genetics find their way into a farmer’s field and contaminate the farmer’s own non-patented seeds. Not surprisingly, nations that have categorically banned Genetically Modified (GM) crops also don’t criminalize the saving or selling of seeds.
In countries where GM crops are allowed, they now represent up to 80 percent of planted seed. What has become of the strains of adapted or indigenous plants in those areas? They have become extinct. Healthy bio-diversity is gone.
Seedlings get the right start at the Organic Seed Program. (photo by Marsha Morgan)
How is Greenbank Farm bucking the trend? The Farm has created this first-of-its-kind resource—the seed harvesting trailer—for lease to farmers at low cost.
Access to the trailer doesn’t just impact the global concern of seed saving, it accomplishes something that is one of the largest challenges facing farmers today—a path to financial sustainability. This resource allows farmers to return to the very basis of agriculture, saving seeds for future crops, fulfilling seed-growing contracts for seed catalogs and distributors, packaging and marketing seeds to the public to grow in our raised beds, p-patches, garden plots or even planters on our kitchen counter.
The Organic Seed Project, while historically traditional, is so groundbreaking in the current agri-business culture that it has already caught the attention of others. The team at 21 Acres Center for Local Food and Sustainable Living in Woodinville has invited Babcock to sit on an advisory board to help them implement a similar project.
Greenbank Farm, a Whidbey landmark since 1904, is making news again—this time with its new Organic Seed Program. (photo by Marsha Morgan)
I have to say I’m proud that this idea came to fruition on our Island—almost as proud as when my Island Market broccoli seeds from Deep Harvest Farm started germinating in my kitchen window.
Babcock was right. Once you experience your “gateway seed,” you’ll be hooked.
Vicky Brown, Chief Milkmaid at the Little Brown Farm, puts her passions on the page writing about food, agriculture and the tender web of community.
WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.
On Saturday July 25, a large crowd attended the first “Renaissance at the Farm” event held at the historic Greenbank Farm. There were theatrics, music, dance, equestrian events, costumes, spinning and weaving, dog events, falconry, and much more. WLM photographer David Welton captured the day through his lens.
The event was organized by the Renaissance at the Farm Committee led by Jerry and Connie Lloyd and they were joined by the international Society for Creative Anachronism, a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to the preservation, research and recreation of the crafts, arts and experiences of the European Renaissance and Middle Ages. With numerous events and volunteers the event showed us the “then and now” of the Renaissance.
Kimmer Morris performs in front of the historic Greenbank Barn.
Linda Good (far right) and her Island Strings students make music. Courtney Cooke (left), plays guitar with her daughters, Audri on violin and Julia on guitar (in the background). Olive Sichel plays the violin (on the right)
Renaissance attire was prevalent with some notable modern accessories like this fireman’s hat that Olive Sichel wore.
Dan Anderson plays the nyckelharpa with Island Strings.
Attendees watched horses and riders in Renaissance costumes move through their paces in the Renaissance arena. Julie Bloomhall is pictured above and Carol McArdle is in the photo below.
Bryson and Alisoun McCloughen (aka Duchess Angharad, Baroness of Aquaterra), of the Society of Creative Anachronism, turned out in blue.
Steve Layman and his falcon track activity in the sky during Steve’s presentation and demonstration of about the art of falconry.
Kids take some time to play at the more modern playground at the Farm.
The Australian kelpie shows how to stare down a herd of sheep in this herding demonstration.
Madisun Clark-Stern and her husband David enjoy the day on the Farm.
Society for Creative Anachronism member Her Ladyship Kateryn Garnett, (aka Kay Rairigh) demonstrates how to spin at the spinning and weaving demonstration area.
Carol McArdle and her horse show some Renaissance style, a perfect juxtaposition of “then” in the foreground and “now”—a very modern fire truck in the background.
Click here to read Katy Shaner’s story about the event.
WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.
BY KATY SHANER Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor July 22, 2015
Don’t miss the exciting (and free) one-day festival—from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, July 25—at Greenbank Farm, located right in the heart of Whidbey Island.
Renaissance Then, Renaissance Now, spearheaded by Connie and Jerry Lloyd and their enthusiastic volunteers, is an event that will delight the senses! Renaissance Then, Renaissance Now juxtaposes life during the European Renaissance with the contemporary renaissance in slow food, music, animal training, local artisanry and organic farming on Whidbey Island.
The event is FREE but you might encounter actors and actresses in full Renaissance costume, acting as “Renaissance bankers,” and asking—in a fun way—for a donation to help raise funds that assist in the support of Greenbank Farm. In return you’ll receive “coins of the realm;” the more you donate, the larger the “coin”!
What Pleasures Await You
at the Renaissance Fair?
Festival events will feature local talent demonstrating and exhibiting historical and contemporary agriculture, equestrian, arts and sciences, music, crafts, literature, juggling, theater, costumes, cooking, beverage making, children’s activities and more.
Connie Lloyd on her horse Royal (photo by Kate Sharkey)
Horses & Riders in Renaissance Costumes
Watch horses and riders in Renaissance costumes move through their paces in the Renaissance arena. See a new horse act—“The Art of the Garrocha Pole”—likely never before seen on Whidbey.
Horsemen have used poles on horseback for centuries— jousting in competition with lances and spears. In Spain they’ve used the Garrocha Pole for just as long, but they were moving their cattle. Now this has now been developed into a ballet on horseback. (Check out this Spanish team in action at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIyjEyPDE8I.)
Falcons and Falconry
Learn history of falconry from Steve Layman while he handles his falcons. Watch them fly free in an indoor and outdoor falconry demonstration. “Training a hawk for falconry is an incredible process and awe-inspiring to even the experienced,” Layman has said.
Steve Layman’s falcon takes a bow ( photo by Jerry Lloyd)
Dog Demonstrations and Activities
Dog activities will include “Dog Carting,” to represent the Renaissance period when dogs were used to get products to market. Representing the “Now,” there will be a “Nose Work” demo, followed by a sheep-herding demonstration—showing the history of working sheep dogs.
Throwing the “Atlatl”
Kids and adults alike will enjoy trying to throw the Atlatl—an ancient weapon that predated the bow and arrow— (a stick with a handle on one end and a hook or socket that engages a light spear or ‘dart’ on the other. The flipping motion of the atlatl propels a light spear much faster and farther than it could be thrown by hand alone.)
Parents—worry not! The Atlatl used during Renaissance Then, Renaissance Now is kid-friendly and lots of fun!
“Slow Food” Movement and The Organic Farm School
Learn about the “Slow Food” movement and The Organic Farm School at the Farm, including demonstrations of some very interesting foods being developed on Whidbey Island.
The “Parade of Ladies” (photo by Debi Telew)
Live Music and Entertainment
Listen to live music and watch entertaining acts. Watch a history class on beer-making, demos on ancient bread-making and learn how fabric was originally created.
Renaissance Musicians Leading in Riders (photo by Debi Telew)
Why Hold a Renaissance Fair?
In addition to education and fun, Renaissance Then, Renaissance Now is raising funds in support of Greenbank Farm. Greenbank Farm is an historic public-access farm focused on local commerce, agriculture, recreation and natural resource stewardship. Greenbank Farm is 151 acres and is located at the center of Whidbey Island. Get additional information at www.greenbankfarm.biz/renaissance-at-the-farm/.
The Fair was begun a number of years back, when the Lloyds suggested it as a small replacement event for the Loganberry Festival, Connie Lloyd said. “With a few friends, we thought we’d just do some small horse and dog demos without a lot of advertising or fanfare. We called it the ‘Dog and Pony show.’
After several years, [it] started to grow, and we were having so much fun we were looking for a way to make it even bigger. The first year we performed on horseback in long velvet dresses, and ribbons braided in our horses manes, and we were hooked.”
A Little Different Flavor…
Riding instructor, Carol McArdle has an extensive background in classical training, and also loves performing in costume. So the group came up with the idea of a Renaissance Faire with a little different flavor.
“We wanted it to capture the essence of a typical Renaissance Faire, but have it be more educational,” Lloyd added. “It started with a little ‘rag tag’ committee trying to see how we could pull together some local talent, not be larger than we could handle, and still make it fun.
“There has been even more uncertainty about the Farm, recently,” she continued, mentioning the concerns with the Port, “but we decided to go ahead with the event. It will either be our ‘last hurrah,’ in which we hope to go out with great flair, or a precedent of what is to come.
Society for Creative Anachronism
Along the way, the group teamed up with the Society for Creative Anachronism, an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe, which helped them expand their ideas even further. “We think we will be successful with our goals of a small, fun event, with local talent,” Lloyd said.
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SCHEDULE
Renaissance at the Farm — July 25, 2015
THE OUTDOOR ARENA
Sponsored by: Skagit Farmers, Frontier Lumber and
the Backcountry Horsemen of Island County Jerry Lloyd, M.C.
10:00 a.m. Dog Carting:
Getting Product to Market in the Renaissance — Narration by Deb Schweers
Dogs owned by Linda Sue Schoenharl
10:30 a.m. Nosework:
You Can Turn Your Dog Into a Detective — Georgia Edwards
11:00 a.m. Sheep Herding:
Herding dogs worked for us in the Renaissance and are still working for us
Susan Crocker
11:30 a.m. Falconry:
Pre-dates the Renaissance, and is in a Renaissance Today — Steve Layman
12:00 a.m. Tir na nOg (The Land of Ever living) Troupe Promenade of Equestrians to Arena for a Carousel Performance
Carol McArdle and five friends on horseback
12:30 p.m. Pas de deux:
a dance of two equestrians by “The Renaissance Men”
1:00 p.m. Quadrille: A Team of four Equestrians — Come to the Dance
1:30 p.m. Garrocha:
a Spanish dance. A horse, a rider and a pole with history
Shelby Ahrens and Amanda Stygar
2:00 p.m. Pas de deux: horse dressage for two by Anam Cara (Soul Friend) — Kate and Connie
2:30 p.m. Vaulting on Horses: gymnastics from the back of a horse — Equestrian Crossings
3:00 p.m. Pas de deux: horse dressage for two by Anam Dail (Soul Field) — Kate and Cathie
3:30 p.m. A Horse Parade —
Riders and their Horses: their story and their horse story
THE RED BARN — BARN A
“WHIDBEY 1904” Lora Eelkema, M.C.
11:00 a.m. The History of Beer: “A Then and Now Story” — Bob Stallone, owner, Thirsty Crab Brewery
12:00 noon OPEN Break for the Horse Promenade (see The Outdoor Arena)
12:30 p.m. An Act of Magic: John Fowkes
1:00 p.m. Falconry:
The History and the Bird with LIVE BIRDS! — Steve Layman
2:00 p.m. Food and Farming:
Preserving the Past and Building the Future.
Learn about Slow Food and the connection with Organic Farm School on the Greenbank Farm.
THE PERFORMERS STAGE in the VILLAGE
Sponsored by Whidbey Sun and Wind David Stern, M.C.
10:15 a.m. Shakespeare Sonnet — by Hannah Mack
10:30 a.m. Island Strings — School of Music
11:15 a.m. Oriental Sword Demo — Tiger Martial Arts students
11:30 a.m. Kimmer Morris
violin music for the ages (30 mins)
12:00 noon Break for the Horse Promenade (see Arena Schedule)
12:15 p.m. Kimmer Morris — violin
1:00 p.m. Marcus Raymond — Juggling & Escape Artist
1:45 p.m. Costume Contest — Prizes for best garb
2:30 p.m. Bards Of Key Poynt — Renaissance Music
3:15 p.m. Wrap up and Thanking the Sponsors
Special Notice:
The Main Entrance Gate
Sponsored by Whidbey Telecom
Roaming Performers
Larry The Stilt Man
Bards Of Key Poynt — Renaissance Music
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Image at top: A Renaissance Arena rider (photo by Debi Telew)
Katy Shaner, compiler of the weekly “What’s Happening” calendar in the online Whidbey Life Magazine, is the manager and volunteer coordinator of the Visitor Information Kiosk.
WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.
A full year on the island, Independence Day 2014 to 2015… (photo by the author)
BY LES McCARTHY July 15, 2015
As of last week, I am a full-fledged islander with one year of island living under my proverbial belt. I’ve learned a lot, but the Northwest—and especially island life—remain somewhat new to me.
It’s just different here!
I grew up in the ‘burbs of Chicago and, after college, landed in Denver. For 30 some years I lived my happy-married-kid-animal-friend-filled life. But—as life does—it changed my planned journey and took me down another path…
Expected: college temporarily claimed my kids.
Unexpected: cancer permanently claimed my husband. Then Chicago called me ‘back home’ for two years.
But, last year, on the Third of July—with Freeland’s “bombs bursting in air” and eagles soaring over a flag-draped barn—I was welcomed to my new island home. To put it mildly, this has been a change of epic proportions.
Change is scary. But realizing that somehow neutralizes the unknown, the scariness of it all. Change is needed, inevitable and constant; there would be no butterflies if no change. Growth happens when we get out of our own way and our comfort zone and say Why not? or What if? It miraculously leads to paths and journeys, people and places we never could have imagined. Change is good.
And with that said, from being on this glorious rock for the past 379 days…
I’ve learned:
• Though I knew no one, and had not seen my house before I bought it, all will be fine.
• “Island Time” is real—it means add on/allow for an extra hour, day, week or month.
• There are so many events (gatherings, concerts, parades, workshops, exhibits) going on on this island that it’s not possible to fit them all in in just one year! Trust me, I tried!
• Winter and Spring here are better than anywhere else I can imagine. You want to see a cold/wet winter? Go to Chicago. You want snow in Spring (and Fall)? Go to Denver.
• There are more artists, writers, musicians and people of talent here than probably anywhere else on the planet. And they share those talents, too!
Too bad I couldn’t find a DEER to photograph; at least this is a small picture! (photo by the author)
• Deer and slugs will eat just about anything. At least once. At my house, at least twice.
• It’s good to go walking in the woods above Greenbank Farm (not so good during hunting season. Well, at least not without proper “I’m not a deer” attire. Trust me on this, too!)
• One only needs to take 316 steps to reach another coffee shop in any of the towns.
• Riding the ferry continues to be delightful and exhilarating (yet always too short!).
This is how we travel, and it can be grand… (photo by the author)
• Whales and their friends do live in our waters even though I haven’t seen even one…yet!
• A leftover slice of pie from Whidbey Pies is a great way to start the day!
• If someone waves at you, it doesn’t necessarily mean you know them.
• Llamas and alpacas have really cute-creepy, whimsical, Dr. Seussian-type faces (and they live so nearby that I can see them whenever I want)!
Let’s take a vote: cute? creepy? both cute and creepy? (photo by the author)
• The drive up/down 525 makes my heart sing no matter what time of day or season.
• Ebey’s Landing and Double Bluff Beach are breathtaking walks! (Go see for yourself!)
Deception Pass is a mighty fine view. (photo by the author)
• Friends are truly just strangers you haven’t yet met. Thank you for such joy, new friends!
• Each town on this island is unique and varied in its people and offerings.
• I’m not afraid to try something new here—whether a class, hair style or business venture.
• I’ve never been around more involved, artistic, vibrant, caring people.
• I can’t seem to go a week without the fried chicken from the Star Store!
• The “can-do” and “let me help you” attitude is alive and well and thriving everywhere on this island. And, philanthropy isn’t just an idea or one-time donation; it’s a way of life.
• No one cares what you do, how tidy your lawn is or how much money you make. They just care about and are interested in YOU.
• Vitamin Sea is the best supplement I take every day! That Passage! Those views!
• “Welcome Home!” Those aren’t just words on my doormat. It’s what people said to me from the moment I stepped foot onto this island, and something I now say to others.
I forgot to mention the great markets! (photo by the author)
I’m old enough to know that people, however different, are fundamentally the same. In general, I think people want to be loved, accepted, respected, valued; we want to know that we matter and that what we do makes a difference.
I’ve found that on this island people are more open to expressing and challenging themselves (if one thing doesn’t pan out, they try another) and they make their dreams happen and help others do the same. They are open and embracing of ideas and each other; there is fierce individuality but also strong community spirit.
I’m still not sure what “it” is—but something SPECIAL is going on here. And everyone here seems to understand. Is it the air? The water? A bit of magic? I don’t know, but I think whatever it is infused itself into this islander’s soul immediately upon my arrival and life is just…better. I am so grateful to call this place my home.
One of our many beautiful sunsets (photo by the author)
So, if I had a glass in my hand, and not just my keyboard, I’d raise it and say, “Thank you, Whidbey Island, and its people and magic, and here’s to another 365 days on the rock we call home.”
Les McCarthy is an author, entrepreneur and IPPY bronze medalist for her yearly “Healthy Living ~ Healthy Life: 365 Days of Nutrition & Health for the Family” calendars. She’s been a year on the island and in the NW and loves every gorgeous bit of it. She joyfully tends to her geriatric fur factory and is rethinking her stand on how cute the snails and slugs are!
WLM stories and blogs are copyrighted and all rights are reserved. Linking is permitted. To request permission to use or reprint content from this site, email info@whidbeylifemagazine.org.
