BY CLAIRE MOORE PHOTO ESSAY BY MARSHA MORGAN
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
July 1, 2015
It wasn’t just Whidbey’s resident Canada geese “honking” at Greenbank Farm on Monday, June 22.
Madisun Clark-Stern, Events coordinator at Greenbank Farm, enjoys the D20 Brass Band from Seattle. .
Nine brass bands from around the U.S., plus one from Perth, Australia, gathered on that afternoon to play at two stages at Greenbank Farm during the “HONK! Fest West Coast Tour: International Brass Band Madness!” global music exchange and picnic that followed an entire weekend of Seattle’s HONK! Fest West.
sambAmore band from Arcata, CA included a retinue of dancers.Even Greenbank Farms’ Canada Geese enjoy HONK! as the D20 Brass Band plays on.
Bands included Junkadelic Brass Band from Perth, the New Creations Brass Band from New Orleans, Environmental Encroachment from Chicago and the Extraordinary Rendition Band from Providence, R.I. Several bands ventured over from Seattle, while areas of California, Texas and Minnesota were also represented. Although all the ensembles are considered “brass bands” and were only a small representation of the number of bands who performed in Seattle, the styles of music they played varied from Dixieland to blues to jazz and samba, and no two were alike. Perth’s “Junkadelic” even included an electric guitarist and a rap singer.
Ken, (right) with the Junkadelic Brass Band (Perth, Australia) plays drums hand-made from “junk.” The band makes many (but clearly not all) of their instruments from” junk.”The exuberance of the Brass Messengers, from Minneapolis, encouraged this little girl to join in the fun. sambAmore
Greenbank Farm partnered with Click Music and sponsor Whidbey SeaTac Shuttle, which provided transportation for band members, to host this Brass Band Picnic, bringing the bands to the heart of Whidbey Island. Presenting a global music exchange of community street band culture for the first time on Whidbey Island, the musical groups drew several hundred picnicking music fans to the farm for this first free, family-friendly music explosion.
Extraordinary Rendition BandEnvironmental Encroachment from Chicago gets ready to hit the “Whidbey Pies Café stage” A trombonist with D20 Brass Band utilizes special effects to enhance the crowd’s experience.
Following four hours of non-stop performances, all band members merged together near the Tractor Barn, forming one huge processional; then they meandered together, as the sun set—up the trails and into the hills to the ridge top viewpoint, all the while improvising on old blues favorites.
It was surely a different experience from their weekend parades in Seattle.
sambAmore on the move!Extraordinary Rendition Band members add choreography to their performanceClark-Stern leads the way into the hills as the bands close out the day’s festivities.The massed bands reach the ridge top viewpoint as the sun slips below. (photo by Judy Feldman)
Click on HONKfestwest.com to learn more about HONK! Fest West events.
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.
Submitted by Whidbey Island Writers Association Photos by David Welton
June 17, 2015
The Whidbey Island Writers Association (WIWA) has encouraged and recognized writing talent among Whidbey Island students through the ‘Celebrate Writing’ Contest’ since 1999, but this year, five nonprofit and for-profit organizations collaborated to recognize and support young writers.
After volunteer judges Jim Carroll, Mureall Hebert, Lisa Kois, Jo Meador, Helen Sears and Katie Woodzick evaluated and provided personalized feedback on each entry, Whidbey Children’s Theater (WCT) board member Carolyn Tamler tallied scores and notified winners. It was Tamler who encouraged WIWA to collaborate with WCT, where winners read their work aloud at an award ceremony on Saturday, May 30. Before the presentation, WCT staffers Michael and Kathryn Morgen coached winners in performing their work, making both the stage and microphone feel like much friendlier places.
Photographer David Welton represented Whidbey Life Magazine, the third organization to participate in this collaboration, and took the photos you see here as winners worked with Michael and Kathryn. Videographer Robbie Cribbs represented WhidbeyTV, the fourth organization, and recorded winners as they presented. Annie Horton and Mary Rose Anderson of Whidbey Air Radio represent the fifth collaborating organization; they will record winners as they read their work at the KWPA studio in Coupeville later this month.
The staff of the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts (of which WIWA is a program) is proud of all the students who entered the Celebrate Writing Contest, whether they won or not, and is deeply grateful for the dedication and support of Whidbey Island parents, teachers, judges, volunteers from all the collaborating organizations, and the organizations themselves: Whidbey Children’s Theater, Whidbey Life Magazine, WhidbeyTV, and Whidbey Air Radio.
Each week in June Whidbey Life Magazine is publishing the winners of this year’s contest in a special Celebrate Writing section. This is the third week and we’re showcasing the talents of the second group of Second Prize winners for poetry and short fiction. Look for the third place winners in both categories in the next week. To read the First Prize winners, visit here, to read the other group of Second Prize winners, click here.
For information about the next Celebrate Writing Contest, keep an eye on wiwa.nila.edu.
Second Prize Winners – Poetry
Tulips
Aurora Moore
Grade 4: Oak Harbor Christian School
Tulips are beautiful flowers that bloom in spring.
Never too early, never wrong.
All they do is yield beauty in season and dance in the breeze.
They sing praises to God Almighty.
It was He who made them and they who praise Him.
They are a sign of peace and love.
When the dew sparkles and glitters on them it is like jewels.
I hear their songs of praise to God.
When they get picked, with one last breath
They hope someone has picked them for the best.
Aurora Moore reads “Tulips” with coach Kathryn Morgen looking on
A New Friend
Haley Riffel
Grade 7: Oak Harbor Middle School
The books on the wall
There are plenty
Not that I’m interested in all
But the one book that caught my eye
Was the one never checked out before
It reminds me
That’s how some friendships start
Haley Riffel reads “A New Friend”
Second Prize Winners: Fiction
The Run Away Eagle
Laura Langer
Grade 5: South Whidbey Academy
Once upon a time there lived a colony of eagles. The eagle’s leader lived in the tallest oak tree with his wife, his daughter, and his son.
Now his son was a little different than the other eagles. He did not like to eat rabbits and field mice like the other young eagles. He wanted to be friends with them, so he ate seeds and berries instead. He got bullied by other young eagles. He had no friends and even his own dad disliked him. The only eagle that was nice to him was his mother. His name was Tyson.
“Tyson!’’ his mother yelled, “Come and get your dinner. I have grass seeds for you!”
“May I eat up here mother, on my branch? I saw father coming and he seemed angry.”
“He won’t yell at you again, I’ll make sure of it.” Tyson’s mother said.
“Okay mother.’’ Tyson said. He flew down from the branch to the kitchen. There were chunks of squirrel and rabbit meat hanging from the roof of the nest. Tyson sighed when he saw it and tried not think about it.
Just then, his father and his sister flew into the nest. “Hello son.” Tyson’s father said sternly. “Hello father, hello Nina” Tyson said. They walked to the dining room and stood around waiting in silence for their dinner.
Tyson’s mother came in and dropped rabbit and squirrel meat in the center of the table and grass seeds by Tyson.
They began to eat. All of a sudden Tyson’s father threw a piece of rabbit meat to Tyson.
“ Oh, no thank you father.” Tyson said, picking it up with his wing and setting it back into the middle of the table.
Tyson’s father slammed his wings down on the table and said “If you don’t eat like an eagle you aren’t an eagle! And if you aren’t an eagle then you belong somewhere else!’’
“If you want me to leave, I will.’’ Tyson said, his eyes starting to get watery.
“Tyson, you must learn to be an eagle or you have to leave.’’ His father said in a stern voice.
“Then I will leave. If you don’t accept me for who I am then I don’t belong here. I will pack and go,” Tyson said, eating one last grass seed. He walked away from the dining room table in tears.
As Tyson packed a sack full of his belongings, he thought of where he was going to go. He really didn’t know, so he just flew south. He passed the Oregon border, got out of Portland and into the forest. He found a big oak tree in the middle of the forest and went in for a landing.
He immediately dropped his bag and walked around in the oak tree. There was a perfect nest space where the branches and the trunk met, and there was plenty of cavities in the branches. He cawed with happiness, as he flew from branch to branch.
Then out from nowhere, another eagle cawed back. Tyson froze and looked around the tree.
Out from one of the deeper cavities there came an eagle. The eagle had brown and black blotches all over him or her.
“Hello, my name is Tyson.’’ He smiled at the strange eagle.
“Hello, my name is Nila. What are you doing here? I live in this oak tree.” She said with frightened eyes.
“Oh, please let me stay here! My father banned me from my old colony.’’ He said in a pleading voice.
“Why did you get banned?’’ Nila asked walking towards Tyson.
“I don’t like to eat meat. I eat grass seeds and berries instead.’’ Tyson said, ready to get judged.
“No way! I do, too! I got banned from my colony for that same reason!” Nila said, excited that there was some else like her. “Really!? Does that mean I can stay?’’ Tyson said, excited too. “Well, I guess, but you have to get food for me. I’m not very good at flying, and I run into things.’’ Nila said blushing. “Okay, I would be more than happy to.’’ Tyson said looking around for where he would build his nest. “Well, I’m going to start building my nest.’’ “If you need to, you can stay in my nest tonight.’’ Nila said. “Oh, thank you Nila, but I don’t want to intrude.” As Tyson said that, it started to pour down rain. “Or maybe I will take your offer.” Tyson said and Nila smiled Tyson and Nila became good friends over the next week, and Tyson built his own nest and taught Nila how to fly straight. They both lived happily ever after.
Laura Langer reads “Run Away Eagle”
All photos were taken by David Welton during the rehearsal and coaching session preceding the event.
Aurora Moore gets warmed up with exercises led by Kathryn and Michael Morgen from Whidbey Children’s Theater.Everyone gets loose in practice with the help of Michael and Kathryn Morgen
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
June 24, 2015
Welcome to the weekend on Whidbey. Many weekend events start on Thursday night so this “What’s Happening” covers Thursday through Sunday. “What’s Happening” is a collaborative information guide project between the The Visitor Information Kiosk and Whidbey Life Magazine.
THURSDAY, JUNE 25
ORCA NETWORK WHALE SIGHTING REPORT While watching and visiting the whales in their home, please observe, love and respect them from a distance. The Salish Sea is swimming with orcas! J, K and some Ls came in from the west on the 20th after having been out for a few. Get the most recent sightings by going to info@orcanetwork.org
INTERNATIONAL GUILLEMOT APPRECIATION DAYS 2015 First event 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, June 26. Happy Hour at Ott & Murphy Winery 204 First Street, Langley. Specials on glasses of wine. Members of the Pigeon Guillemot Research Project will have photos and discussions of this long running study. Make your own Guillemot feet with red and black felt. Questions? Contact Govinda at: govinda@whidbey.com
FRIDAY NIGHTS AT BLOOMS WINERY TASTING ROOM Literary and Poetry Night by Northwest Institute for Literary Arts 6 p.m. Friday, June 26. Featuring readings by Jim Gearhart (essays have appeared in Shark Reef Literary Magazine and High Country News); Mary Heron Hake (nominated for inclusion in Best New Poets 2015); Mel Flannery (Seattle poet with Masters in both Nursing and Creative Writing); Carolyne Wright (published nine books of poetry, including several that were nominated for various literary awards and one that won the Blue Lynx Prize and the American Book Award. Also a collection of essays and co-edited an anthology on women and work); Stephanie Hammer (nominated for a Pushcart prize four times in poetry, fiction and nonfiction. First novel The Puppet Turner of Narrow Interior), and Marie Hartung (Appeared most recently in Talking River Journal. Named a finalist for the Writers at Work Fellowship in 2014, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose in 2015. Recipient of a fellowship scholarship award for the Summer Literary Series in Kenya). These poets and writers will do readings, and will have time for discussions and book signings. Enjoy a glass of wine and hear their poetry and prose. Blooms Winery Tasting Room 5603 Bayview Rd., Langley (in the historic Bayview Cash Store) (360) 321-0515 www.bloomswinery.com
EMMA 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Last weekend. Whidbey Island Center for the Arts. “A delightful retelling of a comedy.” TalkinBroadway.com. Emma Woodhouse is Jane Austen’s most maddening, endearing heroine. Clever and effervescent, young Emma is also a bit too accustomed to having her own way, although only her friend Mr. Knightley seems to notice. Nearly 200 years after its publication, Emma continues to delight, both as a coming-of-age tale and a lively satire of Austen’s elegant and quirky characters. This sparkling adaptation features Regency dance, revelry, and romance that will welcome audiences into Austen’s witty, captivating world. Adapted by Michael Bloom. Directed by Matthew Gregory. Adult $22 / Senior $18 / Youth $15 / Matinee $15 / Military $18 Tickets: (360) 221-8268 www.wicaonline.org 565 Camano Avenue Langley
SATURDAY, JUNE 27
INTERNATIONAL GUILLEMOT APPRECIATION DAYS 2015 Second event Saturday, June 27. Morning Field Trip to Two Guillemot Colonies. Meet 8 a.m. at Freeland Park and Ride, Trinity Lutheran Church, 18341 Hwy 525. International Guillemot Appreciation Day began 24 years ago with Mid-Coast Audubon Society in Maine to highlight the Black Guillemot. Whidbey Audubon Society joins Mid-Coast by celebrating Whidbey’s Pigeon Guillemots. Our second year! Questions? Contact Govinda at: govinda@whidbey.com Locally sponsored by: Island County Marine Resources Committee Whidbey Audubon Society • Ott & Murphy Winery
ARTISTS AND ART LOVERS 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday, June 27. You are invited to come and draw or come and watch and support! South Whidbey Island Figure Drawing Group. Outside Figure Drawing Party (teens welcome). Presented by Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio and Brackenwood Gallery. Donation at the ‘door’ entrance. Rain date: July 11. Whidbey Island Fine Art Studio 813 Edgecliff Dr., Langley. This new Group is set up as a community service for artists. We have planned this fundraising event to help us keep down the cost to participants down to the minimum. Signing up for this Group is free of charge and you will receive updates and information. Drawing sessions will start in September. To sign up: http://www.meetup.com/South-Whidbey-Island-Figure-Drawing-Group Cary Jurriaans
SUMMER BASH 2015 6 – 12 midnight Saturday, June 27. Membership Drive and open to the public. American Legion Post 141 Hwy 525, Langley. Music by Hwy 20 playing from 8 p.m. – 12 a.m.! Ribs and steaks available! $5 cover after 8 p.m. Questions? (360) 321-5696
DRUM AND DANCE 6 p.m. potluck and 7:30 p.m. dance. Saturday, June 27 with Wa’De: Erick, Rachman, Stephan, Roger, Joseph, Wade. Potluck, too! BYO plates and utensils. At Brad Rice’s Raven and Spade Barn. 4785 East Harbor Road, Freeland. $5-$15 sliding scale, kids free. For more information: (360) 320-1172 earthrhythms@whidbey.com
PLANT-BASED POTLUCK 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 27. Join the Vegans of Whidbey Island for another plant-based vegan potluck at Someday Farm Vegan Bed and Breakfast. Directions: http://somedayfarmveganbedandbreakfast.com/reservations.html.
Our entire community is welcome – Vegans, Vegetarians, environmentalists, foodies, great conversationalists and open-minded life enthusiasts are all welcome. Please note: we ask that everyone attending this potluck donate $1 in support of our continued efforts to keep this informal group going, and our presence known. Thank you! For those interested in joining us, please bring only plant-based vegan food. This means the dish you bring will not only need to be free of animal-based meats, but also from dairy (butter, whey, casein, milk), eggs, gelatin and honey. If you have any questions regarding vegan cooking and eating feel free to contact us directly at: vegansofwhidbeyisland@gmail.com Bring your own dishes, cups, and utensils to eat with and serve your food with. We love the furry family members, but we ask that you keep them at home for this event. Vegan happenings at blog; www.whidbeyvegans.wordpress.com
A CABARET OF MUSIC FROM THEATER TO OPERA 7 p.m. Saturday, June 27 at Sweet Mona’s Chocolate Boutique. $30 per person. Includes Entertainment, Espresso, Coffee and a Selection of Dessert. Sheila Weidendorf (Piano), Mathew Habib (Tenor), and Sweet Mona’s Chocolate Boutique present Songs You Didn’t Know You Loved, an elegant evening of music from Verdi’s “Rigoletto” to Lucy Simon’s “The Secret Garden” and a selection of beverages and desserts. (360) 221-2728 to purchase tickets for this exclusive and elegant evening of music & chocolate! Seating is Limited! Sweet Mona’s Chocolate Boutique 221 2nd Street, Ste. 16, Langley
EMMA 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Last weekend. Whidbey Island Center for the Arts. “A delightful retelling of a comedy.” TalkinBroadway.com. Emma Woodhouse is Jane Austen’s most maddening, endearing heroine. Clever and effervescent, young Emma is also a bit too accustomed to having her own way, although only her friend Mr. Knightley seems to notice. Nearly 200 years after its publication, Emma continues to delight, both as a coming-of-age tale and a lively satire of Austen’s elegant and quirky characters. This sparkling adaptation features Regency dance, revelry, and romance that will welcome audiences into Austen’s witty, captivating world. Adapted by Michael Bloom. Directed by Matthew Gregory. Adult $22 / Senior $18 / Youth $15 / Matinee $15 / Military $18 Tickets: (360) 221-8268 www.wicaonline.org 565 Camano Avenue Langley
BAYVIEW FARMERS MARKET 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturdays. The big grassy area behind the “Farmers Market” sign at Bayview Corner on SR 525 and Bayview Rd. http://www.bayviewfarmersmarket.com/
SUNDAY, JUNE 28
SOUTH WHIDBEY ACOUSTIC MUSIC FESTIVAL SWAM 2015! “Eve’s Turn” 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, June 28 at Tilth Farmer’s Market. Presenting this year’s line-up of all-female headliners: • 11 a.m. – Morris Zick Duo (Kimmer Morris & Debbie Zick) • 12 Noon – Joann Quintana Band • 1 p.m. – Siri Bardarson • 2 p.m. – Gloria Ferry-Brennan • 3 p.m. – Toni Talia Marcus • 4 p.m. – Beverly Graham. Tilth Farmer’s Market at Hwy. 525 and Thompson Rd. (just north of Bayview Corner). Information: https://www.facebook.com/SWAMfestival?ref=hl
CAMPFIRE CONCERT 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Sunday, June 28 at Whidbey Island Distillery. Featuring: David Moss, Emma Beaton and Blair McMillan. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Bring a Picnic. BYOB. Suggested Donation $15-$20. All donations go to the Musicians! Details email: hello@whidbeydistillery.com
ENJOY SUNDAY AFTERNOONS WITH LIVE MUSIC 3-5 p.m. June 28. Blooms Winery Tasting Room at Bayview Corner Cash Store. Joann Hamick Quintana and her new band, J-Pod, will be performing this Sunday. J-Pod is Tom Ehrlichman on lead guitar, Kevin Voigt on bass, Bruce Launer on percussion and banjo, Thomas Barkes on dobro, and Joann Hamick Quintana on guitar and vocals. Joann has written several new bluesy, jazzy songs that they will be performing. No cover, no minimums. Just fabulous wines and great music! The week of the art show features collages and painting by Jamie Greene and 3D metal object shadow boxes by Jonathan Bartholick, plus photography by Bryan Smith. The show runs through June 31. Blooms Winery’s Tasting room. Bayview Corner Cash Store, 5603 Bayview Rd. Langley. Available for private parties too! 360-321-0515 www.bloomswinery.com
SOUTH WHIDBEY TILTH FARMERS’ MARKET 11 – 3 Sundays, through October 25. Cultivating a variety of opportunities for local market gardeners and farmers, artisans, and concessionaires. Kat Fritz performs on violin. www.southwhidbeytilth.org 2812 Thompson Rd, Langley. (360) 544-2278
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THE VISITOR INFORMATION KIOSK ADVERTISERS HELP US WELCOME YOU TO WHIDBEY ISLAND. PLEASE VISIT THEM WHILE YOU VISIT OUR FAIR ISLE.
The Visitor Information Kiosk is funded by the Greater Freeland Area and Langley Chambers of Commerce and What’s Happening is prepared by Katy Shaner, Manager and Volunteer Coordinator, contact Katy at ktshaner@whidbey.com
Since 2008, the Visitor Kiosk has welcomed over 22,000 visitors to Whidbey. The island offers a wealth of activities, places to stay, eateries, shopping and an abundance of the natural environment to enjoy and appreciate. Welcome and enjoy your visit. Do come back.
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 BARBARA MORAN Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
June 10, 2015
Among stunning attractions at this year’s Whidbey Island Garden Tour are unique yard art, water features, water views and places for peaceful reflection located within shade gardens, sun-loving gardens, a woodland garden and a romantic country garden. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the tour, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 20.
“There is enormous variety,” said Penny Harger, veteran WIGT event planner and board member. “Three of the five gardens offer big water views. The Westside garden features exotics and the Tale of Two Gardens was professionally designed.” What they all have in common is “passionate gardeners,” she added. The gardens are located from Coupeville to the island’s south end.
June Garden (photo by CJ Baker)June Garden (photo by CJ Baker)
One of this year’s five featured gardens is at the home of June and Richard Davis in Freeland. It reflects June’s passion for Japanese maples as well as her extensive knowledge of garden plants resulting from her education in horticulture and many years as sales manager for Skagit Gardens in Mt. Vernon.
In addition to 30 varieties of Japanese maples and dwarf conifers, the garden highlights unique shrubs, perennials and annuals artfully placed about for bursts of summer color. Visitors will also get to stroll paths with exquisite brick and rock work designed and, in many cases, built by Richard, as well as container plantings clearly designed with June’s expert eye.
The front entry of the Davis home (photo by CJ Baker)
Unique birdhouses (including one that looks like their dog), as well as feeders and water stations, confirm Richard’s passion as a “birder.” The avian accoutrements attract a colorful variety of birds, inviting the use of binoculars.
A greenhouse at the edge of the garden is a bright and cozy respite. “When I was working for Skagit Gardens I didn’t work in the greenhouses, but I did visit them daily and always loved the smell of the cedar benches and the sight of all the different plants growing there,” June recalled. “I use my greenhouse to overwinter my pet plants and to grow seedlings for transplant in the spring. Also, I love having my morning coffee there in the colder months when I can’t be outside. It’s a delightful place for both me and my plants.”
June Davis (photo by CJ Baker)
It is obvious that gardening is both creative and meditative for June, whose landscape is immaculate as well as charming. She even turns weeding into a transcendental activity by listening to audio books through headphones on occasion. “Weeding can be very therapeutic,” she observed.
June is happy to participate in the Tour, she said. “I give a lot of garden talks to help people with their gardens, but there’s nothing like visiting a garden to see how plants actually grow and work together. If people are interested in learning more about their own gardens then I highly recommend they visit as many gardens as possible to gain a deeper understanding of plants, garden rooms and the hardscapes that all work together to make a garden special. You really have to see it to understand it.”
Of particular note is a stately native madrone. June said when the couple built their home eight years ago, she was very protective of it and several other natives on the property.
In fact, she recalled telling their architect that, given a preference, “I would just have a garden.” As a result, she said, “I can walk out of any door and be in my garden.”
Clinton Community Center volunteer Bob Woods tends the center grounds, which benefited from WIGT proceeds. The green sign is posted at locations where WIGT proceeds have been provided. (photo by CJ Baker)
Describing hers as a “young garden,” she added, “We picked this lot because we wanted a larger garden but not more than an acre. We wanted to be close to town so we could run to the store quickly, yet we wanted to feel like we were in the country. Our lot is on a slope and we didn’t want to have a deck on stilts—we wanted to walk directly into the garden, so our architect, Todd Soli, designed the house with the garden in mind. We had to bring in a lot of fill to keep the patios on the ground level, and then rock walls were built for the rest of the back garden. This gives the gardens layers that make for interesting plantings.”
At the opposite end of the garden from the greenhouse is the family’s well-tended chicken coop, which guests can also visit.
The Greenbank Farms’ demonstration garden has also received WIGT proceeds. (photo by CJ Baker)
Westside Garden by Louise Abbott and Dave Earp with garden art, native orchids, a conifer section, water view and many bird species attracted by particular plantings
A Tale of Two Gardens by Liz Axford and Patrick Johnson, with landscape architect Ken Philp, featuring both a peaceful shade garden and a bright and colorful sunny garden as well as a Prairie Garden
A Re-imagined Garden by Re McClung offering a spacious woodland garden with visual surprises including birdhouses, sculptures, artwork and a bridge leading to an intimate memorial garden.
Twisted Willow by Fran and Jack Spicer—a true country garden overlooking Saratoga Passage with enchanted, artistic “garden rooms” enhanced with birdhouses, benches, wagon wheels, pottery, chimney flues, water features, sculpture and even headboards.
Tickets are limited, so early purchase is recommended. Buy tickets online at http://wigt.org/buy-tickets.html or at one of several locations listed on the website. Adult tickets are $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the tour. Youth tickets (ages two to 12 years) are $10 in advance or $15 on the day of the tour. A map to all locations is provided with purchased tickets.
Gardeners interested in having their gardens considered for next year’s charitable event are encouraged to attend this year to see the variety and splendor afforded through the tour. The WIGT works to find different gardens every year and is in the process right now of locating gardens for next year’s tour.
Gardens are selected based on their unique character and charm, as well as the practical need for parking, since the event is well attended. Volunteer greeters, docents and parking attendants all help out at each garden, Harger said, and added, with a smile, “I could still use some more ‘parkers.’” Volunteers are all treated to a free tour before the event as well as a party afterward.
Planning the event takes “a lot of energy,” but Harger—a former board president and key event coordinator—devotes time, she said, because “it was [always] one of my husband’s and my favorite annual events on Whidbey, before I got involved…. It even influenced our decision to get motorcycles. We loved the opportunity it provides to explore Whidbey Island, as well as the fun and education of seeing the variety of gardens. I also love the idea of capitalizing on a truly hidden island asset to benefit the whole community. It’s a totally win/win tradition. Since getting involved, it’s the fun of working with all the people involved that has kept me engaged.”
While the event first blossomed to save Saratoga Woods 20 years ago, WIGT now benefits many island causes and non-profit organizations that support the improvement, restoration, and maintenance of our common habitat. Grant recipients have included the Whidbey Institute, South Whidbey Good Cheer, Whidbey Camano Land Trust, Whidbey Watershed Stewards and the South Whidbey School District Middle School Garden Project.
If enough money is raised, WIGT hopes to underwrite all the following this year:
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.
STORY & PHOTOS BY DAVID WELTON
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
June 10, 2015
Linda Good has expanded her Island Strings studio space and on June 6 a celebratory Grand Opening Recital filled the studio with music.
For the past 40 years, Linda Good has provided lessons to aspiring musicians of diverse ages in her small but cozy living room. Performances, jam sessions and recitals required rented or borrowed spaces suited for a crowd. She now has a new space, just for music, in a studio over her garage.
Her extensive collection of folk instruments is now more accessible for student interaction. In the background is an Indonesian bamboo “angklung” and a harpsichord.
Bennett Sichel, Anya Benson and Ash Kline sit on a colorful rug gifted to Linda to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Island Strings.
Linnea Sichel gets drum lessons from father JR and big brother Bennet who—for the time being—has turned to percussion instruments.
Very young pupils are first exposed to tone recognition and rhythm by Linda, but students of all ages appreciate her sense of fun and gentle approach. Louise Holloway Stanley started violin lessons at age 62, and is now learning to play the ukelele.
Enso Anderson, age 5, gets encouragement from Father Trevor and Linda. This was his first performance with his blue guitar.
Rowan Sillars plays cello, accompanied by sisters Abby and Grace on the keyboard. Ravi Neumeyer is in the background at the keyboard.
Lilly Katzinger plays the “Swedish Walking Song” with her mom Jennifer.
JR, Doug Sillars, Audri Cooke, Bennett, Linda and Julia Cooke play for the Island Strings community in Linda’s new studio.
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.
Submitted by Whidbey Island Writers Association Photos by David Welton June 10, 2015
The Whidbey Island Writers Association (WIWA) has encouraged and recognized writing talent among Whidbey Island students through the ‘Celebrate Writing’ Contest’ since 1999, but this year, five nonprofit and for-profit organizations collaborated to recognize and support young writers.
After volunteer judges Jim Carroll, Mureall Hebert, Lisa Kois, Jo Meador, Helen Sears, and Katie Woodzick evaluated and provided personalized feedback on each entry, Whidbey Children’s Theater (WCT) board member Carolyn Tamler tallied scores and notified winners. It was Tamler who encouraged WIWA to collaborate with WCT, where winners read their work aloud at an award ceremony on Saturday, May 30. Before the presentation, WCT staffers Michael and Kathryn Morgen coached winners in performing their work, making both the stage and microphone feel like much friendlier places.
Photographer David Welton represented Whidbey Life Magazine, the third organization to participate in this collaboration, and took the photos you see here as winners worked with Michael and Kathryn. Videographer Robbie Cribbs represented WhidbeyTV, the fourth organization, and recorded winners as they presented. Annie Horton and Mary Rose Anderson of Whidbey Air Radio represent the fifth collaborating organization; they will record winners as they read their work at the KWPA studio in Coupeville later this month.
The staff of the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts (of which WIWA is a program) is proud of all the students who entered the Celebrate Writing Contest, whether they won or not, and is deeply grateful for the dedication and support of Whidbey Island parents, teachers, judges, volunteers from all the collaborating organizations, and the organizations themselves: Whidbey Children’s Theater, Whidbey Life Magazine, WhidbeyTV, and Whidbey Air Radio.
Each week in June Whidbey Life Magazine is publishing the winners of this year’s contest in a special Celebrate Writing section. This week, the second week, showcases the talents of some of the Second Prize winners for poetry and short fiction. Look for the more second and third place winners in both categories in the last two weeks of June. To read the First Prize winners, visit here.
For information about the next Celebrate Writing Contest, keep an eye on wiwa.nila.edu.
Second Prize Winners – Poetry
Dinosaur Bones
By Abigail Place
Grade 4: Coupeville Elementary School
Dinosaur Bones
Every one,
put together
by an archaeologist
standing there
pale and white
people looking
day and night
sitting patiently
eye socket empty
yet still seeing
people laughing
people grinning
while it sits in
some museum
hall.
Abigail Place reads “Dinosaur Bones”
My Rainbow of Emotions By Lacey Zylstra Grade 5: Oak Harbor Christian School
My day starts out gray with droopy eyes
As I watch the time pass by
Then it turns yellow with glee
When the sun shines on me
Bright red days are the worst
I feel like I am going to burst
Then it turns a freezing blue
It is very calming too.
On my purple days I want to play
Come over friend right away
And then it turns orange and soothing
It makes me feel like I’m not moving
(Lacey was not present to read her story at the event)
Second Prize Winners: Fiction
Daggers, Curses and Ghosts By Lilah Chappelle Grade 6: Island Christian Academy
Bethany O’Brachtol backed further into the shadows of the abandoned cellar. Her vivid green eyes swept the room looking, searching desperately for The Thing. She didn’t know why she was down here or what she was looking for. All she knew was that she had had a strange dream telling her to go there. Bethany brushed her long auburn hair out of her eyes.
What had her dream said again? Of course, you don’t know. I will tell you. The woman in her dreams was beautiful, with lush red hair, melted chocolate eyes and marble skin. Her lips were a soft cherry red and her long graceful fingers drummed absentmindedly on her thin leg. She would have been a supermodel in our time or a king’s wife in Bethany’s time if not for the huge gash in her chest right where her heart was.
When Bethany’s eyes fell upon the wound, she forgot all politeness and exclaimed, “Good Lord, what happened to ye?! Have ye been skewered by a spear or run through by a dagger?!” (Of course this wasn’t entirely surprising, as Bethany was a Scotswoman and a very brash one at that.) The woman smiled gently but did not answer. Bethany gaped at the wound in horror and finally realized what she was doing about ten minutes later. She hastily apologized and directed her eyes to the maiden’s face.
“Bethany” The lady spoke and her voice was like butter.
“Bethany! Avenge me. Avenge me, Bethany!”
Suddenly, she vanished, leaving Bethany with a door in the side of the Great Hall (She inherited her mansion, with about 150 rooms, after her parents died 15 years ago, when she was 3). She stepped through it and woke up, not in her bed, but standing in the middle of the Great Hall, facing that same door. She yelped and fell on the floor out of pure surprise.
What was that? She could have sworn she had heard a gentle laugh much like the woman’s. Bethany shook off the feeling (with a spot of tea at the table) and stared intensely at the door.
What was behind there? Why was the door itself there? Should she go in it? All these questions and many more floated about her mind. Finally, she got up from the table, threw open the door, stepped inside with her eyes closed, and nearly fell down the steep set of stairs. Thankfully she caught herself.
She slowly picked her way down the rickety staircase, freezing every time she heard a noise. When she got to the bottom, she looked around the room and noticed a rusty handle sticking out from underneath a pile of papers. Bethany picked it up and the second her fingers touched the thing, a cold so cold it was hot, coursed through her body. She shouted and heard that same laugh again.
The room swam before her. Suddenly, the same woman from her dreams materialized in front of her…. Except, she had no gash and her features were more whole. She was stitching up a rip in a dress and sitting on a stool. All was calm. Then, Bethany heard a sound like someone picking a lock… no. It couldn’t be. But it was!
The door burst open and a man with a wild black beard and scared looking blue eyes ran in, holding a wickedly sharp knife in his right hand and the very same key that Bethany had in his left. The lady was so shocked that all she did was freeze and drop her stitching. Quicker than a blink of an eye, the man rushed forward and plunged the dagger into the girl’s heart. He tugged it out, chanted an ancient spell, pulled out the decorative ruby, crushed it, and then killed himself.
The maiden was still lying on the floor, raggedly drawing in her last breaths while her blood soaked through the rug and through the floorboards. And she died.
The cooks downstairs had been frightened out of their wits, what with the blood soaking through the floorboards and dripping into the food. Footsteps pounded up the stairs and as soon as the eyes of the staff fell on the dead bodies, wailing and crying broke out. The mistress of the house pushed the staff out of the way and collapsed on the girl’s body, sobbing. Once the door was sealed (the master had decreed that the bodies not be moved), a dark feeling covered the manor, and caused the candles to cast ominous shadows along the wall. Drapes closed on the windows and blocked out the sunlight.
The vision abruptly ceased and once more, a door appeared in front of Bethany. But, instead of opening when her hand touched it, it remained locked.
“Of course! The key!” she exclaimed to herself.
Cautiously, she put the key against the lock, pushed and turned. It opened. Bethany held her breath and stepped through the threshold. She found herself in the exact room that the woman had died in, and to prove her point, two skeletons lay on the floor. One had the dagger still encased in its ribcage, and the other had three shards of a ruby lying next to it.
Out of the blue, Bethany found a very strong urge to take that ancient dagger and plunge it into her stomach! The next thing she knew, she was raising the dagger up in the air ready to kill. Just in the nick of time, she thrust her hand to the side of her arm and cut it. ‘Well, it was better than my heart or gut.’ She thought.
Suddenly, she was forced to drop the dagger because of its burning heat! The dagger was actually giving off blazing light and filling the room with uncomfortable warmth. Bethany glanced over to the gem fragments and saw that they were glowing too!
The heat was becoming nearly unbearable now and Bethany desperately looked for a solution. Letting her instincts take over, she closed her eyes and grabbed the jewel fragments. Scorching heat met her fingertips and immediately, they began to blacken. She screamed and red light poured out her mouth as she slammed the shards together and pushed the whole jewel into the dagger.
All at once, everything stopped. The temperature went back to normal and the dagger stopped glowing. Candles lit themselves and instead of casting the usual foreboding shadows, their flames crackled merrily. The drapes flew open and warm sunlight flooded in .Birds sang cheerily in the trees and fish jumped in the pond.
Bethany sighed in relief and headed towards the door. Just as her hand was on the handle, the ghost lady appeared in front of her. By now, Bethany had seen her so often that she merely said, “Oh, hello.”
The lady spoke. “Bethany. You have done extraordinarily well. Thank you. I guess I should explain some things. I am Victoria Secrondula, your great-great-great-great cousin. I was the only child of my mother. When that man killed me, he cursed that dagger by uttering ancient incantations and crushing the ruby. The curse that he tried to create was that any descendant of the Secrondula family looked at that dagger; they would kill themselves with it. However, in his haste, he forgot to mention the Secrondula family. So it became that anyone who looked at the dagger would attempt to take their own life. As you saw, that backfired on him. Why the key was taken from him, I do not know. But thank you for avenging me. In return, I will grant you one answer and one wish. Then I will depart. Ask.”
Bethany had no idea what to ask until she remembered the suicide part.
“Why didn’t I kill myself? I was holding the dagger and everything, but at the last moment… POOF! I woke up.”
“Ah, yes. I knew you would ask that! You were able to resist the curse because you are of a magical bloodline. Witches are always hard to subdue.”
Bethany then knew exactly what to wish for.
“Let me see my parents again. That is my wish.”
“You will soon. They are not dead, just waiting for you to do a deed to prove that you are worthy to use magic. This certainly qualifies as one. You will be with them in three days’ time if not sooner. I will now leave you. Farewell!”
Then she vanished. Bethany walked back to the Great Hall in a trance. She couldn’t wait to see her parents! When would she leave? Now? She ran to the hall and let out a whoop of joy. The portal was here! Only one thing left to do. Wipe everyone’s memories and cast an everlasting Disillusionment Charm. She did so and stepped through the portal, not even taking a last look around. The next thing she knew, she was in her parents’ warm embrace, tears of joy streaming down their faces.
Lilah Chappelle reads “Daggers, Curses, and Ghosts.”
Sassy Sweet Coffee Shop
By Alexis Wenzek
Grade 6: Island Christian Academy
In my deep sleep, I could smell a vanilla and black coffee scent of an iced vanilla latte. I breathed in the fresh scent as I stretched and then realized I was awake and that smell was real. I threw off the covers and hurried out of bed wondering if my favorite drink was waiting for me. My mom had gone to her coffee shop, the Sassy Sweet Coffee Shop, to get me a latte and to check up on her employees.
As I rounded the corner into the kitchen, I saw it. A tall plastic cup with water dripping down the sides and a mound of white whipped cream on top of ice cubes swimming in a sea of brown, creamy liquid. It was topped off with a hot pink straw. It was an iced cold vanilla latte just for me.
Mom was making French toast; her beautiful red hair was covering her face. “Good morning Mom,” I said as I eyed the drink.
“Well good morning Grace Lenore Smith. I was wondering if today you would like to go to the shop with me.” Mom declared as she flipped the toast onto a plate. Mom’s coffee shop; the best place on earth! Rows of bagels, a refrigerator full of cans of spray whipped cream, and the smell of coffee. I have loved the shop since I was 8 years old. It has been the most important comfy place I could ever want or could ever be. Maybe it is because Mom is always there. “Yes of course! You don’t have to ask me twice.” I exclaimed. “Ok sounds good be ready by 10,” Mom insisted.
I ran to my bedroom to pick out the perfect outfit. Looking in my closet, I found a black tank top, white sweater, and long black leggings. I fixed my blond hair into a French braid that cascaded down my back and put some Loreal mascara on my stubby eyelashes. The clock said 9:58 and I threw on my favorite, well-worn combat boots and bolted down the stairs. I threw myself into the front seat of the blue Toyota and whipped on the seat belt.
Mom started explaining that I was basically going to run the cash register for her. I answered with, “I’m only 13!” I had no desire to run the cash register because one could mess up really easy and I didn’t enjoy messing up.
Mom laughed and said “I know, but I want you to learn for the future.” But really, I had no clue what I wanted to do in my future.
When we arrived at the shop, I hopped out of the car and smelled the aroma of all the different coffee blends. I walked into the big room filled with many people of different ages. Some were occasional customers but many were long-time customers that I had known since I was 8. Mom was right behind me.
Mom and one of her employees, Jessa, taught me how to run the big glistening cash register. I got some of the particulars but not all! I always messed up and had to look at our menu seeing if what they ordered was actually a drink.
A super prissy girl strutted up to me and ordered, “Like, I’ll have a 16 oz. iced vanilla latte with like extra ice!”
Looking at her funny I just said, “Ok…. that will be $3.73”.
“What? That’s way too much for a 16 oz. iced vanilla latte with extra ice,” she complained.
Not wanting to make yet another mistake, I sighed and said, “Hold on, I’ll ask my mom.” When I went back to Mom she said I was actually right! The girl just strutted back out and didn’t buy anything.
Then a creepy looking guy dressed in all black with a metallic scooter came in and my heart stopped as he came up at the very edge of the counter. Looking at him, he had a black shiny gun, he pointed it at me as I almost passed out and he said “Give me the money.” I gave him twelve of the one-hundred dollar bills and out the door he went.
My mom was so shaken up she almost passed out too. Being honest I was scared and shaken up too. Mom said that I probably shouldn’t run the cash register anymore. I said that was a good idea. When the creepy guy pulled out the gun Jessa called 911 and the cops showed up. The cops found the guy who stole the money and he went to jail.
The twelve hundred dollars was returned to the shop and everybody was happy well except Jose Lee Cape who was behind bars. While I was running the cash register I managed to learn how to make an iced vanilla latte with whipped cream on top!
All photos were taken by David Welton during the rehearsal and coaching session preceding the event.
Abigail Place listens to the rehearsal coachingCoaching was provided by Michael Morgen and Kathryn Lynn Morgen of the Whidbey Children’s Theater.Everyone gets loose in practice
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.
PHOTO ESSAY BY MARTHA McCARTHY Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
May 26, 2015
The annual Coupeville Memorial Day Parade illustrates the spirit of community in small town America.
People begin to gather well before start time in order to secure their favorite locations and to visit with friends.A traditional lead of flag bearersThe colorful Coupeville BandCoupeville Mayor Nancy ConardThe Coupeville Lions always bring a spot of sunshine…….and a wave of a paw, even as the rain begins.Pearl Harbor survivor, Harold JohnsonWorld War II Veteran, Spence PurvisDaughters of Pioneers of Washington, Whidbey Island Chapter #6Food Bank Volunteers always provide a lot of color with their shopping cart brigadeFriends of Coupeville Library having a great timeSeattle Seahawks emergency vehicle with young crew memberWhidbey Island Fair and 4-H Float with goatMotorcycling Desert Storm Vet and his pal
Martha McCartney is a WLM writer and photographer.
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.
Downsizing is big these days and I have done it. A year ago I moved from 1700 sq. ft. to 665 sq. ft. and from 18 rosebushes to one.
According to the Census, the average American will move 11.7 times in a lifetime. Mobility and a shortage of usable space have inspired cozy Manhattan studios measuring less than 300 sq. ft. and a popular “tiny house” movement.
What is livable? What is living?
I bought this tiny condo the first time I saw it. I had searched for anything under 100K and ended up in Oak Harbor. I was scouring a neighborhood near the water and nearly missed the For Sale sign propped up in a window of a building that looked like an old Herfy’s hamburger joint. The place was so 1970s—just like me. The front door was nothing more than a slider and I couldn’t see much through the reflective coating. I jotted down the agent’s number and then I noticed the rosebush at the edge of the concrete patio.
Condo Rose (illustration by Siri Bardarsan)
The rose was lanky and blotched with black spot, like rosebushes get around here with proximity to the saltwater. It had the biggest bright orange rose hips that I’d ever seen, and I broke one off and twiddled the stem in my fingers while I stared 25 yards down the driveway to the saltwater of Oak Harbor. I hurried to my car and called the phone number from the sign and stuck the rose hip in my visor.
The next day, my real estate agent yammered at me as I stood in the living room. The condo was crummy with inexpensive faux oak laminate on the floor that was cupped on the seams. It had been freshly painted in dull sage in high gloss, the ancient uneven taping of the overhead drywall illuminated by the shine like zits on a greasy 16-year-old nose. It had a four-by-four foot kitchen that had a smell, but there was a view of the saltwater and the rose bush.
“I’ll buy it,” I said.
The offer was a short sale and I immediately had buyer’s remorse and suffered for the six months to closing. One evening after teaching, I grabbed some fast food and sat in my car in the February darkness at the end of the condo driveway on the street by the water.
What the heck had I done? My house in Freeland was a mile from the beach on an acre of land with 18 roses in my overgrown veggie garden and more Great Horned owls than one long night could stand. We had lived there for 20 years.
I took a bite of my sandwich and rolled down my window to breathe in the cold salty air of Oak Harbor. On the water in a puddle of streetlight floated the largest raft of Hooded Mergansers I had every seen. I calmed down.
Do you know Edgar Albert Guest’s poem, “Home”? The one that starts—“It takes a heap o’ livin’ to make a house a home?”
Here is the last verse:
Ye’ve got t’ sing an’ dance fer years, ye’ve got t’ romp an’ play,
An’ learn t’ love the things ye have by usin’ ’em each day;
Even the roses ’round the porch must blossom year by year
Afore they ’come a part o’ ye, suggestin’ someone dear
Who used t’ love ’em long ago, an’ trained ’em jes’ t’ run
The way they do, so’s they would get the early mornin’ sun;
Ye’ve got t’ love each brick an’ stone from cellar up t’ dome:
It takes a heap o’ livin’ in a house t’ make it home.
Maybe with the new paradigm, our experience with what we love, like roses, will be fleeting. Maybe we will pick up where that last stanza left off.
Best Rose Rosette (illustration by Siri Bardarsan)
Many years ago, I won “Best Rose” at the Island County Fair. I know it’s near impossible to kill a rose bush. Does it have to be “new,” does it have to be “mine” to love it just as much and take care of it just as well?
I have a piece of a rose thorn embedded on the inside of my forearm from some rose wrangling in my old garden. It is like a tiny black tattoo on my white skin. I tried to get it out and I dug at it with a needle. It got infected and I figured it would disappear after time. Ten years later, it is still in my arm.
It’s the only bit of rose I’m ever really taking with me. I think about this deep in the night while I listen to the Great Horned owl outside the condo.
A Pacific Northwest native, Siri Bardarson is a writer with an emotional hotline to the vibrant magic of the Puget Sound area. She writes about the importance of the wild blackberry, daisies and natural time and how we are all in this together, and she plays her cello a lot. Siri loves her Whidbey Island home but she feels prepared to live just about anywhere.
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.
Since I moved to Whidbey Island six years ago, a strange but wonderful phenomenon has overtaken me. I am becoming my grandpa.
To some extent, it’s understandable. I recently celebrated a birthday with a zero in it. The one they call “the new 50.” Hear me chuckle about that, as my knees hurt and my shoulders ache and I fall asleep in my chair at 9 p.m.
I remember my grandpa as being old, very old, and always “retired.” But he was always busy, always doing something. Washing and waxing his 1962 Chevrolet Impala, which he sometimes did weekly—at least in summer. Building or expanding shelves to hold my grandmother’s prolific home canning in their cellar. Pruning his magnificent roses. Tending his beautiful tomatoes, beans and carrots in his 10-by-20-foot garden plot next to the garage. Fixing the same leaky faucet he’d fixed a hundred times, unsuccessfully.
My grandpa stands with my grandma Esther and two of their three sons in 1922. My dad is on the right, his brother Ken on the left. (photo courtesy of the author)
Taking an annual drive with my grandmother to Reno so she could play the slot machines. Drinking a pot of black coffee and smoking a pack of Pall Malls every day. Talking back to the nightly news on his 16-inch black-and-white television. “World’s gone to hell in a hand basket,” was one of his favorite comebacks.
Harry Waldemar Anderson was born in Marquette, Michigan, on Nov. 3, 1890. His mother died when he was two years old and his father soon remarried a woman who, according to him, didn’t think much of her new stepson. As he told it, she ordered him out of her sight from 7 a.m. until dusk. He sold morning newspapers on the trolley cars to make pocket money, went to school, sold afternoon newspapers on the trolley cars, then dozed in the atrium of a bank building until it was dark enough to go home.
By the time he was 14, he had left home for good. For a while, he slept in the back room of a local saloon and earned cash by cleaning spittoons. A couple years later, he and a friend briefly tried their hands as vaudeville song-and-dance men. Then he drove a hay wagon.
After he met my grandmother Esther, he hired on as a railroad bookkeeper and they eloped to Minneapolis in 1916. They raised three sons and had seven grandchildren. They moved first to Montana, and then to Tacoma. Harry retired from the Chicago, St. Paul, Milwaukee & Pacific Railroad after 40 years, and he died peacefully in 1977 at the home in Tacoma that he and Esther had shared for more than 50 years.
Before Whidbey, my life was not much like my Grandpa Harry’s, especially not his Dickensian childhood. I grew up in an Ozzie-and-Harriet environment with mom, dad, sister, brother and picket fence. I moved around a lot, living in Washington, California, Oklahoma and Texas. I had an all-expenses-paid year in Vietnam and Japan, courtesy of the Army. I spent my working years in journalism and public relations. (Grandpa Harry liked to brag about his journalist grandson; he said I reminded him of how much he enjoyed being editor of the railroad employee newsletter back in the 1940s.)
My grandpa in 1964, as I remember him best (photo courtesy of the author)
But now, retired and living blissfully on this beautiful island, I have come to understand why my grandpa seemed to enjoy his old age so much. He knew how fortunate he was to have survived so long with good health. He learned a trick that too few seem to learn: Life is simpler and sweeter when you’re older, but you have to figure it out.
And Whidbey is a sensational spot to grow old. It’s an active place where your days fill up with good works and interesting people. Before you know it, you volunteer to clean up roads, help the less fortunate, serve on a County board or assist at a local food bank. Or else you’re attending a local history lecture, hanging out with neighbors at the farmer’s market, indulging in the artist expressions you never had time for, or even writing a blog for Whidbey Life Magazine.
Unlike my grandpa, I don’t wash my car every week or take annual trips to Reno. But I am as inept as he was at plumbing, and I do love to talk back to the television, especially those annoying talking heads on cable news.
My Whidbey garden is every bit as lush as Grandpa Harry’s garage-side plot in Tacoma. Like him, I harvest enough food to last us well into the winter months. My canning abilities, though not as exemplary as Grandma Esther’s, have come along nicely. I am particularly proud of my pickled beets.
Time has a different meaning on this island. It’s not slower but it’s less rushed, more reverently passed. Whidbey sometimes has a feeling less like 2015 and more like 1955, the year my grandpa retired. That’s especially true once the TV, Wi-Fi and cell phone are ignored. Six hours of pulling weeds here brings a unique sense of satisfaction that is amplified by not competing with five other things that must be “multi-tasked” simultaneously.
Fast food drive-throughs and cheap eats are scarce here, so we cook at home most of the time. We even eat together. There are only four indoor movie screens on Whidbey (a rather sad three-screen multiplex in Oak Harbor and the nostalgic Clyde in Langley). That limits our away-from-home filmed entertainment options, except for the wonderful Blue Fox Drive-In where 1955 lives in glory. Touring Broadway musicals don’t stop here, but WICA and the Whidbey Playhouse give us a chance to see our friends gallantly emoting and singing.
Like my grandpa, I also manage to live decently on what’s euphemistically called a “fixed income.” Lower cost of living is another great benefit of Rock dwelling.
So, thanks Whidbey Island, for making my Golden Years comfortable and fulfilling. And thanks, Grandpa Harry, for showing me how to live long and prosper.
Once upon a time, Harry Anderson made an honest living as a reporter, editor and columnist at the Los Angeles Times. He now lives in central Whidbey, where he spends his time gardening and ruminating on things that interest him.
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 KATIE WOODZICK
Whidbey Life Magazine Contributor
May 13, 2015
Suzanne Vega was originally invited to Hedgebrook to be in residence as part of the Singer/Songwriter retreat. But she had another idea and a request: to come to Hedgebrook as a playwright.
Vega was working on a play—“Two Lectures: An Evening with Carson McCullers”—and she wanted to bring it to the Hedgebrook Women Playwrights Festival.
Suzanne Vega / photo courtesy of Suzanne Vega
The play, with music, is in two acts: Carson McCullers is hired to speak at the “Best Young Writers of 1942” program at the YMCA and talks about writing, love, civil rights and whatever else comes into her mind. She revisits the same venue in 1967 for a second lecture a month before the end of her life.
Vega is perhaps best known for her songs “Luka” and “Tom’s Diner.” The community she has found at Hedgebrook is a departure from the often-solitary practice of songwriting.
“The first week of being at Hedgebrook has been inspiring, exhilarating and also entertaining,” she said, “as we get to admire each other’s work know more about our fellow playwrights.”
Vega joins playwrights Leanna Brodie, Dipika Guha, Karen Hartman, Julie Marie Myatt and Lauren Yee for the 18th annual festival. Since 1998, the Hedgebrook Festival has supported the work of an impressive array of women playwrights and served an important role in the development of new plays by women.
After the opening weekend readings, the playwrights and dramaturgs kick back and enjoy a fire. / photo by Julie O’Brien)
The festival begins with a “pre-retreat” weekend, in which the get to know one another and hear each other’s plays read aloud. This is followed by a two-week retreat at Hedgebrook, where each playwright has her own private cottage, a dramaturg on-call and the opportunity to work in Hedgebrook’s unique combination of solitude and community.
Festival dramaturg Christine Sumption raved about the talents of this year’s crop of playwrights:
“We have a glorious group of playwrights joining us for the festival this year and they’re as different as they can be. Leanna Brodie is a whip-smart Canadian woman writing about wind power and community politics. Karen Hartman is exploring responsibility and blame in a deeply moving play about AIDS, hemophilia and the safety of the blood supply.
“Julie Marie Myatt is raising questions about how society treats those who’ve been in prison, slyly looking through the lens of rescued animals,” Sumption continued. “Dipika Guha is conjuring a family of women who suffer from immaculate conception. Lauren Yee is writing ‘King of the Yees,’ a hilarious and touching play about family and heritage. And Suzanne Vega is writing a solo show with music about Carson McCullers. It’s a banquet of vividly imagined material.”
Vega enjoys lunch cooked by Hedgebrook chefs during the festival’s opening weekend. / photo by Julie O’Brien)
The festival culminates in two public presentations of the new work, on Whidbey Island and in Seattle. The Whidbey performance will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 17 at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts. The Seattle performance will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 18 at ACT Theatre.
Festival participants find themselves in awe of the radical hospitality of Hedgebrook. Many of them find the quiet and calm setting of Whidbey Island in sharp contrast to their usual frenetic environment. “Here I am a pampered hermit,” Dipika Guha said. “There is such peace and such license in a solitude supported with so much generosity, kindness and grace. I find myself going back to my oldest instincts…
“There is a reason, I think, we call clams happy,” she added. “Being here, supported by ideal conditions, hatching writing inside my shell, knowing that others are doing the same, I am happy.” Guha is the first-ever recipient of the Shakespeare’s Sister Fellowship, awarded in partnership with A Room of Her Own Foundation and the Lark Play Development Center.
Playwright Lauren Yee reflected on how much care Hedgebrook takes in building a supportive environment for writers. “Everything at Hedgebrook is purposeful,” she said. “From the cozy window seats in our cabins to the wall of snack jars in the kitchen. How could you not fall in love and do good work at a place where someone has thought about every moment of your experience?”
Alumnae of the festival have gone on to be nominated for, and even win, the Pulitzer Prize in Drama. The festival offers these playwrights the unique opportunity to devote uninterrupted time to their craft while simultaneously building professional relationships.
“In the competitive world of theatre, women playwrights rarely get this kind of opportunity and it’s a joy to see the friendships and networks that grow out of this communion, not to mention the extraordinary plays,” Sumption said. “If you’ve seen plays by Lynn Nottage, Theresa Rebeck, Danai Gurira, Julia Cho or Quiara Alegria Hudes, you’ve seen some of the fruits of the festival.”
Image at top, and full-size below: The 18th annual Hedgebrook playwrights—back row, left to right: Leanna Brodie, Dipika Guha and Lauren Yee; front row: Karen Hartman, Julie Marie Myatt and Suzanne Vega / photo by Julie O’Brien
Katie Woodzick is an actor and director who can be seen on local stages and who is the host of the Theatrical Mustang Podcast, which features interviews with unbridled talent in the Pacific Northwest. Learn more at katiewoodzick.squarespace.com. She is proud to be acting in a play penned by another Hedgebrook Women Playwrights Festival alumna, Sarah Ruhl: “In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)” which runs at OutCast Productions through May 23.
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