Saturday, December 5, 2009

The Heart of the Salish Sea

Orcas is one of a kind. I know, I searched for many years. At age 18, I fell in love with Martha's Vineyard. I remember vividly sitting on the bow of my family's boat after a long day at sea, and seeing the cliffs of Gay Head in a bright array of colors. It took me 4 years to manage to move there, and 18 months to see we did not have the skills to survive on the Vineyard. That was the 70's.

It was there that I met my friend of a lifetime, Cecily. She was scalloping for a living with her husband. She washed their clothes by hand, drying them on the line where they would freeze long before drying. For years we have joked about 'Clem the Hired Hand', which refered to the frozen red long johns blowing stiffly on the line outside her cabin. They were true Islanders, I envied them.


Fast forward 20 years. Ken and I were living in the most unspoiled county in NJ. The Amwell Valley Hunt galloped through our backyard on mist-shrouded mornings. The master of the hunt rode a 17 hand dappled gray warmblood. We were surrounded by small farms and almost half of the land was in conservation. Former members of the USET retired here to raise and train horses. It was beautiful; but 20 minutes away were malls, congestion, Route 1 and the Jersey Turnpike. And worse of all, the sprawl crept closer as each day passed.

We wanted to live in a more rural area, more wildlife, fewer people, cleaner air, better weather.  We never wanted to go to a mall again, sit in a traffic jam or watch fields sprout condos. We could not afford the Vineyard, Nantucket, Aspen or Jackson Hole. We felt out of place in West Virginia, couldn't see how we'd survive in the mountains of North Carolina.  We wanted like-minded folks; artists, writers, philosophers, entrepeneurs, free thinkers. We also needed to work and make a living. We wanted a safe, healthy place to raise our daughters. We needed to be surrounded by nature.  It was a tall order.


It was a typical hot, muggy and buggy summer in NJ.  Summers were NEVER what I hoped them to be in NJ. Temperatures in the 90's and often up to 100, with high humidity, and did I mention the gnats? Ken and I were renovating houses that summer. I actually set up a fan outside by the table saw, so that when we were cutting boards for siding the house, the gnats would not get in our eyes!  We were slathered in 'Skin so Soft',  we were sick of bugs, heat and humidity!  When the local grocery store offered tickets for $79 to anywhere in the US with a purchase of $200 in groceries, we began dreaming of a trip west.

We had heard about the San Juan's. I loved Islands, and best of all it was cool there in the summers. We needed cool, ocean breezes and in 'Let's Go, The Pacific Northwest' they said there were no bugs!   My cousin, Lisa who grew up sailing on the east coast and  San Francisco Bay raved about sailing in those protected waters. My parents loved how green and how charming the islands were when they stopped on their way to Victoria, BC.  It was remote but close to both Seattle and Vancouver. There were snow capped mountains and whales.  Ken also had a family reunion in Sandpoint,  Idaho.  All good reasons to head to the northwest corner of the US.


We took the 4:30 am bus from Seattle to the Ferry Terminal in Anacortes. But, even at that hour it was light!  I wore a flannel shirt and we carried backpacks. Mist hung between the islands. It was magical and so very green! As the breeze came up the mists cleared. We watched seals, heard an eagle cry, Mount Baker glistened white with snow. The water was cold, clear and green. People were friendly. But, still I was not prepared for what I felt when I put my foot on Orcas Island.


"This is it!"  I said. "What do you mean?" questioned Ken. "This is it, I NEED  to live here!" 'How do you know? You haven't even been here!". "I  just know!"


For some people it just happens like that. Orcas feels like home. It can feel more like your home than where you were raised or where you live. It's one of a kind. And if it fits, you'll know it! Just listen to your heart. I had found my home in the heart of the Salish Sea.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

The Wild Ones



All my life I dreamed of owning a wild horse.  Growing up in Princeton, NJ made that seem pretty unlikey but I loved the stories of Flicka, The Black Stallion, Misty. Wtih no wild ones in sight,  I rode Throughbreds off the track, retired Starndardbreds, jumpers and hunters. I exercised polo ponies and was given seasoned Pony Club horses. I specialized in rehabilitating the hurt and the emotionally damaged. And then, I had years where I gave up my love affair with horses. I was too busy raising my children and attending to my birth center, horses had to wait.

About 10 years after relocating to Orcas Island, I again looked for a horse to 'rescue'.



Red, a retired jousting horse came into my life. His show name with the Seattle Knights was 'Jester'. He was a beauty!  But, oh so sad.  I looked forward to giving him a happier life, and hopefully  doing lots of cantering. He seemed like a really steady guy to help me get back into riding. After all he had seen everything, right?


 
Red had other ideas.  He had deceided he would retire. He was done working. This would be his post-career life. He'd get to explore all the things he'd never had time for before. Like the girls in the herd. Perhaps he'd learn to do watercolors. He was fond of grazing.


 
He never wanted to canter again. How he held it together jousting was beyond me. The horse was an emotional wreck. We went slow, had our good days, and worked in dressage. He was a sweet guy, but what he really wanted to do was just hang out.




Then one day, at the Horse Expo in Puyallup, I met a mustang. There were Warmbloods and Andulusians, Quarter Horses and Rocky Mountain Horses, but it was a Kiger Mustang stallion who seemed to put them all to shame. His name was 'My Tiger Kiger' owned by Kim Kellog. He did not act like any stallion I ever knew, he was so personable, friendly and well adjusted. It appeared that Kim could do anything with him! He seemed to be emotionally healthy and he was beautiful and perfectly conformed, with small hard feet, big eyes and small quick ears.

With all of those hurt and hurting horses,  I made a lot of progress, but frequently there were remaining glitches, some problems that never completely went away. What if I started with a clean slate? A horse raised in an intact family, in a herd, the way nature intended? What about a horse who had been gathered from the wild, and would not be able to go back, one slated for adoption. One like 'My Tiger Kiger'? The BLM had thousands of horses needing to be adopted.



Soon my husband and I were making pilgrimages down to the corrals in Burns, Oregon, where we would spend days dreaming of the day we would adopt our own horses. We frequently fell in love. We talk of many of those horses to this day, horses from the past ten years: Dog Solider. Jester, Double Eagle, Wild Girl, Sooty Face.  Often, we wondered why we would spend two days traveling only to stand in snow and frozen mud, our collars up around our ears in the cold winds to watch the wild ones. But we did, again and again. It called us, and we went.


How about the Buttermilk one?



Dog Soldier I would bet came from the Army Remount program.



We called this pretty little mare 'Hippie Chic"

I desperately wanted 'Hippie Chic'. Of course, she was a bossy piece with a mind of her own. A redhead, again!  And as you see here, her ears are always pricked paying attention to everything!  The wranglers kept suggesting other horses..by then I was listening..So, this pretty little filly did not come home with us.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Thanksgiving Potluck in Deer Harbor


 Pond in Deer Harbor
Friday night was my favorite potluck in Deer Harbor. Our November potluck is a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner with all the fixings and I don't have to cook!  No stress about getting the house clean, who's coming or not coming,  or if everything will be just right. No, just show up and bring a dish to share.
There must have been 80 people there, mostly locals from Deer Harbor. The turkeys were beautifully cooked and all cut up, lots of rich dark gravy, cranberry sauce, stuffing, but for some unknown reason no mashed potatoes. No matter, we all had a grand time.
Ken and I  sat at a table with our Accountant/Artist friends; Jerry and Mary. Mary is this incredible artist and has just started a blog: anordinaryartist.com. She's way too modest! Also at the table was Nancy Southern, she specializes in energy work, EFT which is Emotional Freedom Technique. This is a form of acupressure that is easy to learn and highly effective, and works well for both physical and emotional issues. Heidi was at our table also, she lives 4 doors down from us, and makes granola and sells it under her friend Rob's label: Local Goods. She told me in the summers she sells 100 lbs a week. Wow that's a lot of granola! Local Goods can be found on Orcas, Lopez and San Juan Island. She told us about her six week trip to an ashram to southern India. A the end of the table were Megan and Bob Harris. They have actually moved from Deer Harbor where they lived for years to OPAL in Eastsound. OPAL provides affordable housing on Orcas and is where over 30% of the school children on Orcas live. They have several communities with common grounds and very sweet homes. You would never guess this is considered affordable housing. Bob was an architect and he and Megan moved here years ago from Santa Fe. Megan was an avid gardener and for the 20 years they lived in Deer Harbor, I believe they lived out of their garden. They are also published authors.
So, who lives in Deer Harbor? Authors, Artists, Architects, Accountants, Cooks, Gardeners, Travelers, Energy Workers, Realtors, Builders and Horse Trainers!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

We Painted our Green Built Home- Green!


Renovating a home, as my husband the builder has told me countless times, can be full of surprises and lots more work than you ever imagine. I don't like to admit it but he was right. Renovating this simple cottage seemed to take forever and of course cost more than we'd hoped.  

After barging from Sidney, BC and landing on Orcas our little cottage made  a perious journey down the road to it's new home on Orcas Island. There it was set up on steel beams until the foundation was poured for the house and  the new master suite addition. After approval by the county, it was lowered to it's new foundation. Then the fun began!

Ken and crew began tearing things out; like the kitchen, the pergo floors, the boring doors, the skinny trim, the carpet, most of the bathroom. Well, you get the idea, it was a top to bottom redo. The planning stage, that's the most fun when creativity surges and the ideas flow.


Our goal was to have a Craftsman-inspired Home with as many sustainable products that we could manage. We hired local carpenters, electricians, plumbers and painters. The cabinets were made on Island. We used wood from the property that we had milled. We both believe in details and high quality workmanship and were aiming for a jewelbox!  Sustainable in style with low maintanence exterior, single story living, and sited for sunshine.



Split cedar rails enclose the small garden by the entry. (Cedar from property)


 
 Oak Fumed Entry Door.

 
Suistainably harvested Bamboo Floors. A bank of windows faces west in the living room.


Hand crafted mantle on Blue Stone propane fireplace.


The view from the front door.


Glass vessel sinks in bath rooms on Island made cabinets.


Italian Tile in Master bath.


 Cork floors in Kitchen, High end Stainless Steel Appliances and locally made cabinets.


South facing bank of windows for solar gain in new master suite.


South facing porch off of living room.


Yes, we painted it Green! Three tones of green on Hardiboard planking. That will last forever and never grow moss! There is a small detail of deep red trim, but you can't see it in the pictures. This home on two level acres is just one mile to town. You can keep chickens here or a few sheep. There are horses in the neighborhood. It is a great place to garden as the soil is deep, rich, dark and well drained. Soil like this is rare on Orcas, mostly we have clay and rock!  All the surfaces are new in this home, and everything has been done with love and care. If you care about the planet, this home is one to look at. Available for the right folks for $479,500.

For more information about homes that may suit your lifestyle drop me a line! 
Kate@orcasdreams.com




Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Passport to Adventure



I needed a new passport to go to Mexico with my daughter, Felicity. It was a sign of the times that in order to pop over the border to Mexico or Canada, you now need a passport. I couldn't find mine. I always kept it in the same place, why wasn't it there?  I called the Court House in Friday Harbor, where luckily you can get a passport. This was much better than going to Seattle. Friday Harbor is just a short ferry ride away.




After tearing apart my desk and sorting through thousands of  photos  and very important papers, I remembered I had put it in the glove box of my car. Just in case. Like I popped into Canada or Mexico without a plan?  I doubt it!  The last time I was there was for a Horse Expo, it was exactly one year ago.

I woke to the sun reflecting off the golden russet of the madronas outside our window. Another beautiful day? How could this be, it is November!



I put together this week's ad for the paper and then went down to Orcas Landing to catch the ferry.  I watched the commuters, all dressed in sensible shoes and polar fleece. Oh, the Northwest culture is so comfortable.


Some folks were commuting via bike, that too will become more common as gas prices inflate again. I remembered my days of getting up at 6:00 am to catch a train from Princeton Junction to NYC to work at Bloomingdale's and Lord and Taylors. It took over two hours to get to work, and the trains were packed, with some people standing the whole trip. As a manager at both those stores, I did not get to wear comfortable shoes or comfortable clothing. It was still in the days of heels, pantyhose and dresses. I suffered, my feet hurt, I rarely saw the sun, and I returned on the train at 7:30 at night.


View of Turtleback Preserve and Deer Harbor.

Now, I get to travel by ferry, gliding quietly through the Islands, the air cool and fresh, an eagle overhead. I feel so fortunate not to be in a car racing down a freeway at breakneck speed, every nerve tense.



This type of travel is human scale. 



Children get to play and enjoy the trip.


 
Friday Harbor has lots of historic homes and buildings.

Once in Friday Harbor, I was off to Radio Shack, where a nice gentleman took a good photo of me in about 1 minute, and I was out of the store, on my way to the Courthouse. There I did not have to wait in line, but was helped immediately and given lots of free advice on how to be sure I'd get this new passport in time. In and out in about 20 minutes, I was off to look at the shops and grab a bite to eat.



In a Sporting Goods Shop, the woman who owned the shop, launched into a story of how her youngest was born on Orcas, 16 years ago. She was in labor going via ferry to Anacortes. Her labor was progressing so quickly that they put her off the ferry when they got to Orcas. There she was met by Melinda, our local midwife. They drove to the clinic, she gave birth and was back on the ferry home in an hour and a half. Her daughter is the 7th generation on Friday Harbor, except for the fact she was born on Orcas!



Can you make out the outline of Mt. Baker?


Two hours later, I was homeward bound. On the boat, I saw Melinda. This is one of the joys of Island life, you get to connect with people as well as see the connections. We chatted a bit and I mentioned the woman in the Sporting Goods Store. She nodded and said ' oh, yes, but what I remember most about that night was the Northern Lights. It was the first time I had ever seen them.'

I loved how I had seen both mother and midwife in this real life drama, and I felt a bit of nostalgia for my own midwifery days.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Halloween on Orcas




Saturday was sunny and warm. Perfect for Trick or Treating. The kids were anxious to get going, so it was still light when the tricksters began to show up.


We were ready! Dressed as a cowboy (Ken added the neckerchief and put on a new white shirt) and a cowgirl. We were ready for the crowds! And crowds there were.

First to arrive was our little tribe. Caleb's cute face is hidden by Darth Vader's mask. For us this is one of the highlights of our year, our kids on Halloween.


Here is our youngest with her little Lula ready for a hula!


There were witches and fairies.
 
All carefully supervised by parents..or were they looking for their candy cut? Hey, that's Phil in the hat, he's our librarian!  We sold him his land. Wonder which of those characters is his?
 
  Drinking coffee to keep up with his kids, is our local surveyor, Greg White. With all the work we send him, he should be bringing us candy!


Clearly this one is a little devil! I think he's in Caleb's Cub Scout group.



This little fairy godmother blessed me with her wand.


See, we wern't the only ones longing to be a cowboy, or girl|!
 
The witches came and the witches went..


My outfit was sent to me by my dearest friend Cecily on Martha's Vineyard. It's made by Cattle Kate. Just so you know, in case you want one too.


This little devil told me her mom made her costume! I think she was really an angel.


Like a lot of Islander's this young man must be questioning authority!


We voted him 'Most Creative'!


Talk about a cute kitty!


After this very classy little witch, we called it a night.


The moon was up in the clear sky and as full as one would could ask for this Halloween night!