I absolutely love summer!

This is what happens when you wait 8 weeks between posts: 
A.  4th of July parade - No Coal!
B.  Jury Duty in Seattle
C.  Harry visits from Colorado
D.  Leif's memorial in Federal Way/family gathering
E.  Encampment/Dan Hicks
F.  Ken and Lisa visit after 25 years
G.  Weaving Weekend/Darby and Jennifer
H.  Granddaughter Lenora comes for a week
I.  County Fair/gang visits

Throw in a terrible cold and sewing up two quilts for the twins and is it any wonder I haven't had time to post anything?

So people not into reading blogs can stop here.  My Table of Contents lists it all.  Maybe a few photos:
A.
Fourth of July--No More Coal - click on this link to see Roger and I parade down Spring Street with 80 of our closest friends to protest the possibility of Coal shipments through our pristine Salish Sea.

C.  Roger's cousin Harry is a retired elementary school principal from Grand Junction, Colorado.  He travels on his bike around the country each summer and is something of a troubadour.   Roger's dad Al invited him to play at the Retirement Home and he put on a nice concert.

D.  Celebration of Life for Roger's brother Leif who passed away last month.  Spent the weekend with family and had two nice get-togethers at Lil's and at Guy and Brenda's.

Lenora, Ethel, Corbin, Audrey, Bjorn, Iliana
 

E.  Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks played town the same weekend as Encampment.  We went to both.  I Scare Myself
F.  Ken and Lisa visit Thornbush for first time.  Good friends in college, have not seen Ken since Roger and my wedding twenty-five years ago.  Great visit, long overdue.  Here's a pix at the Lavender Farm.

G.  Weaving Weekend was the first weekend in August.  Roger and I did our usual shtick with sticks.  I was already feeling poorly then, but managed to get through it and join Peggy Sue at a lovely dinner with our sailing friends Gene and Jennifer as well.

Note cedar hat that won a blue ribbon at the Fair a month later

H.  I Absolutely Loved the week I spent with my granddaughter, Lenora.  I think she had a pretty good time, too, reading, coloring, watching movies, and play dates with other seven-year olds.  It's your turn next year, Iliana!

Lenora in the corn with the sun in her eyes
 

Also, I gave the twins their birthday presents four months late.  The quilts and a major cold were two of several reasons I didn't get my Fair Challenge "Sheep Happens" finished in time.

 

 

 

I.  Everyone loves the County Fair and the gang participates in the Zucchini 500 races.  At first I was going to enter one of my cardoons.  They are pretty impressive this year.  But then I thought, been there, done that.

Barry measures Cardoon height
 

Another highlight was when Diane won the Throne of Games at the art raffle.

 

 

But the biggest thrill came at the end of the Zucchini 500 when The Romney Bus and Flower Power joined in a mass suicide on the Ramp of Death:

  You are probably used to me adding a bit of sad news at the end of my posts.  Unfortunately, this post is no exception.  Last Saturday, the Downrigger restaurant burned down.  At least no one was hurt.  We all have memories of the Downrigger and before that "The Mariner".  No telling at this point if it will be rebuilt or not.

The end

Turn, Turn, Turn

The Byrds version of To everything there is a season - please link to this YouTube recording while you are reading this blog.

My brother Joe always manages to tie his blog up with some philosophical theme.  He would have been a good homily writer.  Here is his website for those who don’t have it already:  Joe's latest blog

Trouble is that saying “to everything, there is a season” just isn’t true for me this month.  Everything happens at once!  The planting and reaping part—all happening this month.  I’ve been picking strawberries like crazy, shelling peas, too.  At the same time, we’ve been planting squash, corn, beans, and more.

Roger with bok choi and scapes
 

 We’ve been coming—and going all month.  I just got back from the ANWG Conference in Bellingham.  That’s Association of NW Weavers Guilds.  I stayed in Higginson dorm.  That was a leap back in time!  Plenty of eye candy for the fiber artist.  And the campus was lovely this time of year.

 

WWU must not have suffered from the caterpillar plague that overwhelmed us this Spring.  Roses and Alders and apple trees completely denuded of leaves.  But, the leaves have almost all grown back.  I’ve heard these pests come for four years and I believe this is year #3.  Each one has been worse than the year before.  Friends, you may not want to visit us next May and early June.  I cannot guarantee what it may look like around here.

 Now I’m back and Roger has gone to Ocean Shores for the State Grange Convention.  You’d think a farm organization would know better than to put their yearly convention in June.  So it’s just me and the chickens—and Suzie, of course.

 While I was in Bellingham, Roger constructed a staircase from the mudroom porch down to the new loading dock at the back of the house.  How convenient!  Do you think if I left more often perhaps more major projects would get done around here?

 

There’s been a couple weddings, and sadly, a funeral.  Roger’s brother Leif died this month.  He’s been in late stage Alzheimer’s so it came as no surprise.  But still, very sad.  He would have turned 59 on June 30^th.  And a time to be born—two more granddaughters for members of my book club.

 

two month old James in the CUTEST tee shirt
 

The service group that I belong to is winding up its year while at the same time, the Textile Guild action is heating up as I try to line up a new Board for next year when I take up the Presidency.  I need a Vice-President!  Anyone?

And now it is time to post.

 

I'm Living in a Postcard!

The Garden in July

Fourth of July Parade


Community Marching Band

All the Ellisons took part this year.  Roger and Eric marched with the National Park and their dad rode in a shiny red convertible. 

Riding the Train Great Western Island Railroad



Find out more about it at:  Riding the Train Great Western Island Railroad  Roger's is not the only railroad on San Juan Island.  We took a ride on Wayne and Barbara Zimmerman's 7 1/2" guage train and visited the model village.

Encampment

Practicing for the Candlelight Ball at English Camp

Yes, once again we dressed in the period garb of 1859 and visited with similarly dressed folks camping down on the parade ground at English Camp.  San Juan Island National Park

Weaving Weekend

Roger makes a Trellis

We planted ourselves under a huge maple tree at English Camp on the hottest weekend of the year.  Probably the best place on the island as the breeze was wafting from Garrison Bay.  We'd spent the week cutting a pick-up truck full of willow withees, alder and ocean spray sticks to use in making wattle fences, plant teepees and trellises.  We were part of a much bigger group of basketmakers, spinners, weavers and other crafting people creating some living history for the National Park each summer.

Art Project - concrete and pebble mosaic addition to the Fountain

I spent a week making this pebble mosaic bowl and building a tiled tower for the water feature in
our courtyard.  I'm quite proud of it and it didn't occur to me until I started writing this blog that it looks a little like a toilet bowl.  Even has a nice tinkling sound.

Blogs are good because one can take a step back, review the recent past, and come to the conclusion that something was accomplished as the summer whizzed by.  Next winter I'll look back at this post and maybe appreciate these events even more.  Because when they were happening, I was always feeling rushed and anxious about the next event around the corner.  Even now as I type this, I am worried about all I have to do to get ready for the Fair this coming week.

Every once in awhile though, I do pause, look around, and wonder how I  lucked out to live in such a fabulous place.

August Visitors

Sharon's visit started off the month of visitors. The weather was a little glum that weekend, but we had one wonderful walk on Mt. Finlayson and met up with two huge bucks and saw a fox or two.

End of an Era: All year long I'd been anticipating entering my art car in the Seascare Porchlight Parade in Brier http://seascare.com August 12th. "Starry Night" Art Car paraded down the Avenue for the last time. Shotgun Lynn and friends Barry and David helped throw candy to the hordes lining the road. Ten days later, I donated the car to Island Stage Left, a theatre company here on San Juan that produces fabulous Shakespearean plays every summer.http://islandstageleft.org/ We went to see a great performance of As You Like It earlier this month. Good-bye art car. It's been fun!

When I returned to the island with my friends Barry and David, the San Juan Co Fair was in full swing. Roger and I won one blue ribbon and two red ribbons a piece for our vegetables and baskets. But the big excitement was the Zucchini 500. Here's a picture of Barry racing his entry--
in the first heat--which he won! The Fair is always lots of fun--always good food, good music, and great company. This year was no exception.

The following weekend was the annual "Weaving Weekend" at English Camp. This year we were again joined by historical reenactors and basketweavers Karen, Patrick, and Judith. There were also lavender wands being made, wool and stories being spun. We made our usual assortment of wattle fences, hurdles, an obelisk, and a couple plant teepees--all out of indigenous alder and willow.

Immediately after weaving weekend more friends, Tabitha and Brigitte, showed up. They hadn't been here since 2002 so much had changed. We got to see dozens of whales at Lime Kiln Park, walked South Beach at Sunset, and they slept each night under the stars to watch the Milky Way and whatever meteors they could spy. Jay lay outside and watched the stars, too, when he arrived for a week of work and play. He helped haul in the firewood, harvest the potatoes, and weed the kitchen garden among other chores. (we did also have some great meals and played some music, too--it wasn't all work.)

Throw in a couple potlucks and other social gatherings with friends and that about wraps up August.

If it weren't for my visiting friends, I'd never go out and experience what a beautiful island I live on. I'd just sit on my deck and enjoy it from here.