On entry you’re greeted by the gatekeeper. This is will be your last chance to turn back and it’ll also be the last gentle face you’ll see…forever!

Evil Clown

  Immediately follows the clown. Watch out for this clown. He is not just another Bozo in a clown suit but rather a pure manifestation of evil. He knows how to make you afraid. I know it’s just a costume; yet, there’s something awful unnerving about this character!

…and there were these pale little girls drifting aimlessly about with glazed eyes aglow. The short one dragged a six inch dagger across the throat of a mummy looking thing. Its lifeless form folded to the earth dissipating into a stack of wind driven cinder. A foul stench filled the air . Her eyes glowed with iridescent joy.

She moved to a paying customer…a house-manger quickly snatched her into a side room. They’d been having problems with this one “overacting” all evening I later heard.

…and then there was this woman eyeing me. Whatever you do, don’t stare her down. She thrives on the effects of retinal burn in and lingering night visions.

Be it positional or absolute, this one wheels power. “Who are you with?” she sneered. Obviously, not rendering an appropriate response, she twitched her head slightly right, nodded and two headless ghouls tossed me out into the cold rainy streets of the night.

 Take your chance on this place. Be forewarned this is not a kid’s rubberized playground. Here demons fall and mighty men snap. But I feel you want to learn the hard-way and taste fear for yourself.

Frightville XI! Prepare YOURSELF now for the thrill of a lifetime. Be prepared for lots of big FUN and realistic adventure.

Stars Friday, October 21 at 7:00pm – October 31 at 10:00pm

Location:

Boys & Girls Club of Oak Harbor / Roller Barn

Boys & Girls Club of Oak Harbor Washington

More Info

Visit Facebook or contact them at (360) 675-6534 for more details…if you dare!

There are countless opportunities for R&R on Whidbey Island and Ebey’s Battery lookout point is only one of them. These shots were taken a stone’s throw of Ebey’s Gun Battery 248 in Fort Ebey’s State Park. A 3 mile trail in Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve enables one to get a good workout while enjoying the beauty of the park.

Solitude

The Glider

You’ll meet and greet many personalities along the trail. You can be rushed and hurried or just relax and enjoy life. It’s all good. By the way… make sure you have a Discovery Pass so you won’t get a parking fine. See you soon.

Out with the old in...

Out with the old and in with the new. Against a seeming troubled sky, Mayor Slowik points to the gnarl of power lines that will soon be no more.

Mayor Slowik explains how the City plans to weave new designs into the older fabric thus making Pioneer, less of a drive-thru experience type, but more of a people friendly environment. Park benches, trees, art and even a figurine of a mermaid will heighten visitor’s Pioneer experience.

Martha Yount Speaks

Martha Yount asked a good question. “If it takes 2 hours to recharge an electric car…where will it park?”  Mayor Slowik stated two electrically rechargers will be placed across the street and visitors will have plenty of time to shop Whidbey. 

The Social

The Food

A Gathering of Friends

Christine An Inspired Supporter

The A Team Supporters

Surveying new old ideas, exploration, discovery…isn’t that what life is about? I think I’ll leave my couch more often to see what’s going on in my own backyard. Perhaps I’ll have less time to grumble about change.

Surveying Ideas

Road to Ebey’s Landing

A space ship crashed here but of course the government denied it. They didn’t try to confiscate my camera or anything. They just looked at me funny.

Whidbey Dreaming

Jenne Farm

A perfect door knocker. My son reminded me to reduce, reuse, recycle. I’m glad we still agree on the important things.

Keeping it simple

 Sunlight is a good thing-especially on Whidbey Island where it’s here for today and gone tomorrow. Our summer is almost gone but we had some great moments.

Whidbey Island Dreamin'

Empty Nest

Zimbabwean Musicians

Martha, Jacob , Tonderai Ndava and Paul Mataruse were at the top of their game this weekend. Even though it was record heat for Whidbey locals, the group wasn’t fazed. The more they sweat the better their performance. In a burst of inspiration Martha sprung forth in dance.

Rhytm Mistress Martha Thom

Martha Thom at Dance

Martha Thom Going Vertical

Martha, a seasoned movement instructor, demonstrates the explosive vertical thrust required to get benchwarmers on their feet and grooving.

Dana grooving with the group

Finale of Friends, guest and students

Be wise; set your clocks now to experience transformative rhythm of Mbira dzeMuninga. Track them online and become part of this informative interactive transcultural transformative groove.

To learn more about the Mbira visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mbira

To learn more about the group follow this link: http://www.dzemuninga.com/html/members.html

While the inner sanctuary of the Elk’s Lodge was adorned with red, white and blue flags and streamers, promotional branded ink pens and notepads, many lesser encouraged were hungry for practical solutions to these dry economic times. We were all ears at Thursday’s Chamber Luncheon as Dennis Long, CEO of Bank of the Pacific gave us An Economic Update, from a banker’s perspective. Not only were we filled with economic hope, Bank of the Pacific graciously picked up the meal tab!

All Ears On Deck!

On a full stomach, we explored spaghetti curves and other statistical analytical methods while struggling to grapple with the economic mysteries of the age. Indeed, a heavy topic after a heavy noonday meal but the faithful fought the battle and were blissed through hope.

The Curve Explained

Spaghetti Curve

Questions Abound

Wayne Locke With Answers

Wayne Locke president of the local National Association of REALTORS, and professional clown, wasn’t clowning when he spoke of new standards to go into effect July 1^st for homeowners appealing the eviction process.

One solution presented by Dennis: Find jobs for the adult children who have returned home, encourage them to take a mortgage and the economy will improve. At that moment I couldn’t think how this theory related to me personally however later at the farmers market a client mentioned that her unemployed son had just returned home after a gnarly divorce.

After sharing my newly acquired economic recovery theory, she gently patted me on the shoulder and recommend that I attend the needs of a prospective customer. (The theory sounded so encouraging during the luncheon.)

The Hopeful

The Winner

Speaking of hope, at the Chamber raffle there be both winners and hopefuls. Actually, we all were winners for walked away with a full belly, and hope and knowledge of a new day. Oh yeah…at least it wasn’t raining!

suffering shadows on the wall

These suffering shadows are reflections of suffering owners. Individually these ladies are roughened and toughened and are made ready to perform as a team.

Sweat and Mo! Sweat!

A brief expression of joy

It should be noted, there were fleeting moments of joy….however briefly, but then back to work. Don’t be fooled, this sport is not for the plush at heart. These women train like there’s a real enemy because they have personal goals of being stellar team performers.

Eying for conformaity in the ranks

Brandy eyes for conformity in the ranks as she leads her fresh meat in drill.

Their next match is July 16th in Burlington at the Skagit Skate Deck (behind Fred Meyers). They’ll be battling it out with Rainy City out of Centrailia, WA.

Wanna learn more about the fantastic Whidbey Island Roller Girls?  Whidbey News Times ran an informative article a couple months back. http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/whidbey/wnt/news/116686134.html

Visit Whidbey Island Roller Girls online at:

http://www.whidbeyderby.com

Grilled Tilapia

Last month I spotted a roughened looking fella’ waving a sign, “Will work for food.” Times must be tough to openly beg for food me thought. On another level metaphorically and technically we all work for food. The litmus test: stop working and we will quickly descend to the bottom of the food chain. While cooling my heels at Coronet Bay, I noted a Hispanic family picnicking, grilling and fishing. I kindly asked if I could photograph their grilling tilapia (one of my favorite fish). They agreed and then one thing led to another and I was invited to feast. A mortal with many weaknesses, grilled tilapia topping the list, I accepted the dinner invitation and reciprocated by providing them with family photos. So yes, just like the man on the street, I discovered that I too will work for food.

The 3 Amigos

Originally from Mexico, via Vancouver, WA ., the family moved to Mt. Vernon three years ago. They prefer the bigger city convenience but graciously accept the opportunities of the local economy.

Elvis & Nephew

Angel

Glanced out of the corner of my eye and realized I had some serious competition. As it turns out Angel is an aspiring artist.

Elsa

Elsa, a tenth grader, favorite subject is math; however, she shies away from being labeled “smart.” After being reminded that smart people make the big money, she chimed that she’s going to a camp for the academically gifted soon.

Not wanting this to be a fishy story we feasted on rice, beans,  seasoned grilled beef or  la carne de vaca (meat of the cow), melon and salad. Add the special hot sauce and you’ll quickly realize this is not your dad’s happenstance moment at the grill. Four days later my digestive track still resonates with memories.

As the sun slipped down we grooved, ate, discovered, swapped stories about fulfilled and unfulfilled dreams, family, etc., you know the social stuff that keeps a nation united.

An adventure like this could happen anywhere U.S.A. but for me it happened while working for food here on Whidbey Island. Life is good!

Macy Entertains The Troops

Capturing the agility, speed and talent of young athletes is a storytelling art within itself. Here, Macy demonstrates the fine art of ball control.

Pentagons Practicing Ball Control

Going undercover enabled me to capture the Pentagons practicing their secret weapon: ball levitation. Remember these young men are trained professionals. There is a disclaimer: Don’t try this at home!

On my first newspaper job as a photojournalist, my boss insisted absolutely demanded that I not depend on a motor drive to capture action shots. Know the game and anticipate the next move was his MOA. So I practiced, practiced shooting an action figure right when he made the tag or precisely when she or he made the tie-breaking winning slam-dunk. It’s true film cameras were slower than today’s digital machine guns but if you place reliance on such rapid fire techniques the flash will over heat and shut down or your camera’s buffer will backup thus momentarily freezing the shutter.  A couple of decades later, I still place reliance on an old school standard to capturing fast paced events.

Meanwhile, during break time…life is not all work and no play. A benefit of being self-employed you can drift away and focus on other activities. Elizabeth pulled out a bubble maker and instantly became the Pied Piper of the park.

Pied Piper

Expose for the ambient, the cloud drama eventually became important, set the strobes to fill or to balance the shadows and shoot away. Exposed properly, right out of the camera, 90% of the time you’ll have a winning shot without hours of post-production. Knowing how blindly little kids, and adults, like to romp and play, two wireless speedlites were on mounted on the same light stand to conserve space. The rig proved to be heavy and vulnerable to stray soccer balls but WOW! What a difference external lighting makes. The two strobe setup used on all of these shots enabled me to freeze action and deliver well lit images.

Strobes Be Afraid...Very Afraid!

And where does our Living The NorthWest Dream adventure take us today? Deception Pass Tours & Outfitters and Funny Cone Ice Cream’s Grand Opening of course. The entire May 21^st weekend they were busy dipping free waffle ice cream cones in their new gift shop. The owners, Captain Bret and Tercia Taylor, recently purchased and converted the Deception Pass Café into a must see and experience Whidbey institution. They sell clothing apparel, souvenirs,  sweet treats, lattes, etc.. I think there were even a few bottles of high-class vino on the shelf.

Josh...The Man

Josh, an OHHS Junior, is known for his generous scoops of ice and excellent customer service. If you don’t have time to browse the shop, he’ll happily meet your needs around back at their convenient drive thru window.

Drive Through? Either way Josh has you covered.

Visitor Seeking Directions

Some folks will probably start their Deception Pass Tour adventure at the new shop while others might continue to acquire tickets on the other side of  Deception Pass Bridge at The Visitor Information Center. Either way you choose, you’ll still be greeted with warmth and generosity.

Le at Info Center

Once at Coronet Bay, aboard the Island Whaler, the real adventure begins. Captain Bret and crew will have you zooming across the waterways at top speed on their dynamic jet boat to the musical tune of ,“Highway to the danger zone.” Of course generous stops are made along the way to discuss and photograph wildlife, foul-life and marine life.

Captain Bret Zooms Us to the Danger Zone

Today, First Mate Ben, a wearer of many hats was on duty. Ben, a local high school junior, educates and entertains passengers with bits of local and seafaring stories. Of all his responsibilities, it’s rumored that he finds dispensing licorice sticks the most rewarding.

Ben: The Licorice Man

Ben doubles as the boat’s official photographer…among other duties. These photos are available for purchase back at the station.

Many Hats of Ben

If you read this post in time to capitalize on Sunday’s free ice cream and other discounted activities, it proves that you’re connected or you’re in the right space at the right time. If not, and you find your love ones screaming for ice cream, turn their frowns upside down, visit the website site for business hours and plan how you can get in on the best adventure of the season.

http://www.deceptionpasstours.com/ Call 888-909-TOUR for more information.

Single Man Canoe Race

Dominga Laura Lopez de Halter, maker of fine Guatemalan handcrafted jewelry, clothing accessories and textiles, proudly demonstrates her craft. Always with a gentle smile, she answers visitor’s questions while not missing a stitch with delicate fingers.

Swil Kanaim with his unique blend of storytelling and audience interaction, MC’ed  the Whale Wheel dedication. Obviously a master of many talents, he mesmerized the crowd with melodic violin music. Swil briefly shared the stage with his beautifully talented granddaughter. If you’re like my son and prefer the rich vibrant colors of the old wheel,  keep the faith for the original wheel will be donated to Island County Historical Museum located right up the street. So if you miss the old one you won’t have to travel far. The original had been in place since 1995.

Whale Wheel Dedication

Swil Kanaim Performs

Drumming Sprout

Okay some of the technical stuff… Most images were shot at a shutter speed of 1/125 to 1/800th a second. The 1/800 shutter speed darkened the background or added a little pop to an otherwise dull overcast sky. An off camera flash was used for all images except the montage. The goals with the violin player was get a spray of rim lighting around the nose and a splash of catch light on the dark of the glasses. Capturing the charm of Dominga Laura Lopez de Halter’s warm expression became easy once she started demonstrating her weaving. An off camera strobe to camera left accented the mask of her face.

Follow the Water Festival at:  http://www.penncovewaterfestival.com/history.php

Is it about the game or the food?

Being a non-sports fan I had to wonder was the adventure about the game or the food. The variety of food and the almost compulsive stuffing stunned me. It seems the spectators never stopped stuffing. It’s hard to believe we’re in the midst of a recession. Globs of it… touted about on shoulders, hoisted high in the air midst screams of roving vendors peddling everything form cold beer to cotton candy. Eating is a big business for the stadium. I per chanced spoke with one vendor on break, she said that money generated at their section helps finance her local church.

Regardless how you paint the picture...it's still about $$$$$$$.

At twenty dollar per ticket times 4 (average family size) plus food for the masses, in volumes, we’re looking at spending $200.00 easily. By the time you add parking, food and admission you’ll quickly discover this spectator sport is not a poor man’s activity. Don’t forget the gas!

America! Home of headsize Pretzels

If this was the McCarthy Era, I’d be at risk for having the Navy Seal Team storm my house for speaking out again Mom, baseball and apple pie but what happened to the good old days of a 25 cent hot dog!  I know I’m ruining the spirit of the sport but there’s got to be an armchair version.

Mo Money

For those following my work, you know that as a diversified shooter I’m always willing to kick it to the next level. After shooting a couple of recent fashion shows I felt I had gained enough experience to take on a big city show. When I heard that Skagit Farmers was hosting a fashion I quickly gathered up my son and my gear and headed out on assignment. I know, my son grumbled the same question, “Are they paying us Dad?” Okay, up front, for you photographer wannabes, you’re not going to make any money being a fashion show photographer…the market is too saturated and everybody is good. But if you want to capture some of the thrills and chills of an Oak Harbor Monday night…get your hopes up and keep practicing.

Oh, the problems I encountered. The setting sun blasted the models in the face creating specular highlights and squinting. Makeshift runways…I wonder if famous New York City photographers have to tolerate such standards.

There was no shortage of frills and chills in Oak Harbor town. The winners won big. Hundreds of dollars in prizes were raffled off. Gifts were literally flying through the air.  Everyone walked away with a smile on their face. Guest were later invited in for a special shopping spree.

My son won a gift bag full of doggie care products and we don’t even have a have a dog! Feels good to be a genuine sweepstakes winner! Thank you Skagit Farmers for planting the seed.

No shortage of stones

Sounds of children’s laughter filled the streets, echoed off shop walls and floated across the waterways. Those abroad knew that joy had returned to the streets of Pioneer. Even though the 3 second rule couldn’t be invoked with dropped ice cream or hotdogs, neither the kids nor the food vendors seemed to mind. Everyone seemed content with just having fun.  The weather has been so bad lately; many just tuned out the gravel pavement and sought the spontaneous joy of the moment. They seemed happy just to be outdoors in a festive environment.

Remember…there is no 3 second rule in the pit!

Reminded of the Days of Yore

Change Will Come

Midst all the activities, festivities and good eats, perhaps the construction wasn’t as noticeable. After all, stray balloons could still be seen drifting off into yonder followed cries of angry tots. Carnival screams still rose and faded with the wind.

Loose rubble, dirt roads, rocks that won’t budge, all originated in dust. One creation theorist believes man originates in dust and thus one day will return. Even the biblical Job said that man comes from dust…”as the sparks fly forth.”

Perhaps we should thank the organizers for reacquainting us with our progenitors!

It was twenty minutes prior to the second show and I needed a different look or feel. A SB900 was mounted on a FlexTT5 and placed off at camera left and another unit placed in the background and focused mid-stage.  The second wireless strobe was zoomed to 200 mm to focus the beam. The goal was to get some separation from the dark background or black curtain. Our warrior hit the predetermined sweet spot, turned, sneered, drew his sword shielding his eyes while discerning the strength of the enemy and was off to battle. One second and it was all over. One shot did it.  I should add that I sent two test burst to the strobe at camera left hoping to get our warrior’s attention. Once he took the bait, I nailed the shot.

This image reflects the small town-ness of a local college community. The tired child in the corner hugs her teddy and has a pacifier.  Clearly, it’s way past her bedtime; yet, she must endure because a family member is a participant. In defiance, she turns her back to the stage and places her hand over her ear and renders the whole event a dream.

Same setup as before but only the flash at camera left was panned right to give fettered or softened light to the little girl. Worked up a sweat on this image because I had to run across the room pan speedlite #2. The black background was actually useful in this scenario because it brings all attention to the model on stage. Who is dreaming who…is the question?

Okay final shot…

The biggest challenge in any show is to pre-figure the whole thing out. With on location shooting, there’s is very little time to practice nor room for error. According to Murphy, equipment and situation will fail you. Teamwork is a blessing. The popup flash was set to stun. The video hot light was redirected and fettered. This is a staged shot because we wanted a clean image for the tech’s portfolio. F/2.8 minimized the background just enough to soften the scaffolding. The watch emphasized that timing is always an issue. The touching of the hands shows the importance of intimate teamwork…an absolute on location.

I had an opportunity to take some pet photos under very challenging conditions. With the ambient light quickly fading and cold wind driven rain nipping at  my back, my window of opportunity was quickly fading. I interrupted Trap’s Frisbee workout hoping to capture a few good images before giving way to the elements.  Even though I thought I had the logistic all figured out, pets, like small children, have a mind of their own. Only during the last ten minutes of shooting were we all were able to work as a team.

The goal was to freeze Trap midflight while he caught his Frisbee. The flash was taken off camera and fired remotely to minimize the equivalent of animal redeye reflex.  You may have seen pictures of animals taken with an on camera or popup type flash; the eyes are transformed into glowing bulging orbs and are often times off colored. Just think of a deer in the headlights and you’ve envisioned the perfect picture…actually the not so perfect picture. Side lighting with a flash also brought out the luster of Trap’s coat and demonstrated the strain of muscularity as he lunged forward. Since this was an action shot, TTL lighting was used. TTL lighting is computed by the flash so it’s not always as accurate or consistent as a manual flash reading that’s why pre-session planning is so important. Anyway, I promised to leave out the goring details.

Overcoming elemental conditions was our biggest challenge and as with all sessions location can make or break a quality photo. First let’s talk weather. You know the old adage : “ Everybody’s talking about it but can’t do anything about it.” The likelihood of weather operating in one’s favor is rare. Preparation right up to the moment of the session became important and all the lighting was prefigured. It seemed best after surveying the lay-of-the-land to encourage Trap to be on the hill and then shoot skyward. Knowing that he would be backlit, the off camera flash’s head zoom was set to maximum zoom, in this case 200 mm. Relying on shutter priority, in this case a shutter speed of 500 and 1000, enabled me to freeze Trap midflight. We also wanted Trap away from the building but wind and tide and operator error are often uncontrollable variables.

Because of the high F/stop and lack of sunlight, the ASA or film speed was bumped to 400 and eventually 800 ASA. Of course all this bumping up occasionally caused the aperture to drop to f/2.8, therefore minimizing depth of field. As you know once the DOF drops, things fall out of focus quickly.

Since most of the technical issues were met at the time of the shoot, time spent behind the computer fixing things was minimal. The color temperature was bumped to warm the original dull gray environment. In some cases fill light and even the exposure compensation was adjusted. Adjustments are often required when sessions are recorded on location, especially when dealing with the inconsistencies of the TTL lighting. In studio most variable can be controlled and thus accounted for but once on location, even with the best of planning, digital life is not so predictable.

Even the youngest dogs can’t run forever and by the time I figured out all the logistics, camera angles, light settings, Trap and I both were ready to rest our paws after a very challenging session.

Let’s look at Thursday, March 18^th, St Patrick’s Day. Being St. Patrick’s Day finding a green thingy was important before venturing out. Organizing the day planner is essential to conserving time, money and resources. Once organized, it’s important to load all recent photographic events into the smart phone or visual display device. You never know who you might bump into during the day. The third Thursday of every month is the Oak Harbor Chamber Luncheon. The Elks Lodge is well lit so I can shoot at a high camera speed and not have to rely on a flash but I cram a miniature strobe and remote trigger in my pocket as a backup. It’s important to get some images of the guest speaker and event sponsor making an impactful memorable delivery. Unfortunately, this is not always easy. Most speakers stay glued behind the podium on stage with just their heads barely visible. There are many ways to deliver a visual storyline. Now taking a series of images and later creating a photo merge seems to be the right idea.

Networking time…a wedding client approached me about last weekend’s wedding. Knowing that pictures can conserve a thousand words in this business, I yank out the smartphone and show him a blog filled with images and a pretty impressive image of his family. He also received an email reminding him where the images are located making ordering and viewing more convenient.

Kids are under underarm now so we press on to Oak Harbor’s 38th Annual St Patrick’s Day Parade. Squeezing my eyes against the backlit sun, I strain to identify who is waving from the Crab Queens Mobile. Behold, two are customers. One I’ve been messaging for the last month or so. The other was my second commercial client upon arriving on Whidbey. Emailing shots of this team is highly important. Another family reunion client with his son wave me over from a distance but I don’t give them the smartphone treatment. Dad was reminded that the webhosting and thus images availability was expiring soon. He smiles and nods reminding me how busy they’ve been. They’ll receive a couple branded email images of today’s events.

Where The Crab Queens Roam

Closing the loop on Chamber Day, we press onward to Business After Hours at Island Medical Spa in Coupeville. I break out a new battery pack and change cameras. Most of these networking events are in tight quarters so a wide angle lens with a kicker of flash is required to freeze the action.

Networking, handshaking and supporting hosting business activities is an absolute  necessity in any type of business.

Time for the smartphone again. A local editor has his son. We did a session a basketball session a month ago and neither he nor his son has had an opportunity to view the images. During our chatting and scrolling another person commented on the dramatic colors in the sky. A few minutes was spent explaining how to convert a ho-hum sky into dramatic background, while still properly exposing  and freezing a basketball player in midair. Our humble threesome had now blossomed into a group of six impressed viewers and listeners.  They’ll receive emails.

“I see you’re a photographer,” an eloquent lady in black commented later. “Occasionally I need photos for my client’s projects.” She doesn’t get the standard smartphone treatment rather we cruise to her business site while discussing her business needs and marketing plan. She’s already a Facebook friend our little meeting gives us an opportunity to place a face with a name. While cruising the site I see there’s a need for an updated business portrait…we’ll talk turkey another day. Also noticed my company is listed but the address is wrong.

There’s a creative side that yearns for expression. The flash goes off and just the ambient light is metered. Relaxing my posed studio style, even an occasional photo-journalistic images slips through.

So what are the kids doing the midst of working and social chat? Fortunately, the weather was Spring time perfect enough so they were able run around without complaining of being bored or cold. Also nothing breakable was in range. Quick pizza on the way in so at home we can finish the homework, shower and move toward a 9 pm bedtime. Also added some business cards to the community bulletin board while at the pizza restaurant.

All this makes for a long day. Once back in the office, the digital files need organizing and then there’s the dreaded postproduction. Cameras are zeroed and batteries placed in chargers in anticipation of another adventure. The goal is reinforce the trail of visual impressions made along the way so all gathered emails are grouped and contacts reaffirmed. Of course I should add somewhere between dusk and dawn the new faces need to added to Facebook and other social media stuff. Will these contacts convert to clients? We can only wish. Our highest hope is that you’ll be brought into remembrance when there is a photographic need. I wish I had kept the secure 9-5 government job. Whew!

Times slips by so quickly and I daily need reminders about what’s really important in life. I’m already two months into the New Year and still struggling to keep my resolutions. As I juggle the finances, family and a hectic schedule, I need to pause and reaffirm my priorities and moment by moment be reminded not to worship the coin; nor, the human image inscribed on the coin; but rather, the Creator of all is to be reverenced. In God We Trust…you bet! Thanks son for a life-lesson.

Frosty Morn at Hummingbird

Day starts early on Hummingbird Farm. Midst the frost and early light of morn, even before then, you’ll find the crew hard at work preparing for the big day. What is the big day out on the farm? Why pet pictures with Santa in support of FETCH! (Free Exercise Time for Canines and Humans!). Local pet vendors representing all aspect of the pet industry were available to greet, educate and provide unique products and services.

Pet owners came from as far as Greenbank to have their love ones photographed. By mid morn the air was filled with joyful barks, purrs and casual chatter. Smiles and wagging tails abound as vendors and owners swapped tales of adventure and care tips.

Charity Demonstrates Tooth Brushing

Of course, Lorijean Spears knows how to stage a sale. The aroma of her simmering homebrewed hot apple cider and legendary mouth-watering muffins blessed all sensual creatures. All in all it was a picture perfect Saturday, literally, out on the farm.

Spears Family

Lee Spear presents a fundraiser check to Laura Jean Krueger and Paul Taylor both on the Board of Directors for FETCH!

Sunset Twilights a Busy Day at Hummingbird Farm

Day ends down at the farm but not before all accounts are paid and the stage is reset for tomorrow. Farm work, just like any other small business, is 24/7.

Best Food on this side of the bridge

As demonstrated here being a volunteer is no easy task . Sometimes you have to dig in and get your hands, and clothes dirty. Often you wear many hats.

Donations Gladly Accepted

This may be an Elk’s Lodge bar and pool area by night; but for the moment, this area serves as the command center for pickups and deliveries. Workers busily prepare meals for holiday feasters that’s couldn’t make it in to the Elks.

Telephone ringing off the hook with request

Two meals To-Go for the navy base

Dan explains where the meat comes from

Dan Terrel takes us behind the scenes as he explains to Kirssie the Clown and Skip how the meat gets to the serving line. “No easy deal here” Dan reminds us. It takes hours of behind the scenes volunteer hours. Dan has been volunteering for years here and doesn’t mind rolling up his sleeves in support of a worthy cause.

Of course not all the greasy labor takes place around back. There are plenty of opportunities to make your mark indoors. Tarps were spread all over to keep the lodge grease free.

Lionel Peoples at the Blade

Mr. Lionel Peoples was always good with a knife but today he proved exceptional behind the blade, whittling away meat even to the marrow.

Even Wally the clown took his job seriously. Randy was a roving PA System busily directing traffic, finding homes for lost gloves, car keys, announcing that car lights were left on.  He even felt called to manage crowd control in the bottlenecked sign- in area.

Roving Desert Crew

My family has volunteered for four years so far. Most of this time was spent cleaning tables or passing dessert. This year my son was promoted and given his own dessert run. He minimizes his efforts but I think it’s a great thing to learn what goes into the cycle of giving and receiving. He even brought best friend along and immediately put him to work.

The Big Promotion

While we probably didn’t exceed the goal of feeding 5,000, according to Skip, a volunteer organizers, the takeout and delivery portion of the service was booming.

No room for slackers behind these walls. Today everyone was functioning at ultra rápido speed to keep their customer-neighbors fed. Even though the dessert team was my favorite, midst the gamut of volunteers everyone worked equally as hard to make this year’s Community Thanksgiving Dinner a tremendous success.

What goes into the makings of today’s newspaperman? Our man Nathan Whalen is the Whidbey News standard.

Nathan accepts gift basket of persimmons from Edna

Nathan accepts thank you gift basket of persimmons from WICC member Edna Henderson. Thank you Nathan for supporting WICC. You will always be our honored guest.

Old Man IV at NAS Whidbey Marina

Our Vessel

This award winning wooden boat has served as the Commander of the Navy Region Northwest’s personal boat since entering naval service back in ‘57. Nowadays, the boat also doubles a ceremonial vessel.

If you Google Old Man IV you won’t find much. Fortunately, I was able to glean a little insight about the wooden vessel’s history, tradition, construction and local waterways Tuesday afternoon during a 2 ½  hour cruise. I also found a couple of informative links that will help me not retell its whole story.

http://olyblog.net/dont-forget-get-down-see-old-man-iv-during-lakefair

http://web.soundpublishing.com/index.php/navigator/region/old_man_iv_serving_navy_for_51_years/

Mt. Baker in the Wake

Our Settings

Starting at the Sea Plane Base, we set a course north by northwest toward Martha’s Bay which is located at the inlet leading to the narrowed and slightly turbulent mouth of Swinomish Channel. The city of La Connor with Rainbow Bridge would be starboard and the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (reservation) would be portside.  It’s a point where two great waters rush together and as one would expect there is often notable turbulence and a need for a heightened sense of alertness.

The Story

Our twin diesel engines growled awake. A mixture diesel fumes and sea spray fills the air as the wind direction changes. Mates clear their throats and seek comforting conversation. The boat jerks forward slightly and we’re underway. The twin diesels quickly reach its optimal 15 knot cursing speed. Glasslike waters lay forward and a demanding view of Mt. Baker lay in our churned wake, while cloudless skies reassure us overhead. All in all, it is a postcard perfect cruise. Storytellers chime the history and present day significance of the beautiful Skagit Bay. Harbor seals occasionally float to the surface but quickly submerge. Screeching eagles poetically float overhead and waterfowl skim the smooth waterway while our local historians explain the manmade architect nestled in the cliffs and landmarks jotting the waterways.

Entering the mouth of Swinomish Inlet, we are gently tossed to and fro dodging the swirls of eddies and swollen cannon size logs. Unlike fiberglass buoys, our vessel, a fifty-three year old marriage of Alaskan yellow cedar, teak, mahogany and fir, maneuvers the trouble waters with predictable confidence.

We emerge beyond the mixing currents, where two waters struggle, for a brief but distant glimpse of Rainbow Bridge. Always careful of our wake, the boat performs a modified power turn and heads home. Five minutes out we lose power to the helm and the bow immediately flattens in the water. Stopping for a seal sighting or explicit narration? Not this time. The boat’s captain shouts out commands and the crew scrambles to troubleshoot the diesels. It became very apparent that this was not a drill!

Oh, the troubled thoughts of what the national headlines would read… “Boat full of Oak Harbor chaplains lost at sea!”  Without a spiritual backbone; perhaps, our esteemed Oak Harbor would surely fall to a Sodom and Gommorish plume of darkness that forever barks at the heels of civil American societies.

Literally, no time to worry; however, the crew, a team of well drilled professionals, moved from problem to solution restoring the engines in record time.

Once underway, it was realized that a combination of the prayers of the saints and sharp minds and lightening reflexes of a well-trained crew averted danger.  Vintage wooden boats don’t exactly come with an operator’s manuals stuffed in the glove compartment nor can you download a how-to-guide from the internet. Knowledge of such a unique vessel is passed down from shipmate to shipmate and is reinforced by old fashion on the job training. The crew is responsible for all maintenance aboard ship and must study  it inside and out. This sense of constant drilling and intimate knowledge came in handy. In the process of fuel transfer; apparently, suction was lost preventing fuel transfer from the aft to the forward tank. So technically… we ran outta gas.

Crew and Precious Cargo

We are grateful for a crew that demonstrated the highest level of professionalism, reassurance and comfort midst a crisis. QMC Mike Eaton, BM1 Seachord and EN2 Cardwell are truly the navy’s finest.

Thank you Rear Admiral Douglass T. Biesel, United States Navy ,Commander, Navy Region Northwest for allowing NAS Whidbey and the clergy of Oak Harbor the use of your fine boat.

One night the movie truck got snowed in so we had no movie. The troops hissed when the CO, a communications major, volunteered his aged copy of Gone With The Wind. In a closing scene Scarlett O’Hara dramatically rose from the earth, held her fist toward heaven and declared, “As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again .” Inwardly, I cried. In a crowd of 100 plus rowdies and a houseboy, you could hear a pin drop. That night I joined forces with Scarlett’s vow to rid my human experience of impoverishment.

America

After leaving the service, I used the GI bill for schooling by night and worked odd jobs by day for years before getting higher skills. I am grateful for life’s earlier experiences. Without the military trials, and Scarlet’s inspirational vow, I would not have set higher goals. I might be a coincidental vet but I’m proud to be a veteran! God bless America, her troops and the families that serve.

Mike Watching Dirt Girl World

The show is very British, actually Australian, and very animated with little cartoon characters and colorful graphics. This week my son was struggling with cold symptoms. He refused to eat or drink so I downloaded a couple of his favorite tunes, immediately he was his old self again. Once restored, the songs and be-bopping little stories gave both my son and I a good workout.

I know what you’re thinking…how does this Aussie programming fit into the NorthWest Dream theme? Well, friends when the weather changes we occasionally need encouragement to face the elements. Often a little kick in the pants is needed to, like the song goes, to go outside and Get Grubby!

]]> http://blogs.southwhidbeyrecord.com/northwestdream/grubby/663/feed/ 0 http://blogs.southwhidbeyrecord.com/northwestdream/night-italy-big-shew/632/ http://blogs.southwhidbeyrecord.com/northwestdream/night-italy-big-shew/632/#comments Sun, 24 Oct 2010 01:50:33 +0000 John Pendleton http://blogs.southwhidbeyrecord.com/northwestdream/?p=632 So many talented people. I felt like Ed Sullivan in their midst of this “really big shew.” Friday evening at Coupeville’s Pacific Northwest Art School will be the talk of the town for quite a spell. Midst the Chianti and celebration, a lot of talented people gathered to celebrate the Opening Night of “A Night In Italy” and the demonstration/lecture Golden Lecture:  Innovations in Acrylic by Barbara DePirro.

Sue Symons Shares Tales of Adventure

The painting exhibition showcased the work of instructors and students who attended the Art Expedition in Umbria, Italy back in May.  We had crackers, cheese, meats and other little authentic Italian spreads that looked and tasted yummy on crackers. The artist had us on the edge of our seats with exciting tales of their enchanted Umbria adventures.

If fancy wine, exotic victuals and inspired conversations wasn’t enough, there were door prizes. A couple of folks wore costumes or a mask, as suggested on the announcements, and thus walked away with a Ruth Bernhard notecard collection of Nudes.

In the very next room painter, sculptor, installation artist, educator, Barbara DePirro gave a lecture/ demonstration entitled Golden Lecture:  Innnovations in Acrylic.

Don’t fret is you missed Friday’s happenings. Unfortunately the Golden Lecture was a shot deal but the “A Night In Italy” exhibition will remain up until November 10. I’d move quickly because as you know time and Chianti waits for no mortal.

James Moore celebrates the sale of a featured piece

Time and Chianti waits for no mortal

Candidates included; Congress: Rick Larsen and John Koster;  State Representative: Norma Smith and Laura Lewis; Thomas Riggs and Barbara Baily; County Commissioner: John Dean and Kelly Emerson.  (Hope I didn’t miss anyone for I do want to be politically correct.)

Alaska USA Mortgage Company October 2010 Business of the Month

By the way, ccongratulations to Alaska USA Mortgage Company our October 2010 Business of the Month! Special thanks our October Luncheon sponsor New Leaf, Inc.

Food Delivery

Home Place

You’re invited to drop in, explore, eat, collect samples and make merry. It’s a perfect opportunity to get in touch with your local business community. As the old adage goes, it don’t cost you nothing.

For more info visit online at : www.islandcountyeconomicdevelopmentcouncil.net

Despite a slight drizzle, spirits remained high as we set adrift on our Deception Pass Tour. The water was smooth and but the visibility rather limited. But we got a great view of the Pass and Bridge under fog.

We had several sightings of seagulls, harbors seals and herons. Remember without light, visual life becomes a gray scale. So what can you expect to see on such a foggy misty day besides fog and lots of it? You might have to squint but if you look closely enough you’ll see the subtle beauty of the Pass. Harbor seal lay resting on the rocks. Sea gulls and herons fed among the kelp. The animal life is still out there but you have to retrain your eyes to catch these subtle nuisances. The bridge is there but under the cloak of mist. Under fog, it becomes more of a poetic passage.

Canoe Pass

You might walk away unfilled. As stated in previous writings, Deception Pass is not a static environment or a controlled Disney or IMAX experience but rather a real-time in-your-face nature expedition. You can witness nature at its best and worse all within the scope of a couple of hours. So if you feel you didn’t get your money’s worth come back after lunch. Disney or IMAX can’t guarantee a varied experience.

Over the Shoulder Shot of Deception Pass Bridge

]]> http://blogs.southwhidbeyrecord.com/northwestdream/decption-pass-misty-day/577/feed/ 1 http://blogs.southwhidbeyrecord.com/northwestdream/lifting-standard/549/ http://blogs.southwhidbeyrecord.com/northwestdream/lifting-standard/549/#comments Sun, 19 Sep 2010 02:42:20 +0000 John Pendleton http://blogs.southwhidbeyrecord.com/northwestdream/?p=549 A recent experience reminded me to always seek and apply the higher standard. A friend needed prints made from a set of glass negatives. First, I scanned the images on a flatbed and got reasonable results. Next, I spent hours in post-production getting rid of dust spots, fungal spirals, and correcting general evidence of deterioration.  Other photographic work poured in demanding priority and my promised time of a couple of days had now turned into a couple of weeks. I worked the other jobs in the foreground while tweaking these files in the background.

Regardless of all the blog research and applying magical techniques, the final files were sill soft and substandard. Dark muddy shadows, blown out highlights and unidentifiable facial features all pointed to a faulty scan. A devilish whisper was encouraging me to present the images as is and take the money and run; after all, the glass negatives had to be more than sixty years old. What was the expectation? And plus, I had already invested countless unbillable hours. However tempting the chant, I knew that turning out less than adequate work was not an option.

A higher thought beamed as if a directive from heaven. Why should a school trained professional with years of practical experience publish amateur like results? And why should I entice my client into believing in and accepting substandard work? Putting myself in my client’s position, would I be happy with such results even though they were old negatives? I was entrusted with more than old negatives but rather with precious memories. These images were important to my clients and I had an obligation to produce reasonable fruitage.

Finally, all selfish thoughts drained and empowered by higher directives, I threw the faulty images into the trash and started from square one.

I loaded my best camera, sharpest telephoto lens, tripod, light meter and light box and set out to mix experience with experimentation.  After placing the negatives on the light box, a light meter was used to assess the light passing through the negative. This reading became a base exposure. I then bracketed for best exposure. After capturing the image digitally, I selected the best exposure and made minor adjustments in Camera RAW. Probably spent about ½ hour per slide removing dust, fungal creep and making tonal adjustments and voilà’ – a product to be proud of.

Delivering the final prints was a refreshing experience. The family spoke highly of the reproduction quality and spoke softly while detailing the history of each image. Even though given the wrong images to copy, the owner gladly paid for the work already done and requested that prints be made from another set of glass negatives.

This is more than a technique summary but rather a defining moment that gave me an opportunity to strive for a higher more gratifying standard. Less than 24 hours after delivery, I received an ASAP request for another totally unrelated copy job. Because my skills were horned, I was able to turn this more challenging job around in less than two hours.

I believe as we lift our standard for perfection, more opportunity and supply will flow into our human experiences. It sounds mystical and metaphysical but I’m willing to try this theory and examine the fruitage.

Gateway to Military Appreciation

A single troublesome cloud hung over to observe the festivities but it was quickly dispersed by chuckles and laughter of fun-loving children and grateful parents. There was even a clown on hand to chase any residual blues away…blue attitudes of course but not the blue skies. Speaking of blues the music was strictly rock and roll.

Troublesome Cloud

Military Appreciation, Nothing to Clown Around About

Plenty of Drink

Well how do I end the story? The 3 bouncy houses rocked with joy. The family games and activities kept everyone properly entertainment. Hot dogs, pulled pork, chips, cake and ice cream enabled all to be round and sleepy eyed. Our local fire department was on hand measuring and giving away free children helmets.

Thanks to All who helped create this splendid Whidbey memory sort of day. A special thanks is extended to our military. Without them we wouldn’t be enjoying such freedoms.

The grand finale’ wasn’t as brilliant as expected. Disappointed by the subtle sunset, everyone, just as quickly as they came, were gone. Minutes later the beach was again quiet. Almost everyone… A hooded man dressed in an old army jacket approached from the northern shadows, and from a distance, complemented my lens. “Must be disappointing for you,” he said. “Nice lens…must’ve cost you a bundle.”

I nodded. “Challenged but not disappointed,” I replied.

He smiled. His teeth were blackened and face roughened and unshaven. He tightened his hood about his face. “Rain clouds blowing in hard and quick from the north,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. “Better get home ahead of ‘em.” He spat in the sand mumbling and cursing island life. We nodded and with soft light on his back, he too was gone.

Alone finally, the time of reckoning had come. Time to turn the trite or unseen into a vacation to be desired type portrait. Just like Ansell Adams, I must transform this subjective reality into visual art. What Adams saw and what he transformed his images into were light years apart. Adams spent hours in the darkroom burning and dodging to eventually create only one print.

West Beach Post Sunset

Having the right tools at hand, I quickly stabilized my tripod in the shifting sand and slowed my shutter speed to blur the waves. Previsualizing what I wanted, I selected shutter speeds and f/stops to match my intended mood. It rained the next day just like the stranger had forecasted. Actually it poured for two days straight and then that too was gone. No mumbling or cursing on my part because I learned long ago to make the best of Island life. Just like Ansell Adams, I take the trite and transform it into panoply of art.

John Rose started crafting unique pieces of art out of shells, driftwood and discarded jewelry. When asked the name of his collections he chuckled and responded, “What do you see collection.”  John let out his hardy trademark laugh after I suggested naming his collection Would-Be Art. Regardless of the chosen name, John’s unique brand of story or talking sticks speaks for itself and requires very little human labeling.

The Happy Fish

A Denver native, John migrated to Whidbey Island, by way of Vancouver, WA almost two years to be with his friends. He needed a more relaxed atmosphere to regain his health and peace. Most of his pieces are donated by friends or friends of friends. John said people often pick up pieces of drift wood or shells during walks along the beach, but quickly tire of them and pass them along to him. John especially encourages recycling of Whidbey drift wood.

The pieces are meticulously selected and formed into a storyboard that reveals John’s pilgrimage. Often John resorts to buying the right pieces to bring the story to fruition. Years of being a drummer in the pow-wow circuit, John has learned that his is mission and art are intertwined. Many Native Americans have left lasting impressions of him and thus influenced his craft.

Would Be Art

John worked as a production worker for years and sees the death in turning out pieces just for the sake of it. He became serious about his craft after a friend from Purple Moon encouraged him to make a jewelry display rack to hang woman’s jewelry.

John's Treasure Chest

John would like to go retail but admitted that the dustier pieces, on the mantle, have been dear friends for so long that he would have a hard time parting with them. He still would like for people to get to know him through his work. Hopefully, next spring he’ll have enough pieces to go retail; but in the meantime, it’s back to creating more Would-Be Art.

John Rose : The Man

John holds a gnarly head.jpg

Success is not an overnight thing according to Connie. She left southern California twenty some years ago in pursuit of a better life for her family. Every season presents a new demand which must be dealt with. Connie never actually planned to enter to the wedding business but always had a genuine love for people and enjoyed the idea of making people happy. Trained as an interior decorator, she has spent most of her adult life either as a real estate broker or real estate investor. She acquired The Grand Willow eight years ago in a foreclosure settlement and quickly set about gutting and remodeling The Grand Willow to its present day standard. If you have an adventurous heart, visit The Grand Willow Inn’s Facebook page and view the remarkable 2million$$ Later before and after photos.

The Grand Willow 2001

The Grand Willow Today

Connie said The Grand Willow is for the discerning seeker and that it is not uncommon to redirect a client elsewhere where their needs may be better served.  Compared to the local competition, The Grand Willow is reasonably priced and the service is unmatchable. It’s not always about money with Connie. The client must have a value experience; otherwise, the whole dream wedding experience becomes meaningless.

The Grand Willow’s onsite wedding coordinator impressed me the most. Often I meet brides who have no idea who is going to manage the flow and assume things are going to magically fall into place. Even though The Grand Willow’s wedding coordinator was technically not on the clock, sensing the wedding party’s inability to make critical decisions, the coordinator quickly intervened, quietly took charge, called the shots and instantly restored harmony.  I should add that this particular wedding was a “bare essentials” package which did not include a wedding coordinator. Most of Connie’s weddings, for the past 6 1/2 years, have included a coordinator. Clients naturally gravitate toward the all-inclusive packages because they prefer being responsibility free on their special day.

Bird's Eyeview of Ceremony

The grounds are spacious enough to accommodate gracious outdoor planning and in case of inclement weather activities can quickly shift indoors with yet room to spare. Reflecting on my own Northwest experience, I learned that having access to an indoor facility is wise planning. Three years ago I received an email from a bride describing her miseries.  ” While I’m grateful to all who made our day special, weather wise,  it was the worst day of my life.”

Many do-it-yourselfers are sticker stricken after renting canopies, chairs, eating ware, making sure all provisions are met, renting outdoor toileting facilities.  Add up all expenses, and the stress of it all, you’re probably looking at more than what you’d pay The Grand Willow Inn. Let’s digress; speaking of porta potties, even from a man’s point of view, nothing beats indoor plumbing. Even in the cool of the Northwest, porta potties can get hot and suffocating. You’ve spent at least a thousand so far, do you want to subject your eloquent best dressed guest or squeeze the bride into a claustrophobic experience.  The bathrooms at the Grand Willow are not only indoors but the Bride has her own with a large soaking tub. The guest bathrooms are very nice also.

Point made I’m sure, now let us move on to less practical matters such as fun. With all practical matters settled, guests are greeted and the ceremony flows seamlessly .  The ringing and I-Dos are exchanged. The Pianist strikes the keys and the rest of the evening is a blur of fellowship, dancing and promises to stay in touch.  The best man wheels the honey moon machine around front for a celebrated departure. Rose petals fill the air as the bride and groom give one last kiss for the camera. Vendors weep inwardly, knowing that harmony reigns in the great Northwest because another family trusted The Grand Willow to facilitate their event.

Living the Dream

Enhance your experience

It’s not about making money. It’s about making a commitment to ensure your client has a valuable memorable experience. Was this just talk? No, last year she proved the experience for herself. What really reassured Connie that she’s on the right track? Connie admitted, weddings can be expensive. Was it worth spending all the time, money and energy on a wedding…a one-time deal that’s over in a blink of an eye?

Reception Area

Last year Connie had an opportunity to prove the validity of her beliefs and business practices. Her son announced that he was getting married. Rather than elope or elect a civil ceremony her son chose to be married on the property. Connie went all the way out as far as expenses and provisions. Family and friends visiting from as far away as California and Texas were afforded the very best quality and professionalism a wedding venue could provide. The experience not only proved worthwhile, Connie had measurable results. All the guest and family had a wonderful time. She didn’t mind paying the associated wedding bills because she had a memorable experience which validated her love for family and friends. She was able to demonstrate proof of her validity and still beams with excitement today as she retells the story. Confident that she had chosen the right vocation, she moves forward continually revising her marketing plan.

Combined with in-house wedding coordinator and catering at competitive prices, a client can’t ask for a better experience. Connie has unmatched zeal for her calling. She’s goes beneath the surface to ensure that each client is a perfect fit for The Grand Willow and that they’ll have the most enchanting carefree experience of your life. Get to know Connie through her work and philosophy you won’t regret the adventure…I didn’t.

View through Gazebo

Last minute update…The Grand Willlow Inn has been nominated again this year for King 5 Evening Magazine’s Best of Western Washington.  If you’re familiar with their services show your support by clicking http://ctvr.us/thegrand1 . They were #5 in the top 5 last year, it would be awesome to be #1.

WICC’s meetings start with a casual roll call, followed by a fifteen minute class or presentation and a five minute Q&A.  Class topics vary from How to Define a Black & White Image to Professional Insurance Liabilities. Since we live in an opinionated world, some of the Q&A sessions have gotten quite heated. The rest of the time is dedicated to image review and critique. Presentations are theme oriented so watch your local paper for topic choice of the month. Guest and members are HIGHLY encouraged to email three images in advance to facilitate this process. Images are projected and opened to a gentle group discussion.

WICC is more than a meeting of photo geeks. They have a range of talent from amateurs to professionals. Some members still dabble in film photography while others are still searching for the right digital camera. Members are involved in sales and promotional activities in the local community. Samples of work can occasionally be seen at Oak Harbor Senior Center and at the Oak Harbor Branch of Sno-Isle Libraries.

WICC shares a reciprocal agreement with the Skagit Valley Camera Club and members can often be seen co-sponsoring or supporting shared events.

WICC includes the technical, the business as well as the social. They have an annual picnic at Rocky Point in late August; and an anniversary potluck gala in January. Both of these family events are open to the public.

In June WICC opened its Earth Sanctuary trip to the general public. They had record participation. Earth Sanctuary generously offered a group rate. July the club provided photo coverage for the Deception Pass Bridge 75^th Anniversary celebration. Yes and to stay hip with the times, WICC can be found on Facebook. As you can see WICC offers many opportunities to become involved and strut your talents. Of course you can choose to not be so involved and just meet, greet and foster new relationships. It’s all GOOD and you’re invited to become part of the WICC family.

Want to find out more about this very exciting eclectic community or get on their newsletter list? Showing up for the next meeting is the best way to get connected but in the meantime email absolutescience@hotmail.com for more info.

Speaking of family… I met a family that’s taking their dream on the road. Tammy and Matt of Rockin Ryno Airbrush Tattoo just started their dream business two weeks ago and already they’re out demonstrating their talents publically. Matt works in a woodshop and Tammy in a dental office. They offered free tattoos with the hope that they can generate some business leads.

Tammy of Rockin Ryno Airbrush Tattoo struttin' her batwings.

While not the tattoo type, I did choose a stylish green and red gecko tattoo that matched my white and brown island shirt. Tammy said that I looked cool and would fit right in at the breakdancing competition, my next assignment.

Dr. John takes a break

It’s not all play at these street fairs. It requires a lot of physical and mental stamina. Fortunately, the sky was sunny and the winds were minimal. Dr. John of Orcas Island Sourdough Bakers has been working the circuits for years and he knows when a little siesta is needed.

I enjoy these local events. Mingling with my community gives me an opportunity to learn about people’s dreams…what drives them to take their craft on the road.

As mentioned earlier, being a vendor is hard work requiring a lot of behind the scene preparation and often your rent money. You have to be thick-skinned and not yield easily to discouragement.   It is worth it? Ask the next vendor you meet and shoot me a comment.

The People

Miles Hartt, coordinator

Saturday evening, breakdancing crews from all over converged at North Whidbey Middle School for the first annual “Backpack Throw-down.” Miles Hartt was the mastermind behind this fundraising attempt to raise money for kids returning to school who can’t afford back-to-school supplies. Judging  from the size of the crowd, it appears his team was quite successful. Give it up for Miles!

Jitterbug move by Goodtimes Groove

Many great young dancers but Good Time Grooves, a male and female team, slipped in an old jitterbug move that made the competition tuck their tails and whimper.

I heard it was about prize money, bragging rights and something to do on a Saturday night. Regardless of the motives these guys are talent!

A young bouncy fella on the side copping a groove ready to swing into action.

The Future... Warming Up

Larabee State Park, Washington State’s oldest and largest state park, is located six miles (10 km) south of the city of Bellingham. You can choose your own route; we chose to drive through the historic village of Boe to hit Chuckanut Drive. The hairpin twists and turns and scenic lookouts along Chuckanut Drive can be an excursion in and of itself.

The graffiti tunnel under the train tracks entrance was interesting. We didn’t see a train but our youngest, a Thomas the Tank Engine fan, was amused when a rail repair truck clickety-clacked overhead.

Tides pools located on the rocky ledges are homes for sea anemones, crabs, star fish and other sealife isolated due to low tide. One mom equated the ledges to the Pacific Science Museum of the Northwest but only outdoors. Great comparison but Pacific Science Museum it is not. An element of caution should be exercised; this is a true to life outdoor adventure that could lead to injury. The ledges are slippery and it’s easy to take a fall. The sign at the park entrance stated: Stay Alert! The small print goes on to warn against leaving valuables unattended in vehicles but the warning can be extended to safety in general. As a father of two rumbustious boys, I realize that there is little alertness when it comes to active outdoor play. There’s only pause when one gets hurt.

Shortly after arriving, despite parents zombie like chants to “be careful”  a boy fell badly injuring his elbows and knees.  Unfortunately, the family’s beach adventure was brought to a premature end. Also despite his painful wails and fresh blood spilling onto the barnacle covered stones, kids continued to frolic and  leap amongst the boulders and rocky shoreline as if nothing had happened.

Mother and Father Comforting Fallen Son

We arrived at noon so the tide was coming in. Choose your time wisely because once the tide rolls in the sandy surf becomes limited. The slick seaweed covered rocks, to the left, are hard to navigate and can prove dangerous for kids to traverse but is home to tons of purple starfish. Shaded, these starfish lack the brilliance or animation of their counterparts located across the beach on the stony ledges in the tide pools. I’m partial to Whidbey  beaches would not visit Larabee just for the beach experience alone. I should add that my son cast a contrary vote because of the tide pools and starfish. So there you have it: dueling options.

Larabee is your basic tried and proven highly maintained Washington state park with all the amenities plus more. The trails are fenced, well beaten and marked off.  It’s a perfect family park with facilities available for picnicking and special events. Beach access and bike trails are adequate. Restrooms are available, clean and functional. There’s nothing worse than encouraging a young girl to use a smelly fly infested toilets. Our two year old would have been perfectly content with playing on the playground or playacting on the half dome stage but we had other plans.

Larabee State Park  covers 2,683 acres; admittedly, I only explored a mere fraction. The park has more to offer than one person’s mere opinion and to attempt to reduce one of nature’s greatest wonders to a short pictorial blog would be an injustice. Probably best to just taste and see for yourself….it’s free. Next time well probably hit the bicycle trail.

Was It Real?

Started off as a rainy cloudy sort of day so everyone overdressed but by 3 pm most people had stripped down to t-shirts—but such is island life. They looked like a happy well-adjusted bunch. Make sure you have your budget straight. Between parking, food and entrance fees, a family of four could quickly spend two day’s pay. Considering all, it’s a great place for a full day adventure. Many old friends and neighbors gathered to celebrate the joy of a small town type atmosphere. It’s amazing how small the world is.

And of course a fair wouldn’t be a fair without a 4-H presence. Red and blue ribbons and awards with colorful streamers adorned cages of all nature. To my astonishment, my computer crazed son now wants to join 4-H to enter his guinea pig. Maybe the price of admission was worth it!

As per county fair standard, there was a range of live entertainment…some passive and some interactive. When I was a kid vendors peddling their services and wares could be heard shouting out the attributes of their product line for miles around. Now their drowned in background noise. I suppose times have changed for some things. I should add, the best food vendors on Island are setup at the fair. I’m still picking the corn from between my teeth. With a balance of educational opportunities, as well as a time for fun and fine eating, I’d rate Island County Fair as a day trip to be remembered.

In sweeps the fog flowing from camera right. Just when I thought it’s time for the show to end another strong wave sweeps over the bridge as if fueled by an invisible source. An hour, I’m still immersed in this mesmeric form of art…thank God I’m digital and have access to unlimited ones and zeros.

A Russian speaking family walked up behind me and a young boy quickly sprinted ahead, jumped on a log barrier and started narrating. In his native tongue, hands melodically outlining the flow of the fog, the shape of the bridge and land, I felt as if I could understand every word he said. The father and mother would comment but he shook his head in disagreement. They often cupped their chins, nodding and awing.  Finally the father checked his watch, abruptly shouted out some commands and the team scurried for the car. The boy turned to me with his narrations. The mother yelled for him to come. Finally she ran over, beamed at me with horrid eyes and dragged the son toward the car. The boy, eyes full of stories yet untold, was still speaking and waving his hands.

Midst a slight crunch of gravel, a pecan colored skinned family, gently, emerged. Three women wearing soft woven sandals, bearing dark spot on their foreheads spoke in whispers as their Indian sarees whipped in the breeze. One slipped out a smart phone and they took turns snapping photos of themselves with the fog in the background. And like the wind they were gone leaving no trace.

The quiet of all moments was disturbed by a loud crunch of gravel as a hefty 4×4 bearing Canadian license plates bolted to stop. Out jumped a towering weathered man who later, in a single breath, described himself as a kayaker who loved talking about lens, cameras, the economy, cars, beer, hiking, etc. Disturbed, I looked up into an array of smart phones, cellphones with cameras and digital recording technologies. The spot had gotten busy. I relocated to a more peaceful spot a stone’s toss away.

Oh how this bridge changed the whole landscape of Whidbey Island. The longer I live on Whidbey, the more ignorant and appreciative I become of the land, people and of blood ties that bind.

Have to say, I called that boy at least five times reminding him that we have to be in church in fifteen minutes. I looked out the window and what do I see? He’s patrolling back and forth making bubbles with his brother’s toy lawnmower bubble maker. At first, I was angry then I opened my eyes to the beauty of the moment. Against a strongly backlit situation, the yard and air were filled with iridescent bubbles. Streams of bubbles flowed down hill, bounced off the grass, bursting or floating off into the heavens. Caught up in the solace of the moment, I also noticed that he and his brother were entertaining each other without fighting. A two for one blessing I thought.  The scenario really shifted into a defining moment when I think I heard my mom calling me…faintly at first, but louder toward the end. She often reminded me that what I did as a child would come back to haunt me; however, that’s another blog post.

There are tons of manuals and training videos on raising a family but these plug-ins and Apps don’t guarantee  ironclad assurance. Perhaps raising children is an art brought about by reliance on years of tradition, trial and error, success and seeming failures. Midst the great confusion of raising kids, I often stretch my hands forth, high, in heavenly surrender seeking higher guidance— praying for kids that come the first time, cleanup behind themselves, eat dinner when told. But atlas, at this moment I find myself eternally grateful that I’m able to stall my sense of rush long enough to enjoy the spontaneity of the moment and partake of the wisdom at hand.

Help me to grow in patience, love and foresight to know that childrearing is not a new thing under the sun.

You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was.

Abraham Lincoln

Saturday was probably the hottest day in the human history of Whidbey, yet people still thronged the parking lots in search of adventure. With Barry Manilow’s Copacabana jamming in the background, one couldn’t help but pop their fingers and romanticize days gone by. Everybody showed up. Well…almost everybody— due to an, admitted, thirty plus years of hard drinking Lola was under the weather. Rumor has it she’s still drinking herself ½ blind. Talk strong vision or lack there of…whew! She still can’t let the whole thing go. But who am I to judge; I got my own baggage.

Everyone else appeared to be having fun. Moving and grooving in between friends and shade spots, I made the rounds, put in face-time, supported the local vendors and then made my way back home, only to be impeded by a listing Chevy. The son was most impressed by this one!

The North Whidbey Lions Club 20th Annual Car Show! In the words of Aretha Franklin: a good thing.



The historic Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain are in Coupeville until August 17^th. We took the walk-on tour but not the evening sunset cruise. It was great seeing the crew working and interacting with visitors, while still preparing the ships for the next sail. The crew is composed of volunteers and paid members from as far away as California. What impressed me the most about the crew was their individual and collective storytelling abilities. Each mate moved about with a strong sense of purpose and dedication; while providing vivid descriptions of what a historical seafaring life would be like.

The kids loved climbing up and down the steps, investigating the holes and galley menu. Even my oldest son got excited, and usually nothing excites him unless it peeps, beeps, destroys or generates other annoying noises. I highly recommend this AAA adventure to all sailors or sailor wannabes especially to those who yearn to learn. The crew made our experience fun and believable.

We talked in detail about the need for order while at sea. Everything has it place and everything (secured) in its place.

Before surrendering to the charm of ocean spray, a reality check is in order, make sure the body is still seaworthy. If you’re physically unable able to walk up and down stairs comfortably you’d best save this adventure for the heartier lot.

Maybe next time we’ll find a sitter and take the sunset cruise. It’s not all about business but I was able to reconnect with two client friends.

http://www.historicalseaport.org/web/index.html

Sno-isle Library’s Maylor Point Photography Stroll, was well attended.  Although advertised for teens and adults, we had about eight kids and one teen. A family visiting from Minnesota just happen to be in the right place at the right time when the troops set out. Anne Murphy, librarian and program organizer at the Oak Harbor Branch, led the group from the library along the backside of Oak Harbor Marina to the Sea Plane Base down to the where the packed surface ends. Great weather. We even had an eagle sighting. We spoke of family issues, community events and Race Week and the way things used to be in the old days. According to Anne, the library plans more of these type strolls. All-in-all, it was a great day in the neighborhood.

Maylor Point is an easy wheelchair accessible type stroll. Come back in August perhaps the apples will be ready.

Recommendations:

Bring your camera and drinking water

Comfortable walking shoes especially if you want to continue off the packed trail

And as always, make a potty call before hitting the trail

Lynn Copeland, an owner of six rescued dogs and two horses, doesn’t consider herself a rescuer; but rather, a person who has grown in love for animals. She was afraid of dogs until in 1980 when she got her first a rescued “mutt” puppy named Bear.  Dogs often chased Lynn because she displayed a fear of animals.

Lynn played games with Bear to help overcome her fear of his growling.  She was successful, and since that time has not met a dog that causes her to be fearful. Shortly after getting Bear, she eyed another dog in a pet shop.  She was an adorable Shih Tzu, with an ugly pink spot on her lip named Lacey. Over a month, Lynn watched Lacey go from being a happy friendly tail wagging puppy to a very quiet depressed looking pup. Lynn finally purchased Lacy but it took 6 months of extensive TLC before her tail again wagged with delight.  Lynn visited her sister one Thanksgiving and not realizing that Lacy was “in season,” Lacy mated with Lynn’s sister’s toy poodle. Lacy had a litter of 8 puppies. Lacy almost died trying to feed 8 puppies, so Lynn let her nurse only a few at a time, and Lynn fed the rest. Lynn gave them all “Southern Bell” names, and kept the runt of the 8 named Caroline.  In 1988 Lynn’s first husband got orders to England, where they lived for 3 years. Lynn had to let Bear and Lacey go to other homes because they could not afford to pay for all three dogs to go abroad.  Caroline was only 6 months old, and Lynn felt she would do the best of all the dogs on the airplane and in the required 6 months of quarantine.  Lynn had Caroline for 16 ½ years.  She died 2 months before moving to Whidbey Island.

In April of 1997, Lynn’s daughter, Karen worked for the Oakland Animal Shelter as a police specialist.  One day five 2 days old pups were brought into the shelter.  The story goes that the mother of the puppies belonged to a homeless gentleman, who took the mother and her puppies to his grandmother’s home.  The grandmother, who was in her 80’s, demanded he take the puppies and mother back because she could not care for them.  He took the mother, and left the puppies to die.  The shelter did not have a nursing mother. Karen, fearing the pups would be put to sleep, brought them home and between Karen and Dale, Karen’s husband, and Lynn, all 5 puppies were saved.  All finally found homes except one.  Karen contemplated returning the one puppy the animal shelter. Lynn first pick of the litter was originally Charlotte, but she chose Andrew instead because of his gentle personality.  Emotional torn over being unable to find Charlotte a home, Lynn ended up with both puppies.

A year later, a 5 week old puppy named Hannah came to the shelter.  Karen felt there was something special about her so she brought Hannah to Lynn’s workplace. Lynn reminded her then that she already had 3 dogs, and could not afford another.  Karen claimed that 3 other people had pending applications on Hannah. Lynn spoke in conditional terms with Karen, promising that if none of the 3 applicants claimed Hanna she would give Hanna a home. She ended up in Lynn’s home.

Katie came in 1999.  Caroline was getting old and was losing her sight and hearing.  So Katie was thought to be a “sort of” replacement, but also would help Caroline get around more since she was slowly going blind and deaf.  Katie was the result of a breeder not watching her dogs. Katie’s owner did not realize the mother was pregnant when she was purchased.  Her owner did not want this “mixed breed” dog, and put her in her room all day without water.  Katie lived on the owner’s bed until Lynn’s daughter found her.  Katie had a broken rib and rotting teeth and she would not get off the bed.  Everything frightened her and to this very day, the bed is Katie’s sanctuary. Katie was a year and a half when she came to live with Lynn. She still fights to maintain her territory.  Due to progressive gum disease Katie has lost most of her teeth. This causes Katie’s tongue to hang out the side of her mouth.  Lynn is so grateful that she’s otherwise healthy it doesn’t bother her a bit that the tongue hangs out.

Sammy came along in June 2004 to keep Katie company since all the larger dogs were outside pets and left outdoors when Lynn traveled.  He too was a rescue dog from a private owner.

Moving to Whidbey Island in May, 2002, Lynn and Bill purchased 2 ½ acres, which the dogs loved.  It was completely fence in, and the dogs could run until they could run from sun to sun.  They loved it. Lynn noticed that after about a year of living on Whidbey that there seemed to be many horses on the Island, but so many of them seemed like they were not being adequately cared for.  Lynn started reading and learning about horses. She loved horses as a small child, and watched all the programs on TV that had horses in them.  Fury, My Friend Flicker, Roy Rogers, The Lone Ranger, to name a few. Lynn had not been around horses, and discovered that she had a fear of them.  After a year of continued, Lynn started taking riding lessons and was hooked. Lynn thought she would never find any activity more fulfilling than being a nurse.  Today Lynn can say with heart filled sincerity that raising horses rivals, perhaps even surpasses, her love for nursing.

Lynn’s first horse teacher was a real bear.  She taught children well, but was not very competent at communicating with adult riders.  However, after about 5 months of taking lessons, Lynn felt she ready for own horse.  Her neighbor owned four horses, but knew very little about taking care of horses.  All 4 horses were badly underweight, especially Maggie the oldest.  Maggie was a National Show horse, which means she is a cross between a Saddlebred horse, and an Arabian.  Maggie was 22 years old.

One night Lynn called her neighbor and asked if he would consider giving her Maggie. Lynn knew that the horse was given to him as a package deal when he purchased another one of his horses.  Maggie looked half dead. The vet and horse teacher gave the horse a poor prognosis, and felt at best that it would be touch and go. Both they agreed with a lot of TLC Maggie might survive. She was supper depressed, and was a very sad picture for a horse. Lynn accepted the challenge and quickly went to work nursing the failing Maggie back to health. She was only 600 pounds, and at her death in October 2009 she weighed about 1300 pounds.  Lynn gave her great care, and loved her like she had never loved before. It took about a year, but she was in perfect condition at the time of her death.  She died of old age.  Maggie lived with Lynn 3 years.

After getting Maggie, Lynn realized that Maggie was unhappy being by herself. Maggie beat a well defined trench in her pen pacing back and forth while calling to the other 3 neighboring horses.  Lynn talked to her neighbor again, and ended up buying Callie to keep Maggie company.  Callie became part of the family. Lynn was Callie’s fifth owner, and she is now 10 years old.  Lynn’s neighbor owned Callie for 3 years, and Lynn for 3 ½ years, and the other time was shared between previous owners.  Callie hated men, and originally would not allow Lynn’s husband, Bill, around her. Lynn later learned that a previous owner had beat her with a whip while trail riding. She displayed abused behavior patterns, and trusted no one.  Now, after proper loving, Callie, Lynn and Bill are the best of friends.

Maggie passed away in Oct. 2009 at the ripe young age of 25.

The last rescue dog to report in was Emma.  Emma is from a large litter of puppies that had been found after being attacked by wild animals.  Emma had a torn lip and a hole between her gums and nose probably an injury received from the attack.  Two puppies were killed. Of the surviving litter, Emma suffered the worse with facial damage. Lynn found out about her in the paper and quickly slipped into rescue mode.  Three of Lynn’s dogs were getting old, and Andrew and Charlotte both had cancer and would not last much longer. Lynn wanted a puppy to grow up with these dogs so that it would take on the personality of the older dogs.  She has.  Emma is now 11 months old and is the biggest of all the dogs.  She is a Lab Sheppard mix, but looks mostly Lab.

Both struggling with cancer, soon Charlotte and Andrew will have to be put down.  Charlotte has already lost most of her hearing and sight. Large malignant tumors fill multiple areas of Charlotte’s body. Andrew’s not much better. His tumors cause him to have difficulty breathing. Hannah suffers from arthritis, and probably will not be around much longer either.  Hannah is a large dog that has outlived her time. Lynn is considering another large dog when Hannah, Andrew and Charlotte pass away to keep Emma company.  You can count on the fact that it will be another rescue dog.

An Evolving Lynn

Lynn has always enjoyed making things with her hands so while wheelchair bound for two years due to knee, leg and ankle injuries, she started getting in touch with her creative spiritual side. This getting- in -touch process accelerated Lynn’s healing process. Lynn now dedicates even more time to her hobbies: knitting, crocheting, sewing/alteration, doll and jewelry making, embroidery, and many other talents. Lynn believes self-discovery is a wonderful process that leads to fulfilling ones ambitions.

Lynn’s goals

After retiring from a thirty year nursing career, she’s definitely not seeking another 9 to 5 occupation but rather spend more time getting in touch with her creative nature. Lynn plans to grow her at-home jewelry and alteration business and spend quality time with Bill and her family of aging pets. She does alterations through Amy’s Touch in Oak Harbor and vends her jewelry through SeaSide Spa and Salon in Coupeville. Lynn now lives life more fully by riding, tending to her pets, participating in church and getting reacquainted with her loving husband, Bill.

So we have a portrait of Lynn. Of course, this is only snapshot of a very dynamic woman. Lynn’s story illustrated how facing animal fear can bring about lifetime relationship, an income source, a sense of higher purpose, and physical healing. You’re invited to follow Lynn as she continues her ascent to a higher platform of LOVE.

“Auntie” had promised everyone the cottage even the mailman, and I’m sure we all envision having access to such a beachfront retreat. Last week I caught a glimpse of my inheritance on Whidbey Island. You too will be swept back into an earlier era. You’ll become very quiet, inwardly, as poor tired feet gently sink into warm sand. The space is quiet and secure. A concerned, but naturally inquisitive neighbor reminded me how private the area is. There’s long stretches of beachfront to the right and to the left actually probably the closes you’ll ever get to a private beach on Whidbey Island. Your imagination will soar heavenly towards the distant peak of Mt Baker in the background. You’ll want to cash in all your mutual funds, dip into your 401kor liquidate all assets for this must have this pearl of great price. Both the inside and outside décor brings back memories of a Martha’s Vineyard movie set. Long lost friends and relatives, thinking that you finally have it-made, will self-invite themselves and instantly forgive any wrong you’ve done. Postcards will shower from heaven even Oprah will call demanding an onsite interview….

The cottage was built in the 1930’s and used as a summerhouse for a Seattleite. In the 50’s it was lived in fulltime until Colleen, the present owner, purchased the property back in ‘84. The house had been vacant for several years and had badly deteriorated. It has been rented since 2008. Colleen and her husband, Rudy, have invested countless hours and dollars in remodeling over the last two of years. Family members urged her to rent the unit out this weekend for the first time. “It’s exciting but also a little scary,” stated Colleen in a recent handwritten note. Even at this writing, Colleen and Rudy are still nervously adding final touches.

Sweet amenities:

• Two bedroom two bathroom restored to better than new condition with plenty of polished amenities.
• Ample private parking
• Plenty of unique personality.
• Ten minute drive from Coupeville
• Spectacular view

A shed on the property bears a plaque that states plainly why mankind should labor, invest and bears young: Follow Your Dream. I’ll add, especially while you are able.

Keystone Ferry Bound for Port Townsend

Of course, I should mention the obvious, the park borders the Keystone, soon to be Coupeville Ferry bound for Port Townsend. Fort Casey is a short jaunt on top of the hill. There’s plenty of breeze so consider adding a kite to your travel kit.

Drift wood and drift wood bungalows line the beach and make perfect fortresses for kids with active imaginations.

During high tide it’s possible to catch scuba divers exploring the old pier to the left or the jetty to the right in the Keystone Underwater Park. Usually they’re a jolly group with many adventurous stories to share. Because of the relative safety and shallowness many virgin divers come to be checked off for their first open water dive. Harbor seal are seen occasionally sunning atop logs. There’s plenty of bird and marine life.

Two eagles swoon back and forth between the beach and Crockett Farm so have your camera at finger’s length. In season, fishermen and crab boats jot the horizon or occasionally fishermen cast from shore.

If you prefer a green sort of day, trust Island Transit to get you there and back.  Either way you go, you’re bound to enjoy this gorgeous stretch beach.

How to get there: From Coupeville, head south on Hwy 20 watch for signs along the way to the park and to Keystone Ferry Landing. You can’t miss it. If you hit planet Jupiter, you’ve gone too far.

During low tide divers must sort through thick kelp before actually enjoying their dive.

]]> http://blogs.southwhidbeyrecord.com/northwestdream/keystone-sate-park-reason-day-trip/107/feed/ 0 http://blogs.southwhidbeyrecord.com/northwestdream/king-tale/94/ http://blogs.southwhidbeyrecord.com/northwestdream/king-tale/94/#comments Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:55:56 +0000 John Pendleton http://blogs.southwhidbeyrecord.com/northwestdream/?p=94 Once upon a time an eight year old boy outgrew Thomas the Tank Engine. Hundreds of dollars of peeping trains, miles of track, boxes of movies, blue bedding, whistles and bells were boxed and slated for a future garage sale. New action figures with built in obsolescence came. They blasted, screamed, fought, saved, and destroyed the world. Ripping drive belts from vacuum cleaners as they stormed across the living room floor, the world of Thomas was long silenced.

Another boy was born. After years of no bells or shrills of three chime steam whistles our home again was filled with train whistles from the enchanted Island of Sodor. One sharp whistle blast and the new actions figures retreated for higher ground. The master of charm and mischief: Thomas was again king of the track. Once again we were on the road to Snoqualmie to explore a Day Out with Thomas™.

As before the morning fog clung heavily on the neighboring mountain tops. The fear of rain threatened to disenchant all. But, as before, the fog burned off by midday and was replaced by bright Thomas sun.

While checking out of our hotel room, our toddler bolted down the hallway and was found at the elevator following a father whistling the Thomas theme song. Obviously, Oblivious to the mesmeric effect whistled Thomas tunes have on mortals, the father apologized profusely upon noting a new member to his ranks. “I didn’t even know I was whistling,” he remarked.

The Northwest Railway Museum’s Day Out with Thomas sold out well in advance. A lady in the seat behind us said that Canadian family read on the Northwest Railway Museum’s blog that tickets were still available. They chanced the drive down hoping to buy tickets at the gate but were sadly disappointed when they were turned away.

Commerce boomed for the normally quiet streets of Snoqualmie. Thomas music and sounds of chugging engines filled the air. While inside the fenced ticketed area kids, adults and grandparents wander through the maze of historic trains stopping along the way to replenish at food stands and porta potties. The big top style tent literally overflowed with branded red and blue toys, coloring books, and whistles. Occasionally a high pitched scream pierced the air as a child’s giant Thomas shaped balloon escaped heavenward. Tired and over-stimulated souls are easily rekindled by the bouncy house and the by sing-along music of a live band. And yes, their latest CD is available for purchase.

Kids may tire, whine and grow older but Thomas, pistons pumping strong since 1946, will steam the tracks for generations to come. At the end of the trail, parents massage hurt feet— patience wear thin and yet they manage to muster energy for one last stand at Snoqualmie Falls. Ayont the quest continues.  http://www.snoqualmiefalls.com/

Thomas the Tank Engine and Day Out With Thomas are copyright 2009 Gullane (Thomas) Limited.