This last weekend was the 2017 Encampment at English Camp at San Juan Island National Historical Park. This is the big event for the year at the park and is always held the last weekend in July. About 40 living history volunteers come in for the event. Many of them have been coming for …
From July 2017
Progressive Nature of Sin
How many of us go out one day and decide we are going to cheat on our spouses? Or suddenly decide we are going to steal something from someone? Or plan on getting so angry that we say mean and hurtful things to someone we love? Not too many of us. But people end up …
Coast Salish Canoe Journey 2017
This week, English Camp proudly hosted the Coast Salish Canoe Journey of 2017. I wrote about the Coast Salish before, when we provided the site for their Cultural Heritage Day. That was a mini-canoe journey with just one canoe: a trial run for this canoe journey. The Coast Salish are many different tribes, or families, …
McMillin Mausoleum in Roche Harbor
The McMillin Mausoleum in Roche Harbor is one of the weirder things to do on San Juan Island. Of course we had to go there when Sandy and Eric visited. The McMillin Mausoleum is such an odd place that is featured in Weird Washington, USA Today, and Atlas Obscura. John McMillin started the Lime Kilns of …
“Knitting Yarns” Compiled by Ann Hood
“Knitting Yarns” is a collection of essays about knitting. The book is compiled by author and knitter Ann Hood and first published in 2013. Each chapter is written by a different author, some of them knitters, some of them knitting “fans” and some of them failed knitters. You might think this book appeals only to …
Herbs Tavern – Spirits and Food in Friday Harbor
Another restaurant Tom and I enjoy on San Juan Island is Herbs Tavern. It is a pool hall and bar, so not our usual choice for dinner out. But we have been there twice and enjoyed good meals both times. The first time we went to Herbs Tavern was with Sandy and Eric back in …
King Baby or Refusing to Grow in Christ
Have you ever met a King (or Queen) Baby in the church? Sigmund Freud coined the concept of “King Baby” in a 1914 paper on narcissism. Narcissism is an excessive interest in one’s self with a lack of empathy for others. There is even a Narcissistic Personality Disorder which is almost impossible to treat because …
Roving Interpretation at English Camp
One of our duties working at English Camp is regularly walking the hiking trails around the camp. This Roving Interpretation is part of our job, encouraging us to go out and talk to people, not just stand in the Visitor Center. Almost every day, Tom takes the Young Hill Trail. Young Hill is one of …
Old Oven Is Dead! Long Live the New Oven!
Those of you who know me know that I love to bake. When I cooked, I made casseroles instead of cooking on the stove. I especially love to bake cookies, brownies, bread, rolls, pies: anything gooey and yummy. For the last three years I have not baked in the RV because of the terrible, horrible, …
Pitfalls of Living on an Island
Tom and I went from living on an island off the coast of Georgia – St. Simons – to living on an island off the coast of Washington State – San Juan Island. Although we love the scenic beauty of both the islands, there are some pitfalls to living on an island. The first of …