Tom and I enjoy watching movies but we are pretty selective about what we see, so we don’t go very often. This last year, however, going to the movies has been so convenient that we have seen a record number. We had a wonderful movie theater on St. Simons Island. We also have a wonderful …
From August 2017
Sock Needle Keeper: A Handy Knitting Gadget
I recently found a new knitting gadget that just tickled me. It is so simple yet extremely useful and I had to have it. Let me introduce you to the sock needle keeper. The sock needle keeper is a small pouch with two snaps. The snaps are strategically placed to keep your needles inside the …
Cheesecake Cafe and Bakery, Friday Harbor
One of my favorite restaurants on San Juan Island is the Cheesecake Cafe and Bakery in Friday Harbor. They have a variety of fresh food in a lovely location just by the docks. You can eat inside or outside on a deck shared with Fish and Brew. The Cheesecake Cafe and Bakery just opened in …
Philosophy of Religion
When I was in college, one of my majors (I had four) was Philosophy. When Tom and I were cleaning out our house, I saved several boxes of books and marked them “Re-read.” Each time we go to John and Jackie’s, I retrieve a few more books and take time to re-read them. One of …
Bark Rangers at San Juan Island National Historical Park
Tom and I have now worked at six different national parks. There are some similarities at all of them and some things that are different. One of the unique things here at San Juan Island National Historical Park is the Bark Rangers. I love swearing in Junior Rangers and giving out Bark Rangers is almost as …
60th Wedding Anniversary for Mom and Dad
Today is my parents’ 60th Wedding Anniversary. On this day in 1957 they were married in Burbank, Ohio. Dad was in medical school and Mom had just graduated from college. They moved into a small apartment in Columbus Ohio, and I was born a couple of years later, a few months after Dad graduated. Dad …
Wildlife on San Juan Island
Yesterday I wrote about three unusual trees in the Pacific Northwest. I thought today I should tell you a little about some of the wildlife on San Juan Island. There may be some party animals here, but I think they are all at San Juan County Campground or in Friday Harbor. But we do have …
Three Unusual Trees in the Pacific Northwest
One of the really interesting things about moving all over the country is learning the different kinds of plants in the parks. Guests expect the rangers to know what all the plants are, so we learn them as best we can. There are three unusual trees here on San Juan Island that I have not …
Families Are a Gift
One of the things I really enjoy about working in the National Parks is seeing the families that come in together. This last week we had a family reunion group with a matriarch, four children with spouses, adult grandchildren and spouses, and a whole herd of great-grandchildren. They filled up the visitor center with noise, …
Hikers on San Juan Island
San Juan Island is a hikers’ island. I have never seen so many trails in such a small area. There are over 80 miles of maintained trails on the island. The trails are located in the National Park, in the Land Conservancy, in San Juan County land, in the State Park, and on Bureau of …