ready to rent

 

 We are grateful for the recent rains.  Thank goodness we didn't have to resort to kayaking!

 

Roche Harbor

San Juan Island, Washington

4.1.2015



all projects completed

 

I would be pleased to have this as my epitaph:  "All projects completed."  Elle is probably satisfied that everything on her "to do" list was accomplished.

 

St. Francis Cemetery

San Juan Island, Washington

4.3.2015



south beach

 

South Beach is part of the San Juan National Park, overlooking the Straight of Juan de Fuca and Haro Straight where the whales sometimes pass. Across the strait lies Port Townsend at the foot of the Olympic Mountains. To the northwest is Vancouver Island British Columbia and to the southwest is Whidbey Island.  I should have stayed longer.

 

South Beach

San Juan Island, Washington

4.2.2015

cherub in a chair

 

The cherub sits quietly in three-year old Eric's chair.  Placed at the grave by grieving parents, the angel watches over the child.

 

St. Francis Cemetery

San Juan Island, Washington

4.2.2015

trifecta: Chinese food, pizza and sports bar

 

There are neither fast food nor chain restaurants on San Juan Island -- and only a handful of dining spots.  On my way to the Blue Water Bar & Grill, the sign for the Chinese restaurant next door caught my eye.  Interesting thing, I think the same guy owns both of them! He certainly found a way to parlay his business.

 

China Pearl Restaurant

Friday Harbor, San Juan Island Washington

4.1.2015

basket of lavender

 

 I would loved to have timed my visit to the lavender farm when the 16 acres of plants were in bloom.

 According to Pelindaba's website, the plan was to protect this piece of land from residential development and to  share the self-sustaining, open space with other residents and island visitors. Pelindaba is a Zulu word related to the owner's South African roots. Not only does the farm cultivate  lavender inorganically certified fields and extract the essential oils in their on-site distillery, they also handcraft botanical, culinary, personal care, and therapeutic products.

 

 



Pelindaba Lavender

San Juan Island, Washington

4.2.2015



it's all in the rubber



After a week away, I left the mountains of the Northwest for the mounds in the laundry room.  Luckily, my washing machine is more efficient than this!  Although, for its day, this hand-cranked wringer was modern.  It appears to be a Horse Shoe Brand Antique Hand-Crank Clothes Wringer with a patent date of 1917 by the American Wringer Company out of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. I love the instructions: "This wringer has warranted rubber rolls vulcanized to the shafts, Put a little oil or lard on the bearings before use and loosen top screws when the wringer is not in use."

Friday Harbor Historical Museum
San Juan Island, Washington
4.3.2015

spring flowers

 

The resort at Roche Harbor is built around the former company town of Tacoma and Roche Harbor Lime Company, incorporated in 1886.  One can wander around the hotel, view the lime kilns and generator, visit the church and mausoleum and generally enjoy the beauty of the gardens.

 

Roche Harbor

San Juan Island, Washington

4.1.2015

beach cruisers

 

Fifty-five square mile San Juan Island (resident population under 10,000) is accessible only by ferry or plane.  Friday Harbor is the only town, with the resort Roche Harbor at the other end of the island.  There is no traffic light and the max speed on the two-lane roads is 45 mph.  A preferred mode of travel is the bicycle and the Earthbox Inn made these "beach cruisers" available for lodgers.  I opted to do business with M&W Auto Rentals (did I mention the hills?).  My Chevy Aveo was red, had 76,000 miles and crank windows -- but it got me to the lighthouses, lavender farm, alpaca farm, and shoreline.  Today my transportation is 737 courtesy of American Airlines.

 

Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, Washington

4.1.2015

barn on beaverton valley road

 

Historically, farmland has been a vital component of the San Juan Islands’ landscape. Crops include  grass-fed meats, berries, tree fruits, and year round production of vegetables as well as fiber, lavender, and herbs. I was thrilled to travel the island in the early morning light and see the great barns.

 

San Juan Island, Washington

4.2.2015

lime kiln lighthouse

 

Lime Kiln Lighthouse borrows its name from the limekilns built in the area in the 1860s. The lighthouse, erected in 19119, is built atop solid rock, about twenty feet above high water. Lime Kiln was the last lighthouse in Washington to be electrified,  well after World War II when a submarine power cable was laid from Anacortes to the San Juan Islands in 1951. In 1985, the lighthouse and surrounding sea were dedicated as a whale sanctuary and research station for marine mammal scientists. Today, the tower flashes a white light once every ten seconds -- and you can even get married at the top of the lighthouse!

 

Lime Kiln Lighthouse

San Juan Island, Washington

lighthouse

 



The southern-most of all the lighthouses in the San Juan Islands, Cattle Point Lighthouse, is located on San Juan Island.   The name stems from the appearance of cattle in 1853. The major trading company, Hudson’s Bay, came here to establish a ranch of sheep and cattle, which they dropped off near the current location of the lighthouse. In 1857 a ship was stranded there, and the cattle it carried swam ashore near the point. It wasn’t until 1888, though, that the area became a navigational aid using a lens lantern. A soldier named Jekle, who had chosen to stay on the island after it had been officially named part of the United States, served as its keeper. Over 30 years later, a radio compass station was established by the U.S. Navy, and seaman were put in charge of maintaining it. The lighthouse, standing 34 feet tall, was erected in 1935 after the compass station closed.

 

San Juan Island, Washington