Heartwood on Orcas Island

Come and enjoy Orcas Island one last summer

HEARTWOOD HOUSE and the HEART & HAND STUDIO

Classic Island Post & Beam Home on Orcas Island

Waterview property with Hot Tub, Sauna & Fire Ring

Heartwood House sleeps 8-10 with 3 BR and 2 BA

Heart & Hand Studio sleeps 2-3 with full bath

One Last Summer Week Available

$3200* for Heartwood House or $3900* with The Studio

July 20-27, 2009

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just Added ~ Indian Summer Dates

September 22nd through October 6th

$325* weeknights and $450* weekends

3 nights minimum stay

*9.8% Sales Tax and Refundable $500 Security Deposit additional

please send email to heartwoodonorcas [at] gmail [dot] com and I will respond

Telephone: 360.317.8220

 

Island Style 4th of July

I love Orcas Island's celebration of the 4th of July.  

Today there will be a parade through the center of Eastsound and a celebration in the Village Green, with the Farmer's Market and Orcas Historical Museum events, booths and good fun.  

The Lion's Club will host its Annual Salmon Barbeque and there will be fireworks on Indian Island. 

Times and places can be found on the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce calendar.  

The Rise N' Shine Band is playing at the Oddfellows Hall tonight...rock on, Orcas.

It's a great day to celebrate living in this incredible place in America.  May we find a way to create peace and open communication with our Lummi community to re-envision Madrona Point as a gathering for all.

A New Entrance to Heartwood House

It's an exciting time at Heartwood House.  Our Summer 2009 Season has begun with weekend visitors, Annie, Brian and Samantha Crovo.  Annie was just 5 years old the first time she entered Heartwood.  Now she comes back with her husband and daughter, their friends and  their children.  Time passes quickly.

Our big project these past few weeks has been taking off the worn front deck and building a new entrance to Heartwood House.  Matthew Mahar, Green Horizons and STEM Creative Space has been the lead on designing our new entry.  Michael and James Parker have poured time and talent into creating this beautiful space.

The Bite of Orcas

Yesterday was a gorgeous launch to Summer 2009 on Orcas Island.  It was the annual "Bite of Orcas" in the Village Green.  This is a fundraising (friends~raising is more like it!) food festival featuring restaurants and caterers from around the island.  

The beneficiary of all this fun is Wolf Hollow, our islands' wildlife sanctuary.  Their good works are featured in articles like this in the Island's Sounder.

Great noshes from The Orcas Village Store and The Outlook Inn, as well as Roses Bakery and Cafe, Bilbo's Festivo and The Deer Harbor Inn.

Better yet, seeing our Island's Farmers' Market in full flourish.  The summer season has begun!

Come and Stay with Us!

 HEARTWOOD HOUSE and the HEART & HAND STUDIO

Classic Island Post & Beam Home on Orcas Island

Waterview property with Hot Tub, Sauna & Fire Ring

Heartwood House sleeps 8-10 with 3 BR and 2 BA

Heart & Hand Studio sleeps 2-3 with full bath

One Last Week Still Available

$3200* for Heartwood House or $3900* with The Studio

July 20-27, 2009

*9.8% Sales Tax and Refundable $500 Security Deposit additional

please send email to heartwoodonorcas [at] gmail [dot] com and I will respond

Telephone: 360.317.8220

 

Living in Community

Living in the Salish Sea is a great gift...and a responsibility.  We are part of a community and called forth to be creative, collaborative and in our connections we are building a new world.  I spent time today with a "city friend" who was extolling the virtues of the Farmers Market in a suburban zipcode.  I listened to her excitement about witnessing community and her appreciation of buying food "from the source". I suggested she read The Omnivore's Dilemma.

Living on Orcas, I value the rich resources we share, the fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers and fun our community encounters at Saturday Farmers Market in Eastsound.  Amerika is "waking up" to what we, as a community, appreciate all spring, summer and fall.   

It is wonderful to live on an island that loves its lifestyle and does all it can to celebrate and protect what makes us unique.

Orcas Island is a jewel...let's love her well.

Two new Orca calves sighted in the San Juans

Hello Everyone,

 

Good news from the Orca Network (www.orcanetwork.org).  Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research (www.whaleresearch.com) has confirmed that during the brief visit here of the Southern residents two weeks ago, two newborn calves were sighted, one with J pod and the other with L pod. The moms are not confirmed at this time.

 

If these little ones survive the population would be up to 85 whales. Let's hope for the best.

 

Tom Averna

Deer Harbor Charters

 

The Light Returns

It's a beautiful Saturday morning here on the island. The sun is shining brightly and I can see how much grit there is on Heartwood's windows. But washing windows will have to wait.  I am delighted to see about 2 inches of emerging life on the iris and daffodil bulbs. We are moving toward the light!

Monday,February 2nd is Candlemas/Imbolc or Groundhog's Day of you live in the US. From my We'Moon calendar, "at Candlemas, awakening begins and the return to light seems assured.  Energies within the earth, as well as the physical body, begin to gently pulsate as the days lengthen and out hopes turn to spring.  Traditionally a time of transformation and initiation, Candlemas bring "big dreams" and a raised vibration. Sap rises, trees bud and agricultural people everywhere look to nature for the omens that might tell them whether to plant their crops early or late this year."

After the harsh winter weather Paul and I just experienced in Toronto this past week, I don't think I'll ever complain about the Pacific Northwest again. We were in Toronto for an Authentic Leader workshop and being up north, I was quickly reminded what growing up in Olean, NY was like.  The snow begins to fall in late October, accumulating into high drifts along the road and parking lots, until the thaw begins in late March and the muddy season moves in.  Life goes on...schools stay open and work continues.  Here on Orcas, we may have an occasional wind or snow storm and life slows down for 3-4 days, then it blows out, melts down and disappears.  

January has been a busy month for us on Orcas.  

We have launched Orcas and San Juan Island Biznik  communities with two events featuring Biznik co-founders Lara Eve Feltin and Dan McComb presenting on the impact of social networks and Web 2.0. Biznik offers members an online presence and supports in-person networking events. Biznik is an innovative community for entrepreneurs and start ups.  Lots of great articles and insights to help you grow your business.  As the San Juan Islands' Ambassador for Biznik, I will be working with island entrepreneurs and supporting monthly Biznik events that will help us build our networks. 

I have been a member of the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce as a Realtor and with Heartwood House as a vacation rental.  The Chamber puts together an annual map of the island and sends out a weekly Blast of events and activities.   

It's really not an Either/Or...rather, a BOTH/AND. Island business people will benefit from participating in BOTH venues as our island economy relies on our communities and customers, clients and guests who come from across the world, and the globe.   

Leadership San Juan Islands Class V launched with a retreat at Heartwood House last weekend.  There are twenty in this cohort, our first full enrollment.  What an excellent time we shared with a wide array of island leaders.  There's a broad range of ages and experiences present, great diversity and enthusiasm.  LSJI is about community leadership and as a learning community, this cohort is stellar.

Consider coming to Heartwood House for your next retreat.  It's a great venue for business teams and boards to come together and do good work. Paul and I, through Process Experts, can design and facilitate convenings, visioning and team development processes for up to twenty in plenary and breakout sessions. Overnight accommodations are arranged for participants (private or shared) at The Outlook Inn, The Landmark Inn or Smuggler's Villa.  

We are accepting bookings for Summer 2009 at Heartwood House.  We will be renting for only 11 weeks this summer, beginning June 29th until September 14th, 2009.  This year we are renting from Monday-to-Monday to make it easier for our guests hosting or attending weekend weddings and celebrations.  If you are planning a wedding, anniversary or family reunion, we have the capacity to sleep 8-12 guests and entertain up to 30.  We have tables, chairs, linens, placesettings, serving and glassware and onsite catering to make your intimate celebration special.  There is an additional fee for events and we are delighted to work with you to make everything perfect.  Call us at 360-317-8220 for more information.

Heading off to enjoy this glorious afternoon on Orcas Island.  We are blessed to live among such amazing natural wonder.  Looking forward to sharing more about our island life with you soon.

The first day of winter

Sunny skies this morning... and six more inches on the ground.

Silent...white...merry & bright...  it's a Winter Wonderland!

Celebrating the Solstice

Last Sunday it was cold, with just a light dusting of snow on the grass and roofs.  Leaving the island for Seattle, the roads have gotten icy.  It's been snowing for a week now.  When it began, the snow was dry and sharp.  Temperatures have been in the 20's and roads have been icy and not well plowed. 

Last evening it got warmer, moving into the low 30's.  We woke up this morning to about 6" of soft, puffy snow.  Mt. Constitution looks like it's been dusted with confectioner's sugar.  Steel colored water and heavy clouds complete the scene. 

We are going off on Tuesday to see Annie, Brian and Samantha in Bellingham.  Lots more white stuff up there and Samantha, now two and a half, loves getting outside to play. Every day is a new adventure with Sammie.

I will capture a photo of the ferry landing with a week's worth of snow.  Wonder if it will linger for the 25th.

It's the Solstice on Orcas!

I have made some new friends this weekend.  All this snow has made it difficult for the small birds fluttering about the lilac bushes.  There they are, lighting on our deck, scratching for food.  Paul and I came back  from the hardware store with bird seed, a feeder and a suet feeder and Heartwood's deck has become the best table in town!  There are wrens and what look like robins...I need to get a book to discover who's coming for breakfast.  Good thing there aren't any cats nearby to bother them.  Paul placed a flattened cardboard box on the ledge, with seed on top.  It's been quite a party for them as they flutter in for lunch. 

Late this afternoon I walked into Eastsound  with a friend for a Solstice meditation at Ama Tara  .  Stacy Lutz is a gifted healer, offering acupuncture and massage at her beautiful office.  There were six of us who braved the weather to sit in circle for an hour.  It was warm and wonderful to share time together in the richness of this blessed space, chanting the Isa Mantra.

Isa Mantra

Aum

Jesu Christaya

Paramatmane

Purusha

Avatara ye

Swaha

Walking back from town, Martha and I heard bells ringing and carols being sung at Emmanuel Episcopal Church  and joined in.  Celebrating the season in our community fills my heart with what most important.  Walking back in the swirling snow, as holiday lights glow in the snowy shrubs, I am full of gratitude for the simple things that mean so much. Family and friends, good health, a warm hearth and warm hearts.

Blessings to you and yours on this, the shortest day of the year.  Tomorrow we begin to move back into the light once more.