Here’s a thought…
“Don’t ask me who’s influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he’s digested, and I’ve been reading all my life.”
GIORGOS SEFERIS
WSF Weekly Report | From every corner of our fleet, happy holidays and cheers to an amazing 2026
||| FROM STEVE NEVEY for WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| A message from Steve The holiday season is a time when many pause and reflect on those who matter most. Everything we do at Washington State
Gusts up to 55mph until 11pm tonight
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Seattle WA 351 PM PST Thu Dec 18 2025 San Juan County-Lowlands of Western Whatcom County-Lowlands of Western Skagit and Northwestern Snohomish
Checking in with J Pod and J45
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 10:44 AM ObservEnd: 02:16 PM Vessel: Mike 1 Staff: Mark Malleson Other Observers: George Hamilton Pods: J IDsEncountered: J16, J19, J22, J26, J27, J31,
County Float at MacKaye Harbor on Lopez Island closed due to storm damage
||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| Due to recent storm damage, the float at MacKaye Harbor Marine Facility on Lopez Island is closed until further notice. The County’s Public Works Department has been monitoring
Could Mount Baker be tapped for geothermal energy? Salish Current reports
State officials and clean energy developers investigate the potential of tapping into the nearby volcano. ||| FROM THE SALISH CURRENT ||| Seen from afar, Mount Baker appears to be a sleeping giant, a glacier-armored peak
LWVSJ Observer Corps | County Council, December 15, 2025
||| FROM NECIA QUAST for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| The council heard about a study of the environmental impact of vessels in the county. Aerial surveys of county waters of 16 popular mooring locations
Whale Museum’s Marine Naturalist Training Program opens registration for 2026
||| FROM CONOR AGNEW for THE WHALE MUSEUM ||| The Whale Museum has opened registration for the 2026 spring and summer sessions of the Marine Naturalist Training Program! This course includes an in-depth treatment of
This time it’s the wind
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Seattle WA 109 PM PST Wed Dec 17 2025 San Juan County-Foothills and Valleys of Pierce and Southern King Counties-Foothills and Valleys
Regional healthcare leaders, elected officials convene for 2nd in series of strategic roundtables in NW WA
||| FROM AMY DRURY for PEACEHEALTH ||| Bellingham, Wash. – On Monday, Dec. 8 a diverse group of healthcare leaders and elected officials and their representatives from across Northwest Washington gathered for the second in
Victory for affordable housing | Council approves development agreement for Argyle project
The project is situated on San Juan County-owned land and is estimated to provide 35-40 units of affordable rental housing. In addition to providing land for the project, the County has also committed $1.79 million
News Brief | America by Mid-Century and what climate change will do
||| FROM THE ATLANTIC ||| Many places may become uninhabitable. Many people may be on their own. We would do well today to study the ways that climate change has already reshaped the American landscape.
2026 dog licenses now on sale
New ‘Celebrity Dog’ announced in support of dog licenses available December 11th ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The San Juan County Auditor’s office is ready for the 2026 dog licensing season! Each year,
No Place Like Loam | You don’t prune heritage trees. You keep them company
||| NO PLACE LIKE LOAM by ALEX TAMAYO-WOLF ||| Sarah Lefton called from Once in a Blue Moon Farm about pruning their heritage orchard. I drove out on a clear day on Orcas Island—cool, bright,
Improv classes for all ages begin in January at Orcas Center
||| FROM COLLEEN SMITH SUMMERS for ORCAS CENTER ||| Kyle Duncan Graham and Orcas Center are offering a series of improv classes starting this January. Sign up at www.orcascenter.org; click on events and classes and
Ferry Alert| Ana/SJs alternate schedule through 12/22
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| The Tillikum is currently operating as the #3 vessel, due to the Kaleetan being out of service. Beginning Saturday, Dec. 20, the Salish will operate as the #3 vessel,
Increased rains increase threat of landslides
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Seattle WA 116 PM PST Tue Dec 16 2025 San Juan County-Cascades of Whatcom and Skagit Counties- Cascades of Snohomish and Northern King
