Here’s a thought…
“Old age is no joke, but it can feel like one.”
TAD TOMPKINS
WSF winter sailing schedule starts Sunday, Dec. 29
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE FERRIES ||| Our winter sailing schedule starts Sunday, Dec. 29 and lasts through March 22, 2025. The Anacortes/San Juan Islands route will run on a new winter sailing schedule this year. This marks the first update in more than a decade to help improve on-time service. Weekend interisland service was also added for this
Monthly Hearing Services at Orcas Senior Center
||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Stacie Nordrum, Au.D., CCC-A, from Island Hearing Healthcare, provides hearing care at Orcas Senior Center monthly (Thursday, January 9). To secure your slot, it is advisable to schedule your appointment well in advance, as availability fills up rapidly. The range of
Third entangled endangered whale spotted in span of a week off East Coast
||| FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ||| A third endangered whale has been spotted entangled in fishing gear off the East Coast, marking an alarming end to the year for a species threatened with extinction. The whales are North Atlantic right whales, which number fewer than 400 and are vulnerable to
As the Paradigm Shifts | Am I doing Christmas, or being Christmas?
||| AS THE PARADIGM SHIFTS by ROSIE KUHN ||| I find myself in a dilemma. I love when Christmas rolls around. I watch countless Christmas movies and look forward to dinners with friends. I’ve been knitting a Christmas sweater for weeks, hoping I’ll finish it in time, and I enjoy
Occam’s Razor | Our island, our world through the eyes, pen of S.C. Watson
Welcome to our weekly feature, Occam's Razor, from local artist S.C. Watson.
NORAD Track Santa 2024 – Live Tracker
||| FROM THE LAUNCH PAD ||| Welcome to The Launch Pad's 2024 Santa Tracker! Join us LIVE as we track Santa from the North Pole as he delivers billions of presents across the globe! Merry Christmas Everyone! OUR MISSION: Our mission is to inform and inspire the explorers of tomorrow;
High wind watch for Christmas
||| FROM NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ||| = URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Seattle WA 345 AM PST Tue Dec 24 2024 San Juan County-Western Whatcom County-Western Skagit County- Admiralty Inlet Area- Including the cities of Anacortes, Bellingham, Burlington, Port Townsend, Friday Harbor, Sedro-Woolley, and Mount Vernon ...HIGH WIND
J Pod brings us tidings of great joy for Christmas
Whale researchers say they remain cautious as about half of newborn orca calves don't survive their first year ||| FROM CBC CANADA ||| A newborn orca calf has been sighted in Puget Sound in Washington state, sparking cautious hope for the endangered southern resident killer whale population. The Centre for Whale
Orcas Island Health Care District: Relationships are the cornerstone of community health
||| FROM CHRIS CHORD for ORCAS ISLAND HEALTH CARE DISTRICT ||| Orcas Island Health Care District (OIHCD), formally known as San Juan County Public Hospital District #3, was established in 2018 to ensure access to primary care and urgent healthcare needs for our island residents and visitors. Our clinic, now
Soroptimist Education Awards for San Juan County women
||| BARBARA SHARP for SOROPTIMISTS OF FRIDAY HARBOR ||| Soroptimist International of Friday Harbor is now accepting applications for its 2025 post-secondary educational and vocational skills training program awards. The $2500 Educational Opportunity Award is for a San Juan County woman who is enrolled in, or accepted into, undergraduate study
Some whales may live nearly twice as long as believed—if we let them
Study extends lifespan estimate for one whale species and suggests researchers have been underestimating others as well ||| FROM SCIENCE.ORG ||| Among mammals, whales are the longevity champs. Members of several species have lived past age 100, and one bowhead whale reached its 211th birthday. But estimates of whale longevity
Out-of-control invasive species has met its match: Cute and hungry otters
||| FROM USA TODAY ||| SAN FRANCISCO – A California ecosystem has gotten a big boost from an adorable, fluffy and hungry friend. At Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, a newly-reinvigorated population of native southern sea otters has eaten so many invasive European green crabs that researchers say the otters have locally
Peace and Light is seasonal message from White House
||| FROM THE WHITE HOUSE ||| The White House celebrates the 2024 holidays with a theme of “Peace and Light.” Each room is adorned with thoughtful design elements that reflect the spirit of tranquility, unity, and festive cheer, transforming the historic residence into a symbol of hope and seasonal beauty.
OCS guitar class strikes a chord with community
||| FROM ORCAS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ||| “Alright, guitarists! Let’s play B7 (a chord) in three, two, one…!” Orcas Christian School (OCS) began a guitar class in 2018 as a high school elective course taught by Andy Rivera. Today, after six years of classes and performances, the OCS Guitar Orchestra has
Yoga with Sam at Orcas Senior Center
Nourishing Body, Mind, and Spirit ||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER ||| Join Samantha Fisher in a holistic movement practice suitable for all experience levels, prioritizing an attuned connection to your body's inner wisdom. Drawing from her training in Hatha Yoga and Integrated Movement Therapy, Samantha integrates insights
2025 Airhawks scholarship recipients
||| FROM ROBERT WAUNCH for AIRHAWKS FLYING CLUB ||| The Airhawks Flying Club has awarded three $4,500 Flight Training scholarships to Orcas High School students Jack Carson, Knox Key and Sophia Mahony-Jauregui. In addition to their normal school courses, they have now added a number of additional STEM subjects they
