By Marc J. Elzenbeck When we last left our 3,500 pound purebred Holstein flight risk, we had upgraded the 4 foot high fence she had jumped, topping and criss-crossing it with electric wire. The group that hated the 100 mile-rated Zareba Energizer’s power included Leslie Lou “Minnie” Moo, her new calf Nettie, our dogs, their…
Island Vehicles, November 2025
Island Rides That Refuse To Die: The Toyota RAV4
By Marc J. Elzenbeck Choices usually involve tough trade-offs, summed up in design as “form follows function.” Sometimes you can get both, but function is primary. Comfort vs. Speed. Reliability vs. Sophistication. Safety vs. Cost. When it comes to owning a vehicle, there is also a trade-off called “Living on Vashon.” Several factors give our…
Editorial Page, October 2025
Deer Hunting With the FBI
The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation announced that a rifle cartridge commonly known as the Springfield Thirty Ought Six (.30-06) was used last month to assassinate a prominent conservative activist during an outdoor rally at a Utah college. Online pushback against this statement began immediately and continues to thrive, with an ongoing cottage…
Island Vehicles, July 2025
Toyota’s Prime Plugger
By Marc J. Elzenbeck My friend Valeo put a deposit down for a RAV-4 Prime, a ride in more demand than a Lamborghini. After waiting unfulfilled for almost 2 years, he sprang for a 5th-Gen Prius Prime. Both these plug-in vehicles are huge upgrades on Toyota’s solid hybrid tech, real game-changers in convenience and flexibility….
June 2025, Literary
On the Go With Jean-Jacques Rousseau
“I have never been so much my own self as when I have set out on foot and alone. There is something about walking that animates and activates my ideas. I can hardly think at all when I am still; my body must move if my mind is to do the same. The sight of…
Island Resilience, May 2025, Recipes
Mayo is Magic
By Marc J. Elzenbeck For decades I thought mayo was the province of professionals and was too intimidated to try my hand. But looking at store shelves full of white stuff made with industrial oils at $10 a jar provided the final oomph. (What is a canola? Where does it grow?) Turns out, mayonnaise is…
April 2025, Editorial Page
Vashon Chosen as Cyber Ferry Host
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) announced a long-term goal to convert its ferry system, the world’s largest,* from antiquated diesel propulsion to an all-electric carbon-negative fleet by 2034. The announcement comes in the wake of a U.S. carmaker’s pending acquisition of Danish manufacturer Traekke-Benet A/S, dubbed “the Tesla of ferries” by the British…
Island Resilience, Island Voices, March 2025
The Case of the Fortunate Sheepdog
By Marc J. Elzenbeck On Monday, February 10th on Wax Orchard, the road was still dark at 6:47 AM. Something had knocked over a big Murrey’s blue bin near 249th, plastic and metal recycling was blocking southbound lane. I steered around and my kid said, “If you ran over that, it might’ve popped a tire.”…
February 2025, Island Vehicles
Headlight Encounters of the Third Kind
By Marc J. Elzenbeck Once upon a time, cars all had identical headlights. From 1940 to 1984, there was a United States sealed beam standard. While the adage, “You can’t stop within the reach of your low beams, young fella,” was mostly still true, safety had improved. By 1978, lights could come in both rectangular…
Island Vehicles, Island Voices, January 2025
Island Vehicles: When Oil Filters Attack
By Marc J. Elzenbeck Motor oil contains hydrocarbons, detergents, viscosity enhancing agents, and after being used in an engine, fine metal particles. It is not recommended for skin care. But if it sprays you in the face, it imparts a nice supple feel for a week or so. Running an errand in Seattle, my route…