By Erin Durrett Drums in hand, we stand on the edge of the central tidepool at Point Robinson and watch a tiny speck afloat on the East Passage waters just off Redondo Beach. A great blue heron is fishing nearby, and we watch it take a bit of a fish just caught by two otters….
By Michael Shook Kirttimukha, Face of Glory, is a demon in Hindhu mythology who symbolizes the monstrous nature of life and the glory to be found in realizing that this is just how life is, and discovering how to live in it. Read more about Kirttimukha in Part 1 of this series, published in May…
By March Twisdale Authors Note: Written in collaboration with Jane Valencia, Island queer community residents, business owners, and others impacted by recent events. No matter how you slice it, a pitchfork mob is to be avoided. Lately, we seem to be forgetting this. Most are familiar with the story of “Beauty and the Beast.” In…
By Seán Malone and John Sweetman We drank water out of hoses, ate dirt and raw oysters, and fell down steep cliffs. We had other dangerous hobbies, such as climbing the nearly vertical clay bank down at the beach or paddling logs out to the middle of Colvos Passage to wait for a freighter and…
By Seán Malone and John Sweetman “Hey! That Western gray squirrel is back!” And sure enough, that troublemaker was back pestering the Douglas squirrel, and we had a protective obligation to the native rodent versus the invasive Western gray bully type, that ate a lot of Seán’s birdseed for his wild birds, which the squirrels…
By Daniel Hooker Two Stories. A young woman, maybe 35 years old, came to the table. “Do you have any formal dress clothes? I just got a job. It starts tomorrow.” She went on to explain that, in Seattle, someone had broken into her car and stolen all her clothes and shoes. She was nine…
By Michael Shook Once one’s facade of innocence is peeled away – invariably in a painful manner – nothing ever again looks quite the same. This is a good thing. Among the many salutary effects I experienced as a result of my “fall to earth” was the collapse of the notion that humanity is perfectable….
By Suzanna Leigh My friend Geri told me she owns part of the beach on the north end of Tramp Harbor, where the road to Ellisport runs along the shore (in Washington State, most beaches are privately owned as far as the mean low tide line). I think she owns the part with the old…
By Deborah H. Anderson The television show “Chopped” is my go-to for all seasons. If you haven’t seen it, the premise is simple, and the action is intense. “Chopped” is a game show where four chefs from various demographics and styles of cooking in the restaurant industry have to prepare an appetizer, entree, and dessert…
By March Twisdale In 2014, there was a high profile coyote attack at Misty Isle Farms. Three Willamette Valley ewes, brought in for the Vashon Sheepdog Classic, were killed overnight. The next night, government-sanctioned hunters shot and killed two coyotes as the pack returned twice, moving confidently toward the flock, passing many tents and dogs…