The coconut treeThick tight clusters at the topUs at the bottom ~ Benson carved a faceSubjugation in BelizeEver blowing wind ~ The end of the rainy season — stray dogs wander wet ~ Famished, I crawled home Embarrassed at the party My sins he forgave ~ Some haiku from Belize and one from last week’s…
Entertainment, Llaughing Llamas
Llaughing Llamas Chronicles
The pond that I was turned onto, Bong Ripper Pond, I found the review of it … The elevation was quite high, the trip is full of flowers and greenery, the immersion into the pond is exhilarating and leaves you with a heady, bubbly feeling! While the high elevation leaves you speechless and awestruck, it’s…
Literary
Poetry By Carla Dawn DeCrona
Around dawn, on Tuesday, January 3rd, Carla Dawn DeCrona completed her transition from this reality into the next. As her friends here on our Island and abroad learn of her passage forward, almost all have remarked upon the light my mother brought into this world. She was as bright in spirit as the glorious, sky…
Literary
Haiku Comic – Cold Outside, With Dog
This haiku comic was inspired by an experience my friend Cynthia shared with me, and is dedicated in memory of her brother, Jaime Sadurni Mendiola. Cold outside, with dog Stars freeze too – night is punctured Strokes of silver – swans!
Announcements
Patricia A. Buchanan, Obituary
Born Patricia Ann Luray in Ross, California on June 2, 1950, to Howard and Barbara Luray (maiden name Spurgeon). “Pat” was the 3rd of four children. Pat is survived by her younger brother Chris, her two children Donnie and Akemi, and their children Naomi, Amaya, and Emi Mae. Pat’s childhood took place mainly in the…
Island Businesses
Roasterie History
Minglement, an organic food, herb, and spice store established in 1972 on Vashon was growing, and Eva wanted to move her business into a larger space. A country block away, the original Historic Seattle’s Best Coffee roasting facility, stood empty. The site was well over 100 years old, with its well-worn wooden floors, charming front…
Children, Literary
Rose Hip and Snowberry – Part 3
In a time when technology has fallen away, Islanders are rediscovering the ways of the forest. In a frenzy of excitement and discovery, two children, Rose Hip and Snowberry, have yanked quantities of moss and licorice fern from a tree. They turn to head home, only to stop short in surprise! In front of them…
Health Matters
The Unadulterated, True Story …
Bear with me as I weave an inspiring tale about the miracle of you and your body. Books are overflowing with strange stories of ordinary people achieving extraordinary feats of self-healing, endurance, and dignity, in the face of extreme harshness. When we are committed – passionate – we source from deep within, and transform the impossible into the possible. Every one of us is talented,…
Arrival Stories
What Brought You to the Island?
Our journey to Vashon began over 30 years ago when I lost my job as part of a RIF (reduction in force). This was shortly after the Rodney King riots in Southern California. At the time, my wife Michelle and I came to the conclusion that Southern California no longer was a good place to…
Recipes
The End All, Be All of Banana Breads!
After a few of my own adaptations, I’ve made healthy sugar-free banana bread every week for long periods. I often plan ahead to have extra bananas just for this. It’s so sweet, you’d think it’s loaded with sugar, but applesauce is the sweetener! I’ve made this bread with all kinds of flour, gluten-free, all-purpose works fine…