The big story of the week is the weather.

At the time of this writing the sun is shining in a cloudless sky and it is predicted to reach the mid 70 degree mark. The exciting news is that it is supposed to be like this all week. In theIslandsthis means outdoor activities are on tap.

 If you are a water person this means getting your body into a kayak. There are several kayak outfitters on the Island that can set up trips by the hour or by the day either guided or on your own. If you do venture out on your own just be aware that the wind can pick up at anytime and combined with a current shift can make your peaceful paddle a struggle to get back to land. Be prepared and use common sense.

 If being on the water is not your thing there are many hikes around the island that give one the opportunity to emerge themselves in the spectacular scenery of the Island. A favorite this time of year is the trails located in and around Lime Kiln Park on the west side. The short easy trail along the coast is a great one that occasionally reveals Orca whales feeding close to shore.

 If relaxing on a bench eating an ice cream or sipping some Java appeals to you you’re in luck. Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor are bussling with activity. Walk the docks of each marina and check out all the interesting and jaw dropping boats that are passing through our islands possibly heading to the inside passage or beyond. Roche Harbor has officially started their daily tradition of performing colors and flag ceremony complete with a loud cannon firing every evening at sunset.

 Have a great week and enjoy the warmth of the suns rays.

A little bit of this, a little bit of that…

The Sound of Music at SJC Theatre
The hills are alive with The Sound of Music, which will be the main attraction at the San Juan Community Theatre (http://www.sjctheatre.org/) during the month of May. Music by Richard Rodgers. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Directed by Merritt Olsen and Musical Direction by Jim Collado. Thursdays – Saturdays, May 10-12 & 17-19 7:30 pm. Sunday, May 13 5:00 pm. Sunday, May 20 2:00 pm.

Plant, Orchid and Bake Sale May 12th
The San Juan County Master Gardeners (http://sanjuan.wsu.edu/mastergardeners/) along with the Animal Protection Society of Friday Harbor (http://www.apsfh.org/) invite you to a Spring Plant Sale, Mother’s Day Orchid, and Bake Sale at Mullis Community Senior Center from 9:00am-12:00pm on Saturday May 12th, 2012.
The Spring Plant Sale will feature hundreds of home grown veggies and herbs, including tomatoes, peppers, squashes, brassicas, basil, parsley and others. In addition there will be a selection of perennials from our own gardens. We’ll have our hanging fuchsia baskets and other mom’s day growing gifts. Plant sale proceeds benefit Master Gardener projects such as the demonstration garden and the diagnostic clinic.
The Animal Shelter will be selling a variety of beautiful orchids such as phaleonopsis, miltonia, oncidium and more, plus goodies made by some of the best local bakers. All proceeds from the orchid and bake sale benefit the Animal Shelter. You don’t want to miss this fabulous event, so come early to stock up on your veggies, shrubs, orchids and baked goods. Contacts: Master Gardeners-Alice Deane tedalicedeane@rockisland.com, 360-378-5250 Friday Harbor Animal Shelter-Leslie Byron 360-378-2158

Learn the Art of Making Concrete Cast Leaves
Local San Juan Island artist, Debbie Pigman will teach an art workshop, “The Art of Making Concrete Cast Leaves”, on Saturday, May 12th. Time to be determined. Each participant will make two concrete leaves, plus practice painting on pre-cast leaves. Workshop fee is $65 which includes all materials. For more information or to be added to an email list for future workshop notifications, email dpigman1234@yahoo.com.

Special Mother’s Day at Duck Soup Inn
On Sunday May 13th, Duck Soup Inn (http://www.ducksoupinn.com/) will be offering “The Mother Of All Happy Hours!” The popular restaurant will be opening their doors at 3:00pm on Mother’s Day afternoon to joyfully celebrate and honor Mom! There will be reduced prices on appetizers and specialty cocktails. Happy hour will run until 5:30, and segue into dinner service.
Enjoy crispy duck leg confit with sour cherries, petite Sweet Earth Farm duck egg omelet with tarragon, goat cheese and asparagus, Madrona smoked chicken wings with a spicy miso scallion glaze…and much more. Special cocktails such as the Nightingale, Elderflower Rickey, and Cherry Bloom will be available, along with fresh pink lemonade for kids. Every Mom will receive a rose! Reservations are recommended, please call 360-378-4878

The Self-Made Myth: and the Truth About How Government Helps Individuals and Businesses Succeed – book talk May 10 (http://sanjuanislander.com/island-newshome/arts-a-entertainment/3945-the-self-made-myth-and-the-truth-about-how-government-helps-individuals-and-businesses-succeed-book-talk-may-10) Griffin Bay Bookstore and the San Juan Island Library are co-sponsoring a timely event, a book talk with Brian Miller and Mike Lapham, authors of The Self-Made Myth: and the Truth About How Government Helps Individuals and Businesses Succeed (http://faireconomy.org/selfmademyth/excerpt/1) , at 7 p.m. Thursday night, May 10 at Griffin Bay Bookstore.

Art Camp for Big Kids 7-10 at Doe Bay on Orcas
“Art Camp for Big Kids” takes place from June 7-10, 2012 at Doe Bay Resort and Retreat on Orcas Island. The program helps busy adults cultivate a creative art renaissance. The retreats offer a chance to decompress from busy living. It gives an overworked grownup the chance to smile, laugh, create, and reconnect to his or her joy through art and play. Available to anyone over 18, retreats are packed with fun activities and opportunities for creative expression through arts, crafts, games, and personal reflection. Retreat participants can expect an experience that mimics a summer camp experience for children and is designed to cultivate a creative renaissance or simply enable participants to try a new art medium in a casual, comfortable, and safe environment.
All skill levels are welcome and no prior art experience is necessary. Additional retreat information, schedules, and registration details and fees can be found on The Joy Guild’s website (http://www.joyguild.com/).

Fun, free event for the whole family!
The 22nd annual San Juan Island Children’s Festival is proud to present Reading Magic, with Jeff Evans, as the main entertainment this year! Favorite book characters make their way into his magic show and kids can’t get enough of his hilarious routines. The benefits of reading are woven throughout the show. Jeff was named Children’s Magic Champion by the Pacific Coast Association of Magicians for his “Harry Potter” act. The SJI Children’s Festival will be on May 5th from 10am to 2pm at the San Juan County Fairgrounds. The entire event is free and kids of all ages will enjoy over 30 activity providers centered around this year’s theme “Leap Off the Page” bring your stories to life!

Spring Cake Walk on the Brickworks Plaza
Press Release: Join us as we celebrate family and community at the first annual Cake Walk on the Plaza. Saturday May 12th from 11:00 -1:00, at Brickworks, 150 Nichols St., Friday Harbor. Come early to vote on the best-decorated cakes, with People’s Choice Awards, and prizes for the top five cakes. Live music will lead circles of friends and island neighbors in rounds of Cake Walking. Walk and win an edible masterpiece – bring home a fantastic cake for Mother’s Day. All students that participate in the sponsored Cake Coloring Contest will receive a free pass to “walk.” Bakers interested in creating and donating cakes should contact: Tori Zehner at 360-378-6301 Brickworks! See you on the plaza! This event is sponsored by the San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild. Event Coordinator: Susie Wampler 360-378-4874. For more event information go to http://www.sjiagguild.com

More events at: http://sanjuanislander.com/calendar/month-by-month

Well, needless to say, Spring has Sprung! There are a variety of activities coming up that will help you get in the mood. Take a look…

Waterworks Gallery
April 21 – May 12, 2012
CELEBRATION OF SPRING
Our season starts with “Celebration of Spring” April 21- May 12, 2012 featuring new textile wall hangings by Amanda Richardson and blown glass installations by Jeremy Newman and Allison Ciancibelli.
Amanda Richardson, a former island resident, celebrates the arrival of spring with a lively collection of small wall hangings; a fabulous collection of our local flora and fauna. These textiles no longer require stretching or framing as they are presented on a rod complete with a deckled edge.
Jeremy and Allison, of Twisp River Glass create several installations of various shaped and colored glass to form a glass assemblage, representing the colors of the season.

Cady Mountain Preserve Walk
A guided walk Saturday, May 5 provides islanders an opportunity view spring wildflowers and the ongoing Garry oak habitat restoration work on the Cady Mountain Preserve on San Juan Island.
Space is limited. To reserve a space call the Land Bank office at 360-378-4402 or visit the Land Bank website (www.sjclandbank.org)
Participants should be in good physical condition as the walk will occur off-trail and occasionally over challenging terrain.
For more than ten years private land owners on Cady Mountain have been voluntarily enhancing, maintaining, and restoring remnant Garry oak prairie habitat, largely through the support of a series of federal grants.

Wildflower Walk at Cattle Pass
Celebrate spring wildflowers at Cattle Pass, 9 – 11 am, Sunday April 29. The local chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society and the San Juan County Land Bank are sponsoring this easy to moderately difficult wildflower walk on private, state, and Land Bank preserves. Eliza Habegger of the Land Bank will lead an exploration of plant life in several habitats, including coastal wetlands, a very special rocky meadow/grassland, and mixed conifer forest.
Meet for carpooling at the DNR Cattle Pass Interpretive Center (just past American Camp on Cattle Point Road) at 9 a.m. (Note: Discover Pass required for parking).

Master Gardeners Workshop
It’s spring and time to think about gardens! The San Juan County Master Gardeners invite you to the Spring Gardening Workshop on April 21, 2012 in the Friday Harbor Middle School.
Graham Kerr, internationally known author, chef (Galloping Gourmet) and speaker will headline the event. If you want to know how to build a rain catchment system, a year around vegetable garden or arrange those flowers you’ve just cut – there’s a workshop for you. 15 workshops designed to give you practical gardening skills, fill out the day.
Registration Information: WSU website: sanjuan.wsu.edu and at the local WSU Extension Office, 360-378-4414.

Island Rec offers a variety of hikes.
Explore new territory! Join Island Rec on one more wonderful off-island hike happening this spring. Register now for one or all three hikes in the series. Register online at www.islandrec.org. All transportation costs are included in fee. Difficulty level varies depending on location. Call Island Rec at 360-378-4953 for more details.

The sun is out again, reminding us of why we love San Juan Island. 

Did you know that we get HALF as much rain as Seattle?  The splendid outdoor lifestyle is a result of our location in the “rainshadow” of the mountains.  An example of the health life and outdoor activities are the events that are coming up on our islands.

On San Juan, there is a goal to complete the multi-use athletic field at San Juan Island Community Fields and have it open to the public on September 1.  How do islanders do that?  In the time-honored and successful dinner and auction manner!  This fundraiser will begin at 4 p.m. on April 21 and is called Fields of Dreams – you may have seen the posters around town.  Planned events include a BBQ dinner, an auction of donated items, a  beer garden, dancing, and live music at this fun-filled family oriented event. Tickets are available at Ace Hardware.

The San Juan County Fairground, in Friday Harbor, is a valuable resource for people living in the islands.  It has been the scene of the County Fair since its inception.  But there are a lot more things going on there…horse shows, 4-H classes, Sales Events, Children’s Festivals, etc.  Following the Fields of Dreams Fundraiser at the Fairgrounds on Saturday will be a Scooter and Trike time at the huge cement floor of the main fair building.  Afterwards, at 8:30 there will be roller skating.  Island Rec does a great job of keeping us moving!

For the more sedate, on Friday at the same Fairgrounds facility, there is a wonderful play by the actors of Island Stage Left.  It opened to a standing ovation at the first performance.  This is “Someone to Watch Over Me.”  This show, which begins at 7:30 on Friday, is also performed on Sunday at 4:00.  The performances are free, although donations are always appreciated.  This moving play will elicit tears and laughter as it celebrates the resilience of the human spirit.

Don’t forget that the third Saturday of every month at our Historic San Juan County Grange Hall building in Friday Harbor, there are Contra Dances from 7 until 9 in the evening. No partners are needed and all dances are taught with live music (fiddle, guitar, mandolin and piano).  No experience is necessary and a $10 donation would be appreciated. Students are half price.

Whatever your plans are, take a moment to get moving and go outside by visiting the beaches and parks in the islands, and enjoy your weekend.

Sunday marked a very special day for millions of people around the world; the celebration of Chocolate and Pork. 

Giving up on religion in fourth grade after studying the children’s crusades, I have come to enjoy the High Holiday’s from a culinary respect. Although not as significant as Christmas or Thanksgiving, Easter is certainly nothing to Passover; not the Jewish holiday I’m talking pork.

Being fromCaliforniathe traditional Easter meal revolved around a delicious spiral sliced ham, drowning in a bourbon glaze. These days my favorite pork product is a slow cook pork butt. I usually slow roast the PB over a low and slow mesquite BBQ. It works best to do the indirect method and bath the pork in a dark beer, brown sugar and dry bbq rub. This is going to take a while, like all day, depending on size. If you’re going to all this trouble do two and freeze the other one. Once the pork is cooked you can make pulled pork sandwiches, tamales or in our case today enchiladas with mole sauce. The Aztec were famous for their mole and the secret is pumpkin seeds and chocolate. Ingredients are 5 ancho chilies, 3 dried New Mexico or guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded ,2 dried chilies negros stemmed and seeded, 1/3 cup sesame seeds, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish, 3/4 teaspoon anise seeds, 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, 2 cloves, 12 black peppercorns, One 1/2 -inch cinnamon stick, 5 tablespoons lard or vegetable shortening, 2 1/2 tablespoons raisins, 20 whole almonds, 1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds,1 corn tortilla, quartered, 5 medium plum tomatoes, 5 garlic cloves, unpeeled, 1 small onion, quartered, 5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth , 3 1/4 ounces Mexican chocolate, coarsely chopped, Salt and freshly ground pepper, 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Soak the chilies, toast the seeds and spices, sauté together add the broth. From here you can pour sauce over enchiladas and bake or use as base for chicken mole or a pork mole stew.

The secret to both of these recipes is time, the longer the better. While your pork is smoking and your mole simmering it may be worth a look at our listings and decide if this is the time to make your move on some property in theSan Juan Islands. It appears that the market is heating up with 25 properties pending or contingent versus a norm of 12-14. 16 properties between 50K-500K, 5 properties between 500K-800K and 4 around 1mm. We are hearing good things from our office inSeattleabout multiple offers and properties getting full price offers the day they hit the market.

The ferry has been full this weekend, the flowers are starting to bloom and it looks like a good year for real estate in the San Juan Islands.

It continues to be a battle between winter and spring.

Fortunately, the days are getting longer each and every day but we are still experiencing some of winter’s wind, rain and cool weather. In weather like this I enjoy taking the dog for a walk at Jakel’s lagoon. It provides shelter from the wind and rain throughout the many miles of forested trails. If someone is up for the hike and the weather is clear part of the trail provides fantastic views to the south and west towards the Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island.

To get to the trail head follow the signs to American Camp on the south side of the island. Go past the entrance of American camp by about a mile and look for the parking lot and trail head on the left. It is just past the turn off for South Beach.

If hiking is not your cup of tea then maybe a whale watch and wildlife tour. I’ve herd that there have already been Orca whale sightings.

Another popular island past time is to go garage sale shopping. It is getting to that time of year when people are doing their spring cleaning and opportunities abound for that special treasure. You can find the up to date weekly garage sale addresses on sanjuanislander.com.

As always check our calendar link for the latest activities here on San Juan Island. http://www.sanjuancalendar.com/

Have a great week.