One of the challenges of crabbing in the Salish Sea is dealing with the bait, which can sometimes get very ripe. In this case, the bait attracted our dogs, who shared the love.
Category Archive: Orcas Island
Big Dungeness Crab from the Salish Sea
Sometimes a crab comes along that seems to have evaded traps for a long time. It won’t go to waste. That’s enough meat (claws and body) for dinner for two.
Cedar, Big Enough, and Boats 🌲📔🚤
A snapshot of summer 2020 when we were staining cedar for the house, preparing to publish a book, and spending a lot of time on the Salish Sea.
Solo Stove for Backyard Fires
Since then, the Solo Stove has become one of my favorite products because it makes backyard fires easy, safe, and clean. I often tell people that it’s an awesome piece of engineering, for what is essentially a fire pit.
The Search for Smart House Siding
If you picture a Japanese village in your mind, you’re likely to imagine buildings with a dark brown or black appearance, with a lot of character. This appearance, comes, in part, from an ancient Japanese method of charring wood to make it more resilient. The final product is called “yakisugi” or “shou sugi ban”. The Japanese found that charring the wood gave a unique character made it last longer.
Hummingbird
Female Rufous Hummingbird (I Think) Since moving to Orcas, hummingbirds have become part of everyday life. Our neighbors all have flowers and feeders, so they buzz around like they own the place. I've never seen them so curious. They will come right up to your face...
Powering a Smart Home with Batteries
When we started planning our house on Orcas Island, people often asked about our plans for a generator assuming we’d need one. For a while, we had the same assumption.
The House Project: Flattop on Orcas Island
In the spring of 2017, Sachi and I became consumed with an idea. On a camping trip to Orcas Island, which is off the NW coast of Washington State, we started to ask serious questions about the future. While drinking wine from a box by a campfire, we first started to...
A Walk on Orcas Island 🌲🚶🏻♂️🚶🏻♀️🌲
From the moment the word “walk” is mentioned, both dogs scurry about as whines become barks. For this reason, we have come to spell the word and ask one another if it’s time for a “w-a-l-k”.
City Life Versus Island Life 🗑♻️
Moving from Seattle to an island was a shock for a lot of reasons. One of the most interesting was learning to be more self-sufficient than we ever have.
The Pandemic’s Impact on Home Construction and Book Publishing 📚📐
When the pandemic hit in 2020, we had to reevaluate two of the biggest projects of our lives. This is how it felt at the time.
WHOOOOSH and the Whales 🦌🌲🐋
A walk to our construction site ends in seeing orca whales in the water in front of the house.
A Dispatch from the Covid Quarantine 🦠
In the spring of 2020, we were quarantined because of Covid-19. This was our experience early in the pandemic.
In an Instant, She Was Gone 🌲🦮🌲
On a windy afternoon, our dog disappeared into the woods hunting for deer. This is what happened and how it felt.
Ready for Rain Year in Review 🗓
Ready for Rain at one year. A review of the events in 2019, as shared in the newsletter.
A Return to Herb’s 🚢🎒🚢
Sometimes the reality of living on an island taking ferries becomes very real. This is one of those times.
The House Project in Pictures 📷
A look at a home construction project on Orcas Island, WA as the framing is being built.
Crabbing in the Salish Sea 🦀
One of our favorite hobbies since moving to Orcas Island is crabbing for Dungeness Crabs in the summer. This is how it works for us.
The History of Concrete and Our House Foundation 🏡
As the foundation was poured on the new house, I learned about concrete in construction and the history of lime production in the San Juan Islands.
Getting the House Out of the Ground 👷🏻♂️👷🏻♂️🏡
The first big phase of the house building project was the foundation and starting then, the house took on a realistic form and shape.