Looking Back
Wise Abe
>We have all heard of President Abraham Lincoln’s “Honest Abe” moniker, but I have read several quotes recently to remind me he was a wise man as well. The following observations are timeless: “You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about […]
Web cam at Ship Harbor
> Watch regularly-refreshed web cam images of the terminal at Ship Harbor in Anacortes, thanks to the Washington State Ferries (WSF) division of the state Department of Transportation: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/cameras/index.cfm
Underground weather forecast
Interested in weather? Get the LOCAL news about currrent weather conditions as well as an “underground” forecast from the following link, provided courtesy of Vince Streano and friends: http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=98221
Veterans Day tribute
>Anacortes resident Scott Thomson, pictured above, spent the early morning hours of Veterans Day 2009 composing the following tribute:I’m just a regular guy livin’ here in the NorthwestLeadin’ a pretty regular life, trying to do my bestI’m just a regular guy trying to expressWhat’s goin’ on inside my heartI’ll let my song say the restI’ve […]
Booshoot draws Martha’s attention
Jackie Heinricher of Lake Campbell recently drew national attention as the winner of a small business award from Martha Stewart. Heinricher launched a business called “Booshoot” in 1998. In 2004, she and Booshoot senior scientist Randy Burr, “cracked the code” on bamboo tissue culture, enabling Booshoot to supply wholesalers with more than one million plants […]
Recalling the Wall
> International news on November 9 recalled the anniversary of the “fall” of the Berlin Wall. The names Gorbachev and Reagan come to mind, as does the fact that the wall was “pushed” into that pages of history. “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern […]
Train blast from the past
This photograph from my archives captured a moment during an early Eighties “experiment” that placed Tommy Thompson’s narrow gauge train on Commercial Avenue. Thompson (center, in conductor’s hat) dreamed of a railroad route leading from downtown Anacortes (the historic Depot) to the state ferry terminal. Ultimately Thompson’s dreams were not realized, and the train was […]
Up and away
> This brief video clip represents an experiment on my part following a recent adventure on the shoreline of Fidalgo Bay. Noise in the background is traffic on nearby Highway 20. Next step is to successfully eliminate unwanted tree frames at tail end of video. Fun to learn on the fly (no pun intended).
City, tribe seek trestle repair donations
>In a joint statement issued Monday, October 26, the City of Anacortes and Samish Indian Nation stated in regard to the fire-damaged Tommy Thompson Trail trestle: “We sincerely appreciate the outpouring of support that has been received from our community. Thank you to everyone that has taken the time to express your feelings of loss […]
Ready-to-hang gift idea
>In partnership with my friends at How It Works, I just received a collection of 20 ready-to-hang photographs like this shot of Indian Paintbrush blossoms at Deception Pass. A “Pro Lam” treatment results in a wood-mounted, laminated enlargement that is ready to hang. Eliminated from the picture (no pun intended) are the expensive, time-intensive elements […]
Dramatic changes on waterfront
> It’s hard to see detail on a photo this size, but even so, changes on waterfront property owned by the Port of Anacortes are obvious. I got some help from Harbormaster Dale Fowler, who scanned this late 80’s photo and recalled the Anacortes of yesteryear. In this photo taken from Cap Sante, you’ll note […]
Sweet bluegrass
> This is one of my favorite images from a collection of slides taken during the first Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in 1984. As far as I know, Sedro-Woolley’s Ernest Queen is still at it, entertaining his audiences with the sweet, all-American sound of Bluegrass.