you're my obsession: elephant revival

Elephant Revival is a band I've come to love very much during my time here on the island. They come every year to San Juan Island. Peggy my partner in chicken farming is the most adoring mother of the lovely Bridget Law who is the talented fiddle player for Elephant Revival! Small world, huh?!

The quintet of Elephant Revival take the stage to make the Island move!

In perfect Revival form the feet were dancing!

The talented fiddle playing Bridget 

Washboard & bass.... making beautiful folk music.

Bonnie even plays the saw, which I LOOOOVE!

Playing well into the evening...

The band travels extensively so if you've never seen them I highly encourage you to check them out when they venture your way. Keep your eye on their tour dates. Be sure to tell Bridget San Juan Island and Erinn misses her! 

life is whizzzzzing by.....

Yup, fell off the radar AGAIN, sorry!

I've been working my arse off with the two jobs here on the island and bashing away at my debt whilst trying to stay outta trouble. I promise to start posting some of the fun shtuff I've been doing when I'm not working or sleeping!

Again Sorry, and I hope your Holidays have been amazing!

sshhhhhhh..... silent sundays: disconnected

sshhhhhhh..... silent sundays: pumpkins

crafty shtuff: blue ribbon knitting

I finished my sweater after much procrastination, but I did have it finished a few days before the county fair due date! Last year I was up till 2am still stitching. I turned in pictures with it to show the sweaters unique ability to be reversible. Accomplishing this sweater is a huge milestone in my knitting career & damn it, I'm flippin proud!

Blue Ribbon!!!

I unraveled a few times....

Scariest blocking of my life.... ok thus far.

Did I mention it fits me too!!!!

Rightside up?!

Upside down?! Doesn't matter it's cozy either way!

island life: fog

The Sidney,BC ferry floating by like a ghost

The island has been totally fogged in this October. In fact I've heard a few people refer to it as Fog-tober. It has been a fun eerie existence living in the fog. Listening to the fog horns of ships you can not see, not seeing any of the other islands, and watching humans walk by & then disappear.  

This is the view the chickens had across the property.

Even Cow & Pig with their new baby Pow(cow-pig) could barely see past their snouts!

The fog did finally burn off on Saturday to reveal a new sunshiny fall existence with blue skies & high winds have made the waters dance around the finally visible neighboring islands. 

debt smackdown..... a change of work

I have quit my spa job as a massage therapist! Whoa, was that scary, but I need to do it! After almost 17 years of massage I'm tired and needing to see daylight. Why do spa's have to be so damn dark?! bleh. 
So I found a couple of serving/food jobs at local restaurants and I'm having a blast with a side of fast paced stress. The money has been more steady as are my hours, unlike my spa job. In fact since I have 2 restaurant jobs I'm crazy busy with few days off a month. Which also means I'm paying down my debt faster. Which is getting me closer to my goal of school in London. Le Sigh!!!

friend lost....

 I met John Buck when Peggy & I decided to be chicken farmers. He was the master creator of our chicken coop and a new constant friend in my life here on the island. He was a quiet gentle creative guy. I still have text messages on my phone that I can't bring myself to delete. My heart is still very sad over losing such a wonderful person as John.

sshhhhhhh..... silent sundays: random instagrams

where'd she go?!

Well.... It's been nuts-o since I last posted. 
 I had a wonderful birthday weekend that I spent with great friends & one heartthrob (hee-hee!)! The weeks following have been turbulent. 

I finished my sweater & won blue ribbon for my knitting skills at the County Fair. 
I lost a dear new friend here on the island to suicide, which completely rocked my world. 
My mother taught me how to can the magnificent produce of the summer.

I also have completely restructured my work life. 

Loads of things to tell ya about in posts to follow.

island life: san juan island distillery

Gin, Cider, & Spirits....oh my, oh my! The San Juan Island Distillery is one of my favorite hidden gems of our island. I've only been there twice due to not being independently wealthy. (Work really gets in the way sometimes.) The 2 times I have been were wonderful, the first was 3 summers ago when they first opened & the second this July. I've seen them grow immensely in that short time with new gins and spirits and oodles of awards for their products! 

Rows of spirits to imbibe...

Westcott Bay Ciders from San Juan Distillery, yum.

They even have a bad ass Mini!

Love the copper still....

Suzanne, myself, & Becky tasted all they had to offer!

After this latest visit I have a new favorite gin...their Spy Hop Harvest Select which is made from only Washington apples. This gin would be a sipping gin no need for tonic. Though a refreshing G&T on a hot summer day is divine!

shoe-spirations: fluevog

Fluevog's.....

My favorite shoes and the driving force behind the naming of a sassy chicken! These shoes are odd, vintage-y, chunky, funky and make my soul sing-y! I'll say it... John Fluevog I love you for making these whimsical Shoe-spirations! I am blessed to own 3 pairs, & wish I had more... is there a Fluevog addicts anonymous?

1st pair: Mini Gorgeous

2nd pair: I don't know what they are called...

3rd pair: Together Hi Benatar

Maybe one day I can intern/apprentice with the Fluevog company in Vancouver?! That would be dreamy....

getting fair ready: part deux

Holy fart buckets.... It's July! The fair is a month away! Sh*#!

So you may remember I had high aspirations of taking the fair by storm with entries galore....

This years high aspirations (circa march):

Knit sweater

Sew a dress

Design & make a pair of shoes

Knit skirt

Can something

So... I'm still working on the sweater. Good news is the body of the sweater is finished and just the arms need to be knitted and the attached. I love how that sounds so easy written down. Ha?! 

Other promising forward moving news: I've just read how to can/preserve! My mother gave me a fabulous book Canning for a New Generation which has made this age old art sound possible for a girl whom has never done such a thing! Which means I will still try to accomplish this fair entry. Though it will not be from the beets from my own garden as my beet plants are still 1" tall. 

I still plan to enter shoes as I am hoping for a best of show ribbon this year. I figure as I will be the only entry of had made shoes it should get a big ass ribbon! We'll see what the judging panel thinks though....

That makes three feasible entries from my list of ridiculously high hopes from March! Wish me luck, I need it!

This years high aspirations (revised):

Knit sweater

Can something

Design & make a pair of shoes

Sew a something?!