The Dream Kitchen Tour is our largest fund-raiser of the year and is hosted by the Whidbey Island Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). All $15 tickets fees will fund college scholarships for young women from the island’s three high schools.

The Tour is self-guided and takes place from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Saturday, August 27th. Tour-goers begin at our Hospitality Center located at the Lutheran Church Community Center (18341 SR 525 in Freeland) and then continues on to six unique island homes. Some kitchens are large and elaborate, others are small and simple; each is memorable and gorgeous.

Tickets can also be purchased at The Star Store in Langley, Sound Business Center in Freeland, Lind’s Pharmacy in Coupeville and Ace Hardware in Oak Harbor.

Call Christina Moats with questions or for more information – 360-421-8827

I just had to do it. I had to Ride-the-Rails. I did it and what fun it was! You can too!

My goal: go from Whidbey Island to the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac) and back – as cheaply as possible – without my car.

I started at the free park-and-ride lot behind the Post Office in Clinton. Hopped on the Island County bus to the ferry, also free. Walked on the ferry (leaves every ½ hour) and crossed Saratoga Passage to Mukilteo, also free.

I then walked over to the Sounder platform and caught the early train to Seattle ($4.00; Senior $2.00). It was an easy transfer at the King Street Station from the Sounder to the Light Rail to SeaTac ($2.75; Senior $0.75). This took roughly 90 minutes – about the same time as driving except a whole lot less expensive. No car ferry fee, no gasoline cost, no parking at SeaTac fee, less traffic than on the city streets and I5 expressway and less pollution, too. I like this!

I highly recommend this route to Seattle and to the airport. The views along Saratoga Passage are just astounding. Round trip cost is about $18 and about ½ that for seniors. The trains are clean and quiet. Really. I’m am now a believer and plan to use this route when I visit my family and friends. For more information go to soundtransit.org for schedules, routes, fees and special events (Mariner games!).

The smell of cut grass, the sound of a mower. Swatches of paint colors being considered for the dining room on the kitchen counter and the smell of paint. A safe, toasty feeling you get in your comfy warm home during a winter storm.  [Read more...]

Do you have old electronics lying around and don’t have any place to take them? Windermere has the solution for you! Bring any unwanted electronics and/or appliances to our Oak Harbor office on Saturday, June 4th and we’ll recycle them for you. We’ll be here from 10:00-4:00 to take your items.

If you wish to come by between 11:00-2:00, we’ll be barbequing hot dogs and hamburgers.  We look forward to seeing you!

Hearts & Hammers’ slogan is “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” and that is certainly what happened on Saturday, May 7th.  

The annual workday was a GREAT success with over 50 projects completed and some 400 people participating. Homeowners needing help apply during the year, then once approved, volunteers do whatever renovations and/or repairs are possible within the scope of a one-day work blitz. Projects include carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, painting, roof repairs, weatherization, heavy cleaning and even yard cleanup! There is no charge to the homeowners for labor or materials. Costs are covered by fund-raising events, donations and grants.   [Read more...]

“First Fridays at the Farm” in Greenbank is quite the fun evening for adults. The Greenbank Farm Wine Shop and Tasting Room is offering a truly special evening on the first Friday of each month, starting Friday, May 6th. Vintners will be pouring an eclectic selection of Northwest wines for you to taste and enjoy.   [Read more...]

At last we can start gardening on those days that are not too blustery. It’s time to do any pruning you haven’t done yet, (particularly roses and some shrubs).

Try to get as many of the pop weeds out as you can before they bloom and go to seed. These are very pretty with little white flowers and little circlets of leaves that are easily mistaken for a small perennial. (I did it when I first started gardening and lived to regret it). When they go to seed they spray seed when you try to pull them; hence, the reason for the name Pop Weed. They come back every year. It’s much better to get them out early and do it every time you see one come up. They can seed when they are very small.

This would be a great year to grow some of your own produce.   [Read more...]

Langley, the peaceful little Village By The Sea, is enjoying its biggest visitor of the year.  Tourists come for all kinds of reasons.  These travelers – the mammoth gray whales – stop by each spring, usually arriving sometime in March, on the way from Mexico to rest up and feed on ghost shrimp before continuing onto Canada and Alaska sometime in May.  [Read more...]

For three weekends in March and April the Mukilteo Ferry terminal will be closed and access to Whidbey Island will be from the Edmonds Terminal. 

Those weekends are:

Friday, March 18 – Sunday, March 20
Friday, March 25 – Sunday, March 27
Friday, April 1 – Sunday, April 3

[Read more...]

1. The Penn Cove Mussel Festival, March 4th through the 6th. A celebration of Coupeville’s signature seafood. Enjoy a weekend of chowder tasting, great music and take a boat tour of the largest mussel farm in the US.
2. Whidbey Island Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday, April 10, 2011 Whidbey was named one of the top ten places to run a marathon in Best in Travel 2010. It is a gorgeous scenic course on back country roads and along the waterfront.
3. If you want to be entertained by Whidbey Islands Own Rural Characters, then enjoy this event at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts in Langley.  There is so much happening at WICA, I will need to write a whole post about it soon.
4. Choochokam in Langley, a full street fair of fun, music food and art. Usually the 2nd week of July so check their website for posting of this year’s festival.
5. Whidbey Island Race Week- What is an island without a sailboat race? This year see the boats on the water on the 17th through the 21st. [Read more...]