LORI SPEAR shot a defiant look at clouds overhead on Saturday, Sept. 29, and they obediently rolled on to the north. Nothing would slow the barn-raising in progress.
Lori and her husband LEE are building the barn at Fort Nugent and Zylstra Road, directly adjacent to their business, Hummingbird Farm Nursery and Gardens. A busy parent who also works in the farm/nursery/gift shop, Lori’s night job is as a full-time labor and delivery nurse at Naval Hospital Oak Harbor.
“This really is a community service activity for the sailors and corpsmen,†Lori said, adding that the barn, when completed, will benefit the community by providing gathering space to the Oak Harbor Arts Council and others.
Petty officers JENNIFER DOWEARY and PARRISH CARBINS both worked on the project and were key to recruiting sailors.
“They continue to accrue community service hours for their advancement, and we give them a modest monetary token of appreciation so they can have a dinner date on us,†Lori said.
Junior sailors from Whidbey Island Naval Air Station were JEREMY SAUNDERS, JAMES JARDET, ERIKA UHDEN, SAMANTHA ROSENHAN, LUIS BONILLA, NICK GORT, CHRISTIAN OLYER, LYNN STAUFFER, JOSH BERGER, LAWRENCE WASS and MATT SCHVANEVELDT.
Other helpers were Lt. DAVID HARI, a coworker at the Naval Hospital; MONIKA (an RN at the Naval Hospital) and JOHN HAYNES; KARL NIELSEN; and FRANK GARCIA, whose wife Lt. Cmdr. JEANETTE GARCIA, is a nurse anesthetist at Naval Hospital Oak Harbor.
Job foreman was JIM TILLER from Uncle Howard’s Barns near Olympia.
Crafters are still needed for the crafts fair to be held in the new barn during the Holiday Open House Oct. 28 and 29. “Pets in the Barn with Santa,†co-sponsored by and benefiting WAIF, is set for Dec. 9 and 10. Drop by for these during the day.
A benefit for CADA on Dec. 14, “Caroling for our Community,†will be by invitation only because of limited space in the barn.
Why paint the barn periwinkle? To match the fence surrounding the display garden, of course. Come and plan to stay awhile. I always have a hard time leaving, there’s so much to see. Call Hummingbird Farm at 679-5044.
Not in it for the money …
ARDETH DeVRIES’ new book has been on the back burner for years. “It is a tribute to all my animals, and every chapter I wrote, I relived it with that pet,†she said of “First Light: Animal Voices in Concert.â€
DeVries is giving proceeds from the book sales to five animal welfare organizations that are dear to her heart. “Of course, there is the Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation,†she started. “Then Broken Arrow, a local group that helps people who cannot afford to pay for vet care; followed by Old Dog Haven in Arlington, where senior dogs live in safety and comfort; Popcorn Park in New Jersey, formerly home to an elephant named Sonny; and Happy Hills. My black Schnauzer, Angus, came from Happy Hills. They saved him from being put down because he was blind, but we had his cataracts removed and he’s doing great.â€
She hopes her book will be a call to action, that when people read it, they will be motivated to go to the shelters to help.
Meet the author on Saturday, Oct. 14, at Wind and Tide Bookshop in old downtown Oak Harbor where she will sign copies from noon to 2 p.m. A book signed “To†your recipient makes a wonderful gift.
The lady sings …
BRENDA PIKE transported guests at Angelo’s Caffe to a lover’s lane on Saturday, singing a string of romantic pearls such as “My Foolish Heart,†“The Very Thought of You†and “Just the Way You Are.â€
Pike welcomed a special guest, RYAN ROGERS, who accompanied her on the saxophone to “Unforgettable†and “Misty.â€
The former business woman put away her briefcase and picked up a camera about a year ago. I could swear her florals appear to float above the page. See her photography for yourself at www.imageKind.com.
She’ll be back at Angelo’s on Nov. 11, but KATHY and ELFUEL COLLANTES invite you to stop in anytime and be spoiled. Call 675-4053.
Are you really going to wear a costume to work on Halloween this year? Will it be Dracula, Elvis or Carrie in her prom dress? You can tell me. Call 675-6611 or write to lifeonwhidbey@yahoo.com.