Crow Valley Pottery

In the San Juan Islands, Washington on Orcas Island there is a fascinating place that sells locally crafted creations.  At Crow Valley Pottery, you can find every thing from hand made soaps and lotions to pottery and yard art, paintings or even hand bound journals.  The list of items from seventy artists on display could go on and on.  The store, which has been in business since 1959, displays a collection of everything you can imagine-all created by local artisans.  It is impossible to visit without finding at least one must-have!

There are two locations.  One is in Eastsound-the main village on the island.  The other is on Orcas Road as you drive from the ferry to Eastsound.  The latter is housed in an historic 1866 cabin carefully maintained to preserve its rural character surrounded by a garden filled with whimsical yard art and amazing brass bells.  I can only dream of having the imagination of even one of these artists!

 

The web page shows more photos and gives a history of this wonderful island business I won’t repeat because it is so well done.  Click here.  I’ve included a few of my photos, but check out their site for lots more!

I love this place and for me it is a must stop every time I travel to Orcas Island.  If you go there, you can still meet the owners.  Crow Valley Pottery today continues under the second generation of family ownership-nephew Jeffri Coleman with his partner Michael Rivkin.  Their attention to detail and their friendly engagement makes any visit a pleasure.  My hat is off to two gentlemen who have gotten it right!

The Wedding

Weddings always evoke happiness in my experience.  Why wouldn’t they?  They are the affirmation that all is right with the world.  In the hearing of vows, I cannot help but reconfirm my own commitment to my beloved.  Finding one’s own measure of true love later in life is even more moving because the definition of happiness has been refined by years of past experiences.  When your dear brother also finds his true love, it seems as if everything is well in the universe and maybe even to eternity beyond.  And the Universe agrees by providing a rainbow over their heads after the ceremony.

As my brother found genuine happiness over the course of the last four years and now that he has committed to one very beautiful and loving wife, I have released the shackles of worrying over him to the circle of their love for each other.  Well, at least to some degree.  Being the “worrier” in the family, I will always carry a portion of worry across my shoulders for each family member and friend no matter what life brings to them.  But the power of knowing Rosemary and Bill are safe within each other’s care, surrounded by loving family members (who will stand beside them from both near and from afar) goes beyond any yearnings for a safe place I could have created in my fondest of wishes for him over all of these years.

  

And for this I am grateful.

With over 500 photos, I have only posted a few of the wonderful day we all had.  I end with a photo of the delicious meal because my brother says I have to post photos of food!