Happy Solstice, Strawberry Moon, and Part 1 of San Juan Island Writing Retreat with Foxes

Solstice Sunset with Lime Kiln Lighthouse

Happy Solstice, Strawberry Moon, and a Change of Location: San Juan Island

Hello and Happy Solstice and Strawberry Moon days. I’m writing from away, out on San Juan Island, surrounded by eagles and deer and ferries. I have been grumpy and sickly lately, so it was good to get away, get some perspective, take some time away from television and internet and doctor’s appointments, and spend time on my next book and in nature. Sometimes a change of scenery really is necessary, despite the fact that I’m mostly a homebody (and that goes double for Glenn).

It was a beautiful trip, and we did a big hike the first day here, which happened to be the Solstice. We spent the last two hours of sun at Lime Kiln Point, and then saw the full Strawberry Moon rise on our drive back to our cabin. Because I also have a photography habit on top of my poetry habit, prepare for lots of pictures in this post (and probably the next).

Writing Retreat with Foxes

Glenn and I, just moments after spotting a humpback whale and calf blowing water

After a good experience with a residency this year in Palm Desert, I applied on a whim for this one on San Juan Island, and I was so happy to have it. The cabins are quirky and rustic, but afford beautiful views of the harbor, you have access to a science library and equipment, and previous visits have inspired poems that ended up in some pretty good magazines, most recently, “Cassandra as Climate Scientist” in California Quarterly. The first day a golden eagle circled overhead when I stepped out in the morning, which I took as a good sign. We saw lots of foxes, a healthy deer and rabbit population, multiple bald eagles, and even a few whales (humpback and orca). It’s really a biologist/poet’s dream.

So, my goal this time was to shed some poems from my overly long manuscript, and maybe tweak some of the order, and so far, I’ve been able to do that. I split it into sections to work on, making sure sections read as little mini narratives and led into each other logically. I don’t want to worry the manuscript to death, but when I started it, Trump had just taken office, and the pandemic had not happened, so some changes, new poems, and new arcs were necessary. A couple of new characters jumped into the book.

But in between writing, updating my submission records (woefully behind), and editing the manuscript, I got out on the beach, onto rocky crests (with some assistance from Glenn, a cane, and sometimes a wheelchair), and hit the local bookstore. We were sad to see the local lavender farm on the island had closed just in March but pleased with a new livestream showing whales in real time at Lime Kiln Lighthouse. I loved spending more time than usual outdoors (despite mosquito bites—ouch!) and felt like I had more physical energy on the island. Here are some wildlife photos I took during the first few days. More will follow in the next post, I promise. (Foxes! Whales! Birds of some sort!) And you will find out the exciting conclusion of the residency impact my next book!

Stay tuned for Part II…and more pictures!