Guemes Island Community Center Association
Enriching and Connecting Our Island Community
Plant Sale
Order Deadline: January 27
The Snohomish Conservation District is planning its 34th annual Plant Sale. A catalog of available native plants can be found at www.theplantsale.org. Deadline for plant orders is January 27, 20019. The sale will be located at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe on February 9, from 8:30 am - 4:00 pm. Orders should be picked up during that time period.
Island News
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“A Holiday Offering” by Sarah Sibley- Originally posted in January 2018. Thank you, Sarah, for this very relevant reminder and touching gift.
I think it was a few years ago that I wrote a holiday greeting extolling the amazingness of our island community and inviting everyone to the annual holiday potluck....
I didn’t write anything last year. Maybe it was because I was anxiously anticipating a warm weather, holiday trip to Palm Springs amidst a rather cold, stormy December on the island. Or, maybe I was just jaded. Sorry Guemes, I still love you. This year, I’m inspired to write again, because once again, I feel privileged to live here on Guemes and be a part of this community.
We are living in a time of unbelievable uncertainty, utter confusion, all-too-often gut-wrenching tragedy, and constant disbelief. It’s almost enough to make one throw up their hands in surrender and lose all holiday spirit and faith in humanity. But, because we’re Guemians, let’s do the opposite.
We are lucky, here on Guemes, to be living in a bubble – a beautiful, soft protective layer of green and blue and gray. We are separated from reality by an ever-changing channel and an unpredictable ferry; god bless it. Let’s revel in this. Our internet service goes in and out - if we even have internet service. Maybe this is a gift. An opportunity to switch off, log out, and be in the moment, right here in this incredible place we call home. It’s an opportunity to go outside and listen to the call of the barred owls and great horned owls, and the howl of coyotes, and the crow and cluck of chickens, and the chirp of dark-eyed juncos, and the shrill tones of varied thrushes. We don’t have to read headlines or watch the news. All the entertainment we need is outside our front doors. The dramatic sunsets we receive during the winter. A painted sky of rose, pink, purple, blue, orange that meets the silhouetted mountains and islands in the west and melt into the steel gray water. The anticipation of combing the beach for glistening agates after a storm. The feeling of accomplishment for climbing the mountain once again. The warm fuzzy feeling we all get when we see an otter or a seal pop it’s head out of the water while we’re walking the beach. It never gets old.
Guemes is a gift to all of us, every day. Let’s be thankful for this gift, and for each other. We were all drawn here by a desire to live a more meaningful, quiet, simple existence. Let’s prove it. While there is unrest in the world outside Guemes, there can be peace right here on our island. Let’s celebrate this holiday by wishing each other happiness. Get out of our cars on the ferry and thank the workers and wish them a Merry Christmas. Thank Howard Pellet for his steadfast commitment to peace by showing up every Friday to exercise his freedom of speech. Thank Michael Recycle for quietly volunteering to pick up the park, the beaches, the parking lot, and being a not-so-secret caretaker of our island. Thank the Skagit Land Trust for tirelessly protecting our precious land. Let’s thank our neighbors for helping out, as we do here on Guemes because it takes an island. Let’s smile at each other on the ferry, like with real eye contact, instead of avoiding each other’s gaze.
Let’s remember where we live, why we live here and how unbelievably lucky we are to call each other fellow islanders. Celebrate this season with joy, happiness, and community spirit. To quote a very meaningful holiday card I sent out this year, “Peace on Earth for F&*k Sake!” Happy Christmas. Happy Hanukkah. Happy New Year. I’m so glad we’re all here, together.
Meet Your Neighbor
The Road Is Long – by Deb Strathman- ... but "The road to a friend's house is never too long." - Danish proverb
Pamplona -> [Güemes] -> Santiago (450 miles)
When Father Ernesto, Paqui, Miguel, and Marina, from Güemes, Spain, visited Guemes Island in April this year, I didn't divulge my intentions to hike the Camino de Santiago. I'd dreamed about completing the epic pilgrimage for years but, at that point, it was still just a dream. I had read books, watched movies, and talked about my dream, but taking the next step was a big commitment - and more than a little daunting. Ernesto's visit was the driver that put my "Camino wheels" (and, ultimately, my feet) into motion. I was committed to making my dream a reality - and maybe visiting Güemes, Spain as well!
After talking with family and completing the necessary preparations and travel plans, my husband, John, our daughter, Gina, and I flew from San Francisco to Paris, to Madrid, and then to Pamplona, Spain. On September 13th, we began the month-long walk from Pamplona to Santiago - 15 miles per day, carrying 15-lb packs.
But this isn't a story about us or our Camino. It's a reminder of the special, lasting bond between two Guemeses and the extraordinary hospitality and kindness extended by the people of both ...
When I finally contacted Father Ernesto about our Camino plans, he was delighted to hear that we'd like to visit his pilgrims' shelter in Güemes. He made arrangements to pick us up near Logroño, a 2-1/2 hr drive from Güemes. After 4 days of walking from Pamplona to Logroño (with blistered feet, already!), we were really looking forward to seeing our friends and giving my feet a couple of days rest. Ernesto, Paqui, and Miguel were a sight for sore eyes (and feet)! There was much hugging and laughing. We spent the day touring the Spanish countryside, including some beautiful little seaside villages, and around the village of Güemes on our way to Ernesto's albergue.
Ernesto's albergue isn't just a pilgrims' hostel. It's a large estate owned by Father Ernesto. Practically the entire village of Güemes is engaged, somehow, in helping at Ernesto's albergue. Volunteers bring food, help cook, help with maintenance, and many other tasks. Paqui and Miguel and several others are an integral part of the albergue’s mission. Many pilgrims who stop at the hostel for the typical one-night stay decide to come back and volunteer for weeks or months. Three meals a day are served to pilgrims and all that's requested in return is a donation. The complex has a library, a common room, and an ermita, where pilgrims can sit and reflect on their journey. Ernesto's collection of slides from his travels line the walls and ceiling of his study. Notes of gratitude from pilgrims from around the world are compiled into large volumes - each one a treasured gift. Many pilgrim guidebooks call this the best hostel on the Camino del Norte. It was definitely the best that we saw on our journey across northern Spain (of course, maybe we're also a little partial).
My feet continued to be a problem; I was resigned that they would hurt for the rest of the trip. However, after a visit to a podiatrist in Burgos (5 days further down the road), a new pair of shoes, and another day of rest, things began to improve.
About a week after leaving Ernesto and friends in Güemes, I received a text from them asking where we were - they wanted to take us out to dinner. "Wherever you are, we will find you." What a fun surprise - and a little crazy, we thought. Were they really going to drive another 2-1/2 hr (one way) to have dinner with us and then turn around and drive back? Yes, they did! They found us in the sleepy little village of Castrojeriz (population 500). We shared another wonderful meal with these amazing people. Excellent food, excellent company - we felt so fortunate to be the recipients of their kindness and hospitality once again!
If you'd like to keep the "Guemes connection" alive, I encourage you to include Güemes, Spain in your future travel plans. In the meantime, if you're interested in sending holiday greetings to Father Ernesto and team, here's the mailing address:
Father Ernesto Bustio Albergue La Cabaña del Abuelo Peuto Calle el Albergue, S/N, 39191 Güemes, Cantabria, Spain
Last Call For Directory Updates
Deadline extended to mid-January
Islanders can easily add and update their online directory listings (both residential and business). A limited number of printed directories will be made available for purchase in the library. Timing and cost details will be published on myguemes.org once all updates are complete and copies are made. Your online updates will ensure that the directory continues to be a valuable asset to the community. We can't do it without you!
To add your listing(s), select either Residential Signup or Business Signup from the “Guemes Directory” option in the menu bar at the top of this page. To edit existing listings, select “Link Request” to receive a private link that enables your edits.
GICCA and the entire Guemes community thank you!
Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of AmazonSmile purchases to their customers' chosen charitable organization. Guemes Island Community Center Association is registered on AmazonSmile. So, if you’re already shopping anyway, why not let Amazon make a small donation to GICCA - at no additional cost to you or GICCA!
How does it work?
- Click on the AmazonSmile box (right) which brings you to the AmazonSmile GICCA page
(you might want to bookmark that page to easily find it again). - Sign in to Amazon as usual.
- Then, just shop as you normally would!
Click here to see how much you have made GICCA smile. Thank you!