Season 2 Blog

Friday Harbor Summer 7-17

Another episode, and another day that goes by, our fleeting summer is slipping through our fingers, but we have been grabbing it by the balls and running with it! I can’t even express how surreal it is to be living in this beautiful area, surrounded by all of this wildlife. Unironically, you gotta stop and smell the roses more often than just here and there because it creates an enormous gratitude bubble, and makes you so present, that you will never want to leave it. I think we’re just fine over here, not leaving that bubble. Here we are, Sharon with no job, I getting ready to publish my second book, and despite the state of the country, still able to find joy wherever we look. Now, someone may read this and think, Wow, spoiled brat. And to that I say, sorry you feel that way. I’m sorry you have to stomp on other people’s joy to make yourself feel a little better. And by the way, you can choose to be happy in whatever situation you’re in. We are all born into different circumstances, and some unfortunately start with way fewer opportunities than others, and to that I say that we have to do whatever we can to lift those people so they can attempt to experience the same joy. That joy for us is anchoring out at the surrounding islands, paddle boarding, going for sunset, dinghy rides, spending time with our feline daughter, and living with nature rather than being separate from it. Shout out to the orcas that were hanging out in Blaine, and a welcome back to J Pod, hopefully for the remainder of the summer season. Remember, when you see seal pups on a beach by themselves, do not approach; it is natural for mothers to leave them to go hunt and leave them for a whole day. This is I speaking on behalf of the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and we appreciate any calls or reporting sightings. Keep an eye out for KELP, which will be posted on our website eventually, the island hopper’s review platform. Stay tuned for another episode!

High/low? Out 6-22

We have made it to the next big goal of 2025. We are OUT ON AN ANCHOR. As this is being written, we have been here in Blind Bwy for a week, and it’s been nearly perfect. Minor hiccup, but all things we will do better next time. What we can’t get over is how peaceful it is to be away from EVERYONE. We would love to just do this forever, but like we need food and water and stuff. On another note, the NO KINGS protest on 6-14 rocked the nation. 12 million Americans came out in cities across the country to shout that we do not have kings for leaders here, and that the trump regime needs to go, stat. This number is also great because there were only about 10k reported to be at the dictatorial birthday parade in DC. So pathetic. You can count on us being at the next protest to get these twats out of the White House. For some ocean news and orca updates, the southern residents have not been seen yet for this summer season. Researchers are concerned because they usually start arriving at the beginning of June. The theory floating around is that there is less food available than normal due to the heat dome from last summer. The Biggs are still around, but we hope to welcome back J, K, and L pods soon. Side note, we did have a seal using the bottom of our boat as a barnacle buffet last night. Another side note, Pixy plays fetch. That is all for now.

Parrot Fish Over Billionaires 5-22

Sorry, it’s been a while, just been overhauling the boat! We’re exhausted, but so happy all of the big presents at finally done. In the last three months, we had a Bimini frame and canvas made, installed solar panels, removed our orbital head to install a compost head, and also squatted a dinghy. Someone at the grocery store said, “That sounds expensive,” when we said we’re tired from boat projects. Yes, yes, it is Ashley. Money well saved and spent, though, to go toward a sustainable off-the-grid lifestyle that should have little maintenance now that. Now that it’s all done. Imagine a world where we never drilled for oil, and the world’s power was generated by the sun? Free energy. What a dream. We’re almost there, though, with nuclear fusion! Besides all of the Boat things, we have been having a whale of a time with our Pixy, who enjoys waking us up at 3:30 AM and meows until one of us gets up to play with her. She is also a professional spot stealer, a boat and jungle gym climber, and speaks fluently in the language of adorable princesses. All of this excitement has left us with just enough energy to keep calling our state representatives and to speak out against the tyranny that is sweeping over the United States. We and the other American people with whom we surround ourselves will not stand for racism, sexism, and blatant oppression, as well as Christian nationalism. This country is not a theocracy. It’s a democracy and will continue to be that as long as we all keep fighting for it. June 14, Pride Month parties need to be raised to the roofs. We need to celebrate our strength and individuality, not a wannabe king.

As we enter into the month of June, it’s a good time to think about what goals have been met given that it’s halfway through the year. It’s crazy to think that everything on our list is pretty much checked off and now we can get ready to carry out one of our biggest goals which is to be out cruising all summer. We look forward to sharing with you our adventures with the ocean life that we see and with Pixy, but also how the heck we plan on really making it out there with the mindset of only going to civilization when we really need things. This summer will really test our minimalist mindset and hopefully sharpen it even more as a tool of survival. We can’t wait for a summer of sailing and exploring. Tune in next time, for we may already be out there in the wild or just about to be.

Faith, Trust, and Pixy Dust 4-16

We said we were going to wait until November to start looking again, but the special cat delivery service doesn’t work on human timelines. Pixy, aka Pix, aka Princess Pixy, aka Pixy Pix, has officially commandeered this boat, our lives, and our hearts. Now having fully embraced boat life, she is free to be her best self with us on board Iolar. Brace yourselves for the abundance of Pixy Pics to come. The new addition has been a welcome distraction and ga ood balancer of the constant bullshit that continues to happen in this country. We continue to fight the good fight for our freedom, against tyranny, fascism, and theocrati, oligarchs. Join us on the 19th for another earth-shaking protest, for we cannot give up or give in. They only have as much power as we give them. We also continue to spread love for our Orca neighbors. A new JPod baby was born to J40. We will keep an eye on J63. Luckily, we are entering the busy salmon season, so hopefully they both can get enough to eat. It is also Earth Month, per Earth Day, which is on the 22nd. Check out local family events in your area, put on by small and large environmental organizations,s suchas beach clean-ups and informational zoom seminars. Apparently, feeling the vibes of this month to recognize the beauty of this glorious rock we reside on, and we took a ride out to Cattle Point Lighthouse, where we walked the cliffs that are like the Straight of Wandafuka. If you want to feel like you’ve entered into another world, just come to this island because every corner has a portal you can walk through to enter a place of bliss and beauty. Throw in a sunset dinghy ride since that’s a thing we can do now, and you’ve got an amazing kick-off to spring.

We were also able to finally get our Bimini frame mounted onto the boat with the help of our friend Libby, who is now working on our canvas for it. Shout out to Sew Hags in Bellingham once again. Only great work comes out of there. Before we know it, the solar panels will be mounted, and we will be one step closer to crushing for the summer. Along with that, some green tech has just emerged. A coating that can be put on glass surfaces can heat under solar energy, which could revolutionize the solar power game. What if you could heat your home by putting this on your windows? Now I’m picturing houses being built with full window walls. I wouldn’t mind a glasshouse if it were in the middle of nowhere. Enjoy the show. That’s it for today, folks. Live, laugh, and love this planet because we aren’t quite able to live anywhere else yet. We need to take care of it for ourselves and for all the species that surround us. Talk soon!

Real Time Revolution 3-23

We have made it to the middle of March, and in this America we are currently living in, I think that deserves a pat on the back. Holy shit balls guys. We’ve got spring weather shining through with some sun and some thunderstorms too gracing us with their BEAUTIFUL music. We also have acquired a Caribe fiber glass bottom dingy for $300! What a score. And if we can get a motor under $1000 that would be amazing. A little green tech, the first fusion reactor exoskeleton was built in France, reaching 60ft high, and over 700 tons. Look out, don’t let that fall on top of you. Incredible feat, one step closer to building our own star to power the world. Also, China has made another leap with electric vehicle battery research by getting a charge time to under a minute with the battery size that would be équivalant to one in our cell phones. Pretty cool! I think we’re a weather, technology, and science podcast. But we’re also an activist podcast! To all the freedom fighters heading out to protest on April 5th for Hands Off, please be careful, and thank you for the part that you play in taking our country back from the Christian nationalist cult that seems to think they can take over this country without a fight. So silly. For others, keep calling your state reps, your senators, and most importantly, remember to take care of yourself so you can take care of others with all of this stress surrounding us. Keep the faith! The current is shifting. Sharp right, there were over 20 orca sightings in the San Juan channel on the 16th when our friends were visiting. Seems like the whales wanted to join in on the fun! Check out The Whale Museum if you ever come to visit the island! A lot more side rants occurred, but you’ll just have to go listen to the episode to hear about them. Here’s to the whales, to love and friendship, and to America.

Scary Bedtime Stories 3-1

Take 2, since we did not have our shit together the first time trying to record! Everything’s fine now. We like cool Animal facts over here, so a highlight was the discovery of a few more deep-dwelling ocean species, such as the strawberry feather star, the ghost shark, and the blue goo creature. Thank you, Ocean Chronicles, for always giving us something interesting to learn. It’s been a spring tease this past week with high fifties, and that means we’re motivated to get outside doing boat work, spring cleaning, and being social butterflies. Ok, the ladder is a lie because we never really want to be social, but the first two are true. Our Bimini frame and canvas are currently in the works by our favorite canvas company, Sew Hags, and we are so excited to see the final product. We also acquired a 9-foot fiberglass bottom rib. Someone is definitely watching out for us since we were able to snag that for under 500 bucks. Now we just need an outboard for it! So, we currently have half a car in that regard. If you’re still here, then perhaps you’ll stay for the WOO WOO talk. Imagine a world where we have control over our reality and the natural elements that make it. What if we have so much control over these elements that we don’t know how much we are actually intertwined and a part of them, and can therefore wield these natural elements? What if our emotions have more influence on the world than we even realize? Just questions to think about when it comes to the topic of global warming, the state of the natural and unnatural world that we live in. Don’t forget the supernatural! We hold so much power within us. I wonder how much it’s actually being monitored.

On a completely rational other topic, the French have now broken the record at 22 minutes for sustaining a fusion reaction, kudos to them, one step closer to making our star. Also, check out the TED talk, The Powerful Possibilities of Recycling the World's Batteries with Emma Nehrenheim, where she explains the recycling process, and the need and impact of more recycling plants around the world. With that, thanks for listening, talk soon.

Rent Free 2-4

Neither of us went far in the world of soccer, but we sure have a thing for reaching our goals and setting new ones. Highly recommend The Angel Numbers Book by Mystic Michaela. We reference very frequently when we see repetitive number signs, which happens often for us. On that note, you can now purchase Flying Colors by Haley A. Newell on Amazon as a paperback or for Kindle! It may take us a while to get things done around here, but no one can say that we don’t do what we say we’re going to do. For green tech, this episode sheds more light on electric motors improving the technology, and also the progress China is making with fusion reactor experiments as well. Of course, we harp on how Europe is so much more eco-friendly in terms of energy than we are in terms of solar and wind energy. Somebody do something! Help us over here! Orca updates, you can find all live video and hydrophone footage for the entire Puget Sound on orcavision.org, which is helpful to all researchers and whale enthusiasts. Check out Expedition Killer Whale airing on February 12th on PBS for an inside look at rare hunting behaviors in Antarctica by their killer whales. Researchers from our very own whale museum will be coming along on this research trip as well, which brings so much pride to our little island. Despite the state of the country and the world around us, we continue to try and bring joy and knowledge with the podcast to you in the dark and light times. As always, thank you for listening and reading, and coming back for more!

Southern Hospitality, and To Do Lists 1-19

Welcome back everyone to the show and to the blog! As always, thank you for listening and reading to our nonsense. We are both back from our designated family homes, one in Arkansas and the other in upstate New York. It was a whirlwind and a half for both of us, filled with lots of good visiting and shenanigans with family and friends. No matter where life takes you, your roots will keep you grounded. In this episode, we touch on acquiring new smells from living on a boat, the epitome of southern hospitality, and of course, new eco-friendly technological advances, including BMW, stepping up to the plate with new hydrogen motor productions, and the San Juan Islands attempting to switch to wave generated power eventually. The Center for Whale Research had reported calves these last couple of months being born and also passing away, which is of course, devastating, but is also encouraging that they have been able to find enough food and energy to breed this year along with returning back to Penn Cove, which was news that swept the nation. We have many projects coming up for the boat to prepare us for a summer filled with cruising the islands, so stay tuned and keep calm with us because it will be sheer madnes with all of the work coming up! Also a shout out to all of our sponsors, and our new intro and ending music by our friend Scott Mantrow. Be sure to check him out on YouTube! Thank you all for listening and enjoy the rest of January, we will be back soon.

Orca Cheers 11/28/2024

Just another day in November over here! Everyone can shove their turkeys right up where the sun don’t shine. Well just keep drinking. Um, we saw orcas! We saw them on the same day that we got the call that we got our permanent liveaboard slip! Thank you for the congratulations and the cheers our friends. Cheers to the whales. A year and 10 months of waiting, and now the weight is lifted off our shoulders. We are here in Friday Harbor to stay! Some green tech, seaweed is now being made into edible compostable wrappings for different products. And there is now a development with contacts that are made of stem cells to improve vision, possibly cure blindness. Quite the array of information we have here today. Also, red seaweed produces less methane in livestock waste if fed to them. We would like to point out that the Center for Whale Research is having a fundraising campaign through the rest of the year. Their goal Is to raise $73,000, which is $1,000 for each member of the Southern Resident orcas. Donate on Facebook, or on their website if you are able! Tis the giving season, and the whales would appreciate!

A Better Tomorrow 11/11/2024

instead of addressing the giant orange elephant in the room first, we went with green tech! There are new developments with solid-state batteries that will be able to charge faster and are also smaller. This will improve the electric vehicle industry and the overall battery universe. Also, there are slowly but surely more developments with nuclear fusion testing. We are not where we need to be yet, but we are on our way, none the less.

Orca update, the southern residents have been returning to Pen Cove which is where so many were captured to be put in captivity in the 70s. With a grandmother leading the way, some have braved the cove again. This happened during a few bad wind storms recently, so it could have been to take a break from the large waves, or there could be a high food source there currently. Whatever the reason, it’s great to see that the generational trauma is lifting and that they feel comfortable enough to return there.

To keep this brief, we have never been more disappointed in our country for the choice that apparently the majority made for whom to run our country. It’s extremely disturbing and disheartening to witness the blatant racism, sexism, and greed that the republican party represents. But, this is not the end, for a new day, a better tomorrow is upon us. All we need to do is take it. Love and compassion are my cardinal directions. What are yours? I defend the innocent. Who do you stand for? We fight for freedom. What do you fight for? Thanks for listening and reading, end may the fucking force be with us all.

Puzzle Pieces 11/1/2024

Here we are, another new moon above us, waiting for our dreams and wishes to be heard, and on 11-1 of all days! Dustin is attempting a project a week on the boat tp keep his green gremlin happy and sated. I am working on a side project in the form of a book to raise more awareness for the orcas and the waters they Inhabit. Our highs and lows are San Juan Island centric. Between having everything we need close by, and being able to find our way around almost seamlessly only within a month of living here is such a great feeling. There is a hella lot of wind coming from the south so that makes for a rocky time. Nothing a ginger chew can’t fix! So the adventure continues, finding our footing, and trying not to trip on harbor seals as we go. Doesn’t get any more like boat life than that.

No stagnant pirates here 10-5

Welcome to season two with a little less chaos, but a lot more change! Guys… we did it… We are now in none other than the Friday of Harbor, WA! We have a liveaboard lease and a dream. What’s that dream you may ask? Well, part of it is to get our permanent live aboard slip before May 1st so we don’t need to anchor out here! We’re manifesting it that we will have it by the end of January. Everybody get you’re woo woo power out with us to make it happen! The bigger, more important dream is to bring the love of orcas, and other ocean life to every episode while living as an example to all who wish to live an alternative, sustainable lifestyle. On that note, congratulations to L90 with her new calf, L128 who was spotted a couple of weeks ago. The baby is looking healthy and strong, and we send our love to them!
Some green tech news on Dustin’s end would be the company TOWT, in Europe, launching a hybrid electric sailing cargo ship. Another model to follow, and we will see how she does. A new series on Disney Plus has done it again in the amazing research being done in Ocean Explorers. With so much tech, and so many new discoveries, once again Disney is one of the Trail Blazers in supporting environmental research and promoting conservation. Forever a Disney adult. Stay tuned for more adventures in our new home, or really, finally coming back for good.