What kind of Islomaniac are you?

"Islomania is a rare affliction of spirit. There are people who find islands somehow irresistible. The mere knowledge that they are in a little world surrounded by sea fills them with an indescribable intoxication."
Lawrence Durrell

Every visitor to Whidbey Island suffers at some point before, during or after their sojourn here, from islomania. Some with better immunity get only a slight case lasting a few hours, or perhaps as long as a weekend, and recover upon return to the mainland. A few lucky (or poor) souls recover from the inebriation, often after quite a long residence, and suddenly leave Whidbey, running pell-mell for ferries or bridges wanting never again to see "the rock." Others discover they have the larger, chronic form of the disease, love all islands equally, wantonly and forever, and adjust their lives so as to visit as many as possible, either in person, or through the pages of magazines. Then there are the terminal cases, those who set foot on Whidbey once and find they cannot leave. Unable to stop themselves they build houses, cementing lifelong, and in many cases generations long, ties to this forty mile strip of glacial till.

SICBA Home Tour

This year's Skagit and Island County Builder's Association home tour took place Sept. 11 through 13th. The beautiful weather brought a lot of weekend visitors enjoying a road trip that covers three islands (Whidbey, Camano and Fidalgo) as well as the Skagit County mainland.

Tour attendees gather in the hall to ooh and
ahh over Osprey's woodwork.

The afternoon sun lights the home in the tones
of a Maxfield Parrish painting.

Everyone loves this house and this house loves the camera.