You might be an islander if…
- You don’t have to look at the printed ferry schedule.
- You know the difference between AIA, AICC, AICFC, AICTF, AICAB, AIHS, AIFD and belong to more than one.
- You see nothing wrong with stopping your vehicle in the middle of the road to talk to someone.
- You catch yourself waving to passing cars when you are on the mainland.
- You consider someone’s cutting in the ferry line to be a felony.
- You are tempted to leave the island on summer holiday weekends.
- You know at least two people who have had trees fall on their homes.
- You own a generator and plenty of fuel.
- When asked for your phone number, you give out only the last four digits.
- When meeting for dinner out, the only answer you need is “when” and not “where.”
- You suspect there are thousands of golf balls hidden among clumps of salal.
- You know people who have the same names as some of the streets.
- You think twice before taking a trip to the mainland on the Friday before a holiday weekend.
- You don’t plant flowers in your yard unless you have a high fence.
- You don’t consider raccoons to be “cute.”
- You have mastered the art of trip pooling.
- You can name at least three on-island bands.
- You see more boats in driveways then on the water.
- You know how to pronounce Vega Bay and Camus Road.
- Costco has a special place in your life.
- At one time, you thought you knew which plants were deer resistant.
- You know the best spots for picking blackberries, but won’t share the locations.
- You know at least three, unrelated families with the surname of Anderson.
- You can immediately tell the difference between a red rock crab and a Dungeness crab.
- You use the terms “Riv,” “Swimming Hole” “Farm” and “Old School.”
- You never put your plaid flannel shirts in summer storage.
- You know where on the island you can and cannot get cell phone service.
- You know at least five different services provided by White’s.
- You know which shed holds which items at the Island General Store.
- You know precisely what time your mail arrives.
- You think of “our” bald eagles as part of the family
- You know the importance of the term “fuel run.”
- You look forward to meeting your friends on the day the library is open.
- You know that anyone driving on the road more than a half hour after the last ferry is probably lost.
- You depend on the Island Sounder for accurate information.
- You know what a Communication Box is.
- You are able to recognize certain deer personally.
- You wonder if the two consecutive sunny days you experience mark the end of the rainy season.
- Without looking up, you can tell the difference between an Army helicopter and a medical evacuation helicopter.
- You know which two mornings of the year that the sun rises directly behind Mr. Rainier.
- You are aware that any airline travel may require at least one night’s stay at Sea-Tac.
- You breathe a sigh of relief the weekend after Labor Day.
- You never refer to the free phone books that are published by the phone companies for information about Anderson Island.
- You get tired of explaining to people that you do NOT live in the San Juans.
- You understand that people don’t have to agree with your politics or religion to be good friends.
- You value the importance of planning ahead.
- When someone asks you, “How are you?” they are really interested in how you are.
- You think that the only force in the universe that can exceed the speed of light is gossip.
- You believe that the Great Equalizer is not death, but the ferry.
- No matter what you do, moss will grow on it or deer will eat it.
- You eventually run into everyone you know at a garage sale.
- You know that using the excuse, “I have to catch a ferry” will get you out of nearly every uncomfortable situation, whether you are on the island or the mainland.
- This article gratefully used with John Mollan’s permission.