Chelsea Margaret

I now live among the hippiest of hippies out on Vashon Island, WA. It’s been quite an eye opening experience actually, because I’ve always thought of myself as something of an environmentalist. A liberal of sorts, if you will.

My tree hugging self went completely out the window when Andy and I stepped off the ferry on Vashon. These people are on an entirely different level than me. It’s like they retreated onto the island as ideas of Free Love were being shot down all around them, and they never left. Nor did they ever buy a new car, cut their hair, or get a real job. ( I must admire them for that) I felt like the weird one in Pullman, riding my bike around, buying vegan recipe books, talking about post oil crisis Thunderdome situations of the future. I arrive in Vashon, and am a prude capitalist pig in comparison. Did I buy my groceries at the farmer’s market? Did I bring my re-usable Vashon Market grocery bag? Would I like organic local milk in my latte? Am I going to talk politics with every person I encounter? I feel so…so….inept. Almost a sad situation, until I realized that I actually LIKE my long–ish showers, and processing my hair and wearing make-up, and driving my bike to the ferry. ( All these things folks here seem against such luxuries. I like bathing. Get over it. )

But aside from that, it’s been one adventure after another. As long as you don’t bring up politics and/or oil, people are ridiculously friendly. There are farmer’s stands on nearly every road, and some of the best coffee I’ve ever had comes from the shops on Vashon. There’s quite the history with this island. Andy’s been exploring while I’ve been baking off-island, and has come across a bunch of story tellers. The best story? The story of the pre-Roswell UFO sighting and experience.

Apparently, this was quite the out of this world experience. A dog was killed by space debris from a UFO attack on a family out boating! Just a normal family outing, not doing anything to hurt anyone, and they are pelted by lava rocks and their dog gets taken out and nobody really believes them. Quite sad really. The anniversary of this incident was just this year, and I’m really sorry I wasn’t here for it. I bet it was quite the to-do. OOH! And this story actually involves men in black! That’s right, before Will Smith, there was this guy. It’s one hell of a story, and actually happened by my place. Apparently. This website explains it in a more convincing way…

http://www.ufoarea.com/events_maury_island.html

And continuing with the paranormal, there is a UFO parked in the visitor’s parking lot in the municipal airport. I thought Andy was lying to me when he told me, but we actually found it on Google Earth.

Check it out. It’s that flying saucer thing in the field.

No one seems to really care that it’s there.

Only strengthening my resolve to stay here and convert cars to bio-diesel and live off the land. If these people are okay leaving a rusty old space saucer in the visitors parking, and insist I read more books on current events, they are a community after my own heart. I think I’m never going to leave. So come visit! I’ll be the girl with processed hair, living in the yurt, riding bikes, farming, teaching you about foreign policy, and bio fuels.

Peace.