Author: Around the Valley in 60 Days

Trying to find Positive in a World 🌎 that needs more of it!

You can not tell the story without a chunk of space being blocked off for Justin Taylor and his Orcas Island Golf experience !

Justin has been very busy !

When we packed up and left Orcas Island for Carroll County, Virginia, at the end of 2020, Justin Taylor had a notebook and a vision. Now he has a completed second jewel to go along with his golf course layout.

The number of conversations we had between 2014 and 2020 would be beyond anything you could possibly count, but the fun ones were about the desire to design and then build yourself a San Juan Islands 🏝 themed miniature golf course.

Fast forward to November 2026, and I am now walking through said course, which by the way was recently voted 🗳 the #1 course in the state of Washington !

The Ferryboat hole 🕳

On this hole, you are actually stepping into a floating ship, and the direction that your putt will break is dependent upon your movement.

The hole 🕳 above is the shape of Orcas Island, as seen in the Big Map.
Building one around the tree 🌳
Kraken looking beast…
Ninth / 18th Green, where I recorded the third of three holes in one

Great memories from seven years of this patch of land being my third home, behind our Cottage and the Ferry ⛴️

I would like to think that any conversation with another person might one day lead towards something actually happening, and this is certainly the case !

The third leg of Justin and his Triple Crown 👑 is currently being built as well. It will be a 12 hole putting course that by the sound of things will be magnificent.

Third Jewel is in the works !!!

12 hole 🕳 putting course that will have one hole that is 100 yards in length ! Golf carts will be available for play and look for another ship 🚢 hole and a waterfall !

Coming soon to an Island 🏝 near you !

Veterans Day provided a terrific opportunity to knock out the entire 10,000 steps 🚶‍♂️by 9am

The goal for the eight days back in the Islands 🏝 was something I labeled 🏷 10+, 100K+ & 100-. What can I say, I like numbers !

10+ = make sure you get a minimum of 10,000 steps on all eight days.

100K+ = make sure that the eight day total crosses 100,000 steps

100- = see about recording a Blood Sugar reading of sub 100…

That third one happened this morning, for the first time in probably 5+ years !

The 5:40 ferry ⛴️ boat to Lopez Island, then doing the Lopez Loop before boarding the Inner – Island ferry for the trek back to Friday Harbor. We pulled in at 8:40, and I was able to keep moving for exactly 2 of the 3 hours !

There was plenty of reflection on the holiday as I come from a family full of veterans ➕️ folks like Vickey Ritchie and Kevin Burress back home on The Hill.

The next problem is what to do for the remainder of the day ?????

We celebrate Veterans Day as part of our Morning 🌄 Brew as we start the sixth of eight days in the Islands 🏝

Speaking 🔊 of being honored
Travis Osborne and his Bible Verse of the Day :

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Howard Mayo and his Motovational Nugget for the Day :

Have yourself a Blessed Day 🙌😇🙏

Travis Osborne found the art 🎨 work which leads to the question of which category you fall into now that Carroll County is on the sidelines ???

It was a very talented Abingdon High School Lady Falcons who ended the season for Cindy Edwards and our Lady Cavaliers Volleyball team.

After that match, our fan base basically has four choices in regards to Abingdon and the State tournament.

A. Pull for them so you can feel good about losing to the State Tournament champion 🏆

B. Pull against them because they ended our season in the Regional QF.

C. Simply move on from being a VB fan and turn your attention to Howard Mayo and Girls Basketball 🏀. Or to travel VB.

D. Pull for both our Class 3 Regional champion and our Three Rivers District champion, Glenvar, in hopes they both show how tough 💪 it is to play the sport in Southwest Virginia.