Welcome to the 2008 Vacation Season for Once In A Blue Moon Farm and Abigail's Beach House.  These are two separate vacation rentals on beautiful Orcas Island owned and managed by family members Shana, Sarah, Thea, Zach and Micah.

SPRING has arrived!  The chickens, ducks and geese are laying eggs, eggs, eggs of many different colors, sizes and shapes...ALL DELICIOUS!!  Come try them soon!  The tulips, daffodils, plum and cherry blossoms, against the back drop of the new green fields, will win you over.  Bring your paints, easel and cameras! Easter is early this year, March 23rd.  We still have lots of openings for Spring break, at both the Farm and at Abigail's Beach House.

  Bring your children in April to see our new chicks and ducklings!  We are "expecting 70 new baby chicks on March 24.  We are stocking up on baby chick formula.   The babies are so adorable that your kids will stay glued to the chick nursery and beg you to start raising chickens of your own. Everyone who  tastes family farm raised eggs get so hooked that you will never eat a commercial egg again.   Our eggs have the deepest yellow yokes, almost orange.  This is because they are pasture raised.  They get less grains and do their own foraging on our large acreage. We have no shortage of bugs and slugs to their delight and ours.  Our farm guests and beach guests too, affectionately save all their food waste.

What a wonderful way to practice sustainability and permaculture.  Feed the animals our scraps and we get back incredible eggs and good manure to put back into the garden once more. Chicken manure is especially high in nitrogen.   When they free range they eat lots of protein rich bugs and slugs.

    By May and June, the days are the longest of the year.  By the 2nd week of June, it stays light until just before 10PM.  You will have more time to hike and kayak, bike and boat, visit Lopez, San Juan Island or take the boat all the way to Victoria B.C.  On our own 35 acre organic farm, hike forest trails and around the pastures to see the horses, alpacas, llamas, chickens, fruit orchards, grape and kiwi vines, strawberry fields, and herbs and flowers everywhere.  Horse back riding is available in the Spring and Summer months.  We have different levels of horse experience programs to offer.  Trail riding, arena rides and instruction, and lead line rides for the young and cautious-mature.  Just getting close and grooming a horse can uplift your spirits.  Walking & grooming an alpaca is great fun too.

 For our Abigail's guests,  you will delight in relaxing on the deck overlooking the beach, and watching the bald eagles, great blue heron and many ducks and other birds living in our natural ecstuary.  Abigail's has 1.5 acres. Stroll around the lovely perrenial gardens and find a secret bench among the hydraengas looking out over the water and listening to the call of the sea birds. 

    Come stay a while.   Unwind, uncurl,  undo, understand.  Understand more about the beauty of the nature surrounding you.  Set yourself free from cell phones, computers and social calendars.   Fall asleep to the gentle sounds of nature.   Orcas Island is very special.  This is a very protected environment.  Besides some small developers, we have no poisonous snakes, no wolves, no bears, no tigers, no malls and no fast food. We have bald eagles, whales, deer, mink, and a whole lot of furry little harmless creatures like rabbits, voles & squirrels.  And, boy...do WE HAVE STARS!!

Please look over the accommodations pages again.  Please email or call with your questions.  I hope we have the dates available that you would like to come visit.

Our online calendar is not always up to date.  We have some slots on temporary reserve (5 day holds), until we get final confirmation.   Rates are individually quoted on the email or by phone if you prefer.  Rates are based on the number of people in your group or family, the number of nights you are staying and the time of year.  Special rates available for singles and twosomes.   We usually can get you into a lovely room for one or two nights or longer without too much prior planning.  You may try the Sunshine Studio or Rooms in the Main Lodge if you are a couple or a few couples in need of a short stay.   A community kitchen is available for those staying in the single guest rooms.  The Carriage House Loft is a lovely unit for a family of 2-4 who want a big kitchen of their own and lots of views. 

Please take note that it is mainly the bigger homes that book up far in advance due to family re-union planning.  The bigger homes are the View Deck and Patio Level homes with 2-5 bedrooms at the farm. Our home on the water and also close to the main village of Eastsound is "Abigail's Beach House.  This also has 5 bedrooms + a second private Beach Loft.  These are the homes that have less and less availability for the 10 prime weeks of our summer season as we get closer to June.

 For couples and singles, renting more on a last minute basis, I suggest you try our Beach Loft at Abigail's.  This is a very new addition.  This is separate from the bigger beach house.  This beach view Loft has 2 queen beds, a small refrigerator and microwave, small bathroom, DVD TV, and a lovely outdoor balcony with table and chairs facing the waterfront.

    Happy Vacation Planning.   I hope you decide to come and stay with us.  We enjoy meeting guests from all over the world.  Some of you will share your own farming stories.  Some of you will taste farm fresh eggs that you collect yourselves for the very first time!!!  A whole bunch of you will head for the beaches and forests as soon as you arrive. .

Sincerely,

Shana and family

Orcas Island, Washington