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Glorious Sunny Days at Washington State Beaches

By William May
Published: 05/15/12 Topics: Comments: 0

It is time to plan your summer at the beach? Vacation Rental managers are not yet sold out but will be soon. To get your choice place get off the couch and make that call today. Read more

Professor John Edwards: Insects & Music

By William May
Published: 04/01/12 Topics: Comments: 0

Professor John Edwards

Did you know that insects live in very cold places? John Edwards knew.

In fact, Professor John S. Edwards was known around the world as one of the pioneers of insect developmental neurobiology. And I was fortunate to be able to call him a friend. He died this week and I find his passing more unfortunate than any public leader or celebrity.

Some years ago, a friend invited me to help out with an organization called Gallery Concerts; a group dedicated to having period music instruments perform chamber music in the small spaces there were designed for. The concerts are sheer delight.

At one of the first meetings I sat next to a gentle white haired man with a goatee who glowed with his enthusiasm for the music. Later I was to learn he glowed about just about everything. If the term "twinkle in his eye" was created for anyone it was John.

He was a leading scholar in the ecology of high-altitude insects, cold tolerance of Antarctic insects, the role of insects in ecosystem regeneration following volcanic eruptions, and the evolution of insect flight. A New Zealander, John earned his Ph.D. at Cambridge. At the University of Washington John taught entomology, human ecology, served as the Director of the Undergraduate Biology Program, Director of the UW Honors Program, and was appointed Emeritus Professor of Zoology in 2000.

Although a humble man, others noticed his exploits. He earned a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Senior Humboldt Research Award, and a Jacob Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award. He was a University Liberal Arts Professor, named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and of the Royal Entomological Society of London. He served as Program Director for Developmental Neuroscience at the National Science Foundation.

Art Davidson says, in his account of the first winter ascent of Denali (Minus 148°), "My first meeting with John reaffirmed the legend. I had traced the sounds of a concert through several corridors at the Institute to a short figure hopping about from leg to leg while vocalizing the entire woodwind section of an orchestra. "

Other than the fact he was a professor in biology, I knew none of this even after years of attending meetings and concerts with him.

I made a particular mistake once - by mentioning to John that my son had applied to attend the University of Washington. He prodded relentlessly and learned that Taylor was interested in Biology, specifically astrobiology. I could see John's temperature rising. He wasn't "Hoping from leg to leg" but almost.

He asked in that pleasant way that borders on professorial curiosity, that Taylor simply must telephone him for a tour of the department.

After reading about the Professor on line, it took Taylor several weeks to summon enough courage to call. But when he did - John needed no prompting to remember his name or why he was calling. A whirlwind tour took place a few days later where Taylor was introduced to everyone with such lavish praise that my 6'6" son stood even taller than usual when retelling the tale.

American Pika Mount Denali National Park

American Pica

Some years before John had patiently suffered through my telling of how our family had driven to all the way to Mt. Denali (Mt. McKinley) that summer and Taylor, then age 12, had found and photographed a rare Pika; which sent the visitor center biologists into a tizzy.

Who could know an important professor would remember such a small thing from years earlier; but during the UW tour John quizzed Taylor relentlessly about the Pika, where it was found, what time of day, what type of terrain.

Taylor was impressed at John's curiosity. He was proud to be considered important but then somewhat astonished when John casually mentioned, "You may find it hard to believe but I was on the expedition that did the first winter ascent of Denali."

When Tay recited this story at home hours later I saw in his eyes the look of admiration that a young boy can have someone suddenly explodes his idea of what is possible in life. You can be a scientist, you can climb mountains, you can write eloquently, you can win awards, you can be a gracious considerate person, you can be an impressive senior citizen who still cares about what a 12 year old boy cares about. Astonishing.

Today when we learned that John has passed away, things stopped for a few hours for Taylor and I. We went about our work but cared about this man we spent little time with. We admired his work. We admired his attitude. We admired him.

Although I did not have the chance to see John much in the last few years, Taylor and I did think of him occasionally. When watching a science TV show, when the subject is insects, biology or science in general, when daring people climb tall mountains, when university life is depicted - the Pika story is retold and then someone inevitably says, "you might find it hard to believe. . . ". And we smile.

Author: William May, MayPartners Advertising
Blog #: 0204 – 04/01/12

Twas the Night before Vacation Rental Christmas

By Jan Covey
Published: 12/31/11 Topics: Comments: 0

The Christmas and New Years Holidays are a big season in almost every vacation rental market. Read how one plucky manager gets through the hub bub. Read more

Welcome to the New Beachy Day

By Sharon Simmons
Published: 10/20/11 Topics: Comments: 0

BeachyDay Vacation Rental Managers, in Westport, Grayland and Tokeland Washington have joined the Vortex Organization and Sunspot Vacation Rental network. Read more

Sunspots Compares Renting Long Versus Short

By William May
Published: 08/16/11 Topics: Comments: 0

Sponsor: Signatours Photo Team – – Signatours.com

The Good Life at Packwood White Pass

By Veronica Garten
Published: 12/27/10 Topics: Comments: 0

Of course I am prejudiced. Having lived in the city for a long time I knew what I was getting into. In July of 2010 I moved lock stock and barrel to the small town of Packwood in south central Washington State, just outside the entrance to Mt. Rainier National Park. My new job was to be manager of the Chateau Timberline Hotel, then being taken over by my company Sunspot Resorts. Read more

Emilie's Ski Blog Visits New Paradise Basin at White Pass

By Emilie Kippen Westphal
Published: 12/24/10 Topics: Comments: 0

I just got back from a great ski at White Pass. (That's in South Central Washington State) and I just gotta tell you they have opened up 767 new acres of terrain in Paradise Basin. Its that area up and behind the original highest lift. That area that we all dreamed of skiing for a long time. Read more

Bill Gates' Favorite Burger Joint

By William May
Published: 12/01/10 Topics: Comments: 0

Over the decades there have been numerous stories here in the Northwest U.S. about how the favorite restaurant of Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, was an old fashioned burger stand not far from Microsoft's campus. You might like it too. Read more

Vacation Road Trips Start at the Dentist

By Gail Adair
Published: 04/01/10 Topics: Comments: 0

Operating a vacation rental business can be fun and profitable but it also an opportunity to do some good in the world. Now property owners and managers can do that by participating in a public program that offer Read more

Sunbanks Resort - Little known Secret Location

By Penny L. Taylor
Published: 03/31/10 Topics: Comments: 0

Warm weather took me on a drive to Central Washington state, to little known Banks Lake and SunBanks Resort. Toasty hot in summer it boasts warm water unlike most big lake resorts. Read more

Drive to Sunbanks Resort in Central Washington State

By Penny L. Taylor
Published: 03/15/10 Topics: Comments: 0

Warm weather took me on a drive to Central Washington state, to little known Banks Lake and SunBanks Resort. Toasty hot in summer it boasts warm water unlike most big lake resorts. Read more

Become a Vacation Rental Angel

By William May
Published: 03/01/10 Topics: Comments: 0

Become a Vacation Rental Angel

By William May
Published: 03/01/10 Topics: Comments: 0

We're growing!

Published: 02/18/10 Topics: Comments: 0

It's been almost 4 years since VacationHouse Destinations came to be the little company that could. We've stayed true to our business model of finding top notch properties, providing exceptional custom Read more

– http://vacationhousedestinations.blogspot.com/2010/02/were-growing.html

Chief Joseph Welcomes Everyone

By William May
Published: 12/17/09 Topics: Comments: 0

Can I invite you to the most unique and remote mountain lodges in Washington State? It is called Chief Joseph Lodge and sits dead center in the middle of the state and five miles up from the summit of Blewett Pass highway. Click here to take a look. www.ChiefJosephLodge.com. There are photos, vid Read more

Snoqualmie Pass Real Estate, Mortgage, and Economy

By Thomas Wolter
Published: 12/14/09 Topics: Comments: 0

KEEPING ON KEEPING ON - For the fourth week in a row the markets moved sideways, with one index slightly up, one a bit down and the third flat. Recently, there haven't been any extreme weekly market moves in the indexes, up or down. Investors aren't quite ready to believe things are as good as some Read more

Doing What We Can To Help People

By William May
Published: 11/19/09 Topics: Comments: 0

For a number of years our company has been donating vacation rental use to a wonderful group called OutdoorsForAll.org (Formerly SkiForAll.org). Their mission is to enrich the quality of life for children and adults with di Read more

Complaints, Compliments and Compassion

By William May
Published: 11/18/09 Topics: Comments: 0

She wanted to go to the beach. It was to be a special trip with her daughter who had special needs. Larger homes were her preference, but a plain ocean front condo was her budget. She asked for a first floor home and a vendor to provide oxygen. Read more

Everything Robert Fulgham Learned in Kindergarten

By William May
Published: 11/01/09 Topics: Comments: 0

I stumbled onto an Internet posting the other day that told me it has been twenty years since Robert Fulgham wrote "Everything I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten". Read more

Seeing your Name in Print

By William May
Published: 10/01/09 Topics: Comments: 0

Sometimes it is nice to see your name in the media and sometimes it is not. As the volunteer Director of the Vacation Rental Association (VRA) I receive calls from media all over the country. Speaking with most reporters reminds me of sitting in Journalism class while pursuing my college Read more

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