Life on Orcas Island with Edee Kulper

An Interview with George Merrill

Son of a printer in a Mormon family, stockbroker in his 20s, printbroker, self-taught CD-ROM maker, marketing consultant and owner of a design/advertising agency for 10 years, father of 8 children, oilfield worker, and owner of a custom woodworking business (frames, tables, furniture, etc.) called Old Goat Creative, George's experiences have run the gamut. The desire to sail around the world brought him to Orcas Island...

An Interview with Rolf Eriksen

Rolf Eriksen has a unique relationship with The Tower on Top of Mount Constitution, which is also the name of his book. He first visited the monument as a baby and then worked to repair it through the decades as the owner and general manager of Happy Acres Company for over 53 years. Rolf has bicycled up to the tower weekly for the past 25 years in order to assess wear and tear, document graffiti, and soak in its ethereal atmosphere at the highest point in the San Juan Islands. You can find Rolf and his book on summer Saturdays at the Farmers Market at the Village Green, along with honey, salve, and candles from his colony of 20,000-80,000 bees.

An Interview with Brian Leonard

Consulting with theme parks, museums, zoos, and aquariums, and managing creative development with architects, graphic designers, writers, composers, painters, sculptors, fabricators, and contractors takes Brian Leonard all over the world, from Washington, D.C.'s National Geographic Museum of Exploration to the largest aquarium in the world in Abu Dhabi. Brian also has a few fun inventions he dreamed up – the Stiffy (a rod holder stabilizer while fishing) and the Ferry Fate Ball sold in stores locally (think Magic 8 Ball but for drivers waiting in line for the ferry, wondering if and when they’ll be able to board the boat).

An Interview with Henry 'Oz

Meet The German Magician: "I lost my mother when I was ten. The world stopped making sense. At seventeen, I was living alone, figuring it out. I picked up my first deck of cards - not for the art of magic, but to connect with people. Magic gave me something I didn’t expect: FAITH. For the next 18 years, I worked in Germany's automotive industry - Volkswagen, Porsche, stability and structure. But the magic inside me never left. The older I got, the louder the question became: Is this it? The suffering I’d been through wasn’t random - it was preparation for something bigger. In 2021, I answered that call. Left Germany. Left the security. Came to America seeking freedom - and found it on a small island where I could meditate, breathe, and finally become who I was meant to be. Now I bring wonder to audiences across America - from intimate gatherings to theaters, from weddings to corporate stages." From www.henryoz.com

An Interview with Stephanie Rosenblatt

A Tai Chi practitioner for 54 years and an instructor for decades, Stephanie radiates joy and an ever-growing zest for life, and speaks of the depth of physical, spiritual, and emotional lessons she has learned over the years.

Another Interview with Karl Krüger

Advice from a local Inuit man to "make sure you talk with the ancestors" has shaped Karl's mindset and survival, and he is preparing for his third season paddling the Canadian Arctic's Northwest Passage. Karl is the founder of Krüger Creative, a nonprofit dedicated to wilderness exploration, personal growth, and environmental awareness. Through Krüger Expeditions, he offers day sails and multi-day sail-to-ski or sail-to-surf journeys out of Hoonah, Alaska, aboard SV ANIMUS, a 64-foot steel cutter, immersing guests in his world.

An Interview with Bruce Benton

Bruce Benton went from Peace Corps work in West Africa to the US Treasury Department’s Deputy-Director of the Office of Raw Materials and Oceans Policy to a career managing the World Bank’s efforts to defeat parasitic riverblindness in Africa. He has written a book of the same. Locally, Bruce continues to work hard to help the Island Rides program. A few years ago, he secured grant funding totaling $800,000 for electric vehicle infrastructure and transportation initiatives for the island - $400,000 for the EV Charger Project and $400,000 for the Green CarShare program sponsored by Island Rides, which received $200,000 in 2024 and $200,000 in 2025. This man is passionate about helping and motivated to see it through!

An Interview with Karl Krüger

Modern-day explorer, Karl Krüger, is preparing for his third leg of a three-summer solo journey through the Canadian Arctic's Northwest Passage. He covered 900 miles combined in 2022 and 2023 on his stand-up paddleboard, and in the summer of 2027 he plans to use a Holopuni outrigger canoe instead to retrace the coast he explored on his SUP, starting in Tuktoyaktuk, continuing past Kugluktuk - his furthest east point from previous seasons - and finish in Pond Inlet, Nunavut. He is the only person to have competed on a stand-up paddleboard in the Race to Alaska (R2AK), covering 750 miles of the Canadian Pacific coast in 2017 in just over two weeks. He shares the very personal stories of his life that led to his drive to explore deep wilderness - solo and unsupported.

An Interview with Georgette Wong

Georgette Wong's expertise is in impact investing and strategic consulting to strengthen local communities. She currently serves as Board Chair of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, the Investment & Audit Committee for The Russell Family Foundation, as well as the Investment Committee of the Orcas Island Community Foundation. She has been the CEO of Correlation Consulting for the past 10 years, focused on clients seeking to integrate their passion for social change and to create both financial and social rewards. What an intelligent, humble phenom she is!

An Interview with Jay Longfellow

Meet Jay Longfellow, a hunter, trapper, outdoorsman, and reader of the stoics. He has rid his life of all screens aside from his phone, and he joins me in the studio with his pointing lab, Marcus Aurelius, to talk about everything from difficult injuries to the fantastic flavor of certain species of waterfowl. This guy has some serious skills!!