Today the flags of San Juan County and its home, the State of Washington, fly.
San Juan County is a county consisting of islands in the Salish Sea in the Northwest waterways of Washington. It is defined in RCW §36.04.280 thusly, “San Juan county shall consist of the territory bounded as follows, to wit: Commencing in the Gulf of Georgia at the place where the boundary line between the United States and the British possessions deflects from the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude; thence following said boundary line through the Gulf of Georgia and Haro Strait to the middle of the Strait of Fuca; thence easterly through Fuca Straits along the center of the main channel between Blunt’s Island and San Juan and Lopez Islands to a point easterly from the west entrance of Deception Pass, until opposite the middle of the entrance to the Rosario Straits; thence northerly through the middle of Rosario Straits and through the Gulf of Georgia to the place of beginning.”
The four major islands of the county are, in decending order of area, Orcas Island (57.7 square miles), San Juan Island (55.45 square miles), Lopez Island (39.56 square miles), and Shaw Island (7.58 auqare miles. I went to summer camp on Orcas Island at Four Winds Westward Ho and my wife’s parents now live on Orcas as well.
Also flying is the flag of the state of Washington. Its state flag is the only state flag with a field of green and is the only state flag featuring a likeness of a President. It is defined by RCW 1.20.010 as follows, “The official flag of the state of Washington shall be of dark green silk or bunting and shall bear in its center a reproduction of the seal of the state of Washington embroidered, printed, painted or stamped thereon. The edges of the flag may, or may not, be fringed. If a fringe is used the same shall be of gold or yellow color of the same shade as the seal. The dimensions of the flag may vary.”
The flag flying was a gift from my friend Nova on the occasion of my moving back to California after ten years living in Washington. As we were both employees of the Washington State Legislature at the time, Nova chose to abide by RCW 9.86.030 and not have my coworkers sign the flag which was flown over the Washington State Legislative Building in Olympia.
Cruesbreck Flags 