Beautiful, Noisy and Busy Rebecca Spit

The morning alarm.

I awoke at 6:00 A.M. this morning to clamouring and crunching sounds.  At first I thought I had slept in and it was Len and Giselle coming to visit.  Remaining still, quiet and relaxed, I identified the noises.  Aha!  I leapt out of bed to grab my camera.  Topside, I crept to catch the culprit in the act. 

An otter had climbed aboard my tender (dinghy) to chow down on his freshly caught halibut.  He was

so engrossed in his breakfast that he did not notice as I took a couple of pictures.  He raised his nose in the air,  took a whiff (I guess he didn’t like my scent), looked around and disappeared overboard, leaving bloody remains and a head in my dinghy.

Ta Daa at Rebecca Spit

Good morning, Rebecca Spit!

I arrived yesterday (with Did It) with high expectations.  I expected quiet, I expected sandy beaches, I expected less boats.  None of my expectations were met.  I will say, if you keep your eyes to the east it is beautiful.  To the west

are houses, roads with loud trucks, lawnmower sounds, carpentry sounds, and chainsaw sounds among other civilization sights and sounds.  After hanging out in remote bays and coves, I did not welcome what I heard and saw.  Besides all that, the boats kept coming and coming.  There must have been 20 boats anchored here last night.  If this is what it is like in September, I cannot imagine what it would be like in the summer. 

Heriot Bay Inn and Pub

The beach is over run with bees and one got between my right flipflop and my right little toe.  Yep!  He got me.  I felt little rushes running through my body for hours afterwards and my toe ached to the wee hours of the morning.  That littly guy packed a punch with his sting and a couple of swear words may have escaped  past my lips.

I would like it here if I were to bring or meet the kids.  There is a

campsite and across Drew Harbour there is a hotel, pub, resort and shopping.  In the meantime, I will keep looking east and I will tune out civilization.

Sunset in Von Donop Inlet.

The fog before the rain.

 Backtracking a couple of days, while in Von Donop, Len and Giselle picked me up in their dinghy and to shore we went.  This was an afternoon adventure because it rained and it rained and it rained all morning. The goal was to walk through the forest to Squirrel Cove.  Between Von Donop and Squirrel Cove there is just a narrow stretch of land.  It is something I have always wanted to do.  The sign clearly said 5 kilometers.  Nowhere did I read that it was three kilometers up hill and two steep kilometers down hill.  The first three were through the forest and the last two were paved and a part of Whatetown Road.  While at Squirrel

Cove we snacked and had a bit of a rest before we started out trek uphill.  Giselle decided she would hitch a ride.  Funny things, all the cars were going to Squirrel Cove, not coming from.  When a car finally did approach, out went her thumb.  It was the lady from the gift shop.  She invited us to pile in.  The turn-off to the forest path was an embarrassingly quarter kilometer from where she picked us up.  We burst out laughing while profusely thanking her for her good deed of the day.

Squirrel Cove, here we come.

Before setting out on our walk, we had read about and had been warned of wolves by Barnicle Barry. 

I had heard them howling the night before and thankfully we never encountered any on the path.  Giselle was wise to leave Mr. Bean on Did It for this adventure.

We knew when we beached the dinghy the tide was rising.  Little did we know how long we would be gone and how high the tide would rise.  Len had to hoist the legs of his shorts to retrieve the dinghy.  This tactic did not work.  Eventually he waded waist high to untie the dinghy from the

Where is Mr. Bean

fallen tree.  It was a very laughable moment for Giselle and me.

As we left Von Donop yesterday morning, I spotted Maggie K anchored a bay away from us.  I hailed Eric on the loud speaker and out popped his head.  We shared a couple stories then carried on.  The tide exiting Von Donop was much lower than when we entered.  All the books told us to beware of the rock where the inlet narrows.  I inched my way past the rock

Len and Giselle resting at Squirrel Cove

while keeping an eye on the depth sounder.  I never saw less than 16 feet and felt relieved when the sounder read 20, 30 and 70 feet below me.

Tomorrow we head to Comox and this is whereDid It will head home to Shelter Island.  I will stay in Comox for a few days. My friend Cecilia will join me for my last week of sailing before I return to Victoria on or near September 20^th.   

Looking down Georgia Strait from
Rebecca Spit

our paths with take different directions. 

As I sit and type, the winds were predicted to be blowing NW 15-20 knots.  It is warm with high overcast.  It is calm.  Many boats have left and I expect to see many boats arrived later.

We have eaten very well and very healthy — except for the S’mores.  We have had chicken, steak, crab, clams, salmon and ling cod.  We have had an array of fresh and cooked vegetables, salads, and quinoa or rice.  We have also been taking turns preparing the dinner.  Giselle and have both loved when it was the other’s turn as it gave us a night out of the galley. 

It is my turn to cook dinner so tonight we will have salmon and spinach in foil (cooked on the Barby) with ginger and garlic.  

Heriot Bay - Whaletown Ferry looking north.

I Have Crabs!

I've got crabs!  Two, in fact!

Crab update:  I did not get skunked this trip.  As noted in the previous post, Giselle and I were heading out to fetch our crab pots.  In my dinghy we get and away we go.  All went well except for one thing — my dinghy motor problem is back.  The motor just died, stopped, quit running, as we were about to exit the harbour.  I could not imagine rowing all the way back from where we dropped our traps. I pulled and pulled and pulled.  Finally it started but we could only putt back to the dock.  Once there we exited my dinghy and boarded Len’s.  It was not a problem taking Len’s motor and dinghy since he has the same motor as I do.  I clearly knew how to run it. 

Two Red Rocks

Out we go!  Giselle’s trap was the furthest away so we went to it first.  There were a couple crab but not keepers.  Off we went to my trap.  As we approached, I cut the engine so we could drift to my float.  Up I pull.  Yay.  Two large crab — large enough to keep.  We fought with those two crab to get them out of the trap and into the bucket.  Once settled, I pulled the start cord on the motor and it would not start.  I pulled and pulled and pulled.  Could this really be happening?  I was beginning to think I was a jinx. 

No matter what I did, the motor would not start.  I thought by now that perhaps I had flooded it.  Giselle decided that if we had to sit and wait we might as well start rowing towards Gorge Harbour.  We look at the time and started to laugh.  It was 5:30 P.M. and we had dinner reservations for 6:45 P.M.  Could we row fast enough?  Surely Len would start wondering where we were. 

Giselle had another great idea — radio the marina.  I was smart enough to bring a portable VHF but I did wonder if I could contact the marina because between us and them was a rock wall.  No, it didn’t work.  Rats!

I decided I would call Comox Coast Guard to relay a message for us.  They did not

I made knotted pulls for
my gate latches.

respond.  Something is fishy.  I looked at the battery level and it read that it was charged.  As soon as I depressed the PTT button, the battery showed that it needed charging.  I deduced that we could receive but we could not send.  So, clearly I should have charged the battery after using it a few times. 

Giselle kept wondering what could have gone wrong with motor.  She then picked up the fuel tank.  There was fuel in it, but very little.   Surely there was enough gas to start the motor and get us home. 

Len’s dinghy is a bear to row.  Again, Giselle had the best idea; we would each take a paddle and row.  It is a long story about their dinghy and trust me when I say, we were making good time with Giselle’s method.  We periodically stopped to try the motor but it was a no go.

A beautiful morning in Gorge Harbour.

Keeping an eye out for any passing boaters as we rowed, we finally spotted a speedboat coming out of the Gorge.  We waved and waved.  They saw us!  We would be saved after all.  (Really folks, we were never in any danger, we just wanted to be back at the marina in time for dinner.) 

The kind family from Nanaimo took time out of their evening to tow us back to the marina.  Len spied us being towed and met us at the dock.  He, too, could not start the motor.  Whew I thought, it wasn’t just us women who didn’t know what to do.  He decided to fill the tank and try it again.  After a number of hearty pulls the motor started. 

I should have known better than to leave without checking the fuel.  I also learned something about my portable radio — keep it charged at all times, even if it appears to be charged. 

Did It exiting the north end of Uganda Passage.

We had a dinner to remember at the Floathouse Restaurant and the service was top notch.  I had prawns, Giselle had the halibut and Len had seafood linguine.  To top of his dinner, Len ordered the caramel cheesecake.  Of course I had to have a little taste and it was lip-smacking delicious. 

Giselle and I topped the evening with outside fireplace s’mores. 

Today we left Gorge Harbout at 12:15 P.M. bound for Von Donnop Inlet on the east side

Did It getting ready to drop anchor.

of Cortes Island.  It was a short journey, a mere 13 nautical miles.  Here it quiet, peaceful and beautiful.  As much fin as we had at Gorge Harbour, it was a relief to leave civilization for a quiet anchorage. 

The weather today was warm with little wind, in fact, not enough for sailing.  I have also made an observation in the last few places I have stayed — another Hunter sailboat has always shown up.  Montegue Harbour, Ganges on Salt Spring Island, Tenedos Bay, Laura Cove, Gorge Harbour and now in Von Donnop.  Most of the owners have been receptive to me striking up a conversation which is great because I love to talk boating. 

Tonight I will dinghy over to Did It for dinner.  We have been taking turns cooking and visiting each other’s boats for the last meal of the day.  The food has been plenty and delicious.  Also tonight, I will sleep in the cockpit.  It is so quiet here; just six other boats in the bay. 

I am looking forward to tomorrow and walking through the forest to Squirrel Cove and later in the day going kayaking. 

Looking north in Sutil Channel to Rendezvous Islands and Stuart Island.

The time is drawing near that I have to plan to return to Victoria, but first I will revisit Comox to get my fix of kids, grand kids, family and friends. 

By the way, as I motored to Von Donnop, I charged my portable radio.  Good to go!

Posting Note

Hello Family, Friends, and Followers

I just wanted to let you know that while I am in remote areas it is not always possible to post my pictures and journal in a timely fashion.  For instance, I am in Von Donnop Inlet, west side of Cortes Island and my connection with my portable wifi (Telus Sierra Wireless) is not always strong.  I will add that I can connect to the internet with it more often than my iphone will find the 4G connection.  All that said, I am happy that I took the plunge to bring the wireless with me.

Stay tuned and thank you for your patience.

Gorge Harbour - Cortes Island

Red markings are the petrography.
This one looks like a man on a big fish.

I am in Gorge Harbour, Cortes Island.  Of all the marinas in this area, Gorge is one of my favourites.  You enter the harbour through the cut.  If you know where to look, the north walls of the cut are decorated with petrographs, estimated to have been painted over 200 years ago. 

Our last night in Tenedos Bay was exciting to say the least.  We had our tasty blue ling then settled into the evening.  It was calm.  Giselle had recommended a movie Thunderheart that was on her I-pod.  I was watching it when what seemed like out of nowhere a great gust of wind slammed our boats.  I heard a loud crack and a crash.  I recognized this to be a tree crashing in the forest.  I flew out of bed, grabbed my jacket, boots and flashlight only to be met by Len on the deck of Did It.  We were secure and at the moment that is all that mattered. The tree didn’t hit us nor was it near our stern-tie lines. With rain pelting the boats, Giselle joined us in the cockpit of Ta Daa.  We could see the other boats beaming their flashlights into the forest. I concluded they heard the same noise

Shark Spit at Marina Island and Uganda Passage

that I heard.  The three of us sat in the cockpit just listening and looking into the dark and waiting for another great gust.  Being in each other's company was a great comfort. A few smaller gusts followed but nothing that caused us concern. 

In the distance we observed red, green and white lights.  The colour of lights visible helped us determine the direction the boat was travelling.  It appeared as if his anchor had dragged in the wind and he was repositioning to a more secure location in the bay. 

Shark Spit

Needless to say I slept in the cockpit the rest of the night.

The next morning Len and Giselle motored, in their dinghy, to checked out the boat we observed the previous night.  He was an 80’ motor vessel.  We knew he was a power boat but did not know the length.  It something we had not considered while we watched him the night before.

With wind directly on the stern I motored most of the way to Gorge.  I pulled out the head sail when I turned to starboard at the red buoy at Sutil Point.  It was a brisk wind and the opportunity to sail was a welcome one.

Empty mat is mine :)

A warrior doing ballet?

The Gorge marina, in the past six years, has been refreshed:  upgraded docks, pool, hot tub, laundry facilities, camping and a restaurant.  Topping the list is an outdoor fireplace on a waterside patio where (in the summer) music from the live entertainment wafts throughout the harbour.  On our first night, we were introduced to Jeff Drummond from Merville, Vancouver Island.  We were amazed at his guitar skills and his unique and clear voice.  Under the stars, listening to a mixed genre of music, we did not want him to end the show.  S’mores were a little bit of delight that Giselle and I made in the fireplace while

Curious boys watching Barnacle Barry.

listening to the beautiful music.

The next morning Giselle encouraged me to go to a free yoga class. Now this is something I have not done for centuries.  I thought I was going to die.  I took pictures just to get out of holding some of those poses with funny names that do not resemble me - like warrior, tree, boat and so on.

While here, Len got to wondering about his zincs on the prop shaft so he hired a diver to check it out.  Fortunately, I had two aboard Ta Daa.  There was only 20% of his left so my zinc now adorn his prop shaft. 

The diver, Barnacle Barry, was a character.  He lives, with his wife, on his 50’ ferro-cement sailboat in Squirrel Cove.  He is on a mooring buoy.  We mentioned that on Monday (tomorrow) we are going to Von Donnop to anchor.  Barnacle Barry reminded us of a story in Pacific Yachting (April 2012) where a couple was rescued from the wolves on the beach.  Barnale Barry was the rescuer!  The incident took place three summers ago.  We will go to Von Donnop but if we do any walking to Squirrel Cove, we will leave Giselle’s dog, Mr. Bean (a Jack), aboard Did It.

Len with a 'keeper' crab.

Giselle and I dropped the crab traps over the dock.  While the crabs were many, most were too small to keep.  Giselle scored four keepers!  We had them for dinner with steak – a surf and turf meal aboard Did It!

This morning the three of us headed to Shark Spit on Marina Island to pick a spot to drop the crab traps.  It is always a tough decision of where to drop them.  I like to look for a sandy bottom.  Giselle picked her spot.  Next, chauffeur Len dinghied us to Manson’s Landing to get clams. 

On the way we spotted a piece of wood — round and about 8 inches in diameter.  As we

Giselle cleaning crab.

got closer we discovered that it was not just a piece of wood, it was the whole log, floating vertical.  This type of flotsam could be very dangerous to any motor or sail vessel.  Fortunately I had my handheld marine VHF and my GPS.  I was able to get a lat and long and radio the information to the Comox Coast Guard.  Good deed for the day — check!

At Manson’s we tied up the dinghy at the government wharf and proceeded to the best little clam bay.  Within 15 minutes we had enough in our bucket for appies and a pasta dinner.  As I type, they are soaking in a mesh bag so all the tasty little clams can spit the sand out.  We will eat them tomorrow. 

Giselle and I are positive we will have crab in our traps when we go to pick them up – which is in just a few minutes.  I will update you upon my return!  

A Weather Day and More

Tenedos Bay, Desolation Sound

A weather day is when I choose to stay put because the weather forecast is unfavourable, and unfavourable it was!  It was comforting to know that I was tied securely to the dock while taking on a southeaster in Lund.  My old friends and my new friends felt the same.

The day started out mild.  I made my Bodum decaf coffee, grabbed my laptop and made my way to the cockpit.  Here I enjoyed the morning sounds of Lund while I updated the blog with the day-before events.  It was agreed the night before that we would meet at Nancy’s for breakfast so I rowed ashore to join the others.  We sat and chatted as if we were cronies and met here every day.  The topics were

Rainbow

endless, funny, witty and educational.  A couple hours later we scoped out the Pollen store (and I bought a bamboo scarf), we spent some time in the Tug-Guhim Gallery and Studio.  Proprietor and sculptor, Debra Bevaart was on site sculpting a finely detailed bear out of soapstone from India.  The finished pieces in the store were jaw-dropping beautiful: seal heads, seals, and dancing sea stars.

Connie zeroed in on a baby seal head.  Artist Debra had just put it in the

Debra Bevaart (l) and Connie (r)

showcase the day before.  While Debra’s work is very fine, the stone the seal was carved from added a twist of beauty to this piece.  Connie just had to have it.  I had a deep sense of good feeling when Connie made her purchase, not sure why, but I did.  I on the other hand had to walk around the store with my arms crossed, chest high, to refrain from touching and wanting….

If you are ever in Lund, I encourage you to visit Tug-Guhim Gallery & Studio.  If you have an unquenchable desire to have a stone sculpture give Debra a call 604-414-0474.  Her work has been commissioned worldwide.

If you recall from past posts, I had a wobbly prop shaft and went to Campbell River to

Lund Pub gang

deal with the problem.  Well, the problem returned and had me deeply concerned that it was going to be a costly fix this time.  I had the honour of three gentlemen, Len, Dave and Rick, in my presence at Lund who offered to be eyes and ears to observe what happens when I start the engine and put it in gear at the dock.  It was determined that between 800-1,000 RPM I have a vibration.  If I push the throttle through, the vibration immediately settles down.  This is an issue I can take care of when back at homeport. I feel somewhat relieved but disappointed that of the two qualified venue I had questioned,  neither bothered to make the observations we did.  Arghhhhh matey,  water under the bridge now.

Len, on Did It, decided to change his impellor.  Remember, we have sister ships, same everything except hull colour; his is blue and mine is white.  He had all the necessary parts and tools — impellor and impellor puller.  After some time, Giselle and I went below to see how things were going.  They weren’t!  The impellor puller was not working so I rowed to my boat to get mine.  Bingo!  Mine worked for him.  He pulled the impellor, examined it, compared it to the new one and determined there was a huge

Racking them up!

difference in the number of blades.  Back to Ta Daa I row to get one of my spares.  My spare matched what he pulled out.  Slathered in dish soap, it slid in perfectly.  Once the engine was started we excitedly observed fresh bubbles spitting out the exhaust.  This was a good sign.  Well done, Len!

That job completed and being dinnertime, the six of us (Rick, Connie, Steve, Giselle, Len, and I) decided to go to Lund Pub.  Dinner was delicious.  I had coconut curry muscles and Thai chicken wings with Giselle.  They were lip-smacking good.  The laughs were endless. 

The night did not end there.  Connie challenged Len to a game of pool.  Little did she know that Len was much better than an amateur; he was a competitor and champion back in the day and he has not lost his touch.  Len toyed with her for a while then wham! Bam! Smack, the 8-ball was gone. 

The night still did not end there.  Teams were struck.  The shots were creative. I was on

Family of otters 

a winning team and a losing team.  We left the Lund Pub with staff shaking their heads as we shut her down for the night. 

It was one of those nights that you could not plan so many laughs; it was natural, spontaneous and contagious. 

Yesterday morning brought more rain and a forecast of 25 knots of wind from the southeast.  It was decided at 0700 that Did It and Ta Daa would depart Lund at

Jellyfish the size of dinner plates!

0900.  We were heading north and into Desolation Sound.  Tenedos Bay was the destination.  Steve had already left, heading south to Nanaimo. Rick and Connie were also heading south.  They did not get an early start so it was questionable how far they would get before getting blown into a port or anchorage (update – they made it to Pender Harbour). 

When I left the winds were light, it was raining, and visibility was limited. I turned on my radar and it proved to handy.  There were no near collisions but it is great to brush up on radar skills while underway.  I did spot a blip on the screen that I could not readily see as the boat blended well with the fog – white boat and tan-coloured canvas. 

Once in Tenedos Bay, I felt the pressure of choosing an anchor spot for the two boats.  I

anchored in 60 feet of water, stern tied, and then Len anchored and came along side to raft.  Other than my stern tie, it was a smooth operation.  A few extra minutes allowed us to better position the ties, which gave us both peace of mind. 

While getting my fishing gear ready I was delighted by a family of three otters fishing.  They were whistling to each other.  At first I thought it was a bird but soon learned they were communicating.  Their catch became dinner when one otter pulled the fish (perch like) ashore and they rallied around to get their share.  The otters were well aware of the spectators so they kept moving along the shore looking for a secure location.  A kayaker got a little too close and they retreated to the water.

Blue inside and out.  Little fish came from ling belly.

Len and I headed out fishing.  A first for me was teaching him what I know about fishing, which is very little.  I gave him the buzz bomb to use and I tried the alien looking thing.  Once on the little shelf I thought my line was on the bottom so I reeled it up a bit.  Not on the bottom — it was a fish.  Len bonked it for me and I lifted it into the boat.  We fished some more and decided we would take one more pass over the shelf and again, I thought I was on bottom.  No sireee, it was another fish but much bigger.  Len bonked and I lifted into the boat.  We were amazed at the blue colour.  I had never heard of nor seen a blue ling cod.  I felt that I would have to Google this before we feasted on it.  One friend on Facebook asked if it was radio active!

I even emailed Academy instructor KT who has a background in marine biology.  In short her email said we were good to go and it would be delicious.

Seals at low tide.

This morning, Giselle and I rigged and dropped the crab traps.  I have never heard of anyone capturing crabs in Tenedos Bay but we sure would not get any if the traps did not go in the water.  The waste from fileting the ling made perfect bait.  Giselle picked her spot and I picked mine.  The competition was on as to who picked the best spot.  We agreed we would pull them up between 3:00 P.M. and 4:00 P.M.

Giselle and I discovered an island covered in seals.  We went back to our respective boats to get our cameras. It was peaceful to drift past the seals just observing and taking pictures.  We toured Tenedos Bay (it was Giselle’s first time here) then headed back to

Keeping an eye on us.

the boats.  It was time for a swim in Unwin Lake.  Just as we were ready to go swimming the boats next to us had a challenge with an anchor.  It seems that the sailboat, who came in after the power boat, laid his rode over the other fellas and the sailboat was in the way of the powerboat weighing his anchor. 

A simple fix would have been for the sailboat to release and reel in their stern tie for the powerboat to up-anchor.  No, not the decision they made.  Instead, the stern tie stayed in tact and two men on the sailboat stood guard with boat hooks — WTF?  The skipper of the powerboat, a Kiwi, deserved a medal for his tenacity to loosed and lift the anchor but it proved too much for his windlass.  He finally had to strongly suggest to the skipper of the sailboat to move.

Anchoring fiasco.

  It was a bit of a fiasco and took much longer than needed.  Once the sailboat moved, the powerboat lifted anchor and departed.  Len and I had offered to help so he swung by to offer his thanks.

Off to the lake we went.  It was a short but beautiful forest walk.  The lake was warm and refreshing.  Giselle brought some home-made chili to eat before walking back to the dinghy.  While eating, it started to pour rain; it didn’t matter, we were wet from swimming.  All went quiet.  The only sound was the sound of the rain hitting the lake.  It was nature’s music. 

Raining on Unwin Lake

I was once told that nature noises offer us the much-needed negative ions to counter the positive ions that we receive daily from electronics, overhead lights and such.  I believe it!  The sound of the rain on the water, the sound of the birds and squirrels in the trees was very calming.

Enough of that!  We have crab traps to retrieve.  Out we go so eager to see who won the competition.  My trap was the furthest out so we fetched it first.  Nada! Zilch! Skunked.  Disappointed I was really hoping for crab in Giselle’s trap.  Skunked again.  The bait was still in tact so we dropped the traps behind our boats – we had nothing to

Unwin Lake

lose. 

Tonight is my cooking night.  We are going to have the ling.  I am going to BBQ some and prepare a coconut curry sauce for the rest.  So I now need to research tasty recipes. 

Update:  Dinner was delicious and we ate more than we should.  We all concur that blue ling is delectable.  And yes, when you cook it, amazingly it turns white.  

Old Friends and New Friends

Neptune guarding Lund

Yesterday was a good grounding day for me.  Sometimes I feel a little displaced or lost and a day like yesterday is just what I needed. 

First thing in the morning I did a few boat chores. One of them is cleaning out the bilge.  And did I tell you that my wobbly shaft problem is back.  Me thinks wobbly shaft and water in the bilge is a hand-in-hand challenge.  For the life of me, I cannot determine where the water is coming in.  I have checked all the thru-hulls, I have checked the keel bolts, I have checked the holding tank couplings, I have checked everything I know about and I am still baffled.  I know it is salt water because the first thing you do is — taste it.

Regardless, I did my morning chores, then rowed into downtown Lund, a five minute row to shore however, I take the scenic route past the shoreline.  With computer in hand I strolled to Nancy’s Bakery for a cup of decaf and one of her delicious raisin cinnamon buns.  While at Nancy’s I got caught up on emails, some research and the all-important bill paying. 

Once done at Nancy’s, I strolled around the outside of the Lund Hotel.  I discovered a

Finn Cove

not-so-well marked gift shop and happened along a traditional cedar weaving class.  The ladies I chatted with, Betty, Juhli, Allison and Jeannie were working on hats.  In my humble opinion they were doing an amazing job.  Thank you ladies for letting me take your pictures! Inside, four people were working on baskets and the joke was that they were getting ready for the old-folks home. 

In talking to the instructor (and I failed to get her name) they only have harvested enough cedar bark for one more class in October.  I am thinking that spring would be a good time for me to take in one of the classes with a stay at the Lund Hotel.  I believe the organizers offer a seafood feast lunch on one of the days. Who wants to join me?  It would be an amazing girls weekend!

For more information on what this First Nations group has to offer visit IHOSTOURS.COM

After my stroll about town, I headed back to Ta Daa.  Friends on Did It would be arriving in Lund around 1400 so I decided to go kayaking before they arrived.  I had an awesome paddle for 1.5 hours.  I am building up my stamina and working on my technique.  When I paddle I always take my hand-held VHF radio – just in case.  I was happy I did this time as I was able to communicate with Did It as they arrived in Lund.

Kayaking is bliss.

Shortly after I returned to Ta Daa and was putting away my kayak gear a sailboat pulled up in front of me.  As always, I lend a hand with lines.  SV Rhino was a heavy little boat.  The sailors stepped off and were two of the thankful and friendliest people I had met.  It was not windy, the conditions were not adverse, they were just genuinely thankful to an extra hand with the lines.  At the moment Rhino docked, Len and Giselle from Did It dinghied over to my floating dock.  There were hugs hello and immediate plans to have a potluck on Floating Dock 4 at 1830.  I invited new friends Connie and Rick from Rhino.  Oh my, what am I going to create for a potluck dish — the pressure is on!

Len and Giselle wanted to head to Nancy’s for a cinnamon bun before they were all gone.  I went with them, not for the bun, but to catch up and discuss the plans for the next couple of days.  First order of business was to check the weather; winds were forecast to build to 30 knots from the southeast.  That meant we would stay in Lund for two nights when the forecast was much more favourable. 

In the meantime, I had decided to make a black bean and quinoa salad so I popped into the General Store for the necessary cilantro.

And in the meantime, Len had heard from another friend, Steve, who hails from Westbay

A chair waiting to be sat in, a cider waiting to be consumed.

(my marina).  We had been in touch off and on and now he was headed to Lund!

Potluck at 1830!  It was more than a potluck — it was great stories, it was getting to know new friends, it was laughs (rolling on floor laughs) and delicious food.  We had baked chicken legs, smokies, clam pasta, deviled eggs and quinoa black bean salad.

Rick and Connie are from California and on their way home.  Giselle and I loved listening to her New Jersey accent.  She reminded me of Edith Bunker. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Edith.  Connie was a joy to listen to and she and Rick could banter while telling a story to get the lot of us laughing.

Old friends, new friends, and dog friends.

It was a beautiful evening with a gorgeous sunset and stars so thick you could cut them with a knife! 

Not sure why it was a good grounding day.  Maybe it was getting caught up on chores and doing some thing I had wanted to get done or maybe it was looking forward to seeing friends I had not seen for a couple months.  Who knows, it doesn’t matter.  It just was.

As I type, the white caps are building on the water.  The wind is blowing SE.  Boats are coming and going.  If you are heading north, 30 knots from the SE feels like 15.  If you are heading south, 30 knots feels like 60!  I am not sure why anyone would head south with a forecast of 30 knots SE.  Just sayin'...

Perhaps as I age, I am getting more cautious.  Perhaps it is because Ta Daa is my home and I have  lot to lose should something drastic happen.

You never know what you will find on the Lund whiteboard.