Migrating Crane 2019: August 17

Ganges Harbour

Beautiful double masted sailboat came into harbour while I sat and watched.

And then there were the sea plans - three of them.

A HUGE yacht anchored in the harbour.

SaltSpring Island Cheese factory.

You could look through windows and see them making the cheese.

View from the back of the factory. Beautiful valley!

GOATS!

Weaving at the Saori Weaving Studio

My loom with the beginning of my project.

The view out the back of the studio.

The finished product! This is a wonderful way of weaving, and the looms are very easy to use. My project is a series of studies in different techniques, and I'll be able to refer to it o try and remember what I did when I start to weave at home. Perhaps I'll find a piece of driftwood to hang it in my workroom.

My first paddle in the ocean in 35+ years! What a joy to be back on the water. The ocean has a way of moving that feels a bit like the earth breathing. Peaceful and oh so beautiful.

All that peace and beauty were disturbed when the first huge boat wakes arrived, and I had a few nervous moments as I learned that my kayak handles them very well - even sideways!

Look carefully to spot the heron sitting on the rooks in the centre.

Back on shore again after a two hour paddle.

Low tide - with all of the critters easy to view. While paddling I also saw seals, and gorgeous little white jelly fish - geometric wonders - pulsing right near the surface. They were only 3 to 4 inches across - so delicate.

There were tiny fish around the rocks and a boil out past the point. A boil is when herring jump out of the water, pursued by something hunting them. Usually this something is salmon, and often the seals get involved chasing the salmon. They can be quite wild! I recall boils which went on for quite a while and if you cast your line in the middle, you get a salmon for sure. Once a member of my fishing team reported that they were reeling in a salmon and a seal emerged and bit it in half before they could get it to the boat. It's good to see the excitement still happening.

Swimming at Vesuvius Beach.

My second swim did not require a wetsuit. The water was warm even though the tide was out. Lovely swim - and saw seals, star fish, and the little crabs which live under the rocks. The wee girl playing on the beach was delighted with the crabs until one nipped her, and then she decided they were just "Not Nice!"

While resting on a log, post swim, I heard a rustling sound in the blackberry bushes behind me. I turned to see a family of California quail! They are the dearest little birds - perpetually confused and agitated. I remember them well in my friends' garden years ago.

Finally, a bit of art photography based on a wonderful picture in Tan's dining room.

There's a lot of character in an old wooden boat.

We stopped at Kizmit Galeria for coffee - I ended up having an elderberry fizz. The place is indeed magical, as described, and involves the work of two artists on display as well as a food truck in the shape of an old Boler trailer and a coffee house. The gardens are exquisite.

This draft beer delivery vehicle was stored away in a side garden.

The bouquet on our table.

The hand wash station outside the equally magical outhouse made of adobe/concrete.

And finally, some watercolours. I've been practicing since my workshop and find it very peaceful. I'm gradually learning the do's and don'ts of watercolour. Sorry - can't figure out how to rotate them!

The first is the cliff with the colourful lichen I saw in Pitt Lake.