April 2008

I am sitting here waiting for the tide to be at it's lowest so we can walk out to the front of the station on the rocks.

So far spring has been slow in coming although the weather department is telling us today will be a warm one.....

Last month I made my first trip in to the Big Smoke to get a tooth repaired (didn't happen) and to see Elora - I know I should say my family and friends but let's face it when there is a grandchild involved its all about them.

I couldn't believe how much she is growing - at 7 months she had changed so much from December. She is really developing her own little character with likes and dislikes. Trying to stand on her own and taking every opportunity of standing up when you hold her hand.

Before my trip into town though Jac and Alvaro came out for a short but much enjoyed visit to the station. As Alvaro had never been here before we tried to cram as much as possible into the days - although there was so much more to do. They came out on the Francis Barclay after driving into Port Alberni and spent the night there. The Lifeboat brought them out in the rubber boat in seas that were shall we say "moderate". When Alvaro asked Jac if this was how rough the water was normally she reassured him that it wasn't!

We went for several hikes around the station - on trails that had been newly cut out by Karen and Kyle - which gives new views to the Gap as well as other areas around the Cape. Of course there was much food - Alvaro was stuffed for a few days after so I have been told, and Jac and I had several games of Blood and Guts. It was a short but good visit and I know Jac was happy to show her fellow where she spent her growing up vacations.

The day came where Jac, Alvaro and I headed into Bamfield via the Lifeboat to catch the Barclay to Port. Of course just before the boys came to get us the heavens opened and we were all nicely soaked by the time we arrived in Bamfield. Because the sea was rising into a rough state we went in earlier than necessary and were dry by the time we caught the Barclay. While we in Bamfield we were given and informative tour of the "big boat" the Cape McKay - well done Kyle.

Once arriving in town Jac and Alvaro went their way and I went mine until the night before Jac was due to go back to YK and then Chris, Liz and Elora joined Jac, Alvaro and I for a home cooked meal at Michele's place. Michele and Bruce were away so I was rambling around the house by myself and having the family over to dinner was a nice treat.

That weekend was Easter so my sister got all the in town family together for a nice dinner. It was good to have everyone together as I find that more often than not when I come to town I never get to see most of the relatives.

On Easter Monday I took Chris, Liz and Elora to the Aquarium for baby's first visit. I was quite excited as my kids sort of grown up at the aquarium due to the fact that I volunteered and worked there for about 6 years. Elora was enthralled with some of the displays - I would say the Jelly Fish and the Sea Otters were her favourite - oh and the Kermit car! She would look into the jelly fish display - point then turn and give a little laugh and look back - totally engrossed.

The otters and seals were also a hit as they flipped and swam around in front of her. It was a great day for Gammer and I vowed there would be many more for this little one.

Quickly the days filled up with visits and appointments and even a garage sale - I thought those days were over. Before I knew it the time came for me to head back to the Island. It was hard to leave Elora (and Mom and Dad too!!!) I knew I was coming back the end of May but she is growing so fast - Liz told me the other day she has started to crawl.

My trip back to Victoria was special as Michele decided to come over with me and spend the night. We went over early and shopped and walked what seemed like all day - except for our three hour lunch - thanks Shell! I learned that you can get a discount card for Value Village - I gave Michele a hard time about that. I found a 1942 Crossword dictionary at the Village - a good find for me.

So now I am home and because we are going away for the summer I have given the gardens over to Karen so like the lady of an estate I sit and watch her do all the hard work - hmmmm I could get into this. I have been working on my quilt and in doing so have decided I need a craft room that holds more room than my kitchen table so Norbie and I have been redoing one of the old rooms in one of the outbuildings. We have cleaned it out and now I need to wash walls and paint it.... Keeping busy at the Light.

So now the tide is low and the sun is out so off Norbie and I will go and enjoy the gift of the day.

Until the next - we'll keep the Light on.

FINISHING OUT 2007

Summer came to Cape Beale with the arrival of our annual July 1st visitors. I had only just returned back from Vancouver the day before but I had plenty of time to get the spare house ready for everyone (including chocolates on the pillow).

The first to arrive was Captain Rick and his crew on Rick's new 19' cruiser. With Captain Rick at the wheel - his crew consisted of Kathy, Mike, Jen, Tia and Warren. They were accompanied by the Bamfield Lifeboat crew who were bringing out some of my belongings that the gang had kindly brought from town with them. The original plan was that I would be coming from Vancouver with them but an emergency on another station had sent Ivan there to do relief and myself to come home by chopper.

Two of the Tomahawk's crew Brian and Roger, had opted to hike the Gumboot Trail from Bamfield to Beale and they would hack and slog their way through the forest to arrive just in time for the evening happy hour. When they arrived they reported that there were at least 30 trees obscuring the trail in one way or another from Topaltos alone. Their machetes were dull but their spirits were up.

The next day two more members of the motley crew, Mary-Jean and Larry(welcome aboard first timers) hiked their way through a slightly more cleared but still as difficult trail to make the July 1st cast complete. Although it was a smaller group on deck for the July 1st ceremonies it was none the less memorable. As done in past years there is always a twist of sort to the ceremonies - remember the year of Minnie Patterson showing up??!! This year to celebrate our favourite pirate - Captain Jack Sparrow, we were issued by Captain Rick Jolly Roger tshirts and we were instructed to be on deck in uniform the next day. I took it one step further and in memory of Will's father aboard the Flying Dutchman came a little more decked out with a starfish (dead) on my face. The weather was sunny and the day as usual celebrated well.

It was a quiet visit with the Tomahawk's crew but as always we enjoyed each others company, as all guests sought their own amusement by going off in different directions, hiking, reading, fishing (which was quite productive - if I do say so myself), napping and of course crabbing - not so productive in that department. In with the theme of Pirates it was decided that there were Pirates on the coast and it was possible they were helping themselves to the bounty of the sea from the crab traps. Oh...we can't forget the food - always great food. We had a Mexican night to celebrate MJ's 5oth (Surprise!!!) and a special dessert for Captain Rick and First Mate/Chef Kathy for their 25th wedding anniversary.

No sooner had the Tomahawk's crew left when a new group landed thanks to Brian and the Michelle Diane. Instead of their usual May long weekend visit, Michele and Bruce delayed their annual trip to Beale so that Lisa and Karen could come along. Arriving at low tide and not wanting to slip and slide over the slimmy rocks they threw their bags to Norbie in the dingy and jumped over the side of the boat into thigh high cold salty water. What a sight as four "townies" dragged themselves up the slipway to the dock. But once they had recovered from the 164 stair climb from the lagoon to the station and changed into dry clothes we settled down for 4 days of serious visiting. After an early dinner first timers Karen and Lisa insisted on going back down to the lagoon with "treasure" bags in hand searching for whatever caught their fancy like sea birds on the ebbing tide hunting for dinner. Both ladies returned to the station satisfied with the hunt - including a moon snail each (thank goodness for that).

Another day we went for a grueling hike to "Cedar Bay". The trail was the worse I have ever seen it, with large mud ponds and fallen trees from the winter storms. Lisa holding up the rear of the group found a bear claw which the rest of us had walked over - good eyes Lis. We spent two hours at Cedar Bay collecting treasures, snacking and enjoying the quiet before we headed back to Beale. In celebration of making the hike there and back a couple of the group decided that a dip in the frigid waters of the lagoon was required - count me out.

Day 3 early morning brought two very excited ladies down the ramp into my kitchen. Karen and Lisa arrived chattering like a pair of magpies. As they walked into the house Karen went into a dialogue about a series of "hauntings" which had happened to her during the night. Karen related to us (and hopefully I retell it close to her story) that the first of the evening's three hauntings woke her up to a feeling of someone or something choking her and she felt as though her bed was slowly tipping forward. She said she tried to scream but couldn't get the noise to come out. It was several minutes until she could shake the feeling of being choked and the bed moving. Terrified she lay there deciding whether or not to wake Lisa in the other room (Michele and Bruce were in our house). In the meantime she heard Lisa (she assumed it was Lisa) walking down the hall to the bathroom and closing the door. After waiting for a considerable time for Lisa to come out of the bathroom she became concerned and decided to get up and check on her. There was no one in the bathroom!!! She quickly went down the hall to Lisa's room and woke her up - when she asked if Lisa had just gone to the bathroom - yeah you guessed it the answer was NO.

By this point Karen decided that the light in her room was staying on and she was going to read herself to sleep. She opened the bedroom wide and due to settling in the house this door can be jammed open and then would need to be pulled to unjam it. There sat Karen in her bed reading, lights on. A movement at the door caused the already nervous house guest to look up - and of course you know the rest - the door was slowly closing. Hence the anxiety level the next day for Karen was quite high. The girls decided to share and room the next night and the next morning they reported that the night was uneventful.

Oh please note .......it was only after they were on the ferry home that Lisa admitted that the last night was not uneventful for her as she had woken up to the feeling of pressure on her chest. She decided that whatever it was wouldn't harm her so she went back to sleep. So did the ladies have that "haunting" feeling or did they have vivid imaginations. I'll leave it to you - as for me I know what I know.

Soon it was time for our friends to leave and they once again boarded the Michele Diane and sailed into Bamfield after a tour of the Cape in time to board the Frances Barkley to Port Alberni and home to the Big Smoke.

Our final guest of the summer was my daughter Jac. She had planned to bring her fellow along for his first trip but Alvaro was unable to get away from Yellowknife due to a work emergency.

Jac flew in on the 212 and our week long visit was filled with talking, walks, talking, cards, mojitos (Cuban rum), talking and just great bonding times. Oh and mustn't forget her favourite foods. Her visit meant so much to me even though we had only just seen each other when I visited Yellowknife in June. The visits I have with my kids at Beale are filled with each other time - without the distractions from the rest of the world. No other place to go or people to see - just us. It gives me a chance to cook their favourite foods and kiss and hug them goodnight. It rejuvinates my soul having these visits.

Before we knew it the visit was over and the time to go to town was here. Off the three of us went to await the birth of our first Grandchild. Norbie, Jac and I arrived ahead of the due date but as that date came and went (babies have a way of doing that) Jac had to leave to return home in time for the beginning of the school year and her little kiddiewinkles.

After of few days of "Is it false labour?!" the doctor decided to admit Liz into the hospital and get the labour going. Friday night moved into Saturday which seemed to move ever so slowly. Chris's Dad and Step Mom had come up from Portland thinking the baby would have come by then (the due date was around the 25th of August) so they were there waiting too. So there 5 of the 6 Grandparents sat (Liz's Mom was helping Chris support Liz). While away from the hospital I kept checking my cell phone to make sure it still was working.

On the Saturday evening on our way home from dinner with Karen and Derek we popped into the hospital and Chris told us that they may be looking at a Csection as the doctors were now thinking that the baby may be breech.....we left the hospital to go home and wait. Finally after a restless few hours sleep we got a call from Chris to announce the birth of our little granddaughter Elora - September 2nd, 2007. She had finally decided to enter the world via Csection as coming out butt down was not working for her.

It's a strange feeling realizing that you are a "Grand"parent. What is the meaning of the grand? Does that word give you the right to an opinion as to how the "kids" raise their children? I hardly think so!!! Does it mean life is GRAND because you get all the joy of this little critter without the sleepless nights, dirty diapers, mounds of laundry, expenses, nights coming home late, learners licences, school years, broken hearts.....etc..... It's an interesting word 'Grand'. I decided because there are three Grandmothers I dumped the Grandma and asked to be called Gammer instead. Norbie is Opa but I just couldn't wrap my head around being Oma. My kids vetoed Nanny as that was my Mom's title so looking for something different we went to Hobbiton and decided if Gaffer was Grandpa - Gammer would be Grandma. So Gammer it is.

As I write this Elora is into her fourth month, had her first cold, rolled over by herself and is the most beautiful baby ever - sorry kids!!! Everytime I see her or pictures of her I am amazed how much she has changed. Being an absentee grandparent has alot of downs. Especially for Chris and Liz as I am sure they get very tired of having the "out of town" grandparents trying to cram all the time away from baby into the few days when they are in town disrupting the daily routine of the household. Oh well one day we will be able to bring Elora to our house for visits and give Mom and Dad down time. Already we are planning trips of discovery along the beaches out here on the coast.

On the Thanksgiving long weekend after much (sometimes frustrating) long distance planning I managed to pull off a surprise 30th birthday party for Chris. Jac came down from Yellowknife for the weekend under the guise to see her neice for the first time.

The theme of the party was to be Star Wars. Those of you that know Chris are aware that he is a connaiseur with all things Star Wars. Being that 2007 was also the 30th anniversary of the release of the first movie one would have thought that you could find all sorts of party things with the Star Wars theme - NADA. I found a Darth Vadar cake pan - in Langley - which I could rent for a night!!! I decided that was a bit far to go for a $2.00 rental so I went off on a mission to find something - after several bakeries and stores with no luck I managed to find a cake at Save On Foods - sorry Chris not the Darth Vadar one of your childhood - why did I get rid of that pan!!!! Without the party napkins etc. I went with a black, white and silver theme.

Next project - pictures. I had gone through all my albums that I had at the station and pulled out about 80 pictures to make a life photo board. But because Murphy is a relative of mine when I pulled out the pictures to sort through I realized I had brought the wrong envelope from home. A few emergency phone calls and emails later I had a good collection of pics. Unfortunately, the ones I received from Chris's Dad didn't work at London Drugs as they were too small to print. But we managed to get enough pics together to make a good life board and gave us all a few laughs.

Finally the big day arrived - it had been a tough week of deceit and and excuses but the 30 guests arrived and then along came the birthday boy. SURPRISE!!! and he was. It all played out well. Thank you to everyone who played a part in the day - a big thanks to Dave and a really HUGE thanks to Shell for donating her home, her catering skills, floral design and on and on - as usual. And also to Brent, Jackie and Chad who came dispite the passing of their Gran that week - you are true friends to Chris.

As I sit writing this by my livingroom window, the rain is pouring against the window as if someone is standing with a hose shooting water at it. Winter began here in mid-October and hasn't let up. We have had two good snowfalls - a rare occurence out here and leads to hours of shovelling the helicopter pad and long slick ramps. The ramps become a problem when the shovel gets caught in the chicken wire which has been nailed on it to avoid slipping - lovely. For those who have shovelled driveways in flat Richmond try to imagine shovelling on a slippery sloped ramp. Builds character.

The wind storms have hit us one after another like a chain smoker lighting one cigarette off the other. When the wind howls walking on the beach means ducking tree branches being flung like swords - imbedding themselves into the ground - widow makers.

When a nice day does make an appearance one rushes out to clean up after the storm only to move back inside with the next storm to watch your labour be wiped out. During the winter months all surfaces take on a lovely green - as the moss and mold soak up the moisture and grow like science project gone wild - and still the rain comes down. Today I have a swimming pool in the back garden area.

So that was 2007 - and already 2008 brings changes to Cape Beale - a new FEMALE Assistant - Ivan has moved up in the Coast Guard to be the Principal Keeper at Scarlett and the Assistant Keeper from Scarlett has moved here. A new beginning at Cape Beale - Beale's first (official) female Assistant. We are thrilled to have Karen and her husband Kyle here. Kyle will be working for the Bamfield Lifeboat. I am sure all of you that make your pilgrimage to Cape Beale in the coming year will enjoy meeting Karen and Kyle. Hey guys take it easy on her!!!!

Until next time - we'll keep the Light on.

YELLOWKNIFE
Official bird - The Gyrfalcan
Official mineral - Gold
Official flower - Mountain Avens
Official Tree - Tamarack
Official Gemstone - The diamond
Official Fish - Artic Grayling


June 14th 2007

I am heading north of 60, something I have wanted to do for most of my adult life and more so since Jac moved up there in 2005. My flight was two part - West Jet to Edmonton and then First Air on to Yellowknife (YK).

I arrived early at the airport so I picked up a cup of coffee and watched the people go by. After finishing my more than 100ml size coffee I headed thru security. All was going well until it was time to xray my daypack, well.....here's me thinking with confidence that my middle aged female personification would get me thru no worries...NOT. Now I think that is the reason why my bag was put through the major scrutiny - everything was pulled out and tossed on the sterile metal table - including that most important clean pair of underwear!!! I had packed so carefully, now I was asking myself "why?". Luckily nothing "terrorist-like" was found and I got through.

After transferring flights in Edmonton I was delighted by the service on First Air. The rows of seats were further apart and we got a meal! As my plane started losing altitude, preparing to land, I saw a large body of water (Great Slave Lake) with what appeared to me to have layers of "scum" on it. The stewardess informed the passengers behind me that this was the last remnants of ice which had yet to melt off the lake.

Everywhere I looked there were small bodies of water, which amazed me. When I disembarked the plane and walked across the tarmac (this is a small airport) I had my first taste of the "Midnight Sun" experience. It was 9:30pm and the sky was as light as it would be at 4:30 pm.

Jac and Alvaro gave me the "tour" of Yk and within 30 minutes we were at their place. My kind of city.

The next day, as Jac and Alvaro had to work, I was off on a tour of the city with map in hand. Thankful for the map and Jac's instructions to head for the "orange" building, I was able to find my way downtown and back again. Not having any mountains to give me a point of reference did cause some difficulties, but I managed. Lunch - at $12.00 for Yaki Tori and a drink, whew.

At the end of the school day I headed off to Jac's school, K'alemi Dene School in the Aboriginal community of Ndilo, which was a 30 minute walk from the apartment. The class was still in session when I arrived and Jac was finishing up the day. She had told the kids I was coming and when I walked in and she said "here's my Mom", the children who were sitting with their backs to the door on the other side of a low bookcase popped up like little gophers to see what the teacher's Mom looked like.

That night was family fun night which started off with duck soup (the kids had plucked the ducks - as part of their lessons) and Bannock. Can't say I am partial to the soup but had more than one piece of the bannock. The rest of the evening's festivities were cake walks (didn't win one), face painting, karaoke among other things. Jac had volunteered us to make sundaes. For just a looney one could get a sundae with all the sprinkles, nuts, m & ms, sauces etc. that you could imagine. The kids and a lot of the adults were in seventh heaven. At the end of the night after clean up the night was declared a success.

June 16th - Road Trip!!

In the desidre to show me as much as possible of the country surrounding YK, Jac and Alvaro decided a camping expedition would be necessary. So we loaded up the "scary truck", so named for various reasons, one being the need for a litre of oil every 200 kms or so! We picked up Marco, he has been a friend of Jac's since high school and went to University with Alvaro. Marco introduced them to each other in February 2005 just before they graduated, so I can blame him for Jac's move to the north!!

Heading out towards Fort Providence we saw a white wolf and then further along a fox which was travelling along the side of the road. A few times I had mentioned I would love to see Wood Buffalo and it wasn't before too longe there they were. Down in the lower grassy area at the side of the road we saw our first (but not our last) herd. From small calves to the large, I mean HUGE bulls. They showed no fear as we got out of Scary Truck to take pictures - it was amazing. As we drove further along we saw herd after herd - I don't think I would be exaggerating if I say we saw hundreds of Wood Buffalo in the two days of our trip.

At Port Providence we loaded onto a ferry, similar to the ferry to Bowen Island only it is free, and crossed the Mackenzie River. This ferry only runs during the summer months when there isn't ice on the river. During the winter there is an ice road and during the freeze up and breakup the river cannot be crossed.

We headed toward Enterprise and our first stop, Twin Falls Gorge on the Hay River which is comprised of the two falls Alexandra and Louise. The Hay River gets its name from the colour of the water as it passes over the rocks. We made our first stop at the Louise Falls then walked along an interpretive trail for about 2 kms to reache the Alexandra Falls where we stood right next to water as it toppled over the rocks. The walk along the river was on a well maintained non-fenced path and the hike was a great excuse to stretch our legs and get some excercise.

After a couple of hours of hiking we got back into scary truck and headed to the town of Hay River to purchase some camping "beverages" and a major forgotten camping item..... I won't mention what it was but WE know. Hay River is not my idea of a place where I would set my sights on living at but the CG helicopter pilots have told me that they quite like the place for reasons unknown to me!

Fort Simpson is now the direction we were heading in - are you following this on your map!?? Sambaa Deh Falls (Sambaa Deh is Slavey for Trout River) is where we would be camping for the night. After leaving YK just before 10 am we arrived at our destination just before 9 pm, and except for the noted stops there is nothing and I mean nothing in between. No road side cafes, gas stations, porta potties - nada! The land is what's there, miles and miles of it - oh and mosquitoes (mossies) and horseflies - plenty of those!! While the "youngens" set up camp, I made dinner - a great pasta dish - not great because I made it, but a great recipe. I think the beverage I was drinking from the bottle - don't cringe fellow scotch drinkers - helped in the cooking process!

I should point out that camping when the sun never sets is a VERY interesting experience. I found that my sleep clock didn't want to turn on - the day just didn't want to end. Alvaro and Marco had brought their guitars so when Jac and I finally crashed after midnight we fell asleep to the sounds of guitar strings being gently strummed and mossies slowly sucking our blood!!!

The next moring we woke up early....could it be the fact that it was STILL light. As we got organized Jac made bannock over the single burner stove and with a cup of coffee we had our complete breakfast. After packing up Scary Truck we headed off to explore Coral Falls on the Sambaa Deh (Trout River). These falls are a short distance from the Sambaa Deh Falls and unfortuanately due to high water we could not get as close to the falls as Jac and Alvaro had in their previous visit. We then walked back to where we had left the truck and crossed the highway to the Trout River Gorge and the second set of falls. These are much more impressive and the water was flowing rapidly through the gorge. There was a cross marking what I would imagine is a place where someone may have fallen in. We walked further along the gorge and noticed huge fissures in the rocks at which point we decided that we had gone far enough. Just then the rain started and we felt we could now call it a trip and we headed back to Scary Truck and YK.

Our trip home we stopped at Fort Providence and took a photo or two and then moved on stopping at a roadside park on the north arm of the Great Slave Lake. Next stop was the Aboriginal community of Rae. We drove around the village and noticed a gathering of people under a tent, in getting closer Jac commented that the Dene men were playing what is know as "Hand Games".
This traditional aboriginal team game is one of guessing and deception. Players take turns hiding a token in their hands as their opponenet guesses which hand it is in. The hiding team uses music and elaborate gestures to distract and confuse their opponent in an attempt to force an incorrect guess. When a team guesses wrong they must give their opponents a token and whichever side is first to have all the tokens wins. The boisterous game, which can last for hours, is played by many North American aboriginal peoples and is a chance for stories, legends and songs to be exchanged between groups. Traditionally it would be played when two groups would meet on the trail. .....from "Discover Yellowknife"

After watching the games for a while we loaded ourselves into the truck for the final 100ks to Yellowknife.

The next few days were spent exploring the shops and city with dinners out. One of the places I ventured to was the "Ragged Ass Road"
"Ragged Ass" was the name of a small gold mine north of Yellowknife near Hidden Lake and is slang for "dirt poor". One evening in the 1940s a few of its down-and-out-miners had a little to drink and, thinking of their plight, took it upon themselves to re-name their street. They got some paint and made their own sign dubbing the stretch "Ragged Ass Road". Apparently the gag was a hit, as it was soon approved as the official name of the street. Ragged Ass Road is now so well known that replicas of the street sign are sold and Canadian rocker Tom Cochrane even released an album of the same name after visiting the North.....from "Discover Yellowknife"

The first dinner we went out to was at the Old Town Landing. This dinner was interupted with a 20 minute power outage, a common occurance in YK. These outages are usually caused by ravens (a VERY common bird) frying itself on a powerline. My second dinner out was to Bullocks - noted by Readers Digest as THE best Fish and Chip restaurant in Canada. At Bullocks one helps themself to beverages (alcholic or non) and then when the bill is rung up you report to the waitress what you had. This is by no means a "regular" restaurant by normal standards. The place is small and VERY crowded, the food basic, but I thought my panfried Artic Char was more than excellent. The walls, tables and even the ceiling were covered in bumper stickers, signatures, messages, business cards - each person anxious to leave their mark, including Rick Mercer and David Suzuki. Even Valerie Pringle had written on the wall letting us us know she had left the building!

In the next few days I did more exploring including the Heritage Center and the Museum. I will say I was impressed by both sites. Jac also took me halfway around Frame Lake which is located in the center of town. A pleasant walk about. In the winter the area is used by skidoos and the trails are marked with skidoo crossing signs.

On the afternoon of the 20th I took my sea shells etc. into Jac's class to show them. Jac was impressed how well the kids listened and carefully touched everything. They also got to stick their fingers into the "Pacific Ocean" and taste the salt water as I had taken a jar of Cape Beale sea and sand. The kids drew pictures for me of the sea life I had brought, which I will treasure.

That evening we drove out to Prelude Lake to celebrate the eve of the "Longest Day" at some friends of Jac and Alvaro's. We stayed until the wee hours "after 3 am", which didn't feel that late as the sun had never really set!

Beacause of the fact that it never got darker than dusk - EVER - I think my system was in a constant state of "almost" bedtime!

Aboriginal Day The 21st of June is a statutory holiday in the Northwest Territories so Jac and I headed off to see the festivities at Somba K'e Park (Dogrib for "Money Place"), which is situated minutes from downtown, beside Frame Lake. An Aboriginal fellow started the day with a prayer, an Ojibway lady sang O Canada in her native tongue and encouraged us to sing along with her. The Dettah Drummers followed to begin the rest of the day's fun. We wandered around the stalls and each of us purchased something, I bought a beaded bracelet and an Arctic Winter Games 2008 cap and Jac bought a pottery bowl with ravens on it.

After lunch Alvaro joined us and we headed over to the Legislative building. Although there were no tours that day, we were allowed to wander into the session area where a large polar bear skin covered the center of the floor. The entire building is designed to look from the outside like an igloo made in glass - quite impressive.

On Friday, I joined Jac's and another class on a field trip to the park for the day- the last day I was to see her kids on my trip. I taught one of Jac's students how to skip rope, not bad for a 52 year old woman!!!

The weather on Saturday was warm and sunny with no wind, so Alvaro decided it was a good day to canoe. We rented a canoe from Narwal Arctic Adventures and drove to Prosperous Lake. I sat in the middle while the experts paddled to Tartan Rapids, where we went ashore and watched some canoers shoot the rapids. We portaged across to the Yellowknife River and travelled towards YK for an hour then turned around and reversed our trip.

That evening was the dinner I had been waiting for; a wild game fondue at Le Frolic. Placed before us was a plate of raw bison, caribou, musk ox and elk along with different sauces and a huge plate of raw veggies. The liquid to cook the food in was a meat broth. Not being a red meat eater, this was a challenge for me but one I was up for. I would say the caribou was my favourite as the meat was not too gamey and very tender. Overall it was an enjoyable experience and I thank my hosts for helping me experience this part of my journey.

June 25th - The final day of my northern experience had arrived and the decision was made to go back to Prelude Lake for a hike. Before heading on our hike we headed to the Wild Cat Cafe; Yk's oldest restaurant, located in a log cabin, established during the original gold rush in the '30's. Quaint but VERY pricey. Chef Pierre (also the Chef at L'Frolic and L'Heritage) is one of Canada's top Chefs. The bill for the three of us - 2 quesadillas, 1 poutine and 3 NONalchoholic beverages came to over $50!!! yikes. But the experience of eating there was worth every penny.

The trip to hike in the area around Prelude Lake was to me the perfect ending to my trip. Hiking over amazing pink rocks shot through with lines of quartz around stunted trees.

It is hard to describe the beauty of this northern land - even the insects biting constantly couldn't put a damper on the journey. I was wishing I had put on my runners instead of sandals but I still managed to keep up with my long legged guides!

After the hike, with a growing appetite, we headed home where Alvaro was going to top off the day with a Chilean dinner. It was a feast of flavours and I know A LOT of work went into making it - as I sat and watched him as he created the tasty food. Each dish was as good as the one before it! Thank you, Alvaro for taking the time to oblige my request.

Monday came too soon and it was time to go - a SAD day for me for sure. But as the plane took off down the runway I decided that I would return, next time in the chill of the winter. Mushing and Northern Lights, here I come!!!!!!!

Well it has been a long time since I have sat down and written anything. My month at Nootka was uneventful as such - but I did get in a bit more beach walking over the time I was there. I managed a walk to the lake, visit the grown over graveyarf, slogged along the beach. Walking on the outer beach is a toughie as the ground cover is smooth stones and you tend to slog through them like walking through deep snow - great for the leg muscles.

We had a fair amount of rain that month (note here at Beale we had from January 1 to May 25th 80.8 inches of rain) and one day a private helicopter landed on the pad when the visibility decreased to almost zero. The owner, his son, and HIS pilot went to Kip's house for coffee and waited out the weather. Although, with ever such a small break in the ceiling they quickly took off hoping to get out before it wasn't possible.

A tug boat went aground on the south side of Bligh Island - and that seemed to take several days to contain the fuel spill and get the vessel off the rocks. We were never made aware of the amount of fuel or damage to the boat - nothing was mentioned on the news either. Makes you wonder how many of these incidents happen and the public is never told.

Before I headed North I planted my seeds to start my spring growing. I don't know if it was the fact that there was not alot of sun or bad soil but I wasn't very happy with the results. A lot of things never came up - I am sure Norbie did everything right - didn't he!??

Once I got home and the rain stopped I started tilling the garden beds and weeding them out. Before the May long weekend I could plant seeds in the raised beds. Luckily there wasn't a huge amount of rain. Once again the birds decided to pull out the beans and peas as they started to peek out - which meant I had to cover them over to protect them. I don't know if they think they are worms or if they are just protesting that the peanuts are not being handed out enough!

Brian Tull and his Scottish friend "Rudy" Watt - who was here on an student exchange program at SFU - fought the wilds of the way and hiked out the weekend before the May long weekend. They made good time on the trail despite from what we heard there are over 90 trees down between Bamfield and here. The worse being before Topaltos.

The boys first night here was Scotch Tasting night. Sipping Scotch between bites of homemade Shortbread, dark chocolate and nuts.... And you have to know that it takes more than one sip to determine what the flavour of the scotch goes better with. Brian brought me a bottle of Robert Burns scotch to bring the total of different scotches to be tasted to 8 - not including the bottle of Cutty Sark which was consumed!!!! Norbie headed to bed early as he was on morning shift - and I chased the boys out a few hours later.....

Norbie took the guys on an expedition to recut the trail to Deadman's - they never did find it past the first marker. Should have taken a compass!!!! Three hours plus later they dragged themselves out of the woods close to where they went in. The boys then decided they would hike the hike over the hill to the whale beach. Both parties reported running into a bear - a larger mature one. When Norbie met it the bear stood up on its hind legs to take a look at him!!!

Another thing which has taken some of our "house" time has been getting things and stories together for the Port Alberni musuem. Part of their display this year is about Electricity and they have put a portion of this to Lighthouses. So taking time to sit down and write about life on the lights and how electricity has changed this life really taxed my brain. I wanted to give the public an insight into our life out here and managed to also send out a disc with over a hundred shots of our little piece of land.

We have all been busy cutting lawns, weed wacking, cleaning out gardens etc. These jobs seem to just get finished and its time to start all over again. I have to go out today to try and get as much done as possible before I head off to my adventure to the Great White North - Yellowknife. I will be heading out Thursday (or Wednesday - depending on the grocery day) and in town for a week then hop the plane to see Jac and Alvaro. I am really excited about this trip as going North was always one of the things I wanted to do in my life. I am sure to have lots to write when I get home. I am taking with me when I go some shells, crab shells, sand, water, a mermaid's purse (any guesses what that is - no fair Chris and Jac you know - or you weren't paying attention) an octopus beak.... I have also got some books for Jac to have in her class. I want to go to the Aquarium when I am in town and find a whale book and some other little things. Should be fun.

Jac has got me volunteering at the school for family night as well as a day in the park. When I am up there the 21st of June is Aboriginal Day so there will be festivities in Old Town which is just blocks from Jac's place. Lots of fun. Hopefully we will get to see a couple of the falls - one may involve camping over night I can hardly wait. Dinner at the Wild Cat Cafe .......the list goes on.

I come back on the 27th of June - one day earlier than scheduled - as Ivan is needed to go and do relief at Trail Island. I had been hoping to come back with the "Tull" gang on the 28th by way of the Bamfield road and Lifeboat but it was not meant to be. Oh well one more day to be home and make sure goodies are on the table when company arrives.

Until next time.....Our Light is always on
Lady of the Light

Well after being home two weeks now I suppose I should write about my twelve days at Nootka. First of all I should thank Kip (the Principal Keeper) for having the patience of Job! Even though I have been doing weathers for 14 years there is ever so much to learn. I told Kip its the difference between taking driving lessons from a Driving Instructor as compared to taking lessons from a friend (you know who you are RT & co.)!

No don't get me wrong, I haven't been giving WRONG weather reports all these years, Kip just helped me fine tune them. Hopefully I will remember everything when I go back up there the end of March for a month. Luckily it was clear skies for the first few days so that I could concentrate on how to calculate the dew point etc. And also thank goodness for the little handy voice recorder I got for Christmas - remembering 4 temperatures and water accumulation was tough on this old brain!!

(Estevan Light)

The day I flew up we stopped at Estevan Light to bring in a work crew and for the chopper to sling some cement etc. around. It was a beautiful sunny day - and of course the West Coast was at her best. What a beautiful sight the Long Beach area is from the air. Shame on those of you that have never visited that part of the world. For those who haven't been there in years you would be shocked at the growth in that part of the world.

(Nootka Light)

We landed at Nootka and I jumped off with all my stuff and Joanne and Mark jumped on with theirs - the chopper didn't stop so we could exchange words - but that was okay as I had talked to Joanne earlier. They were heading over to Entrance Island (near Nanaimo) to do relief and I did manage to tell Joanne that our time had been extended an extra 2 days - good thing both of us packed extra food!

I had been to Nootka about 12 years ago when Norbie, Buck and I camped out on the Reserve land and visited with Pat and Ed Kidder so I knew the lay of the land. The Assistants house is on a pinnacle with an incredible view of the whole area around Friendly Cove. It is amazingly beautiful and Kip calls it Middle Earth. With the snow on the mountains it makes for an even more spectacular view. But, alas there is a big downside..... In the storms of the winter one of the charter businesses had a styrofoam and concrete dock which came loose and broke up along the shoreline. What a bloody mess!!! Kip had alerted those who he figured would care but at that time only the keepers had been picking the huge and small chunks of styrofoam. Think about this - how traumatic for the environment is this foam. It will never go away, fish eat it and if it doesn't kill them by filling their bellies with foam and hence floating them to the surface to die, they live like this then whatever eats them gets this pollutant inside of them. Boy aren't we glad that man once again is screwing up Mother Nature's circle of life.

I said to Kip that the main problem is timing. This is not the time of year when anyone is out there boating, fishing, hiking etc., so it is only those that live there that see this. Needless to say several days you would find Kip and I down there picking up huge bags of this stuff, and thankfully the owner of the dock sent out crew to do the same, finally. But I don't think the end of this stuff will be seen in our lifetime.

On a happier note....I managed to do a couple of walk abouts while I was there. One of the nice sunny days I headed over to the first of two monuments around the station. This monument was for the meeting between Quadra and Cook in 1792 - imagine 1792!!! This is what excites me so much about this area - the native peoples have lived in this area for approximately 4,200 years and then along came the white man... Still one can imagine what the Captain and his crew must of thought when they first landed - taking away what they actually thought after visiting the houses of the native peoples - there are great books out there for you to read about it.

When I stood on that spot I could imagine the boats - only 36 feet long - coming into Friendly Cove - the beginning of BC as we know it. Amazing. I wish you all could have been there with me to feel the history. I sat there for quite awhile in the sunshine looking around me and taking in this beautiful place - but time and for sure tides wait for no man (or woman) and I had to get back to the station.

In my quest for styrofoam I took a walk to the sea side of Friendly Cove. This area at one time had been a community of houses but now everyone except Ray Williams and his family had all gone. Since the last time I had been there they have built up the area a little with board walks and a carving shed where Ray's son Sanford does carving in the summer tourist months. Besides this area being quite busy in the summer with individual boaters the Uchuck comes in several times a week from May to October with tourists - like the Lady Rose to Bamfield.

I ventured over to the ocean side of the site and there I met up with Ray's two dogs. At first I was a little apprehensive as they stood their ground and barked at me. But then the puppy decided I looked okay to him and he raced at me and proceeded to jump all over me. The older dog seeing that I was okay by the puppy's standards decided to do the same. I knew Ray had gone into town the day before and these guys were alone and probably hungry. They followed me around as I wandered the area. They didn't seem to want to go over to the site of the grave yard so I gave that a pass too.

We wandered into the church that has been there for over 60 years. Its a strange thing to see this big white church - like something you would see in Little House on the Prairie. With a statue of Jesus looking down on you before you go through the front door. The old windows - those that haven't been broken - are stain glassed and quite simple and lovely. The last time I had been in the church it did not have the totem poles that are now there. The colours which the poles have been painted are very different then the ones we are used to - the carver has incorporated aqua and yellow as well as the typical red and black. Very beautiful. Once you enter the main body of the church and turn around you see a huge carved eagle over the entrance way.

I took several pictures of the inside of the church but I will tell you - they didn't really turn out. There is a film of white clouds on several of the pictures.....Joanne told me she had the same and thought it was her camera. I did feel I little like I was trespassing on a very spiritual place and didn't stay there long. The native people have made this church into a bit of an information centre and reading about their history is very interesting. I left the place feeling once again that I had stepped back into history. Its like the days I hang laundry outside here at Beale and get the feeling that I am doing something that many before me have done. I could feel those that have moved on to another place beside me escorting me out.

So home I went, past the styrofoam beaches with the two dogs in tow as I headed up towards the station. I managed to send the puppy towards his home but the older dog insisted he was staying with me and followed me back up to the station. Like a kid I assured Kip that he followed me home!!! But I didn't ask if I could keep him - although I was tempted to dog-knap the puppy - who looked like a cross between a yellow lab and a german shepherd with huge paws. You know what a sucker I am for big dogs.

Overall, although I was frustrated now and again getting to know how to do the aviation weathers I really enjoyed my time up at Nootka and I am looking forward to my next stint.

When I flew back the weather was not as nice but once again I flew with Len - he is the only pilot that I have flown with going to and returning from Nootka. I missed asking him if we could do a fly by Cougar Annie's garden but maybe next time. As I flew home - Len likes to fly low over the shoreline - I thought how blessed I was in having these experiences in life. I realize everyday I live this life is a gift.

Thanks for coming on this journey with me.

Talk to you soon - we'll keep a light on for you.

Hi there all

Well I am back at the scene of the crime and if you have been following this you will have seen the pictures. Chris loaded a few for me as I can't do it from here.

Getting back home was the best - how I miss the serenity of this place - battered and wounded as She is.

I first started to notice how things had changed here at Beale when we flew past Pachena and I noticed that you could now see Beale's tower in the distance - due to the fact that the loggers have topped and removed ever so many trees here on the station - I would reckon close to 100 trees have been removed or "modified". The next thing I noticed is how the whole Cape has changed due to down trees. Ivan can no longer look out his window and see out through the little gap in the forest to the ocean. There are two huge trees down there - the guys figure they may be able to remove the limbs at least - maybe. There are also a lot of trees down or leaning as you walk from the chopper pad towards Ivan's place by the old water trail. The two trees that came down into the garden - by the shed have really made a difference in the area behind our fire pit and although the loggers only topped those trees there are gaps where the two big trees are gone.

The walk down to the beach is devastating to me - it no longer has a Stanley Park feel to it - but then again Stanley Park doesn't anymore either. There are several trees that came down just below the Cardiac corner bench tearing up quite a long section of the stairs - although alot of the trees did not snap they fell over taking up huge root balls and soil with them - this is the damage on the stairs. Just past the little bridge we enter a clear cut zone - I can not explain to you how this tears at me - its shocking. There is so much debris and downed trees laying on the ground it reminds me of the old Black Hole near Tofino. I understand why they had to cut so much out due to our fuel tanks and engine room down below but it doesn't make it any easier. I feel like I should have a little memorial service down there as some of the wonderful old trees had become like dear friends to me.

When the loggers cut open that area - some of the trees were leaning on our highline, they did leave (as loggers always do) a stand of trees along the beach so you don't notice it from the beach but...... I figure I could learn to walk to the beach with my eyes closed.

Of course for some of you - you will know by now that we lost our "Bonsai" tree out front - Norbie's favourite tree. The rock outcropping does not look the same without it. Just last summer I marveled at how this tree could stay standing with just it's roots clinging to the rocks.

I am anxious for those of you that are coming this year to see the place and know how it will grieve you as well. After I walked down through the forest I walked along the beach and found a moon snail. I am sure God knew I needed a hug after my walk through the forest. But to quote a phrase - it is what it is and who knows what more we will see when we start walking to our favourite spots along the trails etc.

So regardless of what is around me here at Beale I savour being home again. I will be here until the 29th of January when I head up to Nootka for 10 days. A journey I am looking forward too as many years ago we camped up there and it is a beautiful place too. I will be learning aviation weathers which I am stoked about and I will also be returning up there for a month in April. Sorry those of you who sit behind a desk everyday - even with all that has happened around us this is still my idea of the best job ever.

We'll keep the light on
K

Here are several photos of the storm damage that occured thus far this winter, as promised.

... and the sad, sad sight of the "bonsai tree's" absence.