Saturday, October 26, 2013

The Sights & Sounds of Pender Harbour

I am not currently at a lighthouse but a place just as beautiful. Pender Harbour is a region midway up the Sunshine Coast. You arrive here by taking a 40 minute ferry ride from Horseshoe Bay in Vancouver. After passing through Gibsons (famed home of The Beachcombers), Roberts Creek, Sechelt, and Half Moon Bay, you finally reach Pender Harbour--it takes about an hour by car. If you continue on up the coast from here, you will come to Egmont and another ferry will take you to Powell River and finally Lund.




It is a rugged craggy beautiful place defined by ocean, freshwater lakes, wildlife, mountains, and mists. Oh, and yes, people. Wonderfully eccentric creative people (at least the ones I’ve met so far). 

The last week was perfect: days and days of warm sunshine, spawning salmon (we think these are chum), mushroom foraging, quiet writing, yoga moments, and rehashing stories with my olde friend. Life does not get better than this. The following short film captures some of the images I encountered. I purposely did not add music, as the silence and the natural sounds really define my experience.

Stepping outside is like entering another world, as the riot of birds on the estuary compete for food. One giant hemlock tree vibrates with a chaos of red-winged blackbirds, while eagles, ravens, and crows cruise the sky, and seagulls swim, bathe, and drag salmon from the slack water.

Mornings are misty calm. Evenings black and silent. Salmon jump splash and frequently dance across the top of the water on their tails. One morning while writing, I glanced up to see the most adorable baby bear walking by my window. Shy and alone, we hope he will manage on his own. And so it goes, as I watch the tide ebb and flow twice a day.

The Sights & Sounds of Pender Harbour





Saturday, October 19, 2013

Almost a Lighthouse

Almost got off on a lighthouse adventure yesterday ... almost. I was this close. Unfortunately, plans changed at the last minute, and I ended up taking the ferry back home again. Very disappointing. It was my first offer since being cleared for work after my back injury, and I was SO excited to be going back to the lights.

Life is ever changeable and out of our control.

While in Victoria, I took a stroll around Fisherman's Wharf. This is a unique waterfront neighbourhood close to downtown on Dallas Road. They even have a Facebook page.


There is an active working marina where you can buy fresh catch:



And, several boardwalks lead to floathomes and liveaboard boats--moorage costs around $735 plus $125 for the licence fee per month. I've fantasized about buying there myself from time to time, so decided absorb some atmosphere.

It was still morning--I'd left home at 5am to catch the first ferry out from Tsawwassen--so the shops and restaurants weren't open yet. Fortunately, several homes were decked out for Halloween.




This next one is adorable and for sale! It reminded me of you, Jackie.
I could definitely live here--if it was affordable:)



I couldn't find it listed on MLS but this little gem is being offered at $249,900- just to give you some idea of the pricing in this community. Oy! West Coast prices!


Unique artwork ...


and, of course, political commentary...


are other features of Fisherman's Wharf.

Below is the home of a diver who retrieves discarded cell phones among other things from our ocean. Thank you for that. You can see them on display around the window.


An intriguing community but NOT a lighthouse.



Inside my empty bottle I was constructing a lighthouse while all the others were making ships. ~Charles Simic

Courtesy of Brainyquote







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