La Sonrisa Sails

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T19:13:00.000-08:00

2011 being the year we swallowed the anchor and moved to the farmlet, we're greeting the New Year with a celebration of Turkey Tom.

The garden was the first thing we built when we found our little piece of Gaia.

Then we were given 3 hens, so we built them a house in the garden.

Then came Mr. Elijah Sunshine. We watched him grow into a fine, protective rooster, always on the job.

Then we got more hens - here they are at work, helping us improve the soil.

The greener pasture is where the chickens have been working. Here they have been moved over to the brown section to continue pecking and digging, thus tilling the soil.

And of course their other job – providing eggs

Granddaughter Ammie finds a treasure among the golf balls.

The farmlet is a favourite attraction for neighbours’ grandchildren, too.

Thomas went to a poultry auction looking for a Banty hen that would go broody, and came home with Tiny Tom

We came to love him very much. We learned that turkeys can die of loneliness, and he showed us that he belonged not in his own yard but to the flock.

For a while Miss Emma was Tom's special friend.

We are always learning from the land and animals. But we’ve never figured out Turkey Tom’s colouring. What makes it change? What makes his snood grow long and short?

Here Tom's face and caruncle are pink and his snood is short (looks like a little horn)

Now his caruncle is red and his snood hangs down past his beak.

One joy of the farmlet is the inspiration it brings to family, friends and neighbours. People stop by and say “I’m so pleased to see what you’re doing here!” and even: “Now here is a scene of Christmas Peace.”

A special gift this season was introducing our city grandchildren to the farmlet.

Is Edward looking for the manger scene?

Turkey Tom seemed to know he had a mission – to entertain, to connect with people. And he loved all bringers of food!

So Christmas dinner preparations were a mixed and intense experience. Even though many of us are drawn to closer connections with the land and want a good life for the food we eat, bringing Turkey to the table was a very hard thing to do. Thomas thought long about the best way to end Tom’s life. It was clean and quick, Tom happily eating what he loved. Each of us said our various thank you’s with much affection and respect.

On Tom’s last day he had grown into an even larger and more beautiful bird.

Tom in Henry's kitchen.

48 lbs!

YES, LA SONRISA IS FOR SALE!

2011-10-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

The following ad is posted in the BC Nautical Residents Association Newsletter:

La Sonrisa II. Seabird 37, 1982. Year-round cruiser designed for a couple who wish to live simply. Centre cockpit, hard-top with water collection. Propane stove, oven, hot-water. Wood heat. Aft cabin with comfortable double berth; shower and head; fold-down computer desk. Radar arch, davits (hard-bottom inflatable dinghy) and swim grid. Heavy-duty bronze windlass with three anchors, chain and rode. Excellent sails (including a storm staysail and older cruising spinnaker). All simple systems. This one was built to last. $50,000. Visit www.lasonrisa.ca

BACK TO THE LAND

2011-06-29T15:05:00.000-07:00

From La Sonrisa’s winter home in Degnan Bay on Gabriola Island Thomas and Elizabeth have found their way “back to the land”, as each of us has done in former chapters of our lives. We seek to live simply and sustainably and to grow our own food. And we have found a place that feels like home.

It’s a ½ acre lot across the street from the beach on False Narrows, Gabriola Island

Lots of room for sunny, south facing garden beds.

We still have familiar marine neighbours: herons, sea lions, seals, eagles, gulls, ravens

Thomas gathers miner’s lettuce, our first harvest on the land,

For now, the little woods is storage space for building materials we come by. Later perhaps a kids' tree house?

Very political corner

We got to work on our new place before we moved there, even before the paperwork got completed.

The first 2 deep beds with movable cold-frame covers

Beside the compost frame is a haystack of dried grass mowed from the lot, to be added as needed to the compost

Here is the site of what has become our root cellar. Done in true permaculture style

where a problem becomes a possibility

Building a driveway from everything we dig up

Under that big rock is an original community well

The truck became a portable workshop and transport of plants to new homes

The garden expands

Thomas’ first building project for the homestead – made from the wood of a discarded futon base

Our first poultry. These California quail are just visiting. Soon we hope to have our own chickens.

OUR NEW HOME

2011-06-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

Friend Mark Shaw delivers our fifth wheel trailer

We’ve had an interesting variety of conversations about whether a 5^th wheel qualifies as a home, nevertheless here we are in our new home.

Daughter Tamaya chats with a friend

First of all we’re growing our food.

Our one big rock has become the herb garden, fed by gifts from neighbours.

Midnight visitor didn't eat the herbs.

Day after day, plants have appeared on our doorstep: day after day, experts have arrived with helpful advice on projects.

Our first water system, collecting rainwater for the garden beds.

Filling the water tank with drinking water gifted by water-blessed neighbours.

Measuring water level in the well. We had many tries with various pumps

before we finally got water from the well.

1998 South Road, Gabriola Island, V0R 1X6 – our new land address. We needed an address (for the compost toilet to be delivered) before jumping the various official address hoops, so we did it ourselves. Happily the mapping authority has agreed.

Welcome addition, "The Airhead" - a new compost toilet originally designed for boats

Family arrived for a post pounding party,

Here is the finished garden fence made with donated pink salmon gill net.

We fed the workers omelets made in Thomas’ favourite find at the recycle depot.

We’re getting prepared for the fresh eggs from our chickens-to-be!

Just the spot for a bike rack

The helpful local installer from the telephone company gave us the requirements

for a land line hook up: a deep hole and a pole.

Our new phone number: 250 247-0122

The grand-dogs do their thing.

HOMESTEAD DEVELOPS

2011-06-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

The simple life is not a sleepy life. Thomas is usually up at 5 am working out simple solutions for our basic needs. Sometimes ideas come during sleep, sometimes it’s the busy morning birds that inspire us. And then there’s Rufus the towhee that thinks he’s a rooster. Either he loves us or he loves the reflection of himself in the trailer windows. We’ve come to expect him banging into the window, welcoming the new day.

Rufus' branch, view from Thomas' window

We’ve decided to operate off the grid. Our three solar panels, with boosts from the generator, are providing the power we need.

The solar cart is a golf caddy from the recycle depot, its base the former bulletin board from the Degnan Bay dock.

Here’s the power centre of the homested.

We finally got the right pump set-up for the well, and a successful way of getting water from 40 feet down up to barrels that gravity-feed the garden watering hose.

One of our interesting challenges has been what to do with greywater.

Measuring greywater drain

Greywater sluice

Our goal is to reuse greywater, after filtering, on plants that are compatible. We are learning from friends and local experts as we go. For instance, what products do we use for cleaning, cooking, etc, that we want to deal with on the other end of the drain?

We're now looking for products which are biocompatible - which biodegrade into materials that are beneficial for a particular ecosystem - not just biodegradable. We've found a couple of useful books: Create an Oasis with Greywater and Builder's Greywater Guide, both by Art Ludwig.

Here's the website to find out more: http://oasisdesign.net/

The temporary refrigerator - buckets under the trailer

Our trailer came complete with everything needed, but for some reason the fridge wasn’t working. For growing food, a working fridge and freezer – even a small one – is pretty important. For about a month we tried to figure out the problem. We’re not about to haul our home to the RV centre off island. Thomas got helpful advice from lots of folks, and called a neighbour who's a small engine repair person. It took quite a few tries, but what a satisfying day when it began to work!

Our work continues. All the beds have been double dug, slow work but effective. Low tech.

The garden fence does its job

We inherited the largest ant hill we've ever seen

The ant hill is a favourite spot for kids. We thought ants were helpful, hardworking neighbours, they seemed to be running up and down the broad bean plants, keeping the aphids away. Now we discover they farm the aphids, expanding their numbers for their own uses! And the ants aren’t friendly to the ladybird beetles.

Ants have colonized this wild cherry shoot, leaves are curled and dying with hordes of aphids.

The garden keeps growing, and we feel ourselves to be part of this vital, growing environment.

Cherry tree - gift from a friend

Sunny garden view from Elizabeth's window

CHRISTMAS PEACE

2010-12-22T13:24:00.000-08:00

They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. [Isaiah 2:4]

Madonna and children (Jesus is just stage left!)

The dream of peace is deep at the heart of Christmas. Outlandish, impossible dream, passed down through the ages. Celebrated as the birth of a peasant baby born in a stable, his parents forced on a winter’s journey to register for a tax to support an army of occupation. The audacity is that he is called a Prince of Peace.

Peace is not simply turning away from military solutions. Peace is a completely different way of seeing the world. The Hebrew word for peace, Shalom, can also be translated as harmony, wholeness, balance, health, justice.

Lilli meet goats

Kitlope River

Ancient cedar in the Broughton Archipelago

At the Beale family reunion celebrating Grandma Dibby’s 90th birthday, brother Tom and Elizabeth came up with a contemporary version of swords into ploughshares: military bombers used to spread rabbit pellets over the fields. We were visiting the Virginia farm that nurtured our free-range Thanksgiving turkey. Wally, the farmer, showed us around, explaining his inclusive, mixed-farming methods. This included rabbits and chickens fertilizing the soil. Wally didn’t call it permaculture, but that’s what we’ve been learning about this year.

Quadra Island chicken house and run on wheels

Farmer Wally introduces the piglet

Link to wally's farm: http://www.localharvest.org/forever-young-farm-M19618

Permaculture is everything in balance, everything feeding everything else, learning from nature how to live and produce food as naturally as possible. Permaculture is the opposite of monoculture, as practiced by industrial farming with its goals of more profits, more power-over control, requiring oil-based fertilizers and chemical pesticides, leading to soil depletion, loss of small farms and rural communities, unhealthy food. Permaculture is a shalom kind of thing: peace-on-land-and-sea.

Nick and Janna grow all their food in Lizzy Cove, just south of Bella Bella.
They live completely off the grid, using simple methods and ingenuity.

Making soil in Lizzy Cove

Shoal Bay Boaters Community Garden

Coastal orchard

Fran's peas in her Humpback Bay garden, Porcher Island

Fran's cathedral greenhouse
Rainforest rooster

Crippen Cove winter garden bed. Kale in February

The way of peace means cooperation, with nature and with each other. It’s as easy as play sometimes, and sometimes a lot of hard work.

Frankie and Edward with Crippen the dog
Docktime

Family baseball game

Free ride for harbour seals

Working together is one of our joys on LaSonrisa.

Thomas helps fisherman Billy Griffith and grandson Michael cement in under his boat ways

Getting ready for the wedding in Crippen Cove

Cooperation can be fun and fulfilling. But it may be the basic challenge of our species. To truly celebrate diversity and be inclusive we need to create systems and communities where everyone can contribute, and all have value. All species, all life.

A hike to the cemetery with grandma, remembering those who've gone before, and cherishing each other

“Why is this salmon smiling?”

To learn about the complex web of life in relation to salmon, and Alexandra Morton and colleagues' latest research visit: http://www.salmonaresacred.org/

Peaceful power – energy from wind

Spinnaker sail

China Cloud was built by Alan Farrell who used only sail and oar.

One of our favorite stories this winter is of a village in India. They built a coffer dam on their rainy-seaon river, to hold back some of the water for dry-season use. They had an old diesel water pump, but it was noisy and burned too much fuel. So they built a simple merry-go-round, hooked it up to the water pump and encouraged all the village kids to play, at least an hour a day. And the water tasted great!

Peaceful energy is sustainable – incorporates knowledge passed on from generation to generation.

Billy Proctor's troller, Ocean Dawn

Billy Proctor is one of our coastal heroes. Coming south with Ted Reeve and family, we met Billy and crew fishing the unbelievable Fraser sockeye run. When they had caught enough salmon, however, they quit fishing, even though they had not yet attained their quota. Enough was enough and everyone got fed.

It’s a sobering prospect, seeking sustainable sources of energy and trying to wean ourselves from fossil fuels. We face another challenge when it comes to personal energy. How do we move from anxious thoughts or strained muscles into the energy of trust and delight? It’s more like dancing.

Tsimshian dancers at the Hoobiyeh - Nisgaa New Year

Ken & Christianne - the joy of their wedding day

The energy of peace works like love. At Christmas we celebrate this especially with the baby in the manger, stars in children’s’ eyes.

Shepherd Mimi

Angie and Finnagan

Saltspring Island farmer, Brian Brett writes beautifully of the peace of Christmas.

One hot afternoon Sharon and I walked up the hill to admire the moss and wildflowers in bloom. The last ewe had yet to lamb, late in the season. As we passed the corral by the driveway, we noticed she was down, panting, in the middle of a large circle of stumps, almost ready. Upon returning a half-hour later she was lambing. Since all was going well, we stood in the driveway and watched.
We suddenly became aware that the whole gang had moved up to where the ewe was lambing, and they were also watching. It was a scene out of a nativity painted by a naïve artist. The ram, the other ewes, and their lambs surrounded her. The black horse, Jackson, stood sentinel among the sheep, and the peafowl perched on the stumps, the cock fanning his tail. Our Araucana rooster stood erect and alert on another stump, while the cluster of hens clucked softly, pecked at the grass, and watched. Even the dogs had entered the corral and sat patiently among the chickens. It was as if the creatures of the farm had drawn a holy circle around this birth, blessing it. Grace lives in the land and awaits the moment when it can surprise us with its tenderness.

“From the book Trauma Farm: A Rebel History of Rural Life, © Brian Brett, 2009. Published by Greystone Books: an imprint of D&M Publishers Inc. Reprinted with permission from the publisher.

Link to publisher: http://www.dmpibooks.com/book/trauma-farm

TRACEABILITY

2010-09-20T07:21:00.000-07:00

It’s an ‘in’ word with respect to food these days: “traceability.” Can you trace where your food comes from? Because that leads to a whole set of significant questions –
- was it grown in a way that is healthy for you and your family?
- was it grown in a way that is healthy for the planet ?
- did the farmer and/or workers receive a decent return?
- if an animal or marine product, was it raised/caught/killed with respect for the creature?
- is it unnecessarily processed? unnecessarily packaged?
- how much energy was consumed simply to get the food from where it was produced to your table?
They are important questions in this new world where sustainability is a must.

A recipe:
Put to soak a small handful of dried leeks (Thomas helped an older friend in Haida Gwaii this summer prepare her winter garden. He came back with an armload of leeks, onions and kale). Add the last of the dried mushrooms (Valdez Island, just across the narrows from our winter moorage on Gabriola).
Take one new potato, grown by a friend. Chop and sauté in a bit of sunflower oil. (We’re not sure about the sunflower oil. At least it says “Product of Canada,” and it’s not as likely to be genetically modified as in corn oil or canola.) Add the leeks and mushrooms, saving the soak water for soup stock.
Beat six eggs (a gift from Fran and Beau of Feel Good Farm, Porcher Island, across the Skeena mouth from Prince Rupert) and scramble with the potato, leeks and mushrooms. Add some grated cheese (made by somebody’s Swiss grandmother up in Telkwa).
Top with yogurt (homemade), black pepper (???) and alfalfa sprouts (grown on La Sonrisa, from Mumm’s Seeds, Saskatchewan). http://www.sprouting.com

Of course, we are much more fortunate than most people. But, you get the picture! Enjoy!

Sara's garden
Collecting mushrooms
Fran's chickens - on Feel Good Farm
Our delicious traceable meal

CRIPPEN THEN AND NOW

2010-09-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

Two books came together on La Sonrisa this summer: Eaarth (not a typo) by Bill McGibbon, and Grampa Green’s diary. Eaarth describes the new planet we humans have made out of our former hospitable and abundant earth. The destructive spiral of climate change is already in motion. McGibbon goes on to discuss our challenges for living on this harsher planet. Communities need to work together; people re-learn to count on each other. Unlimited growth as the economic model is no longer possible. Our model now must be maintenance--small and local.

Captain Reg Green on his (renamed) tugboat

Retiring from the tugs, Grampa Green took up trolling for salmon on the Earl Roy. Three of his grandsons: Thomas, Rob Green and Bill Crane credit many of their life skills and outlook to fishing with Grampa.

The clock which chimes the half-hour watches

on La Sonrisa was first on Grampa’s tug,

and then on the Earl Roy.

Grampa Green wrote a diary during the last 2 years of his life. Living with terminal cancer, he moved to the cabin at Crippen Cove on Digby Island. He writes of his daily activities. We were inspired to discover how much of what we do on this point of land in Metlakatla Pass is so similar to what Grampa did. Living simply, finding satisfaction in doing the work it takes to live. In many ways we are returning to the skills and activities Mckibbon sees as needed on planet “Eaarth”.

Metlakatla Pass

“I rowed down the shore for material to finish the Dry Dock, found what I needed” writes Grampa, on April 26, 1966. On that same day in ’67: I rowed down the shore for more scrap lumber to build fence, also tied up 3 small logs, that I think will do for the new float on the offshore mooring.

Beachcombing with Chris Green, the widow of Grampa's son Bud.
She is the last family member of that generation left in Prince Rupert.

On February 16, ’66: A very wet day. I went beachcombing with the rowboat, brought back a load but not a very good quality. I cut some for firewood. I did some work on the floats.

Weather is a primary aspect of the simple life. It didn’t stop Grampa, just shifted what could be done. Firewood is a chore that is always on the list.

Jan 15: Spent the whole day splitting wood. Was all in at night. Went to bed at nine o’clock.

Grandson Thomas cutting firewood

Jan 17: I got another log in place for cutting on the high water. Afternoon I sharpened my old cross saw and cut some more drift wood with the swede saw, wheeled it to the wood shed and split it.

On the north coast the tides are dramatic, especially around the new and full moons. Everyone who lives in Crippen Cove lives by the tide. When you are in harmony with that rhythm, the tide can make many things possible.

April 2: I did some work in the garden and dug a hole for a post at the float to get ready for repairs. Also cut a float log to right length.

April 3: Phinney came back in time to help me raise the pole, which would have been hard to do alone. Worked til past 5 to get the pole set to do over the night tide.

Herons fishing at low tide, a long way out at a zero tide.

Beach stairs at high tide

April 28: I have layed the boats out on the line for meeting the plane in the morning.

The clothesline is still the way Crippen folks position their boats for the tide. Great grandson Noel (with great, great granddaughter Daisy) built and maintains these rock stairs.

June 23: I put the mower in the raspberry patch and then clipped the edges and then mowed around the bushes at back of house and mowed the Badminton lawn. And made a start on the front lawn. I picked a dish of strawberries for dessert at supper.

This is the first year we've mowed the front lawn
at the cabin.
Here we are getting ready for a special event.

And building up the compost.

April 7: Another beautiful day. I started work to build a stairway up to the Front door.

Grampa worked for the next 2 days and finished the stairs on April 11.

Thomas and Ken building a new porch and stairs on the front of the cabin

March 28: A gale of SE with heavy rain all day. I put on oilskins and worked in the garden in forenoon, but stayed inside the rest of the day.

Wet weather gear

“Worked in the garden most of the day” is a repeated entry. Evidence of Grampa’s extensive garden is still all around the property, in rich soil, fruit trees, raspberries, gooseberries and currants, strawberries gone wild.

We are learning how to grow food on the north coast, one raised bed at a time.

Feb 18: I got out early to get the tide and moved the big skiff to the beach and loaded it with seaweed. Afternoon I wheeled seaweed, made 18 trips but still quite a lot in skiff.

Buckets of seaweed for the compost pile.

Seaweed and logs, nature’s supplies on Crippen beach

June 26: I picked the gooseberries and hulled them. There are 2 quarts.

Grampa's raspberries still grow all around the back of the cabin

Drying black currents on the cockpit roof on La Sonrisa

April 22: I spent the whole day painting the bar tender. I put her on the grid at noon and when the tide left I scrubbed the bottom and wiped it off with rags, then painted the hull and bottom, finished at 5:40 and am all in. I will have to take her back to the float at midnight.

Neighbour Matt is repairing this well known old troller on the floats
in front of Crippen Cove

La Sonrisa and Zayas

Feb 1: Partly rainy, spent part of day pruning currant bushes, and part making fishing gear.

Trying out the fishing gear

April 3: I dug clams and crushed them for crab bait, hauled pot and had 2 nice crabs. April 5: I dug clams for more crab bait, then hauled crab pot. Had 2 crabs, gave them to Elmer Larsen.

Crabbing in the cove is sometimes very good!

McKibben’s vision for our times is “Think globally, act neighbourly.” Grampa’s Crippen neighbours are regularly mentioned in his diary, but they seem to give each other plenty of space. They share food, help out with work projects and sometimes keep each other company.

April 3: Gibson visited me and gave me 2 dozen eggs.

Gibson’s boat at Crippen – belongs to the son of Grampa’s neighbour

April 7: Ed Phinney came for supper. Fish & chips.

June 25: Phinney gave me a piece of meat for crab bait.

Jan 30: Visited Emil and had tea with him.

March 2: I went over to see Emil for a little while in the evening, and took the latest Geographic.

We had some wonderful connections with Crippen neighbours this summer.

Neighbours Chi & Matt & shared greenhouse produce

with us.

Sean next door started a market garden at his

childhood home

Beloved dog Crippen is a very friendly neighbour

The biggest cooperative effort this summer was Ken and Christianne’s wedding. Friends and neighbours joined in preparation and celebration.

Wedding vows on Crippen Point

And everyone put hearts together to make the whole day of heavy rain just a local colour aspect of an unforgettable day.

Next day cleanup

June 24, ‘67: This afternoon Bud and Chris came over. Bud finished mowing the lawn in front of the house. We cut a box of rhubarb for them to take home. My legs are very poor today.

Reg Green died in 1968 of the cancer he was living with as he wrote this diary.

Bud was Grampa’s son. His ashes are sprinkled in the bay around the bend. Grampa’s daughter Helen and her husband Ken, Thomas’ parents, had their ashes spread in Crippen Cove. This summer Thomas’ cousins came here to spread the ashes of their mother, Grampa’s daughter Joy Crane.

Joy's children gathered in Prince Rupert to celebrate
her life.

We continue to celebrate life at Crippen Cove with simple joys and sustaining work.

Sacred Land of the Kitlope

2010-06-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

For years we have been trying to sail into the Kitlope. This year on our way north we did.

Next to Haida Gwaii, protection of the Kitlope has been the most important good news story for First Nations people and environmentalists. It is the setting for Monkey Beach, a wonderful novel by Enid Robinson, native of Kitamaat. And we have heard so many stories of its awesome beauty and remoteness.

We picked up friend Doug from the ferry at Bella Bella and continued up the coast into Gardiner Channel. We saw one other sailboat in the first half of the trip into the Kitlope, and no other boats after the Europa Hot Springs.

Doug soaks in warmth and beauty

Hot pools over the ocean

Although the Europa hot springs are probably the most famous on the north coast, very few actually visit them. This whole area is quite out of the way. Remote.

Mountains to sea

Sailboat dwarfed

Hanging blue glacier

sunset on mountaintops

Here the snow came right down to the beach in late May

So we dinghy-ed over to get some snow

for delicious snow cones aboard.

This trip was a delight for us. We remarked often of our sense of peace and connection to nature, beauty and wholeness. We enjoyed each others' company in work, play and solitude.

One of the reasons for our blissful experience was the absence of logging scars. The Kitlope Valley is the world's largest undisturbed coastal temperate rainforest. In 1994, 317,000 hectares were set aside to protect the area. The Haisla people were responsible for the research, planning and lobbying that brought about this decision. The work goes on, to continue protection of this priceless treasure.

We enjoyed wonderful wildlife and the local food.

Grizzly in Owyacumish Bay

Well-fed black bear eating sedges in Chief Matthews Bay.

Barn swallows have a rest on La Sonrisa

seagull pair

The nest with egg they are watching

Beaver’s work - Kitlope River estuary

Lucky for us, crab and prawns are Dougs favourite foods!

This almost 9" crab has Doug's name on it.

Crab lunch stop

Spot prawns above, coon stripe shrimp below

Shrimp sandwich

Kemano Bay

This is the site of the shore facilities for the Kemano Power Station, a major engineering feat, but environmentally questionable. The Nechako River and major lakes were dammed and tunneled through the Coast Range mountains to drive pelton wheel power generators deep inside the mountain.

Here is the site in it's setting in Kemano Bay.

In the early 1990's, when word got out about planned expansion of this project, public opposition mounted until the provincial government withheld approval and work was stopped.

Here is what you first see as you approach Kemano Bay.

The beauty and peace of the area includes a very light human presence. The First Nations sites show the respectful presence of the Haisla people on their land.

First Nations watch cabin in the green waters by Europa hot springs

Owyacumish Bay cabin. A large grizzly was at home here.

First Nations summer salmon camp on peninsula in Kemano Bay

Abalone eyes - pole guarding First Nations site at head of the sacred Kitlope waters

Kawesas lodge - Kitlope River estuary

After we left the Kitlope we discovered that there had been a major feast on May 29. The Solidarity Gathering of Nations was hosted by the Haisla and Gitga'at Nations in Kitamaat Village. A friend who attended found it to be "the most generous, gracious feast I ever attended." Wonderful traditional foods, music and drumming. All coastal nations were present and re-affirmed the commitment to stop the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline.

Here are links to find out more:

http://s2sca.blogspot.com/2010/05/feast-hosted-by-haisla-gitgaat-at.html

http://wcel.org/resources/environmental-law-alert/gathering-nations-kitamaat-against-pipelines-and-oil-tankers

http://dogwoodinitiative.org/blog/coastal-first-nations-declare-ban-on-tankers

Orcas greet us as we leave Douglas Channel

The People of the Salmon

2010-05-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Gabriola Island welcomes Walk for Wild Salmon

Our experience of the Salmon are Sacred walk has been heartening and fun. We’ve had time on the water, and on land, with others who share our longing for harmonious relations with all creation. We are so thankful to Alexandra Morton for bringing us all together.

Alex, dog Ahta and walkers arrive on Gabriola ferry

Here is a letter from Alex we would like to share:

Message from Alexandra Morton - May 3, 2010
Walking through the communities of Vancouver Island on the Get Out Migration has been a powerfully emotional experience. We are walking to tell people that if they simply stand up and make themselves visible to government, there is no reason we have to lose our wild salmon. But as we walk into towns with our flags flying, brilliant salmon signs, singing “we are walking to Victoria to save our fish,” an entirely unexpected thing is happening. People are coming up to me and holding me - crying. They are speaking about schools without children, independent livelihoods lost, communities dying. This is about much more than fish.

This is about the independent way of life that built these communities going extinct. As we walk I see a land of beautiful clear streams, fertile soil green with life, air sweet with flowers and then I enter towns so burdened by global corporate markets that they can no longer thrive on the richness of this land. There is something very wrong here, it is painful to witness and people are sad.

Somehow we have become blind to our public resource - millions of salmon flowing annually to our doorstep, feeding people and our economy province wide. We have somehow been convinced that Atlantic salmon, dyed pink, vaccinated, fed Chilean fish, in pens where we cannot catch them, infesting our fish with lice - are better. We believe there are jobs even as the Norwegian companies are mechanizing as fast as they can to reduce the number of jobs. When people see us they know we have been duped and they don’t know how to turn this around. The Get Out Migration has been protected, blessed, gifted and honored by the First Nations who know best what has been lost. Everyday more people are joining our trek - weathering storms in tents, waving at thousand honking motorists on the road to Victoria. Our ranks swell as we enter the towns, white doves have been released, First Nation canoes parallel us, songs have been written, feasts laid out, flotillas surround us, people are awakening.

Do we still live in a democracy? Our essential rights and freedoms are being lost as foreign shareholders decide our fate, what happens on our land, dividing our communities, in an equation where they get more as we get less. As our salmon go so we go, they are a lifeline to the powerful natural world that gave birth to us. We must lead our governments back to where we can survive. Walk with us. Be there for our salmon, our towns, our children for yourself. If you want to be represented you must represent yourself.
 Alexandra Morton

Alexandra Morton at Agi Hall, Gabriola Island

For Elizabeth, joining the Gabriola welcome to Alex was an experience of community. A chance to face honestly the environmental challenge of our times, not alone, but with our brothers and sisters.

making signs for the walk for wild salmon

Silva Bay sendoff

Skipper Mark joins the flotilla

Alex and Ahta on Grail Dancer
Grail Dancer took walkers from Gabriola to Ladysmith.

Grail Dancer hoists its sails

Megan and daughter walked from Tofino to Victoria

Here is a letter from Megan:
Gabriola to Ladysmith - Warmth and Support, May 5, 2010 by Megan Adams

After a day spent with school children in Gabriola, on the water in beautiful old wooden boats and an inspiring evening presentation in Ladysmith, we are now all huddled around a fire in Duncan (we decided to camp down here, but will drive back to our starting point in Ladysmith tomorrow am).

Today, the most inspiring thing was watching how the Migration encourages independent thought and stewardship in communities - not just for salmon, but for each community's land and resources. Children in Gabriola were shouting 'Save our Salmon! Save our Streams! Save Our Trees!' as they followed a brass band. In Ladysmith, MLA Doug Routley gave a powerful welcoming to Alexandra, who both encouraged the crowd to remember our accountability to the land and the fact that we can protect it through our democratic processes.

Salmon are so beloved by communities all across this Island, across this Province. All we have to do is stand up and be counted for what we believe in - our wild fish coming first.

See you in Victoria,
Megan

La Sonrisa is sailing north, so, though we weren't able to be there, we were thrilled to hear from friends who were in Victoria with the many thousands of people who filled the lawn in front of Parliament on May 8. First Nations people gathered from all over the province, powerful drummers, people of all ages - lots of young people, a magnificent, uplifting time! It brings us hope to be in touch with our spirit community.

You can see video blogs of the Get Out Migration at www.salmonaresacred.org

We continue to sail with our "Salmon are Sacred" stays'l. The journey for wild salmon continues!

White shell beach at Matilpi

Matilpi: perhaps our favourite among the Broughton First Nation village sites. The spirit of the old ones is still here. Raven still guards the cockle beds (though she will share if you will), and black bear still has first pick of the salmon berries.

Cedar and maple stand together. Were they standing so
when the people were still eating clams and drying salmon?

La Sonrisa docked with Billy Proctor's Ocean Dawn

We sailed to Echo Bay and as always, visited Billy Proctor. Billy had just gotten back from Victoria, and was very enthusiastic. "That was the most people I've seen in my whole life!"He was happy about addressing the crowds gathered on Parliament lawn, encouraged to see so many young people and such commitment to wild salmon. Billy has fished all his life and knows every stream, and the salmon returning there, and all the local wildlife. He has taught so many of us about life on this coast.

Here is a link to a video made before the "Get Out" Migration began. Alex visits Billy, her friend and mentor.
http://vimeo.com/11129261

From Billy's dock you can see the salmon research station where much has been discovered about the damaging effects of sea lice from salmon farms .

Daughter Tamaya is delighted with treasures and history at Billy's museum.

This winter Billy built a replica hand-loggers shack out of one large log, using traditional tools and skills. Life on this coast can continue to be rich and abundant if we honour the elders, and all our sisters and brothers - the wild creatures.

Here is the latest update - a good news video from Alex: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf1M-WGvfCg

WILD SALMON NARROWS

2010-04-30T18:36:00.000-07:00

Surge Narrows welcome for Alexandra Morton

The wild salmon narrows are a corridor of constricted waterways in the Inside Passage, between Kelsey Bay and Campbell River on Vancouver Island and the large islands adjacent. A large percentage of the young salmon fry population must travel through here on their way out to the open Pacific. These waters are heavily infested with fish farms
Here is a link to the map showing fish farm locations in the wild Salmon narrows:
http://www.salmonaresacred.org/checkpoint-sayward-quadra-island-wild-salmon-narrows

We decided to take La Sonrisa to join the flotilla of boats meeting Alexandra Morton and her “Get Out” Migration as they came through Surge Narrows. On Alex’s walk from Sointula to Victoria (May 8), the journey from Sayward to Quadra Island was on the water. Here they passed many of the fish farms that are so dangerous to the salmon fry.

Quadra Island open net fish farm

Here’s a link to a video about this part of the journey:
http://www.vimeo.com/11303083?utm_source=BenchmarkEmail&utm_campaign=Alex%27s%20Migration%20in%20Campbell%20River&utm_medium=email

To get ready for this event we decided to paint our stays’l

We invited people to join us on a sail from Whaletown on Cortes Island into Hoskin Channel and up to Surge Narrows, between Quadra and Sonora Islands.

young protesters
Sailing to the narrows

Waiting at the mouth of Surge Narrows, we met boats of every shape and description.

All ages

All sorts

When Alex and crew came through the Narrows, they were accompanied by a filming helicopter.

Filming thru Surge Narrows

One of the goals of this walk for wild salmon is to publicize the story – so that voices can be heard from all people who believe we can live, and EAT, in harmony with nature. What a story this is, from our perspective! We wonder if news media are able to tell it. Or do we, the people, have to tell it ourselves? Did you see us on TV? Hear about this day on CBC radio? Anywhere?

In the midst of all our boats, Alexandra moved from the tour boat, Aboriginal Journeys, to the Columbia III.

Columbia III

The Columbia III was once an Anglican Columbia Coast Mission Boat. Now she is a mother ship to kayakers, and she brought Alexandra Morton to the welcome in Heriot Bay, Quadra Island.

Our boats arrived at Heriot Bay to a grand welcome from local people, including the First Nations. We talked to 14 year old Melita Dawson, an Ogwila'ogwa from Kingcome Village who is walking with Alex all the way to Victoria.

Chief Frank Nelson welcomed us

While we were gathered with the boats at the mouth of Surge, we were given lice tattoos to apply to our faces.

Chief Bob Chamberlain of Gilford Village wears a lice tatoo

At first we wondered about the people with the dirty faces. Then we realized the tattoos made us think about what happens to the salmon fry. When we catch adult salmon there are often a few lice around their anuses. This is a natural occurrence and may even be beneficial to the fish. But when the young fry pass by open net salmon farms, the lice that attach to their small bodies are often fatal. (Many of the farms are positioned in natural “resting” places in the salmon smolts' journey to the sea.)

Here is a flag that reminds us of this side of the story.

That evening the Quadra Community Hall was packed with supporters. There was a long standing ovation for Alex before she began to speak. Chief Bob Chamberlain spoke to us in his own language, and in down to earth terms about the problems and places of hope - the impacts that are within reach. Then he sang and drummed a powerful song he wrote on the day’s journey, a song about salmon and courage.

Alex listens

The organizers thanked us for being a peaceful group as there had been some concern about conflict and people getting out of hand. Alex models a different way of dealing with conflicting interests. Quadra coordinator Leanne Hodges quotes Ghandi “Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Here is a quote from an email we received as we headed up to join the flotilla:
"Tomorrow on the water"
"On the road, every morning, we take a pledge. This pledge assures everyone is aware and acts in a safe and appropriate manner. Part of that pledge also includes honour and respect, to refrain from hostility and to walk in harmony and encourage it in others. We also pledge to respect that others may have a different opinion. It is very important to Alex and the core group on the road right now that people understand that this Migration is about how we feel about our wild salmon. It is a platform for communities to have a voice. This Migration facilitates people coming together. In no instance will Alex and the Migrators tolerate hostile or aggressive behaviour, or disrespectful events."

To keep up with the journey follow the postings at http://www.salmonaresacred.org
Don’t forget

Victoria, May 8 - Be there if you can!!

La Sonrisa to join Alexandra Morton

2010-04-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

drying firewood

La Sonrisa spent the winter keeping warm, visiting family and friends, foraging and eating from winter gardens.
Now it's time to take the sail covers off and start sailing north.
But the first thing we're going to do as we head north is join Alexandra Morton's walk for the wild salmon. PLEASE take a look at the website for the "Get Out" Migration and Alex's walk from Sointula (April 22) to Victoria (May 8/9). And see what you might do be of support.

http://www.salmonaresacred.org

We plan to join Alex's walk for the wild salmon on April 27. We will meet the flotilla coming through the "Wild Salmon Narrows" arriving at Heriot Bay, and then walk to the Quadra Community Centre at 7 pm. We hope to pick up people at the Whaletown dock on Cortes Island around midday and head up to Surge Narrows to accompany the flotilla down to to Heriot Bay. If anyone is interested in coming aboard call us on the boat at 604 341-1586.

Elizabeth hopes to join Alex on Gabriola Island on May 4. We'll meet the 5:55 ferry and continue to Agi Hall for a presentation at 7pm. The next morning Alex will meet with students at the elementary school, and at 9:45am begin a walk in the village area. The walk continues at Silva Bay at 11:00am and launches a flotilla of boats on to Ladysmith between 12 and 1pm.

This walk is part of an ongoing journey for us. We have been learning from Alexandra Morton for years. We met her through Billy Proctor, a fisherman we've come to see as coastal elder.
Alex wrote the first book we read about Billy, and was his neighbour in Echo Bay. We cherish our life on the BC coast. And so much of our knowledge and respect has come from fishers.

Son Cosmo working on salmon seiner "Tzoonie River" with skipper Billy Griffith

Billy Proctor's troller, Ocean Dawn

Salmon are the lifeblood of the coast, food for so many of us coastal neighbours.

Black bear fishing, salmon jumping in Verny Falls

Salmon on the fire. The cedars, too, are nourished by salmon.

Sailboat trolling takes part in the abundance of this coast.

Salmon are sacred.

The "Get Out" Migration arrives in Victoria on May 8. Let's hope there are so many people gathered that the message can't be missed! A good friend of La Sonrisa, singer-songwriter Linnea Good will be part of the celebration in Sidney, Friday May 7, and walk with Alex to Victoria on Saturday, May 8.

Linnea Good and David Jonssen on La Sonrisa

Linnea and son Isaac - a sailboat picnic without salmon

Linnea will join the people walking to Victoria for the Sidney celebration on Friday, May 7, 7:30 pm at the Bodine Hall in the Mary Winspear Centre. For info contact Wally du Temple, email: esperanto@shaw.ca tel:250 812-0925

Then, Saturday morning, join Linnea, Alex and those who believe in the future of wild salmon for the final leg of the walk to Victoria, May 8!

For more information, here is one of Alex's updates:

Alexandra Morton

Weekly update March 28

Our migration down the length of Vancouver Island from April 23 – May 9 to give people the opportunity to tell Ottawa wild salmon are essential is building. People have contacted me to plan events in communities far beyond those that we are passing through. Hundreds have said they will walk portion of the trip with us and have signed the new petition at www.salmonaresacred.org

Unless every person who cares about wild salmon stands up and becomes visible to Ottawa this will not succeed in bringing reason to this situation. You can download posters on the website. This is not about getting rid of aquaculture, this is about bringing three runaway Norwegian companies into compliance with the laws every other fishery in Canada respects.

Salmon farms were exempted from the fishing regulations of Canada in 1993 and these Norwegian companies are lobbying our Members of Parliament to continue these exemptions when they become federally regulated in December. If they succeed we can give up, they will once again be outside the law.

We cannot possibly manage Canada’s wild fish sustainably, if one group is allowed unlimited by-catch of wild herring, wild salmon, rock cod, black cod and other species in their nets. We cannot have one set of rules that says no fishing with bright lights and then allow fish farms on every major migration route to use these lights, attracting millions of wild fish to their farms. Scientists studying sockeye don’t know what is causing our Fraser sockeye to inexplicably crash, even when cutting back fishing to near zero has not helped. Only the south coast sockeye that migrate past 60 salmon farm sites vanished. These Norwegian fish farmers cannot be allowed to keep their disease outbreaks on the Fraser migration route secret any longer. Highly mechanized fish farms will never replace the wild salmon jobs in fishing and tourism, nor can they feed us as wild salmon do.

The tide is turning because of all of you. We will support the small communities we live in to build land-based aquaculture. Small independent businesses are much more stable than large foreign operators that come and go based on world markets. – please read the good news below and thank you. http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/

And here is info from article in the Times Colonist

Fish-Farm Foe To Walk The Talk

Biologist Alexandra Morton aims to raise opposition to open-net pens

Article by Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist, March 19, 2010

One of the most ferocious opponents of salmon farms in areas used by migrating wild fish is hoping to mobilize support by walking from Sointula to Victoria.

Biologist Alexandra Morton, who has fought for years against open-net salmon pens in the Broughton Archipelago, is planning to start the walk on Earth Day, April 22, and

finish on Mother's Day, May 9. Along the route, Morton plans to speak to interested groups and collect signatures on a petition asking the federal government to use the Fisheries Act to protect wild fish.

"We cannot match the corporate fish-farm PR machine, nor their lobbying power. So I am simply inviting people to make themselves visible by joining us on foot, electronically and by mail," she said.

Morton, who was told yesterday she will receive an honorary degree from Simon Fraser University for her work linking sea-lice infestation in wild salmon to fish farming, says she has evidence sea lice at fish farms are becoming drug-resistant.

Morton is also increasingly worried that viruses, which have wiped out salmon farms in other countries, will be imported to Canada and spread to wild fish.

http://www.salmonaresacred.org

Hoobiyee!

2010-03-05T12:46:00.000-08:00

On February 27, 2010 we were most fortunate to be invited to attend the Hoobiyee hosted by the Gitmaxmak'ay Nisga'a Dancers in Prince Rupert. The Hoobiyee is the Nisga'a New Year, celebrating the first oolichan coming back into the streams.

When we entered the Civic Centre that night it was like going back in time. Here we were in the midst of the people, dancing and drumming the ancient story. The whole community present, shaped and taught by the dance.

Mothers and grandmothers dance with infants, among swimmers, blue grouse and killer whale.

We were in Prince Rupert for the Native Ministries Theological Education Fair, organized by Ha'is Clare Hill from Hartley Bay. Keynote speaker was Martin Brokenleg from the Vancouver School of Theology. One of the goals of our gathering was to find ways to support spiritual leadership in the First Nations villages. This Hoobiyee was clear evidence of spiritual leadership.

Elders process through the dance, followed by small dancers

Hoobiyee comes from "hoobix" - the bowl of a Nisga'a wooden spoon. When the crescent moon is in the shape of a hoobix the seasons following will be plentiful, especially in oolichan, salmon, berries and various other resources. And so the Nisga'a say "Hoobiyee - the spoon is full!"

Dancing with the bowl of oolichan grease, the great trading commodity from coastal peoples. Oolichan, or candle fish, have large amounts of oil - an essential dietary need.

The New Moon of the Nisga'a New Year

Young girls do the dance of the swimmers.

Men and boys drumming.
The drum beat held us together as tho with one heartbeat.

Blue grouse dance

Grizzly and hamatsa

killer whale, wolf and small hamatsa

Hoobiyee!

THOMAS’ FAVOURITE RECIPES

2009-11-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

All my life I’ve been “putting food by.” I first learned from my mother and grandfather; then from my mother-in-law, Margaret Etter. Sometimes it was simply a hobby, sometimes an essential part of our life-style. I remember my first year at university, seeking permission to pick the apples on my landlady’s tree, borrowing her apple-saucer and a dozen jars and making apple sauce—6 jars for her, 6 for me. And going down to the Co-op’s Vancouver dock for buckets of winter herring: eating as much as I could, giving quite a few away, and then salting the rest for pickling. All on a two-burner hot plate!

48 years later Thomas is still processing apples, but no longer alone.

This patch of wild chicken's feet (sea glasswort) is in its prime

Over the years I’ve developed some guidelines for putting food by. (1) Gather when abundant, when you can process a good quantity of food at one time.
Stinging nettles in abundance

(2) Develop simple systems. Keep notes and test over time. If a system is too complicated, I often don’t get around to doing it. (3) Essential to simple systems are simple recipes. This last summer, a number of people asked about recipes for this or that. Here they are: Thomas’ favourite recipes.

SPROUTING
We almost always have several jars of sprouts going on the boat: 0ne jar of small seeds: alfalfa, clover, mustard, etc.; one or two jars of a larger seed mixture: lentils, wheat or oats, adzuki beans, mung beans. Any organic seeds/beans/grains will sprout. A good internet source of seeds, reasonably priced, is Mumm’s Sprouting Seeds. Click here to visit their website: http://www.sprouting.com/

We use pint or 500 ml wide-mouth canning jars. Our lids came in a special sprouting set—plastic, screw-on: coarse, medium and fine. They’re hard to find these days, and expensive. You can make your own, however, out of the white plastic lids designed for canning jars. (Check the canning section of your grocery store.) Drill appropriately-sized holes.

In the fine-seeds jar I place 3 teaspoons of mixed seeds. Cover with water and let soak over night. Rinse daily thereafter, placing the jars upside down on a saucer to drain. Prop them up on something so they can breathe (you don’t want the seeds to sit in water.) Use when ready, depending on temperature and light: 4 to 8 days.

In the coarse-seeds jar I place 2 teaspoons of some form of grain, plus 2 teaspoons each of lentils (whole, not split), mung beans, daikon radish, and at least one other bean. Soak over 2 nights, then rinse daily as above.
We set our sprouting jars up by the galley sink and I do them every morning as part of the early morning chores (takes two minutes!) Simple. Delicious. Inexpensive. Good for you!

Homemade mayonnaise and pickled fish

MAYONNAISE
(adapted from The New York Times Natural Foods Cookbook, Jean Hewitt, 1971)
Put in blender 1 egg, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ teaspoon raw sugar, 2 teaspoons of any kind of prepared mustard (Keen’s powder also works well, but less of it), 8 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar (any vinegar will do, or lemon juice). I use the same teaspoon throughout, then lick it off after for a wake-me-up taste sensation!

Take one cup of safflower oil (or any lighter-type vegetable oil). Pour half in the blender with the other ingredients and blend. When well-blended, slowly add the other half cup of oil, blending as you go until nice and thick.

Remove mayonnaise with a rubber spatula into a jar. Makes about one and a half cups. Keeps well. (Note: I’ve tried doubling the recipe. It doesn’t work. Best to simply make two batches.)

Homemade yogurt with Crippen Cove blackcurrant jam

YOGURT AND SOFT CHEESE
(also from the NYT Natural Foods Cookbook)
Lacking refrigeration, we never use more than one litre of milk at a time. But it’s the first litre that costs the most. So we began buying two litres and making the second litre into yogurt. Then we began buying four litres and making the additional two into soft cheese. (After all, yogurt and cheese are simply traditional ways of “putting milk by.”)

We use two 500 ml insulated stainless steel jars. Wide-mouth thermoses would probably work, as would canning jars wrapped in a towel. A candy thermometer is very useful ($7 or $8 in the house-wares section of the grocery store).

Place a litre of milk in a pot, bring it to a simmer (180 degrees or so). Pour into the two containers. Cool to about 120 degrees. Spoon two or three tablespoons of commercial yogurt into each container, stir and put on the lid. Ready in about 8 hours.

Any commercial yogurt will do. We use whatever is on sale as long as it’s unsweetened (plain) and has “active bacterial culture.” You can use your old yogurt as starter for the next batch for three or four generations. Try to avoid “stirred” yogurt, however. By the third generation the yogurt begins to get goopy. One friend called it “snot-gurt!” (We thought that would be a wonderful title for a children’s book: Snot-gurt and Salmon Berries!)

Caraway cheese and sprouts

While the yogurt is cooling, pour two litres of milk into the pan. Bring to just under 200 degrees. Take it off the burner, add ¼ cup of lemon juice, stir and let sit for 20 minutes.

Line a colander with a double layer of cheese-cloth. (Check your first aid kit. A cloth arm sling makes a great cheese and/or jelly/juice bag.) Pour in curdled milk and let drain for a few minutes. Spoon into a jar or other container. Add salt and herbs to taste. Two of our favourite combos are lemon and dill and lemon and caraway. The cheese-cloth can be washed and reused several times.

rockfish and greenling

PICKLED FISH
(based on my dad’s pickled herring recipe)
Any fish will do as long as it’s firm-fleshed. (Pink salmon not so good; coho wonderful.

Coho salmon

Pacific cod and pollock not so good; rock fish, lingcod, greenling, sole and flounder wonderful).
Filet the fish and salt well in layers. The salt will draw out the juices and form a brine. If herring: clean, scale and salt whole fish, filleting before soaking out and pickling. Salted, the fish will keep in a cool place for up to a year. (Any coarse salt will do: pickling, kosher, or “fishermen’s” salt. Do not use table salt with iodine. Sea salt would probably work, though expensive.)

Keep the fish in the salt for a least a week. When ready to pickle, soak out in several changes of fresh water over a three or four-hour period. Prepare a brine of two to one vinegar and water, with a bit of sugar and some pickling spice. Boil for a bit, then cool.

Sterilize jars; prepare lids. For pickles we reuse canning lids and rings as long as they are in decent shape. (For other canning, however, we always use new lids, though we often reuse the rings.)

Cut an onion in quarters and slice as fine as you can. Cut fish into bite-sized pieces. Layer in jars, onion – fish – onion – fish. Sometimes I add some chicken’s feet (sea asparagus) for colour, or sliced carrot. My dad always did some of his herring with lemon slices as well as onion.

Cover fish and onion with brine. Screw on lids. Ready in three or four days. If cool, will keep for several months.

La Sonrisa in islands of kelp

PICKLED KELP
(adapted from a recipe in Pacific Yachting, September 2005)
We use bull kelp, the long one attached to a rock on the bottom and extending up to a floating bulb on the surface with fronds. The kelp is best picked in the spring and early summer, when it is at it’s freshest. We use only the stalk, not the bulb or fronds, cutting off 2 to 3-foot pieces. The kelp can be stored in a bucket of salt water for a day to two until used.

Slice kelp stalks into thin rings or “sticks” (like carrot sticks). One ice-cream bucket full makes about 5 pints. Soak the sliced kelp for ½ hour in fresh water.

Prepare brine: one to one vinegar and water, a bit of sugar plus pickling spice, or dill and garlic, or hot pepper. When brine is boiling, add the kelp using a slotted spoon. Stir. Watch it turn brilliant green--though the colour soon fades.

Boil until the desired combination of tender yet still crisp is reached. Pack in hot jars. Cover with brine. Screw on lids. Keeps up to a year.

Kelp pickle

Chicken’s feet

CHICKEN’S FEET RELISH
(based on my mom’s zucchini relish recipe)
Chicken’s feet or sea glasswort (sea asparagus) is great raw in a salad. Add a can of kernel corn, sprouts if you have them, maybe some chopped carrot or celery or green or red pepper. Dress with oil, lemon juice and black pepper.

For relish, two ice-cream buckets of chicken’s feet makes about ten 250 ml jars.
Make the sauce by mixing 2 tablespoons of tumeric with one tablespoon dry mustard, 3 tablespoons dried celery leaf (half that if using commercial celery seed), one and half cups of sugar and 4 cups of vinegar. Add 6 tablespoons of cornstarch made into a paste with a bit of water.

Simmer the whole thing until it thickens, then add the chicken’s feet until tender. Don’t over cook! Hot pack in sterilized jars (see pickled fish recipe above re reusing lids and rings).

Seafood sauce & pickled ginger

SEAFOOD SAUCE
Mix ketchup (my dad used Heinz chili sauce) with horseradish to taste (2 to 1? depending on the strength of the horseradish). Creamed horseradish doesn’t work as well as plain. Add a liberal dash of Worchester sauce and another of lemon juice. Keeps for several weeks.

PICKLED GINGER
(son Eric got this one, years ago, off the internet)
A highlight of a trip on La Sonrisa is sushi night. A highlight of sushi night is home-made pickled ginger.

Peel ginger (you don’t have to be too particular) and slice as thin as possible. Toss with a tablespoon or two of coarse salt. The ginger will start to wilt, losing its juices. When limp and pliable, rinse in fresh water and then, a handful at a time, gently squeeze dry. Place in a bowl.

Prepare brine: 1¼ cup of rice vinegar (if you have it, otherwise any vinegar will do) to ½ cup of sugar and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. Cool. Pour over ginger, stirring so that all the ginger comes in contact with the brine. Pack in clean jars. Ready in 2 or 3 days.

Seafood harvest, buckets left to right: clams, prawns, crab, oysters

OYSTERS SONRISA
Steam oysters open, cool and shuck. Place oysters on the half shell on a cookie sheet (double up on the shells where you can). For Oysters Sonrisa Port, spoon on some salsa and sprinkle with grated cheese. For Oysters Sonrisa Starboard, spoon on some pesto and, again, sprinkle with grated cheese (feta is wonderful with pesto). Brown in oven until cheese melts.

Young nettles

For a make-your-own pesto out of nettles, chickweed, parsley, or whatever is abundant, see the link below. Walnuts can be substituted for pine nuts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1nD9aDNX-k&feature=related

FLOUR-EGG-FLOUR OYSTERS OR FISH
Steam oysters open, cool and shuck. With frying pan on medium heat and a bit of oil, dip oysters in flour, then egg, then flour again. Fry till golden brown.

We use this recipe, also, for filets of any kind of white-fleshed fish, including halibut. Great with seafood sauce (above) or a dill-yogurt dressing (as follows).

DILL-YOGURT DRESSING
My favourite salad-dressing and/or dip. Mix yogurt with mayonnaise (maybe 2 to 1; wetter for a dressing, stiffer for a dip), add a dash of lemon juice and lots of dried dill. Even better made with yogurt that is getting a bit tart (i.e. old!)

This cole slaw with sprouts is dressed with dill-yogurt dressing.

PLAY

2009-08-25T23:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, it’s summer! Come on out and play!

Pool party with family in Texas

salmon jumping at Verny Falls, Lowe Inlet

Picnic at Crippen Cove
Young Willie Pigeon
humpback whale

And then there’s just “hanging with friends”

Sandhill cranes

girl friends in fireweed

eagles in forest - and later soaring

Zoe, Caleb and Willow on the beach

Thomas, Ken and halibut share a small dinghy

crab embrace - friends making the best of it?

This friendly husky was guarding an empty camp when we landed on the beach

Cooling off with Noah and Lilli

It’s interesting how much of what seems like play involves the same activities as what’s called work. Fishing sure fits in both categories!

Daisy's fish

fishing eagle

dogfish

Local kids fish for jumping salmon off the dock at Klemtu

Eagle brings her pink salmon to the big rock in Crippen Cove

how to measure a halibut

humpback fishing maneuver

At Verny Falls we watched one hard working fisher that made it all look like play

And who’s having the most fun here?

For the crew on La Sonrisa food gathering is some of our most important work. That’s what makes it possible for us to live on a sailboat on the North Pacific coast. Food gathering is also how we enjoy ourselves!

"chicken of the woods" - delicious shelf fungus
huckleberries above chicken of the woods

"chicken's feet" - a salty, crunchy sea glasswort

salmon bake

digging clams

several generations have picked these red currants

drying wackl berries

For young ones of course, play is really learning about life.

young grizzlies follow mom

Edward climbs

young eagle practices not soiling the nest

Daisy and Frankie saw firewood with Grampa

Leif drives the dinghy

hearing the story of "The One Who Fell from the Sky

So much to learn – let’s play!

THE FISHING FLEET

2009-08-10T12:14:00.001-07:00

Seiner Tzoonie River in Metlakatla Pass, July 09

Coming north to Prince Rupert, a highlight has always been sharing waters with the fishing fleet. One of the first books Elizabeth read aboard was FISHING WITH JOHN, Edith Iglauer’s captivating account of fishing with her husband John Daly on his salmon troller MoreKelp. Published by Harbour Publishing in 1988, you might think it’s about a time gone by. But the fishing fleet is still an important and colourful part of life on the coast.

“Salmon are the lifeblood of the coast.” This familiar quotation is witnessed all around us. Yet along with all the intertwined ecosystems that depend on them, salmon are endangered. The days of magnificent abundance are over. Can we humans learn to coexist with the wilderness? Can seafood continue to be the healthful, abundant food that has traditionally been available on all the seacoasts on Earth? And can humans be part of the solution to the problems we’ve created through “reap and run” and the stubborn assumption that bigger is better? These are the questions that plague us even in the midst of awe and delight of life on the ocean.

There are many ways to learn about what’s happening to the health of salmon and the health of the ocean. We’ve been following the work of Alexandra Morton on her site http://www.adopt-a-fry.org The latest posting deals with the Pacific Salmon Commission’s downgrading of the Fraser sockeye run. As juveniles in 2007, these fish were infested with sea lice from the Campbell River fish farms.

Visit Alex’s site to learn more about the ongoing efforts to restore the health of wild salmon. Sign her letter asking that the Fisheries Act be applied to fish farms. Here is a link to Alex’s video explaining this situation: http://www.adopt-a-fry.org/wp-content/uploads/Adopt-a-Fry-100.mov.

Another helpful website is http://www.callingfromthecoast.com This site offers links to wildlife, the Salmon Coast field station, stories and documentaries.

http://www.raincoastresearch.org is dedicated to “using partnered science to unleash Salmon Forest’s capacity to renew itself.” Species of interest include orca, humpback whale, white-sided dolphin, herring and salmon.

All of us who love the ocean and marine life have the opportunity to learn more about it. Over the years La Sonrisa and her varied crew have learned and grown. We enjoy sharing wildlife on this blog.

There is something wondrous, too, about the way of life, the skilled craft, of those who make their living from it: the salmon fishers.

Billy Proctor's troller, Ocean Dawn at her dock

Gillnet fleet in Sointula, a Finish fishing community

“I wonder what the sea will bring!” is often heard on La Sonrisa. One surprise find this season was a copy of the 1995 David Suzuki Foundation study entitled “FISHERIES THAT WORK: Sustainability Through Community-Based Management.” It contains success stories from Alaska where government and fishers together addressed the extreme decline in salmon stocks. From the disastrous 1970 catch of 30 million fish, by 1994 the catch had increased to 194 million. The government supported regionally based projects, relying on local knowledge and regional enhancement associations. “Fishermen were seen as likely to be the wisest and most dependable decision-makers for these kinds of projects.”

There are other success stories, including a village in Peru, a Japanese co-operative, the Skeena watershed committee, the Gitksan and Wet’suwet’en Watershed Authorities interface between chiefs and DFO, a Shuswap watershed planning group, and a clam management board on the Sunshine Coast. In all of these the various parties worked together for the well being of the fisheries. What happened to this knowledge, we want to ask. Who’s talking to whom on this coast?

One of the helpful insights in this sustainability study is what they call “human capital – what individuals and communities build up over time in the way of knowledge, skills, experience, attitudes and values about how to solve problems.” This human capital is one of the aspects of coastal life that we celebrate with awe and wonder.

Sointula boat ways

Ocean Dawn on Billy's boat ways
Getting ready for the fishing season in Lax Kw’alaam

Fishers’ knowledge and care is year round. And sometimes involves the whole family

Daughters adapt to life aboard Sea Legs, a gillnetter from Sointula docked in Prince Rupert

Seiner Tzoonie River, with skipper Billy Griffith
mending the net after a set

bringing in the fish from the net

I remember our delight in seeing the seiner Tzoonie River when son Cosmo was part of the crew. We learned to appreciate some of the skills involved – find the fish, catch the fish, enhance the fishery by careful release of bycatch.
Here are some little videos of the process, from 2004:

Haul in the Net

Seine Net Aboard

Free the Bycatch

Salmon Catch

Sharon and gillnetter, Ganhada, at Dodge Cove
Tidal grid Robert built for Ganhada, accessed at high tide

Cousin Robert Green was a Prince Rupert gillnet fisher all of his life. He adapted to the changes of the fishery, did what was needed to make a fine living on the coast, supporting his family, caring for the resource.

Billy Proctor on the dock
Billy Proctor’s Ocean Dawn

Billy Proctor is a troller. He’s retired now, and ever available to share his wisdom with those who stop by. He’s even made it easy for people to come around; they can visit Billy Proctor’s Museum and the craft/book shop right at the dock. Sometimes DFO is wise enough to consult him, to recognize his “local knowledge” as important input for decisions about the fishery. Billy can tell by looking at a fish what stream it comes from. He’s lived and fished in the Broughton Archipelago all his life. With his experience, new learnings and extensive volunteer conservation efforts, Billy has become a local environmental expert.

July 31, 09 gillnet fleet protest at Prince Rupert DFO

For years there has been strain and distrust between fishers and government authorities. “Made in Ottawa” is the phrase used to describe anything that doesn’t work on the coast. Despite the fact that all involved agree on the need to protect salmon, there is a serious disconnection. Of all the complaints that the gillnetters brought to this gathering, the most serious was DFO won’t listen to us. They have refused all meetings, ignore communications. Here the local DFO representative has come out to listen.
Gillnetters talking to DFO

Summary of local DFO representative’s comments: “It can’t be done” and “We didn’t do it”

Where is the appreciation for “human capital”? And whatever happened to the Skeena Watershed Committee?

UFAW rep Joy Thorkelson and local reporter listen to gill-netters concerns

What are our options?

The commercial fishery has been reduced from 1,400 to 258 boats in a decade, reports Joy. They want to be able to fish the mouth of the Skeena when the fish come in, and don’t trust DFO’s fish escapement count. They want to do their own count, but aren’t allowed to put nets in the water to do it. The strict regulations are influenced by a strong up-river sport fishing lobby that seems to simply want the commercial fleet to disappear. This perception is echoed in letters to the editor, signs carried on boats, angry voices on the dock. And yet what might happen if directions were set and decisions made that included the skill, commitment and years of experience combined in this fishing fleet?

Gillnet boats rafted behind La Sonrisa

Earlier in the summer we were storm bound in Lax Kw’alaams, a First Nations village north of Prince Rupert. While we were there the gillnet fleet came in to wait out the weather. The couple on the red-trimmed boat have been fishing together for over 30 years. They call themselves subsidized fishers, their old age pensions makes it possible for them to loose $10,000 a year fishing salmon. It is their way of life; they love it. And they have learned to live simply, with abundance.

Gillnet fleet in Lax Kwa’alaams

These are the boats that are still fishing. They aren’t bigger and faster. It’s been a long time since the days of “making-a-killing.” Most are a one-person operation as there is no longer money for a deckhand. Though there are challenges--as in how to fish selectively in order to protect endangered stocks—the tradition goes back to Jesus’ day: a small boat with a net and fishers willing to work hard.

Fish for food

Abundance and sharing

Welcome aboard! See how we do it.

These things we know: Local knowledge matters. Working together to find win-win-win solutions is the only way to go. Habitat protection and rehabilitation is the key to the future health of the salmon. Enhancement must co-operate with natural processes rather than override them. Governments must become enablers rather than hemmed-into-a-corner protectionists.

It can be done, if we who love the coast will it!

GRIZZLY DRAMA

2009-07-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

looking towards the mouth of Toon River
eagle in mist

We often see grizzly on the Toon River estuary. It is a place of awe and drama. Our first grizzly we called “Miss Silver,” because of the silvery sheen of her coat. That was some years ago. She wasn’t very big. She was on the sedges, eating all day just beside where we were anchored. It was an unforgettable experience.

The next year we watched “Clam Digger” digging his way along the beach. He was huge, cracking the shells by banging them on his thigh. Another year we saw a mother and cub and wondered if it was Miss Silver grown up. The cub was learning how to dig for food, but mostly played and napped while his mother dug her long trench along the beach.

Once with son Cosmo we came upon a young bear swimming, who then climbed up on a log and made its way into the forest where another bear was looking out from the trees. We called him “Cosmo’s Bear,” and thought we saw him again the following summer, recognizing the blondish stripe.

Quattoon waterfall
nearby pictographs

We always carefully scan the beach and green areas as soon as we pass the waterfall near the end of Quattoon Inlet. After we anchor at the edge of the estuary, as soon as the tide is high enough, we take the dinghy up the Toon River. Here are some of our Toon River neighbours.

chocolate lily and silverweed
merganser females
capturing the warmth of Indian paintbrush

It is a wonderful experience taking a respectful peek at this grizzly home. Whether or not we see any animals, it is a glimpse of the drama of another species’ way of life. (I remember cousin Bill saying: “I don’t have to see a grizzly. Just to be where they are, to know they are there, is wonderful!”)

In the evening we saw this young grizzly on the smaller beach beside our anchoring spot. He kept looking over his shoulder at something we couldn’t see on the main estuary. “What’s he worried about?” we wondered. We called him Winnie, short for “Wee Winnie,” and enjoyed his presence beside us.

Next morning Thomas was about to pull the anchor in order to catch the current back out the inlet. He hadn’t seen any creatures stirring. One more scan of the tall grasses behind the main beach and there was a bear. Look again and there were two of them!

two grizzlies eating sedges by the beach

The darker grizzly is male - see the large hump on his shoulders

Then Winnie showed up back in his spot of the night before.

young bear digging for breakfast on the side beach

view from the kayak in shallow water

Likely that was his mother over on the main beach, with her new mate. The male grizzly is dangerous to a partly grown cub. He has to separate the mother from her cub/s in order for the mother to go into estrus again. It seems harsh to us as we watch poor Winnie, looking small and hungry, with his mother paying him no attention at all. Slowly he moves toward the big beach, keeping careful distance from the two adults.

Here Winnie is approaching the large male, staying well off the yellow seaweed between them.

The adult pair leave the sedges in the grasslands and walk over to Winnie’s beach.

large male grizzly
“Goldie” – Winnie’s mother

La Sonrisa viewing station

We said goodbye to Winnie as he headed for the sedges behind the big beach

Leaving Quattoon Inlet and back into Work Channel, we saw this grizzly mother and two cubs near the Ensheshese River estuary in Graves Bay.

Often a grizzly mother protects her cubs by keeping away from the main grizzly habitat. (Last year, with son Will, Anna and crew, we met a mother and very young cub on an island, a quite unusual occurance--probably chased there by a male bear.) This mother wanted her cubs away from our boat.

Come along, children

Just a minute, Mom.

Hey cubs! Now!

Yes, Mam.

Goodbye and thank you to six wonderous grizzlies that live in the rich abundance of the Tsimpsean Peninsula. May it always be so!

WHITE SPIRIT BEAR

2009-06-18T14:53:00.000-07:00

What’s white in the morning, black in the evening,
and black and white in between?

The day began spectacularly, Thomas waking Elizabeth at first light with “Quick! White bear on the beach!” Year after year we’ve been looking for the Kermode or White Spirit Bear. And finally this beautiful morning in Butedale on our way north, we were given this gift. We watched through binoculars as – I’ll use the inclusive she - she ambled along the rocks towards a distant beach, looking here and there and under rocks for things to eat.

When she arrived at the beach we hopped in the dinghy with the camera. She didn’t seem too worried about us, just kept on her morning walk. After walking inside the woods for a while she came out onto the nearer beach, where there is debris left from the former cannery. Here she is eating sedges by an old boiler

Kermode bears are a special variety of black bear found only in certain isolated places. Princess Royal Island is the mist shrouded magical island most known for the Kermode Bear.

Princess Royal Island

The falls at Butedale, a former cannery located on Princess Royal.
These days often the only person here is Lou, the dedicated caretaker.

There have been white bear sightings in other places - Gribbel Island, Roderick Island, and our Aunt Chris saw the one that was sometimes around the dump in Terrace, BC, until somebody shot it. Environmentalists have been sharing the story of the Spirit Bear as a way to raise awareness of another wonder of creation, and increase public will to protect habitat. Although Princess Royal Island has been protected, there is still much logging and habitat is threatened.

We’ve learned much about the Spirit Bear in The Great Bear Rainforest, by Ian and Karen McAllister, and The Spirit Bear, by Charles Russell.

A bear researcher we met in Klemtu some years ago told us places where he’d seen the white bear. This estuary in Bottleneck Inlet, Roderick Island, is where we’d hoped to find her.

skunk cabbage and devil’s club

following a bear trail
Here a bear has been scratching on a tree

We found signs of what she may have been eating.

These sedges have been munched on by bear or maybe geese.
This is Lyngby's sedge, important for bears in spring
as they contain 25% raw protein.

silverweed roots, dug and chewed
- another staple in a bear's spring diet

remains of a salmon dinner

Salmon are the lifeblood of the coast. Spawning salmon carcasses are carried for miles up the creeks and into the forest, nourishing many species

We didn’t find our spirit bear in this beautiful inlet and estuary, but when we did see her, she carried the awe and wonder of her environment with her.

And the wonder continued that day. White bear in the morning, black in the evening…

Before the evening fell we saw a big black bear in Lowe Inlet,

where we anchored by Verny Falls.

…and black and white in between.

2 orcas

We traveled for a while in the afternoon with a pod of orcas in Grenville Channel

a large male orca
female orca

orca family

INTO THE WILDERNESS

2009-06-03T17:42:00.000-07:00

We were pretty discouraged as we left the lower mainland to sail north this year. It was just after the BC election. There was so much at stake that affects our coast. Privatization of our rivers is a serious threat. Click this link : http://www.saveourrivers.ca/
And then the threat to wild salmon on the coast. See Alexandra Morton’s site about the sea lice from fish farms problem and a letter signed by 14,000 people. click here: http://www.adopt-a-fry.org
Here is another good website about the dangers of fish farms, and more sustainable options: http://www.farmedanddangerous.org/

The newly re-elected government plans to lift the moratorium on oil tanker traffic. Here are the folks, the Dogwood initiative, who have been working so hard on this issue: www.notankers.ca.
We see clear-cut logging everywhere on the coast, with local forest workers out of work and raw logs heading south. Cuts to hospitals, schools, seniors’ care, no minimum wage, tuition increases and loss of education grants, cuts to environment and public transit and plans for mega highway projects…what is the matter with our electorate?

So it was with heavy hearts that we set our northward course .We did what we know – head for the wilderness. I was reading Grey Owl’s book, Sajo and the Beaver People, and can appreciate his choice to live far away from civilization in the wild, lonely country. It must have been the same back in the 30’s with its flawed governments and institutions.

At this point we are seeking to be part a different community. To back off politics for a while, continue to work on living simply and locally, and to learn from our non-human neighbours who live by a different reality—the animals, birds and sea creatures, the plants, the rivers, the ocean and shore. We will find our place in the infinite and varied unfolding of creation.

We welcomed aboard a young family that shares our dream of the simple life, and have their own experience in foraging and food preserving. We introduced them to some of our favourite neighbours along the way, human and non-human.

kayak family

collecting wild greens

Canada geese family
learning to swim?
female merganser

Lief says hello to our catch

In Tiber Bay on Cortez Island we stopped to visit our artist friend Irene. Her co-operative that bought this bay together was having their annual meeting and we were invited to the potluck after. Beautiful homes, interesting people, living in harmony with their eco-system these 20-some years.

oyster catcher eggs
oyster catcher mom

Pictographs in Cordero Channel

First Nations neighbours from long ago

For the last 12 years our friend Ed Zeemel has lived just inside Tuna Point, near Blenkinsop Bay, and loves to have visitors

Tea with Ed

Ed works away at enhancing the place he cares for. One goal has been to bring back the Canada geese by clearing and planting again the natural reeds and grasses. A goose met us this year as we arrived.

welcome, geese!

He is creating camping areas and view spots. From what the sea brings, what he can dig, clear, enhance, Ed is making a park.

Ed at work
Lief in the beachcomber's park

As he moves things around, he plants garden beds where they want to be. We brought him an apple tree from Saturna Island.

He is also clearing out a natural spring from below a cliff, bit at a time.

Ed has been digging down from below the moss on the big rock.

In the Broughton Archpelago

On our way to Echo Bay to visit Billy Proctor we stopped to see a 3700 year-old cedar tree in Watson Cove, Tribune Channel.

You can read about the long life of this tree in Heart of the Raincoast, Alexandra Morton and Billy Proctor, TouchWood Editions, 1998

Another book we use as a guide to the Broughton Archipelago: Full Moon Flood Tide, Bill Protor’s Raincoast, Bill Protor and Yvonne Maximchuk, Harbour Publishing, 2004

As we travel along the coast we see a lot of fish farms and clear cuts. Fishing and logging was once the economic base that made it possible for people to live on the coast. It’s not that way anymore.

blowdowns and stumps on a logged point

fish farm with salmon pens

At least these farms are fallow this season – good thing

Billy reminded us of some of the successful environmental efforts he and his neighbours have made over the years. One he mentions in this book is the story of Wahkana Creek. From major historic runs of coho, chum and pinks, stocks had been depleted down to nothing. DFO refused to act. From 1986 to ‘98 volunteers planted thousands of coho fry in the lake that feeds this creek. Then they cleared the huge log-jams. Now there is gravel for spawning, and since 1999 the salmon are back, along with the bears, eagles, ravens and beavers that depend on them. Billy says this story could be repeated hundreds of times along our coast.

Billy’s daughter’s land is for sale, 86 acres adjacent to Billy’s place for $800,000. Likely the only people who could afford to buy it would sell all the lumber or subdivide. Billy says someone could sustainably log it forever. I know Billy is hoping that its buyer will be able to appreciate the neighbourhood, the local ecosystem. Be a part of the resourceful and beautiful heritage of this special place.

View from Nikki's cabin, Billy’s new neighbour

We met Nikki some years back and admired how she was learning traditional skills. We were sorry we missed her this time as we had hoped to introduce her to Angie and Aaron. Angie uses the cedar basket she made for collecting all kinds of things.

While with us she gathered a new supply of bark.

And here is her creation

We’ve been looking forward to introducing Aaron and Angie to our friends Carol and Jerry.

They have recently moved from Echo Bay to Shawl Bay, they just towed their floats over.

Carol’s new greenhouse

Jerry is able to build and fix anything – the skills that make their lifestyle possible.
Carol, who is proud of her Metis heritage, is a craftsperson--Carol the Bead Lady. People come from miles around for her amazing creations. She has a new shop now in Shawl Bay, and hopes that people will find their way over.

And here is another family we visit each year, complete with aunts, uncles, second cousins, what-have-you!

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION

2009-04-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

La Sonrisa celebrated Earth Day by sailing. We try to be as environmentally responsible as we can. Though we’re still using our old diesel, both our dinghy motor and generator are 4 stroke rather than 2 stroke. And as far as the diesel is concerned, we’ve lowered our average speed by 15% and achieved a 40% saving in fuel. We sail about half of the time. Every little bit helps. We often keep our sails up when others motor on by.

This Earth Day we began our trip south sailing down Trincomali Channel. By the time we got to Nose Point on Salt Spring Island the winds were very light. We found by draping the spinnaker sheet over the end of the boom, we were able to keep sailing slowly. It was a beautiful way to celebrate Earth Day.
A seal watching us drift around Nose Point: “If you had a bum like mine you wouldn’t need a sail like yours!”

Participating in a hunter-gatherer lifestyle is one way we live in keeping with our dream of sustainability and harmony with the earth. We celebrated Earth Day by gathering firewood, clams and oysters. We didn’t pick the newly sprouted oregano and lemon balm, leaving these gone-wild greens to grow a bit bigger.

The day before we had picked miner’s lettuce and maple flowers.

Miner's Lettuce seems to like the base of fir trees
picking maple flowers

Earth Day salad

Earth Day neighbours:

Here is good news about the western purple martins, the largest and chunkiest of the swallows.
These swallows once nested in cavities in old trees and snags. With the loss of their habitat and competition from introduced species, by 1985 their numbers had reached a low of 5 known breeding pairs. Nest boxes were introduced in various sites. These "man-made snags" were built in 1995 at Newcastle Island Provincial Park.

By 2006 at 45 colony sites numbers had increased to 600 nesting pairs of purple martins. They arrive here in April, nesting starts in May. The young martins fledge in late July and in mid August begin their migration to South America. Traditionally, South America native people encouraged their numbers, welcomed as insect eaters and an intruder alert. In turn, humans may offer some protection from predators.

Harmonious neighbours

When our Earth Day wind totally died and we finally got our anchor down, we were welcomed by another Earth Day neighbour, Annette the Otter.
This otter seemed to be enjoying rolling in Canada goose droppings. She scrambled up rocks from the water's edge to the top of this vegetation covered rock mound.

When we set out by dinghy to explore some tiny islets, the gulls were swooping above us in the wind currents. Just after we the tied the dinghy and took a few steps ashore, we had to rush back and launch it against heavy wind and waves. The gulls were telling us something – we hadn’t paid enough attention. We did manage to gather a quick handful of yarrow for tea, however. It was a wet ride back to La Sonrisa.

SPRING TONIC

2009-04-20T13:07:00.000-07:00

young stinging nettle – Urtica dioica

Among its many fine attributes, Tamaya and Josh’s beautiful home nestled in large red cedars is blessed with stinging nettles. It has the best crop of nettles we’ve found anywhere.

picking nettles

backyard full of nettles

Sadly for friends and family who love to visit this haven of peace and beauty, it is back on the market. You can see it at: http://www.gabriola-real-estate.com/pages/listings/details.php?l_id=50

Each spring we look forward to gathering our prized spring tonic.

washing freshly picked nettles
blanch quickly in boiling water
ready for the freezer

We’ve discovered a lot of information about nettles and their uses on the internet. Here is a great story called “The Nettle Solution”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTucBoeggqI

The week before Easter, the folks on Galiano had their 2nd annual NETTLEFEST, a celebration of their wondrously abundant food / medicine / fibre. Nettles have been called "Indian spinach" and were eaten by both coastal and interior First Nations. Nettle plants were a traditional source of fibre for fish-nets, snares and tumplines.

Here is a link explaining how to make nettle pesto, followed by the written recipe
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1nD9aDNX-k&feature=related

STINGING NETTLE PESTO
1 large bunch of stinging nettles (or 3 cups nettles cooked and drained)
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 ½ cups pine nuts
(one friend uses walnuts instead)
2 lemons, juiced
2 cups olive oil
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese tightly packed
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Fill a large pot ¾ full with water. Place over high heat and stir in ½ cup of salt. Cover and bring to a boil.

2. Fill the sink or a large bowl with cold water. Using gloves or tongs submerge the nettles in the water and let them sit for 5 min. Using tongs or gloves remove the nettles and discard water. Using gloves, strip leaves away from the stems and discard stems.

3. When water is boiling throw in cleaned nettles and boil for one minute. Strain out water and spread nettles on a pan or plate to cool. The cooking water has a lot of flavour and nutrients, and can be saved and used as stock. When the nettles are cooled, squeeze as much excess water from nettles as possible, and then thoroughly chop.

4. Place chopped nettles in a food processor with minced garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Process for 30 seconds, stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor, and repeat as many times as needed until nettles are broken down and the mixture has formed a paste. Scrape into a bowl and fold in the grated cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Serve pesto tossed with raw or cooked vegetables, pasta, risotto, or stirred into soup. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper. Pesto can be refrigerated for 5 days, or frozen for up to 6 months.
Yield: 5 cups

(Thomas wonders if it will taste like pesto without basil. Another way would be to freeze or dry nettles in the spring, and use half and half with basil when it ripens in late summer.)

Keep your eyes open for this powerful spring tonic, it's one of the best sources of iron around.

WHARF STREET DOCK, VICTORIA

2009-04-10T12:56:00.001-07:00

Wharf Street dock in Victoria’s inner harbour is a pretty special spot. The harbour is a busy one, with tall ships, tugs and barges, the Coho and other ferries to the USA, little harbour ferries, fishers, tourists, float planes, dragon boats – it’s full of the diversity of life where ocean meets land. Downtown Victoria with its attractive older buildings on the waterfront is backdrop to a people-friendly paced city, a community. On the dock people are welcoming, competent, responsible, ready to lend a hand. It feels like another era, a welcome one.

When we arrived at Wharf Street Dock we were a Seabird 37 with a centre cockpit covered in canvas. Our goal was a fiberglass cover over the cockpit with canvas sides. The design has a ledge around the top--a useful handhold and the basis of a system for collecting rainwater. We first saw this design in the fall of 07, created by Bill and Donna on their sailboat “Alia.” Thomas and Bill talked about what we might build on La Sonrisa, and in early March we joined Bill and Donna in Victoria to begin the project.

Bill and Donna

It is a wonderful kind of friendship we have with these fellow “year round cruisers”. We don’t necessarily know when or where we will connect again, but when we do, our experiences and vision in common make us feel very much at home with each other. Both Donna and Bill are masters in delighting at what sea, wind and weather bring each day. And offering their skills and sense of possibilities to whatever comes. It was a joy to watch Thomas and Bill delve into this project, imagine, test out, discuss, step back, “what if..”, with fine feasts and stories along the way.

Bill and Thomas started by measuring and figuring and measuring some more. The first step of taking off the old canvas was challenging in our March “in like a lion” weather. Then the trips for supplies. The trial ribs went on.

The top began to take shape

Pleasant as the Wharf Street neighbourhood is, cold wet weather is not a good setting for boat construction. We created a plastic cover to our work site.

The measuring and figuring continued. How to achieve the right curves and angles, enough headroom, enough strength, not too much weight.

Inside details – do we need a pair of smaller windows above the dashboard windows?

Outside details

The right curve

Elizabeth took a break from the role of worksite photographer and went to visit the legislature for the MLA's Question Period.

Parliament buildings
Parliament with her lights on (energy saving bulbs)

An interesting destination for tourists
One of the fresco's in the dome on top shows seine fishermen with salmon in the net

Unfortunately the MLA’s were having a break, so all the spring break families visiting Victoria saw only empty seats.

Along the walls are framed photographs of the members of the legislature over the years. Here is the picture from the last session with old friend MLA Chuck Puchmayr in the first seat. Chuck regrets he will not be running as a candidate in the upcoming election – all his energy is needed for his battle with liver cancer. The very good news is that Chuck has had a successful liver transplant, and is recovering well. We’ve known Chuck since the kids’ soccer days, then as a city counselor from 1996 who had a special heart for the marginalized, and for justice issues. Since 2005 he has been a hardworking MLA for New Westminster. And Chuck has been a longtime friend at the St. Barnabas Christmas dinner – often a shepherd or wise-one in the nativity pageant. We hope for more MLA’s like Chuck to be returned in the upcoming election.

Chuck Puchmayr, MLA

REMEMBER TO VOTE ON MAY 12!

One of our (several) Victoria harbour westerlies ripped the first plastic cover to shreds. We had to get more serious.

We’d already been a week longer than we’d figured and still not a day of temperature over the necessary 10 C. The weather forecast didn’t look promising and we had commitments further north. We decided to make the boat temporarily weather secure and postpone the actual fiberglassing until the “out like a lamb” end of March, April? We covered the plywood with a coat of fiberglass resin, wrapped the hardtop in plastic and put more long johns on ourselves.

sailing wing on wing, under plastic

At Montague Harbour we had a warmish, sunny day. We put on another coat of resin and took off the now tattered plastic.

To be continued…

FIRST ORCA

2009-03-10T14:16:00.001-07:00

Orca in Georgia Strait, Nanaimo ferry dock in background

On our first day away from our Snug Cove, Bowen Island winter moorage, we crossed Georgia Strait and saw our first orca of the new sailing season. Orcas are not that common in the northern Gulf Islands, and we were surprised and delighted to see this female, traveling with another. Just before we saw her we had cruised for a few moments with some friendlier than usual harbour porpoises. It was a brisk day, but what a fine welcome to spring sailing!

First miner’s lettuce of spring

On Gabriola Island we found some early spring greens. Tamaya, Suzi and Arran joined us in

Degnan Bay for a supper of the last of our winter veggies on board.

brisk sail by Porlier Pass

Sail to Montague Harbour

Parker Island tidal spit

Sailing towards Parker Island in Montague Harbour, Galiano Island, brought back past memories. I (Elizabeth) lived for a year in a tipi on the tidal spit between Parker and Little Parker Islands. There were several families with a dream of living in harmony close to the earth, growing food, making music, learning from people who had the necessary life skills. It was a formative year for everyone – days of simple chores beside the sea, cooking over a fire, drying berries and clams, sewing and carving and learning to make the gear and tools we needed. Evenings with music around the fire, telling stories and talking about the dream under moon and stars. I remember dancing with shell rattles on my ankles, the dance a gift from the earth. It was not an easy year. More challenging than what we did without was finding the skills we needed for cooperation and making decisions.
“Where are our elders?” we said.

Here is a picture from back in those days, Dan and Francine and daughters Sarah and Tamara, Montague Harbour. Photo by Betty Fairbanks.

Thomas and Elizabeth were walking the beach at Montague, talking about those experiences, and who should appear but Dan himself! What talks we had of local edibles and wildlife. We were proud to serve Dan our salmon and crab chowder, salad of first miner’s lettuce and dandelion leaves, pie from the last of the winter apples from Ike’s orchard on Gabriola. We took a dinghy ride together to Parker spit

Dan and Thomas

Little Parker beach
Dan and Thomas examine last year's chicken's feet/sea asparagus
Dan

In seeking permission to use the picture of Dan’s family I had a wonderful phone conversation with Dan’s daughter, a professional musician. I found the picture on Tamara’s website http://www.tamaranile.com/index.php?show=music

(You can listen to Tamara's newest CD on her website)

Tamara is the young child on her mother’s lap, daughter of Dan the Man the One Man Band. We talked about her music, her life today and the sadness many of us feel when we think of the future. And Tamara told me her dream – it sounded like the same dream her parents and I tried to live years ago. Could it be that the times are coming around again, when the yearning to live in harmony with the Earth moves more of us to act, to cooperate together? Could it be that we’re the elders now?

Scruffy young eagle on Little Parker Point, probably born in a nearby nest

Golden eye ducks

Euphoria of beautiful sunny days in the Gulf Islands

Portlock Light, Prevost Island

Sunday morning sail - spinnakers in Cadboro Bay

Clouds beginning to roll in

The next day brought thunderstorms with hail, snow squalls, sailing at 7 knots – “the lion side of March!” The change of weather brought a loss of euphoria. We were back to weathering the challenges when the dream fades a bit.

Rounding Trial Island lighthouse into Victoria Harbour

Victoria Seawall

Victoria's busy harbour - float planes, tall ship and Parliament buildings

another snow squall
Mild Victoria weather?

We’re here in Victoria for a work project, if the cold and wet will allow it. Our friends Bill and Donna on the SV Alia have built a hardtop over their cockpit. Bill will assist us with designing ours. And Bill and Donna, too, have a dream – a cooperative live-aboard dock, with tools, transportation, perhaps gardens shared in common. An old dream in a new form? We’ll keep talking ….

How I Spent My Christmas Vacation

2009-01-01T11:26:00.001-08:00

La Sonrisa arrived back south from our north coast sailing adventures in time to meet our newest family member.

Grampa & Edward Rupert born September 18, 2008”
Daisy’s "Babe"

We left the boat in Plumper Cove, Keats Island, with son Eric, and journeyed by Greyhound to Trail, BC, to visit son Cosmo and Susan. We were too late to help with their giant tomato harvest, but enjoyed Susan’s wonderful kale and tomato soup. We’ve still got some of her green tomatoes ripening on board. We helped put the garden to bed before the first frost. Here is Cosmo harvesting his hops – he is famous in the family for his beer.

Susan’s garden path

We traded a summer charter with Suzi and Arran for fall and winter vegetables from their Gabriola Island garden.

An old island homestead

Another favourite charter was with Aaron, Angie and young Leif. We traded for some of their marvelous dried fruit and veggies, and with them took the first of 2 wonderful animals – gifts from the wild.

Seafood, diapers and wild meat on the aft deck

La Sonrisa moved into our winter moorage in Snug Cove on Bowen Island. Time with family is our primary focus on the south coast.

Allie and Ammie head out to check the crab traps

Daisy and Frankie meet a kelp greenling that came up in the prawn trap

Cherished moments for Elizabeth: the privilege of voting for Barack Obama in the US presidential election, and then his acceptance speech as president elect on Nov. 4, 08, when we found ourselves on La Sonrisa among “those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world.” An inspiring and challenging time for the US, and for all of us internationally.

We traveled to Virginia for a family reunion at American Thanksgiving. Elizabeth’s 88-year-old mother, Dibby, has recently returned home from the Rehab Centre, after a second hip replacement.

Here we are, gathered at Ebby and John's house, family home for 3 generations.
Elizabeth was born here.
Dibby and her brother Charles

There is something about being with extended family that speaks deeply to the sense of who we are, where we come from and where we’re going. And to remember how much we are loved. It was great to have son Will and daughter Tamaya with us, and reconnect with four generations of family from BC, different parts of Virginia, Texas, California, Georgia and Kansas.

family outing

Dibby and great-grandson Jack
Jack with Lizzy & John. Late news flash! Baby Jack is expecting a sibling!

Uncle Tom and Tamaya

Aunts and cousins in the kitchen

We love to involve the children in gathering and preparing local food.

Cousins collected apples and helped Aunt Kim make crumble.

This year we ordered our Thanksgiving turkey from Aults Family Farm. We found the closest local farm from Barbara Kingsolvers’ website, telling about her family’s experience of growing their own food: http://animalvegetablemiracle.org/Tour.html

The kids loved the visit to Steve Ault’s farm. He spent time introducing them to all the animals, and proudly explained how the animals do their part in healing the land. He and his family are enjoying the hard work and fulfilling lifestyle of producing local food.

Steve Aults' peaceable kingdom

Here is a great article by Michael Pollan if you want to learn more about the importance of local food. An Open Letter to the Next Farmer in Chief - Michael Pollan - NYTimes.com
Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&partner=permalink

Back in BC we had time to hug the grandkids and then off by Greyhound again. This time to Telkwa to visit Thomas’ sister Anne and Ron in their home on the banks of the Bulkley River.

Here is Thomas and Ron’s catch, lake char, quick frozen
as it came up through the hole in the ice. Temp -25 C

Anne and Ron invited us to join them for their turn at the Soup Kitchen at St Paul’s Anglican Church in Smithers.

Here are the other kitchens they supply

We managed to bring the Telkwa weather back to the lower mainland with us.

A pair of angels

We enjoyed caroling with grandchildren, and Vancouver’s white Christmas

Edward in his gramma knitted hat

La Sonrisa crossed Georgia Strait for an especially white Christmas on Gabriola Island.

Josh and Tamaya's house
By the way, this wonderful home is now up for sale.
See http://www.gabriola-real-estate.com
It's at 881 Christine Close

Gathering vegetables for the holidays at Suzi and Arran's garden -
kale, chard, cabbage, celery, turnips and beets with their greens

Christmas dinner. And the main course...

Ike’s seconds from his Gabriola orchard provide our fruit supply ‘til the berries come in.

And who would have expected winter games right here on a coastal island.

Josh, Stephanie and granddogs Ozzie and Charlie
Will's round snowboard

THREE NIGHTS TO REMEMBER

2008-09-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

The first wasn’t a night, really—more a twilight, then early morning. Cockle Bay, “Sugway” the Kitasoo people call it: Good seaweed place. Son Eric, daughter-in-law Brenda and I were out on a kelp patch, harvesting a plentitude of rockfish and lingcod. Elizabeth and daughter-in-law Cheryl were on a lovely clamshell beach island gathering berries and greens. Son Bruce was aboard playing his flute.

Cockle Bay 2004

Just coming dark and the wolf chorus began. Almost a call and response pattern: one wolf quite close at hand answered by a pack farther away. Eerie, mournful, exquisitely beautiful. The next day a young Helsuik man described to Elizabeth where the den site was. “I know that cave,” Elizabeth said; “It’s on the way to my favourite berry patch.”

wolf tracks on the outer coast, Connell Islands

The next morning I was hauling the dingy, getting ready to raise the anchor. Elizabeth was ghosting along the shore in her kayak when she put up a pair of sandhill cranes. Their wonderful tremolo cry echoed across the bay. Landing on the rocky beach by the boat, they proceeded to nonchalantly go about their morning business, emitting their typical feeding chuckle from time to time.

Cranes have only recently returned to the Coast. The elders say that, though they figure in Heltsuik mythology, they had never seen one until ten years or so ago. A pair of biologists studying nesting sites explained that it was the restoration of wetlands on their south of the border wintering grounds, and a ban on hunting, that account for their revival.

Wolf call and crane cry: two of the more rare yet most exquisite voices of the Coast.

wolf tracks on the beach in Cockle Bay

Sandhill crane tracks

The next night we arrived in our anchorage just at dark. It wasn’t where we had planned to be. A delay at Bella Bella and a lovely though not particularly strong combination of wind and current through Llama Pass had put us behind schedule.

About three in the morning we awoke to a bumping noise against the hull. I hadn’t been entirely happy with the set of the anchor so got up to look. We were surrounded by bio-luminescent salmon, darting this way and that like rockets going off in a Du Maurier fireworks display. When they broke the surface star-shells exploded, lighting up the cove with an eerie brilliance.

The third night was at Safety Cove. We had sailed from our bio-luminescent salmon anchorage the length of Fitzhugh Sound, catching a lovely coho en route for Bruce’s birthday. Now we were waiting for weather to cross the open water of Queen Charlotte Sound.

We had anchored quite far out as Eric wanted to try for halibut. Three Alaskan trollers, their slender poles lowered for stability, were anchored inside. Putting the sails away and cleaning up the deck, we noticed the sides of the anchorage dimpled with shoaling herring. The heavy breathing of sea lions alerted us to two groups of Californias, slimmer and more graceful then Stellars, working the edge of the shoals. They’re curious creatures. Out they would come to look us over, then in again to cause great consternation among the herring.

Stellar sea lion looks us over

Then came utter majesty. In past us, weaving through the trollers in a ponderous do-si-do to lunge through the shoals of herring: a magnificent humpback whale. Out past us again, into a shoal on the other side, herring exploding in every direction.

All evening long the sea lions and whale worked the herring. At dusk, however, a slimmer, smaller white-tailed humpback swam by. Our last glimpse was of white-tail and black-tail disappearing below the surface, side by side. To a handsome young male humpback, there is obviously one thing more enticing than shoaling fish! Eric called it “A Romance of Two Tails.”

The next day we had the calmest crossing of Queen Charlotte Sound ever.

Goodbye!