FIRST ORCA

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 ….