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 ….

How I Spent My Christmas Vacation

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