Tofino

It is beautiful!  For the off season it's fairly busy.  Not too busy though.  I left Port Alberni and 10 or so minutes out I passed a place where a totem pole was being secured to a flat bed so I says to myself "self, turn yourself around and go back and check that out".  So I did.
It was a studio belonging to a first nations artist.  The totem pole was carved in honour of the renowned artist Art Thompson (google Art Thompson artwork, Nuu-chah-nulth artist for details) who grew up in the residential system, had a troubled youth as a result but got it together as an adult and became an artist and more importantly took up the cause of justice for his people.
The older of the three men on the truck bed is the main carver, the other two are assistance and the fellow with whom I spoke contributed to the painting.
I asked about the totem.  He said the wolf is the law giver, to disobey the laws of his culture is to cause the wolf spirit to all but abandon you.  The orca is "the wolf of the sea".  There was so much more but unfortunately that was all I retained.

The totem pole was being transported five minutes south of here to be erected at the site of the residential school.  Talk about turing a negative to a positive.

I arrived in Torinfo around 7pm after taking a slight detour to Ucluelet.  I stopped to take a few pics. and when I saw a couple I stopped my car to chat.  I said "so what should I see while I'm here?".  It soon became clear from the women's curt almost sarcastic response they were either drunk or stoned.  That ws it for there.  I decided to continue on the Tofino.  I may return.  I may not.  The first slightly negative encounter to date.

Tofino is beautiful.  I went down to one of the numerous wharfs to catch the sunset.  I met an older couple from Ontario.  When I told them what I was up to, the woman said "it's going to be a great book".  I smiled and said "God love ya, you have no idea wht it's going to be about but you think it's going to be great.  That's very encouraging."  I had wanted to give them my blog site but I got distracted in conversation with others and it didn't happen.  I spoke with a first nations man who ferried the water taxi back and forth to his home on Flores Island.  Very friends, very chatty.  He talked about the sunset and how in the summer the wharf is crawling with photo enthusiasts waiting for the sun to descend.  I walked further along and waited.  It didn't take long.  Soon a young women, early 20s maybe stood next to me with her camera that refused to focus.  My old reliable Kodak didn't have that problem and I was able to get some decent shots.

The young woman was Asia.  She was in Tofino with her mom and Grandma to commemorate the one year anniversary of the passing of her father.  Earlier that day, they scattered his ashes.  Turns out her mom and dad had spent one day on Vargas Island and she asked me if I knew which one of the several islands in front of us was Vargas.  I said I didn't know but was sure the man I had spoken with earlier would know.  I walked over and asked if he knew and, of course, he did.  I know when he pointed to it, I felt sad as I imagined what must be going through her head as she looked across the water.  We chatted for a while longer and I gave her my blog site.  The man had said the best time to see the sunrise was some time around 6am the next morning.  I awoke this morning around 6:30am.  I was out by 7am and who should I meet half an hour later but Asia.  "Hello", I said as I approached.  She was listening to her ipod but smiled when she recognized me.  She told me about the sunrise I had missing and I promised myself I'd see it 2moro.  What a lovely young woman. 

It's 11 am and I'm at Vincente's cafe (named for Vincente Van Gogh, my favourite artist).  It's small and cozy and filled with chatting people.  I'm in the back corner with a good perspective (fly on the wall sort of thing) and I'm about to sign off and go book a room at the Paddler's Inn, if there are any left.  I'm outta here.

More to come.

Port Alberni,

Just before Port Alberni there's Coombs Candy.  As soon as you park and open the door you can smell it, the aroma of freshly prepared fudge.  Murray is the owner and has been a candy maker for decades.  I can think of so many friends who would have appreciated this more than me (I'm a carb. freak) but I did purchase three pieces and a couple of postcards, payback for taking up so much of his time with my questions, not about making fudge but about his history.

Murray, the candy man!

Now to Port Alberni.  I'm a bit of a procrastinator.  Not news to anyone who knows me.  Fortunately, I've

learned a few lessons early in my journey.  1. When you're going to hit someone up for a place to stay, don't wait for two days before you arrive to make contact,  and   2.  If you're going to write a blog, do it everyday because what happens is you lose the immediacy of emotions.  As regards the first, I knew some long ago friends of mine, Marek and Donuta, were now living on the coast.  Hadn't know they had been overseas until Nov. last year.  Anyway, I was given their number about a month ago.  Did I call right away?  No.  When I finally made contact, I learned that they were  heading out again within two days.  Dang.  We hadn't seen one another in over a decade and my procrastination would prevent us catching up on each others lives. 

I arrived at 4:30pm and didn't expect to stay long as I knew Donuta was expecting company and was extremely busy trying to organize and prepare for the trip.  Before I arrived I thought I might be imposing but when we embraced, that feeling fell away as did the decade that separated us.  I love when that happens.
Well, we did catch up.  I was also introduced to Terry, a friend from Victoria who was the expected company.  Well, you'd think we'd known each other forever, such was the ease with which we communicated.  We went to the Crab Shack, no, that's not what's it's called.  It's the Crab Bucket for supper.  Again, the food was delicious.  Highly recommend the Halibut Florentine with a potato thing called a croquette.  Better than the food was the conversation which flowed easily.  Why I didn't have the waitress take a picture is beyond me.  Guess I'll have to come back!  As everyone would be on the go early the next day, it was lights out by 11pm.  I awoke at first light, around 5:20 am, got up, dressed and stood outside looking at the cherry trees in full bloom and listening to the lovely racket of birdsongs.  Not for the first time, I smiled and thought how fortunate I was to be here, with these people. in this place, surrounded by splendid nature.  It was 4 degrees but the coolness didn't deter me from standing there for 15 or 20 minutes.
Soon the others were up and about and we ate breakfast.  Marek was soon gone to work which left myself and Donuta chatting while Terry got ready for the drive back to Victoria.
We sat on the couch and talked for a few hours.  Terry walked in and sat down a few times then, seeing how entirely involved in conversation we both were, got up and left.  Sorry Terry!  Time seemed to pass slowly yet by the time I left it must have been 10:30am.  I was going to leave at eight!
My plan was to head to Tofino right away but, through the jigs and reels as we say back home, I ended up staying in town overnight and I'm glad I did.
I stayed at the Riverside, an older motel but very clean and the price was half of the Best Western.  Afterall, it was just a place to lay my head for one night.  So I went back to the Clam Bucket (not Crab Bucket, I really have to take a notepad along with me).  Afterwards, I decided to drive around and see what I could find.  Well, I found the wharf and a first nations couple who said there was a grey whale in the harbour.  "In my 26 years," he said "I have never seen a whale this far in."  He told me I was lucky.  I smiled and said I knew it.
It swan very close to the ships tied up by the wharf and it came to the surface three times while I was there but unable to predict exactly where or when, I didn't get the shot I wanted but I did get a shot of the spray from its blow hole.

That little patch of whiteness in the upper centre of the pic.  Honest it is.

Port Alberni waterfront.

Port Alberni above the waterfront at sunset

So that's it for Port Alberni.  No, that's not right.  After I had seen the whale, I decided to walked to the opposite part of the waterfront hoping to spot it again.  It was really cold with the wind blowing in off the water and I wondered why I was still standing there when it was obvious the beast would not show then a woman walked toward me and within a few minutes I realized she was the reason I stayed put.  She asked me if I was a tourist.  Not really I said then launched into my story.  I've got a short version now.  She said she was in the same place I found myself before I started on my journey.  "So that's why I'm standing here," I said.  "I was waiting to meet you and tell you this".  She said she had become very discontent in her life and said she wanted to do the same thing.  Isn't that amazing.  That's how the trip has been so far.  These supposed random chance meetings are turning out to be something entirely not random but intentional, though I can't name whatever is orchestrating these encounters but I've learned not to question but to embrace and go with whatever or whomever is coming into my life!  We shook hands and Barbara said she was very glad to have met me.  I returned the same to her.  There we go again, I thought to myself as I headed back to my car.  I was up just after 6am this morning and refreshed my 'new, natural color' and repacked for the 100th time my things so I'm better organized.  I feel the most organized today than I have since I started and what I mean by that is when I want something, whether its a digital card, a comb or a book, I know exactly where it is.  It's only taken three plus weeks but it's one of those things you can not completely prepare for ahead of time.  At least I couldn't as this is the first time I've packed my worldly possessions into the trunk of mycar.

So, here it is 1:37pm.  I've been sitting at the Serious Coffee cafe at 3755 10th Ave. in Port Alberni, five hours after I first sat down here, though it flew by, up to date on my blog and with the pledge to do this daily, if opportunity allows so I can capture more the emotion of the day.  I'm heading back to the wharf to check out a restaurant I saw there last night and to see if I can spot the grey whale before I head to Tofino.

That's it I'm gone.  No time to edit so errors and ommissions are to be expected! 

Fort Langley, a blooming town!

On the weekend, Amy and I had gone to a restaraunt called the Kingfisher (great food).  Until recently the ferry would make the five minute trip across the water to Fort Langley.  That's done.  Now you have to drive 20-30 minutes out of Maple Ridge, through Pitt Meadows and take a toll bridge ($3 each way) to get to Fort Langley.  I'm not complaining, it's economics but the new route was a little convaluted though I recommend it highly.
When I drove into Fort Langley, it was like de ja vue.  It felt so much like the Cambridge area of southern Ontario, lush and tree and tree lined streets.  It also reminded me of St. Jacobs in Ontario, a favourite haunt for antique shoppers and people who like to visit funky little towns.  I highly recommend taking it in if you're out this way.

Tree lined steets.  Over the years I realized I can't live in newly developed urban areas.  They're devoid of mature trees.  I need trees!

I arrived around 11am and two hours later had lunch at the Village Coffee and Tea Shop on Mavis (heading toward the fort).  They make a great cheddar/brocolli soup and feta/spinach quiche (I should be a food critic).  I had wanted to lunch at the bookstore/cafe but it was  crowded, jammed packed.  I like peace and quite when I journal (yes I'm journally as well as blogging).  The Village was perfect!
I walked along main street checking out the little shops. 

As has become my habit when someone says "hi, how are you?" I launch into my story, as I did at this establishment.  The woman behind the counter said, "that's amazing".  She went on to tell me about a friend of hers who hated his high pressure life, walked away from it, travelled and has since written three novels.  Serendipity!  At another shop, the woman told me how lucky I was.  I took her I knew I was.  I gave both of them my blog site as I do most people I encounter.
I did check out the fort and the truth is, one western fort is very much like the other but what this one had was a character by the name of Merle Jones, a first nations person who worked as a tour guide.  I think the cooper building was his part of the tour but each time the female guide came around he said "I'll take care of this lady" and so it went.  At the cooper shop he demonstrated how the early settlers  made barrells.  I love history, so I found it fascinating.

This is called a woman's axe not because a woman used it (perhaps they did) but because it was shaped like a female body in a dress.  That's Merle!

This one's called a broad axe (no, not broad like woman, broad like a man's shoulders.  Interesting, eh?  Well, I find it interesting!

I think Merle ventured off the 'normal dialogue' regarding fort history when he told me it was the first nations women, the ones who married the Hudson Bay company men, who taught the newcomers about the land and were responsible for their success and survival.  Once again, a part of history that has not been recorded but makes so much sense.

At another building we were discussing abalone shells when the back of my watch, which was snuggling fastened to my right wrist, suddenly popped off and fell on the table in front of us.  We were both stunned and I said "I think there's a spirit here with us".  He agreed.

Well, the time flew as Merle took me from one building to the next speaking about the english and french speaking residence.  I was surprised to learn that there was a Hawaiin population as well, hired from the island when ships lost their men to illness and, seeing that it was Hawaii, desertion.  They were lured with the promise of money but were kept in servitude for five years. 

Anyway,  I was glad I did the fort protion of the tour.

Afterwards I had a chai tea latte at Beatnik's Bistro.  The waitress convinced me to have a piece of carmel/apple cheesecake.  Dang, my teeth screamed at the sweetness of the thing.  I couldn't finish it.  I journalled again and several minutes later a guy pops his head in and asks the waitress (in a whisper) if he could use the front in his photographs.  I was close enough to hear and asked what he was up to.  He's a local photographer who's trying to improve his profile.

I think he's got something going with this idea.  People love to pretend to be something they're not.  This is a perfect way to accomplish it.

So that was Fort Langley.  Before I move on, a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

This grand building is the local community hall.  Very stately looking.  There's a local society that refurnished this in 1930 something and have kept it up since then.

A tiny house off the main road was a Chocolate store.  This was the one piece, Hazlen ut something or other, that I allowed myself.  This 1" pc. of yummyness was worth the $1 I paid for it.

It's like the middle of summer here with all the blooms.  I see why people want to live on the west coast.

more flowers

I think this is a rodadendrum.

And this is another one.

Maple Ridge

Hello world, the tardy blogger is back.  I arrived at friend Amy's place in Maple Ridge at 7pm Friday last and after 1 hr of trying to find her place, gave up and called her to come get me.  Turns out the address I had was a previous residence.  My fault for not reading the email.
Amy had prepared a lovely pasta dish with sausage and shrimp.  Yum!  As we do when we get together, we talked and talked and talked.  The next day we were up and out the door heading to Golden Ears provincial park, not far from M.R.
OMG, it was unbelievable, really.  It's a first growth rainforest, the old growth having been cut down long ago.  I wondered why James Cameron invented a new world when this one, magical and other wordly, was right here in Canada.

Amy standing next to the stump of an old growth tree.  Vive la difference!

This is my favourite.  Note how it's all coverd in moss. 

Tree and me!

We also visited the lower falls of Golden Ears park but the photograph was all misty from the falls so not too clear.  The next day we headed to Grant Narrows park, again not far from Maple Ridge (hope I got the name right).  Anyway, though both parks are close together, they were worlds apart as regards landscape.  The second park had a huge body of water with boat launches and an an 8km loop to walk around a separate pond system .  Shortly after starting, I spotted a fellow with a camera and started a conversation.  We (Amy, me, Marv (photographer), wife Mel and dog Max walked the 8km together.  Mel is the birder and does the spotting while Marv grabs the shot.  He's an amateur photographer, so he says, yet he's captured some amazing bird photographs.  He kept saying "this was a fluke, that was a lucky shot".  I slapped him on the arm (I know!  What am I doing slapping a stranger but it happens that some people are only strangers for a few seconds then it's like you've known each other forever) and said "stop saying that".  I told him he would annoy a lot of would be photogrpahers by chalking everything up to luck.  The 'photo gods' smile down generously on Marv the Photographer.    The guy has an eye for it.  Along the walk, he talked about his experiences in the park and showed me image after image of "flukey" shots.  One in particular of an owl that stands more than 2 feet high, looked like a Bateman painting.  He also has a gift for gab, not unlike myself, and the walk seemed like it took minutes.  Thanks for letting us join you on the walk about Marv and Mel and for the stories and really, Marv, you should get yourself a website, you're that good man!  When you do, let me know!

Marv, Mel and Max

In the afternoon, Amy and I headed in Coquitlam, (was it Coquitlam?  Let's pretend it was), not far from Maple Ridge to meet up with three of her friends from Vancouver for a game of bowling.  I was never good at bowling.  Someone told me years ago, when I joined a leaque, I wasn't taking it seriously enough.  I never went back.  I'm still amazed that it's a sport where an 'elite' few make a lot of money.  Anyway, I haven't improved but it was great fun despite the humiliation. Afterwards, we shared a meal at the Cactus Club and had a great laugh.  I really liked meeting you Holly (reminded me of myself when I was younger), Mala (means garland of flowers) and Sharon (who was intrigued to learn about my adventure).

On Monday with Amy off to work, I took her advise and made my way to Ford Langley.