As I write this last entry I sit in my home gazing out over the smoke filled Okanagan Valley. We began this journey going north through the smoky Chilcotin area of BC. Now that smoke has drifted down the province reminding us how fragile our earth
The experience we had these past almost three weeks is difficult process. Yes I can blog about it but there is more to it than just words.
I will always be so very grateful that the four of us shared the time together. (Yep, we're still very good friends). Pictures remind us of the memories we share and will also rekindle the emotions we experienced on this pilgrimage.
Back to the blog.....we woke up to yet more sunny skies in Port Hardy on northern Vancouver Island. To give you an idea of the spirit of this community I have to tell you about the Historic Site in their waterfront park. The curious carving I spotted in the park turned out to be a 10 foot (?) wood carving of a carrot with grass growing out of the top for 'greens'. Why a carrot you say? It is to commemorate the carrot the goverment held out to the citizens of northern Vanacouver Island. For years, since the 1970's, the had been promised a paved highway to connect them to the more populous south. The carrot was dangled until the late 1990's when the highway was finally built. Now that's spirit.
Port Hardy is a center for sports fishing and, true to it's reputation, fishing boats headed out one after another as we packed the car and headed south. By 07:30 we were on the road again heading to Courtney where we stopped to have brunch with Shane's brother. Had to visit their baby deer (they have 6 orphans this year) then made it to the ferry terminal in time to make the 15:10 ferry.
Smoke from the Chilcotin blanketed the Island to the extent that we were sure there had o be a local fire. Very thick with a heavy smell. The ferry crossing wasn't much better.
In Vancouver reality hit us, we were really heading home. We spent the night with Don & Colleen's daughter in Burnaby. Ordered in copious amounts of Thai food and had a crazy noisy evening with a bunch of her friends.
From there it was only a few hours before we got back to Kelowna and life as we know it.
The house was just fine...the plants had been watered and my garden, well, it's in need of a little TLC.
It is good to be home ...now when the smoke lifts I will be off in my kayak here on Okanagan Lake thinking about the sea life and peaceful villages of Gwaii Haanas.