It seems the end has arrived too fast. The seas are calm as we finish packing our gear. Not sure how to fit it all in. I know I haven't bought anything to fill up the bags out here. Maybe it's the moisture in the air that swelled everything up?! Wait a minute, we hardly had an moisture!
In spite of the struggle I managed to shove it all in.
After breakfast we arrived at our last Watchman stop - Skedans. This place was really crowded when we passed it on Day 1 so I really didn't expect much. It is the closest village to Morsbey camp which means all the daytrippers end up here.
Keith woke the Watchmen up when he called to ask permission to come ashore. Pretth much a sure thing that we will be the first to arrive.
The skiff made it's way slowly through the kelp covered reef to the village site. This is one of the areas where Emily Carr was priviledged to visit....or should I say we were priviledged that she came here and made such hauntingly beautiful paintings recording parts of history that are now decayed or lost.
Before the Watchmen got to us our small group gathered around a particularly haunting mortuary pole not far from the beach. It was fitting that Keith began our last Haida village experience. For a number of reasons this shared experience was very fitting.
Eventually Archie, one of the Watchmen, found us and the tour began. We learned about the Raven and Eagle Clan. How they compete to build the biggest and the best longhouses for each other's chief. How a Raven must marry a member of the Eagle clan and visa versa. How, if your car breaks down and an Eagle clan member comes to help you you must pay him but not if it is a fellow Raven. We learned how Archie and his brother, as young boys, used to take salmon from the eagles and even from the bears when they had a pile of them. When they got town they sold their 'catch' with the ones stolen from the bears going for the highest price.
The stories are overwhelming and way too many to repeat in this blog. What I do need to tell you is that here, in Skedans, I found the same senseof peace as I did in Skang Gwaii. I didn't see the light or hear the voices but the spiritual sensse of being was all around me.
Other boats began to arrive, even line up, as we were leaving. Our timing was perfect.
The cruise to Morsbey Camp isn't exciting. Except for a few harbour dolphins and a salmon shark it was uneventful.
Our bags are on deck, Barb is cleaning downstars and we are quiet, just thinking back on all the blessings of the last few days.
All of us could turn right around and go back but the time is right to go on to the next stage of our journey.
Taxi takes us back to the B&B in Queen Charlotte City. The Prius starts up (yeah! no dead battery), we get clean, sip a glass of wine and reminisce before heading out to dinner.
Tonight we will experience traditional haida food at Roberta's home. She is a member of the Eagle Clan and a well known cook. A documentary was done about her and her cooking was also enjoyed by the protestors on Lyll Island....which I gather was a big honour.
With that kind of a build up we weren't sure what to expect. What we found was a delightful woman, sweet nature and a fantastic cook. With Cohen, a neighbour (about 14 years old) as a helper she served up dulce, octopus balls, dried roe on kelp, bannick, smoked salmon, pepper smoked salmon, pouched salmon, salad with sea asparagus and kelp, cod souffle, venison, vegetables and wild berries to top it off. What a perfect end to a perfect week..... but it wasn't over yet. Not only did Cohen sing the native blessing before dinner, he took us outside for more songs and even a dance lesson. It was a lovely evening.

Next morning we had sun again! Vedeka joined us for breakfast at the Purple Onion Cafe then it was back to full aerobic exercise as I maneuvered all our piles of stuff in to the nooks and crannies of my car leaving a few breathing spaces and some visibility in the back window. I swear we have an extra bag!!
With that accomplished, and Shane fisnished showing his (now famous) bear video to Mike, we head off to the Museum.
The Haida Heritage Museum is in a perfect setting in a bay near Skidigate. It has a lot of good displays well laid out.
We wandered through the artifacts then began a tour of the canoe building area where, coincidentally, a totem is being carved. The process of taking a huge cedar, chipping away to hollow it out, calibrating the width, keeping the coutours true so it will stay on course, using a glue of halibut cartiledge and sap to fill any flaws, using cedar boughs, hot rocks and water to steam the huge creation in to shape, add the seats and floor slats and, voila, a canoe!
Oh, did I mention that you are supposed to remain celebate the entire time you are building it because men are the builders and the canoe is always female which means they get jealous. There was a canoe there with a double split that had to be repaired. Seems one of the guys fathered a child and the canoe showed him who's boss.
Lootaa, the canoe Bill Reid designed for Expo '86, was not only there for us to examine and admire, we saw it take to the waters! A goroup of students from the Haida Immersion Summer School program took two canoes down to the water, piled in and proceeded to paddle around in circles till they figured it out. Off to one of the Islands to enjoy a traditional meal of tube steaks, nasty white buns and bottled water. Oh well....they're kids.
The museum also provided a tour of the totems there. Explaining some of the mythology with elaborate explanations that may or may not be true. As we listened politely a young man went over to Colleen and gave her the true version of the 'pole'. Included in his version was the fact that a chief was poisoned and the clan felt kind of bad afterwrds so they built the totem to appease his spirit. That and the story of a beautiful woman who was stolen away and almost turned in to a fish before 'pooping' copper and being rescued to live forever as a bear is proof those gus were smoking something funny.
What a day and it's only just after lunch. Oh, by the way, the cafe at the museum has pretty good food.
Now, with the business of history behind, we set off to do some serious shopping. Both Colleen and I spent a bundle with m bundle being considerably smaller than hers.
I did find a stunning Eagle pendant to replace the one that was stolen from m home a few years ago.
Our shoppng took us to Tlell and back. A total of 6 (or more?) stores that had everything from cosmic crystals and tacky t-shirts to fine art. We've learned so much about Haida art and the artist who create it. Eac silve bracelet, pendant, wood carving or painting has it's own unique story. Makes it fun to spend money ... but then, when isn't it?!
As I write this I am tucked in to a cozy bed in our 4 person stateroom (ensuite and ocean view) on the 11PM ferry to Prince Rupert. Please someone tell me why, in Canada, the ferry power outlets only take European plugs?? Poor Don can't charge his phone and I can't type in this blog.
Hmmmm...maybe I'll just go to sleep.