I was asleep before we anchored for the night just north of Burnaby Strait. Keith wants to get south quickly then we can take our time coming back.

Getting used to the quiet sure wasn’t hard. This is one of the reasons I came. There are so few places where you can ‘hear’ the quiet any more. No boats, no generators, no lights…just the call of the sea birds and the slap of the water.

This morning the water was dead calm and again the sun was shining as we donned our skirts and life jackets preparing for a gentle paddle down Burnaby Narrows.

At high tide there is little to see under the clear waters, just barnacles and the odd starfish. Kind of a good thing as it forces you to be still in the rhythm of the kayak and listen again to the quiet.

Eagles call on all sides. Sandhill Cranes make a heck of a racket which echoes off the stillness. Oyster catchers and marbled murelets as well as loons add to the mix.

As the Anvil Cove passes us it’s perfect reflection in the waters adds yet again to the beauty of this place.

Back on board Barb spoils us with et another delicious meal as we cruise past the Copper Islands (water fowl nesting refuge) on our way south.

Just past the Rankine Islands we pulled in to Carpenter’s Bay anchoring off Crowell Rock. Spent a couple of hours sketching as the others walked the beach.

This peaceful place proved to be our home for the night. Sleep, read, listen, yak, play and eat. Now this is one heck of a holiday!!

　

On this day the wind is blowing and the mist of distant fog greets us. Not suitable for kayaking but no one really cares.

Breakfast of fresh fruit, yogurt, home made (fresh) scones and good coffee. Barb gets full marks for cooking!

Motored south towards Treat Bay. Between Moresby Island and Kinghit Island we saw a pod of killer whales, humpback whales, sea lions, puffins and a variety of other birds including gulls that Colleen described as “a string of pearls stitched atop the rocky outcrop“. Having the time to stop the motor and looks makes this trip different from a day trip from Moresby Camp.

The whales here are not used to boats like down south. They go about the business of living boats keep their distance. Quite a bit different from what we experienced out of Tofino. I’d love to have one come next to the boat but I don’t want this area to resemble an African safari.

The ancient Haida name for these Islands translates as “Out of Concealment”. Islands appear through the mist. Mountains slowly emerge but there is more to this wise phrase. Experiencing the area, really taking the time to enter in to the moment, brings emotions and creativity out of concealment. On day three I have already done a few sketches and written poetry! Yike! Am I actually finding myself or reinventing myself? A little of both I guess. Now if I could just get back to writing those children’s books I never finished!

Spent the afternoon beach combing. So hard to describe this place. Sometimes it is like any beach we’ve walked on the west coast and then you begin to see, and feel, the differences.

This truly is a spirit world.