Raven and The First Men

… by Haida artist, Bill Reid, in the Museum of Anthropology at UBC.

I have seen this carving many times since it was finished in 1980, but have never photographed it.  On our Tuesday walk around campus, Diana and I found ourselves at the MOA and remembered that we wanted to see the second part of the Musqueam exhibit (see Feb 14th post).   As we came out of that exhibit (next post), we walked by, and then all the way around, the Raven.  Here he is from all sides.

Derek's birthday

For March 6th, Cole and I were summoned to North Saanich to be the guests at Derek Fraser's 78th birthday celebration.  The day was glorious.  Arriving from the 9am ferry, we walked first along the waterfront in the nearby town of Sidney - Christina's choice.  After lunch (and a wee nap) Derek, Cole and I headed up into the woodsy trails - Derek's choice - on the side of Mount Newton above where the Frasers live in Dean Park.  Walks followed by lots of good food and good talk.

elegant sea-side walkers - Christina, Derek, Cole

 and, in the Western Red Cedar forest ...

… two happy 78-year-old pals

The next morning, continuing Cole's Old Ranch House restoration project, we tracked down David Lehton and his partner Terri Elderton at 1855 Landsend Road, at the ferry tip of the Saanich Peninsula.  In 1975, David had replaced the original crumbling ranch-house fireplace with a late-18th century Count Rumford fireplace - still there.  He had come to see Cole for work.  A fireplace (plus chimney) was needed.  He had never before made a fireplace, but, armed with the Rumford booklet from Sandon Cox, he came back the next day with a brick-by-brick drawing.  He got the job and has been building fireplaces (and other masonry) ever since.  David also replaced all the chinking between the ill-fitted logs.

Sights from the coming-home ferry in the warm(ish) sunshine ...

Mount Baker - the still-active volcano in Washington State

Beaver Point on Saltspring Island - seen this week from the sea

No whales, but masses of herring and, therefore, masses of gulls, and some seals (or sea lions?)

sneezy trees

The"sneezy trees"(named by Janet and Colin, probably in Rowan's first spring, as the pollen wafted in their bedroom window) are in full bloom on our street - three weeks early, they say.  But, Janet, the good news is that they should be well over before you arrive in late April.

Off for a flower-counting walk with Kay Costley-White, here for a week.  We counted 33 different flowers in the neighbourhood (though our ability to keep track of the number was suspect).  

"I'm afraid you can't get there from here"

… my favourite response by Maritimers, or maybe the Irish, to many a request for directions.  With all the construction around the Wesbrook Building - with fences here and fences there, coming and going each week, Diana and I have chuckled to think that one day we may find the building completely surrounded by fence.  We wouldn't be able to get in (or maybe out!).

This week, it looked as if we were only one fence away.  No way to the Bus Loop to the north and east, no way to the Bookstore to the west.  Fortunately there is still a passage-way, via a detour up and down the steps of the next-door building, to the south and the Parkade where sit our cars.  So, we can still get there from here, but next week … ?

on the front steps of Wesbrook ...

… no way out to the north-east

from the front steps of Wesbrook ...

no way out to the west

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P.S. on March 9th the south fence appeared (but a hole to the east remains).

Ruckle Park - Saltspring Island

Ruckle Provincial Park on Beaver Point, the south-west piece of Saltspring Island, visited by many of the family, over several decades.  Cole's idea of a perfect park.  A pioneer farm with some history posted and still somewhat in use - a field full of baa-ing lambs and their mothers.  Patches of second-growth forest, good paths, rocky coves for picnics, camp sites on the rocks looking out to Active Pass.  Remembering visits with Colin, Teagan and Griffin one March, and with Rachel, Lily and Alice another March.  Cole and I had a sunny February Saturday morning there, poking about.

The farmhouse (now a museum) for the Ruckle family - Henry from Ireland, Ella from Norway.

A pity there's no sound in blog posts.  The farm field was ringing with BAAs - maybe 50 lambs keeping track of their mothers.

Steamer service to Beaver Point (Ruckle farm) from 1889 to the 1950s when the ferry-dock moved to Fulford Harbour.  From 1877 to 1889 they rowed.

Where the wharf and post-office/store were … now a fine picnic spot ...

… and camping sites with the rocks and the sea beyond

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Back to Ganges, to Gallery 8 (Joanne Evans's paintings), Black Sheep Books (wonderful - used) and the Tree House Cafe (for a yummy tuna melt), before the milk-run ferry home.  A good Meo and Doco excursion.

Saltspring Island foray - there and back again

Cole and I set sail for Saltspring Island on Friday morning.  Back home Saturday evening.  Cole's purpose was to visit Bob McKay and interview him about his role in the restoration of the Old Ranch House in the 1970s and about how he got to the Slocan.  Bob did the kitchen cabinets, the eating benches, the roughly-planed panelling upstairs, the upstairs ceiling (with Cole) and …?

It takes a while to get to Saltspring on the "milk run"...

First stop - Sturdies Bay on Galiano Island

Second stop - Village Bay on Mayne Island

Third stop - Otter Bay on North Pender Island

Fourth stop - Long Harbour on Saltspring Island
(actually this is a leaving rather than a coming photo; we were stuck below-decks on arrival)

En route, the sky was grey but not leaking; the sea was silver ...

… and every piling at each ferry dock had its sea-gull or cormorant ...

In mid-channel, the captain announced a "man-overboard" drill.  A life-ring was tossed, alarm sounded, and rescue-boat launched from the top deck.  It all seemed a bit in slow-motion, but the life-ring-in-distress was duly rescued, the rescue-boat hauled back on board, and we steamed on to Long Harbour.

In Ganges, a Scrabble tournament seemed to have most hotel rooms booked, but we found a fine room for the night at the Seabreeze Inn just south, up the hill.  Then north on Robinson Road to Bob McKay's home and studio (201 Grantville).  (Our one previous visit to Bob and his wood-turning shop was with Colin, Teagan and Griffin - which March?)  A full two-hour conversation with Bob and his artist wife, Joanne Evans, followed by seafood chowder at the Harbour House Hotel in Ganges.  Lots of grist for Cole's Old-Ranch-House chapter.

To Ruckle Park the next morning - next posting.

shorts versus skirts

CBC news item today:

"Field Hockey player, Katie Cooper, was kicked off the field during a game for wearing shorts rather than a skirt.  She was told if she wore shorts to a subsequent game she would get a red card.  Today, the Vancouver Women's Field Hockey Association votes on whether or not to allow shorts to be worn during games."   Stay tuned!

In the meantime, for our favourite 18-year-old women's field hockey player it would seem not to be an issue.
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Feb.19th.  News flash.  Shorts allowed.  But on a team-by-team basis, all shorts or all skirts.