As soon as the embargo was lifted on foreign travel to Canada, I booked my flight. It was late in the summer, but I decided that even a month away from New York was worth it. All was familiar on my arrival here on August 13. I brought a couple projects on which to work, but have time for Sointula projects as well, which include forest hikes and beach combing, sitting on the deck of my friend Yo’s house. A month passes quickly, and I leave already this coming Friday. Next year I hope to make an entire summer of it. In the meantime a few photos as reminders of my stay here.
First, my hike with Milan to Malcolm Point.
 |
I love beech trees
|
 |
And moss
|
 |
Can't get enough of driftwood
|
 |
Milan on the beach
|
And then there is my "desk":
Visits on Yo's deck at "happy hour." Also, everyone in Sointula seems to have expanded their gardens or their greenhouses, including Yo. I have been the beneficiary of her kale, swiss chard, potatoes, etc.
 |
Janet, Yo, Janine
|
 |
Prolific kale
|
Learned about mushrooms on this hike on Rupert Road trail:
 |
Doug points out signs of poison varieties
|
 |
Intrepid Linda
|
 |
The hikers
|
Paintings on hydro boxes in Port McNeill showing the life activities of this part of Vancouver Island:
 |
| Fishing |
 |
| Logging |
Not to forget, the Sointula sky, always changing, always splendid:
One thing I noticed on my arrival on August 13 was the number of tourists in Sointula. The wildfires in British Columbia and Alberta had sent a lot of people to Vancouver Island for their summer holidays, and many of them traveled all the way out here. The museum has been open seven days a week, people were biking all over with the bikes available at the Resource Center The island has seen lots of sales of property. Whether a big change will take place here, with the influx of urbanites, remains to be seen. In the last few days, however, the island is quiet again, not that it was noisy in my first days here, but it now feels like Sunday every day. Stay tuned for my report next summer.
