Wednesday's Wanderings...

...shall go undocumented for this week due to the neglectation of camera battery charging.
*pout*
We had our first snow yesterday too!  About 4cm bracketed in by 48 cm of rain.  Despite that, we still were treated to our usual window of fine (not rainy) weather for our trek through soaky forest.  At least I didn't have to wear my stiff, sticky rain coat as I'd feared in the morning when I DID wear it to walk the dog and freeze.

Scratchboard by TwinB.  I returned from Calgary bearing artwork rescued from oblivion and possible destruction, because prior to my visit she'd been watching Hoarders and almost tossed some of her brand new original artwork in order to 'de-clutter'.  Just bought a batch of frames and had framing done - this looks lovely and if I never sell it, that's fine too.

Wednesday's Wet Wanderings

I do love my alliteration, don't I??

The old gravel pit where we parked our two vehicles has, unfortunately, turned into this.
We encountered a white pick up with a business name on its side who passed by with averted eyes. One of the members of the group will contact the District with this info and a soggy mailing label that I happened to find as we sifted and sleuthed through the debris.
Finally we took off...straight up hill; quite the warm-up!

Following the climb we did a little bog stomping. I don't know how in the world our guide could tell where we were going since there was no trail through this stretch.

We reached a logging road which resulted in comments like "you mean we could have been on a road all this time??!"(they were joking) trekked along a fairly new trail through the woods that the Haisla had created then followed Cordella creek all the way back down to the beginning of the hike.
The boiling, brown, tannic waters of the creeks we encountered were especially high since there had been 31 mm of rain the night before and even though we're made for run-off they were all close to overflow.
Anyway...it was invigorating and emotionally refreshing as always!

Fall & The Freaky Fingers Of Fungus

Captured them!! Been on the lookout for a photo op with both the yellow and black fungus fingers.  I noticed the yellow ones for the first time a couple weeks ago but didn't have my camera and couldn't find them in the days following.  After a few days of slowing walking and scanning the grass behind Roy Wilcox everyone probably thinks I partake of the magic mushroom.
These black fingers are found behind the old hospital & I hadn't seen them in 5 years.  Those previous ones were bigger and purple, but maybe their form and colour varies from year to year.

The maple leaf?  Just because.

Sea:Sick Goes On A Road Trip

Yesterday afternoon I noticed that the light was right (as in, you know, like, actually there) so I phoned Connie Across The Street to lend me a hand as I took Mr. Sea:Sick there to the beach.
I think he really liked it:

I wanted to take photos of him in his natural environment so first I positioned him near the water and then dragged him over to the piles of driftwood to see if that showed him off in all his glory:

Blends in a little too well I think though perhaps with a fabric backdrop he'll show up better.  For now though...

He'll live in my back seat just in case the perfect setting presents itself.  Thing's a bitch to carry and every time I do carry it, I'm impressed anew at how lethally effective moose antlers are.

Reflections 2011

This acrylic painting is mounted on top of a board from an old fishing dory that rested on a Nova Scotia shore and was brought back for me by an art buddy who's aware of my love for anything worn, weathered or rusted.  It depicts TwinB and her Big Bro exploring the flat grey beach on the northern end of Haida Gwaii...almost the furthest west that one can travel in Canada.

My Biggest Fan was raving about it to me & would like to commission it then commented that she's never seen a painting 'with so many shades of the same colour.' 
I won the People's Choice award for this year's regional exhibit 'Reflections'!  And I won it fair and square because I'm pretty darn sure the only vote who walked in the door from my camp was my husband.  Didn't even get the brother-in-law vote this year.

Thanksgiving

Yellow crime scene tape blocks off a house across the street, kitty corner to my church this morning and for a moment I thought it might be early Halloween decorations but the absence of any other embellishments quickly ruled that out.  When we exited church I noticed three police vehicles and a quick look through facebook reveals the possiblity of a double stabbing.  Don't know yet if it has or will result in an actual murder but one victim had to be sent to Vancouver.  I'd heard sirens this morning and the number, timing and pattern of them was similar to our last murder so...wasn't too surprised.

Crime scene tape on a house on Thanksgiving looks particularily disturbing.  Maybe it's because Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year? (all the excuses for festivity and none of the pressure or expense of other holidays I could mention)
It sure makes one extra specially thankful.  Gonna go call the kids..

Update Monday: The wife who is several years younger than I succumbed to her injuries Sunday night.  The husband's in an induced coma for now. We all feel a pervasive sorrow for the senseless violence and it was physically/geographically so close to so many.  I live about one block from the scene.  Closer still is the thought that I dodged that particular bizaare bullet of being the parent of someone who went so far off the rails -  the intruder, according to news stories is a 19 year old Kitimat youth, found in the backyard of the home, possibly 2 hours after the event.
 Has psychosis written all over it.

Wednesday Hike: Haisla Cemetary Trail

 The Haisla cemetary is the most special place on earth for me.  It's one of those rare situations in B.C. history where the two cultures co-existed and melded for a decade or two and it's set in our magical, mossy forest off a little bay.  Haisla designs would have been sent to Victoria or New Westminster to be sculpted in stone commemorating the life or lives of various Haisla citizens. Actually the first dates in the 1880s probably reflect this; the later graves that represent up to 4 children may have been indications of the white man diseases that ripped through the First Nation populations.
On a happier and more inspiring note there is the gravestone above belonging to Sarah Legaiic 'The Great Hunter' who died at the age of 60. I've read an account of her strength and abilities that described excursions where she would portage her canoe 1500 meters to access a remote lake.

We hiked far past the cemetary and noticed this nearly complete skeleton but couldn't quite identify it.  Wolf?  Deer?* If all the teeth had been present it would have been more obvious.  Didn't make it all the way to the end of the trail because those in the lead accidently treed two bear cubs and came briskly walking back to report the situation so we reversed our direction and retreated.
I remembered this hike as being much easier.  Five or ten years ago.

*a little Googling seems to indicate 'deer'