Newcastle Island (Saysutchen)

(+4 insets) (this picture is super at full-size!) Our visit to Newcastle Island-- Saysutshun --was really wonderful and I got lots of pictures which I've finally finished processing. I wanted to present them in a logical order so I'll be rolling them out in four more presentations including this one. :) I hope you enjoy the show! Setting Foot on Saysutshun The short ferry ride to Saysutshun was lovely and we enjoyed taking pictures as we approached the island's harbor. Many boats were moored outside the main cove and it was neat to see the variety of sizes and types. Steve helped get the bikes off the ferry and we made our way up to the visitor's booth, where we were greeted by a very gentle and knowledgeable man and his big smile. Speaking in his soft voice, we were given a map of the island and suggestions on where we should go to make the most of our visit. He told us about the spiritual power of this place and I did not doubt a word of what he was saying. I felt it vividly the moment we arrived. There was a very strong sense of spiritual energy that emanated from the island, something that was very surprising and wonderful to me. Although I'm not religious in the traditional sense, I consider myself to be very spiritual and in touch with the planet and its life forms. I could feel this energy strongly from the island itself but also from the man who was speaking to us. It was totally fascinating to me. Steve could feel that there was something a bit different going on but for me it was very strong. Cool. (If you'd like more information, this is a link to the island's culture and history page (click) . Today's Pictures My main picture shows the boats we saw moored outside and at the mouth of the island's harbor. Saysutshun offers moorage to visitors and residents and I can see why it's such a popular place for boaters to come and stay! Insets include more pictures of the boats as well as an extremely wide, 360 degree panorama of the view from the visitor's kiosk. You can see my bike on one side near the kiosk and on the left, one of their wonderful totems which is set up at a meeting area complete with a host of benches. Finally, there is a picture of the lovely tribal artwork adorning the visitor's kiosk. Rock Tumbling Update After reevaluating the rocks over a week ago, I pushed most back to the first step but allowed others to go on to the second step, and yesterday I washed them all off and put them in a pan of water to appreciate how they were coming along. WOWZERS!!! It was really wise to be more critical of every rock and its realistic progress because the difference in quality of tumbling was blatantly obvious! About 95% of the rocks in Step 2 looked AMAZING. Silky smooth and with very few divots or rough spots, I gave the green light to almost every one to head to Step 3--the Pre-polish stage! I'm so excited…they'll be heading to the final stage in another week, and just WAIT until you guys see these beauties, they are just GORGEOUS!! The Step 1 rocks were also in great shape and though I had to hold back a large handful, I've placed all of the ones that are ready go to go Step 2 into a jar where they will sit until I get enough rocks that will fill a tumbler. In the meantime, I filled the second tumbler with all of the rocks that I decided to re-run as Step 1's and added a few new rocks to fill the tumbler. There are some seriously gorgeous rocks in that batch…heh…every batch…:D…and it will be such fun to share pictures of the polished beauties! Pam, I hope all is well in your world! Feeling a bit better each day I hope! You've been on my mind as I gather rocks, I am sure you would love them all as much as I do! *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon! Explored on 1/27/20; highest placement #1.

(+4 insets!) (Please view large for more details!) Vancouver Island's bustling city of Nanaimo is perfectly located between the rugged, sparsely populated northern town of Port Hardy and the metropolitan city of Victoria in the south. I mentioned in my last report how unfortunate it was that we weren't able to book a 5-day stay at our campground. We had to make due with three days and because we wanted to be in the area for a total of at least five days, we found another campsite just a bit north which we booked for four days. However, as I've mentioned on other posts, any "travel" day, no matter how short, is a complete disruption and we hate it. Usually we cannot do anything at all on those days other than get from Point A to Point B, set up, eat dinner, and then wind down before bed. In this case, we had exactly ONE full day to be in this area and throwing out all the other excursions around, we decided to go to Newcastle Island for the day. Located just off the coast of Nanaimo, it's just a short 10-minute ferry ride over to this sizable and culturally significant island. Owned and managed by the Snuneymuxw First Nation people, the proper name for Newcastle Island is Saysutshun, which means ' training for running.' This island has always been hugely important to the Snuneymuxw as a place of physical and spiritual healing and to prepare mentally for races or battles. There are no cars or motor vehicles allowed (except for First People's maintenance-related) and there is something really wonderful about being required to walk or ride a bike to get anywhere. This being said, we decided to take our bikes with us on our adventure, as it is a fantastic way to see the island and travel on its 22 km of well-maintained trails. Saysutshun's little ferry runs to and fro every 30 minutes with a modest fee of $9 for a roundtrip ticket which includes a bike and we were so excited as we parked and made our way over to the pier. Today's Pictures My main picture today also works for Happy Fence Friday! It shows the walkway down to the docking area for the ferry and temporary docking. Our ferry, the Grey Selkie , is docked in place on the left side with another boat docked on the right. This picture was taken after we returned from Saysutshun but I wanted to use it so you could see the ferry. I was so excited when it arrived that I totally forgot to take one! :D We only waited for about five minutes before the boat pulled up and while we waited I got a picture of the cute little blue boat docked there. We initially thought it was the ferry but realized that it probably wasn't, especially when the actual one pulled up! Once it was tied to the pier, Steve helped the captain and assistant to lift our bikes up to the cargo area on top of the boat. After we were seated I took a picture of the inside which I thought was really interesting. I'd never been in such a small ferry before and was overwhelmed by the "cute" factor of this little work boat! I have also included a panorama that I took as we motored from Nanaimo to Saysutshun. You can see just how close the island is to the mainland on the left side of the picture. You can see the Nanaimo harbor and also, near the right side of the panorama, Saysutshun's harbor! Pretty cool! :) (The land mass on the right side is Protection Island, a First People's private land, not normally visited by non-indigenous people and a home to many of these folk.) Pam, I hope that you are comfortable and resting a lot. You've been in my thoughts so often and I am very relieved that all went well. This hurdle out of the way, now you can focus on being as well as possible. I hope that you get a little better quality of life with this stress out of the way. Maybe there is a possibility that your Left Side Neglect will fade some as time passes from your procedure. You mentioned that what's done is done but I can't help hoping for some improvements for you. *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon. Explored on 1/24/20; highest placement #4.

(+9 insets!) (please scroll down to "Today's Pictures" for inset information) Trip Talk: Off We Go On Our Island Adventure! After chatting with the friendly fellow at the visitor's kiosk, we hopped on our bikes and took off down a trail which led to the island's popular coastal path, passing lovely forest on one side and wide open ocean views on the other. Bikes weren't allowed on the coastal trail because it can be rough in places, though we were told it wasn't enforced if we really wanted to ride. Steve and I liked the idea of hiking for some of our visit though. Looking at the map, we could see that the coastal trail met with another which led through the forest back to our bikes; at which point we could ride up and into the center of the island for a complete tour! A perfect plan! Arriving at the trailhead for our coastal trail hike, we locked our bikes up and then turned to look out towards the ocean. It wasn't so much looking as it was gawking at the sight before us. A vast tidal flat lay before us, laden with mollusk-covered boulders, rocks and seaweed. Piles of driftwood in all sizes--from small chunks to 30-foot logs--rimmed the edge of the flats in a huge jumble. Countless shells were everywhere with larger mounds settled at the base of the driftwood. We don't remember seeing anything like this before and we were suitably impressed. Taking careful footsteps through the shells, we made our way out onto the huge rock plates that formed the base of the tidal flat. Our feet sunk deeply into the slippery layer of shell-based mixture and it occurred to me that I could spend hours here just examining handfuls of shells, driftwood, seaweed and pebbles. It was nice to get out to the solid rock base where the walking was much easier. We were then stunned to see the boulders strewn everywhere, each covered by thousands of mollusks of various sizes--tiny snail-shaped periwinkles, tall, turban-shaped whelks, cone-shaped limpets, long, pointed augers and volcano-shaped barnacles a-plenty. Most were very small but there were lots of large mussels clinging together in masse too. Tiny crabs skittered about in little pools. Different varieties of seaweed lay about here and there, washed in from where they grew just off-shore. Overhead the gulls flew, calling back and forth to one another. There was a nice breeze out but not a strong wind and Steve and I had a great time wandering along, heads down and moving towards the ocean beyond. Looking up from time to time, we couldn't help noticing an enormous container ship sitting far out on the water. Staring at the immense boat reminded me that Vancouver Island and the many smaller islands dotting the area are very important for transportation of cargo and to a lesser degree, fuel too. There's a good reason why. Due to the proximity to the mainland of Canada and Washington--as well as the closest port to Japan—Vancouver Island is the perfect area for ships along their world-wide routes. Appreciating the sight, I was able to get some good zoomed-in shots with my Sony and looked forward to identifying the ship when I got home. The G2 Ocean Grouse Arrow This is a shipping vessel that travels the world with its vast capacity for cargo. Researching information for this post, I learned that the Grouse Arrow is currently located off the Kuril Islands archipelago north of Japan and south of Russia. After we saw it in August, it travelled to China where it stopped at four ports of call including Shanghai! It's now on its way to Port Mellon, an area north of Vancouver Island known for being one of the world's biggest producers of wood pulping and paper. Isn't that fascinating?! I just love being able to discover information about these globe-trotting vessels! The Mystery of the Hole-Covered Rocks As Steve and I wandered around the tidal flats, we noticed holes bored into many of the rocks and boulders but I couldn't remember how they were formed. As it turns out, the holes in these deeply-etched stones are bored by a mollusk called a Piddock or "Angel Wing" (named for the similarity when a shell is opened up completely). I remember seeing zillions of oblong shells laying everywhere, but at the time I thought they were some sort of mussel. No, they were the shells from Piddocks. These industrious bivalves grind holes into rocks by latching on with their muscular foot and slowly turning the ends of their modified shells around and around to; in time they eventually create burrows which contain their entire length. AMAZING! Interestingly, the extremely strong shells, when exposed to air and heat, become so brittle that finding complete shells is uncommon. That's the truth—I spent some time looking for complete shells and it was quite a challenge, given the piles of fragments heaped up where the tides receded. Now that I know why it makes sense that I couldn't find them easily. Today's Pictures My main picture today features one of the lovely mollusk-covered rocks with the tidal flat stretching out to the ocean beyond. In the far distance you can see the cargo container, the G2 Ocean Grouse Arrow . Insets include a pair of panoramas which show the amazing tidal flats and a marvelous row of mollusk-covered boulders. I've also included a close-up of the G2 Ocean Grouse Arrow along with pictures of one of the life-encrusted pools, an itty-bitty crab next to an open mussel shell with a tiny auger shell above it, a fun rock artwork and finally, a series of three pictures showing the rocks and boulders riddled with deep holes ground out by Piddock mollusks! Pam, I know you love the sea. This was a place you would adore. A healthy tidal area overflowing with life to appreciate was so wonderful to explore and enjoy. The views from near and far, the smell of the salt-water air, ocean birds flying overhead, it was very magical in this healing place. I thought of you often as we ambled out to the sea's edge. I hope you like this show...it's just one of many! *BIG HUGS* from southern Oregon. Explored on 1/30/20; highest placement #2.

(+10 insets!) (This image looks best at full size! :D) (Please scroll down to Today's Pictures for more information about the insets) A Proper Exploration of the Island Steve and I finally felt satisfied with our visit to the amazing tidal flats and made our way back over to the trailhead to begin our hike along the coast. On one side, deep, thick, healthy forest headed up and away towards the center of the island while the trail hugged the edge of the coast on the other side, with wonderful views of the ocean all the way. Seafaring vessels could be seen in a constant stream and we would often stop and look out between the trees to watch as they went by. Smaller ones were common--sailboats, yachts, jet boats, fishing boats and others we couldn't identify. Large watercraft made their presence known as well--container ships and oil tankers cruised silently by far out on the water and ferries too--huge ones unlike the cute little guy we rode on to get to the island. Of course we couldn't resist taking lots of pictures and you'll see plenty included today as insets. The weather couldn’t have been better on this wonderful day--it was overcast and cloudy but perfectly comfortable! I wondered if it would be terribly windy but it was just right—a bit of breeze but nothing strong or blustery. How lucky we were. There have been plenty of times when it's been raining on a day that we'd hoped to go on a hike; other times it might be sunny but the wind was just furious and miserable! You always throw the dice when it comes to the weather and we always appreciated good fortune! Into the Forest We Go! Eventually the coastal trail headed inland and we disappeared into the shadowy forest with its tall trees of mixed species. Most were conifers that filled the air with their rich, pungent pine aroma and muffled the sounds of our footsteps as we walked on the needle-covered path. Making our way through the forest, I could not help feeling a warmth of gentle presences around me—more than just the trees that I normally felt. I sensed there were others around us and it was a bit peculiar to me as I have only felt this on a rare occasion. Who knows if it was just me wanting to feel that there was more going on here than just a cool island with a lovely hiking trail. All I can tell you is that it was very different and I felt very good there. Through the trees we saw the forest opening up with flashes of water beyond. It was a beautiful small lake covered with lily pads and water plants, dead conifers spiking up to the sky in the center. Logs littered the edges, some of which were covered by moss and dense thickets of plants. We were enchanted by the beauty of this lovely, emerald gem, and enjoyed the view for many long moments, taking in all the details we could before we took pictures to remember this special place by. Walking on towards our bikes, it wasn't long before we arrived--along with our massive appetites! We pulled out our spread of cheese and sausage, bbq pork rinds and fauxtato salad, along with lots of water, and sat on a driftwood log for our feast. How nice that we were back at the tidal flats to sit and look out at that wonderful place again. What a Ride!! AKA: WHEEEEEE!!!! :D Once we were satisfied and ready for a bike ride, we got everything stowed away, put on our backpacks and helmets and off we went! Both of us have recently replaced our old mountain bikes and cannot believe how easy it is to make it up steep hills now. The new gearing on current bikes is really impressive, so instead of pushing our bikes up these fairly substantial hills, we rode all the way up without stopping! AMAZING! Both of us were gasping for breath when we finally reached the crest but felt extremely pleased with our successful climb. As it turned out, we'd gotten the hardest climb out of the way and the rest of our ride was full of fabulous screaming downhills, zipping through the forest on nice, wide trails and plenty of lovely views accented with glimpses of the ocean through the trees. It was a fantastic ride and we were totally exhilarated as we finally emerged from the cover of trees and arrived back at the visitor's kiosk. Island Stewardship and a Wave Goodbye There was just a few minutes before the ferry arrived so we looked around at some of the interesting informational displays they'd set up to describe the island's history and explain the plans they had for the future. The island had gone through many changes through the years. It had been used as a fish salting plant, a shipyard, a sandstone quarry and even a luxury resort. However, today it is a protected marine park and set up for its traditional purpose—a medicinal healing destination and a place for First Nation people to come together for special events. We were very impressed that these gentle folk had returned this island to a better place and felt extremely glad for the opportunity to explore its beauty. When we saw the little ferry approaching in the distance, we waved to the friendly fellow there who was now talking to another couple and walked our bikes down the ramp to the dock. What a fantastic day it was--what a great adventure! We were so happy that we'd gotten the chance to visit. Today's Pictures The main image today shows the beautiful lake that we found on our hike—Mallard Lake—and I think you'll agree that it's pretty cool. I could have easily spent an entire day taking pictures here, and it's probably a good thing that I didn't have my macro lens with me or I'd still be there! Insets include lots of boats that we saw, a panorama of the forest, a view of the ocean through the trees, another picture of the pond, and a pretty feather that I noticed on the trail. I hope you like the show! :) Pam, this place really was so very magical. Everything about Saysutchun was special. The experience of visiting this place would have been so nice to share with you but I hope that my writing and pictures have captured the experience well enough that you can picture it for yourself! I hope all is well with you, it's been cold and wet here but otherwise very nice! *BIG HUGS from southern Oregon* :) Explored on 2/02/20; highest placement #10.