Wednesday July 2, 2014

 

 

Wednesday July 2. Up in the morning and watch the sailboat head for the booby-trap line.  I warn him off at the last moment and point to the other one set to snag again. He thanks us profusely and adds a comment about a brainless act.

Off in a heard of turtles. Near LAMA PASS we get CELL service.  We miss talking to our kids and Penny has been working on our BLOG and wants to post. Neither one of us is ready for civilization and SHEARWATER.

We turn into Codville Lagoon and are close enough to towers to receive a CELL signal. There is a south wind and we are looking to tuck behind an island in a very large salt water lake. The lagoon is surrounded entirely by old growth timber cedar and lots of standing silver snags . There’s a short walk to a lake called SAGAR (we call it Sugar Lake because of its long golden sandy beach) but it can be a little daunting as a lot of the trail is wet and slippery.

The last time we were her we as out siders were witness to mother nature at work. Penny and I did not see this ourselves but was passed on by Tony and Gail on “Gulf Island” who we were traveling with, saw on the shore a mom black bear defending her new small cub against a large male grizzly. I am not sure if Mom lost her life but I do know life was lost by one or more, SAD BUT TRUE. What a grizzly can’t eat they will bury under logs and debris and return time after time for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Penny and went back to the site and we determined we were correct about the location of the kill as there crows and ravens all hanging about in the trees and log debris area. Grizzlies will drag their kill many miles away to hide away from these free lunchers.  (There is NO free lunch).

 Years ago Mike & Betty on “Shaman II”, Tony and Gayle of “Gulf Isle” and our selves of “Castle Rock” (at that time) along with our two dogs SCUPPER and KOBIE (who were both in their prime) hiked up to SAGAR LAKE  above the lagoon. The long sandy beach was most glorious for all of us to romp and play on.  The dogs were woofing and barking in pure delight at their good fortune to be here on this fabulous sunny afternoon. Tony was doing what he loves best, fishing off a large rock. This was a very noisy place and our commotion was echoing of the surrounding hills. For a brief time we all stopped our noise at the same moment in time to hear the return of are clatter off the mountaintops……….It was then that we heard the return call of the wolfs, not in one location, but calls from all corners of the surrounding DARK VALLEY WOODS.  None of us, not even dogs made a comment.  We just picked up are life and scurried back to the boats. That night many yellow eyes on the shore blinked in the search light. We left the next day without are usual dog walk.

Today we spent the day in the rain, me on the typewriter single  finger pecking my thought on the log and Penny working on her blog with much frustration and practising new French words and I and the dog cover our ears. Actually the dog just runs away to her bed. The very good news is that old oil stove is purring away and all three of us are 'snug as a bug in a rug' (this is not camping)………. Time to walk puppy OUTSIDE on the very wet shore, turn on the SAT TV, play some cards and hit the pillows. It’s dark now and the dog is in her bed with teddy.  Teddy twas given to her by Stuart the night watchman (at BYC) who recently passed away.  He gave it to her to make friends.  It’s sad that we didn't have a chance to say goodbye  to him. We can make no plans today for tomorrow as it is weather dependent. If it’s not raining we could test are old bodies with a lake walk and trust there are no wolf adventures.

Stern tying is an art that all boaters that venture north mmust masterrrr.  This performance is usually demonstrated in full view of fellow Yachtsmen in a crowded anchorage. It can be a simple clean maneuver or be a disaster that will be logged by others on how not to do it, or simply end in divorce of life time couples. Everytime I try to short cut the procedure it ends in disaster. Always just as you go to loop the line around the shore tree or pin, the current will shift or the wind will pick up in a counter productive direction. OR you have misjudged the length of line to return to your boat. ONE THING I HAVE LEARNED IS YOU MUST RETURN THE LINE TO YOUR BOAT. There IS NO POINT IN BLAMING THE ADMIRLAL only YOU are up to your butt in tangled lines.  It does not matter a twig that you are INCOMPETENT, or that the outboard motor stalls or your prop is eating the line that you are trying to untangle. Sometimes you just have to listen to the Admiral and eat crow. THIS is SUPPOST TO BE EASY.  Sometimes you get lucky, but this was not the case in Codville this time. THERE ARE NO SHORT CUTS you must be prepared for everything or anything. Including getting the extra line out that is buried deep in the lazerett (vessel basement- boat talk).