Two deaths that make the heart tender

Two of our Elders passed these last few days: Joan Knight and Jeanne Robinson.

My rememberances:


Second verse of "Our Island's Ours Again:"

Their money spent, the continent 

Will accept them in its fold 

The beaches are available 

Though the water's freezing cold 

We can finally find our favourite seats 

On a barstool down at Doc's 

And the women who run VONIGO 

Can replenish all their stock. 

I wrote that line for Joan, who was the dearest of business operators in the Cove. She loved music, used to come to the Evensong chorale when I sang their and always said nice things about her voice. When she hurt herself a few years ago and wasn't able to get out, I'd poke my head in the door of VONIGO and chant a Kyrie for her. Sho loved Our Island's Ours Again, and was tickled about Sue having to restock the place after the tourists left in the fall.

Joan was full of story and and was cheeky as hell. Once I picked her up from Bowen Court to take her down to Evensong at the Little Red Church and she came in on my arm crowing about how she'd just been cruising around with her boyfriend (me!). She cracked everyone up. She'd tease you on the one hand and then express some genuine appreciation on the other. When VONIGO moved up the hill from it's location next to the Snug, I missed her outside sunning herself whenever she could, always remarking on how good it felt to be sitting outside.

***


Jeanne was a remarkable woman, still remains that way in my mind. What a treat to know her as a dancer, a neighbour a meditator and a singer of Beatles tunes. Seeing photos of her, remembering the performance she gave at her fundraiser last year, it was impossible for me to believe that this woman was dying. She seemed to grow stronger in spirit as her body grew weaker.

And her relationship with Spider was nothing short of inspiring in the depth of love they shared and the breadth of creative output they produced. My goodness, what a blessing it was to know her and be known by her, and what a gift it must have been to be loved deeply by her. I hardly ever saw them apart.

Spider's latest triumph was his collaboration with Robert Heinlein, who has long since departed. Hearing him talk about that work was incredible, as he seemed to bring his hero's presence into the room with him to sit at his shoulder and write. Having done that, I imagine it will be another step up to bring Jeanne's weightless presence down to inspire and comfort him.

And he could probably do with a pot of chicken soup as well.

Love to you Spider. You are in our hearts, which strive to be as big as yours, holding you in this time of deepest transition, transformation and grief.

An asterisk in the record book

Ball season is well underway down at Sung Cove field and Finn has become entranced again with the prospect of making 50 cents on every foul ball he retrieves for the umpire.  He's pretty keen to spend his evenings down at the field, so we headed down again tonight in a light drizzle to watch the Celtics play against the Shakers.  The Shakers are having an incredible season.  They are top of the league, which is shocking to me.  I think they equalled last year's win total on opening day this year.

At any rate, pitching is their thing and they have a pretty solid hitting squad too.  So it was going to prove to be a tough slog for the Celtics who, in addition to being short on pitching, played last night two, and got drubbed by the Firemen.  To make matters worse, The Celtics catcher Scott Miller was running late and they only had eight guys in the dugout.  Some swift thinking on Marcus Hondro's part mean that I suddenly went from spectator to substitute right fielder.  For two innings I watched the game from inside the fences, for the first time ever, with a glove on my hand, clad in my street clothes with my Blundstone boots on, awaiting the fly ball that never came.  But it was enough to see the Celtics through until Scott showed up.

So put an asterisk in the record book.  My stats read 1 GP 0AB 0H 0R 0RBI 0E.  Not bad.  Not good.

The Celts on the other hand - ouch.  It was a tough game from any angle.

Apples on Bowen

A beautiful profile of Bowen Island's most accomplished apple collector, John Riley: From the Garden of Eden to Mount Gardner

Mid spring

Cloudless skies, breathless wind...white boats against azure waters.  We begin the warm days of mid spring, with a taste of summer on the air, and a taste of winter yet in the evenings.

Flowers everywhere, on the salmonberries, huckleberries, magnolias, plums and cherries.

English Bay Launch available for sale

You want to buy a Water Taxi Business?

English Bay Launch has listed itself on Craigslist. Currently the water taxis serving Bowen from Vancouver are struggling. They have made a good go of it, but I wouldn't be surprised if they both fold up totally before the end of the year. Coastal Link which ran downtown, had its vessel seized i February leaving me holding about $100 of their debt in the form of a 10 trip pass which I used once.

Frankly, although I have loved using both services for the past year and a bit - and who can argue with crossing Howe Sound in the company of dolphins - the services have become too unreliable to use on a regular basis. Twice I have nearly missed planes because of unreported delays and once I DID miss a meeting because the water taxi just never showed up, and failed to call to let me know.

So I'm back to using BC Ferries for all but the most relaxed trips into town and of course, the old reliable Cormorant Marine, Bowen's own water taxi, to get me home late at night with David Smith at the helm, blues pumping through the cabin.

Only on Bowen: Coffee couriers

Jennifer reminds us that your friendly neighbourhood drop box comes with some obligation.

The way it works is this: several "public" places, like The Snug or the General Store act as informal courier centres where people leave things for other people. The Snug has always been the go to place for these kinds of items - borrowed books, videos, notes. I've even picked up a check there. One year the Bowfest committee just left checks for all the musicians who played in a box at The Snug and we all waltzed in a picked them up.

It's a cool thing, a generous offering from the business owners and damn handy from time to time.

And, as the posters in the above thread note, it is polite to at least buy a coffee when dropping of or picking up an item. Small price to pay for a convenient service such as this.

Another Only on Bowen moment.

Skinny dipping in the Queen Charlotte Channel

Excellent find from the Phorum in a list of 124 years of Vancouver oddities:

"In 1938, 19-year-old Annabelle Mundigel became the first person to swim from Vancouver to Bowen Island. Not until years later did she reveal that she had slipped out of her bathing suit shortly after starting, handed it to her mother in a following boat, and swam the rest of the way clad only in lard. Yards from the island, she put the suit back on."