Interesting to see the results of the beach testing for Bowen Island this summer.  The big surprise for me was seeing that Pebbly Beach, with the exception of a strange Island wide spike in May turns out to be the most consistently clean and safest beach on the island.  Surprising because it is about 200 meters across Mannion Bay from the most polluted beach that anyone swims at.  Snug Cove Beach is just not a swimmable beach at all, and the marina there contributes to the horrible condition of the water.

Not tested are Crayola, September Morn, Cates Bay, Miller's Landing, Seymour Bay and the Roger Curtis Beaches.  Be interesting to know about these ones.

The first taste of the fall storm season has arrived.  It's blustery and raining today and last night's air was sharp and cold.  There may be some nice weather left in this year, but the taste of autumn is in my mouth and the feeling is in my heart.  Time to chop some wood and start making squash soup.

Just coming off a terrific summer weekend. On Saturday a large group of Celtic musicians form the island and from the mainland gathered at The Pier to play tunes in the sun. There were lots of people there, stopping in to listen to us play or to watch the dancers clog around on the pier top.

Yesterday we met up with my old friend Chris Robertson who brought his boat over and took us back to Soames Beach on the Sunshine Coast side of the Sound. I was a perfect day, with a steady northwesterly blowing through the Collingwood Channel. The sky was crystal clear and the air was free of moisture. Caitlin described the air as “delicious” and indeed it was, especially in the early mornings, when it was still and warm and dry.

The barred owls are making all kinds of noise these days, hooting and calling at night and in the daytime. There seem to be a lot around, living mainly in the Killarney Creek valley but occasionally wandering up to our place. They call to each other all night, ringing out loud hoots and the odd screech and growl.

Summer continues, despite what the calendars say. The rain that rotted most of the blackberry crop has stayed away, a high pressure ridge has re-established itself out in the Pacific and we continue to enjoy sunny days and warm nights.   

You know, we have a lot of problems with BC Ferries...it's a compex relationship between us on the island and the corporation that helps us cross the moat.

But today I read about a BC Ferries employee who is leaving her job as a ticket taker because she gets yelled at a lot by Bowen Islanders.

Now, frustration with the ferry system comes in two forms: corporate and in the moment. There is lots to talk about at the corporate level and that's a whole other conversation. At the momentary level, it is frustrating when we show up late for a sailing or the ferry is delayed or something has happened at the terminal to keep us on the mainland an hour longer than we expected. Such things are part of living on Bowen. They get under your skin, but it's rare that they have life shattering effects.

At any rate, I would be willing to bet that you could count on the fingers of your hand the number of total annual frustrations that are actually the fault of the ticket taker. For crying out loud, it is totally unfair to unload on someone just because she has a BC Ferries logo on her shirt. It would be equally absurd to have BC Ferries people yelling at your beacause you were a Bowen Islander.

So the next time something gets to you, remember two things: first of all, you live on an island and there is an element of personal responsibility that you have to take for the situations you find yourself in. That's just real. And secondly, chill out. If you want to unload on someone, write a letter, but for God's sake leave the workers alone. It's just mean.

Found via whiskey river

To the Light of September

When you are already here
you appear to be only
a name that tells of you
whether you are present or not

and for now it seems as though
you are still summer
still the high familiar
endless summer
yet with a glint
of bronze in the chill mornings
and the late yellow petals
of the mullein fluttering
on the stalks that lean
over their broken
shadows across the cracked ground

but they all know
that you have come
the seed heads of the sage
the whispering birds
with nowhere to hide you
to keep you for later

you
who fly with them

you who are neither
before nor after
you who arrive
with blue plums
that have fallen through the night

perfect in the dew
- W. S. Merwin

Just came from a brilliant performance of George Bernard Shaw's "You Never Can Tell" at Tir-na-nog Theatre School. The play is a bittersweet comedy set on the threshold of the 20th century and it pits the old world against the new, the values of the old century against the new dawning world, and it does a brilliant job of articulating the struggle to rationalize the spaces between competing world views.

It's a great play, and it has a superb cast, my favourite cohort of the Tir-na-nog School. Mariah Fleetham, Beverly Rapley, Kailie and Sam Speares, Calder Stewart, Natasha Wehn and Justin Fitzpatrick are joined by Jack and Julie Headley in what may be the last performance that these kids will put on together for a long time. They are all perfectly suited for their roles, and Kailie and Sam especially are briliant - this is easily the best production I have seen them in. Their comedic timing is sensational and the exude the same kind of playful confidence that their characters play.

The perfromance is being done as a fundraiser for the school, and it runs with one more performance next weekend. It is WELL WORTH ATTENDING, and I can't emphasize that enough. It is an outstanding production from a troupe of seasoned young actors who have worked together for more than 10 years in some cases and who are all making tranistions in their lives. We may not see them together again for quite some time (although here's hoping) so catch their brilliant chemistry while you can.

Also next weekend at Tir-na-nog, Jack's son Hamish has returned from New York with a couple of his acting buddies from NYC and they will be staging a couple of short plays to raise money for Tir-na-nog as well. This is another not to be missed opportunity from one of Bowen's truly great acting alumni.

See you there!.

A slew of great articles from the Undercurrent this week, recounting Bowen's social history, highlighting islander achievements and updating us on the Cape Roger Curtis plan.

Susanne Martin wrote a great account of the history of Bowfest, looking at its various iterations and the events that have come and gone on the roster over the years.

There is an article abou the recent plans for the Cape and the need for community voices to be strong on what the public interest is in the lands. I'm amazed at how much the proposal has changed largely due to the tireless work of the Cape Roger Curtis Trust and the voiciferous public input that has advocated strongly for ecological values at every stage. If anything, the current iteration of the plan shows that the community's public interest makes sense and that the approach being used is influential. I hope it continues to build towards a sustainable solution for the Cape.

Lastly, Spider Robinson, our resident science fiction superhero was awarded a Heinlein medal for his lifetime body of work. It's a thrill for him because Robert Heinlein, or whom the prize is named, is Spider's hero. Spider talks about him like teenagers talk about their celebrity gods with stars in his eyes and deep appreciation in his voice. When I ran into him at Bowfest, he couldn\t find enough superlatives to describe what the award means to him. In the news story about his recognition, he has the line of the year I think, something that sums up the feeling of many of us about living on this rock: “About the only ambitions I have left now are jamming with Sir Paul McCartney, spoiling grandchildren and living forever with Jeanne ... on Bowen”. Congrats Spider.