Arrival at Entrance Island

Arrived at my new lightstation yesterday, aided by Monika, a charming Gabriola taxi driver, and a wonderful Lab Supervisor from the Gabriola Health Centre. When I found out my helicopter was delayed a couple of hours, she helped me pack all my gear into the health centre for safe keeping. This afforded me some time to take in the island trails. Arbutus trees! This is a tree we don't see much in the Lower Mainland--such a shame--it's curling red papery bark is so elegant. I forgot how much I like arbutus trees. Before she left at noon, she helped me carry my stuff back out to the heli-pad, and fortunately my chopper came soon after. We flew out to Nanaimo Airport to pick up more passengers so I was treated to a view of Gabriola and the lush farmlands around Nanaimo--some gorgeous horse farms there.

Entrance Island is built on a giant rock near the mouth of Departure Bay so ferries glide by regularly. There is a seal colony and several big old sea lions that lounge about on the rocks, as well as, eagles and gulls. When I looked out my window this morning, this is the first thing I saw:

He would doze like a big old dog until he heard or sensed something and then he'd raise his head and move it back and forth; this seemed to provoke an itch which he'd then scratch with his flipper.

Yesterday, we had a few showers and then were granted this beautiful rainbow. This will be my home for the next couple of months and I like it!