I Love the Coast Guard

Just a really quick post as it's been a very long day. Yesterday, I learned to drive the John Deere tractor -- very exciting -- and drove it down to dump my compost/kitty litter away from the station. At a station with so much wildlife and hikers regularly visiting we have to discourage them from foraging nearby. And after seeing that old bear, I wasn't much in the mood for another trek through the woods with my treasures in hand. What you see below is a Coast Guard strategy for transferring luggage to the helicopter--and guess who got to drive?

I love the Coast Guard, I really do. These are some of the nicest people you ever will meet. They make sure you are safe and well looked after without every making it seem like it's an effort. They're skilled and respectful and we should be proud of these folks who represent Canada. Wow. Where did that come from? It's true. I really am impressed.

Anyway, the fog burned off, thankfully, and it turned into a gorgeous day. I saw this fabulous white sand beach coming out of Cape Scott. Who knew BC had beaches like this? As well, we passed over a couple of fish farms out in the ocean and a large wind turbine project cut into the forest.

On the way to Port Hardy we stopped at two other light stations to drop off mail bags--I mean literally "drop" off mail. I love this shot -- here's Ivan catching the mail bag at Scarlett!  It may not sound like much but when you live in a remote place, getting a mail bag is a big deal. Almost as good as groceries; maybe even better depending on what's in it. 

Well, that's it for now.  Tomorrow I'm off to another station -- my fourth station since July 1st. Chatham Point is about 40km north of Campbell River. If you look at a map of Vancouver Island, the farthest eastern point, where the land juts out into the ocean and Johnson Strait meets Discovery Passage across from Quadra Island is Chatham Point. I hear there may not be cell phone service or Internet, so I may be right off the radar for awhile. I'm scheduled to stay there for about three months. Someone asked me if I would bored. So far there's been no time to be bored. Lightkeepers are busy people.