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She awaits…
Laying back across the water.
A little smug – or it is content?

Travellers think of her, obsess about her.
She is rest and reflection and retreat.

John Donne said no man is an island.
Perhaps, in part, he did not fully intuit
the inherent feminine core of islands.

I’ll miss cats with names like Golden Stream and Blue Sky. Farm and garden stands with flowers, fresh eggs, veggies, honey, jam and more. Back home in Renton, the scent of lavender sachets purchased from the Ruckle Park farm stand wafts gentle memories.

I’ll miss sunlight among the great cedars and Douglas firs and the birdsong floating through forest branches.

I’ll miss Gallery 8 in Ganges, featuring sculpture and paintings by amazingly talented artists including Simon Morris, creator of fine art bronze sculptures with marine themes, and painter Carol Evans who so ably captures the misty light and atmosphere of west coast living. Steffich Fine Art, almost next door, with fascinating cast stone and wood sculpture by Thomas McPhee and stunning kiln-formed glass by Anthony Jamieson Designs. Outside, the gallery has installed wind sculptures that island breezes often set in motion.

I’ll miss the deer… everywhere…

Most of all, I’ll miss hanging out with my family. On the deck, with cups of tea and good books in hand. On the waterfront enjoying the view. Smiling and laughing through a meal. Good and peaceful times, tucked away in my heart. Until next time!

Note: Most links go to Facebook pages – they are usually more current than the websites.

Vineyards are not new on the island, but food carts are a more recent addition. We visited the T&A Café, a colorful cart in Ganges named for the two owners, local gals with a sense of humor and a unique burger interpretation. A generous beef and pork patty is topped with homemade beet relish and tucked into a tasty pretzel bun. We had no problem polishing it off, along with fries made the way I like them – skin on and not greasy. Locals also recommend the taco cart, next to the Sea Breeze Motel off Fulford-Ganges Road, but we did not have a chance to sample their wares. Next time!

Before I get to wine tasting, a few more words on food. I’ve already raved about Auntie Pesto’s in Ganges, which will not disappoint. The Tree House Cafe, also in Ganges, is a good lunch spot, though I did not visit on this trip. It’s hard to get better fish and chips than those at the Seaside Restaurant in Vesuvius. We had a family dinner there and also really enjoyed the desserts along with stunning views. In Ganges, Harlans Chocolates has yummy chocolate and very good gelato, and for a great waffle cone, stop by Glad’s Ice Cream and Sweet Shop, across from Mouat’s Hardware. (Glad’s is a seasonal business.) Old Salty’s, a gift shop, sells Crow chocolate bars, which fans of chocolate will not want to miss, along with a good selection of Roger’s Chocolates from Victoria, a venerable establishment famous for its chocolate creams.

We visited two wineries and loved both. Salt Spring Vineyards and Winery is on the way to Fulford Harbour and has been pressing great wine for about 15 years, though I can remember the vines going in a few years earlier. As with so many vineyards, the grounds were lovely. I hope to add a photo to this post later from hubby’s tablet (I forgot my camera on this visit). We enjoyed the ability to sample at least eight wines without a tasting fee! We left with several bottles, including Evolution, a charming white with layers of flavor, plus an irresistible dessert wine made from heritage apple trees on the property and another made of pure blackberries, along with a bottle of merlot for my dad. The prices were good and the service friendly and informative.

Mistaken Identity Vineyards is just outside of Ganges and sustainably cultivates organic vines. It has been operating for about six years and has a tasting fee of $4 for four samples. One fee is waived for each bottle purchased and believe me, you will want to buy this wine! We were unexpectedly captivated by the pinot rosé, and by the blackberry wine that was tempered with grapes for a less-sweet but richly fruity finish. We found the prices very reasonable and the service helpful, and walked out with more bottles. This winery also sells wine vinegars and other goodies, plus colorful scarves made in Guatemala.

We wanted to also visit the Garry Oaks Winery, but their tasting hours are limited to weekends. They did not answer their phone for a request to visit outside posted times. Their wines are available in local liquor stores and I remember them being very good. Last time I was on island, they were not yet open for the season so here’s hoping I can catch them on my next visit!

The ferry from Fulford Harbour on Salt Spring to Swartz Bay outside of Victoria takes about 35 minutes. We arrive early at the Fulford ferry terminal and hop into the Rock Salt Café for a cup of superb java (Salt Spring Coffee Company on tap) and a snack of locally made pastries. The barista went to school with my nephew and cheerfully asks after the family, as many islanders are wont to do. Dad is outside sitting in the sun with an ice cream cone, in his element. We gather ourselves up and drive onto the open-deck ferry, and after the ride, head to the airport to pick up my husband. Then we are off to Sidney, a delightful little community built along the seaside facing south toward Mt. Baker. Like so many places in this part of the world, sunny days bring out the best of the scenery, and draw strollers to the waterfront walkways where cafes and restaurants abound.

Click on any photo to enlarge and enjoy!

As we walk along the waterfront, we meet a local charmer.

With a half hour to kill before meeting my nephew and his wife for dinner, the stroll continues.

The marina is loaded with boats displaying names filled with whimsy, dreams and adventure.

We enjoy a delectable dinner at the Beacon Landing Pub, just two days before my nephew, Tyler, and his wonderful wife Jeanine head off for a month of camping through B.C. They are taking a GoPro camera so we are hoping to follow along with their posts. After dinner, the ferry ride home gives us more spectacular scenery to enjoy.

A tree faller leaves a voice mail for my brother-in-law to confirm the day that he will fall two maples next to the deck but emphasizes that he does not want to be paid until he knows they are satisfied with the job. After the trees are down, we enjoy a parade of deer who find the leaves irresistably delicious.

Browsing through the racks of a clothing boutique in Ganges, the lone salesperson asks if we mind if she pops next door to fetch a cup of tea. We do not, continuing to peruse the racks. A few minutes later she returns, apparently unconcerned about our honesty. I buy a shirt, thinking how this would never happen anywhere in Seattle.

I discover that the campsite road through Ruckle Provincial Park offers a better path to the waterfront. There are deer all along the path, but they decline to offer a photo-friendly shot.

After a long day of adventures, Pebbles the cat, who was with us in spirit, has the right idea about how to spend the evening.

Ganges is the main harbor and town on Salt Spring Island. It is generally easy to find parking somewhere in the area, except for the months the Saturday Market is open, in which case I say to you, good luck! On those Saturdays, parking is as rare as hen’s teeth and the crowds amass in remarkable numbers. Given that the island is something of a mecca for artists, the market has a lot of great stuff, so the best strategy is to arrive early and cruise the booths as they are setting up.

On this Monday, we visit several galleries, including Gallery 8 where my brother-in-law’s bronze sculpture is featured along with several amazing painters, and Steffich Fine Art, which features stylized sculptures and carvings in the spirit of First Nations such as those by Thomas McPhee, one of my favorite artists.

I also wander into an endangered retail species: Black Sheep Books – a new and used bookstore. I am a bit of a dinosaur in that I truly love books – the kind one can touch and flip through and test drive in hand. A case of antique and collectible books calls to me as a magnet calls to its opposite. I stand there riveted before all those words, thinking about the level of dedication required to write a book in the 1800s and how readers should try and read old books, to celebrate authors’ voices still available 150 years later. Who held each of those leather-clad volumes with gold-stamped titles in antique letters? Who loved them and gave them as gifts? Who kept them on shelves for years and years, drawing some comfort from running their hand over the bindings, softened with age? I wonder about the experience of reading 50 or 100 years in the future when most books are likely to be electronic.

I wandered along the harbor front and shot a few photos of the day at hand, which I share now with you – postcards from Ganges.

There was an epic battle on the deck today. I’m back on Saltspring and so are the hummingbirds. My sister has one feeder and a host of hummers, who are hugely territorial. One comes by for a drink and suddenly there are several zooming past our ears like mini F-16s, scolding each other and then landing in a tree and belting out their tiny chip-chip-chip noise. I manage to get several very bad photos and have posted the best of the worst of those.

Then we hear a few twigs snap and pretty soon there’s a doe with two fawns traversing the steep back slope of the property. Earlier in the day, a buck with glorious half-grown antlers upholstered in velvet sauntered through the front yard to belly up to the bird fountain for a few sips of the good stuff. Anyone who tells you deer are silent in the forest has not met the deer on Salt Spring Island. They crash around the underbrush making more noise than people.

Every time I come to the island, the peace and tranquility amazes me. After living in the city, the sounds here are full and rich. Because Saint Mary Lake is a reservoir, there are no boat engines or float planes cutting through the air. Just birds. There are so many different bird calls in the trees around the deck that even my dad – a bird fan for many years – cannot identify them all.

We took a trip to “downtown” Ganges today. I use the word lightly given that there are no traffic lights, high-rises or people in suits. Found some more bicycle art in front of Glad’s Ice Cream, open from Easter through Labor Day, before heading inside for waffle cones. We had one of the best-ever BLT sandwiches at Auntie Pesto’s sitting on their deck overlooking part of the harbor. And, a rarity in B.C., they offered brewed ice tea – a huge plus for me!

Back home we enjoyed a beverage on the deck, the center of so many great conversations, such as one last night where my sister and brother-in-law and some dear friends of theirs recounted the worst-ever vacation. It involved five occasionally-petulant teenagers, an old pickup truck with a dying battery, an even older RV with unresolved issues and a long, long trip to Long Beach on Vancouver Island. Where they all sat in a perpetual fog bank for days, unable to see the breathtaking coast and where the unending surf ended with the fog. We all laughed so hard at the memories that I had to mop the tears from my face.

Life on the deck is good.

Even when many people are walking its paths, the Seattle Japanese Garden invites a contemplative state of mind. A pond rests in its center and the placement of each element, whether built or growing, suggests deep care went into its design. Even the turtles seem thoughtful about how they arrange themselves to bask in the spring sun.

Most of the pond is cloudy today so it takes a few minutes to focus on the many koi who have taken up watery residence. I adore koi and am thrilled to see so many large fish – a foot or longer in length – that hang out for handouts. Visitors toss in anything resembling food and the pond roils with fishy mouths in a host of hues. The murky water creates a mysterious frame for these colorful lovelies.

When you have the time, one curling fern frond is as interesting as a tree loaded with blooms.

It seems that each angle of a spot in the garden has been considered.

I wonder why it’s taken us so long to wander this wonderful place. For Seattle, it is affordable and for once there is parking – probably because it’s early spring.

Surely the garden has been designed to enjoy in every season, so there is reason to return and wander more.

Living on an island, especially a small one, requires a special commitment. A willingness to live without some conveniences while also living at some distance from what islanders call The Mainland and all of its distractions and stresses. A willingness to be tied to the pulse of ferry schedules and the cost of tickets, which change at the dictate of the ferry corporation, frequently enraging those who are fiercely devoted to their uniquely detached way of life. Years ago, I remember islanders protesting reductions in sailings and increases in fares by laying down in front of disembarking ferry traffic. Fortunately, no one was injured, though a few protest signs were damaged, and for the most part Canadian decorum prevailed. Today I look across Fulford Harbour, watching the ferry in the distance and a pair of swans in the foreground, who of course declined to be photographed.

Click on any photo to enlarge!

Coming to visit Salt Spring reveals a small slice of this life so treasured. That is, unless one is seized by island fever: that deep need to step on land that is not surrounded on all sides by water. Then the treasure is found on dry terra firma. But most are able to adapt by making forays off island to shop, visit and be entertained. These days, though, so much can be accomplished online and enjoyed on big screen TVs. However, the presence of spring lambs must be experienced in person.

The little Catholic church in Fulford is probably the most photographed church on the island. It was built in the late 1800s with building material delivered by canoes. It was years before I discovered that the faux stone façade was added in the 1970s, which solved the mystery of how the canoes could have carried all that stone! Hawaiians who adopted this new set of islands around 1850 helped build this church and some of their descendants still live on Salt Spring.

I am always a little sad to leave, but now my heart enjoys the knowledge that I can and will return. Waiting for the ferry I see a solitary otter fishing in the shallow bay next to the Long Harbour terminal. He moves through the water like mercury, sliding and diving and bobbing. I enjoy him for long minutes, confident that I will never be able to catch his slick seagoing image on camera, save for a blur.

On the ferry deck, I feel the cold sea air bite into my hair and watch the island retreat. We pass a very small island with large pine trees. Tucked into the top branches are a pair of nesting bald eagles, their heads blazing white amid the deep green. Then, a few hundred feet away, a lone eagle flies out of the trees and lands on the rocky shoreline. All of this is, of course, too far away for a decent picture. I am not worried, though. I will be back, with my camera.