The days are getting progressively shorter as we work our way into the Canadian Gulf Islands - shorter daytimes and shorter milages. Today We shot through Dodd narrows early. We joined a convoy of roughly a dozen pleasure craft making their break at slack water and proceeded thirty-five miles to Prevost Island in search of James Bay Provincial Park.
Arriving before noon, we found only a couple of other boats in the bay, so anchoring was easy. It also helps to have a lot of chain, because it allows us the luxury of leaving the shallow anchoring to the hoards and park out away from the mayhem where it's a little deeper.
This was a family owned Island at one time; in fact the half of it that they didn't donate for the provincial park still is. I'm guessing the owners gave half the island to the government for the tax write-off and kept half for themselves. Or maybe the government wanted a park, so they kept raising the taxes to force the "donation." Whatever the history (or imaginary ramblings) the half that is park has a nice trail through the trees, above the shoreline, to a point with a lighted marine navigation aid (a small lighthouse without the house).
The weather was great and it felt good to get off the boat and hike for a couple of hours in the afternoon. I found a hat along the trail that looked as though it had been recently dropped. Thinking I might run into the owner on their return trip, I snatched it up and did the hike with hat in hand - so to speak. Sure enough, near the end of the trail, a family rounded the bend and spied me carrying the hat. "Oh! your hat!" one cried. They shrieked and laughed and could hardly contain their glee. They laughed and laughed. Clearly their reaction was about more than the hat; they made vague references to no one winning "the bet." Thanking me profusely, they wandered on in another cloud of laughter, leaving me a little wide eyed and wondering about the whole thing. The last thing I heard before they faded around the next corner was: "Mama got lucky."
No comments:
Post a Comment