the Discovery Islands
the Inside Passage
Shoal Bay, East Thurlow Island
Sunday, August 29, 2010TheCambrians
After leaving Loughborough Inlet Thursday morning, we motored back to Shoal Bay for a quiet evening and, what turned out to be, a busy weekend.
Friday started off slowly with fog and showers in the morning but turned into a beautiful day, and we spent the afternoon on shore – me cleaning out the hen house and David fixing Mark's guitar. It was my first time in a coop and I stumbled around a bit but managed to clear it of soiled hay and re-bed it without losing a single chook. The ladies were grateful, despite my missteps, and one left an egg behind as a polite thank you. David's job didn't leave him with strands of hay sticking out of his hair or smelling like a barnyard but was appreciated just the same, especially by Nicholas, a young Danish WWOOFer staying a few weeks to work on the property and a talented musician travelling without an instrument. I don't, however, think he gifted David with an egg.
Earlier in the week, we received an e-mail from Rick and Gerri Lee, a couple we met last year in Princess Louisa Inlet who live in Campbell River, saying that they were coming up to Shoal Bay on Friday and offering to pick up some groceries for us. Although we're out of what we call essentials, chocolate and Coke, I showed some restraint in writing our list – just enough chicken, hamburger and beer (which qualifies as one of the four food groups) to see us through until Labour Day Weekend.
They arrived later that afternoon with provisions and Morgan, their two year-old lab who David affectionately calls Marley. She's as beautiful and energetic as ever and had a blast playing around the grounds while we sat on the deck at the pub and chatted over a cold beer. Sally, well beyond her playful years and who has always considered fetching “beneath” her, watched scornfully from her favourite spot on the deck.
That night, we had dinner aboard About Time catching up with Gerri Lee and Rick while the dogs laid side by side staring longingly at the scraps of steak on our plates (begging has NEVER been “beneath” Sally). The reunion, however, was short-lived and they were on their way again Saturday afternoon. We would have liked to buddy-boat with them for the night, but their next destination, though only an hour away for them, was a five-hour trip for us, so we opted to take Sally to shore for “Happy Hour” to meet Mark's dad who was visiting for his birthday from Campbell River along with some friends. The neighbours were there also and invited David and I to join them for dinner at their home while the rest of the regulars stayed at the pub to celebrate Norm's birthday.
Greg and Chris are a fun couple as were their house guests – Mark's cousin, Robert, and his wife, Shelly – and made us feel instantly at home. It was an all-around amazing evening rounding out another great weekend – just one of the many reasons we've fallen in love with Shoal Bay.
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