Saltspring's North End: Priceless Precious Peace

I'm absolutely in love with my new cottage and the priceless precious peace. When I drive home from town after a day at work, I have no desire to go out and leave it. Suddenly being alone feels even better than it used to after the past 8 months.

The North end of the island is one of the quietest parts of the island with less traffic than the South End, especially in summer because the South End has Ruckle Provincial Park and a lot of tourists/campers. A lot of people don't even get to the North End on a visit to the island.

I was reminded today of something about myself that I'd almost forgotten. I LOVE solitude. Where I was living up until this point was positively suburbia, in hindsight,compared to this place and I forgot how much I love being alone, just with nature, until the past week. It reminded me of the time I rented this little shack on Mayne Island and I rode my bike to get to it not realizing exactly how far it was from the ferry to the end of Horton Bay Road. Colleen came to visit and I could tell she was thinking, Are you out of your mind? You actually LIKE this?

If I climb up to this tree and look down on the property, you see my little cabin on the right.

I wake up to see little bunnies hopping around and fastidiously inhaling the grass, long blades disappearing between their soft lips as if they're sucking up spinach fettucine. Okay guys. Listen up with those extra big ears you've got. Stay away from the geraniums I just planted .  At dusk, there are always at least 4 or 5 deer up in the field near the tree at the top of the property.

Outside my cabin, these trees become brilliant  when the light hits them late in the afternoon. The only drawback is that there's a tiny little wasp's nest under the eaves near my bedroom. That's totally freaking me out of course. My lovely landlady bought me those lantern looking things that simulate a wasp's nest. They are supposed to tell the territorial creatures that this house is taken, look elsewhere. But, I'm not sure how well they work when the nest has already got a start. Must deal with that. I really don't like wasps. Can't barbecue with those suckers around wanting to get at any meat or flesh.

I got on my bike for the first time in a long time after pumping up the tires and using the WD 40. Okay, so my bike is fluorescent pink and green but that's because it is almost 20 years old now. Holy crap! I've become one of THOSE people. New bike? What? Why? It's perfectly fine she says. If you don't want a little flashback to the 80s, don't look.  It really does work though.

Walkers Hook Road surely has to be one of the roads on island with the flattest stretch for the longest distance. There was no traffic at 6:30 tonight and the sun was brilliant on the water. It  felt so fantastic to get back on my bike again and go for a little ride beside what has to be some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. I passed the Fernwood dock and two people were sitting on deck chairs. I couldn't tell whether they were fishing or just sitting enjoying a coffee in the peacefulness.

Pauline gave me a little hummingbird feeder and the hummingbirds with their fluorescent red and green breasts have been lining up to get at the sweet liquid.

This is what my cabin looks like with the sun striking it full blast in the evening.

And, I've positioned my computer so that when I'm at it, I get to look out at the wonderful crooked tree which seems to lean at almost a 45 degree angle over the water. The morning after the first night I slept here, a huge eagle was perched on one of its branches and suddenly, opening to its full wingspan, it spotted something and dove, catching it, whatever it was, almost in mid air. There is the constant sound of nature here from the squealing call of eagles to the frogs at night and crows which seem to have been especially raucous lately. There's the chirping of the birds and the bleeting of the goats just across the road and sitting at the picnic table, the whirring of the hummingbird wings always surprise me. Just now, as darkness has fallen, the distinctive sound of an owl, not sure which kind, intermittently calls out.

Let's face it, if I can't write something good when I"m able to look out at this view, it's a lost cause.It doesn't get much better than this when it comes to location as far as I'm concerned. Gratitude with a smile.