Wanderings of the old sloat: Cam River Dreamtime

I'm currently staying in Campbell River, midway up the east coast of Vancouver Island. It's a comfy city of about 32,000, with nice neighborhoods and all the modcons. But it's on the very edge of the wilderness. To the west and north, and east on the BC mainland, there is almost nothing but wilderness. To me, Cam River has a bit of a surrealistic vibe, like it's perched on the edge of civilization. I'm staying at the Best Western, and I don't need a GPS to tell me my latitude...I'm a few steps south of the 50th parallel! I've always had the idea in my head that this particular line of latitude is where the Wild North begins...at least in North America. And on Vancouver Island, virtually all the population lives in Cam River or south of latitude 50.

Sitting on my deck at the Best Western, all of a sudden the Love Boat passes by! This is the Island Princess. Cam River lies at the northern end of the Strait of Georgia. From here on north, instead of a broad strait between mainland BC and Vancouver Island, there are numerous narrow passages separated by islands. The ship is transiting Discovery Passage, separating Vancouver Island from Quadra Island, which lies beyond the ship. I haven't been to Quadra, but it sounds similar to Pender Island, except it's so close to Cam River that many people commute by ferry. I reckon it would be a nice commute, riding by ship every day.

Moonrise last night over the shoreline across the street from the motel. Very tranquil, even with moderate traffic behind. The weather has been perfect...high 70s, sunny...and some folks have bonfires on the beach at sunset.

OK OK, Bald Eagles are not a novelty anymore. They're quite common in these parts. But they're cool! They hang in the treetops, scoping out the scene, then fly majestically away. Crows, seagulls, and vultures look like wimps when the ol' Bald Eagle is cruisin' the hood. This one (blow the pic up and check the treetop) is at the top of a tree right at the entrance to the Best Western. This was last night...tonight he was in a tree just behind the motel.