Dave through the Americas - 9.21.02 Full Moon, Something about Reptiles

I woke fairly early and dried out my tent in the rising sun before packing up. I biked to the ferry terminal on the other side of the island and caught the 10am ferry to Denman. It was a nice cruise through the island and eventually, I arrived Denman Village. I got a nice waffle and egg breakfast at the local hostel and a good chat with Sheldon, the host. After my nice meal, I cruised over to check out the Saturday market. I expected produce and crafts vendors, but there was only two crafts stands up. So I got out my journal for some catch up. I started writing and then Erin came by. She must have got my message that I’d be hanging out near the market. We did a bit of catching up, she told me about dinner plans tonight, and then she invited me to ride the free store with her mom. The free store is a place where people drop off used and unwanted items that other people might be able to reuse. It is located at a convenient site, the recycling depot, where people take all their recyclables for processing. We stopped by the Hillbury’s farm and picked up Lucho, the Argentinean guy I spoke with a few days earlier, and checked out the store. I didn’t find anything to grab but it was interesting to check out. I’d been hearing about these free stores since Cortes Island and I know Hornby has one as well. After we finished, Lucho was dropped off at the farm and Erin headed to her secluded cabin spot to study chemistry. Erin’s mom, Eileen, dropped me off in town by my bike. The day was gorgeous with not a cloud in the sky, so I took Erin’s recommendation to check out a lake in town called Chickadee Lake. First I headed back to the hostel where I spotted Sam and Derek’s van near the hostel when I was getting a ride into town. I met with Sam, Derek, and Sheldon and we chatted in the nice sun. I told them my plans to take a swim in the Lake and they said they might head over as well. I went to a nearby bakery for a slice of pizza and some cheese bread before heading out to the lake. The ride to Chickadee Lake was nice and I met another local named Sandy who told me the spot to get in the lake from and recommended some camping spots as well. I passed a nice wooded area that was posted as the Denman Conservancy and then took a private logging road to the nice quiet swim spot. I could smell the fragrant pinesap baking in the sun and listened to the dragonflies hovering around the lily pads. The water was so inviting, so it wasn’t long before I was wading around in the refreshing lake. Geese were splashing about in the distance and I could spot the occasional fish leaping out of the water for a fly. I got out of the water and bathed in the sun as I munched on my cheese bread and trail mix. I caught up on my writing, sitting amongst the lakeside trees. Before heading back into town, I had a quick smoke and then checked out a couple different views of the lake and took some photos. By the time I reached town, I didn’t have much time before I had to go to the Hillbury’s farm to meet Lucho and Erin. It was a short ride from town and I checked out the 90-something acre land before meeting Heather Hillbury. She is a nice woman who moved here to this farm with her husband Jeff and 3 redheaded boys about a year ago. I asked her if I could pitch my tent on the property and she said it was no problem. I changed my clothes and Lucho, Erin, and I stopped in town for some wine and chocolates for the dinner before heading to Tachi and Rob’s place. We had a great dinner and great conversation, smoked a bit and then took off to see the concert at the Denman Community Hall. A band called something about reptiles was playing. They had a Turkish/Middle Eastern style and twice throughout the night, a group of Denman Island women came out in costumes and performed great dances of the belly. People were dancing, smoking, drinking, and having a great time. The belly dancing was mesmerizing and I enjoyed it lots. I went outside a few times to enjoy the fresh air and full moon. At the end of the night, I met a nice woman named Natasha. I ended up walking her home and meeting her neighbor Shelly. I ended up staying at Natasha’s place, which was a lot easier than walking two miles to set up my tent. (12 miles)

Peace

Dave

Pic: The cool nature inspired architecture of the Hornby Community Hall

Pic: Chickadee Lake

Pic: Chickadee Lake.

Pic: Belly Dancers

Pic: Something about Reptiles

I sure hope Natasha wasn't the bass player lmao.