Thousands Of Words In Autumn

An old adage says that a picture is worth a thousand words. Enough said.This blog is photos and captions only. Click on any image to enlarge.

Clear, cool, autumn air offers some fantastic vistas. This view is southeastward from Ladysmith Harbour. I wonder how the world looks to the Asian crews indentured aboard these freighters for up to a year at a time. Sometimes when passing close by, you can catch the aromas of their kitchen.

Shaggy Manes. These wild mushrooms, I KNOW are safe to eat. They have a lovely aroma and a delicate flavour. They do tend to emerge and then go bad within hours.

NO! Not these. If you are not absolutely sure, leave dem shrooms alone! Apparently some offer a very painful way to die.

NOPE! Don’t even think about it. these toadstools are lovely and incredible but probably should not even be touched with bare hands. They are amazing as they shoulder their way up from the hard-packed earth. The biggest one is about six inches across.

A day later. Damned people! Some folks have an insatiable need to destroy.

Follow that jet! Over the settling shadow of late afternoon a few hundred people chase the westing sun.

Fair Warning. Holly berries are ripe, only HOW MANY!? weeks until….

Follow that wet dog. He knows where the biscuits are.

Pomme d’Autumn
Now that we’ve had a frost or two we are truly in our “Indian Summer” Thus tinged these feral apples will be crisp and sweet, if only we had a ladder. The deer will enjoy them when they fall.

Black beach, big chain. An old ship’s forged anchor chain emerges from the coal grit of Slag Point in Ladysmith.

The maple and the holly, deep in the autumn wood.

Un-retouched. These are the real colours of big-leafed maples, draped in moss on the edge of a harvested cornfield near Cowichan Bay.

I’ve been wanting to capture this particular view for decades. I made a special trip based on the fine weather and was blessed with this. It is taken on the road to Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island and looks westward up the Cowichan Valley.

Koksilah backwater. Spawning salmon swim upstream through the marshland.

Degnen Bay, Gabriola Island.
A place of shelter and rest and for some, a long undignified dying.

Mayes Road, in another corner of the Cowichan Valley. I love this area and with a little imagination, i can transport myself for a few moments to Tuscany.

Harvest time in the vineyards of the Cowichan Valley. There is always a good chance of a pleasant surprise around the next corner.

…Such as this immaculate antique Ford truck happily lurching along at a sane and stately pace.

Another corner, and there’s a cranberry farm in the distance.

The gauntlet. Native fishermen harvest spawning salmon with their hand-made spears. Across the bridge, in the near background, drumming aqnd chanting emerged from the longhouse. The smell of alder smoke filled the air. Magic!

A fresh, rich, tasty gift from the Creator

For a moment, through the corner of my eye, I thought…
Wrong!

Let’s face it! Sometimes a little imagination and a keen eye provide startling sights.

The organic mechanic.
“Low Cost Auto Motor Repairs”

The Cowichan Valley from Mount Prevost. A flock of ravens were playing in the updrafts until motorcycles arrived. You can see the cranberry farm far below.

Look up, way up! The white cairn on the apex of the cliff is where the last frame was taken.

Sansum Narrows, looking south past Cowichan Bay. For me, the joy of a newly-discovered trail.

The trail whereupon we plod.
Arbutus trees and Garry Oaks lined the sunny ridge.

My fellow plodder. Jack’s short old legs served him well. He loves a new trail as much as I. He has slept the entire following night and day.

May there always be a bright edge on your horizons.

“In life, one has a chance to take one of two paths: to wait for one special day – to celebrate each day as special.” …Asheed Ogunlaru

Author: Fred Bailey

Fred is a slightly-past middle age sailor / writer / photographer with plenty of eclectic hands-on skills and experiences. Some would describe him as the old hippy who doesn't know the war is over. He is certainly reluctant to grow up and readily admits to being the eternal dreamer. He has written several books including two novels, 'The Keeper' and 'Storm Ecstasy,' as well as 'The Water Rushing By', 'Sins Of The Fathers', 'The Magic Stick', as well as an extensive inventory of poetry, essays, short stories, anecdotes and photographs. His first passion is the ocean, sailboats, voyaging and all those people who are similarly drawn to the sea. He lives aboard 'Seafire' the boat he is refitting to go voyaging, exploring new horizons both inner and outer. This blog is about that voyage and the preparations for it. In spite of the odds against it, the plan is to sail away this fall and lay a course southward. If you follow this blog your interest may provide some of the energy that helps fuel the journey. Namaste Contact him at svpaxboat@gmail.com View all posts by Fred Bailey

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