OUR ELDERS.....

Where we start out often isn't always where we wind up.

I've always believed that. I started out my work life in a pharmacy and in the CIBC and then as a seamstress, but I certainly won't end up there.

Hands up for a soapmaker...........

This pretty pen has a story. This summer the stretch of beach where we usually gather sea glass finally emerged from years of rotten old kelp, and we could dig to our heart's delight again.

One of Jaime Lee's friends was wishing she could find a safe place to gather beach glass, so we invited her here to give it a go. The three of us made the trip, and Heather was so excited to finally find a place to search and was so happy to find lots of perfectly polished pieces on a lonely strip of beach where we were the only inhabitants, save the seals and screeching gulls. And she wasn't looking for the largest or brightest, she was looking for tiny pieces, to fit in the barrel of these souvenir pens, to advertise her business. She was generous enough to make sure I received one as a thank you.

But she and Jaime Lee gave me a different gift. They welcomed me into their shore line adventure. After we got home, I made a light lunch with a pot of hot tea, fresh bannock and jam and some oatcakes to enjoy on our back deck, under the umbrella, while we enjoyed the sun going down. We sorted and shared the bits of pretty sea glass like we were Queens. The weather was perfect. It was almost magical.

And when Heather got home to her family, her kids were so excited at the story that they wanted to go on the adventure! She returned a few days later and took her family to the beach, accessing it with paddle boards and kayaks. They beached and made some warm and wonderful summer memories. It's a case of elders passing down information to the next generation.

On two separate occasions Krystal and I made the trip and both times came away with treasures, not the least of which was memories to share. (and small shards of red glass, but I digress.....)

Then Jeff and Chance and the boys joined us, and what a load we got that day. Again, it was the summer for it, with calm seas and warm days. And snacks when we got home.

My kids and then my grandkids have been taught and encouraged to spend time outdoors, on the shore, somewhere away from distractions, and doing something healthy. Physically and mentally.

And another thing that we taught our kids, and then passed it down to our wee ones, is a little known location to find pure natural spring water down on the shore. We brought jars with us once to fill and take home, and I hope they always remember it. My grandmother showed me when I was hardly more than a baby, and of course those springs don't disappear, they are still where she found them. You spot one, then dig a little around it til the sand settles into a little depression, then watch it fill up. That water is cold enough to make your teeth ache, but so delicious! When the tide comes in, the springs disappear, you can only find them at low tide. It always amazed me that the fresh water springs feed the ocean, but that big blue ocean is so salty.

Now, of course we have our own well here at home, in fact, I have two wells on my property, but just in case of an Apocalypse......if you ever needed water.............

You never know.

But these are things we can pass down as the elders in our tribe now.

Years ago when I sewed at home, different people when they pulled into our yard for the first time, would stand out in the back yard and comment how beautiful the water was. Yes of course, it is beautiful everywhere on this Island.

But then they would remark, "How do you keep your kids from falling over the cliff?"

.........crickets........

How do you answer that? As Islanders shouldn't we have an innate sense of caution around the water since we're surrounded by it? We don't jump out in front of tractors either.

My grandfather, then my father and his eight siblings, then me and my brothers, and then my four kids all were raised here, and somehow, none of us fell in the drink. Not once. Darrell fell and broke his arm twice in a barn, but never on the shore. A small miracle I'm sure.

I think we all listened to our elders, and were taught to be careful until we had brains enough to have some respect for nature. Go too close, and yes, you're in for it. Climb to the very top of a big spruce tree, you better have a good exit strategy. Touch a hot stove, you're gonna get burned.

But my god, nothing was more fun as a kid than scaling the steepest part of the cliff on a worn out old rope tied to a tree.

Up. And. Down.

All day.

People have moved in and now live on the part of our property that used to be the Black Rafter and beyond, but my brothers and I have fond memories of spending all our days outside and on the shore.

Momma, as our only elder, taught us well. Hopefully we have passed some down.