“Our voyage began in myth time…” says the Haida myth maker.
So starts the tale of The Spirit of Haida Gwaii. But to understand the history of this iconic and transcendent work of art, one must reset one’s contemporary clock to myth time, Pacific Northwest. In this time zone, earth merges with sea, indigenous people with animals and spirits, and timeless voyages of mythic proportions are undertaken.
Haida Gwaii aka Queen Charlotte Islands
Bill Reid’s Haida Heritage
The Haida, (sometimes spelled Hydah), are an indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest Coast from Haida Gwaii in northern British Columbia, Canada. They’ve occupied this archipelago for more than 17,000 years.
Like other people of the Pacific Northwest, their heritage is intimately tied to the land and the sea. Of the 150 islands in this archipelago, the largest are Graham Island in the north and Moresby Island in the south. Vancouver lies well to the southeast across the Hecate Strait. Alaska, where the Haida have resided for over 200 years, lies to the north.
Bill Reid was a renown Canadian historian, writer, master goldsmith, carver, and sculptor, and son of a Haida mother and Scottish father. It was his Haida heritage that would eventually lead him to become one of Canada’s greatest artists.
Bill Reid possessed many skills. His communication skills fostered connection and understanding. His gold and silver smithing created spectacular jewelry with a strong Haida influence. And his sculpting skills would lead to a number of magnificent bronzes reflecting his Haida heritage.
The Spirit of Haida Gwaii
He is perhaps best known for his most public bronze, the Spirit of Haida Gwaii. Two casts were made: The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, the Black Canoe resides in the Canadian embassy in Washington DC and The Spirit of Haida Gwaii, the Jade Canoe, is in the Vancouver International Airport.
Other pieces of his work can be seen at The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coastal Art. This gallery is a national and human treasure, showcasing the pride and exceptional richness of Pacific Northwest history.
Much like the Carriers of the Canoe in the Suquamish Museum in Washington, The Spirit of Haida Gwaii melds a diverse group of mythical creatures that tie land, sea and humanity together in a voyage across time.
In the canoe, the Raven holds the steering oar. The Raven is the trickster of Haida mythology, the bringer of change. She is both powerful and flighty. As a steersman, will her guidance bring stability or (mis)adventure?
Mouse Woman, under Raven’s tail, provides a strong moral compass as she strives for balance between earth and her creatures.
Grizzly bear, stares at Raven. The bear represents freedom and understanding, family and stability. He brings comfort and companionship to the others.
Bear Mother, grizzly’s human wife, gave birth to twin bear cubs creating a human-bear bond. Legend has it that she was the daughter of a prominent tribesman. Her two cubs, Good Bear and Bad Bear are distinguished by the direction in which their ears point.
“Dogfish Woman is another powerful figure in the pantheon of beings of the sea. The dogfish is a small variety of shark that inhabits the waters of Haida Gwaii. Dogfish Woman is a crest belonging to many of the Haida clans, and is related to a story of a woman ancestor who could transform herself into a dogfish. It is in this form that she enters into a whole other realm of experience, the undersea world.”
Other figures such as Eagle, Frog and Wolf also inhabit the boat, each bringing their mythological strengths and weaknesses to the voyage. In the middle is the human Shaman who holds a staff carved with images of Seabear, Raven, and Killer Whale.
The sculpture is 20 ft long, almost 13 ft from the base to the top of the Shaman’s staff, and weighs nearly 11,000 pounds.
Bill Reid’s Haida Gwaii is a bronze of unbelievable complexity, both in execution and in its story. For in the story of this sculpture, lies the story of its people. And, indeed, of indigenous people everywhere. The museum has an extraordinarily moving video that explores the various elements of this bronze on the second floor mezzanine . It is mesmerizing. If you go, do not walk by these films, tucked quietly alongside the beautifully sculpted handrail. Be sure to stop and be drawn in by the richness of this transcendent tale.
The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coastal Art viewed from the upstairs balcony
The Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coastal Art holds so many wonderful surprises, ranging from jewelry based on Haida Gwaii tradition, to another magnificent bronze-Mythic Messengers- mounted high above the ground floor gallery. (These pictures don’t begin to do justice to the extraordinary artwork in this museum).
Close up of Mythic Messengers
According to Bill Reid:
“this work was inspired by a device often used by Haida artists, an exchange of tongues, whereby power was communicated from one mythic creature to another. At a deeper level, the power of these old forms, born of a mythological past, reinterpreted through new materials and techniques, in a contemporary setting, can still speak to us across time, space, and enormous cultural differences.”
Using these mythic creatures, the bronze tells five stories:
The Bear Family: Mother, Prince and their two cubs
Nanasimget, his wife, and her Killer Whale abductor
Wasgo, the Sea Wolf who feasts on three whales a day, joined by the Frog, his spiritual helper
The Dogfish Woman, a female Shaman with great powers
The Eagle Prince
The piece was originally commissioned by Teleglobe Canada and later donated to the museum.
Bill Reid was equally adept in numerous mediums. Here is a sampling of his work from the museum:
Bill Reid captured mythic images in gold jewelry.
Haida Necklace. The “rope” is made of ivory.
Bil Reid was also a talented sculptor.
A paper cache mural of Dogfish
This gallery is a showcase of the exceptional richness of Pacific Northwest history through Bill Reids eyes and talents. If you only go to one museum in Vancouver, I highly recommend this one, for its exploration of the past, the incredible quality of Bill Reid’s works and contributions, and just for fun. It is a stunning gallery to visit and to share.
On Bill Reid:
On the collected works:
The Vancouver Art Gallery: Impressionist Exhibit
Vancouver Art Gallery
Impressionists weren’t shrouded in myth. At least not when they started out. If anything these visionary renegades were aggressively shunned by the traditional art world. But their vision would provide to be a pivot point for the history of art, bridging from the traditional portrait painters to the modernity of contemporary art.
The Monet exhibit at the Vancouver Museum of Art includes Monet’s iconic painting that lent the name Impressionist to the painter’s movement. While some of Monet’s more familiar art is present, a great deal of darker paintings from his latter days at Giverny, when his eyesight was failing him, are also part of the collection. The exhibit is well worth seeing, but it falls short of the Impressionist show that toured San Fransicso some years back and little can compare with his Paris displays.
One of the most remarkable paintings in this touring collection is the painting that inadvertently provided the name of the Impressionist movement: Impression, Sunrise.
Impression, Sunrise by Monet
This painting was first shown at the Exhibition of the Impressionists in April 1874. It depicts the port of Le Havre.
The entire collection is accompanied by Stephen Shore’s photographic collection that follows the restoration of Giverny. This set of photographs alone is fascinating, as it chronicles the loving restoration of Monet’s famous house and gardens. All in all, a great exhibit.
Footnote: My original plan in Vancouver was to focus on the amazing outdoor aspect of this Pacific northwest city. But wildfires in British Columbia, plus a heat wave, created very bad air quality, which necessitated a change in my focus. That plus an lodging misadventure (story to come!). The vagaries of travel! Stay tuned for more on my #Vancouver adventure.
I had always intended to go to Vancouver with Eva.
Eva was born in Czechoslovakia and emigrated to Canada. She had lived in Richmond, just south of Vancouver, before moving in next door to me in Connecticut, and she was eager to show me her adopted “hometown”. But the opportunity never quite came together. Between moves, divorces and then sadly, her death, we never got to make that trip together.
Eva died of liver failure. I suspect it was at least partly due to an inordinate fondness for alcohol. But she was a big girl, with big appetites, and that included quantity, as well as sometimes quality. I wish I could find that picture of the two of us. Me in my preppy tweed, Burberry coat and boots. Eva in stretch lycra, big hair and leather and always wearing her big, wonderful smile.
You couldn’t juxtapose two more different women, yet that was a key part of the friendship. She wanted whatever was bright and hot and cool. She could own a handbag for a week and be done with it. I, on the other hand, would carefully choose my classic Coach bag and keep it forever. She adored touristy stuff and chachkies. I didn’t care for either. She was extremely gregarious; I was more reserved.
From New Haven to Newport
Eva insisted on a day trip to Newport, RI to see the mansions. Yawn. I had zero interest. But I got dragged along, as driver and friend.
Eva’s enthusiasm and appetites were always engaging, and Newport suited her to a tee. The more gold, the better! The more sordid the history, the more involved she got. The gaudier the building, the more it pleased Eva.
The truth is, I had a blast. From the Renaissance excess of The Breakers, to the bobbing boats in the harbor, it was a great day. Part of it was the company. Part of it was a simple realization on my part:
Touristy things can be a bunch of fun
Seattle and Mt. Rainer from the Space Needle
Preferably followed by a good lunch to ease the madness of crowds. A recent visit to the Space Needle is a case in point. The view was magnificent, and Mount Ranier was visible in the background. But the elevator opened to the smell of stale popcorn with synthetic butter. And the unrelenting, senseless loudness of people in crowds never ceases to amaze me.
Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. -Abraham Lincoln
Sculptural orbs line the walkway under the Space Needle
Chihuly Outdoor Gardens
The grounds surrounding the Space Needle were beautiful and the integration of blown glass forms into the outdoor gardens was my favorite part of the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit.
For me, the most interesting aspect of this monument from the 1962 World’s Fair was the historic story board that lines the ramp leading up to the glass enclosed elevator. (Note: The elevator is touristy fun. The story board makes the long wait touristy fun too.) As is the history of the fair:
The theme of the fair was modern science and space exploration. The U.S. government was eager to display it’s prowess in these areas and provided $9 million towards funding the event which was held April 21 through October 21, 1962. It drew almost 10 million visitors, including me and my family. And Elvis Presley, who was shooting a movie in the area (I missed Elvis). The fair was opened to 538 ringing bells, 2000 balloons, and 10 Air Force F-102’s overhead. From the City of Seattle Archives here is an overview of the fair’s offerings.
The Federal Science Pavilion, “a virtual cathedral of science”
The fair brought back vague, childhood memories. I recalled some of the buildings; I loved the fact that the monorail was still in use. But overall, I was grateful that my morning would soon be afternoon at the nearby Queen Anne location for Taylor’s Seafood.
Perhaps I’m still a bit of a tourist curmudgeon. Eva wouldn’t have let me get away with that attitude.
The last time I saw Eva was around 1989/90 when I stayed with her in southern California. I visited as I tried to sort out my ex-husband’s infidelities and lies. I wasn’t very good company as I obsessed about events over which I had no control. But at least I was aware of my ranting, and I left so as not to wear out my welcome. This bit of consideration on my part would be one of the key events that led to my learning to fly. Little did I know how life would unfold, or that I would never see Eva again.
So the intent of this trip to Vancouver is partly in remembrance; partly, to fulfill a promise; and, as always, partly for some adventure.
And I shall do some very touristy things.
But I had counted on Eva to show me around. We were supposed to go to the market on Granville Island. We were supposed to do dim sum. This trip I’m solo. Can one even do dim sum alone?
The purpose of dim sum is to visit and browse and explore the many little tastes of the perfect little morsels of food offered during the experience. Dim sum has it’s roots in the Silk Road, where travelers were served small bite sized foots along with tea. For many Chinese, it is a family brunch tradition, although it’s morphed to be served as snacks in China, or even as dinner in some restaurants. Eva and I would have had a blast, exploring the menu and finding our favorites.
Granville Market, Vancouver
Granville Market is another landmark that Eva and I had planned to visit. She was learning to cook, so each food offered new possibilities for her boundless enthusiasm.
I remember when she spilled an entire bottle of soy sauce on a very white wall to wall carpet in her home. Aided by a bit of wine, the recipe got away from her, and portions of the carpet were now a mottled, speckled, ugly brown mess. She was desperate to hide the spot from her somewhat older, domineering German husband.
As I recall, some combination of seltzer/salt and or baking soda was finally fairly effective at soaking up the stain. But soy sauce was now on the to-be-avoided list of ingredients lest the wine get away with the recipe. And when Eva started venturing into raw fish dishes, I stepped in and became the gravlax expert for that summer, hopefully tactfully managing the possibility of food poisoning running amuck through the neighborhood.
Those days were such fun. We were all young and happy and settled (or so I thought); so sure of our paths in life. I cannot believe some of the events that transpired after those years. But memories of my big haired, lycra wearing friend have always been with me, and on this next foray to Vancouver, Eva lives on.
“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” –Thomas Campbell
So, dim sum and Granville Market. Then we shall see what tourist fun Vancouver comes up with. Because I shall do some very touristy things.
“He was a bold man that first ate an oyster.” – Jonathan Swift
It was in a Versailles restaurant that I ate my first oyster. The year was 1960 something.
I’d watched as waiters delivered tiered plates to the table. On each plate, on each tier, was a different type of oyster.
“Have you ever had huitres?” Horst inquired. Horst was a German business associate of my father’s who lived in France.
“No.” I replied, craning to see what all the fuss was about at the neighboring table.
“Well you must try them! Garcon!” And so oysters arrived at the table and into my life. I was chronologically about eight years old, with the taste preferences of an impossible adult diva.
My first briny taste was awe inspiring. I had a new favorite food.
At the time, it was considered gracious to provide menus without prices to the guests at the table. My father, quickly seeing my ability to find the most esoteric and expensive item on the menu regardless of language or currency, gave me the price list to consider in my menu meanderings.
Not that it really influenced me. Certainly not when it came to oysters.
Oysters in Connecticut were usually fried. Big plates of succulent oysters, with lemon and tartar sauce on the water in Guilford. Or fried and stuffed into a grilled filet mignon at the Griswold Inn in Essex. It wasn’t until New Orleans that I was reunited with my favorite crustacean au naturelle.
And Rockefeller. And in pan fries, and in a hundred other creative combinations. In New Orleans, the combination of culinary creativity and oysters ROCKED! Raw, Rockefeller, fried in a po’ boy. OMG. I’ll have one of each! From In a Half Shell is a look at some New Orleanian takes on this crustacean. And I’ll be in New Orleans this fall. I may just have to revive this particular theme.
Local New Orleans lore held that you only ate oysters in months with an “R”. One studiously avoided eating oysters in months that do not contain an “R” (May through August). Perhaps. But here in Seattle, there seem to be no such cultural restrictions.
Thaiku in Seattle
May Kitchen on Vashon Island
In my quest for oysters, I have to admit I get waylaid. Guay Tiaw Tom Yum Nahm Kon (Wild cod, prawns, salmon stuffed tofu, egg, beanspouts, cilantro, scallion , egg noodles in a rich hot and sour shrimp broth) from Thaiku lured me to Thai rather than oysters. Green curry on Vashon at May Kitchen lured me to the curried side. But now I am on an oyster quest. Nothing will stop me.
There are at least 17 varieties of oysters available in the South Puget Sound Oyster Appellation of Washington State. This appellation ranges from Port Townsend to Bellingham, WA. From the Chef’s Resources, these include:
I put out an inquiry on social media and a number of places were recommended. Two of the most highly suggested were Taylor’s Shellfish Farms where their tagline is “From Tide to Table” and The Walrus and the Carpenter in Ballard:
The Walrus and the Carpenter Walked on a mile or so, And then they rested on a rock Conveniently low: And all the little Oysters stood And waited in a row.
The Walrus and The Carpenter is BEHIND this restaurant
The Walrus and the Carpenter, named after Lewis Carroll’s famous poem, is a “hot” restaurant. Located at 4743 Ballard Ave. NW, Seattle WA 98107 in Ballard, This neighborhood restaurant/bar is not far from the weekend Farmer’s Market. During the week they offer a happy hour from 4-6pm Monday through Friday.
But first you have to be able to find it.
The restaurant facing the street is NOT the Walrus and the Carpenter. You need to look for the little neon sign that leads to a nondescript corridor, that passes Barnacle (an Italian themed seafood bar owned by the same people) that finally leads to a bright, bustling seafood bar and restaurant.
The entry parallels the open kitchen and marble bar. Baskets of fresh oysters on ice tempt you immediately.
The bustling bar at the Walrus and the Carpenter
The menu is fairly straight forward. My selection of oysters du jour are Fanny Bay, Eld Inlet, Glacier, Houg Cove, Calm Cove and Totten.
Every oyster I eat is my favorite, but the Fanny Bays are really outstanding. Progressing from their delicate flavor to the slightly brinier Eld Inlet, a taste of mineralogy and brine linger with an almost tangy sweet aftertaste when combined with the shallot mignonette.
I’m in love.
I also ordered a very nice Jo Landron, Les Houx Muscadet. There is something about Muscadet and oysters that always seems to work. And this combination simply sings.
I also ordered some fried oysters which were encased in a chunky, slightly spicy crust and served with a delightful cilantro aioli. Warm, soft, crunch: perfect. But the oysters on the half shell are what really speak to my soul.
On such a soulful quest, no oyster should be ignored so my next stop is a local’s favorite, Taylor’s Shellfish Farms with locations in Pioneer Square, Capitol Hill, and Queen Anne.
Taylor’s in neon at the Queen Anne location
The Queen Anne restaurant is located on Republican Street near the Space Needle and the Performing Arts Center. The restaurant has a slightly modern, simple flair. The star is meant to be the seafood, not the decor.
The menu is limited, but unlimited in its bounty. Oysters, oysters and more oysters. There are also steamed clams, three ways:
Classic: Herb-shallot butter, sugar peas, thyme, white wine
Thai Curry: Tomato, coconut milk, ginger, jalapeño, green onion
And salads, soups and even a grilled cheese sandwich that is paired with Macrina Focaccia, Beecher’s Flagship, Provolone and a pickled red onion and arugula salad. And mussels and other seafood.
And oysters. Did I mention the oysters?
The oyster bar at the Queen Anne Taylor’s
Today’s Shucker’s Dozen included Sumo Kumo, Fat Bastard, Pacific, Shikoku and Kumamoto. What can I say other than briny bliss?
I eat my oysters simply with a shallot mignonette. A bit of lemon. No heavy chili sauces for me. I want to taste the oyster.
Taylors is a bit of a local legend. The family has been farming the waters of Puget Sound since the 1890’s. They have a combination of restaurants and retail seafood shops. They also raise and sell seafood internationally.
Here in Washington state, in every town they do business, they make it a point to give back. They’re deeply focused on their community, with an emphasis on youth and community service. And naturally, they’re deeply routed in creating a healthy, sustainable environment for seafood and much more.
The menus vary slightly by location, and of course, by season. At the Capitol Hill location, I added a Dungeness crab to my oyster repertoire. The location in Pioneer Square has more food options, including a fried oyster po’ boy. I would suggest trying them all. And even if there is an R in the month, you can still count on oysters at Taylor’s Seafood Farms.
When I think of oysters in literature, one of my favorite passages is from Anna Karenina where Levin dines with Oblonsky. The sheer joy of sharing a wonderful repast, even if with a somewhat distracted country cousin, has stayed with me all these years. But, perhaps more to the point and not requiring as much context:
“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.
Port Townsend, Washington via Huntsville, Alabama : The Serendipity of Travel
The van was ready to go. I sat in the first row of seats. There were two other rows behind me that quickly filled with people heading for the Huntsville airport.
As people deposited their bags at the back of the van, they clamored in and found a seat on one of the three benches. After a week at a bloggers conference, I was a bit more gregarious than usual. I greeted everyone as they entered the van and asked where they are from.
Paris.
Georgia.
Port Townsend in Washington State.
“I am going to be in Seattle this summer,” I replied.
“Here is my card,” the woman replied. “I’m Kathy. I’m moving to Portugal, but I’ll be in Port Townsend for the summer.”
I filed away the card, not knowing if I’d follow through, or if our calendars would coincide.
For a while, a rendezvous was hit and miss. Kathy was in Europe. Then a death in her family. I was traveling. Then housesitting.
From Magnolia-Seattle-Bainbridge-Port Townsend
But finally we connected. And I made arrangements to visit this small town on the tip of a peninsula in the Pacific Northwest.
Small towns are interesting cultural experiences. From the outside looking in, they may look picture perfect. Port Townsend is certainly in the running for this award.
I met Kathy outside of the Quimper Mercantile Company. Then we set set off on a tour of the town, and each step was a treat and a retreat into history. Kathy has lived here for quite some time, and she knows every nook and cranny of town, as well as its history and the people that keep it all so vibrant and alive.
Quimper Mercantile Exchange
Take Quimper Mercantile Company. It’s a community owned store with over 840 community investors. The store is built on sustainability , although it’s also managed to turn a profit.
The store opened in October 2012, replacing Swain’s Outdoor which closed in early 2011. Local residents saw the need for a store that sold day to day goods not readily available without going to a distant mall. So Quimper Mercantile Company was founded. It provides basic clothes, toys, birthday presents, housewares and any number of items that when you need it, you need it now! Plus it’s an integral part of this closely woven community, many of whom choose to support the venture and shop local. And it’s expanding.
This was the starting point for our tour and our conversation, which ranged from teaching English in Spain, to the ins and outs of moving to Portugal, to traveling the world.
A stroll down the street brings forth stories and memories about Kathy and her family’s numerous entrepreneurial endeavors, which include a travel website (www.milesgeek.com), a former yarnshop and antique shop, two local bookstores run by her son, and much more. Block after block, she shares a tale of the city, it’s people and it’s future. all intertwined with a bit of her past as well.
Summers in Port Townsend are packed full of goings on, just as in Seattle. There are many highly regarded festivals and events in this small town including Fiddle Tunes, Writers Conferences, Concerts, a Jazz Festival and much more.
The Port Townsend Film Festival , held September 15, 16 and 17th this year, is truly remarkable, particularly given the size and location of Port Townsend (population: 9113). Over 300 volunteers make this annual celebration possible. The festival was founded in 1999 by four film buffs who met annually at Telluride and decided they would create a film festival closer to home. They succeeded. Seventeen years later, over 90 films are screened in seven venues. And numerous notables have graced the walkways of this particular film festival.
Bruce Dern was honored in 2012. He mentioned that his time spent in Port Townsend gave him the insight he needed to create the acclaimed character of Willy Grant.
“What did I know of small towns?” he asked, as Kathy relays the story. “The three days I spent here, submersed in this environment, allowed me to create that character.” True or not it speaks to the graciousness that Port Townsend seems to bring out in people.
The film, Nebraska, directed by Woody Allen, was released in 2013. It’s the story of a small town’s reactions to Dern’s character, Woody Grant, who wins a million dollar lottery.
Port Townsend’s claim to fame extends to some other films, like this fight scene from An Officer and A Gentleman, which was filmed in Port Townsend, outside a (former) popular bar. The bar was something of a local landmark and it lives on in this film.
Part of the bar’s unique history is that it provided rooming upstairs for many of the young people who worked there. To this day, reunions bring together people from that era to share some of their own Port Townsend histories.
The Rose Theatre
The local film festival is remarkable, not just for its history, but because it reflects the deep artistic and cinematic roots of the town. The Rose Theatre, located at 235 Taylor St., offers a curated line up of of world class theatre, including moves, plays, ballets and operas. The building opened in 1907 as a vaudeville theatre. Today, its eclectic mix of film and other performances are often accompanied by one on one question and answer sessions with people connected to the performance.
The movie line up is spectacular, and includes everything from summer time classics such as Jaws to The Hero, an official selection of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, which caught my eye. I hadn’t heard of it. It stars Sam Elliot. Critics have said that this is a career defining role for the actor.
From IMdb:
“The legendary Sam Elliott stars as an aging actor confronting mortality in the moving new film….THE HERO is a beautiful and poignant celebration of life and the legacies we all leave behind.”
This and dozens of other films, old and new, are offered through this gem of a theatre that, among other little luxuries, offers real buttered, freshly popped popcorn. The experience of Rose Theatre is just one example of what makes Port Townsend so rich and so unique. This theatre is a remarkable experience for anyplace, and it’s one of the cultural and historic icons that makes this town so special to so many.
If you have the good fortune to find yourself in Port Townsend for a show, be sure to put it on your agenda. Or better yet, start your agenda with the Rose Theatre.
Port Townsend
Block for block, Port Townsend reveals itself through Kathy’s eyes and memories. She recalls how the beach used to be wide open at the end of town; how the new center brings new life to this part of town; stories of the former cannery at the end of a wharf (and the story of the delivery truck that fell through the wooden planking into the water); how owning two bookstores (her son’s) in town offers increased versatility for their ever expanding literary collections.
I am barely scratching the surface of this remarkable town, but I hope you’ll put it on your Pacific Northwest calendar. Even without Kathy as a guide, the charm and character of the town resonates in its shops, events, and most of all, in its people.
Returning to Seattle
Heading back to Magnolia, I pass through Bainbridge en route back to Seattle. It is a return to the modern world, Puget Sound island style. I am late for the ferry I had hoped to make; early for the next one. I sit and wait.
The morning commute to Seattle
Eventually the ferry approaches and docks. Hundreds of bicyclists, wearing brightly colored jerseys and form fitting black shorts, with knapsacks strung to their backs, complete their daily commutes. It is a world removed from Port Townsend.
Cars leave the boat, ferrying their owners for an evening at home; and as I board the ferry, the day recedes.
Except for a very warm feeling of a very special place that I will have to revisit. Thank you Kathy for sitting behind me on that van to the airport however many months ago.
I feel disconnected; disbelief. I am floating in a sea that I don’t recognize. There is a mental and physical heaviness, a sluggishness that dominates the day to day. An awkwardness that was never present before. I want to disconnect, not face the reality that my great legs are not so great; my waist carries too much girth; I am easily winded. I order loose clothing and I’ve had to go up a size in jeans.
Whether it’s scars from surgery, body parts that have been removed, loss of hair, weight gain or weight loss, body image is a common theme among cancer patients.
I know what to do. This is one instance where I do know the cure. I simply need to get moving again. Unlike two people currently in my network who are facing active treatment without a sure cure. Or perhaps without any cure.
For this moment, I am grateful for my relative health. I know to be here, now. Be grateful for this day, this moment in time where all is well. I also know what my body needs and I’m capable of providing it, even if I’ve shunned this effort for some time now.
How did this happen? I’m part jock (not necessarily a good one, but still…). I’ve always played sports. Squash. Tennis. Hiking. Skiing. Kayaking. And now I find myself overweight and out of shape. How did this happen to me?
Looking back three years, it was the last round of drugs and steroids that stayed my cancer but destroyed my joints. I hit my low point when I went walking one day and I was in such pain, I was afraid I wouldn’t even be able to crawl (or even roll!) back home. I finally just gave up and laid on the bed with a bag of potato chips.
This was the absolute nadir.
One: I never eat potato chips, and
Two: I always prefer moving to lying around.
A hip replacement meant rehab (yay!) but even with a serious effort in the gym on a daily basis, problems remained. The orthopod offered shots that might or might not work. Drugs to mask the pain. He shrugged. It wasn’t his mobility and quality of life that was at stake.
So I started yoga for rehab, rather than more drugs. The yoga was torture. I was tight, weak and wobbly. I was still in breath-taking pain. But I stuck with it and one year later, I had realized some significant progress. I learned stretches to keep my body more limber and twists that are nothing short of miraculous. Now I travel with yoga mat, balls, strap and blocks.
Many people haven’t heard about yoga balls. They are always on my must pack list. These dense, hard balls allow me to reach those deep muscles that hurt and cramp, and need massage to unknot. Wherever I go, my yoga balls go with me. Often, they sleep with me, to reach a sore spot in my shoulder or on my ribs.
The crux of my getting so out of shape was one simple issue: I had gotten out of the habit of being active.
Prior to this, if you had told me that activity was a habit, I simply would not have understood. Even with cancer, I was always moving, as much as I could be. I pushed myself to work out through chemo, to my enormous benefit. But this time, even I couldn’t overcome the after effects of the drugs and the not so successful surgery. The pain and disability started a downward spiral that fed on itself. I had established a new, not so good habit of inactivity.
The secret of your future is hidden in your daily routine.
– Mike Murdock
These words are true on so many levels. Our daily habits set the stage for our daily lives. Regardless of locale, we all travel with ourselves, our thoughts and our habits. I’ve been on the road over a month now, and it’s time to really take charge of my routine. Routine will transcend geography, if I can just get it in place.
Vashon Island Ferry Walk
I started a daily walk on Vashon Island. It included a fairly steep hill down to the ferry landing and back, about 3 miles altogether. Every day. Rain or shine. More or less. (I’m not a native Seattle-ite and gray drizzle does faze me.)
I recently volunteered for a golf tournament/fundraiser for Cancer Pathways and I noticed that my trusty khaki skort is getting a bit looser. I’m still over weight and out of shape, but at least its moving in the right direction.
Now, in Magnolia on the north side of Seattle, I walk every morning.
Magnolia has wonderful views of Puget sound. Directly south I can see Vashon Island where my friends are settling into their soon to be renovated house.
The Seattle Space Needle
If I head southeast, I turn the corner to see the Space Needle.
The Cascades
And to the west, lies Bainbridge Island and the Cascades. This picture was taken early one morning as the sun hit the mountains and the fog had yet to lift from the lower elevations. This is my daily route and I love every step.
This walking routine was partly propelled by a wonderful and unexpected gift: a fabulous set of walking sticks from Diana Oliver at Urban Poling. The company is based in Canada, and they are on a mission to get people moving, one step at a time. This is their vision:
“We envision a healthy future founded on prevention. We envision achieving physical and mental well-being by being active. We envision a future of feeling good, from the inside out. Now we ask you, why wait, the future begins today.”
Today indeed!
The founders, Mandy Shintani and Diana Oliver bring talent and enthusiasm to their comittment to health. Mandy has a Masters in Physical Therapy. Diane’s background is in business, sales and fitness. Together they make the perfect team. And very seriously, the perfect product.
Urban poles use 90% of your muscles, burn more calories, increase core strength and help with balance. The company warns that you should start slowly, using the sticks for just a third of your first foray. Listen to them! This is more of a workout than you may think!
I am using their Activator poles to start and I LOVE them. This is an easy way to add some tempo and pace to your walk, along with more of an all over body work out. On a psychological level, they also provide a purpose for my foray. I like the intentionality of walking with these poles. I know that I am going walking for me. It’s a gift to body and mind, just as meditation is a gift to my well being.
Walking is such a natural and marvelous exercise. You can do it anywhere and everywhere. Think seriously about adding a pair of Urban Poles to your life! A simple tool that brings with it meaningful motivation. Check them out. And thanks to Urban Poling for offering a 10% discount to my readers by using the code PWCRT.
And most of all, thank you Urban Poling for a totally serendipitous gift that is helping and motivating me to reclaim my life, one step at a time.
This infographic is compliments of LiveandDare.com
Another critical part of my routine which has slipped a bit lately is meditation. A fit mind is a fit soul.
I learned to meditate from one of the Maharishi’s students. (The Maharishi, you may recall, brought Transcendental Meditation-TM- to the west and taught the Beatles and Beach Boys the method). There is often some confusion around TM. It has no religious overtones. It is simply a technique that utilizes a mantra to keep your mind focused and not drifting. It stills “monkey mind” so you can benefit from the meditation.
The medical benefits of mediation are well documented. Harvard, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and countless others have studied the remarkable advantages of integrating a meditation habit into your life. For me, it has been life changing.
Between a healthy diet and a still mind, I face the day with greater patience and clarity. I am more grounded and less reactive. I am much more present.
I normally mediate first thing in the morning; and then mid afternoon. I’ve re-instituted the morning meditation fairly successfully. Now to schedule the afternoon session.
I am reminded of the old Zen saying:
“If you don’t have time to meditate for 15 minutes …Then you need to meditate for an hour!”
This speaks to our busy minds and our perception that busy-ness some how equates to accomplishment. Except it doesn’t. My best ideas and insights have come from being still, from meditating, rather than mindlessly doing.
Adding another 20 minute session sounds as if it should be easy, and I know the benefits are very real. So I will make it happen.
But I also need more hours in a day. When I’m traveling, in addition to exploring, filming and writing, I also need to plan ahead.
In Seattle, I’m looking at trips to Port Townsend, the Space Needle, possible a food festival, a sea based aviation festival, the Art Museum, paddling through the locks, Dragon Boat racing, several seafood restaurants, the farmers markets…the list goes on.
I also have several likely trips coming up (Vancouver; POSH; Pasadena for the NASA #GrandFinale; Sedona; Austin; Ireland; Houston to Florida via New Orleans; and finally, Cuba) and each needs reservations, research and planning so I can write, film and share.
Plus I am trying to figure out where to spend Christmas. (Suggestions and invitations welcomed!)
Overall, amidst the changing landscape and relative chaos, it’s the adventure of a lifetime. My lifetime. And I’m enormously grateful to have the interlude to simply travel and explore.
But my quality of life is diminished with my current state of unfit.
Fitness speaks to the state of my mind and body, and both are essential. If there is one thing I’ve learned in the last several years, it is how critical quality of life is. This is a lesson every cancer patient learns.
***
I don’t often write about the difficult aspect of dealing with cancer and all its after effects. I tend to gloss over them and just make things happen. People tend to think I have it all figured out. I don’t. Especially when it comes to cancer.
As I mentioned earlier, I have two friends that are on my mind just now. Both have metastatic disease, and if I’m honest, chances are neither will make it long term. I am but one blood test away from a similar fate. I need to be healthy; to live now, and to be fit for anything that may come.
Setting up a habit for health isn’t a slam dunk. Getting on a healthy diet; finding the tools for stress management; staying socially connected with supportive people and getting fit means keeping four demanding and fairly complex balls in the air at all times. Plus what works today may not work tomorrow. Keeping it all together with a changing schedule while traveling isn’t always easy. There is not an instant fix.
If I could leave you with one thought, it’s just start somewhere. Just do one little thing. Park further from the store and walk. Walk the dog, chase the cat. Then do it again. Start a new habit of movement and celebration, just for you! And give yourself a great big gold star!
* I’ve had several people ask if they could donate to CancerRoadTrip. Rather than donate, shop!
I have affiliate marketing relationships with a number of vendors. If you buy a product or service through any of the affiliate links on this site, I will get a small commission, at no extra cost to you. This helps support the blog, writing and travel of CancerRoadTrip. This never impacts my reviews of products–If I like something, I’ll say why. If I don’t I’ll detail that as well.
Plus sometimes I can offer special pricing on some items. The code for Urban Poling–PWCRT– will save you 10%. I throughly recommend these poles. If you buy some, let me know what you think.
I appreciate your following. Thank you for your support.
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
NASA was a mainstay of my youth. The Gemini Program. Apollo. #TheRightStuff. Walking on the moon.
And now, Space: The Final Frontier. (Music please.) And NASA is exploring it for our benefit.
I applied to be a part of the NASA social media outreach program which allows bloggers to attend some of their (amazing) events to help get word out about their missions, findings and plans. But never in a million years did I think I’d get invited to NASA’s #GrandFinale! #GrandFinale celebrates the end of Cassini’s 20 year expedition to Saturn which has generated information that fundamentally challenges our knowledge base about the universe around us.
In case you’re not up to speed on NASA’s Cassini and the exploration of Saturn, here’s a short overview:
Why does this matter? From NASA, here’s a nine point summary for how this impacts our perception of our world, here, now today and as we move forward:
#1 Potentially habitable ocean worlds exist even in the Saturn system — 10 times farther from the sun than Earth.
Saturn and her moons include elements that can support life including water and a heat source other than the sun. This is a stunning revelation that changes the way we think about life on other planets. Previously, it was thought that Enceladus (Saturn’s 6th largest moon) was too small to retain the heat needed to create liquid water. But with the discovery of intense geologic activity and the presence a global liquid water ocean, Enceladus is now one of the most promising places in our solar system to search for present-day life beyond Earth.
#2 Weather, climate and geology of other worlds lends insight into our understanding of the Earth.
Would you believe that Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, shares sand dunes, volcano mounds, flash floods and other earthy similarities with our own planet? How are these features formed? What about weather patterns? How are they similar or dissimilar from Earth? What can we learn from each?
#3 Cassini gives us a portal back into time, where we can watch the physical processes that formed our solar system.
The formation and destruction of the materials in Saturn’s rings lends insight into the physical formation of our universe. The study of complex carbon chemistry on Titan provides a look at Earth in its early development. In learning about other worlds, are we perhaps privy to a portal in time, to a time from our past, and perhaps to our future?
#4 The length of Cassini’s mission provided a long term look at weather patterns and other planetary trends and changes.
A twenty year mission, with thirteen of those years spent in close proximity to Saturn, provided unimaginable information into another planet and its eco-system. We learned that the changing colors in the northern hemisphere coincided with a seasonal shifting of the rings to the south (see photos to the left). Dunes around the equatorial region resemble those in Namibia and the Sahara. Seasonal variations bring methane rainstorms, just as the American Southwest experiences its monsoon season. All this and so much more over thirteen years gave scientists an unimaginable collection of data to investigate, explore and understand.
#5 Each of Saturn’s 53 moons is unique.
From Phoebe which was most likely captured by Saturn’s gravitational pull from outer space, to the canyons of Dione, each orbiting moon is a world unto itself. While much exploration is still needed, the richness and diversity of Saturn’s moons is endlessly intriguing. Will any be capable of supporting life? Life as we might understand it?
#6 The complexity of Saturn’s rings is made more apparent, answering some questions and generating many more.
Saturn’s Rings from Cassini Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech
There are many ways that rings may form around a planet. Moons, moonlets, meteorites, ice particles lifted by electrostatic charges…Cassini has opened the door to any array of information previously unknown. In doing this, still more questions are raised.
#7 Luck and chance challenges NASA scientists to rethink their view of the solar system.
Many of the discoveries were serendipitous. The chance to observe the planet over a period of more than a decade allowed scientists to discover consistencies and inconsistencies in the planet’s behavior. These raised new questions and opened the doors to new avenues of inquiry that no one had foreseen.
#8 A staggering achievement of technical complexity and human interaction.
Cassini mission to Saturn Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech
The Cassini mission is an international collaboration involving three space agencies, with 19 countries contributing hardware to the flight system. A project spanning nearly 20 years, Cassini stretched human creativity to discover new ways to use the flight’s existing engineering systems to explore Saturn and her moons. For example, radar was used to measure the depth of Titan’s seas. Instruments that were intended to sample Titan’s atmosphere did double duty as they were re-tasked to sample the plume of Enceladus. Creativity joined engineering to produce information on a new world.
#9 Beauty and Wonder
“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom.” -Socrates
Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech
Saturn and her rings have long captured our earth bound imaginations. Curiosity and wonder, combined with technology and cooperation, have led to amazing new information about the worlds around us. May it lead us to wisdom as well.
The views and findings from Cassini are staggering. Visit the NASA site for much more information, and stay tuned for more articles, tweets, instagram and Facebook postings as September 14-15, 2017, date for the Cassini #GrandFinale, approaches.
All pictures Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech
What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Inspiration, joy & discovery through travel. Oh, did I mention with supposedly incurable cancer?
What's on your bucket list?
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CancerRoadTrip is about making lemonade out of lemons.
As you read my story, you may want to start at the beginning to "grok" how CancerRoadTrip came to be. You can click here to start at the end (which is actually the beginning) and read forward! The posts are chronological, with the most recent posts appearing on the front page.
bookstores (her son’s) in town offers increased versatility for their ever expanding literary collections.
So I started yoga for rehab, rather than more drugs. The yoga was torture. I was tight, weak and wobbly. I was still in breath-taking pain. But I stuck with it and one year later, I had realized some significant progress. I learned stretches to keep my body more limber and twists that are nothing short of miraculous. Now I travel with yoga mat, balls, strap and blocks.
-Jon Kabat-Zinn
