on the Hornby ferry
3:42 pm
These interesting textures and colours caught my eye on the ferry to Hornby Island on our recent trip, an addition to these and these ferry pics.
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by Marja-Leena by Marja-Leena Hornby’s jellyfish
9:13 pm
On our recent visit to Hornby Island, we were amazed by how many jellyfish were on the beaches and rocks. They had beautiful and rich coloured patterns, were mostly around 15″ across, though one was about 20″. We think they are the Lion’s Mane jellyfish. Note the crab inside the third one. The last photo shows a small one in a tidal pool, I don’t know if it’s the same species.
by Marja-Leena more Hornby rocks
2:45 am
a few more photos of Hornby Island’s rocks
a busy week but in a good way, despite continuing insomnia
fall gardening, housework and much art making
a most heartwarming time with a friend here for dinner and breakfast
life is good
by Marja-Leena revisiting Hornby’s petroglyphs
10:22 am
This year’s mini-vacation to Hornby Island was a sort of pilgrimage for me as we revisited some favourite spots from past visits. It must be over 15 years ago when we first saw the petroglyphs made by early First Nations peoples. Interestingly, those first photos were captured on film. They later appeared in several of my prints and in a book.
Sadly, the petroglyphs have worn down considerably since then for they are next to the sea and we could find only these two this time. The bright morning light meant the carvings appeared very faint in my digital photos so I’ve had to manipulate these images to bring out the contrast, hence the excessive graininess where the rocks were actually quite smooth. I’m so happy to have seen them again.
Related links:
my petroglyph photos in a book
a petroglyph photographed long ago
ADDENDUM November 10th: To answer Joe’s excellent question in the comments below, I’ve gone to the book mentioned in the link above: In Search of Ancient British Columbia, and the chapter on the Gulf Islands. On page 225, titled Petroglyphs, where my photographs are also featured, authors Philip Torrens and Heidi Henderson write:
Because petroglyphs are carved from rock rather than from bone or other organic matter, archaeologists cannot determine their ages using carbon-14 or other radioactive dating techniques. Attempts to determine ages by erosion are challenged by the fact that we have no way of knowing how deeply carved the grooves were in the first place. Given the heavy rain on most of the B.C. coast, it seems improbable that any surviving petroglyphs date back to the beginning of human presence here – at least 12,000 years ago. Estimates of their ages range from a few thousand years to less than a century, depending on the petroglyph and its location.
by Marja-Leena Mercy Island
12:39 pm
I am thrilled and honoured to have one of my very favourite and special-to-me photographs on the cover of Mercy Island, a collection of new and selected poetry by Ren Powell and just published by Phoenicia.
Ren (Katherine) Powell is a writer, translator, poet, and native Californian living on the west coast of Norway. She has published four full-length collections of poetry and eleven books of translations, and her poetry has been translated and published in six languages. (more)
See also the press release on Ren’s blog* with which I’ve been delighted to recently get acquainted. I can understand Phoenicia’s editor Beth Adams’ feeling for a certain kind of connection in Ren’s Nordic home and my own Nordic roots and love of rocks in making this choice of image, with Ren’s approval as well. As Beth wrote elsewhere: “I’m so grateful for the artistic cross-fertilization that goes on here!” I am too, with my heartfelt thanks to both Beth and Ren.
Now I can hardly wait to hold and read the book. I hope interested readers will consider purchasing a copy directly from Phoenicia Publishing where more of your purchase goes to the author and to the support of independent publishing. Best of success to Ren’s new “baby” as it goes out into the world!
You may be interested in visiting my old blog post concerning this image, which I’ve always called ‘fetus rock’. Do you see another connection there?
Updates:
March 24th, 2011: More about Mercy Island, including a review by Rachen Barenblat at my post called lichen
March 31st, 2011: Another most interestingly written review including some gratifying comments about the cover by Carolee Sherwood. Thanks for sending it to me, Beth!
*August 2, 2011: I’ve just discovered Ren Powell has changed her blog and some of its contents. Visit it here.
by Marja-Leena island hopping, day 3 Alert Bay
11:50 am
After a morning at Sointula, we took the ferry back to Port McNeill, then drove right back on it for the leg to Alert Bay on Cormorant Island, about 40 minutes away. These ferry trips were a joy on another beautiful sunny day.
Our plan was to visit Alert Bay’s noted numerous totem poles and its U’mista Cultural Centre. Our first stop was at the visitor centre to get both print and verbal information and directions which were excellent. But also some bad news… the U’mista Cultural Centre was closed on Mondays! I felt very sorry that I had not rechecked the website concerning the fall and winter schedule change. We were also told that there had recently been a fire in one part of the museum so that part was closed for restoration work.
Still, we saw a lot in our afternoon there and took so many photos that I will have to show them over more than one post. Today’s focus is on the the island’s largest grouping of totem poles on the Namgis Burial Ground. Being sacred ground, viewers were requested to view these from the road, not a problem though I am grateful my husband captured some closer shots with his newer and more powerful camera.
We were given brochures which are very helpful in learning more about totem poles in general and Alert Bay’s in particular. One is available also as a PDF. I recommend the page “what is a totem pole?” Are these not amazing works of art and spirit?!
by Marja-Leena fetus rock
6:00 pm
Recently I happily leafed through some of my favourite photographs taken over a decade ago on Hornby Island, BC. The ocean weathered rocks and the petroglyphs were of endless fascination to me, and I eagerly captured these on film. This particular one was a special one that I named Fetus Rock, and which I later used to create Meta-morphosis IV (Primo).
In fact quite a few of my Hornby Island photographs were used in the Meta-morphosis series, combined sometimes with photos taken in Italy (a story for another day).
Here is a photo of one of the petroglyphs on Hornby.
ADDENDUM: on March 3, 2011 I wrote I am thrilled and honoured to have one of my very favourite and special-to-me photographs on the cover of Mercy Island, a collection of new and selected poetry by Ren Powell and just published by Phoenicia.
by Marja-Leena island time
11:49 am
We’re back! We’ve had a wonderful little trip to southern Vancouver Island for a few days, visiting family and friends. The weather was in its very best Westcoast summer mode, and we quickly unwound to vacation mood on the beautiful ferry trip over Georgia Strait. We were especially fortunate to get on the ferries without waits in both directions, by traveling Sunday morning and Tuesday evening, thus contributing to the relaxed holiday feeling.
With this gorgeous weather, beaches and backyards were prominent settings for good times spent visiting everyone. We stayed in North Saanich with my husband’s sister, joined by niece and nephew – it was really wonderful to connect again with these very energetic and busy individuals. We also visited my favourite 82 year old uncle and his wife in their Victoria home.
Then there were our dearest friends who have just retired and moved away from our neighbourhood to an old cottage on the water overlooking Cordova Bay, just outside Victoria. We just had to see them and have a tour of their ‘new’ home – what a wonderful view across to the San Juan Islands and Mt. Baker, no wonder they fell in love with this community! It was delightful to stroll along the sandy beach, watch the birds feeding on sandbars and the kids skimboarding, comment on the many styles of homes from old modest cottages to architectural masterpieces (one was an almost windowless monstrosity I must add!) and stop for lunch at the popular beachfront restaurant. Time flies with good friends and dear family!
Of course we took numerous photos, mostly typical holiday pictures of gorgeous scenery and family and friends, but I was really pleased to find and capture some images of interesting weathered rocks that may be useful in my current series of prints, and I might post some later. But for now, above are some highlights of this Westcoast beauty that we are so grateful to be able to enjoy.
by Marja-Leena island hopping ’13, day 2/more
1:56 pm
A few more photos here from our visit to Quadra Island’s First Nations museum, gathering place and the spirit stones. The top image is of a totem pole next to the entrance to Nuyumbalees Cultural Centre. The others are more details of Ah-Wah-Qwa-Dzas, the gathering place.
(I am being very slow in processing all the numerous photos of our trip and in gathering my thoughts for writing here. After the initial busy-ness of catching up with things at home after our guests left, I came down with a nasty cold and bronchial infection which is slow to depart.)
by Marja-Leena Granville Island
10:14 am
This is neat – Granville Island in Vancouver, BC has been ranked at the top of 20 best neighbourhoods in North America by Project for Public Places. (via Urban Vancouver )
Read my take on the place in this August post: “a wonderful example of how the arts, business and tourism can thrive together.”