We arrived on Gabriola on Sunday evening and have been slowly cleaning clearing fixing and organizing our land. It's so great to be back. On Monday I sat with my guitar playing for the trees and a robin who seems to peacefully coexist in our little (unplanted) flower garden. A song popped out "I wanna go back to the island, I wanna go back to my home, I wanna go back to the island, where my soul belongs." Kind of a chant, with verses to come. Simple, easy, good feeling - that's how the island inspires me.

So where is your island? Is it even a place, or more of a space? I suppose I can find it everywhere, but it is difficult to stay in touch with that space while struggling to navigate life, especially in the city. So for me, getting to nature and quiet and beauty puts me back in that space, and heals me.

I was thinking about this place- Gabriola - and Kawagama. Both are islands, both are rich in personal history and growth for me, both create peace within me. What's different? Gabriola is an ocean island, and the Pacific has its own special strength. I can sense the tides rising and falling, and the power of vastness. I can look and see a white-capped Mount Baker 60 miles away to the southeast, or I can round the corner of Drumbeg Park and see the snowy mountains north of Vancouver, and up the Sunshine Coast. So one difference is the vastness of this region. Another is the different wildlife and vegetation here. Eagles and seals and otters, lots of unknown birds (American Goldfinch?), owls and tons of deer wandering through. Some animal ate our almond butter in the middle of the night. How did he open the jar?? Must have been a raccoon, they are so sneaky! Gigantic ferns, shasta daisies growing wild, giant firs and cedars and oh yeah we also have a beautiful maple on our land! Arbutus trees, slugs, general wildness! The other day I walked through the woods to Drumbeg Beach around 6 pm, and saw no-one! A couple of boats and planes out there but not a soul was on the beach. I can't remember the last time I felt that alone with nature! Beautiful.

So here we are, enjoying our place here, seeing old friends and new, and waiting for real summer weather - it's been very cool so far, with some rain, but we understand it will warm up this next week. Stay tuned, and talk to me if you like!