Tag Archives: Saturna Island

Autumn Beach Composition – Photo Wednesday

Textile artist Pat Pauly visited Saturna during the Thanksgiving long weekend. We wandered all over the island, and I rediscovered one of my favourite “beaches”, with plenty of pebbles and logs that escaped the log rafts pulled by the tug boats around these islands. Floating forests… but that will be the subject of another post.

Pebbles
These pebbles were arranged by the waves, pushing and rolling them into a crevice in the rock. Neat, isn’t it?

And then, there were the abstract lines left by beetles , in this log.

Beetle Lines

While the tree was alive, the beetles bored these lines under the bark… discreetly. Now that the bark has been stripped, we get to see their graffiti. With a pebble on top.

Noisy Neighbours: A Visit

A few days ago, we went on an excursion to the Belle Chain Islets, near Saturna Island, BC. Toby Snelgrove of Mayne Island Tours took us sightseeing. What a great morning on the water!

October Excursion

And what a show! Hundreds and hundreds of birds, on the water and on the rocks.

But the main act was the sea lions. After their customary summer trip up North, where they have a big party, they’re back, on the rocks next to our island.

Steller Sea Lion bull, Belle Chain Islets, BC
Steller sea lions are massive creatures. Noisy, smelly, massive. The males can weigh 450–1,120 kg (990–2,470 lbs)… Big as a cow, and very ornery.

October Excursion2
Two bulls (above)  bear the bite wounds of a recent fight for territory.

Steller Sea Lion2

These junior guys look like they are watching the big boys, learning the moves.

October Excursion3

And right next to the big boys bellowing and fighting, or basking, depending on their mood… groups of cormorants were also taking in the sun, perched on the rocks. Looks to me like they are waiting for the ferry.
October Excursion4

And the tour would not have been complete without the obligatory eagle shot.

A big thank you to Toby Snelgrove, of Mayne Island Tours.

Showing Photographs on Saturna

The Point Store Gallery on Saturna Island, BC, is featuring some of my photos this month, until September 25th.

As an experiment, I got some of my pictures printed on aluminum and on acrylic, with very interesting results.
East Point Sky, 30 x 20" photo printed on acrylic - © Andrée Fredette

East Point Sky, 30 x 20″ photo printed on acrylic

The day I took that picture, I had wandered to East Point, on Saturna Island and I was concentrating on the kelp. The previous night had been windy, and the shoreline is always interesting after a big wind…

When I looked up, there was a gift waiting for me: the sky. And these people by the former fog alarm building obligingly provided scale to this grandiose sky.

Speaking of the shoreline after a big wind: a lot of kelp ends up on the shore at low tide. Bull kelp, in particular, fascinates me.

Elegant Duo, Bull Kelp - 24 x 18" photo printed on aluminum © Andrée Fredette

Elegant Duo, Bull Kelp, 24 x 18″ photo printed on aluminum

Wet kelp is very sleek. Its lines are seductive. I tried printing this one on aluminum; in the areas with light pigment, the metal shows through, highlighting the shining effect of the light.

During the opening, last week, I liked watching people interact with this picture. They walked back and forth in front of it, observing the changing light effects.

More experiments to come.

East Point on Saturna – Photo Wednesday

This afternoon, I went to East Point for a walk.  Beautiful day, lovely surprises. First, the view, from the cliffside…
View from the cliffside of East Point, Saturna Island, BC, CanadaThen, a close up of gorse (Ulex europeanus), an invasive species brought over a long time ago, and making its way around the islands. Spiny, nasty plant with gorgeous bloom… There has to be a good side to everything, right?
East Point on Saturna Island, Gorse (Ulex europeanus), invasive speciesAnd finally, a jewel on the cliff… Indian paintbrush (Castillejia), native wildflower blooming in the sun on a cliff… It cheered me up no end.
Indian paintbrush, castillejia, wildflower, BC coast

Traffic: Tug Boat Pulling a Log Boom

It’s pretty quiet at the house these days. I have spent a considerable amount of time in my garden, trying to defeat the wilderness which is creeping in from all corners. I already had to mow the grass twice in the garden, a sign of regular rain, and warmer weather…

When I look out over the water, boat traffic remains pretty light. The other day, which was exceptionally sunny, I noticed a tug pulling a log boom. Actually, I heard the tug first, its engine calling it to attention. Then I thought the light was just right for a picture or two…

There you have it: a forest, floating on the ocean, being pulled in a giant lasso (the “boom”), headed for Vancouver, to be loaded onto freighters bound for Asia, most likely. BC exports its trees whole. Saves a few jobs in this province, that’s for sure.On that day, the tug circled up and down Plumper Sound, obviously biding its time, waiting before the crossing of Georgia Strait toward Vancouver. Maybe there is an overflow of trees, log booms awaiting loading. A glut of floating forests in the Port of Vancouver…

Tug and Log Boom, Plumper Sound, BC