A Short Trip to the Mainland

 

On a grey Sunday afternoon we boarded the ferry to the mainland. Fog lay on the way, shrouding the scenery in mystery. One of my favourite sights along the way is the Mayne Island Lighthouse in Active Pass. There has been a lighthouse here since 1885, and this is the third one, constructed in 1969. It's a variation on the "apple core" design, and is considered a "clear expression of functional design" according to the Parks Canada site. The Lightkeeper's house was constructed in 1940, but is no longer used for that purpose. 

We're spending a couple of days with my parents after cancelling our Christmas week trip due to the pandemic's sudden upsurge. Last night we enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner at my sister's place. This morning we drove down to the Fraser River, the longest river in British Columbia, some 1300 kilometres from its source in the Rocky Mountains to its mouth emptying into Georgia Strait in the Pacific Ocean. 

A cormorant tried to dry his wings on a rock in the river with a white gull for company. 

Once again, the landscape is muted today, shade after shade of grey, skeletal branches reaching blackly towards the sky, and a fine mist in the air. It was raw and cold and austerely beautiful. We were glad to get back home and enjoy warm soup and sandwiches for lunch. Conversation, accompanied by some puzzling, is the plan for the afternoon. A quiet day with people I dearly love. What could be better?