Last week, I had the opportunity to visit Kyuquot, a small community on the northwest coast of Vancouver Island. Technically it was a fishing trip, but I was netting word count, because when the anglers are away, the writer will play.
A more spectacular perch from which to write would be hard to find. Inspirational vistas, no cell phone service, and only a whisper of Internet added up to hours of uninterrupted writing bliss.
The Fishing Lodge
The lodge is located on one of the small islands that dot Kyuquot Sound. Every window offered a spectacular view, and the expansive decks that surround the lodge provided plenty of outdoor space.
Kayaks and hiking were right outside the door, and directly across from us, a helicopter flew in and out of a nursing station outpost. On Thursday, we headed outside to wave to the MV Uchuck III which cruised by on its weekly supply trip.
Each day when the crew returned with their catch, they’d clean the fish on the dock. They’d take the heads and innards to a nearby rock to feed the local wildlife. The gorging that ensued was a photographer’s dream even for those of us without long lenses.
The One That Got Away
With the salmon iced down and the eagles fed, we’d enjoy a glass of wine or a cold beer, and the anglers would entertain us with colourful lies about the one(s) that got away. Each evening a different crew cooked dinner, salmon on all but one night, and I’d be hard-pressed to choose a favourite rendition.
Sadly, we couldn’t stay forever, but we left Kyuquot topped up with good food, fond memories and loaded fishing coolers.
The next Gift Legacy book sits at +50K words, well over the halfway mark. Every day I’m pumped to write the next scene, and if I ever need some Kyuquot inspiration, I can always cook a yummy salmon dinner and gaze out to the Pacific!
A note on the rebranding front: yesterday I set up a table at Denman’s Saturday market and a group of three women approached to ask if the books had a religious theme. That’s three more votes for rebranding!
Fashion Valley was a treat with its high-end shops.
I’ll blame the warming weather that entices me outside, away from the keyboard, niggling emails, and a mess of chores. But how could I turn down a lunch with girlfriends? (That’s me on the left with Jennifer Manuel in the middle and Elinor Florence on the right.)
Or a walk in the sunshine? Those are the pigs that grunt their hellos when I pass by Orkney Farm. And the weekend farmers’ market—part social, part shopping—draws me in like a bee to nectar.
Yesterday, I gathered my knee pad, gloves, and garden tools and set out to dig in the dirt. With a mind to battling weeds and plot holes, I crawled under one of the dwarf apple trees. A regiment of weeds had settled in during the winter.
Yesterday, however, it didn’t wander that far. Across the road I heard the bleat of new lambs, the drone of a neighbour’s lawnmower, the sputter of a chainsaw. Overhead, birdsong competed with the distant clang of metal as someone worked on farm machinery.
After a few hours of weeding, I felt refreshed, recharged. I’m now ready to tackle James, a character who is causing no end of trouble in the next Gift Legacy installment.