August 9th

August 9th

 

SPIDER GROUP

“OPERATIONS NORMAL”

Our Fourth day anchored in the secluded little Bay across from Port Hardy.  Last year several yachts came in including ‘go north’ sailing yacht “MOM” (you can catch that little story on last year’s blog). We hear them on the air talking to friends they have meet along the way.  Their friends are lighthouse keepers at Scarlett Point. We sort of expect them to join us in this little bay but they not show. 

Any way the day is spectacular as we are in sun after a few soggy periods.  There are clouds all around us and we are especially lucky as far as I can see south it is still in the rain.  I give Penny time off from the dog and I and go fishing and land a salmon about 15 lbs and return to OA.  I have discovered the secret about putting a hook on the end of the line (sharp).

It is that time in the late afternoon that we are chilling out on the front deck. I with a dram of Irish Whiskey Pen with a silver unbreakable metal wine glass. (She did break it and I’m not having a yen to take on a major project repaired it for fun). 

The Ravens have discovered us and can smell the salmon that I am cleaning and want their tribute for allowing us to stay in their bay.  It takes time to filet a salmon as you have to make them bone free to really enjoy a fish meal.  The Ravens get impatient and fly off looking for other action.  By this time I have gathered the guts, back bone, tail and placed them on a conspicuous rock outcrop.  You snooze you lose.  Now crows generally travel in large family units but not to day.  A loner spies the tasty morsel (to them) and drags the fish bits into the trees and stashes the feast.  The Ravens return a short time later and realize the mistake of leaving before the meal was served.  Well what a fracas of screaming and them thrashing about the trees looking for the stolen treats.  They locate the hidden cash and fly off, HAPPY. 

Never a dull moment as there is always some creature moving about, fish jumping or Eagles flying.  Near to us a very young Eagle lands in an old snag.  Eagles are not very bright most times just observant and curious.  This young bird has locked his eyes on us and us on him.  His beak is a purple colour as well as his head and feathers.  Not even a close colour to mom and dad.  It is worth the effort to photograph him so we jump into the “Ravens” and plunk are selves just under the overhanging the water snag.  

The one thing that we have discovered about our camera, is takes a hundred shots and perhaps one will be worth the effort. 

 

 

 

We return to the front deck of OA and resume our recap of the day and the plan for tomorrow.  The conversation moves to Spider Island that we visited this summer.  Now during the second world it was a radio beacon station for air craft on a flight path to and from Alaska.  It was a very important military installation as the Japanese had invaded on the pan handle there. 

Some where I had read about that part of the corduroy road and base still existed on Spider Island. I think it was in Pacific Yachting.  As we had no internet or books on this subject there was no point in bumping around Spider looking for the possibility that we locate the military installation.

The Spider Group of islands are situated in A WILD, REMOTE and DANGEROUS LOCATION on our coast.  To travel there even in calm weather conditions can be a challenge and only made possible, for us to feel comfortable doing this trek, is with the aid of modern electronics. In 1945 it would be a death defying act in tough weather conditions. We wanted to know more about this.  We also want to know why they had to name all the islands there, how were they supplied with food and equipment. how many personal were there, how was it possible to even land there in calm weather and a hundred other questions?

 

OPERATIONS NORMAL THE SPIDER GROUP OF ISLANDS

   WHAT a marvelous invention the internet is and it is available to us even in this little hidey hole (we have a cell booster).  We go on line and start down the path of discovery.  It was path that we find was tread by men that were brave, men that were tough, men that used ingenuity and smarts to do their duty to King and Country as members of the armed forces. We found the Daily Diary of 9 Radio Unit stationed on Spider.

We found it fascinating to read the entire daily diary, as it gave us an insight into their operations.

There was mentions of a "Court of Enquiry", swastikas painted on barricks walls, girls coming in for dances from Ocean Falls and names of their supply ships that are still functioning on our Coast as yachts today. "Nimpkish".