May 4, 2004.

Edna Islands to Triquet Island, Central Coast BC, Canada

Expedition Journal Entry

Unedited journal entry. Expect nautical terms, bodily functions, improper grammar and punctuation.

Woke up in the middle of the night (after dreams of rolling off the log) to Marco, Jasmine, & Milenka talking on the shore - they had to move the boats & wait out the tide for 2 hours. We heard the water, saw it about 1.5 feet below our “kitchen” (our pile of food and kitchen equipment bags). We noticed the tide took the corner anchor log of our tarp out of place, but otherwise we weren’t affected on our 8+ foot above-ground sleeping spot on an overturned drift-stump. I went back to sleep, then woke up to Left hip flexor pain and an upper Right dead arm. Dreams of Dan winning a surf competition, me being a role model to the Olsen twins? and me being “bad” & on probation in a school setting - living in a gym with boys and this crazy high swing in a field of the school. Weird.

Woke with the tarp inches from my face - not looking forward to getting up. Kevin felt the same. Did it anyway, not too painful. Rushed to avoid the same mess I had yesterday - mission accomplished, but not as much relief. Marco had cheesy hashbrowns ready for breakfast and we broke down camp afterwards. We packed up and left for our less than 1 mile paddle to Triquet Island. We practiced some towing and Jasmine went fishing. Marco spied a roof on the beach on the N-NW side of the island. We went in for a look - a hut, poop box, broken down platform and a flat spot in the false lily of the valleys for a tent - all safe distances from the near full moon high tide. I was blissed out about sleeping in the hut - I’d love to return, and fix up a base camp here for a few days in the future.

Jasmine and Milenka caused a commotion, coming in with a 1.5 foot lingcod on Jasmine's hand reel. It had a blue/reddish cheetah pattern and huge mouth and large open gills. She whacked it and cut it’s head off - impressive since she doesn’t eat fish. The other group paddled up at this point, and we set up and I got to settle into the hut. We had a group dynamics and tide/current lesson, then began creating a dinner feast. More hashbrowns and cheese, and Kevin’s fry bread with hummus - yum. So stuffed…

We listened to Kathleen and Milenka’s brief about tomorrow’s paddle to Calvert, then had some photo ops - one from the pooper - before a rousing game of Yahtzee with Libbey and Jasmine. Now I’m snuggled in the hut for a night of sleep when I can actually roll around without worrying about falling 8 feet or kneeing someone in the head. Bliss.

That night I finally started actualizing lucid dreams - I realized I could fly, so I did, chasing money coupons along the way. At the end of my dreams we were jumping into the deep end of a pool. I went all the way to the bottom and couldn’t push myself up from the suction of the drain - I started gasping water (next time I should try breathing). I attempted to roll off the drain and ended up rolling myself awake off of my sleeping pad. Thankful that dream didn’t happen the night before!