Photo by S.W. Cosgrove
We return to the sea, from whence we came
It is our primordial home
Coming home
Tag: Photography
Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Nearby, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Orcas dive and surface, playing in the deep water.
No Pressure
“What are men to rocks and mountains?”
― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Rock fissure, Keystone, Whidbey Island, USA
Trestles in the Moclips River, Washington
Over the bridge that once rested on these trestles, the first coastal train of the Northern Pacific Railway ran across the Moclips River in Washington State at the town of the same name.
In 1911 Moclips was struck by a series of fatal storms, eventually washing much of the town away. Fires then destroyed much of Moclips along the beach.
I go to this area every year to watch as the steelhead trout and salmon spawn in the wild running river.
World Traveler
My Irish Setter Erin taking a break from our walk on the Arno River in Florence, Italy. Anno 1985. Erin was 15 years old. I got him when he was 8 weeks old.
In his lifetime, Erin traveled the United States, North Africa, Japan, and Europe. Not long after this photo, he would be on a plane with us to Japan, then back to Germany in 1986, where he died of old age at 17.
He’s buried in a Hun burial ground in the forest behind our house there north of Würzburg, Bavaria, Germany.
More stories and photos with Erin, the world traveler:
North Africa Diary – Lost in the Medina
Media Plage – Aussies Go Walkabout
How we came to live in North Africa at Mehdia Plage
Relaxing at our 2CV camp site in a sand dune overlooking the Atlantic Ocean just outside of Agadir, Morocco.
Visiting the stones at Carnac, Brittany, France.
On the road, Costa del Sol, near Torremolinos, Spain.
The Wild Pacific Trail at Ucluelet, British Columbia
Take a pictorial walk with me on The Wild Pacific Trail at Ucluelet, a tranquil village of about 2000 on the Ucluth Peninsula of Vancouver Island’s far west coast. It’s about 288 kilometers northwest of the provincial capital, Victoria.
Its location supports Ucleulet’s motto – “Living on the Edge” – as the peninsula is almost completely surrounded by water, making it more island than peninsula. The Ucleulet Harbor provides easy water access to the ethereal mists of Barkley Sound to the south, featuring the Broken Group Islands of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. To the west is the thundering Pacific Ocean.
It’s on this western shore you can walk The Wild Pacific Trail, which clings to the coastline as you meander the trails and boardwalks amid an old-growth coastal rainforest – a labyrinthine wildwood of trees, ferns and moss. Without warning, the trail bursts onto spectacular views from the rocky shoreline of the roiling Pacific Ocean, Barkley Sound, and the Broken Group Islands.
The trail is an easy, relaxing hike, with two large parking areas, easy access (including disabled), and well-signed trails. When I was there, signs instructed you on what to do in the unlikely case that you found yourself sharing the trail with a bear. Sadly, I didn’t see one.
Photography by S.W. Cosgrove.
Looking south from the far end of the peninsula, towards Barkley Sound and the Broken Group Islands. In the mist on the other side of the sound is Bamfield, a tiny resort hamlet that is best reached by packet boat from Port Alberni or by float plane.
Here is a very engaging Blue Jay, who decided to accompany me. Chatty bird, and quite friendly.
Hidden in the woods on the other side of the water is the lodge that I stayed at.
Following is the view from the private patio of the studio apartment I rented in an elegant new wood-built lodge that a young couple shared with visitors. It was in a very quiet location, situated just a few steps from The Wild Pacific Trail. Reasonably priced, very comfortable, with an oversized soaking tub.
The last afternoon, a storm blew in and rain pounded windows and deck. Then, a half hour later, the sun came back out and dried everything off.
Ucluelet Harbor
SW COSGROVE 