The last two days in Bella Coola were spent on the Upper Atnarko again, and then at the hatchery, helping with an egg take, on Friday morning and early afternoon.
No bears showed their faces to us on Thursday, and that was fine. We were a smaller crew, by one, since three crews were running nets on the river instead of just two. It was a tough slog and we came back with few buckets of eggs, but we caught our quota of males to collect milt for the egg take at the hatchery that day.
At the end of the day on Thursday, I had a free night with no dates on my card. I took the opportunity to raise a glass of wine to Mom and wish her a Happy would-have-been 80th Birthday, shed a few tears, and then picked up my camera and went for a short drive to a couple of spots nearby in the valley that I like.
There is something about the spot by the bailey bridge, and the view always changes, rarely disappointing. Today it was partially shrouded in mystery, surface fog obscuring its upper reach at the bend above. The lichens drip from the trees, and fishermen ply the waters below. It’s a peaceful spot.
As I drove back to the hatchery I stopped just down the road at an old house on a field, the low cloud creating an illusion, disconnecting the ground from the top of the hill above.
And, last but not least, just outside my door to the suite at the hatchery, a thistle, reminding me of that Scottish part of my heritage.
I took no photos on Friday, but it wasn’t a dull day. The morning was filled with spawning and after lunch I threw everything into the car and got a ride to the airport where, to no surprise, I did not get on a plane and was instead loaded into a van for the close to two hour drive to Anahim Lake. I seem to be perpetually unlucky where getting out of Bella Coola is concerned, the weather always seems to turn on me and the plane can’t land to pick up passengers. It could be worse, it could be completely cancelled leaving me no way to get out, so I’m grateful that the option to drive to an alternate airport up on the plateau is there.
Besides, what could I expect on Friday the 13th, with a full moon?
And that wraps up another fabulous work trip to Bella Coola.