THE “SERVICE VIII” TUG BOAT TOWING

The tide & fog were once again battling me! I technically did see a bear,but it was in the darkness. So no bears tonight folks.
When I came back in,I knew to expect fog everywhere! I stopped at Tsapee Narrows to shoot a few of the Daredevil with the fog in behind. (Silhouette’s of course)
Not much to write home about tonight folks?

ATLEO AIR COMING IN

BEAUTY MEETS UGLY

This is up at the end of Gunner Inlet. There are not one,not two,but three abandoned boats in Gunner! I guess it’s isolated & people feel they can litter there & not be caught!
This boat has always been a eye sore for me! It’s very beautiful up there & to see this abandoned boat ruins the vista & gets my goat!
Hence,the title.

THE “DAREDEVIL”

FOG EAGLE

MAGGIE

COMING IN FROM THE FOG

LEMMEN’S INLET PADDLE

As soon as I saw the harbour,I knew the light was going to be going bye bye very soon! The fog was moving in for the night!
I also knew that If I wanted to get any shots of my eagle friends, I’d had better do it quickly!
So I went to Morpheus Island to visit with Moe & Maggie. (Moe wasn’t around tonight?) Maggie is probably the largest eagle around.
You can see the light on her wasn’t the best. I normally only do my eagle shots near sunset so that they are bathed in gold,but I had to shoot much sooner & as a result the light was not the best to present her with!
Said goodnight to her & headed down to Fortune Channel for bears. It was high tide so I knew I was already on the wrong end of the tides & that finding a bear would be difficult!
When I passed through Dawley Pass into Fortune,I found one within minutes! I knew it would be my only bear,so stayed with him as long as I could.
There wasn’t much shoreline left for it to roam around on & munch on that sweet grass. It didn’t hang around too long & as a result I didn’t get too many shots.
Normally after getting my bear, I would start to head back & get ready for the sunset shots but I knew that wouldn’t be happening tonight! Mr.FOG had moved in & ruined my nights shoot!
So I just stayed up in Fortune looking for bears (or anything else),but alas I found not a mouse stirring!
I called it a night & headed back through all that cold fog. Found two sailing boats anchored in Browning Pass & some kayak’s coming back in from their paddle. Thats it!
Not much tonight folks,but it was still a great shoot!

“MAGGIE” ……….& COMPANY!

The company are the kayak’s in the background. They probably were so far away that they never even saw her?

“MAGGIE” HITTING

I took these shots much earlier in the nights shoot becasue the fog was moving in & I knew that by the time I got back into the harbour area that all the light would be tucked into bed for the night…………………..& it was!
The light is still too contrasty & has no gold in it at all,but hey,…………10% of something is better than 100% of nothing I always say!

SEARCHING FOR FOOD AT HIGH TIDE

It was high tide when I arrived up in Fortune Channel & I knew finding a bear walking about would be hard! I did find this one however & spent a few minutes with him before he slipped into the forest.

“OH LOOK!!!………FRESH BERRIES!!!!!!!!!

The “Salal” berries are not ripe yet,but this guy seem didn’t mind! Anything that comes close to being ripe is fair game I suspect.

FOG MOVING INTO TOFINO INLET

When the fog begins to move into Tofino’s harbour,I know it’ll eventually cover everything! Except Fortune Channel & Tofino Inlet!
Except tonight, you can see the fog trying to push further down Tofino inlet!
Fortune was clear as always however. I find the mountains on Meares island acts as a fence or barrier for the fog. They seems to contain the fog & the best it can do is pour alittle over the mountains & send a few fog tongues wagging down to the waters edge!

THE “ADESSO” & THE “MsChievous” AT ANCHOR

When I headed out tonight,these guys were not here in this spot.
So I’m assuming they are together? I suspect they are friends traveling together & I’ll continue to hazard a second guess that they are both from the eastern coast of the States?

FOG PADDLE………………….NOT “DOG PADDLE”!

These people were coming in from a evening paddle. I thought the dog on the back was cute! Than a friend who kayaks (I do not) noticed that he’s got the hatch off for the dog to sit in! If he rolls,it’ll fill up very quickly!
Conditions were very calm thankfully!

PROFILE POSE

2 1/2 YR OLD

ROMEO

SUNSET SILHOUETTE’S

AFTERGLOW STRIKING

ROMEO’S SNACK

SUNTANNING WITH BUDS!

BEAR WATCHING

OUT ON A LIMB

Bears really like barnacles & this one was munching on some at the very end of this downed tree!
I couldn’t believe that a bear walked out onto a downed tree! I was waiting for it to go for a swim when the tree gave way,but it didn’t.

BEAR PANO

TREE WALKING

PERFECT POSE!

HITTING SEQUENCE

DELILAH

THE “DAREDEVIL”

REMEMBER WHERE WE PARKED!

On my way out,I noticed this boat in the shallows near Ginnard pt. I remember thinking to myself that I wouldn’t be over there at that moment with the tide going out!
On my way back in I noticed the boat had gone high & dry! To make matters worse,the captain had left the motor leg down! This must of placed a lot of stress upon the motor’s mount! If you run aground,lift your motor folks!
I’ve never seen this boat before,so I can only assume that this person is not from here & did not know the waters but to be honest……….not seeing your in the shallows is pretty hard to do!

ATLEO AIR COMING IN AT SUNSET

THE “RIKI TIKI TAVI” & THE “TALOFA”

THE”GAVIA”

THE “FORTUNA”

FACES OF ROMEO

SUNSET HITTING

SUNSET SILHOUETTE’S

SILHOUETTE’S

COMING IN

COMING BACK IN

The wind was up a bit today,but I headed out anyways.Went straight up to Gunner Inlet looking for bears but found zero!
However,I did find a very expensive yacht anchored for the night! It was called the “Highland Mary”.

Headed over into Fortune Channel to continue my search for bruins. Found only one but it was “BIG RED”! He’s a favorite of mine lately!
Unfortunately he was a distance from shore,so I could only take a few. Headed back to town but stopped off at Tsapee Narrows for a visit with the Daredevil! Delilah was nowhere to be found but most likely on the nest?
Took a few shots of my friend & continued on to Deadman Island. As soon as I rounded the corner,Romeo’s “eagle eye’s” spotted me instantly! He flew straight over to greet me! I always love it when he does this! He’s the only one that does this greeting! (Juliette does sometimes but she can be so fickle)
I arrived alittle late & could only get a few shots of Romeo tonight.
I always have to watch that gorgeous sun setting while I’m traveling! Going from point to point takes a great deal of time for me & sometimes all I can do is watch!
Had a great nights shoot! Solved my engine problems by siphoning out the crap in my tank,but I still have that stupid leak coming into my boat! I cannot find any Zodiac glue in town?? I’m not sure I will be able to go out again until I repair it? It’s bigger than I had realized! A complete strip has come loose underneath! I have to repair that tomorrow!!

THE COMINGS & GOINGS OF TOFINO’S HARBOUR

THE “HIGHLAND MARY”

When I went into Gunner Inlet,this yacht was anchored. It’s called the “Highland Mary” & has a picture of the woman used on a cigarette cover on the hull.You might know her better than I,but she is dressed in full Scottish colours & has bag pipes with her.
I’m not a smoker but I recognize it. So I can make the conclusion that this guy is Scottish & he might be in the Tobacco business?
I zoomed in on him & he was reading a book called “Field Gray _____”. Can’t make out the last word but he was half way through the book.
His small boat was bigger than mine & 10 times more expensive!
Your looking at deep pockets here folks!

“BIG RED” FORAGING

I was disappointed to find only one bear tonight & he was a distance from the shore line too! I recognized him,it was “BIG RED”. I like this bear! He has a great temperament!

HITTING

SAME EAGLE,SAME POSE BUT DIFFERENT?

PEEK-A-BOO FLIGHT

ROMEO BATHED IN GOLD

ROMEO’S SUNSET SERIES

AFTERGLOW SERIES

TAKE OUT

We had some high level fog for most of the day today,but it broke around 4pm & I got ready to head out!
I was going through the harbour when my motor lost power! I knew what that was! I headed over to the Crab dock & tied up. I changed the spark plugs & continued on my way. However,a few minutes later it seemed to do the same thing! I turned back with the intention of switching motor’s.
By the time I got back into the harbour,it seemed fine! So I figured it must of been some water accumulating at the bottom of my tank?
I was already late in getting out & decided to run with it. So I turned back around & headed out.
That’s when I noticed water coming in the back of my boat! I guess one of my patches on the bottom had given way & the water found it’s way into my boat! I just pulled the plug & drained it as I was going. The only thing I had to keep in mind was to “NOT FORGET” to put the plug back in when I stopped!
I already had two strikes against me & I didn’t even have a shot under my belt yet! Rough start to say the least,but I rolled with it.

Headed up into Gunner inlet for bears. The low tide was close so all the bear watching boats were out & about. I entered Gunner & found the “Stellar Sea” already in there looking. They did a once over,but found no bruins & headed out to look else where. I went in & shut the motor off. Decided to have my treat & wait to see if one poked out? No bears in Gunner tonight,so I headed over into Fortune Channel.
Found one walking along the shore line! It was overturning rocks & eating the baby Crabs. It looked around 2 1/2 yrs old & was a male. Because it payed absolutely no attention to me & was very busy looking for food,I decided to call it “Lil Beaver” because it was as busy as one!
Because of getting out later tonight,the light was close to going out! The sun was setting in behind the mountains of Meares Island & I knew that darn shadow was approaching across the channel & that grogous light would be going bye bye!
Only got a few of “Li’l Beaver”. He seemed to be ignoring me & thus didn’t look at me! I always need to see the eye’s when I shoot!
Decided to head back to town. Stopped at Tsapee Narrows to visit with the Daredevil. The light was perfect! The tide was running strong!So when I stopped it was sweeping me out of position! Managed to get a few good ones of my friend & said goodnight.
The sun was getting low by this time & I knew I had better get going fast! Went straight to Romeo’s throne & sure enough he saw me from afar & flew straight over to me! Could only get a few silhouette’s of him because the sun had already gone behind some low hills!
Said goodnight to him & went into the open harbour. I knew the full moon would be rising & sure enough it was!
Looked around for foreground material but the pickens were few & far between!
Found a sail boat,but because the sun has set,it was in darkness! Thats why the best time to take shots of the full moon is two or three days before the full moon’s date! The moon is almost full than,but sun is up to light up the foreground subject!
My time window for doing just that was scrubbed by Mother Nature & her darn fog! So I made the best of it tonight with a few moon shots here & there.
Called it a night & came back in.
I’ll have to siphon out the crap at the bottom of my fuel tank & repair that patch tomorrow!
Even with the problems,it was still a great night out in the wilds of Tofino!