Rain On The Coast

It's a quiet day here in Uclulet today. There is a typical West Coast rain falling, thin drips in a thick spread, small enough to seep into every crack, crevice and pore. It's almost sheet-like, leaving no patch of ground nor creature untouch. Dry is only found indoors; the rain here manages to find a way into everything, even the shelters designed to keep the rain out. It's not cold outside, until you factor in the wind and rain, then it is the Devil's own version of cold, a chill that drives right to the deepest bone within.

I know a lot about this kind of rain. I've worked in it for days on end, sometimes only 8 hours, sometimes 16, outdoors, swinging a sledge hammer on an open mill deck. I've walked in it, too and from school, sometimes only a kilometer or so, sometimes more. I've stood on the deck of my sailboat, holding the tiller, helming my way up and down the coast of BC. In all of my time, I have never felt anything so knife cuttingly cruel as this kind of West Coast rain.

Today we are going out for a bit of exploration. I plan on showing Katherine the Pacific Rim wonder that is Long Beach. I'll also take her up Radar Hill so she can take a look at the old radar site. Then we will head off to Tofino to take a look at the town, some of shops, and, ultimately, the Weigh West Pub, a favourite hangout of mine over here.

My friend Chris Gordon likes to call me from the pub whenever he and his wife are vacationing in Tofino. He likes to ask which is the sand bar that I ran aground on while sailing into Tofino Harbour. Sometimes I will respond, other times I will not. Grounding or no, I am blessed to have sailed my own small boat into Tofino Harbour, one of many wonderful stops as I made my way around Vancouver Island in 2006. It's almost a decade ago, and certainly a lifetime ago; only one of so many adventures I've been fortunate to have and survive.

Today I will sit in the truck while Katherine explores in the rain. Today I will stay dry while Katherine feels that drizzling rain and biting wind. Today I will get out of the truck only when I have to. It takes a lot for me to get in and out of the truck. I want to save that energy for something that matters, like a beer in the Weigh West Pub.