And then there was 4!

I've definitely been bitten by the salmon bug so I went out again, with guide Roy and his 10-yr old granddaughter, Jillian.  Not far out,  a huge humpback whale decided to show off and that monster breached not once, not twice but more than 3 times.  I just wasn't quick enough with the camera to catch it but now that item is definitely crossed off of my bucket list.  What an astounding sight that was!!!  The fishing wasn't bad either.  I caught another king salmon about 14 pounds and another 24 pounder!!  Talk about excited.  That's my limit on king salmon (they call them springs and no one can tell me why), so now I can catch and keep for the freezer, bottom fish or pink salmon.  The pinks are still wonderful for smoked salmon or BBQ.  I'm am so thrilled I came up here and did so well

                                                                    Jillian and our fish  

                                                                      The 14 pounder

                            My 2nd big bull king salmon - all 24 pounds of him.

This has been one of the most amazing and enjoyable trips of my life.  The moisture in the air, the sea, the amazing mountains (on an island yet), the people, the dolphins, the orcas, the humpbacks, the harbour seals, the eagles, the fishing; oh, the fishing!  My freezer won't hold anymore fish.  In fact, I need to eat or give away some of the "other than fish" food in the chest freezer.  I put these last two in the cove's giant walk-in freezer to freeze them fast.  Burrrr. It's called a walk-in freezer but at 40 degrees below zero, it's a run out freezer.   It's about time to stop fishing for this gal because I'm starting to get tendonitis in both elbows and my fingers on both hands keep going to sleep.  A neighboring fisherman has given me 3 nice pink salmon for the BBQ, so I can treat my friends.

I call the forest floor campground the "percussion forest" because I finally figured out what the noise is that I keep hearing.  The squirrels climb the tall, tall trees and drop the pinecones to the ground and they hit the roofs of the trailers and rvs and make the loudest noise.  Sounds like hail.  I guess that is their favorite pastime.    The dogs have discovered the squirrels, the robins, the blue jays and also feel they have to protect the trailer.  Typical terriers - they barked their heads off the two times during the daytime that two different bears ran through my campsite.  They are around almost every night but during the day is unusual.  I have bells on the puppies' collars so I can tell where they are at home, but up here, the bells serve as a notice to the bears and cougars that we are coming and to hide OR the bells are announcing " lunch is served".  Doing my best to keep them safe, on the leashes and never out of my sight.

Up here, I have trouble keeping track of the date and I'm never sure what day it is, either.  I'm walking the dogs so that's the only explanation for me losing inches. I'm down almost two pant sizes.  No shorts worn up here.  Daytime temps in the 60's.  I absolutely love it.