Wholly smoke! I don't beleive what an awesome time i had this weekend. I caught an early ferry to Mayne to visit Jeff and Samantha who have just moved there 2 days ago and who are reviving a farm, recording an album, oh ya and getting married too, all in this month. It's safe to say they are thrilled and excited and overwhelled by the opportunity and new life they are starting. I was a day early for a party I had been invited to for the landowner Jacky, who is fronting the finances for this farm revival.
I had no idea where they live or how to find them so I bike into what is considered the island centre. "That's where all the action is" the ferry attendant directed. I borrowed a bike to explore and headed for Miner's Bay. At the grocery store I asked about a community Bulliten board but there was no sign of jeff, so I asked about the unknown farm and it seems there's probably no one else on the island that hasn't heard about this farm revival. "Hardscrabble farms?" the storeowner projected. "There diggin a lake up there". It sounded about right. So off i went and soon found Jeff with a socket rench bent over the farm plough as he attached a second blade. A few seconds to register this stranger and he was all smiles. Just having arrived on the farm an hour earlier, it's just as exciting to him too. He tested out the tractor and it seems to pull real well.
The farm feild rolls out across a small valley and up a slope where giant ceder and fir begin a forest hill. 2 more fields extend to the east. This is big. In the bottom of the field bucket arms are digging a big pond right down to clean blue clay that will fill in the winter and be used as irregation in the summer. The north bank is being terraced for an orchard. Jeff is wide eyed and humbled by this opportunity but not afraid.
They have rented a place just a walk down the road, that will keep them until spring when the owners wish to take up residency again for the prime summer season. They call them "summerer's", there are also "weekenders" and these are terms created by the "full-timers" which are the 900 or so permanent residents which call mayne island home.
Raffi is one of them. He showed up to the Farm dinner party as an invited neighbor. When he introduced himself i gave him a big hug and thanked him for being a part of my childhood. He laughed, i'm sure it happens a lot. I'm what he calls a "Beluga Grad" see his website for the amzing work he is continuing to do now.Raffi News.We had wine and olives and talked about his father, who was a portrait photographer in Cairo. His dad Poineered and simplified the early colour 3 step developing process that we are familiar with today. Once neighbors, friends and family had shown up. We dove into a great big Alberta Beef roast.
After dinner a banjo stuck up a chord in the living room by the fire. People gathered and joined in song. Then we sang some rounds, a guitar appeared, and we were treated to Raffi doing john denver and bob dylan covers. It was an awesome time. Samantha and two others are impressive singers and part of a group called "the No-shit Shirley's" an all woman acapella group. She is organising a group singing session on the island and after that night I can't say no to it. The evening was not complete without home-made blackberry pie. Raffi said he's a pie-athlete, trianing for a pie-athalon, and was first in line. As Jeff and I said goodbye and headed home, we heard Rafffi strike up "Baby Beluga". It was icing on the cake, and a good feeling that i should find a place to live and work on the island.
I arose at 6am to catch the ferry to swartz bay, and posted a couple rental want adds up as i left. Cross my fingers and i'll be an islander for the winter. Sorry no photo's from this party, you'll have to paint a picture in your mind for this one.
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