A Photographic Journey Through 2017

(Original photos and text by @eric-boucher. Part 2/2)

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(Link to Part 1)

In our second part of this last year’s review, we are going to see among other things the last travels through Haida Gwaii before my moving away from the “Misty Isles”, a 5 day pit-stop in Greece before hanging out in Terrace on the way to Taissia’s home, in Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island where I am now living. Remember All in the Name of Love or The Rise of the “Crypto-Friendliest Place on Earth”, Loutraki, Greece?!?

Finally, I will present the results of some photography around the area and new involvement with the “Bellyhood Consortium” before Christmas and New Year’s Celebration.

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(We all have our time by the river of life… As seen above, along “Dover Trail”, in Haida Gwaii, we are constantly reminded of the power of change and how it permeates absolutely everything we encounter. Photography by @eric-boucher)

A monumental year of changes it has been, huge!

By the time June came rolling around, after a very long and cold spring keeping the plants at least a month behind schedule, warmth and gathering started to unfold our way again. At this time of the year, friends usually start trickling in from the Mainland and all over the world as the balmy season opens its doors.

First, my friend and quasi-sister Auriane came by for a quick visit after her usual forays in the real Great Canadian North often well above the Arctic Circle! For her, a visit to Haida Gwaii was like a visit to California for me.

I knew the clock was ticking before my official departure and thought it would be a very opportune moment to go visit some of the areas I felt the closest to my soul. A visit to North Beach, at the very northern tip of Naikoon Park, was thus mandatory.

(A young bald eagle seem almost surprise to see us roll in a few meters away from it. Perched there among the countless giant driftwood, it waited for it sibling to come by before flying away. Soaking in every second of this, this is one of my favourite shot on this rainy day. Photography by @eric-boucher.)

As many of you have already seen and admired, North Beach, at the northeastern tip of Haida Gwaii, is a diamond of inspiration of any aspiring photographer. Even on cloudy, foggy, cold and windy days, opportunities to capture moments of beauty are mind blowing in beauty and overwhelming in quantity!

(The wreck, now a very small remain, is located about 5 kilometres away from the end of the road. The beach drive is a memory no one can ever forget: Its immensity, air, span and feel will give you wings…)

In June, following @kus-knee article entitled “The Old Dog Asks: Can YOU Succeed On Steemit Simply By Commenting? Meet @eric-boucher”, I was acclaimed to realms of grandeur I had not either admitted to myself and for which I was unaware of yet. This article was presented to me and the entire Steemit communities all over the world to attests of my highly successful commenting on Steemit.com where I am known as the ”King of Commenters” and “The Professional Encourager”. Following this tribute, the numbers of followers skyrocketed!

Being really close to numbers, I notice them all day long and, over the passed many years, number 1111 has been following me a bit like a shadow, yet a very good omen…

(Tired and beat after a long day working in the elementary school where I used to work, I arrive at the computer to find out that I have now 1111 followers! Photography by @eric-boucher.)

The last few weeks of school flew by in no time. I had dreamt of taking a solid three weeks to pack up my things, digest the departure process and take a few breaks from packing to go visit the last favourite spots I wanted to go to before leaving.

(One of my very favourite gardens in Haida Gwaii, Sheila Karrow’s offeres variety of flowers and plants, shrubs and tree throughout the year where surprises of all sizes awaits you at every corner.)

Literally 3 minutes after the last day of work kicked in, I get an invitation no one could refuse and see my self propelled to pack up all my things in two and a half days! @onceuponatime had invited me to go spend time with him and @liondani, @kerkyra and @kencode out in Greece!

Now, that my truck was packed to the brim, it was time to go and jump on the ferry, to cross over one of the gnarliest stretch of waters in the world “Hecate Strait” all the way over to Prince Rupert. Arriving early in the morning allowed me to take some time to soak in the beauty of the area one last time. Heart-wrenchingly, I took in every view like a last meal and drove slowly out of the “City of Rainbows”.

(Near Diana Lake Provincial Park, I stop to contemplate on of my very favourite vista along the “Highway of Tears” named after the tragic series of murdered and missing indigenous women who have disappeared along its stretch. Photography by @eric-boucher.)

Along the mighty Skeena River, the sun was rising through the early mist creating some spectacular reflections and rainbow effects here and there. The moments were calm, serene and magically beautiful.

(The Skeena River, flowing from Hazelton to Prince Rupert, is one of the most memorable river of North America. Its salmon is world renown and anyone who has spent any decent amount of time along its sides recognizes its might that extends beyond words.)

From Terrace, I parked my vehicle at my friend Denis’ and then he gave me a ride over to the airport where I was embarking on my very first trip outside of North America! Still stunned by the speed of all events that occurred in the previous 5 days, I was still in shock when I flew Lufthansa over the immensities of the Northwest Territories infinite pounds and marshes reflecting back up at us golden lights for hours! (Yes, I still kick myself for not at least trying to take a shot or two of this spectacle…)

From the get go, Greece was a blur of beauty, ancientness, in desert-like conditions constantly embraced by the Mediterranean Sea blues.

(Loutraki, the “Crypto-Friendliest Place on Earth”, has much to offer to anyone interested in cultures from across the cross-roads, exquisite Mediterranean foods and is world renown since Antiquity for its thermal springs and beaches!)

Flanked by my incommensurably generous host @onceuponatime, the marathon first visit around the area was offered by the famous @liondani and his wife @kerkyra. The heartfelt environment and sharing still lingers warmly deep inside of me.

(From left to right the legendary @onceuponatime and @liondani beaming along each other’s side on a day of miraculous beauty and experiences I couldn’t have foreseen! Photo credit to @kerkyra, using my Canon PowerShot SX60 HS camera…)

The raw beauty of the place, the constant smell of sumac in a field of cicadas chirps, whistles and warm shrills ornate the mountainous landscapes of dry land and olive trees. A quick visit with a great proud people allowing me a rare glimpse into master pieces of Greek artistry.

Out in the distance, I still can perceive Athena’s Temple across the Corinthian Gulf upon which our sun’s relentless journey arching back down came shooting unforgettable memories into my mind’s eye.

The trip itself was so fast that I had not even had time to recover from the jet-lag that it was already time for me to fly back “Out West”, to Terrace! It was an unforgettable 5 days along with the crew there for which I am eternally grateful.

The return on 1st class was a surreal experience in itself and arriving in the lobby of Vancouver International Airport a total delight. Feeling the West Coast of Canada’s first nations art in most piece of art surrounding one as they land, leaves an indelible imprint of the power of these traditions thousands of years old.

Terrace, British Columbia was my very first home in Northwest British Columbia where I lived most of the passed 23 years. A gigantic broad valley surrounded by beautiful snow-capped 2500 meter peaks. Lush in greens with a population of about 20 thousand souls, the pace here is smooth, winters pretty mild considering the proximity of the Pacific Ocean and the summer usually quite hot. It is common to encounter
wildlife of all kinds here and the gateway to the wilderness is only a few minutes away.

Leaving the life I have lead up in the Northwest for over 20 years, left me raw and open, yet eager for new horizons down south. The wildfires of last summer almost closed me in and forcing me to stay in the area. But one more option was still open to me if I wanted to drive down south and a long way around the fires become my number option. the sunset near Prince George was pretty incredible too…

The following day was rather epic as I had to drive through thick smoke from the moment I woke up around 5 a.m. till after 11:30 a.m. The day offered some shooting opportunities, if you remember from the post I had written about it.

As soon as the smokes and fires were out of the way, the sky opened up and all colours came back to normal.

I was going to sleep in my beloveds arms tonight, inshallah! The crossing, including more humpback whales breaching as a salute to my arrival on Vancouver Island, was super smooth and welcomed me in a magnificent sunset where, on one side, the island was putting on its golden gown, and on the other, Mount Baker levitated patiently above the Pacific Ocean.

After an arrival high in intensity meeting with Taissia’s family, sister and nephew, things quieted down very quickly, though the schedule itself didn’t! School had started for her teenagers and I found myself giving them rides, when they needed one. Meanwhile, I was looking for a decent job in the area while writing on steemit.com

Getting to know the area near my place has been a lot of fun. The shores alone the beaches are often covered of ancestral oak trees as well as with one of my very favourite local tree, the arbutus tree!

Walks in parks of all sizes gives an opportunity to load up on Vit D before the beginning of the rains which soaks us up for many months. A bit of drumming in the park and a few more photoshoots allowed me to met a few more people while being reminded of the good old ones.

Some extra beach time where an international sandcastle contest took place gave us a few more interpretations of what it is to be a Canadian nowadays…

As the last weeks of summer came by, friends from all over had gone by and one last one came for a quick visit in Victoria, where a very good sushi experience awaited us. as a manner of digesting the copious dinner, Taissia and I went for a walk downtown Victoria and discovered a new living-art piece: A killer whale mother and her calf carved out of two different kind of trees foliage! It was priceless!

A quick hike in one of the local waterfall park was a delight too. Little Qualicum Falls offered us a nice swimming hole on a torrid day and the pristine waters rejuvenated our beings.

A few weeks later, my friend Jay who had just arrived from a 6 months trek along the coast of New Zealand needed a bit of a segue on his way to Haida Gwaii. The idea of being stuck in the metropolitan area of Vancouver simply didn’t cut it for him! A quick camping trip and a few extra kilometers down the road, we managed to see some very beautiful vistas. Chief among them, the giant Douglas-fir growing halfway between Nanaimo and Port Alberni, with its height over 76 meters, and a girth of over 9 meters, did impress our guest.

Fall, well under its way gave us a great colourful show and loved seeing the oranges, yellows and reds pumping their vibrancy out there. Meanwhile, I drummed for my partner’s bellydance classes.

I even received a special gift from one of our Steemian, @nature.art for participating into her first draw! The prize, a STEEM logo pendant she had made and sent, packaged with care and extra love, slowly building my Steem swag for the event of me going to the next SteemFest!

Being in the big city of Nanaimo, allows me now to spend time in artsy, social and cultural events. Since my arrival, I have had the opportunity to go out a few times. Though most of my time here has now been mostly and by far used to work, this coming year hold the future of surprises yet to come. On the last hours of New Year's Eve, the account belonging to @eric-boucher saw the 3000th follower joining in this Steem Train. Another great auspicious sign for this year to come...

Much gratitude to you all for partaking into these adventures with me. With your every comment, motivational words, and shared experience I find myself propelled further on with new energies, wilful dedication for us all to be a co-creator in this uprising dream that this platform allows us to build together. Some might say I have came to turn to a new page of my life, I’d rather say we’re in a different section of a huge library and just picked up a new book all together! Welcome to 2018!