We spent a weekend earlier this summer on Lucy Island. We’ve been there before and have even gone since but this trip was special. In part because we stayed more than just the day. The warm sun, the quiet mornings, the campfire suppers, the beach combing mid morning, the amazing views, the noisy frenzied nights….
A ready made kitchen counter and fireside benches make this island an easy place to camp.
(Click to see any pictures bigger!)
Endless exploring. We played in the sand. Cam gave rides on a resident shovel. We combed the beach when the tide was low finding so many precious treasures.
This was the perfect tent site. It was just back in the trees on a flat spot with a gorgeous view of the beach and ocean from our door. (click the picture below to see the view)
The night was wilder than we imagined it would be! As it was getting darker around 11pm, the forest was awash with Rhinoceros Auklets crashing into the forest all around us. It took us a minute to realise what the sudden bizarre sounds were! These birds are not nimble in the slightest. They seemed to thrash about with no regard for their safety. But safety is exactly their aim when they stay out on the water all day long, only coming back to their burrows late at night.
I’m not sure if there’s an interest but I collected a large selection of shells- bleached, regular and even some teeny miniature and I thought I’d offer a giveaway for some of my favourites! If you’d like to receive a sample of Lucy Island for your own, please let me know in the comments and I’ll draw a name in a week’s time. I don’t mind shipping out of country or overseas. (If you are interested in any in particular or say, all white and bleached, just let me know. There are most pictures on flickr.)
Lucy Island sounds like a beautiful spot. I would be honoured to have some of the treasures you gathered one of your (several) visits there. What a sweet idea. xo
So many lovely shells–my favorites are the white limpet shells and the barnacle covered rocks. I’m always a sucker for a snail shell too ;)
Ever since the first time you mentioned Lucy Island I thought I’d have to find my way there someday, especially with the kids (and daughter Lucy) in tow. It looks like a lovely place to be.
Oh… so beautiful! I would love a few!
ahhhh! my lucy was meant to have lucy island shells! so kind of you to share, annie!
My favorites are the white limpet shells and the large snail shells as well. I’ve never seen those before. They’d be a lovely thing to add to the nature table I wish to create this winter. Thanks, Annie!
I just love these photos :) My kids would love to have a sampling of your shells if we’re the lucky ones *grin*. They’re forever bringing home things from the beach. We even have a water bottle full of sand from our last camping trip to Tribune Bay :)
On anther topic, that was the first time we had seen Conrad Flapps but the kids LOVED him! I actually had never heard of him before Saturday and that’s so neat that he was up your way to :) Have a fun filled week!
I love that camping spot! What a special little spot!
Lucy Island sounds like a glorious spot to dream of visiting one day to do some beach combing of our own. I think I plan to spend our future years incorporating more travel in coastal BC into our unschooling life + learning.
Shells have a welcome place in my home anytime and from anywhere. These would be lovely additions. Thanks, Annie!!
I’m so happy there is interest in the shells! I thought it was a great idea when I was there on Lucy but then got all worried that it was a lame giveaway when I was writing the post.
I just finish cleaning another batch of shells this after…noon.
Btw, I’m willing to ship out of country or even overseas. I have tons of tissue paper to send the shells safely!
Annie—it’s a Great give-away! Sadly one that I don’t “need” at the moment due to my own vast collection of shells in numerous totes scattered throughout the community, but a really cool idea nonetheless. Great idea! They will definetely be a precious addition to one lucky persons nature collection!
What a special place! Beautiful post. I love the idea of a shell giveaway…
these are some glorious finds Annie. I love the cone ones as well as the snail shell that is kind of orangy with lines, in the photo with the cone shaped shells.
I am happy to see a fellow shell collector. I will take a shot of our loot this summer. I am no photographer though and it may take about 20 pictures to get them all covered. LOL
ooh and the big snail one in the last photo … just so beautiful! :D
Hey Annie- we have to visit there someday. We would love some shells to add to our nature baskets. Shells get played with a lot around here!
What a special place! And it’s a lovely idea for a giveaway.
How lovely it would be to receive a small piece of nature from somewhere else in the world. What a nice giveaway! (any shells would be fine)
Such magic! Would you believe that my two unschoolers have never seen the sea? They dream of it… we hope for a trip this year or next to see the ocean together. A little magical vessel of shells near our manifestation board would be just the trick.
It looks so lovely.
I love all the photos from what sounds like an amazing trip. You guys really do know how to have fun:)
I keep thinking I’ll find my way to a beach around here but I haven’t made it yet. I really do need some rocks and shells to add to the nature table at school…
Awesome! You KNOW I’d love this giveaway! My favs are the white limpits. We don’t see any of those here which is so interesting to me. This giveaway is a great idea and it makes me inspired to start a ‘natural finds’ swap. We should talk about that! Brian told me, lovingly of course, for the umpteenth time tonight to stop coming home with my pockets full. I’ve run out of room to store things…
What a wonderful idea for a giveaway Annie! Don’t enter me, since I live so close to beaches and could get my own and would rather see someone who doesn’t have the opportunity give them. I did want to comment on what a beautiful spot that looks like though. :)
I have loved seeing your trip pictures. Such a magical place.
I think this is an awesome giveaway! As much as we would love to have more nature love from BC come our way please don’t entery us… we were just collecting shells for a nature swap.
I think Jenny is one to something. After our swap with you we have sent out a few more. I have started wrapping everything in tissue paper like you did and using egg cartons for the little items. So great to share natures wonders.
Wow! I am so enjoying reading about Lucy Island and have responded on another thread about my family link to it, which came to an end 50 years ago next year, but which lives in my imagination, not least because of the descriptions of the Rhinoceros Auklet!! I really hope to visit Lucy next year. Everything I read elsewhere suggests it is somehow private, yet you guys treat it as very public if you can make your own way there … is that the case? And if so, can you help point me in the direction of someone who can get me there if I make it as far as P Rupert?!?!? You’ve also inspired me to think about bringing my daughter, maybe both my kids, if I can afford it … Thanks, a real inspiration!
Thanks Annie. I am currently in Scotland, but live near Liverpool … I have a dream to visit next year, which will be 50 years since Frank’s death / my birth … I am not sure of money will allow, but we’ll see … I am really intrigued at how you guys just head there and camp out, and would like to get a sense of how easy that is … Although I’m getting on a bit now, I am no stranger to camping and bivvying in wild places: it’s more the sea crossing, and the not getting slammed in gaol for transgressing local security (I have travelled to some interesting places …) that would be good to know about! Oh, and the season for the Rhino Auklets – I *have* to see, or at least hear, them!!!
Lucy isn’t private and is accessible as long as you have a boat to get there. It’s not even very far away! I believe scouts and girl guides go there for camping trips and many people camp there throughout the summer. There is a save place to anchor your boat overnight and a new boardwalk has been built from one end of the island to the other recently by a local company.
I’m not sure what it would look like for you to hire a boat to take you out there but if you were to come while we (and our friends) were here, we’d likely be willing to head out there with you for the cost of the shared gas. Since it’s not far, that’s not a costly option.
I hope you do come out one day! It’s a beautiful and unique spot.
(I tried to email you my comment to the last post but it didn’t go through…
https://annie.paxye.com/?p=2443#comment-10350 )
Thank you so much. I made a typo in the email address (I am at a music festival called Celtic Connections, have been here nearly a week and am a little disorientated! I have spent a lot of time with lovely musical people from the far, far side of Canada – Cape Breton, Nova Scotia – these past days …) so the real emails are simonglinn(at)yahoo.co.uk or simon.glinn(at)liverpoolphil.com
Sigh! Sounds like perfection, that place. I’ve never seen a rhinoceros auklet but I think I love them.