I am grateful to be in the fellowship of writers, poets, scientists, culture keepers, composers and art-makers of all types, as a participant in the 2023 Bloedel Reserve’s Creative Residency Program. There I was able to completely loose track of all the usual markers of time in my life. For me, the gift of time for reflection and discovery is an … [Read more...]
The Faering is Launched
In 2009-2010 our eldest son, Spencer West, had the privilege of working with a team of excellent wood carvers who were gathered at Duane and Betty Pasco's to carve the Raven Canoe. This canoe was being created for a Canoe family to be paddled on the Canoe Journey to Neah Bay. The first of these canoe journeys, in recent times, was held in 1989 at … [Read more...]
Gathering Cedar Bark
Here's my crew! Asha and Calla are in charge. The owners of this property have decided they need to remove these two Western Red Cedar trees. Passiko and Dean waited to get them cut down, until the sap was up, so that we could gather the inner bark. We've all made our personal apologies to these beautiful cedars for what we are about to … [Read more...]
