Book Club

Shell Games

It was hard not to wonder what was out there, or even who was out there. The book club met on a cool February morning at Bowman Bay, a wide, protected and inviting bay, a place that seemed to beg for underwater exploration. We watched some folks out in a boat and couldn’t help but be a little suspicious. What exactly were they up to?

Our sudden skepticism stemmed from reading our February book club pick, Shell Games. The author, Craig Welch, is a journalist who took a deep dive into the underworld of the seafood industry of the Puget Sound. For two years, he followed the local wildlife police as they pursued poachers of a funny little (or maybe I should say not so little) mollusk, the geoduck.

When I announced Shell Games as our February pick, I asked in our Facebook group if anyone had ever eaten geoduck. I learned that most of the locals in the group never had it. Some said they never would, most said they would try it if they had the chance. I also learned that Speedy the geoduck is the Evergreen State College mascot which has got to be up there with the strangest school mascots.

The sheltered marine waters of the Pacific Northwest are the only place on earth where wild geoducks grow in great size and quantity. And the mollusk was riding a tidal wave of globalization. The geoduck’s escalating popularity abroad tracked the rise of a new wildlife underground- and an evolution in mankind’s ability to exploit nature. In the booming international market for fresh seafood the geoduck had become a path to quick profits. And smart smugglers always followed the money.

Craig Welch, Shell Games

The group skirted the bay on the way to Rosario Head. The trail was lined in mossy green and madrona trees until we reached the headlands. There, the way opened up with views of the Puget Sound all around. We paused at the gorgeous wooden carving of “The Maiden of Deception Pass” and read her story.

The Samish people once lived where we stood. They gathered shellfish on the water’s edge, fished from their wooden boats, and pulled camas bulbs for eating. One day, the maiden and her sister were gathering chitons. She was startled and dropped a chiton in the water. When she went to reach for it, a hand grabbed her and she heard a man’s voice telling her about his house in the water filled with food and about life with the sea people.

This happened again and again until the maiden pulled her hand away and asked to see the man. He emerged from the water and joined her for dinner with her father (like ya do). He told her father that his daughter was beautiful and he wanted to take her back to live with him. He was hesitant about the stranger and was sure the maiden would not survive in the sea. He challenged the sea man and refused to let his daughter go.

The sea man finally relented, but not without warning. He said his people have always been kind to them, but if he went home alone, the tide would no longer go out, they will find nothing on the beach, and the springs will run dry. Eventually, after a long, hard, and fruitless time, she goes to him. Once the sacrifice is made, the sea people continue to provide for the Samish people. The maiden returns bearing gifts of shellfish of all kinds. Each time her hair gets a little longer and resembles seaweed.

This story of mutual respect between the Samish and the sea reflects how we should be living: not taking more than we need, always giving back and taking care of our home waters. The stories told in Shell Games reflect a different culture, one of cheating the land and taking as much as possible. Reading this book was a great reminder that we should be more like the Samish.

We ate our lunch and then wandered the shoreline investigating the life on the rocks. We even found a chiton thanks to Jamie, our very own marine biologist. They completely blended into the surroundings. I wondered how they tasted…

Photo courtesy of Mala Giri

Shell Games by Craig Welch

Book Ends

Book Club Archive

Book Club

For the Time Being

“Live. For Now. For the time being.”

Time. It seems to be both elusive and abundant these days. Hours pass by like minutes as I play with Evie. We babble back and forth and I endlessly dance and sing and make silly faces just to make her laugh. When she cries, time slows and it feels like hours before she calms. The nights go on for days as I wake every few hours to feed her. When she falls asleep on me I cling to every nanosecond.

When Laura chose A Tale for the Time Being for April’s book club pick, I was excited to revisit one of my all-time favorite books. The timing was perfect. I was ready to jump back into the club and get out for a hike with my book club friends. We headed to Goose Rock at Deception Pass. It was a rare sunny day in this epic winter / spring of rain. Our spirits were high as we climbed and crossed under the famous bridge.

We continued through the forest sprinkled with the rusty brown of Madrone trees and took a detour out onto the open meadows to see what flowers we would find. There weren’t as many as there would normally be this time of year, but we did find some red paintbrush, spring gold, a few camas, and a checker lily. My favorite part of the meadows, though, is the glow of the sage-colored reindeer lichen.

The trail dips a bit and then climbs to our destination, Goose Rock. We had the rock all to ourselves and we made ourselves at home as we spread out and chatted about the book. Laura thoughtfully brought a thermos of genmaicha, a lovely Japanese rice tea to go along with the theme of the book, and some delicious chocolate chip cookies. I was in heaven as I enjoyed these treats. Evie was content and enjoying her dose of Vitamin D and we lingered for a while. We discussed our theories about the book and read some of our favorite quotes. We all enjoyed the character Jiko, the main character’s zen Buddhist grandmother who talked of “supapowas!” and offers prayers of gratitude to the toilet: “As I go for a dump / I pray with all beings / That we can remove all filth and destroy / The poisons of greed, anger and foolishness.”

The “supapowa!” Jiko was trying to instill in her granddaughter was the ability to be in the now, to wake up to her life in the present moment and to stop living in the past. As we sat on the Rock and looked out to the Puget Sound with the sun shining on us, I did my very best to be as present as possible in that happy moment. In a time where it is so easy to escape the present by spending time on our phones and devises, I am determined to be a Time Being, in the here and now. As a mother, I hope to ever stride toward harnessing this supapowa! and passing it on to Evie.

When you beat a drum, you create NOW, when silence becomes a sound so enormous and alive it feels like you’re breathing in the clouds and the sky, and your heart is the rain and the thunder.

 

I am very aware of the privilege I have that allows me to spend time with my baby in the outdoors and I am eternally grateful for all of it. I must remember gratitude. Thank you book club friends, thank you Goose Rock. Thank you tea and chocolate chip cookie. Thank you book, thank you Ruth Ozeki. Thank you trail and those who built this trail. Thank you tree and flower and Baby Bjorn carrier and car and roads and…

 

A Tale For the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

 

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Book Club

Spirited Waters

I was surprised to find our biggest group yet on a cold and rainy Sunday. A few of us camped overnight at Bowman Bay and the others reported driving through heavy rain to meet us. But the group was armed with rain jackets and pack covers and even an umbrella. We headed up the trail.

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I chose Deception Pass for this month’s hike because of its accessibility, easy wandering trails and spring wildflowers. But more than that, these places where land meets water are quite special. Often there is more wildlife to be seen and the air is so refreshing. I also chose it because it was the closest we could get to the scenery Jennifer Hahn experienced on her journey through the inside passage, recounted in this month’s book choice, Spirited Waters.

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First we headed to Rosario Head protected overhead from the rain by the canopy of cedar and madrona trees. We stopped to admire the wooden carved statue of the Maiden of Deception Pass. Her story is told in placards circling the statue and each side depicts her transformation into a sea woman with barnacles and seaweed hair.

From there we continued to Rosario Head where the meadows sprawled into the sea. Purple camas sprinkled the grass and the wind whipped up around us. We watched the white caps of a dominant current out in the water and I thought of Hahn in her kayak crossing open waters in stormy weather. I am in awe of her solo journey through the Inside Passage, I certainly would not have the courage.

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As we completed the loop around Rosario Head we were back in the protection of the trees. Returning to Bowman Bay, we spotted some seals poking their curious heads out of the water. We continued past the parking lot and headed for Lighthouse Point. The tide was up but lowering, so we walked across the slippery rocks and barnacles to meet the trail.

Once off the beach, the trail enters a beautiful thick forest. In a few spots the trees open up to allow views of the water and the Deception Pass Bridge. We stopped to watch unidentified wildlife splashing away along the shoreline. At the point, the views open up and the entire span of the bridge can finally be seen. Bracing ourselves against the wind, we explored the headlands.

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Once we’d had enough we headed back toward the trailhead. Now the rain was becoming steady again and we had no trees to thank for cover. We took to the old CCC built picnic shelter and had our lunch and book discussion. We all seemed to agree that Jennifer Hahn has a great sense of voice and that her story is an inspiring one. I especially loved her constant battle with herself that she writes in back and forth dialogue with herself. I recognized this behavior in myself of course.

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Even though it was a cold and rainy day, I left the trail with happiness and warmth from our little group. It was a boost that I needed to get through the month and excitement to see what our next adventure will be.

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Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe:

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup Nutella
2 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

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  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. In a large bowl, beat butter for 1 minute until creamy. Add sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium high until light and fluffy.
  3. Beat in egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Add 1/4 cup Nutella and beat until combined.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together.
  5. Mix in wet ingredients until combined. Add 1 cup chocolate chips.
  6. Add remaining Nutella and beat for 5-10 seconds until Nutella is just streaked through the dough.
  7. Scoop and roll dough in to 1 Tbsp balls and place on lined baking sheet.
  8. Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown.

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We had some great bloggers with us on the trail today. Check them out here:

Pacific Northwest Seasons

A Day Without Rain

Happiest Outdoors

Spirited Waters by Jennifer Hahn

 

Book Ends

Road Trip

Whidbey Island

My husband, Nali, and I were invited to spend the past weekend on Whidbey Island with friends. We started off the weekend with a leisurely hike at Ebey’s Landing. It’s one of my favorite winter hikes and the sun even came out for us, just a little. The trail starts off parallel to farm fields speckled green with winter plantings. The lush green rolling fields reminded me of my home state Pennsylvania.

Soon the trail comes to a tee at a bluff overlooking the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. The ferries and container ships crisscrossing the Sound looked like bathtub toys from our vantage. As we headed up to the right, a hang glider swooped overhead with a red, white, and blue sail. We waved and Nali barked at him, startled from his sudden appearance. From there its a short climb to the long winding section along the top of the bluff.

We admired gnarled trees and the winter textures of the dried grasses, oregon grape, and thick thorny bushes. It’s nothing but grand views from the bluff trail. A driftwood covered spit carves out a large lake of green water, calm compared to the opposite side where big frothy waves crashed. Toward the end of the bluff, the trail switchbacks down to the beach to make a loop.

On the beach we turned into the cold headwind and I wished I had a scarf. We scattered out, heads down and hands in our pockets scouring the surface for anything interesting. Nali found and ate some dried bull kelp and dug holes to find who knows what.

By the time we reached the stairs to return we were quite frozen. The incline back up the hill was welcome as it generated some body heat. On the way back we passed by Isaac Ebey’s old home and blockhouse.

Ebey was the first settler on Whidbey Island in 1850 and he and eight family members lived in the house while they farmed the neighboring prairie land. The blockhouse was built as defense in response to continuing conflict with the Native Americans who were displaced from their land. Ebey lived there until he died in 1862. He is buried at the Sunnyside Cemetary, just across the road from the trailhead.

We returned to the cabin just in time for sunset. We poured some cider and headed to the deck with our cameras. The sun lit the clouds in gold as the air grew colder. We went inside and warmed ourselves by the wood stove.

The next morning we explored Langley. Well, mostly we explored the bookstore, Moonraker Books, admired enormously chunky Italian yarn, and grabbed some great coffees. Then our friends made us marvelous cheddar rolls for lunch. After a never ending January, it was the perfect winter getaway without getting too far away.

Hikes featured in this post:
Ebey’s Landing

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