July – Poets Cove Resort & Spa, Afterglow Vista & South Pender Love
© Copyright by John B. Gargett 2008/2009 All Rights Reserved
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On the cruise back from the Yacht Club to Poets Cove, Hugh Johns was telling the Pirates about some of his adventures while traveling around the world. Hugh talked about how he had visited over forty countries, and how everyone had been a unique experience. He talked about Bangladesh, Malaysia and Somalia, all Islamic countries. He talked about Costa Rica, Honduras and Puerto Rico, all Catholic Spanish countries. He talked about Jamaica, Guyana and Belize, all Anglican Commonwealth countries. The one thing that struck Hugh in all cases was that in every country the people were proud of their nation, their religion, their heritage and their future.
Derek told Hugh that he had a Somali friend, Bahdoon, who lived on North Pender. All three of them, Derek, Ryan and Jason went to high school with Bahdoon. Derek said that Bahdoon and his family left Somalia not long after the famous “Blackhawk Down” incident. He said Bahdoon told him that they came from the north of Somalia, but after President Clinton pulled out, everyone knew the country would fall into chaos for years to come. They joined thousands of Somali’s who fled to the US, Europe and Canada. Bahdoon had even boasted to the guys that his Uncle was a famous tribal leader in Somalia who would one day reunite the clans and rule Somalia. Hugh told Derek that he knew a few of the tribal leaders and asked who Bahdoon’s Uncle was, but none of them knew his name.
Hugh also asked the Pirates how they got started fixing boats and had made it such as success in so short a time. They told Hugh that they bought the business from a guy who lived over in Roche Harbor and that he had built up the initial business. Ryan said he had told them he had a lot of contacts with boat owners in Washington State who were looking for a tax shelter for their boats because he worked at Roche Harbor on the fuel docks. Hugh asked how much they paid David Henry for the business. The shock on their faces was clear – David had said never to tell anyone, but Hugh knew who he was. When they tried to lie and say it was a guy named Lars Hansen, Hugh just accepted that, but he knew they were lying, he just did not know why – yet.
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They all pulled into Poets Cove at 2030, just an hour and 35 minutes after leaving the Bellingham Yacht Club. Hugh loved this new boat, but not as much as he loved his wife Louise, and they were here to spend the weekend celebrating her birthday. Poets Cove was a lot different than it was in the 90’s. Back then it was known as Bedwell Harbor Resort and its time had come, and mostly gone. It was funky then, fun and had great burgers in the pub. The new owners, from Alberta, wanted to really make an upscale destination resort and that they did. While Hugh, and many other boaters had some great times in the old Bedwell Harbor, Poets Cove Resort and Spa was ranking right up there.
Hugh and Louise thought of Poets Cove as their own private nest. Over the last five years they had been coming – the start of their relationship coincided with the opening of the Poets Cove. In many ways they always felt as if they were coming back home when they came to Poets Cove. Many of the staff knew them, and when they tied up, Marie was a welcome face, but she did not really say much to Hugh, she was polite, but quickly gave Derek a big hug and kiss. Louise simply commented that it looked like someone else fell in love here at Poets Cove, which drew a blush from Marie.
For Louise’s birthday Hugh had arranged for her to have a half-day at the spa on Saturday, followed by a romantic dinner with Champagne at Aurora’s. While Louise was going to be in the spa, Hugh was going to walk down to one of his favorite spots in the islands, Gowland Point. Gowland Point is one of those rare spots where one feels at complete peace. From the craggy rocks melting into the kelp beds at low tide, to the sweeping view back across to the northern San Juan’s, all the way to the top of Mt. Baker covered in its glaciers, Hugh always felt great there. Hugh and Louise even talked about retiring on South Pender, if they could get one of the very few houses at Gowland Point. It was going to be a great weekend.
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On Saturday morning, David Henry received a call from Suegali asking him if he knew a place they could meet and spend a couple days together. David was working at the fuel dock at Roche Harbor, so he was able to quickly arrange for the nicest one of the McMillin Suites in the turn-of-the-century house of the founder of Roche Harbor, Paul McMillin. David had no sooner than made the reservation when a 36’ Windsor Craft Hard Top pulled up to the fuel dock. The Captain asked that she be fueled up, and as David was loading her with fuel, the sheer beauty of this craft struck him. Built in 2009, it was built of wood, yet clearly luxurious. There was nothing this boat wanted for. When he told the Captain it would be $390 for the fuel, Suegali popped out from below and told him to put it on his tab with a big smile on his face.
Suegali and David spent the most of the day in Suegali’s suite. Suegali was telling David that he was going to be leaving Canada and the US for a while and concentrating on other business ventures. He told David that he was going to put a hold on using the Northern Route for smuggling while he was gone, principally because with the run up to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, he felt that it might be to dangerous. He had heard that the US Homeland Security was going to start using UAV’s with real-time video to monitor the waters. David did not really believe his story; he just figured he was keeping him out of the loop now that David was retired. In any event he really did not care, but it did seem that Suegali was trying to tell him something.
The two of them had a fantastic dinner at McMillins. David had the San Juan Island Natural Lamb and Suegali had the Oregon Hazelnut Crusted Halibut with Dungeness Crab. Suegali asked about why everything was named McMillin here, and David told him about John S. McMillin. He was a late 19th century industrialist who founded the Roche Harbor Lime and Cement Company. He and his wife had five kids, and he may be best remembered for his mausoleum built in honor of his family that was just a short walk from the restaurant, which, while it was starting to get dark, they walked to. Suegali was stunned, but silent, by what he experienced at Afterglow Vista, the name of the mausoleum. It made him realize that all over the world people had many of the same questions and strived for the same goals.
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The practice of erecting columns at the entrance to an edifice dedicated to worship prevailed in Egypt and Phoenicia and these ancients believed the earth to be flat and that it was supported by two Pillars of God, placed at the western entrance of the world as then known.
The broken column on the west side of the edifice was erected in the manner to represent the broken column of life and signify the unfinished state of man’s work when the string of life is broken.
The Winding Stairs as a whole are representations of life, not the physical life of eating, drinking, sleeping and working, but the mental and spiritual life, of the world as a whole; of learning, studying and enlarging mental horizons, and increasing the spiritual outlook. They are winding to represent, to some extent, our path through life in that we will be unable to see what lies ahead of us and keep hidden the future of everyday living. The Three Steps are emblematical of the three principal states of human life-youth, adulthood and old age. In youth we ought to industriously occupy our minds in the attainment of useful knowledge; in manhood we should apply our knowledge to the discharge of our respective duties to God, our neighbors, and ourselves; so that in old age, we may enjoy the happy reflection consequent on a well spent life, and die in the hope of a glorious immortality.
The Five Steps represent the Five Orders in Architecture, the Tuscan, Doric, ionic, Corinthian and the Composite, and is a regular arrangement of the projecting parts of a building which united with those of a column, form a beautiful, perfect and complete whole. These Five Steps also represent the five senses of human nature: Hearing, Seeing, Feeling, Smelling and Tasting. The Seven Steps represent the seven liberal arts and sciences: Grammar, Rhetoric, Logic, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music and Astronomy.”
(Above From San Juan Masonic Lodge #175)
On their walk back, Suegali remained silent and clearly in reflection. David respected this, just walking slowly along with good friend. When they were back by the dock, Suegali suggested they walk out to the end and back. As they walked, Suegali told David of his love for Somalia, of how he longed to be back in his homeland, and how he was using his empire to fund his goals, much like McMillin funded his goals. He told David that when he returned to Somalia, he wanted David to come and be an advisor to him. David was, when he considered all Suegali was saying, convinced that something was about to happen but rather than ask Suegali, he just decided to let things be as he told Suegali he would be honored to be of assistance to help Suegali build a new Somalia.
As they reached the end of the old dock, David saw a smile break across Suegali’s face as he looked at his Windsor Craft Hard Top. Suegali told him that the boat was a new boat, built in Minnesota of all places. It was, however, built by a company that used the most modern cold molded techniques to build beautiful wooden boats. This boat had its hull made of three layers of African Mahogany, its floors were teak, the dash rosewood, and the paneling mahogany. Suegali had purchased the boat in Annapolis and had it brought over to Victoria, where he came from to say goodbye to David. As they boarded her, Suegali gave him the keys and told the Captain to arrange for a flight back to Victoria since this was David’s boat now. Suegali simply said “As sala’amu alaikum” (peace be upon you). David responded with “walaikum as sala’am” (and unto you also peace). Words did not need to be spoken, Suegali and the Captain left the boat; David spent the night aboard wondering when he would again see his old friend.
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Derek and Marie were also having a great weekend. Marie had not seen Derek so relaxed in a long time. It seemed that after his trip on Friday he was ready to relax and enjoy life. Of course Marie did not know that the reason he was so happy was because the Pender Pirates were through with the smuggling for the season, but also because Derek had decided that between the runs in May and June he now had over 1.25 million U.S. dollars safely stored in Geneva and it was earning 9% per year thanks to his old friend David Henry’s suggestion for an Investment Advisor. That meant he was getting $112,500 a year tax-free. Derek figured he would marry Marie, quit smuggling, get a real island job as a cover, and then slowly smuggle money back into Canada and buy a house on the water in a couple years. Derek has taken David’s advice to never show lots of cash and to never buy anything obvious.
The two of them were relaxing in each others arms on the lawn outside Marie’s cabin, just soaking in the late afternoon sun of a hot Saturday July day. Neither was really saying much, but both were having the same deep feelings for each other – feelings of love, commitment and happiness. They were still not living together, but Derek did have a drawer for a few things and a place to keep a toothbrush. Marie had made a great dinner Friday evening, starting with a Eggplant Caviar appetizer, followed by a main course of delectable “crab” cakes made with tempeh and served with sherry sauce, along with a wild rice and cranberry soup. For desert she served strawberry rhubarb pie made with rhubarb from her garden. After dinner, which was well after 11, and after a couple bottles of a 2007 Estate Chiaretto from Morning Bay Vineyard & Estate Winery on Pender Island, the two spent an hour in the bathtub with the windows open.
Enjoying the warm water and the warmth of the Chiaretto, Derek was telling Marie that he was growing tired of the constant commute to Vancouver Island and wanted to give up his share of the business if he could find work on Pender. Marie told him that Poets Cove was looking for someone to provide mechanical, detail and cleaning services for the yacht owners who came to the Cove for weekends. But Derek was not thinking about finding work; he was struggling on how he was going to ask Marie to marry him. He had made the decision to ask her a month ago and had a handcrafted ring made at a jeweler in Victoria. The ring had two gold mermaids entwined around a sapphire stone. Marie loved mermaids and Derek knew the detail of the work was outstanding. With the moonlight shining through the maple leafs, a light warm wind blowing from the south, and love in his heart, Derek stepped from the tub, dropped to his knee, took Maries hand in his, and looked deeply into her eyes as he slipped the ring on her finger and asked her for her hand. Marie replied by telling him the full moon on October 3rd would be a great time to get married on the shores of Bedwell Harbor.
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Suegali has said his goodbye to David; will he return for his attack on the cruise ship? Derek has proposed to Marie, and they have set their wedding date for October 3rd. But will there be a wedding? What has become of Adam and his plans for the bombing of the train? Be sure and read August’s edition of the Pirates of Poets Cove.
Photography and Image Credits
Image 08-01 Photo by John Gargett taken while en route to Poets Cove, 2005
Image 08-02 Photos by BC Canada Tourism
Image 08-03 Photos by John Gargett, Roche Harbor, July 4, 2004
Image 08-04 Photos from Afterglow from Google and Masonic Lodge
Image 08-05 Photos of Pender Island by John Gargett, 2005
Image 08-06 Photo by John Gargett,, 2004, Chart from NOAA http://www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/mcd/Raster/index.htm
