gent,”

I LIVE with a Forest Dane.

I didn’t know that at first. 1
just thought he was a nice guy.

But I started to get suspicious
during our long, dry spring, when
he would toss and turn in his
sleep, muttering about the drought
and our endangered forests.

I would watch him covertly dur-
ing the day, when he would spend
long periods of time peering anx-
iously into the sky for any signs
of a break in the dry weather.

I began to notice that dogs
seemed especially fond of him.
aAnd I found that during our
walks he would do things like

study a branch and be able to list |

off 14 animals that had passed the
tree before breakfast that morn-
ing.

But it wasn’t until he sprang
out of. bed one morning last week,
praising the heavens because it
was raining on the parched forest,
that I became firmly convinced
that here we had a naturalist of
the highest orcter.

A Forest Dane, to be exact.

1 mean, rain-is great when you
need it, and need it we did. But
on the first day of our holidays?

As he gaily skipped through our
home, throwing bicycte pumps,
binoculars,. hiking boots, - life
preservers, kayaking paddles and

the like into a large backback, the
’ man whom I had once known
simply as Peter Jensen explained
that he was, in fact, Peder the
Forest: Dane, latest in a long line
of Scandinavian nature freaks.

One of my friends knows-an Ed
'. Jensen, who has a penchant for

going into the woods and pushing
over dead trees. Could he be a
Forest Dane, too, I asked?

Peder paused in his packing ef-
forts. ‘‘No;. Ed sounds like a
Forest Dane gone bad. But I can
rehabilitate him!”’

As..we loaded up .the caravan
for our trip to a Bowen Island
cabin, I began to wonder about
the personal consequences that
might spring from association
with a Forest Dane.

The caravan was loaded to the
hilt. with an assortment of recre-
ational geaz, including a collapsi-
“ble" kayak, cur two mountain
.. bikes, and hiking paraphernalia.

Cycling safety

“WITH MORE emphasis be-

ing: placed on the environ-
recreation practi-
-tioners ‘are looking for ways
to encotirage: individuals to
‘view cycling as. both a

"+... feisure activity and a trans-

. portation mode.

Versha Anand, program coor-
dinator at. the West Vancouver
Recreation Centre (WVRC), says,
**More individuals would cycle to
work if they felt confident cycling
in the heavy traffic we face in
rush hour.”” :

- The WVRC is offering 2 course
that provides individuals with the
skills required to cycle safely in
traffic.

The course is taught by an in-

SY visit A UNIQUE SHOP.
meses Stationery ¢ Cards
Jewelry ¢ Gifts

age Gems

kits Jul

[apes Bion”,

Sf PAPER-GO-ROUND
9 Lonsdale (close to Quay)

288-9932

Friday, July 10, 1992 ~ North Shore News - 21

The Forest Dane

Now, I have no hesitation in
confessing that my brand of en-
vironmentalism is largely of the
blue box variety. Vl read about
the issues, Pll cut back on my car
use, I'll take my own bags to the
shopping centre, but to date I had
never been much for gruelling

climbs up mountainsides, -

regardless of how gratifying it
may be to breathe the clean air or
to photograph birds
wildflowers.

As I regarded -the heavily laden
car and witnessed the gleam of
anticipation in Peder’s eyes as he
stoked his kayak bag, I realized |
may have to adjust my expecta-
tions of what constitutes a relax-
ing holiday.

Well, perhaps [I was exag-
gerating. After all, the 20-minute
ferry ride to and from Snug Cove
was relaxing. It was just the three
days in between that nearly killed
me.

Our adventures began when
Peder assembled his Folbot kayak
and we launched in Tunstall Bay
on the far side of Bowen. Not
content, of course, to stick to the
Bowen shoreline, we (he) decided
to take to the open ocean and ex-
plore the neighboring islands, such
as Pasley Island to the north.

We then played the “just one
mere island’* game, whereby I
would beg to put ashore for lunch
while Peder would try to cajole
me on just a few more kilometres.
Or whatever you call units of
measurement at sea.

There were unexpected treats,
hewever. We surprised about a
dozen seals sunning’ on a rock,
and they flippercd themselves into
the water near the kayak, only to
follow us ‘curiously for half an

hour. Starfish were abundant — I .

found some loonie-sized | baby
starfish with their mom, who was

- either guarding them protectively
or eating them, I couldn’t tell.

Flaming thumb callouses later, |

we eventually pulled up at the
beach near our cabin and decided
to trek overland -to zetrieve the
car. | voted for walking along the
road. Forest Dane voted for the
bush.

We went via the bush.

Not that there was any trail. Oh
no, that would be too easy. Peder

course offered

structor from the National Bicycle
Safety Foundation. Topics
covered will include equipment,

handling skills, traffic principles, .

cycling etiquette and group riding
skills. - . ;

The program starts on July 14,
and runs every Tuesday and
Thursday until July 23, from 6:30
to 9:30 p.m. The cost is $35 and
it is necessary for participants to
pre-register.

For .more information contact
WVRC at 926-3266.

Wolo

CORRECTION
NOTICE

July 8/92, Flyer

Page-4 should have read
25% off entire range of in
stock lamp grouping items.
We apologize for any in-
convenience this might
have caused our Woolco
customers.

and-

Peggy
Trendell-Whittaker

gestures towards the direction of
the road, but Forest Dane would
be too intent on studying bark or
something to notice.

With a last burst of energy, we
made it through to Tunstal! Bay
and I basked in the comfort of the
caravan while pulling tree frag-
ments out of my body and at-

. tempting to staunch the flow of

* Danes’

ECOINFO

insisted he was following an an-

cient deer trail, but in my opinion
we were clambering where no one,
person or beast, had laid foot be-
fore.

Roughly following the
shoreline, we edged up bluffs,
traipsed through streams and
hacked through bush. Every so
often {1 would make feeble

blood fram. several wounds on my
legs.

1 was: mollified with a dinner
out at the Bowen Pub that night,
and heard myself agreeing to go
mountain biking the next day. .

I had forgotten about the Forest
innate sense that allows
them to unconsciously seek out
the steepest hill in the vicinity —
in this case, the Cowan Road hill
— and park at the bottom of it in
preparation for a bike jaunt.

Walking my bike up the endless
gravel incline that makes some of
the North Shore’s hills look like a
breeze, I cursed the Forest Dane
and his warped sense of recre-
ational adventure.

Fhe dirt road that eventually
wound its way past Josephine
Lake and down to Seymour Bay

was definitely good for the car-
diovascular system.

While the Forest Dane was
commenting on various flora, the
occasional deer, evidence of dif-
ferent logging practices and the
like, I was concentrating on keep-
ing. my-lungs from bursting cut
my nose. You tink I’m kidding.

It was with a great sense of
relief that we pulled over on our
return to Josephine f.ak«, changed
into our swimsuits anc plunged
into the cool water.

Naturalist to the last, though,
Peder looked at the nearby lily
pads and ‘said ‘‘Gee, this looks
like a good place for leeches’? —
whereupon he spotted a three-inch
black leech bearing down upon us
ast.

We made it out: of the water
just in time. Thank goodness for
Forest Danes.

EVERY SO often throughout the ,

.summer months, Ecoinfo will be

taking a closer look at our natural
environment. Watch for reports
on forays into the wild to appear
in this space.

During the summer monttis many of our carriers
take a well earned vacation. This is your
opportunity to earn some extra cash for the

summer.

The North Shore News is delivered to all the
homes in your neighbourhood every Sunday, .
Wednesday and Friday. You may be able to
deliver ail three days or just the ones that suit you -
best. There are no collections or canvassing
involved so you have time for other activities.

Your summer delivery job could lead to a
permanent route, so call us today ...

CALL 986-1337 FOR
“AVAILABLE ROUTES

‘Trek VOnCS 6 WORTH AND WEST UADOUVEN