Did You Fart?!

It was a valid question (I had milk today after staying away for so long..'nuff said!). Only a few minutes prior I had been giggling away to a secret fart..which Willie noticed soon enough! But no, it wasn't me! Trust me, I would have taken full credit for that stench! HOLY!!! I'm not sure a fart would smell like that...and if it did, I'm pretty sure the person would require medical attention A.S.A.P! Seriously...

We had gone for a short cruise after church this morning. The sun was out. The waves were rolling. The ocean was a shimmering dark blue. And I'm pretty sure I heard the car say "Please, take me for a ride". So we did! We drove down Front St. and continued past Balance Rock (I have yet to visit it since we've been back), and went on our way to Jungle Beach. Well...let's just say when we were almost to Jungle Beach, Willie and I were gagging slightly. We thought maybe something was decomposing in the bushes..it was awful. But then Willie said, "I bet it's the whale". Aha! Yes, that MUST be what it was! I asked if it was far from where we were...we had passed it. YAY!! I made him go back and as soon as we found a place to park, I was out and speed-walking through the tiny trail. Probably not the best thing to do in those flip flops. Trails around here are never flat, never dry and very rarely straight through. But I trekked on.

As I came to the clearing, I still couldn't smell anything. But...there it was. Wow! I had never looked at a whale this closely. It was still magical even though the poor little thing had obviously been dead a long time. So, I got closer. And closer. A little closer. Yup...even closer. When I was about 5 or 6 feet away, I stopped. I was so tempted to go closer and investigate but I was in my good clothes and borrowed flip flops. I've heard the smell stays with you..so yah..I didn't. But wow....It was so sad to see a young Fin whale like that, but still magical. She (I'm assuming it's a she) was on her back...skin dull and browning...tail moving with the waves..I stood in silence, looking into her eye. Such a magnificient creature. I said a prayer in Haida and filled in the parts I didn't know with English...I'm sure she wouldn't mind. I finally managed to pull my gaze from hers. I walked slowly, and silently, in the opposite direction along the beach. Climbed over the driftwood logs. Trudged back through the damp, dark trail lined with berries. And reached the car.

Willie did not want to go see...he's not as interested in slightly morbid things as I am. He asked how it was...I said "Beautiful but sad". He understood. He's seen a beached whale before. The whale must have strayed from her family and starved. Or maybe she was sick. Who knows. But for now she'll rest in the shallow waters of Miller Creek. Til the tide takes her home.

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