Sometimes I build forts out of driftwood tangles or explore the
sandstone caves. Sometimes I search for sea cucumbers and
decorator crabs in the tide pools, or we eat clams and roast
marshmallows around a beach fire.
But every day we swim, even if it rains."
An annual trip to spend the summer with her grandmother on an island in the Salish Sea is highly anticipated by the child narrator of this poignant, atmospheric book. It is a quiet, personal sharing of the days they spend together.
They do everything together - enjoying the beach, collecting new treasure, sharing nettle tea with a neighbor, biking to pick berries, gardening, and fishing. It is a vacation filled with activities that satisfy their souls. A visit to Joe, a neighbor who is carving a totem pole provides information about the significance of the eagle he is working on, and the significance of the eagle feather.
They fish, go clamming, and add to the treasures they have previously collected. Pocketing a piece of bone they find is met with a stern response.
"Gran isn't happy with me when she empties my
pockets for the wash. She makes me return the bone.
"Middens are like museums without walls," she says.
"Their treasures are for us all."
Each day brings adventure and new learning. The two find endless ways to entertain themselves, even picking berries to preserve and to bake into pies. When the time comes to return home, there is sadness and a longing to extend their days in hopes they might see even more than they have already seen. Luckily, the ferry trip back to the mainland affords a chance to see one special sight the two have missed during their time together.
The lovely watercolor artwork helps readers celebrate this special summer vacation. The setting is lovely, idyllic and much appreciated. The love between the two is shown in every memory. The environment is beautifully infused with sunlight in spreads that sparkle with love.
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