Taking the Bus to Visit Linda, My Friend Who Lives in the Bush

NEWS! I'm sad to say that Bella Coola has finally entered the 21st century - we now have cell-phone reception, though only down town, I hear. Yes, we're losing some of those things that make the Valley special....., like freedom from all those mobile doodad thingies!

Good news in Bella Coola for those of us who STILL don't have a car - Bella Coola now has a public bus! It's sort of like a handy-dart bus - you phone the day before, and book your trip - anywhere in the Valley - for only $2! So now I have yet another transportation option to add to walking, cycling, hitch-hiking, school bus and rides with friends! Yesterday, I took the bus in the morning, 50 km "up valley" as we say in local-speak, to visit my friend Linda. At 4:00 p.m. the bus arrived to pick me up and take me back to Four Mile - 100 km of driving for only $4. Wow! What a life!






Linda is one of the Valley's "interesting characters". Why? Well, when she was 19 (she's now 54) she came to the Valley, got a piece of raw land from the government on some kind of "clear and improve the land for human habitation" scheme - 50 km from town and 1/2 km back in the woods! She and her boyfriend at the time cleared the land, built a cabin, planted fruit trees and veggies, and were "'70s back-to-the-landers." Linda now lives in the place with her 2 dogs, numerous wild animal "friends", or maybe I should say, "visitors", including bears and cougars, and still grows fruit and veggies - she buys virtually nothing from the store! I sampled some of her dried pears - delicious! She keeps her carrots in the ground all winter and picks them as she needs them, and she keeps her potatoes under the floor of her cabin. She used to raise ducks for meat, and have her own chickens for eggs, but no longer - now she eats local salmon which she gets in the spring and freezes for year-round eating.

Linda has a wonderful old cast-iron cook stove in the middle of her cabin. She used it for all her cooking up to about 15 years ago.






Linda has also been a puppeteer for many years. She has hundreds of marionettes, most of which she has made herself. She used to go around the province to various folk- and music-festivals and perform puppet shows. Anyone seen a good puppet show lately? I think it's a lost art.....unfortunately!

Here are some bear puppets that were sitting on her piano.





And here are some lovely lady puppets that were hanging from the ceiling.





You can check out 2 video clips of Linda's place on my YouTube site at:
http://www.youtube.com/acwsalcta