Visiting Billy Proctor

We set off in kayaks, and after a short paddle, entered Echo Bay and landed on a shell beach at the far end.  Since the tide was coming in, we carried the kayaks way up, and tied them to a cedar tree.
After a bit of searching we found the trail to Proctor Cove and set off.
Emerging from the woods into a clearing we saw Billy's homestead, the boat shed, and his fishing boat down at his dock.

Our first view of Proctor Cove 

The dog announced our arrival, and Billy met us at his museum, where one of the first things he said was "I've collected a lot of junk." Actually it's the result of a lifetime of beachcombing, and he has it well organized; it provides a look into the old way of life up the coast.  We saw bottles, fish hooks and lures, arrowheads, tools and saws and much more.  He showed us two old clothes irons - one of them opened so you could put hot coals in it, and another that belonged to his Mother, and used gas.

Billy in front of his museum

 We saw quite a few items mentioned in his books - the first book, Heart of the Raincoast, was written with Alexandra Morton, and the two others: Full Moon Flood Tide and Rip Tides and Back Eddies, were written with Yvonne Maximchuk, who still lives in the next bay over.

Brad in the door of the logger's shack that Billy built from one log

Billy patiently answered our questions, and told us a story of a close encounter with a cougar when he was digging clams on a nearby beach - his dog started whimpering, and when Billy looked up, there was a cougar 10 feet away!  He stood up and waved his clam fork - the cougar went after his dog and he was able to make enough noise banging his clam shovel on the side of his speedboat to scare the cougar away.  Phew!
It was a great visit, and soon it was time for us to be on our way, back through the woods to Echo Bay and the kayaks.

The sun came out while we explored Shoal Harbour