"Daorcey fell down a mine shaft"

That's what Natalie wrote in an e-mail to her mom from Victoria. No explanation. Just: "Daorcey fell down a mine shaft."

Intrigued?

During our one full day in Nanaimo, we drove to "downtown" and walked about before taking the small ferry to Newcastle Island.

As we walked around the harbour and the park area, we saw a couple of neat things including the ex-Mayor/Pirate of Nanaimo.


We walked onto one pier to see what we could see when Natalie started pointing hysterically:


So I took her picture.

I guess what she wanted me take a picture of was the seal and her pup that had popped up looking for handouts. I was only able to get a shot of the momma.


We talked a bit to a couple of drunks and then made our way to Newcastle Island. This place has a cool history that involves First Nations, the CPR (a vacation spot), and a few mining ventures (sandstone and coal). It was interesting to see an old millstone quarry and an abandoned sandstone block quarry. We also did some beachcombing. There's a lot to learn about and see, so I recommend you go yourself one day.


So, I mentioned coal. A client of mine just used the expression "like bringing coal to Newcastle." I suspect that references the original Newcastle, but it works just as fine here. Newcastle Island was a good coal resource and mines buried deep into the island and even underneath the waters of the harbour.

On the walking map of the Island (which can be a many-kilometre-long tour) there is a point marked "Mine Shaft." Needless to say, that sounds cool. Unfortunately, it's on the far side of the island and we'd already done a lot of walking that day.

As we toodled around, we seemed to be getting closer and closer to the shaft, but Natalie was itching to return and my legs were getting a little tired. Still, a mine shaft seems like a cool thing to see, so I suggest to Natalie she wait for me while I quickly run up ahead to see the mine shaft and then run back. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes.

I summoned up all my energy left from the day and started running along the trail and through the forest.

Five minutes later, I stopped to catch my breath and felt totally lost with no mine shaft in sight. I asked a passing couple if they'd seen it. They hadn't.

But as I'm walking back to Natalie I see a less-used path that could definitely lead to a mine shaft. I hurry to Natalie to ask her to give me a few more minutes. This time she walks part way there with me so she can get to a nice viewpoint. From there, I start to run again (time is also important because we said we'd be back for dinner by 5pm and that was closing in).

The camera is wrapped around my torso and my sunglasses are in my hand as I take great strides along a path that seems to be getting darker and darker with coal dust.

I'm on the trail. I feel like a gazelle, or maybe something more feline as a I leap over roots, burn up hills and take corners with ease. I'm on the hunt for a mine shaft and I'm sure I'm close.

I feel graceful and powerful.

Seconds later, that feeling leaves. My foot stings as the side of it connects with a rock sticking out of the ground. I've been running down a hill and now my legs are crossed and I'm flying through the air. I try to throw my glasses from my hand before I crush them into the rocks and dirt. I hit the ground hard. I roll. I come to rest against a log after breaking branches on my way down.

"..."

"Natalie!"

"..."

"I'm an idiot." Not a gazelle.

It takes me a few minutes to find my glasses. I guess I didn't throw them so much as place them under my landing body. They're bent so badly that the arms won't open. My body radiates pain that seems to start from my foot. My leg is torn up badly enough to bleed around my knee. Fortunately, I'm now covered in coal powder from head to toe. And coal powder, don't you know, is a great coagulant.

I never did find that mine shaft. Instead I walked sheepishly back to Natalie with broken glasses in hand and looking a bit like Charlie Brown's friend Pigpen. There are no pictures to capture that event because I don't look good when I'm pouting.
---
The day worked itself out, though. The glasses were fixed by a nice lady in the mall and we had an excellent Indian dinner courtesy of Uncle Fred. The wound on my knee has since healed and I've gotten over the fact that I didn't see the mine shaft.

I bet it was boring anyway.