Pacific Grace 2009 - Trip 4

Our day began with more whale shows from the resident Humpback and a tour of Cougar Annie´s Garden. Cougar Annie was an adventurous woman who came to homestead in the area around 1910. She carved out an existence in one of the most inhospitable areas of the world. Annie was known for her 5 acre garden where she grew everything from roses, rhododendrons and heather to lilies of all types. She was also quite a shot and with twenty dollars/head as a bounty on Cougars she is reported to have killed over 70 during her time here.

In 1983 she left her garden at the age of 95. Cougar Annie moved to the 117 acre property with three children and had 8 more during her stay. She also went through 4 husband´s. Peter Buckland a friend of Annie´s now maintains the garden and has created a non-profit organization around it in hopes to have university students come out and use the field study center he has constructed there. Peter took everyone on a tour of the
property that included the garden, beautiful red cedar structures, elevated boardwalks and a lecture hall on the lake. All very tastefully constructed and all built with the hope to inspire learning. After Cougar Annie´s we made our way south to Vargas Island and anchored near supper and were treated to another whale show by a couple more Humpback´s in the area. A great mug up rounded out our day.