Woman in the Bush

One of my favourite used bookstores in Bellingham is Eclipse Bookstore. It's located in Historic Fairhaven and my friend Betty and I go there every time we get together for coffee. They have a good Canadian section and I always find interesting books to read. I just finished rereading Woman in the Bush (Pelican, 1998) that I got there last year.

Woman in the Bush is the story of Jeanne Connolly Harbottle's first year in the Yukon with her newlywed trapper husband. The book was co-written with Fern Grice Credeur in 1966, but took place during the winter of 1947-48. Jeanne married Tom Connolly following World War II and left her city life in San Francisco for the wilds of the Yukon Territory. They were contemporaries of my parents, but their life was so different. I cannot imagine my mother being capable of living throughout the winter with temperatures around fifty below zero in a six by eight foot log cabin chinked with mud to keep out the wind and only a wood stove to heat and cook.

Jeanne learned how to snowshoe to break trail for the sled dogs, shoot, hunt, trap, skin and cure pelts, trade -- everything needed to survive and support her husband's work as a trapper. It was a hard life, but her adventurous spirit carried her through. People still seek a simple life in the bush, but times have changed. Hunting and trapping is more regulated, and trading as a means of commerce isn't as common. Jeanne's story is a look back in history to a different time, and way of living.

The trip out of the bush back to "civilization" was even more difficult, on many levels. The heat and mosquitoes made the journey on foot a huge challenge for both man and dog. Also, having contact with other people was a big lifestyle change. The book only hints about the future for Jeanne and Tom, but she did return and spent seventeen more years living in the bush, became a big-game guide and a trapper in her own right. She was quite a woman for her day, or any time for that matter. -- Margy

Shopping in Historic Fairhaven

Today I met my good friend Betty for a day of shopping (mostly window style) and camaraderie. Betty and I met through my blog. In fact, she is my most faithful reader! We discovered we lived in the same town, so decided to get together in real life. It has been great fun. If you want to meet Betty too, she is known as Mud Creek Mama here on Blogger.

One of our favourite places to meet is Historic Fairhaven. In 1889, the railroad was coming, and Fairhaven grew rapidly, hoping to become the west coast terminus. The railroad connection never worked out, so the new town turned to the sea and fishing for its economic base. In its heyday, Fairhaven was a bustling town of hotels, shops, saloons and brothels. Today, the brothels are gone, but the rich heritage of hotels, shops, restaurants and nightlife remains. And Fairhaven has achieved its original goal of becoming a tranportation center with its Alaska Ferry, Amtrak and bus terminal.

One stop in Fairhaven that we love to make is the Eclipse Bookstore at 1104 11th Street. The Eclipse Bookstore is amazing with its vast variety of books covering the two floors of the establishment. Because it's a used book store, the prices are also amazingly low. Today, I got three books by R.D. Lawrence, a renowned Canadian author.

To fortify ourselves before wandering the shelves, we stopped in at Avenue Bread at 1135 11th Street. Avenue Bread is across the street and within easy walking distance. In addition to their wonderful fresh breads (I chose the sourdough with rosemary - YUM), they have a small cafe. We could have chosen soup, salad or sandwiches to go with our coffee, but opted for some of the fresh baked treats. Betty had the ham and cheese croissant and I got the cinnamon twist (double YUM).

A trip to Fairhaven wouldn't be complete without a visit to Village Books at 1200 11th Street. They have mostly new books, but you will also find good used books among the collection. They even handle books on consignment. If you are looking for a place to purchase books from Wayne's Coastal BC Stories series you can find them at Village Books. They currently carry Up the Lake, Up the Strait, Up the Airway and Up the Winter Trail. Stop by and check them out while you are shopping in Historic Fairhaven. -- Margy

The Eclipse Bookstore Overshadows All Others

Today I met my good friend Betty (better known as Mud Creek Mama) for coffee and shopping in Historic Fairhaven, just south of downtown Bellingham. There are lots of great restaurants, shops, book stores and, in the summer months, the farmer's market. Today our destination was the Eclipse Bookstore at 1104 11th Street (360-647-8165).

The Eclipse Bookstore has an amazing amount and variety of books covering the two floors of the establishment. Because it's a used book store, the prices are very reasonable. It takes tiptoes to see the volumes on the top shelves, but the easiest way to get to the bottom of things is to pull up a piece of carpet and settle yourself down on the floor.

David, the proprietor, has arranged the books neatly on shelves by topic. Just ask and he will lead you to the section you desire. You can't see all that the Eclipse Bookstore has to offer in one visit. Visit often and take your time to really enjoy the experience. Today I found two interesting books:

• Woman in the Bush by Jeanne Connolly Harbottle and Fern Grice Credeur about a young bride's journey into the Yukon wilderness in the 1940s.

• Bright's Crossing by Anne Cameron (a Powell Riverite) which is a collection of Coastal BC short stories told through the eyes of eleven women.
  

To fortify ourselves before wandering the shelves, we stopped across the street at Avenue Bread (1135 11th Street). In addition to their wonderful fresh breads (I chose the seed covered baguette - YUM), they have a small cafe. We could have chosen soup, salad or sandwiches to go with our coffee, but opted for some of the fresh baked treats. I got the cinnamon twist. It was so crisp and flaky (double YUM).

Head on down to Historic Fairhaven for a good read and a good feed. -- Margy