Adventures in Solitude: What Not to Wear to a Nude Potluck and Other Stories from Desolation Sound, Abridged

From Captain George Vancouver to Muriel “ Curve of Time " Blanchet to Jim “ Spilsbury's Coast " Spilsbury, visitors to Desolation Sound have left behind a trail of books endowing the area with a romantic aura that helps to make it British Columbia's most popular marine park. In this hilarious and captivating book, CBC personality Grant Lawrence adds a whole new chapter to the saga of this storied piece of BC coastline. Young Grant's father bought a piece of land next to the park in the 1970s, just in time to encounter the gun-toting cougar lady, left-over hippies, outlaw bikers and an assortment of other characters. In those years Desolation Sound was a place where going to the neighbours' potluck meant being met with hugs from portly naked hippies and where Russell the Hermit's school of life (boating, fishing, and rock 'n' roll) was Grant's personal Enlightenment—an influence that would take him away from the coast to a life of music and journalism and eventually back again. With rock band buddies and a few cases of beer in tow, an older, cooler Grant returns to regale us with tales of “going bush," the tempting dilemma of finding an unguarded grow-op, and his awkward struggle to convince a couple of visiting kayakers that he's a legit CBC radio host while sporting a wild beard and body wounds and gesticulating with a machete. With plenty of laugh-out-loud humour and inspired reverence, Adventures in Solitude delights us with the unique history of a place and the growth of a young man amidst the magic of Desolation Sound. Prologue......Page 10 A Little Place in the Wilderness......Page 15 Fjord Rowboat......Page 23 C’mon Sea Legs......Page 36 Shine a Light......Page 48 The Beautiful Failure......Page 71 Smoke on the Water......Page 82 Harvest Moon......Page 88 Hermit of Desolation Sound......Page 93 Lund......Page 105 Blood’s Too Rich......Page 112 Wishing Well......Page 118 Captains Courageous......Page 130 Take Me to the Riot......Page 144 PART TWO......Page 151 Somewhere Else......Page 154 Going Bush......Page 168 Cloudy with a Chance of Drunk......Page 184 Hangover Days......Page 200 Welcome to the Night Sky......Page 209 When Animals (Don’t) Attack......Page 222 My Sword Hand’s Anger......Page 233 Purple Haze......Page 250 Stormy High......Page 260 Big Buck$, Terror of the Inlet......Page 270 Lorenzo’s Inferno......Page 283 Left and Leaving......Page 290 Proof of Love......Page 296 Recommended Listening......Page 313 Recommended Reading......Page 317 Thank You......Page 320 Prologue 10 PART ONE 15 A Little Place in the Wilderness 15 Fjord Rowboat 23 C’mon Sea Legs 36 Shine a Light 48 The Beautiful Failure 71 Smoke on the Water 82 Harvest Moon 88 Hermit of Desolation Sound 93 Lund 105 Blood’s Too Rich 112 Wishing Well 118 Captains Courageous 130 Take Me to the Riot 144 PART TWO 151 Somewhere Else 154 Going Bush 168 Cloudy with a Chance of Drunk 184 Hangover Days 200 Welcome to the Night Sky 209 When Animals (Don’t) Attack 222 My Sword Hand’s Anger 233 Purple Haze 250 Stormy High 260 Big Buck$, Terror of the Inlet 270 Lorenzo’s Inferno 283 Left and Leaving 290 Proof of Love 296 Recommended Listening 313 Recommended Reading 317 Thank You 320 EBC,Converted