Permission to write, paint, and imagine are the gifts I gave myself when chronic illness hit - a fair exchange: being for doing. Relevance is an attitude. Humour essential.
“Island View Beach is listed as a good area to see birds.” It appears there is a break in the rain, and after a few days in bed, I’m anxious to get my camera out and explore a bit. “According the weather, this is the best day to go.” So we head out towards Saanich […]
We’ve been in Victoria, British Columbia for a couple of days now, and while the blossoms are a welcome sight, the weather has been rainy and cold. Taking the ferry was quite a feat with 62 feet of rig to load on board, but the Port Angeles staff was very organized and skilled at directing […]
hi grandma i miss you so mach i am so excited The text came unexpectedly, one Saturday morning. It was clearly from our granddaughter, Finn. to see you, the message continued, my mom and me are so glad you will cane back Finn is six and in grade 1. Her mom did tell me she is top of […]
“It’s up to you,” Ric places the decision heavily on my shoulders. “You pick; I’ll drive.” The choices are to drive two hours to Neah Bay, where if we are willing to trek over fallen logs and a bit of a rocky trail for a mile, we might be able to see whales; or to […]
“We’d need a month to see everything here,” Ric declares as we pour over a map of the area. We’re in the foothills of Mount Olympus, and the scenery here calls out to my spirit, begging for exploration. It has been rainy though, and the temperature is not far above freezing. We decide to drive […]
We’re sitting in a trendy restaurant overlooking the water. The atmosphere is funky casual, and Ric and the waiter are bantering back and forth, each one trying to outdo the other with corny quips. Painted snow and surfboards decorate the walls, and I think my son would love this place. “They are all done by […]
“You seem to be doing better; are you going back to work?” Returning to work after time off due to flu, is expected. There might be a day or so of feeling weak, but it’s soon forgotten as the body springs back into action. Recovery from a debilitating illness, however, takes time. There are, according […]
(As a final prompt for the writing class I am enrolled in, we are asked to think about signposts along the way. This is my entry.) The Tour Guide I take a seat at the back of the open wagon, and wait with a handful of others for the tour to begin. The country air […]
“What kind of vehicle are you driving?” “That four-wheel drive pick-up,” Ric says pointing out our truck. “Then I recommend you follow this trail, here,” the attendant at the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area’s Visitor centre suggests. “It’s a gravel road and can be narrow at times, but if you take it slow and easy, there […]
Redding is a mid-sized town with a population of 90,000. Our camp is set atop a hillside, and the scenery is beautiful, with mountains as a backdrop and tall trees beginning to bud. We have found spring. I have not quite recuperated from our trip to San Francisco, so we decide not to venture very […]