Back to Campbell River

April 26, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

We’ve just had lunch in Comox – a quaint, mostly retirement community, judging by the services that line the main street. Mary’s, a small cafe with gluten-free options, is where we met up with Pippa for our last day of exploration on the island. The plan from here is to head north. I tag along […]

A Lake and A Pub

April 25, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

Westwood Lake, situated in the foothills of Mt. Benson, Nanaimo, is an unexpected surprise. Pulling into the parking lot, I am eager to get out and explore. The parking lot fronts a beach area and there are trails leading in either direction – over 5 km of walking trails, as well as mountain biking trails […]

Healing Steps

April 24, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

Fear is insidious; it creeps into the psyche and buries itself deep without any conscious effort. It manifests in anxiety, stalls progress, and threatens to define its host. Today, I did something I haven’t done in well over four years; I went for a walk in the woods, unattended. I took my camera and my […]

More of Nanaimo

April 20, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

Illness and old bodies are taking their toll on us, and as a result we are pacing ourselves more, taking days off between outings, try to regain some semblance of balance. It is easy to hibernate when the rain is pouring down, but as soon as the sun shows up, there is an urge to […]

Morrell Nature Sanctuary

April 18, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

Morrell Nature Sanctuary is just five minutes from where we are staying in Nanaimo, and an earlier attempt to visit was thwarted by heavy rains and Ric’s bad knees, so when Pippy comes to visit next, I suggest we try again. “I just want to make it to the lake,” I tell her, armed with […]

The Gift of Friendship

April 16, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

Pippy has driven down from Campbell River with her girlfriend, Sandy and her dog, Sam. We decide to leave the men to bond while we women go out for lunch and some catch up time. I take them to Gabriel’s Gourmet Cafe, where Ric and I ate on our first day here. It is busy […]

Cathedral Grove

April 15, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

Highway 4 cuts across the interior of Vancouver Island, twisting through the mountains. It’s been twenty years since I’ve passed this way and yet, when the endless rows of trees open to reveal the stillness of Cameron Lake, with mountains in her backdrop, my reaction is the same: the sheer beauty brings tears to my […]

Driving up Vancouver Island

April 13, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

One tooth is repaired, and the other, accompanied by another prescription for antibiotics, will have to be pulled when we get home. At least I can eat on the one side. The dentist thinks the muscle spasms I was having in my face caused me to clench and the pressure broke my teeth. Anyway, TMI. […]

Goodbye Victoria, Hello Nanaimo

April 12, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

Rain has defined our time on Vancouver Island. I guess this is where they coined the adage: April showers bring May flowers. While some trees are already in blossom, it is easy to see that others are on the cusp. We are all just waiting for sunshine. For most of the week we have […]

The Butchart Gardens

April 10, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

The sun has decided to grace us with its presence, and as it is our last day in Victoria, we have decided to visit the famous Butchart Gardens. Visiting botanical gardens has become an interest of ours, as there is much to learn, and an excellent chance we’ll see birds. Ric is afraid that we […]

Anticipation

Wildlife flirtsblossoms singair vibratessun and rain Birds and beesbuzz in harmonybut a single notethrills my senses Canada Geesesquabble and waddlewhile Mallard Momherds young into reeds A splash signalspresence of beaver,but my ear is fixatedeyes scanning green For a glimpseof brilliant orangecapped with black –Baltimore Oriole (Image my own)

Unyielding (haiku)

Hit Pause

I thumb through social media, make lists, scan through photos, put the kettle on, check emails… …evade the moment… What am I afraid will happen if I just pause and be? Maybe I should I try it and see… (Image my own)