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 […]

Victoria, B.C. – An Outing

April 9, 2018.Reading time 3 minutes.

“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 […]

Under The Weather in Victoria

April 8, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

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 […]

La Push, WA

April 5, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

“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 […]

Olympic National Park, WA

April 4, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

“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 […]

Driving to Port Angeles

April 3, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

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 […]

Redding, California

March 25, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

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 […]

Pacific Coast Encounter

March 22, 2018.Reading time 6 minutes.

We drive through San Francisco’s waterfront, noting the interesting architecture and impressed by the artsy feel of the place. Like most big cities, San Francisco has its share of homelessness, and many officers on foot patrol can be seen talking to people in make shift tents, or others sleeping in cement flower boxes. It is […]

San Francisco Love

March 21, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

Due to the rain, we decide just to drive through San Francisco and then swing back along the coast and pass by Half Moon Bay before heading back to our camp. Of course, neither of us has been here before, so we have no idea what to expect. The city is spectacular. We enter through […]

Be As the Bloom

Are we awakebarely breathing? Mounting raucousshattering sensibility Hatred buildingrights withering Who will survive? I, chirps the solo bloom Timid-voicedoverlooked radiant in her fragilityconfident Breathe (Art my own)

Wren (haiku)

Resilience

Boxes are filling up around us. We’re making a dent in our to-do lists. Doubt seeps in. Are we doing the right thing? Then I remember all the reasons behind making this choice and affirm: We are dismantling one life to build another, purposeful existence.