There's No Place Like Home

We arrived home last night after taking this turbo prop of West Jet's over the mountains.

The snowy mountains, that is.

I will really miss hanging out at this cafe and the apartment above it where Elizabeth lives.

Being with these two was a lot of fun.

I enjoyed all the colors of nature ... from this tree to blooming heather to pansies to all green vegetation.

But home is such a great place to be.  Finn was looking out the window for us when we arrived last night and he danced around us crazily for the longest time.  This morning he enjoyed watching Bob shovel the minimal snow that was in our driveway.

Travel and adventure are great interludes from the life we live in Weyburn.  We have no complaints about travel nor any about returning home.

Another Hike and Another Elf

This morning we picked up London Fogs at the Willow Street Cafe and headed past Nanaimo to Englishman River Falls Provincial Park.  The forest is stunning...

as are the upper falls.

I can't decide if some artist put this piece of bark here or it randomly fell and randomly looks like an owl.

The lower falls aren't as spectacular.  I wonder if in spring with heavy runoff, the water goes over this big rock rather than under it.

Linda, should we eat this mushroom?

This table suggests that it isn't the right time of year to picnic here.  However, it was certainly the right time to hike as we had the trail to ourselves the entire time.

Instead we went for lunch at Goats on Roof in Coombs.  I had what I've had for most lunches:  clam chowder and this was laced with dill.  Yummy!

We shared two desserts:  sticky toffee pudding cake and a Nanaimo bar.

It's best to stop at the washroom before you are too desperate.

They have enough horseradish ... er, goatradish.

I love this hedge in Chemainus as it reminds me of the yew hedges in Ireland.  This is actually cedar.

Okay, okay, I can't resist showing you one of Chemainus's murals.

Do you know what the people of Chemainus are called?  Chemainiacs!  Isn't that wonderful?

At supper Elizabeth and I had time for a few speed games of Scrabble.  Do you think I traded in letters when I had this rack?

I did.

Bob and I were lucky enough to get tickets for tonight's sold out performance of "Elf."  A family  turned in a couple of tickets that they couldn't use.  Before the show we had a family photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus.  Mrs. Claus just happens to be Elizabeth's roommate.  Santa whispered in my ear.  He didn't whisper " have you been a good girl this year?"  Instead he whispered, "your daughter is doing a good job."

Tomorrow it's time to head home.  Finn, we'll see you soon.

Almost Dislocated My Jaw

Friends united!  Today I spent time on Salt Spring Island with my friend Karen ... Karen who has literally been my friend forever.  She and I missed a reunion with other friends this past weekend so made up for it by talking and talking and talking.  My jaw actually hurts from the amount of talking I did.  It was so worth it!  The title of this entry is hyperbole; however, if you could dislocate your jaw by talking, I would have today.

I took the next photo on the ferry ride to Salt Spring looking back at Vancouver Island.  In case I've been making this place sound like paradise, I want you to realize that it's one step from paradise.  There is industry and some people do have to work for a living.

Linda, we didn't kiss the ground for you, but we did blow kisses ... and we could see the kisses as the air was a little frosty first thing this morning.  We drove around a bit and saw salt water and trees ... two things missing from our prairie landscape.  We didn't get to Barb's Buns for coffee and a treat, but we can search it out on our next trip.

I liked this rustic building that we found along a trail.

We had a limited amount of time so Karen & Kim gave us various options and we went for the ride-on-their-boat option.  It was the perfect day for it with glass-smooth water and blue, blue sky.  Karen and I may have missed a few of the sights as we chatted, but there was beauty every time I looked up.

From the back, you can't tell which one is knowledgeable about boating and which one isn't.

Thanks, Karen & Kim, for your hospitality.  Sue, I see why you rented the place as your wedding venue.

Someday (maybe this summer) we'll be back to do some more exploring.

We got back to Chemainus to have a quick supper with our favorite stage manager and then Bob and I headed to Ladysmith for their Festival of Lights.  Karen said 25,000 attend.  We heard you right, didn't we, Karen?  There may have been more this year as the weather was perfect and people were six deep on each side of the street where we were situated.  

At the flip of a switch over 200,000 lights were simultaneously turned on.

Then as part of the kickoff, there was a light parade.  It lasted almost an hour and every float was incredible.  Here's my Weyburn rant for the day.  Every year I complain to our Chamber of Commerce that they really shouldn't allow companies to enter who don't decorate.  They continue to let in undecorated  semis and trucks who have their names painted on the sides of the vehicles.  How difficult is it to buy $20 worth of balloons at Dollarama?  All Ladysmith floats were decorated and lit.

The other part of my Weyburn parade rant is that everybody throws cheap candy and the greedy little urchins are so busy picking up the candy that none of them look at the parade.  Nobody at the Ladysmith parade threw candy and all the children watched everything with the biggest of eyes.  It was magical to watch them wave and clap and giggle. 

Weyburn, you can learn.

There isn't a minute of this day I can complain about!

Bob Finds Similarities Between Finn and Me

This morning Bob and I walked on the Hermit's Trail in Chemainus.  When Bob walks Finn, the walks are always much slower than Bob wants because Finn has to sniff every tree.  When Bob walks with me, he has to wait for me to take a picture of every tree!

 Chemainus is a really pretty town filled with civic pride and I certainly wouldn't mind wintering here.  I haven't included pictures of the famous murals because I think I had most of them on my blog last Christmas.

 How many homes in Weyburn have picket fences?  Here, lots do.

This little nook downtown was idyllic until I spotted the shell for butts.  Darn, it's nothing more than a smokers' spot.

While I was checking out picket fences, Bob was checking out a fish run at Skutz Falls.

And did I find time to be by the water today?  Indeed, I did.

 

 

Hmmm.  I wonder if this shop keeper can figure out why his weekly sales aren't as great as what he hoped.

Later in the afternoon we had a good time reminiscing with Susan Ozembloski.

And how do the Kings like to spend an evening if they don't have live theater to go to?  By finding a Rotary meeting, that's how.  Chemainus's Rotarians are a lovely, friendly group.

Tomorrow we check out Salt Spring Island and I get to visit 

with my friend Karen.  We've known each other since we were in our mothers' wombs.