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!