Early Blog Post for a Late Night

Today is our last night on the Island and morning will come early as we are leaving here at 5:15 to catch the ferry.

We'll end 2016 in fine style by seeing A Christmas Story again.

We ate an early New Year's Eve meal at the Sawmill Tap House.  Notice how one of the draft handles is a saxophone.

Bob opted for lots of football time and I opted for ocean and forest time.

The paddle boarders definitely needed their wet suits today.

I went to the Askew Creek Park right in Chemainus and once you step in, you have no clue that there is a town surrounding the park.

Parts of the trail are wider than other parts.

Trees have great tenacity.  They grow where they want.

When I got back to the Willow Street Cafe, a hummingbird thrilled me by letting me come closer and closer.  You have to understand that the next photo is taken with my cheapy camera that is many years old.

Good place.  Good people.  Good times.  Now, however, it's time to head home.  I actually have a yen for housecleaning and surely Bob wants to wield his shovel.

Wondering as We Wander

This morning on our way to Nanaimo we wondered which breakfast to select at the Old Town Bakery in Ladysmith.

Bob opted for the blueberry cinnamon bun and I went for the lemon currant scone.

When I saw the price of their fruitcakes, I wondered if I owe my sister Jocelyn about $100 as she sent me so much of her delicious fruitcake this year.

The washroom sign made me wonder why all places can't make facilities easy for all people.

In Nanaimo we wandered around the waterfront.

Note the sea plane taking off and the ferry heading out in this photo.

I wondered if I would slip of the path since it was definitely frosty.

We met our friend Susan in a Nanaimo coffee shop and had a great visit.

In the shop I wondered which tip cup would be fuller.

The tattoo one was much fuller.

Bob, Liz and I walked around Chemainus Lake.  The two of them planned to find me the perfect walking stick.

Option #1:

Option #2:

Option #3:

I wondered if I should find my own.

We wondered what the difference between a hike and a walk is.  Terrain?  Distance?  Urban versus rural?  We don't know.

Come along on the walk/hike.  It was truly beautiful.

This is Elizabeth's favorite tree.

Back in Chemainus I wondered why a town with a population of 3035 needs two cannabis shops.

I really wonder if we are eating too much good food.

Finally I wonder if you'll pray the Coquihalla is dry and bare of snow when we cross it.

This is from today's paper.

Picture Poor, Friendship Rich

Today we had the opportunity to spend hours with my childhood friend Karen and her husband Kim.  I may not have remembered to take photos, but I did remember to

and when I was finished with that, I remembered to

 

Karen did the same. Perhaps our husbands did too but we can't confirm that as we weren't really listening to them.  So what did we talk about for hours and hours?  The past, the present, the future, life, current events, retirement, travels, kids, grand kids, hopes, dreams, aches & pains, gardening, boating: all those normal things that make our lives interesting.

Where did this all happen?  It started at a really good restaurant

and continued in a really good cafe.

When Karen and Kim headed back to Salt Spring, I wasn't too lonely because the Willow Street dog Chica wanted to play fetch.  She's not the conversationalist that Karen is.

Happy anniversary, Karen and Kim, and thanks for today.

A Trip North

We drove to Campbell River today with the primary purpose of seeing Elk Falls Provincial Park.  All looked fine until we drove into the parking lot at Elk Falls.  The lot was thick, thick ice. 

The one kilometer trail to the falls would be pretty easy if it wasn't icy.

I don't think I would have attempted it except that some people just returning had sturdy walking sticks which they gave to us.  That made all the difference.

Thanks to the local Rotary club there is a suspension bridge and, from it, there are beautiful views of the falls. 

I've had a couple of messages asking me questions and, just to make myself feel important, I am going to answer them under a heading FAQs.  Sure, there are only two questions and, sure, each was only asked once, but I'm still calling it FAQs.

FAQs

Do Bob & you go like crazy every minute of your trip or do you have lazy time?

Answer:  You bet we have lazy time.  It was from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. last night when we watched the Kennedy Center Honors.  It is my favorite television show each year and I didn't plan to miss it.

You always make everything sound so happy/happy.  Is everything on the trip truly wonderful?

Answer:  Nope.  Let me get morose and grouchy as I tell you terrible, rotten, unbelievable things about this trip.

1.  The Ladysmith Bakery that has famous cinnamon buns was closed when we stopped there today.

2.  When it was my turn to pay for lunch, Bob ordered a tomato juice.  It came and it was 6 ounces.  The bill came and the cost of said tomato juice was $4.00.

3.  Our Christmas meal cost $48/person and no beverage was included.  A lousy cup of coffee would have cost the restaurant 10 or 20 cents, but they didn't include it.

4.  I've been wearing my winter jacket the whole time.

5.  I've been diagnosed with osteo-arthritis in one knee and I have a pinched nerve in that same leg. 

If it wasn't for my friend Tylenol 4 plus some physio exercises, I wouldn't be having much fun.

I can't wait for tomorrow as I know there will be more happy/happy in my life.