Blogs from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, North America - page 70

I went to go see my sister over the 4th of July weekend in 2005. I hadn't seen Sis and her family in 4 years. Before I got to Seattle, I asked her if she would mind if my nephew, Will would be able to come to Victoria with me for an overnight trip. I figured he would be happy to see a change in scenery and it would give us the chance to catch up over the years that we've missed. Both were delighted at the opportunity and I was happy to play tour guide. Will and I left Seattle early in the morning via the Victoria Clipper. The ferry ride is about a 3 hour ride, so it provided Will and I the chance to talk and snack on some goodies that the ferry ... read more

Pacific Rim Monday, June 27 we left Victoria around 1 pm, heading for Pacific Rim National Park, where we planned to camp for seven nights. We made the almost obligatory stop at Coombs to visit Goats on the Roof, but we didn’t do much shopping - we’ll be coming back this way again in a week. The ice cream cones were a bit too much to resist, however. If you love ice cream, this is the place to get it. Dozens of flavors and their single dip cone is enormous enough to feed us both. (Unfortunately we were greedy, though, and we each had our own, for which Roberta paid dearly a bit later that day.) We arrived at our destination about 6 pm, and had our first glimpse of wildlife almost the moment we entered ... read more

I am continuing these emails in a new web format which will hopefully make it easier for me to send them to everyone. You will be notified by email when a new diary entry appears. The trip route, in case you are interested in also attached. Vancouver island is a large island just west of Vancouver on the west coast of Canada. My first point of call after Victoria was Campbell River, which is famous for its salmon fishing industry. This area is home to five different type of salmon, kohu being considered one of the best in the world. If the salmon had been running (they come down from rivers in Alaska) then I would have gone fishing. I envisaged doing some fishing in North America but have found that fishing regulations are strict and ... read more

Living abroad, trips home occur on special occasions, births, wedding, funerals. In the winter of 2005, my Grandmother's condition had become serious and she was moved into a final care facility. I paid her a visit with my Uncle who lived nearby and was checking up one her each day. It was an awkward visit. She lay in her bed talking with us for a few minutes. The nurse and my Uncle agreed this was a good day. Kay was talkative and her mind relatively alert and cohesive considering the morphine. I knelt by the bed and for the first time ever brushed my hand across her head. She looked frail. She'd lost considerable weight. I had in my head several things I wanted to say, memories of her old house in Cedar, Papa, what ... read more

Boxing Day Shopping Overnight lineups are fun I am just kidding. I didn't really do too much shopping on Boxing day since I'm not one for the overcrowded mall. But we did go grocery shopping looking for a fresh turkey for the evening meal. Only took three stops! Thanks to our wonderful hosts Jen & Nick for having us all over at their gorgeous new house to celebrate! Aside from all of the yummy foods, spinach dip, turkey, ham, salmon, salad rolls, veggies, yams, mashed potatoes, to mention some of the food line up, we played Truth or Dare Jenga. Now that adds a twist to Jenga! Too many moments to describe but the picture of Anita and Jen arm wrestling is just a sampling of what went on during the evening. ... read more