Robert's Creek

Bronwyn and I had a really fun weekend on the Sunshine Coast. We went to Robert's Creek to visit our friends, Laurie, Dave and Laurie's daughter, Odelia. We haven't seen each other in quite some time so it was great to visit and get re-connected. I think we'll take another trip during Spring break and take River along too. It was a pretty crappy weekend, weather-wise; cold temperatures, a dumping of snow on Saturday that fast turned to slush, and rain. But Bronwyn and I got the ferry on Saturday morning and sailed over. We met up with Laurie and Odelia in Gibsons and took the girls for a horse-riding lesson.

 This was Bronwyn's first time on a pony and she loved it (in her own understated way). She got to groom the pony, Lilly, and then saddle her.

Cleaning the hooves

Odelia and Violet

She looked so proud of herself as she was riding. She even got to trot a little bit. Laurie and I watched nearby, gradually loosing all feeling in our feet. It was cold!

Off to the trail...

An apple treat for Lilly when they finished

We stopped of at a new knitting store opened just outside of Gibsons (Laurie is a fellow knitter) and had a look around much to the excitement of Bronwyn and Odellia (not!). Bronwyn: imploringly "Are we going to stay here forever?" She also announced loudly that I was not permitted to buy any more yarn because I had enough already and needed to finish my projects. Thanks, conscience...I'm glad I brought you along!

Laurie and Dave have a lovely place in Robert's Creek and we hung out there for the rest of the weekend. Odelia entertained Bronwyn the whole time and Bronwyn was very enamoured with her 12-year old friend. I loved watching the interaction between Brownyn and Odelia. Odelia is so patient and kind with Bronwyn, and Bronwyn is trying so hard to be a big girl and say something that would interest Odelia, or make her laugh. They had fun.

They have a gorgeous dog named, Cooper. He is mellow and well-behaved...and big. He's only 18mths so still a bit of a puppy, or rather he thinks he is a puppy. They also have 2 cats and a bird. Bronwyn loved it! "The House of Pets" she renamed their place.

It was great for me to catch up with Laurie. We used to hang out a lot and do all kinds of arts and crafts together. It was a lot of fun. Her place has a wonderful art studio and they also have a workshop (Dave makes guitars, kayaks...almost anything. He is an excellent wood-worker. I really hope we can get over there more often. We had a lazy Sunday morning and then headed out on a walk down to the shore.

Bronwyn, Odelia, Laurie, Dave...and Cooper

Saltery Bay Trip

Mermaid Cove...

Saltery Bay and Mermaid Cove...

We spent the past week camping on the Sunshine Coast in a place called Mermaid Cove in Saltery Bay. We had a wonderful (bug free) 5 nights of camping. We decided to leave on the August holiday Monday so that we could avoid the crowds and the ferry traffic. The weather was beautiful. The trip to Saltery Bay involves a 40 minute ferry-ride over to the Sunshine Coast followed by about an hour and a half drive to the next ferry at Earl's Cove. We then took the 50 minute ferry ride over to Saltery Bay. The day was hot and hazy. This picture was taken from the ferry as we got closer to Saltery Bay.

The campground is only a few km away from the ferry terminal. The Sunshine Coast is an 86km coastline that stretches from Langdale/Gibsons (the first ferry terminal - close to Vancouver) all the way to Lund. The campground is surrounded by large old trees and the campsites are very big and well spaced. Mermaid Cove is a lovely rocky cove and when the tide was high we were able to swim and jump in the lagoon. Mark jumped into the lagoon from the "cliff"...I was too chicken (it was a vertigo thing).

Bronwyn ventured into the water, while Ellee set off to "save" Mark. Every time we swim she tries to save us. The problem is that she doggy paddles up to us and ends up scratching us with her claws!

When the tide was low we had a great time beach combing and exploring tidal pools. We saw lots of starfish. And quite a few beached jellyfish.

This is how River usually travelled over the rocks...

Nothing like a nap with your favourite ball after a hard day's play.

Ahhh....sisterly love...(i.e., "I don't want a picture with River!")

Palm beach in Lang Bay is close by and is a beautiful stretch of sandy beach. It was quite windy the day we went and the sound of the tidal waves as they crashed onto the beach, together with the rush of the wind was wonderful.

Here's a boy who loves camping!

Weekend away...

The weather was beautiful last Saturday and I took some time to myself and spent the weekend at a little cabin in Gibsons on the sunshine coast. Gibsons is just outside of Vancouver, a short 40 min ferry ride away. If you remember a show called "Beachcombers" from the 1960s, it was filmed in Gibsons.

The cabin was clean and cozy and quiet. Really quiet. I think that is what I have been craving – some peace and quiet. So it was a good break for me. I did some writing, some knitting, listened to music, and watched an old Edward G. Robinson movie - perfect.

I also took a walk down to the beach. A very rocky beach. The funny thing is that I was walking along the beach and thinking how lovely it was. And then it occurred to me that the beaches that are a 5 minute drive from our house are lovely too – if not more beautiful. So why don’t I find time to go for a walk by myself to the beach more often?

But I enjoy listening to (and looking at) the waves as they flow back and forth over rocks and pebbles. I think it is one of the most peaceful sounds there is. (Not to go all "Farrah-Fawcett", if you can remember her from Cannonball run)

And I was moved to take some Artsy-fartsy photographs....This one I will call "Debris"...

This one I will call...errrr....Debris II...or "A bit of Seaweed Stuck to a Rock"...

So anyway, I would highly recommend the cabin in Gowerpoint. It has a view of the ocean and is not too pricey. The hosts, Leslie and Michele were welcoming, but very unobtrusive. It was a cloudy day and I couldn't get a decent picture of the view...The only downside – when I first arrived – was that I couldn't connect to the wireless Internet. I tried everything. I walked in and out of the house trying to get a better signal. Finally, I knocked on their door. I asked them to check their router (I did this 3 times). I called Mark to troubleshoot the computer. Nothing worked. My computer decided that it was going for a weekend away too and didn’t want to talk to anyone. I spent way too much time trying to figure out how I could get an Internet connection. I was desperate…what was I going to do? Finally, it was with a mixture of resignation and fear that I realised that for the next 48 hours I was going to have to live like they did way back in the....early 1990s!… without Internet. My only contact with the outside world was going to be the phone, neighbours, and a 5 minute car ride into town. Two of those options entailed me leaving the cabin and actually talking with a real person. How did they cope way back then? There was also television, but I am not sure that counts as contact with the outside world. What was I going to do? As it happened it was fine. Every now and then I'd get a bit panicky if I thought that there might be emails of the highest importance, sitting unread in my inbox. But I'd take some deep breaths and try to calm myself.

I went for a drive to see one of the old churches where my ex-husband was incumbent. St. Columbo of Iona (I think it's called). It is one of the smallest churches you could see. A lovely little building, no bigger than a garage, that overlooks Halfmoon Bay.


I have sad memories of that church, but of course with time they are becoming poignant memories. There was a little "shed" at the back that we had to stay in overnight when he held a service there, but it has gone. It was my first experience with a septic toilet. Enough said.

This tree has clearly given up on life and is simply waiting for an opportunity to uproot and fling itself into the ocean.