sunflowers and sunrises

A New Blogger Joins the Ranks

2011-06-02T02:21:00.000-07:00

My friend from Vancouver Island has just begun blogging to share stories about her skills and gorgeous artwork in its many mediums. I have a pair of wings that she designed for me, and I just LOVE LOVE LOVE them. You can check out her blog here: wonderouswhimsy blog. She also has a website where you can check out her artwork here:wonderous whimsy website. She will be setting up shop at a variety of festivals this year, so please feel free to contact her to find out if she will be in an area near you soon!

Wrapping up the Tour

2011-04-09T07:22:00.000-07:00

Well, this will be my last post for this blog as my year of travelling wraps up this weekend. It has been an amazing year, and just what the doctor ordered. I have made some wonderful friends, taken in some beautiful music, explored some gorgeous landscapes, and experienced some amazing times. I feel refreshed, energized, and ready to hit the ground running in my next adventure - Australia. Here are the highlights of the past year, in no particular order:

8 music concerts - Crosby, Stills & Nash, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers (opened by Joe Cocker), Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band, Van Morrison (opened by John Legend), Bob Dylan, Roger Waters:The Wall Live, and Eric Clapton.
24,000 kilometres that spanned from Halifax to Alaska to Oregon in the Karma van
visits with many of my friends and family in New Brunswick, Brockville, Waterloo, Kitchener, Mississauga, Toronto, St. Catharine's Winnipeg, Devon, Whitehorse, Marsh Lake, Enderby, Kamloops, Kelowna, Gibsons, Burnaby, Campbell River, and last but not least by any means - Victoria.
camping dozens of venues such as campgrounds, rv parks, rest areas, truck stops, ballfield parking lots, Wal-mart parking lots, backyards, front yards, driveways, curbsides, and my personal favorite - next to a babbling brook in my friend Lucille's gorgeous field behind her house in Enderby.
thousands of photos of landscapes, wildlife, concerts, buildings, people, and whatever caught my eye
drank, ate, and smoked whatever and whenever I wanted (within reason - I am not as young as I used to be)
spent every single cent that I had for the year

Now it is time to head to Australia tomorrow and get back to work. It's been a marvelous year.

Stormy's New Adventure Begins

2011-04-03T18:28:00.001-07:00

Stormy had a few words for me as I packed up his things

made himself at home on the new owner's bed

lots of natural light and windows for Stormy

Well, I met with Stormy's new family yesterday as they came out to meet him and see if they felt it would be a good fit for them. Today I brought him in to see if he liked their home and it went very well. Stormy settled in as if he had always been there, jumped up on their bed and curled up for some grooming. He inspected the place for nooks and crannies, and anything to smell, and made himself right at home in the kitchen when either was puttering out there, wrapping his body around their legs as he does for me. There was such a positive vibe in the home, and his new family was really receptive towards him so I think I held out for the best home. Many off the offers came with children and dogs, which wouldn't be the best situation for him if looking to reduce stress. Both of his new family members are yoga instructors so are laid back and relaxed, which is right up his alley. There are lots of big windows, and a perch in the bedroom for him to check out the bird and other critters that prowl through the back court-yard. Once his essentials were in place (food, water, litter, toys, condo and teddy) he acted like he'd been there always. It was a hard decision for me to make on his behalf, as he has likely a good 10 years or more to be with a family, and I think I found him a superb home. They have offered to keep in touch and send me photos of him from time to time, to let me know how he is doing which is very comforting. I will miss this little guy, but know it was the best decision for him as my life is entering this next adventure, bound for Australia.

It was a year ago yesterday that I left Halifax with Stormy in the Karma van, and our first stop was Miriamchi to visit my childhood friend. I don't know where the year went, but it has been one hell of a year, with so much adventure packed in, and Stormy was there for the first leg of the road trip. I truly enjoyed his company in the van as I made my way across this vast country (particularly the seemingly endless northern Ontario). I needed his affection these past few years as things were rough with my father's death and the explosion of my apartment building, and he was there. Now he is going to enjoy a different life with a couple of great women and I think he will be happy with the home I've chosen for him. As I may have mentioned before, one of these gals had to find a new home ten years ago for a black tomcat when she left for Australia, and now here I am heading there myself.

Karma is in balance once again.

Diana, The Parking Lot Stalker

2011-04-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

For several mornings now, my landlady who lives in the cabin on the other half of this one has been stalking the parking lot. At 7:00am in the damn morning. I know they are early risers because I hear their sliding door get rammed back and forth, starting at about 5am. What I really mind though is when she seems to stalk anyone getting into their vehicle outside our cabin windows. I'm not sure who's bright idea it was to have the sleeping loft window open out into the parking lot, but she certainly knows how to wake people up. She not only stalks people out there, she talks VERY LOUDLY to them as their vehicle is usually running by the time she gets there. One morning she got into a very loud argument with one of the tenants as he tried to leave for work. She was on him about the rent, which kind of pissed me off, but certainly pissed him off as it was several days away from the first of the month and when she can legally ask for the rent, which is what he was trying to tell her. I get the feeling the landlords are having financial problems. I was talking to another of my neighbor tenants last week in town and he said she even demands that he show her bank statements to prove when his Canada Pension cheques are being deposited. WTF? Not only is she a parking lot stalker, she is a bank account stalker.

I can't wait to move out of here. I am so over the parking lot stalker.

Stormy is Popular!

2011-03-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Had two more inquiries about Stormy today. One from some asshole who thought it was cool to phone me at 7:00am to ask about him. Of course, I was still asleep in bed, and by the time I climbed down from my sleeping loft to the phone, he had hung up and left me a message. Yeah, Ron. I have something else in mind for you than my kitty...who the hell calls someone's house at 7:00am in response to an ad???

The second response today though just sounds like karma. It was from a woman who had moved to Australia 10 years ago and had to give away her own black cat to do so, and is now back in Canada, and looking to give a home to a kitty as a way of repaying the goodness that comes from our furry friends. So now I am left wondering - how do I make sure I choose the right home for Stormy? I had not been expecting such response. I know that I don't want him to go to a home with dogs, and he must be kept inside as he is an indoor cat. This latest respondent intends on keeping Stormy in as they live on a busy street, which is just fine with me. She also teaches yoga and wanted to know how Stormy would be with strangers, and if he would run and hide. Ah...Stormy and yoga. Firstly, Stormy loves people and takes to just about anyone, climbing up their leg, rubbing his face against them, and if you give him treats - you're his new best friend. He is no wallflower, and I've never known him to run away from anyone or anything - other than the explosion in the house fire last year. As for yoga - Stormy loves to watch me do yoga and often tries to "help" by walking over me when I'm in a floor pose, ha ha.

So how do I choose? I thought this Saturday arrangement was going to be the one, although I made no commitment, it was just a meet and greet. Now I feel like the latest one is the right home, but until I meet the folks and see where he will be living, I think it will be difficult to decide. I so want him to be in the best home, where folks are not moving all the time like I tend to do. He needs to be somewhere he can look out the window whenever he wants, and with people who love him, and will make sure he does not escape outside. He isn't a darter out the door, but very much an opportunist - if he thinks you are not looking and the door is open - he will go out, for sure. He is very affectionate so would need someone who appreciates this in him and will allow him to get on their lap, and sleep on their bed. Although when he was with my daughter for several months last year, she said he did not sleep on their bed, but it also had two people in it, and there were 3 other cats in the house, some of whom also slept on the bed. So who knows.

Decisions, decisions! I want to make the right one.

Separation Anxiety

2011-03-29T23:48:00.000-07:00

So it looks like I might have found a new home for Stormy. I posted an ad on usedvictoria this morning but didn't really expect much activity as there were several dozen cats already listed on there to give away. However, I received several emails, and a couple of phonecalls but several had dogs in the house - one with two BIG dogs, and I wasn't particularly interested in those homes as I think that would just add MORE stress to the little guy's life. Then tonight I had a call from a man who lives with 3 roomies in a house that he has no plans to move out of anytime soon. So we chatted about Stormy, and it seems like it could be the right home. I offered to bring Stormy in to meet him this Saturday afternoon, and meet his roommates. Apparently they are all part of an 80's cover band, which sounds interesting. They rehearse in the house, which could be loud, but Stormy has never minded the music I play all day long, so it might be just fine.

I'm having some separation anxiety though. I adopted Stormy when he was just 5 weeks old, so very tiny and we have been through a lot together. He traveled across the country with me to the Yukon, the NWT, and then back to Nova Scotia before driving back across the country with me last year. We went through the house fire together - I got out with the clothes on my back, my blackberry, my small laptop (grabbed on the way out) and Stormy. Stormy was my first priority and as the smoke filled my house, I remember panicking, thinking about not being able to find him as he ran under the bed after the explosion. I was so glad I got him out of the fire. I don't think I could have lived with myself if I didn't. Two other kitties in the apartment building did not make it out. Stormy was there when my dad was dying, and comforted me for hours on my lap as I cried my way through it. In fact, I'm crying now, just thinking about it all. I know this is the right thing to do for Stormy, as I cannot take him to Australia and he needs a permanent and stable home, but it doesn't make it any easier.

I hope his new owners take good care of him. He deserves it. He has been such a good cat over the years, probably my best kitty, truth be told. I loved all my kitties, but Stormy is the most affectionate, cool kitty you could ask for. He is so mellow, still loves to play, and is a great lap cat. He has no real bad habits, and has been so much fun to have in the house with me these past 6 years. I'm gonna miss him. Sniff...

City Highlights

2011-03-25T22:38:00.001-07:00

saki

dumplings

Clover Point park

love the bowls

I've been into the city a few times in the past week with some interesting experiences with some amazing people. Last weekend there were 19 of us sharing a very long table of Japanese food for a friend's birthday. I knew about half of the people, so that's always good. The food was pretty good, though I don't eat seafood, so did not have sushi. Thankfully Japanese cook other proteins too, so I had some sesame chicken wings, and some Japanese pork dumplings. The wings were a bit dry, but otherwise tasty. The dumplings were quite good, and I managed to eat them all with chop-sticks. I had me a Japanese lager which was pretty good, and nicely chilled. I finished it off with a big piece of cheesecake I shared with my table buddies. Many of my table buddies were eating box meals and drinking saki.

After supper most of the 19 began the pilgrimage down the street to a local pub. Now getting most of those 19 together to leave at once was impossible, and everyone had a different path to the pub, so we agreed to meet up there and see who's route was faster. On the way there as we had just split apart and were on two sides of the streets, along with the rest of the Saturday night downtown crowd when we heard screeching tires and then WHAM BANG CRASH...one car was trying to make a left hand turn when the light ran out on him and he decided not to rush it but apparently the guy behind him didn't realize that until it was too late and slammed into the car, bounced back about 10 feet or so, and then gassed up and hit the car again, though I suspect that was a reflex of some sort, as it wasn't a slam bang, just jolted forward. We looked at one another and reminded each other this was why we were walking after a few drinks...and decided to keep heading to the pub. If the police wanted witnesses, there were about 40-50 people around that intersection at the time...I was thirsty so off we went. The pub was usual style, with a Beatles cover band. They were dressed like the mop-tops from the 60's and were actually pretty good. They were very young, and that added to the charm and they pulled it off. It became very apparent to me however, that the pub was a stop on the cougar crawl, and a bit of a meat market. That was no real surprise as it is what keeps me from going to the nightclubs, but usually the pubs are not as bad...I had a good time in spite of this, but was getting tired of being leered at and groped as I wove through the crowd. I was spending the night with my friends in my camper parked in their back yard, so when they decided to head for home, I left with them along with another gal from the same 'hood. Sleeping in the van for the first time in awhile was interesting and a little cold. I just had a comforter with me, and didn't bring a thick sweater or hoodie to wear. It does cool down at night, and the van had no residual heat since I'd parked it hours ago. A lot different than last summer when I had all the windows open to keep it from being too hot when I went to bed.

Yesterday I went to town for some errands related to my work visa and due to a cockup with paperwork by the secretary, I had to stay over so I could drop the right forms off in the morning. I hung out with my friends in another outdoor porch gathering. There was a similar gathering next door on their porch and while I was inside the porch crowd at my friend's had found an Australian at the next door porch party. And he had been to Alice Springs. So I abandoned my friends to go and pick this fella's brain for a bit. Met a few of his friends, and we had a grand old chat about Australia and I found myself invited to a house party on Saturday night in Sooke...on my road! So I may head down there tomorrow night for a bit...

Today my friend and I took our hungover bodies and her 2 year old out for more errands - drop off the paperwork, Tim Horton's for a treat, stroll about the mall, stop at Zellers, then off to the beach for a stroll with the little guy. I picked up a nice piece of seaweed to dry, and Jack found lots of sand. He had fun, and we didn't mind the spitting rain. We then headed to Dairy Queen to pick up a birthday cake for my friend's birthday on Sunday.

After dropping off the gang, I headed back to Sooke and was immediately accosted by Stormy who had apparently worn out his meower in my absence....and gave me shit about it in his croaking voice. Awwww....poor kitty. So I had to submit for inspection and mauling for awhile. I think it will be an early night tonight...

A Musical Year

2011-03-22T10:33:00.001-07:00

This past year has been filled with music, both live and recorded. As I look back over the year, I can't help but want to list all of the shows I have seen to date, including those of other years.

London, ON 2002 - April Wine
Port Hawkesbury, NS 2003 - Trooper
Moncton 2005 - The Rolling Stones, opened by The Tragically Hip, Our Lady Peace, and Maroon Five
Halifax 2009 - Paul McCartney
Halifax 2009 - KISS
Portland, OR 2010 - Crosby, Stills & Nash
The Gorge, WA 2010 - Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - opened by Joe Cocker
Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery, WA 2010 - Ringo Starr & his All Starr Band (Edgar Winter, Rick Derringer, Gary Wright)
The Gorge, WA 2010 - Van Morrison - opened by John Legend
Seattle, WA 2010 - Bob Dylan @ Bumbershoot
Tacoma, WA 2010 - Roger Waters: The Wall Live
Seattle, WA 2011 - Eric Clapton

I have shows from all of this past year's shows except Van Morrison. They were sold out because I made the mistake of going for a shirt AFTER the show instead of when I usually do - BEFORE.

Winding Down the Sunrise Tour

2011-03-16T23:49:00.000-07:00

There have been some awesome sunrises and equally magnificent sunsets along the journey of the past year, not to mention a wide assortment of sunflowers. I did not find a sunflower field along the way as hoped, however seeing that people all over the country enjoy planting them was enough for me. Karma is up for sale, looking forward to another adventure with someone new. A potential buyer has plans to take her to California for a visit, which pleases me. Karma needs to get there at some point, and if not with me, then with someone else. If things go as planned, I could be in Australia within the month, so will be embarking on my own new adventure and will be winding down this blog with a final post when that happens. In the meantime, the next few weeks are going to be busy with all the paperwork and arrangements of what emigrating to another country entails, and winding down my life in Canada for now. Stormy needs to find a permanent home before I leave for Australia.

I don't want to lose sight of the current adventure in the haze of preparing for the next, so plan to try and squeeze in a few more new hikes, maybe a drive to Port Renfrew next week to see a few more surfer hangouts, and a night on the town with some friends this Saturday night. And there is always time to take note of one's environment - stopping to smell the roses you might say.

This is what I heard tonight as I sat in the doorway of my cabin on a padded stool, Stormy standing guard beside me, the screen separating him from the darkness of night.
- the dripping of water somewhere. It rained today, like it has darn near every day since November. There is always something that is wet and drippy this time of year.
- the honking of the Canada geese that circle overhead frequently and hang out in the lake below. I think there is a mating pair in the marsh nearby.
- the ribbeting of many frogs - very recent
- the wind whispering through the thick forest
- the murmuring quacks from the ducks who live in the lake below
- the piano man thundering away on his instrument, singing along
- the caterwauling of dueling felines who tried to drown him out...or sing back-up...it was hard to tell as they stole the show. Stormy was very interested at this point.
- the occasional jet roar from a not so distant flight path to somewhere
- an occasional car on the highway nearby, headlights flashing down briefly across the lake. The property owners do not own all of what is around the lake, just a portion of it, so there is development going up all around this piece of land, and the forest will shrink again. They bought what they could to preserve the wilder look of the woods.

It's a somewhat clear night. I can see clouds but also some stars among the clear bits of sky. Spring is definitely in the air here. There are 4 different types of birds or more that scour the front of the cabin for birdseed that I fling out each day. Stormy loves the entertainment and as the air gets warmer, I open the door and just pull the screen across so he can smell the outdoors. He squirms and makes noises at the birds like he wants to leap after them, but he has already figured out that he can't walk through the screen, and has not figured out he can probably shred it with his claws. Sometimes it's his ignorance that keeps him safe.

I won't be up for sunrise in the morning...not unless it's a blinding sun...

Surfer Girls Rocked the Waves

2011-03-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

Another fabulous day at Jordan River beach. The first group that was out didn't get much wave action going but then these girls came out and took the waves for a ride, following them for a few hundred yards or more.

Karma Interest

2011-03-09T08:34:00.001-08:00

I've had Karma posted for sale online for a few weeks now, and up until a couple of days ago I've only had scammers respond to the ad. I wrote about that on one of my other blogs and was getting pretty frustrated with them. All of the responses could have come from the same person, they had so much in common. Dirty scammers. In any event, this week I finally received an honest inquiry about Karma and after several emails back and forth about the van - with REAL questions, it is promising. She contacted me by phone last night and we spent at least an hour on the phone discussing Karma as well as our shared thirst for adventure and travel. The interested party is a woman, close to my age, and she wants to drive the van back to Ontario, as well as down through the states to California. She loves the paint job, which is a good thing. I was considering painting it this week, making it all one color because I was worried the current paint job might prevent the van from being sold. I was getting the feeling that the folks who loved the paint job weren't the ones with money enough to buy the van, and the ones who had the money, didn't want a van that looked like mine.

However, that is not the case with the current interested buyer. We've got plans to meet tomorrow in the city to go for a test drive and for her to get a real good look at Karma to see if it is what she is looking for. I'm hopeful! I really need to sell the van before I move to Australia next month, or I will have to find somewhere to store it while it waits to be sold. I need the cash to buy a vehicle once I arrive in Australia. Funnily enough, last night I had an offer on the van - someone wanted to trade me a 1996 Toyota T100 4x4 in good condition.I had to write back to him and decline - I'm not looking to acquire a truck!

I'm kind of sad that I have to sell Karma, but feel good that the person looking to buy it will take her on another adventure, particularly to California - Karma was meant to go!

As soon as I sell the van, I was planning to pick up a cheapo weather beater car for about $500 to get me through until my work visa comes in, as I can't be without a vehicle out here in Sooke. Once my visa comes through, I'd be leaving the car behind for my friends in Victoria to have.

Here's to continuing good Karma!

Beecher Point

2011-03-05T15:19:00.000-08:00

love those gnarly arbutus trees

arbutus sure stand out in the forest

looks like fairies should live here!

someone told me they are Tuckamore trees

see the faint petroglyph?

the sun sure sparkled on the ocean

yellow lichens

another faint petroglyph

mossy stump - glove for size comparison

Olympia Mtns were in clouds

It was a lovely fine day out there today for a hike, so I returned to East Sooke Park where I was before, but took a different trail. I had attempted this trail before, but silly me did not bring my rubber boots that time, so had to turn back and try another. This time I was in the proper gear, and boy did I need my boots - lots of muck and water along the trail from the heavy rains lately. The weather was just gorgeous, sunny and warm, and before long I was stripping layers off, and panting like a dog. Shirtsleeves were all that was necessary. The trail was not an easy one, with lots of clamoring over rocks and trees, and sure gave me a cardio workout, which I sorely need. I was in search of the petroglyph mentioned in the park info and signage. I was kind of disappointed. I passed them at first, and kept on hiking before I checked with someone and found out just what there was to see. They were less than noticeable, and not all that impressive. Apparently they have faded over time...

Petroglyphs aside, the hike was amazing with such a beautiful view of the ocean. The sun was sparkling on the calm waters, and there were tons of folks on the trails everywhere. I didn't take my water along as my camera bag does not have a space for it - gotta figure something out though as I was parched! I guess I looked pretty pathetic on the way back as someone stopped me to ask if I was alright and so I told them I was just hot and thirsty and they offered me a drink from their water bottle - a fresh one they had along for the dog, and the dog had not yet drank from it, ha ha. It sure quenched my thirst, and when I got back to the van, I downed another litre. I always keep some in the van in a cooler, and boy it sure went down nice.

I love Vancouver Island!

Karma For Sale

2011-03-01T13:16:00.002-08:00

This is the posting I listed today on craigslist. If anyone is interested in the coolest hippy van, just contact me through this site. Karma for Sale. Now if I could attract interested buyers instead of all these stupid rotten scammers that keep contacting me.

Concert Road Trip #9

2011-02-28T08:12:00.001-08:00

love that powder blue Gibson

My friend A. and I loaded ourselves into Karma once again for another concert adventure south of the border. This time it was for Eric Clapton, and Los Lobos who opened for him. I stayed overnight in Victoria to avoid having to drive in from Sooke to pick A. up for the journey. After dropping her wee one off at a friend's we were off to catch the 9am ferry from Sidney. Smooth sailing across but the worst line-up ever at on-board cafeteria. Once we docked at Tsawwassen (near Vancouver) we hit the road headed south. A smooth border crossing (yahoo) and we were on our way, stopping at Safeway for some food and booze. We prefer US concerts to Canadian ones as the concert ticket prices are lower, the booze is WAYYYYY cheaper, gas is cheaper, hotels are cheaper.

The view from our hostel room

this is how you smuggle booze into the concert

We arrived in Seattle in due time, parked Karma and checked into our hostel on 2nd Avenue before taking a quick walk to Pike Street Market to check out the scene there. From there we headed back to the van to have some beers before the show. Along the way we stashed some of our booze on our bodies to smuggle into the show. I refuse to pay $8 for domestic beer when I can spend $10 on a dozen in the store down the street. We then set out to find Will Call, where we were to pick up our tickets. We had ordered them by mail but they never showed up in time. After walking around what seemed like the entire arena, we finally found Will Call. Getting in was a breeze, hardly any line-ups and the dude in the wheelchair was real lax. We then headed to the ladies room to put our booze back into our bags.

First order of business was to check out the tour t-shirts, and both of us bought one. They didn't have the one I wanted in the size I wanted, so I bought a different one, but I think I like it just the same.

acoustic guitar tunes

From there we went in search of the best seats we could sneak into and act like we owned them. Our tickets were for balcony seats in the nosebleed section, but that is not where we start. We were able to get seats in the 4th row from the floor, in the section closest to the stage. No one showed up for the seats until after Los Lobos, and into Eric's 2nd or 3rd tune. Once we were rousted from our seats, we went in search of our own, or more empty seats. Trouble was that the concert was sold out, and only just a few people didn't show up for their seats. We finally relented and went to our nosebleed section, but sat in the first empty seats we found, which were several rows ahead of where ours were. I was fine with it as the sound was still awesome and the high seats gave us a real different view.

Los Lobos played about 6 or 7 tunes, ending with La Bamba which was awesome. They were terrific, and it wasn't long before Eric Clapton hit the stage with his band. And he was AWESOME. Boy can he make that guitar of his sing, it was amazing to watch him in action. When he was standing he had this weird chicken leg thing going on with his left leg, hilarious to see. When he was sitting, he did some serious toe tapping. The concert was over before we knew it, and then it was time to head back to the van for a few more drinks. We had a little trouble finding our direction, since the arena has several exits, and the street we were looking for stops and starts again after the arena, so we needed to be on the right portion of it. After a bit of walking, we managed to find our way back to Karma. A few beers in the van, and we headed back to the hostel to turn in for the night.

The next morning we were up for the free breakfast and then hit the road for home. Some sloppy snow slowed us down as we went through the one small mountain pass on the I-5 from Seattle (saw two vehicles in the ditch) and then we were at the border - real fast stop there, and we managed to get to the ferry terminal by 11:20am, just missing the 11am ferry. We had to wait for the 1pm ferry, so hung out in the van until then. Just as I'm about to start moving to head onto the ferry, some Chinese dude came over to my window and asked to swap tickets because he had to be back in Vancouver later that day. Um, sorry bud, I am hungover, tired, and not willing to wait ANOTHER hour after having waited an hour and a half for this one, not to mention, my vehicle was running and the ferry was in the process of loading and while he was standing there, my lane was loaded...so I pulled away...

Now we're back in Canada again, with our eyes on the concert horizon once again - Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks are playing a show in April...

Surf's Up!

2011-02-22T15:49:00.000-08:00

I took a drive up island to Jordan Beach today to watch some surfers, and I wasn't disappointed. I knew only the die-hard talented surfers would be out at the end of February and they were. There was a gal, who did quite well, and an older dude who rocked the waves. Then some wind surfers showed up and the show went on.

And then on the drive home, I picked up a couple of backpackers who just hiked the Juan de Fuca trail which starts not far from here. Said it took them 4 days because they took a wrong turn at one point and wasted the whole day. I told them with such beauty around them, every day is a gift, and none are wasted!

Frosty Morning

2011-02-22T09:09:00.001-08:00

I awoke to glitter coating surfaces here and there. Even on those dear little buds that dared to show some green this past week.

The sunset was a couple of nights ago. I need to find the horizon it sets on, as I'm blocked in by woods all around it's path at sunset, and I face northeast here.

Beach Time

2011-02-17T17:43:00.000-08:00

As this journey along the west coast wraps up in the coming weeks, I have to get more beach time in. I'll be moving on to Australia's red centre, land locked for the next two years. It's a lot to take in when I realize it. I'm good with the decision I've made, so I am capturing the ocean so I can bring it with me. I'm going to get some posters made of my photos.

Today I went to French Beach Provincial Park, just a few kms down the road from me near Shirley, BC. The sun tried it's hardest to shine, and the rain was very light, so I was able to crawl along the beachrock for some photos today. Then a pack of people showed up with a pack of dogs to walk and the roar of the ocean was drowned out with howling and barking. Time to move on. I had it in the can anyhow. There is still time and more beaches to explore before departure.

Island Life Adventures

2011-02-15T23:30:00.001-08:00

I stood outside under the rainy skies tonight, while the moon, threatened to make an appearance. I was wearing my John Lennon t-shirt and cotton pyjama pants. The temperature was 6C, and light winds. The moon came out for just a few moments in Equimalt where I went for supper with a friend and had some of the best poutine ever from La Belle Patate - real cheese curds, veggie gravy and home cut fries. It's right across the street from this friend, and she works on the Esquimalt naval base. I like seeing our military uniforms. Reminds me of my childhood, living on air force bases all over Canada. I'm here in my last Canadian city on the 44 year Canadian tour. I've lived in all climates, all time zones, and taken both the best and the worst of Canadian weather. I've seen the best of the Canadian landscape, and feel ready to explore another continent, with my memories of Canada stored fondly in my heart. I will be an immigrant.

Insight from the Dalai Lama

2011-02-09T11:53:00.000-08:00

Maybe I should have checked with the Dalai Lama first before ranting about the noise...he had the answer all along. This was from my page a day calendar from my sister - eerily fitting. It was yesterday's page.

"Your neighbor may be very noisy or very difficult, but so long as your own mind is calm and peaceful, neighbors will not bother you much."

The Not So Quiet Woods

2011-02-08T20:56:00.002-08:00

So much for a quiet cabin in the woods. The landlords who live on the other side of the wall have surround sound, and for what reason, I honestly don't know. The cabins are barely bigger than a bathroom. And they play it SO DAMNED LOUD I'm about ready to take my axe to the door between us. At first it was an occasional movie, maybe once a week. It's been at least 4 nights in a row they have been playing movies for hours at TOP volume. I'm about ready to cry, honestly. I have a pounding headache from listening to it, and feel pretty powerless about the whole thing. She did not disclose this very annoying habit of theirs when I rented the place, and now I just want to move the hell out to get away from it. I am SO OVER IT. Surround sound is for when you own your very own separate house, not when you must subject your neighbors to it constantly. It was bad enough when I lived in Victoria, listening to the damned racket the neighbors made there, playing video games, music, and movies on surround sound, rattling the dishes in the cupboards, but now that I'm out in the woods, I thought it might actually be peaceful, but it seems I was sadly mistaken. If it isn't the damned construction site next to the property waking me up, it is the damned surround sound next door irritating the HELL out of me. This is NOT what I signed up for. Seriously. Most of the time it is fairly peaceful but that surround sound really gets to me.

Oh yeah, and I'm premenstrual so if you catch the glint of steel in the moonlight, that might be my axe flying through the air...

Island Life ROCKS

2011-02-08T17:26:00.007-08:00

this is too much snow...gross.

I've been following the weather across the country these past few months and it looks like one of the snowiest winters in a long time. I've been checking out photos people are posting of their driveways, their cars under snow, their steps with several feet of snow, and the roads with huge drifts like this pic. Gross.

And then I look out my window and see green grass, and green bushes. Sure, the ordinary deciduous trees have lost their leaf since last fall, but there are many other species on Vancouver Island that don't lose their leaf, keeping it year round. I often do not wear a jacket, and go out in shirt-sleeves. I was out chopping wood today in a t-shirt, and still worked up a sweat. I've been barbecuing in my shirt sleeves, and often run to town without a jacket. Spring seems to be just around the corner.

this is just enough snow - NONE.

Sure I've had to deal with a lot of rain, but I don't have to shovel rain, and it's easy to walk in. It usually falls straight down, unlike east coast rain that beats into you, drenching you in mere moments. The sunny days are more often now, and soon will outnumber the rainy days. The temps are all above zero, day and night, often up to 10C some days. Before you know it, I'll be sitting out in the sun, working on my tan...island life ROCKS!

Daily Cabin Life

2011-02-02T13:20:00.007-08:00

Stormy keeping watch over the stove

Looking back at my cabin

the lake is so pretty by the cabin, even if it is small

the big house - 3 apts in here, and a whole lotta unfinished

the piano man`s cabin at left, mine at right.

Stormy`s girlfriend

Well, life in a cabin in the woods is a little different than life in an apartment. For one, I have a wood stove. I have come to both love and hate the wood stove. It must be the most contrary one I've come across for burning wood. I can have a full raging fire going, embers glowing red and orange and look back 10 minutes later and it has gone OUT. Not a flame or flicker in sight. It happens on a daily basis, often several times a day. I have never had to work so hard to get a frigging wood stove to burn. I've had them for years in other places I've lived, so I do know what I'm doing, but dammit, this stove is pissing me off. But when it is burning nicely, the heat is so nice to curl up with on a damp and rainy day here.

I usually get up about 8:30am-9am, which is late for me, but it is just so quiet here, there are no buses roaring by, no sirens blaring all night long, and no crackheads picking through the dumpster at midnight. It is also pretty dark out here. I don't have any curtains up, other than in the bathroom, and although there are blinds for all the windows, I don't close any of them. They all face the woods for the most part, and no one is out there staring in (that I know of!) so I've always enjoyed letting all of the natural light in, day and night. With the floor to ceiling glass in front, it is just awesome to have all of the natural light, even on rainy days. When I go to bed at night, I can barely see across the room, it's so dark. The most light comes from the electronics in the cabin - little white and yellow lights on my computer, little red light on the phone, little green light on the microwave, that kind of thing. It is amazing how much a light a tiny LED can provide.

After I get up, I normally start the wood fire, which as previously mentioned, can be a real bitch. Once that is done, I head for the computer to check in with the world. Facebook, email, CBC news, and the Australian news are my regular stops. After that, I usually get dressed, put on some music, and get moving on the daily chores - bring in more wood, wash up last night's dishes, clean the cat litter box, sweep up all the frigging mess the wood makes, and then it's time to get some breakfast/lunch. After that, its either sit down to do some writing, or head out for a hike and photo opportunity. Once back, I upload photos, maybe write a blog post, and then I'll usually watch something on tv. I don't have cable or satellite by choice here, but have a ton of stuff downloaded to watch when I'm in the mood.

Supper is usually in there somewhere, and more social networking, and probably a phonecall or two to someone. Lately there has been a number of phonecalls with the recruitment agency for Australia, and a friend of mine that has also interviewed calls often to compare notes. Then its either more television, an online game, or a book. I can only sit in this chair for so long per day, so often it is tv or a book.

About twice a week or so I head into Sooke for some groceries, and to check the mail. I have just general delivery at the post office, so must go into town for my mail. I don't mind, as I rarely get anything important in the mail these days. All of my bills come electronically, and no one seems to write a real letter anymore. Shopping in Sooke is pretty good, a choice of bigger grocery stores, so I don't have to actually leave Sooke to get what I need.

Every week or so, I make a trip into Victoria as well, though I don't have one planned for 2 more weeks now. I like to go into town to do more shopping, visit with friends, and run errands. My friend A. just picked up our concert t-shirts from Roger Waters: The Wall Live so I'll be stopping by her place the next time I'm in town, stoked for the shirt!

I've been thinking about taking a short jaunt up the coast later this month or next to Port Renfrew, and taking Stormy with me to camp for a few nights. We've missed camping in Karma, so looking forward to exploring somewhere new. For now, I'm content with cabin life.

East Sooke

2011-02-01T17:52:00.001-08:00

the mountains are in Washington, USA

see my tiny blackberry on this HUGE log...

gnarly arbutus tree

Karma looks so small here against the tall trees!

I went for a hike this afternoon in East Sooke, at Aylard's Farm. The hike took me along some gorgeous coastline, and past a really nice man named John from Afghanistan...we had quite a chat actually and talked travel, and he kept flattering me with comments about being strong and smart, because I traveled much of it alone, and I'm a woman. I don't think he was being sexist, I think he just hadn't met many women who are willing to travel alone. He is just back from a visit to Morocco, and lives here in Sooke, has for 20 years he said. He was sitting on a bench along the way, enjoying the scenery with a thermos of coffee and a doobie.

I had wanted to go in the other direction and tried but it was far too muddy and I didn't wear my rubber boots today for some reason. There are petroglyphs in that direction, so I shall have to return another day with me rubber boots on. In any event, the scenery was amazing, so I happily snapped away.

Meanwhile, back on the farm

2011-01-30T00:22:00.000-08:00

the logs at right are where I chop the wood

The rain does let up from time to time, though the clouds don't clear much this time of year. I had to get out for a walk, so went down the path from my cabin and past the piano man's cabin, to where the landlords are building three new houses to sell. One is finished. One is near completion, and one is half way there. Awesome looking houses, and I think they have a view of the lake.

lots of fungus with this much rain

my sleeping loft window

just down the road

new house the landlords have built for sale

an unusual stand of trees

lotsa moss on the trees

Whiffen Spit

2011-01-24T10:51:00.002-08:00

just small crests today, but big seas find their way here

the calm inner harbour of Sooke

big stumps

someone built a driftwood shelter

love the purple seaweed, it really stands out

Pacific Ocean

must have been a big sea on recently that threw this seaweed up over the breakwater

the sun made a brief appearance

The rain stopped for a few hours yesterday so I drove to Whiffen Spit Park and hiked the breakwater trail to the end by the lighthouse. This is the land that protects Sooke Harbour, as you can see by the difference in the water - looking glass to cresting waves. It seemed to be a popular spot to walk dogs, as I saw several, including a brindled Great Dane who was very friendly and we were nearly nose to nose...

It is a lovely park, even in winter. They were collecting winter garbage when I was there yesterday. I almost felt like helping out...almost. I've done the collection for years in other communities I've lived in. I wanted to take photos and get in a good walk. Bending over for garbage was not on the agenda for the day. They have several benches in the park to rest on, but they were all soaking wet. There is also an outhouse and a couple of garbage cans along the way. Other than that it's pretty basic. The driftwood shelter was interesting for sure. I'm not sure who built it or for what purpose, or how long its been there. I'll have to get the scoop on that one. Either way, it was pretty cool. I remember crawling under the wooden breakwater in Grand Bruit and hanging out. We also used to crawl under some rocks that were resting against each other tee pee fashion and hang out next to the ocean like this shelter.

The rain held off just long enough for me to get home. Within a few moments it began again. It's been raining pretty much every single day. It might not rain all day long every day, but there are days where the rain goes on and on. There's been some heavy rains, and then like today, just a heavy damp mist mixed with rain squalls. In other words - wet.

I've had no trouble keeping busy. Stormy and I are doing very well in the cabin. I thought we might face the same cabin fever I was feeling in my apartment in town, but with the abundance of natural light in the cabin, floor to ceiling glass across the front, it just doesn't feel like that. Stormy LOVES the cabin like I knew he would. When he isn't looking out one of the many windows, he is curled up, grooming and sleeping near the wood stove.

I don't have cable here, a first for me. It was offered, but I declined. I have more than enough on my computer to watch. I spend a great deal of time on the computer, either writing, researching, or the usual social communications - email and Facebook. I've also found a few gaming sites I enjoy from time to time. I miss knitting, but cannot afford to wreck my hands and arms again, so my hands often find themselves restless. I may have to pick up some paints again, and try that. I lost all of my paint supplies in the fire, so will need to build my supply back up again. I've also been reading but need to visit a used bookstore, or a charity shop to pick up a fresh selection. I don't have many with me like I used to, so have either read everything I own, or have decided I didn't want to. I had picked some up over the past year at yard sales and charity shops, hoping they would be good, but there have been some stinkers.

Well, it's pissing rain again now. I was going to go chop some wood, but will wait until the rain breaks again. Such is life on Vancouver Island in the winter. Rain. At least everything is very green.

The Piano Man

2011-01-20T01:48:00.000-08:00

"Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you got us feeling alright"

There is a piano man here on the property. He lives in a cabin just down the path from me, but I haven't seen it yet. I might take a walk past there tomorrow if it isn't raining. I've been curious about what is down that path as the landlord drives down there several times a day to work on the houses he is building there.

I hear the piano man every night, playing away for hours. He seems to be a night owl like me, 1:30am and he was still tickling the ivory. The sound carries through the woods to all of us that live here on the property together each night, lulling us to sleep. I can't hear it from inside the cabin, but each time I'm outside at night, I can hear it. I was soaking in the hot tub tonight, and the sound of the piano man came through the woods. Life is good.

It's Raining Men!

2011-01-16T11:23:00.003-08:00

Don't I wish. Though I seem to only have male neighbors with the exception of the landlady, and the gal who is moving to Tacoma this month, it is not raining men. It is just raining. A lot. Heavily. Yes, I still prefer it over snow, but damn, I would like to have just one sunny day since I moved in two weeks ago to sit out and enjoy it. But alas, I shall observe from the inside for now. I do really appreciate the large floor to ceiling windows in this place. Stormy does as well. The birds don't mind the rain at all and have been busy at the feeder these last few days. He also likes the new pink bedspread I scored from the gal moving out. It covers the brown sofa well.

It's Another Wet One

2011-01-15T20:53:00.000-08:00

It wasn't raining when I got up this morning, which was exciting in itself. And it didn't start to rain again until about 2pm, just as I started bringing my dry clothes home from the laundry room. I do not have a laundry room in this cabin. I trek through the woods, around a few bends, and down in the bowels of the former bed and breakfast building is a laundry room. I had only been told it was down under, but no specific directions. I opened a few doors, and found nothing, so went to my new friend Ken's door, but there was no answer. The only snow in sight is at the foot of his steps, so either he's dead in there, hermiting, or he is away. So then I knocked on Leo's door and he was happy to tell me where the laundry room was, and then jumped into his boots and followed me down to make sure I found it. There are two washers and dryers, kind of. The new front load washer is broken as the drum belt snapped and no one has fixed it. The new dryer works very well, and I noticed a small apartment sized dryer on the floor, but wasn't sure if it was even plugged in, so didn't bother. I could only wash one load at a time anyhow, in the older but working well washer.

Once I finished the laundry I set about making a fire and it was much easier with some drier kindling. The wood I bought is very good quality as far as cut goes, but is about 6 months from seasoned well enough for good burning, so there is some effort involved. Once it is burning, it does burn hot and long. It's Douglas fir, and splits like a dream for making kindling. I chopped up a bunch in the rain the other day and have been drying it inside here, so it makes a much better fire now. I packed all the wood up against the fence and wall by the door, with some of it under the eaves keeping somewhat dry. There isn't usually much wind with the rains most of the time. I bring in some wood and dry it by the stove for burning later too. Not all of it is damp, but the bulk of it is. I've even had sap seep out when I was chopping some of it up for kindling. Hardly dry. I would have given those boys a piece of my mind if I'd noticed at the time. It is pretty damned heavy too, being so wet, so I borrowed the landlord's wheelbarrow and hauled it to the back that way.

The rain is pouring still on my tin roof. The ceilings are high here with the loft so it isn't right over my head. I have Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers on anyhow, so the rain is the background. When I am up in the sleeping loft, however, the ceiling is just a few feet above my head, and the window is literally right beside my head, so I hear it well enough up there. There's no real wind or thunderstorms so the steady rain is pretty soothing and I haven't had much trouble sleeping through it.

My head has been otherwise occupied with Australia. Between my interview prep, research, and chatting with a friend who is also interviewing for Oz, I've been pretty absorbed by the culture of it all. I'm sure I'm already boring my daughter all to hell who has heard me drone on about Australia in every phonecall. My friend and I are both jazzed about the potential opportunity to work abroad, so have no problem talking about it several times a week. She is trying hard to picture herself there right now, as she freezes in the Yukon where the current temps are below -40C for the past week, plus the windchill. Brrrrrr....I do not miss that about the north at all.

I'm hoping to find somewhere to hike tomorrow, rain or shine, If I wait until the rain stops to do anything I'd still be in bed. I'll just dress for it and take an umbrella. With the temperatures here hovering at about 9C, the rain is warm, and I got me rubber boots, 'by.

Now it's back to Stephen King scary movie night...awesome with the rain on the roof, the black night just outside the floor to ceiling glass in front of me. If only we got thunderstorms here...but then I would have to worry about losing the power and then I couldn't watch Stephen King movies. Boooo!

Give Me Cozy Cabin Life Anyday

2011-01-11T19:34:00.001-08:00

I went to Victoria yesterday to pick up my refunded damage deposit from my former landlord. They were on the phone when I got there, suffering computer issues that would not let them print out a cheque for me. Great. He asked me if I could come back later, or could they mail it to me. Um, no. It was the only thing I came into town for, that and to check my mail. I made the landlord aware of this. He then offered to dash to the bank to get a money order from the account for me. Okay, make it snappy. Oh, what, you want me to come with you? Okay, sure, if that means I'll wrap this up quicker. Let's walk? Okay, if it's just down the street. Meanwhile, nearly 4 blocks later we cross the street and into what also happens to be my bank. That's good. I can deposit the money right there. If only he remembered the PIN for his bank card...sigh...so then he tried calling the receptionist for it as she normally did the banking. Problem was, she was already on the phone with the tech support...still...had been for over an hour. Finally he thought to call her cell phone and finally got through to her for the PIN. He finally handed me the cash, and off he went. I continued on and deposited the cash. I was out the door just minutes after him but he was nowhere in sight. I felt in my pocket the keys I had readied for him while I was sitting in the bank so long. No matter, I had to pass by the office anyhow to get back to my van. I dropped the keys off, she was still on the phone, and the landlord was nowhere in sight, having made another stop I reckon on his return to the office.

Anyway....once I had the dough, I headed to Walmart to stock up on a few things. It had started to snow, so I didn't spend too much time dinking around there. It can sometimes feel like the twilight zone, and I lose all track of time. I haven't been wearing a watch since about my second day on this journey last April, wanting to take a break from being a clock-watching government worker. It has been very relaxing to say the least, but the hazard is, losing track of time. After Walmart I headed home, stopping at the only Superstore for miles for a couple more things. We were to get snow and rain this week and the roads would be messy, so I stocked up for awhile. I'd rather stay the hell home and let someone else flip their car into the ditch. There's already been one this week, knocking out the power for 8 hours.

So that was yesterday. Today has been spent reviewing things for my upcoming job interview, watching yet another weird Australian movie, and the general business of the day - dishes, shower, cooking, nap on the loveseat with Stormy...I just wish I had arranged for some firewood. I emailed one fellow but haven't heard back. I'll have to grab the paper when I'm in town next to see if anyone is selling a half cord. I've seen a few signs, but am always moving and not able to jot the phone number down as I fly by on the highway. Yeah, Karma can fly...but she doesn't speed. Her new bumper sticker reads "I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings"...homage to my very moving experience with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers last summer at the Gorge.

The cabin is working well for Stormy and I. I carry him upstairs each night and back down again in the morning. He isn't the least bit restless at night, which surprises me. He does check out the upstairs windows from time to time, but for the most part, sleeps soundly on the bed, stretching his toes into my back. The only noise I hear is when the neighbor has her surround sound on for a movie, and when she and her partner are talking loudly. Sometimes it sounds like arguing, while at others, just a loud discussion. That's when I turn my music up...and tune them out.

The stars are easily found on clear nights here. Sometimes I sit out and watch them appear in the dark night sky. Away from the city's amber glow, the sky seems full of them. My view of the sky is limited by trees, something I never had to worry much about in Newfoundland. The timber is tall here, and the wind whistles through the trees. I love it.

And The Rain Stopped

2011-01-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

I've been in the cabin for a week now, and yesterday the rain finally stopped. It had started on Tuesday, and rained straight through until Friday where it broke briefly and then started again. I took a swim in the hot tub last night under the stars and it was just awesome. I could have stayed in for hours, but was worried I'd fall asleep and drown myself in the tub. Yeah, not a good idea. I'm sure the owners frown on that.

Stormy has a new girlfriend. She is a Himalayan mix and has been skulking around the cabin these past few days. At night she meows, calling for him. I don't hear her often, but she is there. Stormy is definitely happy to have all of the glass to look out through. I read about a study last year that put kitty cams on 500 cats and they spent 70% of their time looking out the window. I think they are probably always plotting their escape. Stormy is sitting at his post as I write this.

The power was out yesterday for about 8 hours after someone ran their car into a hydro pole. I had the wood stove burning, and tons of candles. I cooked on a butane cook stove, so we were good. I read until I couldn't see well enough. I have a book light, but didn't bother. Stormy and I spent a lot of time resting our eyes on the sofa while we listened to tunes on my laptops, until the battery ran down in both of them. I made a thermos of Bailey's hot chocolate to sip through the evening.

It's sunny again today, with some clouds, and a breeze of wind that makes it a little raw out there. I think Stormy and I shall be observing this fine day from the inside, sipping more Bailey's hot chocolate on the sofa. No, Stormy will not be having hot chocolate.

Cabin Neighbors

2011-01-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

Well, it isn't Coronation Street like my city apartment was, but I have definitely met some interesting neighbors here. First there are Ken and Leo - older gentlemen that live in two of the big-house apartments. Ken is recently separated from his wife and broke while waiting for the divorce to go through, so is renting a tiny cabin apt until then. Leo is a currently unemployed Vietnam veteran from Newfoundland. When I met Ken, and happened to mention the bed dilemma, (getting it up on the loft) he offered right away to get Leo and the two of them would help me lift the mattress up, and they sure did, in short order. Thanks fellas! While chatting with Ken initially, he talked about a friend who was supposed to give him some VHS videos over Christmas so he could have something to watch, and the friend didn't. I asked him if he had a DVD player, and he said he didn't, nor the money to buy one. So I told him he could have mine, as I have only used it a couple of times and have my laptop to play them on anyhow. I also told him I'd burn some movies off for him. He was so excited, he could hardly contain himself. When they came to help with the bed, I gave Ken the DVD player, and he said it was like Christmas all over again. Awww...so I told him about pay it forward and karma. If I have the chance to help someone or make their life better, I would do it, and that this philosophy has returned good karma to me all year.

I've had several long chats with Leo so far. He was a paratrooper with the Canadian Armed Forces for 10 years and has traveled the world. He's shared story after story about his time in the army, and showed me his battle wounds - shrapnel to the hand. He also told me how when that happened, a bullet glanced off his helmet, missing his face by mere fractions of an inch. I haven't ever met or chatted with a Vietnam war veteran, so was fascinated. I had no idea the Canadian were involved, but they were. He said the last person he killed was in Guatemala...we chatted at length about the war, the military, air force bases, missiles, fighter jets, cargo planes, parachuting, and cultural customs in the many countries he has visited.

I also met another guy, but can't recall his name. He lives in the cabin just down the path from me, and plays the piano. I can hear him at night if I open the door, and it sounds amazing. Leo said the fellow is a very gifted pianist...who knew? Leo also said he has every hepatitis going, a result of former IV drug use...that was easier to believe as the fellow was dressed in blue jeans, long scraggly hair, and drove a beat-up pick-up that was just about out of gas when I met him. He said he couldn't stay and chat as he drove by, because he didn't have enough gas, and barely had enough to make it back to the gas station in town.

Then I met Josh. the son of the landlords. Also another fascinating individual. He just returned from 6 weeks in Europe, and he is very interested in archery, and was fascinated by the heavy bows he saw in Spain. Josh, Leo and I were chatting at one point, and Leo shared a fascinating fact about archers back in castle times - the circular stairwells were generally built to wind down to the left, counter clock wise so the right-handed archers could use the bow and arrows at intruders. He has been in dozens of castles world wide through his travels.

I'm not sure how many others live here on the property, but I reckon I'll meet them at some point.

I was asked by the landlords to park my van out of sight in another parking lot, not the space that is actually provided for me across from my cabin. Why? They have 3 high priced houses for sale on the property and feel my hippy van would discourage buyers as they drove by to get to the houses. They apologized for the narrow mindedness of buyers, and wish they had a van like mine, but need to sell the houses, and the real estate agent could show the houses at any time. I'm less than impressed with this, given how much it rains here, but I don't expect to be using the van much in the coming months, other than a few trips to town for groceries, so have resolved myself not to get too bent out of shape over it. I still mind the profiling, just like at the border, but whatever - can't change the minds of everyone.

I had the most amazing blue-sky weather for moving, but the usual winter rains have returned and it's pouring outside today. The cabin has a tin roof, so the rain sounds very soothing. There is also so much natural light, even on a rainy overcast day like today, that my mood is so much brighter than it was in my dark and depressing town apartment.

Stormy has not yet figured out how to get up into the loft, although I have heard him trying. I've brought him up, but he seems so restless up there, pacing and trying to figure out a way to get down, that I take him back down. He did jump from up there once, but I don't want him to hurt himself or break something in the dark, so will wait until he figures it out for himself. The loft has a nearly upright ladder, which apparently is a challenge for cats.

I scored a box of wood yesterday and finally got the fire going, a little bit too much and had to open up the door to cool off. I tried sleeping upstairs but it was like an oven, so will have to avoid big fires like that in the future. I spent some of the night on the sofa and then went back up at some point when it had cooled off. The cabin has just one small electric baseboard heater, which is totally inadequate for heating the whole cabin. The size of heater is what I would install in a bathroom...so need the wood stove going when I can, just to take the chill off. I have an electric heater that I used in the van, one of those tiny cube things, and it works well to warm me while I sit here and write.

Well, it's nearly time to head into town and see about a mailbox so I can have my mail forwarded and start calling folks who need my new address. There is also a pawn shop I would like to visit with a few things I am looking to unload. Then I'll have to come back and get down to business - writing.

Settling Into Cabin Life

2011-01-04T21:41:00.001-08:00

the bathrom, pretty standard

the kitchenette area - Stormy is in the window seat

the wood stove can really crank the heat out!

the kitchenette is pretty small but adequate

the living space

the storage space up overhead

the sleeping loft - just a few feet above my head is the roof

Well, after a few weeks hiatus, I reckon it is about time I posted an update. I was in Whitehorse for Christmas with my daughter and came back to Victoria on the 29th, and packed up to move. It didn't take long to pack, as I didn't have the mass of stuff I used to have before the fire. It took just two trips in the van to get most of it out here. I made a final trip yesterday and brought the last few things. It hasn't been without incident, of course. I had asked a friend to help me load and unload on Saturday, but she was pretty hungover and didn't show up until a few hours after I was ready to go. Once she got there we headed out to Sooke, only to receive a rather frosty reception from the landlady who was miffed that I was making her late for a scheduled dinner. We hadn't arranged a time, and she said nothing about it in her many emails, and I hadn't promised to be there any specific time, just sometime in the afternoon. She rushed me through the lease, and then took off.

I wasn't moving much furniture, but the one thing I couldn't manage on my own was my mattress. I could drag it here and there, no problem, but once I arrived at the cabin, it would have to be lifted up over the loft railing to get it there, and as stubborn and strong as I can be when I want to, I cannot physically lift the mattress up to the loft alone. Impossible, at least without a pulley, which I did not have. The next-door neighbors offered to come out and help me, taking anything I couldn't fit in my van, in their car, and would help me with the mattress. Great. Wonderful. Thank-you. The only problem was when the time came the next day, they came to inform me they had forgotten a friend was coming to town from Vancouver, and they couldn't help me. Great. Wonderful. Thank-you...they did help me load the van, but I could have done that on my own. I needed help getting that mattress up in the loft! The landlady had already informed me she does not work on Sundays, so I couldn't ask her. I left Victoria in a pissy mood, tired of people who break promises. They were not the first. I didn't even attempt to drag the mattress in, but figured I could throw my foam pad I used in the van for the night. And then I laid down on it, on the hard floor and realized that was NOT an option. My hips would never forgive me. So I curled up on the loveseat with Stormy and spent the night tossing and turning there.

I paid for internet access and telephone, neither of which were working when I got there, given that I did not see any jacks, and while there were two wireless networks that showed up, one didn't work and the other required a password I did not have. Great. No phone, no net. What am I paying for? I'll find out in the morning, or so I thought.

I realized that night I had not deposited some cash in my bank account that was needed to help cover the rent so went off in search of a Scotiabank. None in Sooke. Great. The nearest one was in Colwood, about a 20 minute drive away. Fine, I'll go in the morning, as it was a holiday yesterday and my rent wouldn't be coming out until today. I got up the following morning and drove to Colwood, only to have both bank machines tell me they are unable to accept deposits at this time...WTF? out of envelopes was my guess, but who the hell knows. So then I was forced to head into Victoria to go to the bank there, WAYYYY farther than I wanted to travel yesterday. Once there, I decided I might as well finish cleaning the apartment, and that would save me from going into Victoria another day to do it. I rented a carpet cleaner, borrowed a vacuum cleaner and I was off like a herd of turtles. I finished up in short order, returned the vacuum, carpet cleaner, and my Shaw boxes (cable, tv, phone). The line was ridiculously long and it took me a half hour to get through it.

So then I was finally on my way home about 3pm, and went off in search for the landlady to find out just what I needed to do to get the internet and phone working, along with a bunch of other questions I had but did not get to ask as I was rushed through everything with her. She was nowhere to be found. There were 5 phone numbers posted at the office to call, including two cell phones. No one answered. There was an emergency number on my lease. No one answered. There were two different doorbells to ring for service. No one came. WTF? I tried for hours, walking back and forth to the office each time. Hours turned into two days. I had important things to do both on the phone and the internet and the landlady was MIA. I was super pissed. Where in the hell did she go? And why in the hell isn't anyone answering ANY of the phones? I ended up driving into town (Sooke) for cell reception so I could make the calls, and get someone else to do on the internet what I couldn't. They didn't come home last night, and were not around all day today, and finally pulled in about 8pm tonight. They weren't home long before the landlord came over and sorted things out. The internet and phone cables were behind a bookcase, and the phone was not currently hooked up for my use. The internet was working, but the landlady had turned off the modem when she left yesterday morning and didn't think about my desire to use it...sigh...

I did have beautiful moving weather, not too cold, and blue sky days. A rarity this time of year, as it has been raining for weeks, and today it started to rain again. The cabin has a tin roof, and the rain sounds awesome on it. I may change that tune however once a downpour comes while I'm in bed and the roof is just 3 feet above my head...

I am all unpacked and settled in, and Stormy seems to like the cabin, particularly the many windows he can look out. The one problem is he has not yet figured out how to get up into the loft yet. I brought him up a few times, but he slept downstairs last night. I missed him, as he always sleeps on the bed with me. I reckon he might figure it out one of these days, but the nearly upright ladder isn't easy for kitties. I put his kitty condo next to the ladder, hoping he might leap from there somehow, but so far, no go.

So here I sit in my cabin in the woods, overlooking the tiny Poirier Lake. Life is good.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

2010-12-21T10:12:00.000-08:00

Yup, brrrrrr. I am in the Yukon for Christmas with my daughter. It was 11C when I left Victoria. It was -37C when I got here on Friday. Brrrrr. I refused to buy another winter coat, having one in storage on the other side of the country, and not needing one in Victoria. So I borrowed one, but it's a little snug so I have taken to wearing several layers instead. For just going from car to building it isn't too bad, but I would not want to be walking far with my layers of clothes. I remember this kind of cold, of course, having done 3 years in the territories and 5 in Labrador where the weather is even worse. The house my daughter is living in has heat included, but does not provide the renters with access to the thermostat. So when it gets colder, you can't crank the heat. It isn't freezing in here, but definitely chilly. I have 4 layers on at the moment...they have a fireplace but have been having difficulty getting any firewood delivered, as everyone is backed up on orders or out of wood altogether and not delivering until February. We've been burning pallets and buying firelogs at the store/gas station.

I am really enjoying spending time with my daughter. She is working today and tomorrow, but is then off until I go back. We want to go sledding in the Carcross Desert at some point when the temps go up to something a little more reasonable, like -20C or so. It is supposed to get up to -17C on Christmas Day - I can do that.

I had a potluck with some old friends on my birthday, just one friend with her kids came, but that was okay. It was great to catch up with her and she was taking off for Costa Rica the following day. The others I still have time to see. I'm going out for lunch with a couple of them today, along with my daughter. I drove my daughter to work in the cold dark morning so I could have the car.

The roads are completely covered in ice and snow, and won't see daylight until spring. They rarely plow and folks just keep driving over the new snow. They don't get much all at once, and rarely with any wind, so it is straight down packed snow. When they do plow, they scrape close to bottom, but just on some streets, so the rest you have a huge drop to the road, sometimes 6 -10 inches. The same from some driveways. I think the city is in cahoots with the truck and jeep sales to sell more 4-wheel drive vehicles, but that is just my conspiracy theory. My other theory is that they don't give a shit, and don't care if you do, and will tell you to go back to where you came from if you do. It was the same mess in Yellowknife. Someone I met who worked in that dept tried to convince me it just wasn't in the budget for snow clearing. Um, you have winter 9 months of the year, and it isn't in the budget? What is? hedge trimming in the 6 weeks a year that something grows? Stupid answer.

Let's just say I am looking forward to returning to Vancouver Island to warm up again next week. I have to start packing right away to move into a cabin in the woods for a few months. I don't own much, so it shouldn't take too long. I am truly looking forward to the cabin in the woods, by a lake. It's in Sooke, which is a pretty area for sure. There is a natural hot spring nearby that feeds a 2-person hot tub out on the deck. I just turn on the taps to fill it and drain it when I'm done. I can't wait to soak in that under the stars at night. There is also a wood stove, something else I'm looking forward to. There are tons of windows in this place, unlike my current dungeon. It has been interesting figuring out what is important in a rental and what isn't, and how it differs between people, in different locations, and the place I am in life. I hated that I had no privacy at my current apartment, mostly because of the nosy Brit who gossiped, complained and smoked endlessly while she paced the parking lot, on the phone or talking to anyone who passed by. I also hated that I got almost no sunlight and needed lights on all day just to get around. The new place is flooded with light, and has an awesome view of the lake. Spring will be on its way before I know it, and flowers begin to bloom in February and March in southern Vancouver Island.

I have decided to hunker down in the cabin for 4 months while I hopefully await visa paperwork to go through on a job I am interviewing for next month. I have passed all of the rounds of questions and interview screening so far, and will do a full interview with the employer the third week of January, after which they will either offer me a job or thank me for my time. I'm hoping for the offer, of course. There is a lengthy visa application to go through, so they guesstimated it might take 2-4 months.

For now, I am bundled up to enjoy winter in the Yukon. It could be a whole other ball game this time next year.

Roger Waters: The Wall Live

2010-12-12T20:57:00.002-08:00

As always, remember to click on the photos for a larger size to see more detail. Thanks!

Epic. Loved it. Sang my heart out. Spent the first half in my seat with my 8 friends scattered throughout the Wall-crazy crowd, talking to another guy who lost his 6 friends in the crowd. After intermission, two of my friends found their seats next to me, and we roared through the rest of the show. The getting home part is where things went a little crazy. We found ourselves separated but had planned for that or so I thought. There were 9 of us, two cars, two hotel rooms, 4 beds. We gathered at my place on Thursday to have a pre-trip meeting as it was a larger group and we had some border newbies we needed to tune up for the crossing. Apparently some were not listening and others did not share the information with those who did not attend. I even had a power point presentation on my big tv...it was fun and we all enjoyed it, had some laughs. In any event, we agreed we would each get a hotel card so if we were separated, we could just show a cabbie our card and ask to be brought back there.

Well, some folks lost their card. and we separated into several small groups. I was with 4 after the show, but lost two on the way from the dome to the shuttle pick-up spot. So then I was with two, one of whom was pretty out of it, and we waited for about 20 minutes, no word on the shuttle, no cabs, and the roads were parking lots with traffic clogging them. So I suggested we hit the road and try to walk to somewhere traffic was flowing and empty cabs might be as all of the ones near us were full, and we were on a sidewalk with hundreds of other people looking for a cab. My amigas did not agree in the pissing rain, so I headed out and walked about 3 kms in the pissing rain and finally got a cab. I went in the totally opposite direction, and didn't even THINK about looking at my blackberry maps...got on a street with no exits until about 2kms down, and that was only through a pedway that was about 200 steps above the road...pant, pant, pant. I met some folks along the way - some Californians waiting for a ride from the Glass Museum, which I passed, wishing it was open! I finally climbed up the pedway and got a cab about 5 minutes later on a busy street. It was not easy. I had seen about 5 pass me down on the lower Dock road, but no one would stop. They all had their lights on, and no one inside. Jerks. I called a few cab companies, no one had a cab free and the wait was 2 hours...WTF? So that's why I kept on walking. Flagging one down was probably going to be the only way to get one.

I was drenched, and arrived back at the hotel wondering where everyone else and found 5 of them in one of the hotel rooms. 4 had gotten home after waiting an hour for the rest of the crew (dumb idea) in the pissing rain, when our friend M. finally flagged down an empty school bus and paid the driver to take them home...as 30 other people crowded onto the bus behind them. The bus was apparently some kind of shuttle, but couldn't get to any pick-up points in the traffic. So picked them all up and off they went. The 5th one that was home waited for an hour for a cab too, and finally got a ride with someone else who she was chatting up after the show. They got home about 10 minutes before I did. About 5 minutes later two more showed, up, having gotten in with a shady crowd for a ride and having to ask them to let them out again, then finally hailed a cab home. The final gal made it home when one of the security guards at the Dome saw her quite out of it and packed her off in a cab for the hotel, paying the fare. How we managed to all get home within just a few minutes of each other is beyond me! We were just happy everyone made it home safe and sound, albeit SOAKING WET.

After some hotel room partying, gambling in the casino downstairs, we eventually all turned in, 5 and 6 am for some. We hit the road just before 10am, without the second car who wasn't ready when we were, stopping at Burger King along the highway for hangover grease, and made it to the Port Angeles ferry right on time. The other car just made it by about 10 minutes, having taken the highway the wrong way, headed through Seattle and then crossed on the small ferry west to the highway that took us to Port Angeles. Smooth ferry crossing, everyone was tired, but wired, and shopping in the duty free liquor and cigarettes. A 40oz gin for $9.99, and a carton of cigs for $15...criminal what we pay in Canada.

And then we landed in Victoria and got flagged at the border for a code 7 again - DRUGS! Which we didn't have any of as that was well covered in the pre-trip meeting, and included in the power point. I refuse to take anyone across the border who tries to take weed or other drugs with them. I can't have a criminal record to do my job, and they all know this. So we were pretty relaxed about it as none of us had anything on us, knowing the risk. Maggie the search dog had a sniff through my van, but came up empty for anything currently there. She did however, smell an older smell of herbs from days gone by....the border guard was really nice, and gave the gals a break on the duty free liquor they brought as we hadn't been across for 48 hours, which is required to bring it back duty free. He packed up Maggie the dog and we were on our way. Tired, wired, but intoxicated with such inspiration from the fabulous show we all experienced together. Thank you Roger Waters, for bringing us The Wall. I had an amazing time.

a surprise

2010-12-09T13:10:00.000-08:00

A good friend of mine for many years sent me this today in the mail. Thanks D! I love it!

Road Trip On The Horizon

2010-12-07T16:58:00.000-08:00

The gang is about to hit the road again on Saturday - this time bound for Tacoma, Washington. We leave on the morning ferry to Port Angeles and then drive straight to Tacoma. The show is Roger Waters: The Wall Live. There are 8 of us confirmed to go and one ticket left. It's going to be an amazing show, as someone from Pink Floyd certainly knows how to do. More when we get back.

Beacon Hill Birds

2010-11-30T15:16:00.000-08:00

After feeling a little shack-whacky, staying in because of the rainy days, I decided to don me rubber boots and get out there. I drove to the park (it's a bit far) and parked Karma, and no sooner had I parked than two peacocks came running over. I had just enough time to snap some close ups. They kind of followed me about in the park, so I had ample opportunity to take some good photos. I also came across some hybrid ducks. Notice the golden brown duck compared to the usual brown of the female black duck. There is also a male duck with a thick white neck band, more of a patch of pure white. I also saw another male duck with a spotted patch on his chest.

It was a bit misty rainy out there, but it felt great to be outside. Victoria has so many gorgeous parks and ocean front, I love it. I took the last shot on Dallas Road, with the mountains in Washington looming across the strait.

Santa Claus Parade

2010-11-28T19:34:00.001-08:00

the Town Criers

not often you see a clown with a walker...

from the clown academy

the Lady of the Lake, and her first and second princesses

This is an organization that is part of the Mason's, for young women

well that was a first for me - playing the electric guitar in a marching band.

I went to the local Santa Claus Parade last night, here in Victoria. It was at night, so my first nighttime parade. All the floats were lit right up, and I have to say, there were several really nice floats, and they looked so pretty in the dark with their vibrant colors. I went with my friend A. and her husband and their wee one, 2 years old. It was his first parade and his father enjoyed watching his son's reaction to the parade just as much or more than the parade. Wee one would call out to the floats/trucks "see you tomorrow truck!" and "Happy Christmas!" So cute! The weather was perfect, no rain, no wind, and just crisp enough to feel like its the right time of year for a Santa Claus Parade. The streets were packed with excited folks. The papers estimated that last year they had between 50,000 to 60,000 come for the parade. This year, they estimated that about 65-70,000 people came out last night. We were standing opposite to where the television crew was set up, so I think we probably showed up in a lot of their footage as the filmed the parade as it passed by. I took a ton of photos, but am just posting a few here. My Canon rebel takes great night photos.

T'was a lovely fine parade. Then my friend A. and I went out for a girls night a the house of another friend's. Five women, several bottles of wine (and my beers), a bowl of jello and a birthday cake later. Today I'm feeling the jello...

Karma Doesn't Like Snow

2010-11-25T19:47:00.001-08:00

And neither do I. I chose to spend fall and winter in Victoria because of the mild winter and lack of snow. So far it has snowed for the past 4 days. I am less than impressed. We don't have a lot of accumulation, but the sight of it makes me want to puke. I am so OVER Canadian winters. Winter in general. I hate it. I have a friend who loves winter and loves snow and works in the north so she can have it 9 months of the year. That is not me. Not even close. I hate looking at it. I hate driving in it. I hate shoveling it. I hate walking in it. I hate hearing about it. And this week I had to drive Karma in it, which I had hoped not to do. I had a couple of medical appointments that were too far to walk to, and I was less than enthused about trying to figure out public transit in time to get there. So Karma and I were off and about the city. It isn't my driving that worries me. I can handle the snow. I've grown up around snow, and driven in the absolute worst of it. It is the people around me who do not seem to know how to drive in snow, along with those who forgot how to drive in it from last year. They make fine spinnakers...hurtling themselves all over the road. THAT'S what scares me most - some stupid idiot driver stomping on the gas in front of me and sending themselves into a wild spin that then hits me.

I find it hilarious to see people so bundled up. Yes, there is snow on the ground, but it is 1C. It isn't -55C. There is no need for a down jacket, fur-trimmed hood pulled up over your head and drawn tight, and snow pants. There is only about 2 inches of snow, max, and most of that is melting. I refuse to buy another winter coat, or winter boots. I packed mine away in a locker on the other side of the country, and had planned on being in Mexico this winter, but instead found myself here. I wouldn't wear what is in the locker here anyhow, as it is meant for my northern travel to the REAL cold parts of the country. I can't imagine wearing my down jacket in this climate - I barely wore it in the northern one. But then I run hot too, which everyone who has shared air with me knows. Apparently I am just like my paternal grandmother...a compliment for sure, but I could do without the internal furnace.

So I am hoping the weather improves this week and I can get out walking again. It's been pretty slippery because in climates where they don't typically get snow, people seem confused about what to do with it...PLOW THE ROAD. SHOVEL THE SIDEWALKS. USE SAND because SALT IS TOO SLIMY AND SLIPPERY. It's that simple, but yet it seems to elude this city. They have taken the Vancouver stance - it's gonna rain soon, so why bother.

Is it time to leave for Australia yet? Dammit I hope I get that job...

New Blog for a New Adventure

2010-11-22T17:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have decided to create another blog, for a different adventure. I'll be writing about the process of applying for work in the Northern Territory of Australia and then will post from Australia should I be successful in being offered a job. I'll still write on this one about my Sunrise hippy tour, and the travel into California and Mexico in February and March, however, once I head to Australia in April, I will be wrapping up this blog and moving onto the next adventure! You can find the new blog HERE and it's called Australia: Tales from a Canadian Nomad. If you lose the link, just go back to any blog I've had, and through my profile you can find the link again, just click on my photo to the left.

What's this? Australia? G'day Mates! And other stereotypes...

2010-11-18T22:50:00.000-08:00

As most of you know, I'm not currently working in a paid position, but was planning to return to work in the spring after getting some writing completed. I had been thinking of working abroad in the UK for many years, as they have been recruiting for years, a shortage of social workers. I signed up for one website's emails to keep me posted on things for when I might be in a position to work abroad. Last week I updated my resume and registered with a few sites through this website. One of them called me today to offer me an interview for positions in Australia. They are hiring over 130 social workers with new budget funds and the push is on to fill them. The agency will help me work on all of my paperwork to work abroad and pay all of the fees for the work visa and any other permits. They will also pay my flight to and from, and to ship up to 15 boxes of personal effects. The wage is as high as I made in Yellowknife, if not more. There is an annuation of 9%, 6 weeks paid holidays, plus national holidays. The terms sound reasonable. What I have to find out is if I can work in the environment - both social and physical.

I don't particularly like the heat, humid heat being the worst. However, I have learned how to live with it when I have to. The apartments I checked out all had air conditioning, which would definitely help, and is necessary in the heat of the summer (our winter). I checked a few websites for weather information and the temperatures are not as scary as some might lead you to believe. Their record high is around 45C, and the average is in the 30's and that's mostly in the summer (our winter), while in the winter, it is more like 10-20C. Today it's 22C. The coast is very humid, but the inland is of course, rather dry, and there have been droughts. The community we talked most about today is Alice Springs, which seems to have reasonable weather, and a dry climate. Phew.

Rental housing prices are high, much like in the north, but with a high paycheck, no car payment and nearly no student loans, I can make it work easily. Many folks share accommodation, something I am not opposed to. They offer 3 months free accommodation while you search for your own place, so that's cool. They also offer a rental car for a month so you can check out the area.

There is quite a process involved in working abroad, paperwork that takes a few months to process, gather, etc. They are calling me again on Monday to go over what we discussed and see if I have any questions. I have to work on my CV, something I haven't done before, but will be a great opportunity to do my first one. They will also help me with that, and showcase my skills in the best way. I think I'm going to go through the process anyway, and in the meantime do as much research as I can about the job, area, and how it all works before signing on anyone's dotted line. At least they offer you the job quickly if they are interested, often at the interview, or the following day. That will be a relief and then I can make plans accordingly. I won't have much to ship...

My 15 Minutes of...

2010-11-18T22:22:00.000-08:00

the three ring circus that awaited me at home. I spent 3 nights in Vancouver with my sister and brother-in-law, and just got back near lunchtime. Lots of traffic on both sides, but nothing unexpected, just loud as we all roared into Victoria as a pod of ferry passengers, often surrounded by trucks on all sides. I almost felt like I was on the 401 again...egads. So I was glad when I finally hit Fernwood and my little dead-end street...ahhh, home, peace, quiet and my own bed! I pulled into the parking lot, and loaded up the first load to carrying into my first floor apartment. And then I heard a text message come in. I don't get many but my sister and daughter both text me, and my sister was driving on terrible roads today so I knew it was probably her, but I had my arms full and couldn't answer it in my purse at the time. I figured I'd grab it once I took the first load in.

I should have known...I think she heard me drive up, so pulled a Mabel - she timed her exit from her apartment for when I arrived at mine so as to entice a chat. Mabel hung out the same dishcloth 20 times a day as you were coming up the road so she could have a quick chat with you as you walked up the road, talking all the way. Mabel was completely harmless, and a dear kind soul, where as this one next door to me seems to have an evil gossipy spirit; one I am trying to tune out and off. Is it the end of January yet? So anyway, that was the first hit. I was ushered over close by to hear the latest gossip. Something about this one made reports to the office about that one, and she said this, and her cat that, and blah blah blah more stuff I honestly tried not to listen to as my head was spinning from all the roar of the traffic and I just wanted to put my damn armload down and get into my house where Stormy was clawing up the door for me to come in already.

I finally begged off and threw my stuff in, then went back out to grab the mail down past her apt. She was up smoking, and I got hauled in again...RUN! Then another text message came in. I still couldn't answer it. I was loaded up with the second lot from the van, trying to get the feck inside before I cornered again. I managed to get in with the last of it, Stormy wrapped around my legs, tripping me at each and every opportunity, the stench of an unchanged litterbox permeating my tiny apartment. I saw my voicemail was blinking and wasn't expecting any calls so thought best to check it right away. After wrestling with a hateful automated system, two telemarketing messages, and one from my doctor, I was just returning the doctor's call, and set the next appointment, when another text message chirped in. Okay, three of them, it might be serious. I should check it. Then the phone rang before I could. Stormy is still wrapping himself around me and meowing his usual complaints. The stench of cat litter is nearly ready to put me out, as I had all the windows closed while I was away (ground floor apt). It was another telemarketer. Choice words....click. I finally got to check my text messages, three from my sister and one from a friend I didn't hear come in. There was rotten weather but they were fine. Okay. Good. Then the phone rang, student loan people asking dumb questions. Piss off.

So I thought I would check the mail, and found only one piece I had to do anything with and a lot of junk. I called to confirm an appointment and I'll be damned if the texts didn't continue. All I wanted to do was scoop the damn poop and open the windows and pick up the cat before I punted him out of the way. Breathe in, breathe out. Okay...the craziness finally settled. This all happened within about 15 minutes. I hadn't even taken my shoes or sweater off at this point.

I managed to get something made for lunch and just finished that when the phone rang again. This time a recruitment agency wanting to interview me for positions in Australia. We were on the phone for well over an hour I reckon. That is a whole other story...

Mount Douglas Park

2010-11-11T16:11:00.000-08:00

Had enough of the weather induced couch coma so decided to check out Mount Douglas Park. It was just spitting rain, so decided to risk it. I'm not made of sugar after all, no matter what you may think, heh heh. I parked and checked out the view from the dryness of Karma, then opted to hike to the summit. It isn't far, but it is nearly straight up and a bit of a workout for an asthmatic with a chest cold, but I did it, one step at a time. I always keep a puffer in my camera bag anyhow, given I like to photograph on my hikes. By the time I got to the top, it was no longer spitting, it was raining. Good thing my trusty camera bag came with a rain shield, which I had put on before I left the van. The view was quite good, however a lot of fog and mist clouded the mountain views in the distance. I shall have to return on a blue sky day to check out the panoramic view from the top. The park was quite busy too, with all of the parking lots near full. Karma stood out so I took her photo. She looks great in the mountain settings.

Trapped in the WalMart Timewarp

2010-11-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

I know, Walmart sucks this and that, but I like cheap prices on my groceries, and other necessities. There aren't many other department stores around anymore with the disappearance of K-mart and Woolworth's. Sears and the Bay are for the elite bank accounts. So we have Walmart and the Dollar stores. There's only one Superstore in this neck of the woods, in the next town 14kms away. Every town has them in Canada now. We have a giant brand new one. I don't like it much, but it sure doesn't keep me from going. The one ridiculous flaw they made in the design of the new building as it became part of a shopping complex was that while they have a really nice underground parking garage, which is great to pack your bags into your vehicle without the pissing rain beating down on you. I'm parked in my usual spot here, and when I came back to it another Westy was pulled up beside me...aww...Karma made a friend. Only you have to go outside to get into the store. So you still end up out in the pissing rain, both coming and going. They have handy escalators from the parking garage up to the store level, and friendly staff to greet you, but you still have to go outside before you can get into the actual store. Dumb.

Again, it doesn't keep me from going all the time. I head out there usually to pick up a few staple groceries. They sell milk for $3.97/gallon. They don't have the selection all the time of a regular grocery store, but it sure is handy to do it all in one store now, if I need something that a grocery store doesn't sell. I was able to buy fresh croissants, knee socks, thumbtacks and oil for the van all at the same store...

The problem arises when you get lost in the Wal-mart time warp. I go in with the intention of picking up one or two things, and come out with 19 other things, and nearly $100 spent. What the hell? I'm shopping like I have a job...things may be cheap at Wal-mart but cheap prices can also trap you as you rationalize why you should get something right now because it's cheap, and not because you NEED it.

I need to find other less expensive rainy day outings...

Hey Sparky

2010-10-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

Today the sun finally came out for a bit, so I took advantage of the weather and went back at the battery. I swiveled the seat around and pushed it as far back as it would go and this finally allowed me to take the old battery out. You would think they would add that little instruction to the user guide. I disconnected from the terminals and pulled the old one out. The new one fit in perfectly, so I attached the leads and put everything back in place. I got a bit of spark when I was using the wrench on the positive terminal...I think the wrench may have touched both the lead and the side of the battery cabinet at the same time, both metal. I jumped in the driver's seat and Karma roared into life. Yayy! Now I just have to dispose of the old battery, so might take a run to Crappy Tire and drop it there after supper. They take them for free to recycle. I hope this has solved all of those ignition issues I've been having, as I've had to jumpstart a dozen or so times this year, often at the most inopportune times, and following no real pattern. Go Karma!

Karma: The tale of two blinking lights

2010-10-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

Karma was finally able to get in to see our mechanic yesterday and resolved all of her issues. (we hope) As you may recall, the oil light came on when I was headed to see Jack Johnson, and I couldn't figure out why, as the oil level was fine. Well, turns out the wire was simply off the post, and so it came on and off each time it made contact with the post. So THAT was easy. The light for the engine temperature was also coming on and off at random times that also made no sense, but this time there was a problem, but just a wee one. Turns out there were several cracks in the coolant level sensor, and fluid was leaking around it, shorting it out. That would explain why that light didn't make any sense too! Phew! So another easy fix. He found that one when he was looking for my steering issue - it began making some noise again. There is a small leak up front in the steering mechanism somewhere (I can't remember now) and so the fluid level was low again. I just have to keep an eye on the fluid level and it will be fine as the repair is over $400, which I don't really have in the budget right now.

The problem with the ignition was also an easy fix - the battery is shot. He ran some tests and it isn't even charging up to 12 volts anymore. So I picked up a new battery for Karma. It was time...the old one was from 2001. Wayyyy overdue. Even though it was stored inside during the winter, it is still old. I've had to jump start it quite a few times these past several weeks, twice yesterday - once to leave home for the mechanics, and again when I was pulling into the bay of his garage. I haven't been able to install it yet though as I can't seem to get the front passenger seat moved far enough out of the way to get the old one out. I have already taken the battery out before, so I knew how to do it at one point, but I got frustrated yesterday trying to figure it out in the middle of the Canadian Tire parking lot in the pissing rain. I threw the battery in the back and drove home, thankfully the van started this time.

There was also that very annoying problem with my electronics. Part of it was tied to the battery as the stereo deck would sometimes only seem to get enough power to play the tuner, but not spin cds. The problem with the satellite radio and gps power was just as expected, related to the shitty installation by Future Shop "professionals". Black tape was just not working. It appeared that the connection of the double female socket's male connector was not making proper contact with the female power connection socket...gee, what a surprise...heh heh...so Peter fixed it by bending out the connector post thingys for a tighter connection, and to keep it in there tight, instead of taping it, he used a series of tie-wraps, those plastic locking thingys. And it did the trick! We shoved the whole contraption back down in through the dashboard ashtray and it appears so far to be working. Now if I can just keep that damned gps dock from losing suction and falling off my dash 30 times a day...any suggestions?

I also had a look at the oil leak in the engine block. Someone at some point had tried to fix the leak with silicone, but had long since dried out and was flaking off. He figures I might have scraped a lot off when I went in the ditch in August. There was also a deep scrape on the block, about an inch or two long, appeared to be fresh (this year). So also likely when I slammed the van into the ditch, it probably hit a rock. It isn't an issue though, just noted. I had the oil changed, and he recommended that I put a half litre of that stop leak stuff in, so I picked that also up at Canadian Tire.

He also replaced a section of vacuum hose that was frayed and worn. I'm grateful for mechanics that notice these things when they're in there tinkering around for something else. Keeps me from future problems that might leave me on the side of the road. Thanks Peter Roberts! He's awesome and so knowledgeable about VW's and has several of his own, including a Westfalia. His shop charge is also half of what they charge in town. I would rather put my money into small business anyhow, and drive the few extra kms out to Metchosin to see Peter. Those guys usually seem to have a real passion for the VW's which for me is very important. They genuinely want to see you safely on the road with your VW for as long as you can keep it running. I shall be doing that. The next road trip is in December to Tacoma, WA. with a shorter road trip to Sooke Potholes tomorrow.

A trip downtown

2010-10-20T00:12:00.000-07:00

- overheard some gal on her cell phone as I walked by "he pled guilty this time"...
- took a photo of an Asian couple in front of the legislature building, standing at the back of the war memorial. He took one of her alone first, after much prep. It was rather cute. There were many foreigners with cameras, speaking all languages.
- A couple of groups of elementary students went in and out of the legislature building, likely on a tour.
- I sat at the war memorial, trying to sketch the leg building and deemed it far too detailed to do in one drawing (for me). If it's nice out tomorrow, I may go back and get up much closer, and choose a portion to draw. I think I'll also bring a blanket...the grass is very dewy these days.
- the ivy on the Empress is full of autumn's color
- the grass is growing fast still, and landscapers were cutting grass all over the city
- the vendors at the harbour front have thinned out, particularly along the "Welcome to Victoria" bank.
- there are far too many interesting stores between my apartment and the harbour...I did, however, manage to pick up some Christmas gifts, and a few things for myself as well.
- it was so warm in the sun, I took off my sweater and sat in my shirtsleeves...ahhh...

On the Road Again in December

2010-10-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

The next adventure is booked. I'm headed to Tacoma, Washington to see Roger Waters: The Wall Live with 6 friends, possibly more. We're going in the Karma van and my friend J.'s VW bug, old style. We will grab the ferry across from Victoria to Port Angeles, and head to the hotel from there. We catch a free shuttle from the hotel to the casino (which is closer to Tacoma Dome), and we'll probably have a few drinks there before heading to the show by taxi. It's going to be epic for sure. I've listened to Pink Floyd for decades, since before my daughter was born. I wanted one of the songs to be the theme song of our graduation but I had difficulty garnering support (We don't need no education). My other suggestion was the song "1984" by David Bowie, as we were graduating in 1984 as the first grade 12s in Newfoundland...again fell on deaf ears. I wanted to throw up at the sound of what they did settle on - Diana Ross's "Do you know where you're going to?" (no.) I boycotted my prom because of it and went camping with some friends and drank my face off. To hell with them...

In any event, I am thrilled to be able to see Roger Waters in person, even more so to be going with an awesome group of friends. Most of us have traveled together earlier this year to shows, so have it down to a science, for the most part. I haven't been to many indoor concerts so this will be interesting. I rather like listening to music outside, as I find it almost too loud inside, as the sound echoes off the walls. I hear it's a great venue, so will see for ourselves.

Under October Skies

2010-10-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

Autumn has graciously arrived in Victoria. The leaves are changing color, with many already fallen into generous piles. Some trees won't lose their leaves. The days are warm and usually a period of sun comes to every day. It rains at night, and never very hard, not so far. I did purchase some stylish rubber boots just in case. November is just around the corner and I'm told it comes in with a wind and rain storm. Fine. Bring it on, I can take it. They have snow in the north now, shovels are out, and down jackets find their way out from the back of the closet. I am so glad I am not there. I'm over winter. I`ve had enough snowy, stormy, messy winters. If it snows here, I`m leaving.

Halloween is just a few weeks away. I don`t know if the building receives many trick-or-treaters, so shall have to find out before I buy any candy. I bought a ton last year, and saw nobody, so was forced to eat it all myself. There`s to be a Halloween party somewhere, and I`ve been thinking on costumes. I don`t know what I want to be, but I want to wear a big flowing cape My friend S. suggested I find a fish costume and wear my cape over that as a Cape Cod...hmmmm

The air is more crisp in the mornings, just 6C when I took the day`s catch from the kitty litter to the trash about 8am. It`s to warm up this afternoon, so I`ll likely head out somewhere for a stroll. This morning I finally put on a pair of socks. It was just too chilly on the toes. I keep my window open and my heat off. I`ve found this to be the only way to ensure the apartment doesn`t become like a sauna. My neighbors have their heat cranked up all around me...ugh. I`d rather put socks on than be hot and sweaty all day in my own apartment. Snuggling into a warm sweater or curling up under a handmade quilt is quite cozy.

I`ve been busy checking out the orphanage`s information where I hope to volunteer. I plan to head there in March after a few weeks of camping and touring in California. I have to send in some paperwork before then. Stormy will be heading north at again to spend some time with my daughter and her 3 kitties. They love having him, and he settles in easily there. It will be too hot to take him south in the van, and they don`t allow pets at the orphanage. Just as well. I should think kitty litter at a temp of 105F would be rather noxious.

In the meantime, I`ve been writing. I write nearly every day, and have 3 chapters in draft form. I`ve got a notebook of notes, and another of people I hope to interview and have been working on the questions I have for each. When I`m not writing, I try to keep my hands busy, so have brought the yarn and needles out again. I`ve knit about 20 pairs so far, and enjoy seeing the finished products. I usually knit mittens for all my friends for Christmas, so need several pairs for that. I`ll gift some of the others and donate the rest of them to a local charity. I can knit without really looking at it, so I watch the telly while knitting.

I`m driving Karma less and less these days, choosing to walk when I can. It`s so very pleasant to walk in Victoria, and I plan to take full advantage of it. Stormy has been out for a few walks on his leash. Well, it`s more like a stand-in. There is not much walking a whole lot of standing around while he sniffs things all over, and when he flops to the ground and rolls around in the dirt. Typical boy.

I can see the night sky from my bedroom window. I usually spend some time there watching the stars, sometimes the moon, before crawling into bed. This past weekend there was a brawl in the park across the street, in front of the high school. The police were called but by the time they showed their sluggish face, the kids were nearly all gone, just a handful left. It seemed to be a bit of a turf war between rival high schools.

So here I sit, under October skies, enjoying life.

My Love Affair With Castles

2010-10-07T15:16:00.001-07:00

There is a castle just down the street from me, about a 10 minute walk. I can see my apartment building from the turret. It isn't an ancient castle, but holds enough charm to warrant a visit. I toured the inside sometime in August, and found the design to be a bit odd. The ballroom, which was huge, is on the third floor, above the children's bedrooms. There aren't much to the grounds at this particular castle, as they society that maintains it barely managing the maintenance and restoration of the structure. The better grounds are just down the street at Government House, which I posted photos of previously. What is unique about this castle is it contains the largest collection of residential stained glass in Canada. I only posted photos of a fraction of the glass. It was very gorgeous.

When I was a child, we had an old lamp carved into a castle, and when lit, the tiny windows of the castle all lit up. It had stairways going here and there, and doorways that lit up as well. The castle was my favorite piece of furniture we owned, and while it generally traveled well over the years, it eventually was smashed to smithereens by the movers, much to my dismay. I've looked for another the same for years online, with no luck.

I've collected and been given various castles over the years, ceramic, carved, sandstone, you name it. I have none of them left, as I lost all of my castles in the fire. None of them came close to what I loved about that castle lamp.

I've been fortunate to tour a number of castles so far in my lifetime. Some were very ancient, hundreds of years old, while others were just a couple of hundred years old or newer. My favorite so far has been Kilkenny Castle in Kilkenny, Ireland. I liked the grounds at Blarney Castle near Cork, and the castle was quite grand, although the main floors had all collapsed, the spiral staircase remained, and the upper walk was intact, next to the Blarney stone. I'm sure they were cold and drafty in their time, but there is still something very mystical about a true castle, and I'd love to get the chance to rent one some day and explore it's many corners, niches and passageways. They do offer castle rental in certain places, so perhaps some day...

Hood Happenings

2010-09-27T13:22:00.004-07:00

Now that I've settled into the ~~lazy~~ writer's life in Victoria, I've been slowly exploring my newly adopted city, albeit temporary. The slower pace was just what I needed. When I think about things, I've been on a whirlwind for years. Man, I'm tired. So now I sleep in, which I have not done since my teenage years, sometimes until 11am! I don't always want to sleep in and miss my favorite time of day, the morning, but with no real constraints on my day, I find myself up very late some nights, so need to sleep in a little from time to time just to keep balance.

I take my time throughout the day, go for walks, usually destination oriented but not always. Victoria is a gorgeous city to walk in with beautiful tree-lined sidewalks that carry you anywhere. The city is alive, full of color and a walk anywhere is usually interesting. Why just the other day when I took a short walk to the 7-11 for a cappuccino, I was passing a small apartment building I heard a couple arguing, and then just as I passed the window on the sidewalk, I heard him yell "I ain't going back to jail!!!" Nice. Let's move on, quickly.

The high school across the street is busy but I haven't noticed any extra noise, not particularly. With such a large high school, it might have been noisy, but I find the elementary schools much noisier as those children are "playing" where the high school kids are "hanging out" and often in the smoke hole, which incidentally appears to be at the end of my driveway. It's a long driveway so I smell no smoke, however I often come and go in the van and have to drive through them, waiting for them to move. They do, they love the van. I get a lot of waves and peace signs. I just really want to see inside the school, so am considering going over to see if I can volunteer for a few months on something. Maybe...

Stormy has been out for a few walks, not far. The park across the street by the high school is very popular with dogs due to the fenced portions, with lots of large dogs coming and going. They might decide to chase him and then I'd be stuck with this 17 pound cat in my arms running for cover...so we hang out. Stormy isn't much for walking like a dog. It's really just a lot of standing around, while he sniffs at things or rolls in the dirt. We walked by another cat once, he just kept on going like he had blinders on, keeping one eye over his shoulder to watch her. I thought he might be interested in checking her out. Nope. The full moon certainly has him psyched up as he tears through the apartment, up and down off the furniture, and then diving into a paper bag. Crazy cat.

The bathrobe club runs strong. The ladies huddle in the parking lot for their smokes on and off all day long, dressed in pyjamas and bathrobes. Kind of reminds me of Hawkeye on MASH who often wore his bathrobe around the unit.

Parking Wars, Fernwood Style

2010-09-16T11:56:00.004-07:00

Many of you have either seen or heard of the show Parking Wars on cable...well, nearly had one here this morning. It didn't involve the city parking folks, just our apartment building. I came back from errands this morning to a huge blue commercial truck in my parking space. We have no visitor spaces, so it left me with nowhere to park but someone else's parking space, or leave my van in the middle of the lot and go looking for the driver to ask him to park on the street. I first knocked on R.'s door, the nosey old man from upstairs who gave me the night stand and lamp. He is the self-appointed unrecognized and unpaid caretaker of the complex...he is also very crochety...when I was tumbling the ghetto sofa down over the bank to the street curb, he roared out the window at me. Well, today was much worse. He knew who owned the truck, and said to knock on the apartment next door - A. the older lady who brought me the butt ugly blouse a few weeks back. I knew A. drove a convertible so it had to be a visitor of hers, so I knocked on her door. I explained to her that I wanted to park in my space and who owned the blue truck in my space. She didn't say who it was, just that he had often parked there because the space wasn't being used. Um, I USE IT. It is my parking space, which you know, and I have been here a month now, parked in that space day and night, right across from your space. So once we clarified that, we were wrapping up and before I knew it R. came BUSTING out of his door, YELLING and SCREAMING at A. for the parking issue. It was like an explosion out of nowhere...clearly these two have some history...he wasn't yelling at me, but I was still afraid, given his calm demeanor just two minutes before when I knocked on his door. I was so blown away he got out a few sentences before I told him gently that I did not need his help, I could handle this, and please go back into your apartment. Which he did, immediately - surprise surprise. A. said he has always been like that, but didn't elaborate. There is likely a story there, but I don't want to get involved in it at all. Such unnecessary drama...

So I went down to my van, started 'er up and then waited for blue truck driver to move his truck, which he did quite quickly, and then pulled into my space. On my way back, I saw A. reporting the scene to J., the Brit next door, while J. was pacing the parking lot next door with a smoke in her bathrobe....parking wars, Fernwood style.

Victorian Life

2010-09-12T22:51:00.004-07:00

A rainy Sunday night in Victoria finds me curled up in my tie-dye quilt from the van, watching old movies on cable pvr, Stormy at my side. I ventured out earlier today in the rain, gathering groceries with the intent to finally make a recipe from the cards my Aunt J.sent me. Choco squares. It isn't until I tried to make something that I realized how much I still don't have in the apartment. I had considered just not baking, not wanting to invest in baking materials, but there are several months before I hit the road again and I enjoy making my own sweets and sharing it with others. Friends gave me a sandwich & soup cook-book, and one from someone's school, but I miss my favorites. Many were contained in a cookbook the women's group and I had published many years ago. It had been in reprint for years, but once the store closed, they were no longer available. I carried two copies for years, but then the fire this past New Year's Eve took care of that. The cupboard the cookbooks were in was reduced to some charcoal bits on the floor, among the broken and scorched dishes.

I enjoyed the choco squares. I hadn't made them for years, I can't even recall just when. I used to always have a freezer full of sweet treats at one time in my life. Not now, when it's just me. Stormy doesn't eat cookies, heh heh. With each new purchase I worry that I'll have more to unload when I move back into the van again next April. I look around the apartment and suddenly feel crowded by my belongings, and feeling the need to purge.

So I'm not heading to California this fall, leaving that travel for the spring on my way to Mexico to volunteer for awhile. I am, however, heading back to the Gorge for a third show this year - Jack Johnson. I have tickets to see him in Chula Vista as well, but I'm less willing to stray that far from home right now. I love the Gorge as a venue, it's just gorgeous. And camping is a breeze with the camper. I'm hoping someone else will be interested in jumping in with me for this show. A. is considering it, as it's just one night away, possibly two.

The writing is coming along. It hasn't been easy. It's been difficult to sift through old memories about the community now that it's closed and life there will never be the same. Most of my memories are good and there are many, but the community is closed forever. People will visit from time to time, and stay seasonally to fish in the local area, but it is moving through an evolution back to the way it was when my ancestors first worked the area. Before long, no one will live there, which is why I feel pressed to compile the book that I am, before the memories of a once alive community fade, and those with history pass on. It has become a bittersweet process, the writing lumbering along as the pace did in another lifetime, my years in Grand Bruit.

I'm still struggling with a routine, trying hard to establish one, but each day brings its own challenges and distractions. The rain has started for the season, with rain every couple of days for a couple of days. I don't mind it, but will need to invest in some rain gear, like boots and a jacket. I don't own a single coat. I have a few zip up hoodies, but that's it. I don't expect to find really cold weather here, but there will be rain. Lots of rain. I love the smell of rain, particularly near the ocean. With the proper gear, I can continue to explore this beautiful city in all weathers, stopping by one of the many coffee shops for a hot one.

I walked the grounds at Government House this past week, gorgeous and hardly anyone there. Beautiful flowers. My next stroll is hopefully taking me to the grounds of the University of Victoria. I hear the campus is pretty...will be bringing my camera of course. Victorian life is good.

Stormy's Ready for Las Vegas!

2010-09-07T12:33:00.004-07:00

Stormy had his vet appointment today at the Heritage Cat Clinic. He had his shots updated and a full exam. He was found to be in good health, other than his little anxiety problem. Stormy has been a chronic over licker, gnawing at his legs and belly mostly. It's been growing back in but then it itches him so he licks it. I put cream on him but then he licks that off, vicious cycle. The vet told me about Feliway, a synthetic pheromone developed to mimic the facial pheromone that cats exhibit when they're happy. It's worth a shot since nothing else I've tried. You just spray it in their environment where they hang out the most. She was out, and wanted a small fortune for the spray so I looked online and found some for half the price. He did well at the vet, got two needles, and a good exam. He weighs 16 lbs 10 oz...like a small toddler. He seemed very comfortable in the kitty exam room.

Stormy has his certificate of good health for the border and the Animal Inn he's staying in while we're in Las Vegas later this month. He can't stay in the Excalibur with me so I'm boarding him there instead. He will have his own condo, two 'rooms' and access to the playroom. The rest of the time he'll be with me in the van. I have a hotel booked in Hollywood but it's pet-friendly.

Stormy is going to be so very well traveled...

Dylan Road Trip

2010-09-06T08:17:00.005-07:00

We had talked about the Bob Dylan show all summer, eagerly anticipating our journey to Seattle. It wasn't that we didn't already attend some shows all summer, but this was the big one. This was a legend that was in all of our top favorites that neither of us had been to see before. It was also the first show my friend and former host G. had been able to attend with us in the Karma van. I had spirited his wife away a couple of times to see Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and Ringo Starr. We were all thrilled to have G. along and he had a fabulous time, as did we all.

The journey began when we all piled into the Karma van at 5 in the morning following our pre-trip `meeting`. Game plan set, off we roared like a house on fire, well, not quite but we putted through the quiet streets of Victoria in the ripening dawn, heading for the ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles. We dropped the men off at the terminal to walk-on, given Karma only has 4 seat-belts and we didn`t want any snags or fines. We met up on the ferry and we dragged our still sleepy and slugging bodies to the lounge, overcome by occasional cat naps as we sailed across the strait to Washington. The men hopped in the van again with us and we wove through Port Angeles to our usual stop - Safeway for cheap gas and liquor, as well as some food for the weekend. We are always in awe of how cheap beer is - I bought an 18-pack of Coors Light for $13.49...

After putting the beers on ice, we hit the road again and headed for Renton, where Jimi Hendrix is buried, and his family erected a beautiful monument in his memory. This is where we met `Jolly Roger`who was a local who liked to hang out at the memorial. Interesting choice, considering it`s in the middle of a graveyard. The carving is gorgeous, and there are many lovely pieces. Many of them have lipstick kisses where adoring fans have left their mark. We left a note on some leftover art paper, not wanting to deface the monument. We also toasted Jimi with a drink, and as I read the lyrics inscribed, I could almost hear the guitar chords. Thanks Jimi, for the beautiful music you made in the years you walked the earth with us.

We headed into the city of Seattle next and found our hostel after a bit of searching. They don`t have a sign on the building, so we had to look for the address behind the overhung trees. I managed to find parking just around the corner where we could pay up until 6pm and leave the van overnight for free after that. We were short one hostel bed, so I offered to sleep in the van, which was fine with me as I know I can sleep in that bed. The streets were busy that night, but I was able to catch a few winks for sure before the mariachi band started up at the Mexican restaurant across the street, and the gas powered leaf blower buzzed around the dog park next to the restaurant at the bright hour of 8am on a Sunday morning. Then the crackheads started to surface, scuffling by barefoot and filthy, bumming for money, and twitching out of their skin and we hit the road after that.

The show was awesome. We were within a short walk to the festival and after tossing back a few beers at the hostel, we headed out and joined the masses that moved about the busy park. The space needle is right in the middle of the park, and loomed prominently over the festival, showing up in many photos. We hung out in the beer garden before the show began, which oddly enough was not within the main stage area. No drinking in there...WTF...the beer garden was interesting and the corner we chose to squat in for an hour or so came with a drunk passed out on the other side of the fence. Oddly enough I snapped a photo of him directly after snapping one earlier of the `no pass outs`sign in the main stage area. The police were eventually called and the police wagon came with one sorry looking cop who managed to get him roused, but let him stumble all over the place unassisted so the dude fell down a few times on the concrete, and at one point, stumbled over an 18 inch drop from the raised lawn to the sidewalk. Some time later, a white van showed up and two guys jumped out, gloved up and assisted the dude into the van. It wasn`t an ambulance, but appeared to be some kind of social agency. The guy looked pretty clean cut so likely spent too much time in the beer garden that day.

We headed into the masses about an hour before Bob hit the stage and caught some of Neko Case`s opening show. And then Bob was on…and it was magic. He was a little gravely at first but then slipped into his groove. It was a very bluesy show, and Bob changed it up a fair bit, enough that unless you could hear and understand the lyrics (which is not always easy with Bob) it took a bit to recognize the song. I’m sure he has to get tired of playing them the same way after all these years. The crowd was lively, and I saw some ignorant parents with small children in the mosh pit, far too close to the speakers that could so very easily puncture their tiny eardrums…I’m all for sharing Bob with the kiddies, but 20 feet from the stage in a crowded mosh area with drunk and stoned fans is not where I would carry my 7 month old baby…there was a guy right in front of me with his little one in the backpack carrier. She was asleep for a bit of Neko but once Bob Dylan came on, she was screaming. They eventually left the area, wisely. Dumb parents. There was tons of space farther back, and lots of empty seats in the bleachers, so I’m sure they were serving themselves and not the wee one by pushing their way to the front like they did.

We all had a magical time, and rode the show glow back to the Karma van where we had a few more drinks before turning into bed for the night. We had to rise early in order to make the ferry crossing in good time. I decided to head north on the I-5 to the Canadian border and grab the Tsawassen ferry instead of Port Angeles as on Sundays they only have a few crossings, and if we didn’t make the 12:45pm ferry, the next one was at 5:15pm. We had no hassle at the border, dropping the men at the park before the border again, and made it to the 1:00pm ferry with just minutes to spare. The men had a close call with three officers who walked over to them as they were squat on the grass for a brew while we inched toward the gates. They managed to hide their brews, and come up with a plausible explanation as to why they were walking across an obviously primarily vehicular crossing…that they were with friends who didn’t allow smoking in the van so thought they would walk across the border, giving them time to have a few smokes…it worked, we picked them up at the visitor’s plaza and we were off like a Jewish foreskin, bound for home.

Next concert – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers at the Hollywood Bowl on October 1^st.

Saggitarius or Spy?

2010-08-30T16:16:00.003-07:00

This was an interesting read today for my horoscope...I don't know if it is coincidence or someone is stalking me and giving out personalized horoscopes...haha...whatever the case, it was one of those things that just makes you go hmmmmmm...

"You're likely aware of your writing abilities, Sagittarius, but you may not realize the extent of your talent. It would be worthwhile to devote more time to your craft. You can't improve much if writing time is interrupted by other obligations. Take some time to produce something of value. Why not give it a try, even if just for a week or so, to see what you can do?"

That's IT!

2010-08-28T18:05:00.007-07:00

Two weeks ago, everything I owned fit into my van. Now I have an apartment full of furniture. Granted, I haven't spent a lot of money, but it all came together rather easily and quickly. The next door neighbor moved out and left me her ugly floral sofa and loveseat, and a large television, old style. Great location...she even helped me move it into my living room. So I ditched the ghetto sofa, and left it on the curb for the Salvation Army. I picked up the coffee table a few nights ago for $15. Solid wood, and huge. I love it. I also picked up the dresser/tv stand a few days back too, free, curbside after a tip was phoned in, ha ha. I painted it deep pink, ran out of paint, will finish another day. Now THAT IS IT. I don't want any more furniture. It will start to look like my mother's if I try to squeeze anything else in here.

I am enjoying life outside the van. I no longer have to go to another building to use the bathroom. There is very little traffic on my street, and my bedroom is set way back from the street. One of the things I hated most about the RV parks was the huge pick-up trucks people rumbled through the parks with day and night, and had them idling while they tried painfully to park their beast. The bathroom is much appreciated. Most of the private park bathrooms, particularly in the states were hideously filthy and run down, if they worked at all. The state parks were in better condition, but their campgrounds also did not have power, which I needed, so I stayed mostly in RV parks. I'm finding it much warmer in the apartment though, to sleep. It always cooled off quite nicely in the van, but my apartment holds more heat I reckon. I have the bedroom window open all the time, but can't leave the living room window open - it's ground floor with no fixed screen, just a slider I put in to keep the bugs out.

Aside from the bathroom joys, I am also enjoying cooking in my own kitchen again. I could cook in my friend's kitchens along the way, but to be honest, there's nothing like your own kitchen, your own space, and cleaning things up at your own pace. My new kitchen is so small, I can usually reach everything from one spot, ha ha.

I really enjoy being able to jump in the van and take off at a moment's notice, without having to dread packing up the camper and then later unpacking again when I parked for the night. I do try to walk somewhere every day, but when errands come up that are too far to walk, or involve carrying very heavy things such as furniture, I take Karma out. Sometimes I forget how much she stands out. People talk to me every single time I take Karma out. Today I was stopped in traffic when a couple of guys in a pick-up truck stopped next to me in the turn lane. One guy was half hanging out of the truck window, commenting on the van and informing me he was really drunk...it was 12:30pm. I still get lots of thumbs up, peace signs, honks, remarks, whistles, hoots, you name it. Karma soaks it all up...go Karma

The Writer's Life

2010-08-27T16:03:00.003-07:00

So I've been in my apartment for 2 weeks now. Have mostly settled in, just waiting for the neighbor to move out this weekend and leave me her sofa and loveseat. I've rescued some curbside furniture and painted it up. All of the painting is finally done in the apartment, though mr handyman has been here nearly every day since, working in other units, or on the building itself. It hasn't been too distracting, but I do see him pass in front of my window several times a day. Not as much however, as the Brit next door. She paces the walkway and the driveway on the other side of the privacy hedge, smoking and chatting on the phone. My window is usually closed, so I don't hear her, thankfully. I just happen to notice her.

I've been getting some writing down, some research started, a fair bit of reading. I am finding the days fly by though, I wish they'd slow down. I checked into taking a sign language course this winter at the University of Victoria, however I have to take the first course, offered this fall. I can't do that as I'll be on the road for a few weeks, missing several classes. So I'm looking at taking some writing workshops in late fall from somewhere else. They have November dates, so that works for me.

Stormy has settled right in and I had him out for his first walk today. I hadn't taken him out before as I didn't have his harness. I forgot to ask my daughter to pop that in the cage with him. I picked one up this morning and let him get used to it before we went for a short walk. He likes to sniff everything, so it ends up being a lot of standing, not much walking. Almost like visiting a museum with someone who likes to take their time...hard on my back and not real entertaining.

I haven't been feeling up to snuff all week, mostly due to my fibromyalgia...got an achy breaky body...GAWD how I hated that Billy Ray Cyrus song...so I've been doing a lot of restless resting...can't get comfortable, too tired to sit all the time, and too sore to do much walking. I did walk over to my former host house last night for a couple of drinks, and paid for that on the way home. Thankfully it was cooler, so at least I wasn't overheated and sore. Just sore. It's what I love so much about Victoria's weather - cool nights. Always. Thank-you Victoria.

And now, with my writing put away for now, I'm going to sack on the ghetto sofa with Stormy and watch Ellen. She makes me laugh.

Thanks But No Thanks

2010-08-20T18:08:00.004-07:00

Okay, I have had 4 visits from neighbors already today. 4 more than I was expecting or desired. First with the drill bits that weren't drill bits and now Anita has come pounding on my door with a blouse she thought I might like. I told her I stopped wearing clothes like that when I quit my government job. But thank-you just the same. She walked away, holding the so-not-my-taste blouse in front of her. I wear t-shirts and tank tops, not frilly-old-lady-office-manager-who-shops-at-Sears. Oh, and the Brit was back again. She's also shouted hello through the window where my desk looks out. I'm going to have to shut this down real quick or I'll be packing soon. I didn't realise that in being friendly with them in passing would quickly develop into "here are some clothes I thought you might like". Personally I think she was trying to get a look in at my apartment, as her neck near stretched off her shoulders while I was talking to her at the door.

I was looking for a quiet refuge to get some writing done. I may have to work at creating that. It might result in the purchase of some kind of window covering. I had wanted to be able to look out the window but that appears to come at a price. The view is so pleasant though, other than the neighbors...it's a beautiful tall green hedge with trees woven in and around it. Sigh...whine, whine, whine.

On a brighter note, I did get some writing done this morning, despite the interruptions and feel pretty good about that, and pleased with how easily it did flow when I got going. I was worried I would be facing some of the same block I had on the road. Nope - I'm off and running...to Walmart right now for something to cover the window...probably a sheet in a bright color that will keep nosy neighbors out but still let some light in.

Overly Helpful Neighbors

2010-08-20T13:53:00.002-07:00

Okay, so we know about being left the drill without the drill bits last night. I failed to mention the two older ladies who thought they had drill bits for me. Both went digging in their apartments only to come up with screwdriver tips, and no actual drill bits. They both showed up at the door proudly showing me their find...Ladies, I need a drill bit, something to DRILL WITH, not something to put screws in with. I have that already, it's called a SCREW DRIVER. I need to make tiny holes through the planks into the bed frame so I can then use drive screws into those holes without splitting the wood. Apparently I must have been the topic of conversation today. I only mentioned it to my next door neighbor last night when I bumped into her as I was stomping down to the recycling with my empty boxes, fuming about the lack of drill bits. This afternoon, as I was just falling off to sleep in a good catnap with Stormy, the second gal came pounding on the door. I only got up because I thought it was mr handyman looking for his drill. I was planning to pounce on him and ask him for the bits. Sigh...no sign of mr handyman today, even though he said he expected to be here all day today.

There was also an older male neighbor who threw his hat in...and came up empty. Thought he had drill bits too, but came back with nothing. He didn't own a drill, but thought he may have some bits...If I have to go buy a damn drill bit just to put my bed together, I am going to be unhappy. The real irony is that my father's extensive collection of tools contains probably dozens and dozens of drill bits, in both imperial and metric sizes, with many duplicates. Dammit. His tool collection is about 6500 kilometres from here. I slept on the bed last night and while it was fine, it also feels like it won't take much stress, as the centre support is not in place yet - it also needs to be drilled and screws to position.

Apartment News

2010-08-19T20:14:00.004-07:00

So, the painting is finally finished in my apartment. They still have to install a tub liner, but that won't be in for about 6 weeks or more. I picked up my bed frame today and attempted to put it together. 3 hours later and much swearing, I finally got the frame together and was ready for the support slats. I had asked mr handyman to leave his drill behind for me. I also showed him the screw so he could leave me the proper bit size. I should have checked to be sure. I was left with a drill and NO bits. Kind of like loaning someone your car but forgetting to put the tires on. Pointless.

Sigh...so the bed slats are laying on the frame, and I am hoping they won't slip. I don't have a box spring as the slats are the support, but if they shift, I may find myself on the floor...so no monkeys jumping on the bed I reckon. The bed is otherwise, lovely hardwood. Someone in the building gave me the little nightstand. It was battered and paint chipped when I got it, originally plain wood, then white paint, then black paint. I spray painted it 'plum preserve' aka purple. The pillows came from the van, the bedding was all less than $40 at Walmart, and the curtain is a sheet I bought at Value Village in Halifax for $3. The lamp came from the same guy as the table. The storage cubes also came out of the van. I reckon the bed will hold it's value should I want to sell it when I leave here. Otherwise, it's worth storing while I hit the road again in the spring. There isn't anything on the walls yet, not likely to be much as I don't own much artwork, just a few posters and small paintings, nothing with a frame. I reckon I'll just put some larger posters and cloth items on the wall to add some color. Funny how different the room looks with and without flash. The walls are apartment beige but look yellow without the flash.

The living room isn't quite set up yet. The next door neighbor is giving me her sofa and love seat next week, so I just need some kind of coffee table. www.usedvictoria.com is a great site to find stuff. I already bought a table for my desk last weekend off there. After that, there won't be much else I really need or want to have in here. It is the least cluttered living space I've been in, as I lost all that STUFF in the fire. I'm okay with not having as much STUFF to deal with. Empty closet space...empty cupboards...WHAT? Perfect.

Van Morrison's Moondance

2010-08-15T21:18:00.001-07:00

I nearly forgot to post about the Van Morrison concert a couple of weeks ago. It was the first time I went solo to a concert, but it didn't matter. When I first arrived at the Gorge, there weren't many campers, but more arriving all the time and while it looked like a pretty tame crowd at first, it wasn't long before things were rocking at the campground, as people got jazzed up for Van. I met some rather interesting young folks who were from the Tacoma area, and leaving to drive back after the show as one of the gals had classes in the morning - dedicated I say. They camped there the night before, as I had considered but wasn't sure if anyone would be there, so camped at Walmart instead...I should have gone with my instincts, which was to go to the campground anyhow. I just didn't want to find myself out in the middle of nowhere and no one else is around...

I also met a couple who were spending their anniversary at the concert, while relatives watched the wee ones. They were such a cute couple, and though I risked being a third wheel, I linked up with them to head over to the concert and the line-up was almost non-existent - they had wayyy more people checking bags this time, unlike Tom Petty where two souls had to check 35,000 people...in any event, we sailed through quickly and went about searching for the best seats. We bypassed the concert gear table, although I had thought I should go before the show rather than later...I waited and when the concert was over, all the tour shirts were sold out. Dammit...oh well, I have my memories. Van did not disappoint. He was not at all friendly and rarely chatted with the crowd and when he finished playing he simply walked off the stage and left. His music, however, was awesome and sure jazzed up the crowd. There were lots of folks older than me, but also quite a few young folks who likely discovered Van Morrison in their parent's music collection.

He sang all the oldies that we all enjoyed, including Moondance. My favorite is still, and always has been, Into the Mystic...I just love those lyrics...I went to sleep late that night, listening to Van's tunes as they wafted through the campground, everyone else charmed by his music as I was. It was a good concert, and I have only grainy BlackBerry photos that I have not yet uploaded. That's okay...I have my memories...thanks Van, ya old curmudgeon...you still have it.

Changing Gears

2010-08-11T12:24:00.002-07:00

I’m back in Canada. I’ve decided to try and extend my journey with a longer stop-over in Victoria in order to focus on writing something I could sell. I’ve been apartment hunting this week, for something small where I can hole up and do some serious writing. I have not been able to focus much on my writing while traveling, and I found I couldn’t keep both journeys going simultaneously. This doesn’t mean I won’t be continuing to travel, as I will be on the road again in a few weeks. Bob Dylan calls my name. My good friends here and I are heading to Seattle for Bumbershoot in early September. I’ll come back to Canada again for a while before heading south again in late September to meet up with my gal in Vegas for a few days. I also have two concerts in early October in California so will make a trip of it. I have a travel partner for that journey, as she has also decided to extend her stay in Victoria to build her own small pottery business. I’ll spend the winter here, and then likely head to Mexico to volunteer for a month or two, and traveling on from there through Central America for a while.

I will continue to post here, as the journey is ongoing, and I reckon I’ll have a few shorter road trips. Karma isn’t being retired, she is simply being given some time off. I am sending for Stormy as soon as I secure a place to live, hopefully later this week. I have missed him a great deal, and am looking forward to reconnecting with him. He had always been my sounding board, so now I don’t have to feel foolish for talking to myself, instead I’m talking to the cat. I believe I may have posted about conversations with Stormy some time ago on another blog. Stormy has evolved into a very vocal cat, and my daughter has been keeping the conversations going.

The weather in Victoria has been outright stunning. Only 2 days of rain since Canada Day, and such gorgeous temperatures at 22C-26C and sunny every single day, with very little humidity and a cool breeze most of the time. The evenings are perfect for sleeping, when the temps drop to about 13C or so. No more tossing and turning in a sweaty room. My asthma has been quite good during my time in Victoria as well as my fibromyalgia. I’ve been walking every single day, even if it is just to the supermarket a few blocks away, and often all the way downtown. There is much to be seen on these Victoria streets. The neighborhoods are eclectic and beautiful. The trees overhang the sidewalks much of the time, providing beautiful shade for pedestrians. I’m going to see a place this evening, described as “cozy” …we shall see. I am looking for the smallest place possible, and I am not looking to buy any new furniture. I reckon all I need are a bed, desk, sofa and television, second hand all the way. The apartment needs only to have a separate bathroom, a separate entrance, and windows for Stormy to look through, as that is his favourite activity. I want to be able to put my desk in front of a window, to sit and write. I will have to be disciplined if I am to succeed. I’ll need to structure my day in that each morning, for at least 4 hours, I’m at my desk, writing or doing research. I need steady internet access and phone access that isn’t going to break my wallet in order to work on much of my writing, and I found traveling was making that difficult, hindering the process.

So, I’m hoping that the creative juices will flow once I’m settled into a cozy apartment with my own bathroom, and not some filthy truck stop or state park…I’ve spent 18 weeks living in the van so far and while it has been remarkably comfortable, I am looking forward to having a night at home on a real sofa, watching Survivor with the rest of the world, curled up with Stormy. It will be wonderful not to have to move shit around to do nearly anything in the van. Cozy also meant cramped. Moving shit around has never been a desired activity of mine. Let the writing begin…

There's Something In The Fog

2010-08-06T23:08:00.003-07:00

It’s been pretty foggy since I arrived here in Ocean Shores. Damp, misty ole fog. I think it brings out the crazies…a couple of travelers pulled in yesterday in their ramshackle truck camper that they claim they bought for $200 (the camper, not the truck) and it shows. Theresa (aka Teres) and Charlie hail from Washington state, and are just on the last days of a 3 week tour of the western states. Charlie was dressed in swim shorts, t-shirt, black socks and sandals.(see kite flyer in photo) Balding head, very few teeth, and a VERY LOUD VOICE, no matter how many times I asked him to turn down the volume. Teres was dressed in her pink valentine jammies all day, with huge blue plastic star earrings. Wanting to spice up the otherwise dull day, I invited them over for a couple of beers. Then I made the mistake of telling them what I used to do for a living…child protection worker. Seems I’ll never learn, as revealing this information is nearly guaranteed to bring forth someone’s pissed off version of events they want my opinion on. This time it was both something Charlie had been reported for, and something he reported, neither of which were real child welfare issues, but he was damned determined he was going to secure an endorsement for his views, which unfortunately, I could not give him. He ended up getting so riled I had to ask him to either give the topic a rest or leave because I wasn’t going to discuss it further. The topics were downright stupid, and I was starting to get a little pissy with him, so he finally left and came back later to apologize. Whatever…my own fault for being honest about my occupation. Next time I’m just using my friend M’s suggestion…she tells people she is a painter. So I am going to just tell people I’m a writer, or a cook, or an underwater basket weaver…anything but a social worker. Teres tried to rein Charlie in, but he was TOO LOUD and didn’t hear her. Once he left the camper, the topic turned itself to her desire to be married to Charlie, and her unfulfilling sex life…oh my fuck. Rednecks are funny. By the time she left the camper, she was pretty drunk, had lain on my bed to take a photo of my John Lennon poster over my bed, had cried a few times, and had given me some interesting gifts. The first was what she called a “yankee candle” which was simply a big jar candle with a lid. It was also half-used. She had what she called a bead skirt on the candle, which her sister made. The other gift was 6 camouflage bandaids. Yes, bandaids. Like I said, rednecks are funny, and a good substitute for cable.

I seem to have gained the affections of the creepy guy who lives in a travel trailer behind the RV park office. I’d seen him around the park, running around in a golf cart. He’s 63 and also started giving me gifts…what is up with that? First he brought by a campfire ring (aka old washing machine drum) and a bundle of wood. He just chucked it down and said “here you go”. I hadn’t asked for one, and really wasn’t interested in a campfire, but whatever. The next gift he brought was a two-line kite, something someone had left here, and he had been unable to make sense of until I explained it needed two lines and joining the parts of the kites with rubber bands and extra pieces of string was not going to make it fly for him. He only had one line. I didn’t particularly want the kite, as it looked broken, but he didn’t leave a lot of choice, just left it with me. So I thought, sure, I’ll root out my kite line and give it a try at the beach later. Turns out I do not have the patience for a two-line kite and ended up leaving it broken, tangled and stuffed under a log at the beach after swearing at it for 20 minutes. I don’t know what my suitor will think, but I doubt he remembers it. He was quite a burnout that made little sense when he was talking to me. He did say he really liked me, and my mystery (mysteriousness?) – was I mysterious? How can I be mysterious in this very obvious hippy van? I’m not sure. Creepy guy also mentioned he went to Woodstock, in 1963…too bad it took place in 1969…

I swear, there is something in the fog.

I took a stroll through the town today, strolling on the very pedestrian unfriendly roads. At some places, it was impossible to continue down main street without walking right on the roadway, as they had left absolutely no space for people to walk. There was nothing real impressive to see, and I ended up stopping by the Pirate’s Cove Pub for lunch. Another disappointment. I ordered the chicken salad. I asked her what kind of salad it was and she said just plain lettuce salad. Um, okay. When it came, it had olives all over it, and a boiled egg sliced on the side along with a package of crackers. WTF? So I picked out that crap, and ate some of the salad, surrounded by pirate memorabilia.The waitress was particularly over-attentive and got on my fucking nerves. First she forgot my appetizer and then about 3 minutes after she brought my meal, she brought me the bill and asked if I wanted the rest of it wrapped up to go…WTF?

I’ve been craving a real cooked meal, but after stopping at several restaurants to review their menu, not much struck my fancy. So tonight, wanting to escape the park again, I took the free shuttle to the casino down the road to check out their buffet, and try my hand at the slots. I did well enough at the slots, though I don’t know why they call them slots anymore – there are no slots and no coins plinking down. They are simple VLT’s. But whatever, I lost my first $5 in a machine rather quickly, about 2 minutes, then I put $10 bill into the Hollywood slots and played for about an hour and a half. I came out with $19.60 that time, so took my winnings to try the buffet. I should have kept my cash…it was a very shitty buffet. The roast beef was still mooing, the turkey was crumbly, and the seafood looked like it was ready to crawl back into the ocean. Not that I would eat it, of course as I don’t eat seafood. The potatoes were cold enough that the butter didn’t melt on them, the rice was very dry and also cold, and the salad dressing was watered down. The roast beef was that damned chewy, I had to spit it all out on my plate. Gross. I spooned up some sautéed mushrooms, thinking they would go great with the beef, but they were ice cold. Maybe dessert would be better…the chocolate mousse was good, but the hot apple pie crust was that tough, I couldn’t cut it with my knife, so I gave up. Sigh…

I’ll be hauling out first thing in the morning, heading to the Gorge. The only thing I may miss about this area is the cooler weather as the Gorge has been blasted by hot sun this week and the venue is merciless with little shade…oh please let me be really drunk by then…

Traveling the Gold Coast Highway

2010-08-05T10:38:00.007-07:00

It’s been an interesting few days since my last post. I left the northwest coast of Washington and headed south along US 101, otherwise known as the Gold Coast Highway. My first stop was at the Hoh Rain Forest, which is just a few miles off the highway. I was expecting something more impressive, but it was really just a lot of mossy trees. It was interesting to see how more quickly the trees grow there than elsewhere, and the roots were pretty interesting, however there wasn’t much WOW factor. While I was hiking the trails and left Karma in the parking lot, a fellow Canuck wrote in the dust of my rear window “Cathedral Grove on Van Isle is much better – a fellow Canuck”. I’d have to agree! I fell in love with those giant trees. I did see some very large trees along the highway though, where they post simple signs like “Big Pine Tree” or “Really Big Tree” and when you drive in, that’s just what’s there, one really big tree. When I stopped at the huge cedar, a couple of rushed Americans remarked “well at least we didn’t have to walk a ½ mile to see another dead tree” and they hit the road without really making it up to the tree and took no photos. They passed up on a really cool tree. It had hollowed out quite a bit at the base, and I went right into the tree cave…kind of reminded me of a book I read years ago about a young boy who lived inside a tree one winter, called “My Side of the Mountain”. Look for the Tim Horton’s cup in several of the big tree photos…you can barely see it in some, but be sure to click on the photo to enlarge it and then look. And no, there have been no Tim Horton’s along the way in the US, I just found used one I had from Friday before I went south of the border. I may keep it for a while for perspective. Hint - it isn't in the photos of the mossy rain forest trees...

I camped at the Hoh Rain Forest, although it was rather hot and dry…apparently they get the most rain in the fall, winter and spring. From the Hoh, I traveled south along the 101, stopping at Ruby Beach to see the “stacks” which are much like the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick, very picturesque. I took one of the photos from inside a small cave I climbed into. From Ruby Beach I drove along the 101 to the Moclips highway and headed for the beach. I found a gorgeous beach at the bottom of a rather steep hill, and the cool thing about the beach was it was hard packed sand that everyone drove on. I was a little leery at first, but then realized the sand was very hard packed and it was unlikely I would get stuck in the sand. I parked Karma and set up for the afternoon. I read, I wrote, and I swam…well, I waded. The water was significantly warmer than the frigid waters off the west coast of Vancouver Island, however the surf was very rough with row after row of cresting waves crashing down simultaneously. So I went in as far as my waist, and let the waves wash over me. Very refreshing, and the sun came out for just a short period, pretty much while I was in the water, and then went into hiding once again.

After a lovely day at the beach, I packed up to head to a campground for the night, and headed up the hill. That’s when trouble started. It was a rather steep hill and not being able to thunder across the beach to gain momentum to get up the very steep hill, I had to drive in low gears. First was too low, and second was still a bit low as the engine revved at about 3500 rpms or more, so I chucked it into third…big mistake. Big friggin’ mistake. The van stopped dead and stalled out on me and I started to roll backwards down the hill. HIT THE BRAKES!! Uh-oh…the brakes are not nearly strong enough to stop the van going backwards downhill. Karma went flying down the hill backwards like a god damned freight train! HOLY SHIT!!! The van was pretty much out of control and careened down the hill towards the beach. Not wanting to take out whatever was behind me, I tried to veer off to the shoulder at least and before I knew it, Karma SLAMMED her ass into the grassy bank of the ditch next to the shoulder, stopping just a few inches from a large tree. As we hit the bank, everything on the dash went flying towards me and everything in the back shifted all over the place. What a mess. I shakily got out of the van, checked out the damage, which didn’t appear to be too bad, but could have been much worse. Then the realization hit me that Karma could very well have slammed into another car coming up the hill, or worse, some people walking up the road from the beach. That would have been utterly disastrous, and this journey would have come to a screeching halt. Thankfully none of those things happened and I collected myself and called AAA for a tow. I sat in the van to wait for the tow truck and it was unbelievable how many Americans drove by without stopping and worse, how many drove by, slowed down to rubberneck, and then kept on going without even asking if I needed help. Assholes. The first car to stop was an Asian couple who offered their help. After that, a few cars did stop and offer their help, including one gal who said there were some boys with some pretty big ass trucks on the beach who could probably pull me out. Thanks, but AAA was on its way.

Karma was towed out of the ditch pretty easily, and once we took the mud out of the exhaust pipe, and assessed the damage, it didn’t appear to be too much, just the plastic corner guard on the bumper was ripped off and another dent in the chrome bumper. Phew, no big deal. Only we couldn’t get the van started, and there appeared to be gas dripping out through the exhaust system. Okay, maybe you better tow me to the top of the hill and we’ll try to start it, but no go, engine was too flooded. I was towed to the nearest campground down the street, and he dropped me into my site. It was 7:30pm by this point and no auto shops were open. The tow-truck driver felt it might start in the morning once the gas that flooded the engine evaporated. It didn’t, and I called AAA again for a tow to a repair shop in Ocean Shores, about 22 miles away. Moclips is just a tiny little town with few services. The repair shop was busy so Karma and I had to wait our turn, parked in the back. I stretched out on the bed and read for hours until the mechanic came to fetch us. He couldn’t find any real significant issues, but went through the system methodically, checking for air supply, gas supply, spark, etc. He cleaned the plugs, and put a charger on the battery as we had tried to start it so many times, it was beginning to labour. And then it started. He didn’t see any damages under the van, so the only real damage was the bumper…big whoop. Phew, it could have been so much worse, and I was getting out of this mess with just an $87 bill. He noticed my alternator belt was quite worn, so I had him replace that as well, and then I drove off. I had had visions of a huge bill because I ripped out the transmission, careening downhill backwards in first gear (which I wasn’t even sure of as it all happened so fast). I also had begun planning what I would do if the van was a write-off, fearing the worst. Thankfully, we both came out relatively unscathed, but I have to admit, I was pretty shook up about the whole thing, mostly over what COULD have happened, not what did happen.

So here I sit in my van, writing this post, as the misty Washington fog lays a thick blanket over the town of Ocean Shores. I’m parked at a run-down RV park next to the beach. Checking in was interesting to say the least. The RV park office was in a steam bath of a mini-home(trailer), and the campground owners were an aging overweight drawling bald white guy, and a very aloof Mexican gal carrying an ugly dog in her arms. It took forever to check in, as he asked me the same questions over and over again, and at one point, answered the phone and was talking to both of us at the same time. The dude on the phone didn’t quite know what he wanted and bald white guy had him on speakerphone so we all heard his humming and hawing. Bald white guy apologized for being so scattered, stating that he and the missus had not had any sleep in the last 24 hours…I didn’t ask why…

The park is pretty run-down, with filthy bathrooms that appear to be falling apart. They claim to have internet access, but not at my site, which is not very far from the office. I’ll have to go back to the steam bath and post from there I reckon.

So next stop? I booked into this dump until Saturday when I leave for the Gorge again. Van Morrison plays on Sunday night, but my camping pass is for the whole weekend, so I thought I might go a night early and meet some folks who might be there for the Van show. The weather forecast for the Gorge this weekend is stinking hot at 30C and absolutely no shade at the campground. Good thing beer and ice are dirt cheap in the US…

The Next Chapter of the Journey

2010-08-01T20:35:00.005-07:00

August 1st brought a new chapter to this journey of mine. I’ve left the relative comfort of my homeland and am now south of the border in search of music and adventure. I left 4 months ago tomorrow, and I honestly don’t know where the time went. I had been planning this journey for years, and as the time to leave came near, time seemed to crawl…now it is flying by.

I left Victoria on Friday with my hostess, A. and we crossed the border into Washington state that night, and found a space to camp at Walmart. Yes, Walmart. It was safe (so we thought) and easy to find, had open bathrooms all night (24 hour Walmart) and best of all, it was FREE. Just as we were pulling in though, this crackhead idiot came racing over to our van, and said he was hoping there was a man in our van…that conversation could have gone soooo many ways…except he was drunk, disgusting and clearly a crackhead. He wanted help starting up his generator. He also was trying his best in his drunken cracked out state to charm us…it was never going to work. I finally had to tell him to LEAVE ME ALONE and I rolled up the window. Of course, the van chose NOW to not start again….I gave it a couple of tries as asshole was still nattering at my window, and finally had to take a breather, wait for asshole to return to his camper and try again. It started. Phew. We didn’t want to look for another camping place, so drove around the parking lot and parked elsewhere. As expected, the parking lot was full of campers, so we could park far enough away that the crackhead asshole could not see us…and so we popped the top and settled in for the night. We didn’t hear from him again. Phew.

The following day we headed for Chateau Ste Michelle Winery where Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band was going to play that night. We checked out the venue – quite small and intimate – perfect. There were also people lined up to get in, rather early in the morning, camped out in their chairs with their coolers. We left again in search of camping space, liquor and food. After coming up empty with respect to local campgrounds or RV parks, we finally found ourselves in a ball field parking lot, just down the road from the winery. Well, we thought, hmmm, let’s just camp here. We didn’t set up for the night as we didn’t want to be obviously camping in a parking lot, so we had our own little tailgate party for the afternoon, pounded back some liquor and then headed to the concert. Unlike the line-up to get into Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers where we waited for hours for 2 (yes TWO) single people to screen 35,000 people, the winery was smooth and swift. The Sheriffs checked our bags (not very well) and sent us on our way to have our ticket scanned and in less than 5 minutes of line and screening, we were in the concert. They should talk to the Gorge staff…in any event, the show was amazing as expected. The only alcohol available was wine, so we picked up a bottle and settled in. We were to the right of the stage, and had a clear view of everyone, particularly Ringo. I knew every song that was played, and sat down for very little. We left our patch of grass for most of the night to dance just off from the right side of the stage. Not many were dressed up, but there were some Beatles t-shirts and tie dye. And two members from a Canadian Beatles tribute band, wearing Sgt Pepper outfits – they looked awesome. There was also a strip tease from a very drunk fan that was soon cut short by the long arms of the Sheriff. A gal came up and recruited A. for a dancing tour of the audience, but I wanted to stay exactly where I was and was enjoying myself where I was. A. did get noticed, as she found herself in the reserved seating without a seat…Ringo said – “I see you lady!” or something like that. At one point before she left, Ringo was talking to the audience, and there came a short lull in the noise, so I hollered out “I LOVE YOU RINGO!” not realizing how it would carry and not expecting it would stand out that much…but it did and the crowd roared, and Ringo heard me! Sometime later, Ringo left the stage briefly, and exited out the back of the stage, right onto a small balcony that I could see VERY CLEARLY and it was just about 50 feet away or less so I did it again “I LOVE YOU RINGO!” and he turned, and gave ME the peace sign…I cried. I surely did. What an epic moment! I have been a Beatles fan for many, many years and while my heart belongs to John, my second favourite Beatle was Ringo. It was quite a pleasure to hear him drum in person, and to see him truly enjoy what he was doing. He said he goes on tour every couple of years just for fun. He was on the microphone a bit, singing out front, but he doesn’t seem to be as comfortable there, and seemed awkward, rocking from one foot to the other as he danced. When he was at his drum kit, he was very comfortable looking, particularly as the second drummer seemed to be overacting, although it was cool to see them drum in unison, leaning down into the drum kit at the same time.

We walked back to the camper after the show, stopping at the public washrooms on the hiking trail that ran right next to the ballfield. Good call, as there were insane lineups at the concert grounds. Once we came out of the bathroom, A. spotted a young man sitting at the picnic table, writing poetry. It was dark, but he was able to write by the light of the bathrooms, his bicycle leaning against the table. We sat with him for awhile, discussing the meaning of life when it began to rain big fat drops. We excused ourselves as he needed to head home, and returned to the camper to set up for the night. By this time, the parking guards had left the lot (I think others who came after us were charged for parking) and we were alone in the lot. We rehashed the concert for a bit before putting our wine-soaked heads to bed. We packed up in the morning and I dropped A. off at the ferry in Port Angeles, where she took the ferry home to Victoria.

I spent a few hours in town, picking up supplies, and looking for a next destination and finally decided to head west on the 101, and my GPS led me to a beachside campground not too far from town, facing Vancouver Island. The sites are small, but face the beach, which has a beautiful surf to listen to. Unfortunately it is rather expensive, so I won’t be staying long, and booked in for just two nights. There are also some pesky kids who have chosen to play rather loudly in the woods directly behind my camper. They have been at it for hours and hours and after a little break for supper, they are back at it again. I’m very close to becoming a bitch and telling them to find somewhere else to play – like the HUGE DAMN BEACH that is completely empty, or the many OTHER forests that surround the area, anywhere as long as they were not RIGHT BEHIND ME, yelling and screaming. If they were playing quietly, I wouldn’t care, but they have been playing some sort of battle game with some plants they have been ripping up all day, so very aggressive yelling and hollering after each other. Sigh…I just want to listen to the ocean surf, not 8 or 10 kids yelling…

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There is however, electricity and internet, although the internet is PAINFULLY slow, and intermittent. I have taken to writing the posts in Word instead of live on the site, too painful to lose all my work if the site bumps me off.

Gorgeous sunset tonight, and on the way back I stopped at the office and mentioned the noisy children to the staff and they acknowledged that the kids were indeed noisy, and they would speak to their parents as I hadn’t been the first to complain today. Apparently the girls are sisters, and come every summer for a month here, and typically play quietly, but the boys arrived today and as we all know, they change the equation. Suddenly games of “house” or “school” turn into KILL KILL KILL or be killed. In any event, I am hoping for a quieter day tomorrow, or I shall be pulling out.

So there you have it…the next part of this journey will be mostly by myself, going from concert to concert, and taking time to write in-between, and explore the many beaches of the west coast. I’ll be driving down the 101 aka the Gold Coast Highway. Once I get to California, after some time in San Francisco, I plan to head to Malibu in search of Matthew McConaughey…three weeks in a row so far, he has been spotted at Malibu beach, shirtless…I can hardly stand it.

Goodbye My Home and Native Land

2010-07-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

I’m heading south of the border tomorrow to see Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band. Currently his All Starr Band members are Rick Derringer, Richard Page, Edgar Winter, Gary Wright, Wally Palmar, and Gregg Bissonette. A set list from the tour earlier this year included Hang On Sloopy, Free Ride, Dream Weaver, Rock N Roll Hoochie Koo, Broken Wings, Love is Alive and many more, with some classic Ringo and some from his new album, Y-Not. My friend and hostess A. is coming to Ringo with me, so it’s sure to be a great time. She is the queen of getting up close to the band with a GA ticket.

So when I leave here tomorrow, I’ll have everything I own in the van again. I have managed to really pare things down, so things are neat, organized, and easy to find. I simply cannot function otherwise. I had ~~nightmares~~visions of a van full of loose items, slung around, and rooting for clean underwear only to come up with a broken flip-flop. It’s an ongoing chore to keep order in such a small place. I have it down to a science now, a place for everything and everything in its place.

I went to the travel clinic last night to review my travel plan with a nurse practictioner. In order for me to consider traveling to Panama, I would require the yellow fever vaccine, which I expected. You are required to have it to enter Panama, as well as to travel to most other countries when I leave Panama. There is a card that goes with your passport. I was also recommended to get the typhoid vaccine as well, since I would be volunteering and traveling through areas where typhoid is present. Good idea…I am not looking for any new and wonderful bugs…The NP also gave me a script for antibiotics to take in case of a bacterial issue in my system from eating local foods that might not have been sanitary. I have to take anti-malaraial drugs when traveling through infected areas, but will pick that up when I get to Mexico, as it’s bound to be cheaper and readily available. I’m going to pick up a mosquito net to hang over my bed as the door of the van is often open and I don’t want to risk getting bitten by ANYTHING.

I’m going to miss spending time with my hosts, and watching their little one move through his milestones. He is such a cutie, and so very sociable. He has tantrums like any other toddler, but they never seem to spoil his usual good nature. It’s been great to be plugged in just beside their deck, and they’ve been great to make me feel like part of the family and household. I had wanted to spend some time in Victoria as a resident to see if I would like living here in the future and I did. I could easily see myself living and working here in Victoria once I’m ready to plant again.

I think I’ve contracted a cold this week, which is a total drag, so I am taking it as easy as I can, resting when I can, as I need to be in good shape for the driving ahead of me to 3 concerts in one week. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

With my departure from Canada comes a reduction in internet and electricity as I plan to be camping at the beach or in the forests, wherever it’s free or nearly free, and just visiting internet cafes to catch up. I may look at getting a pay as you go internet card, but will have to see what the cost is for one in the USA. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone – anywhere from a couple of months, to 8 months, or more. I’m open to anything that catches my fancy…stay tuned…

Karma has a brand new skylight

2010-07-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

I was out for lunch at Molly's Reach a few days ago and while I was in the restaurant, someone (the skylight guy) notices my crappy skylight, cracked and pulling away from the roof, so he stuck his card in my door. I gave him a call, we booked an appt for the following morning ad before long, Karma had a brand spanking new hot pink skylight, and a new seal, bracket and hinges! Check out his website, reasonable prices for a very hard to find item. The Skylight Guy is awesome, friendly, easy to do business with, and has a passion for the Westy. Thanks Trevor!