Victorian Life

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.