WANDERING TO MAPLE BAY

 POST # 464

As I mentioned in last week's blog, after being in "jail" it's a no-brainer to want to be outside and wandering around again.  What's the point of being The Thoughtful Wanderer, if I can't roam around?

So today, I decided to ride the bike out to Maple Bay.  I took the regular bike, so I could get more exercise.  It only took about forty minutes from downtown, and it is a bit of a roller coaster heading in that direction.  That's OK.  The up and down terrain gives one the opportunity to have a work out and then relax, so it's the best of both worlds.

As soon as I turned on to Maple Bay Rd., I came across this sign, which tells you everything you need to know about how dry it is here on the island.  It's great weather for bike riding, but that's about all I can say.  Take a look at that grass.

As my journey continued I was confronted with the sign below, and I had to admit that it gave me a chuckle.  Some years ago, there was a woman who called into a radio program somewhere in the US, and she said to the show hosts that she couldn't understand why they put these deer crossing signs on major roadways.  She was actually under the impression (believe it or not) that if the sign was placed on a quieter road, the deer would cross at that point instead.  Anyhow, that's what popped into my brain, when I saw this sign.

The roller coaster ride continued, and lo and behold I went past Abbey Rd.  There wasn't a Beatle in sight.

Finally, the Maple Bay sign came into view, and the final part of the journey was down a rather steep hill, and a few moments later, I arrived.

In addition to being a wanderer, I still have a love of being around sailboats, so I was more than happy to find a shady spot under the dock, in order to just hang out and enjoy being there.  The view across the water is Saltspring Island.  I stayed for only about a half hour, prior to heading back to town.  I needed water, so I headed to the library to download these photos, and fill my belly up with nice cold water.  From there it was just a short ride back home.  

I have no idea how this day went by so fast.  It's already 7pm, and I haven't even had dinner.  Time to get this posted, make a nice big salad, and relax out here in the back yard.  This back yard is a great improvement from "jail".

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

WANDERING AGAIN

 POST # 463

For the very first time, since March 16th of last year, I boarded a BC ferry en route to Departure Bay in Nanaimo.  That date last year fell on a Monday and I had just completed a house sit in Duncan.  What I was unaware of at the time, was that I could have received a free ride on the ferry, because I had become 65 just prior to that date.  That didn't happen, so I made sure to show the ticket person my driver's license yesterday.  It felt great to receive my ticket with a zero dollar value on it.  It's a lot better than the ticket I received during my stay in quarantine, that's for sure.

I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to finally be out of "prison" courtesy of the federal government.  I'm now free to roam from place to place, which is good because the "wandering" side of me hasn't been too happy in recent times.  Just being outside feels magnificent.  I doubt if I will ever take this for granted for the rest of my life.  I guess one could argue that I have received a blessing because of my two weeks in quarantine.  I would like to suggest to anyone, if you want to have an entire new appreciation for being outdoors, then just stay in one room in your house for two weeks, and see how you feel when you go back outside.  I can almost guarantee that it will put a smile on your face.

 I've been on countless ferry trips over the years, but I have never been on board a ferry as deserted as this one, not even in the depths of winter.  It felt rather odd. Normally, at this time of year, every ferry would be packed to the gunwales, but that most certainly wasn't the case yesterday.  Here are a few photos to prove my point.

Anyone who has ever been on a BC ferry in the summertime would certainly have to agree that this looks like anything but normal.  However, it was nice to be able to pick and choose whatever location that I wanted, to sit, relax, and enjoy the ride.

In spite of the fact that the ferry had so few customers, we still managed to depart almost twenty minutes behind schedule, which wasn't a concern for me, but I did wonder if Bev would be sitting in the parking lot in Departure Bay, wondering where we were.  I walked out the door at the ferry terminal, and even though the parking lot was almost empty, I couldn't see her.  I've had this feeling on other house sit occasions, wondering what my plan B would entail, if my house sit client failed to show.  Not to worry.  After about five minutes, we found each other and were on our way to Duncan.

It's not a very long trip, but we had time to go over some of the details about the upcoming house sit.  Upon arrival, I got the tour of the house, and after finalizing any last minute questions, Bev was on her way, and I had the whole place to myself.  Technically, I don't really have it all to myself, because there are some fish to take care of, and I guess if I want company, I can always sit in front of the aquarium and watched them swim around.  

 Last night, I decided to take a walk to the local grocery store, and just prior to exiting the gate I bumped in to one of my neighbours.  She was wearing a T-shirt with the map of Australia on it.  Of course I had to mention my connection to Australia, and found out that she was from Brisbane.  We had a good visit, and then I was on my way.  I'm living in a gated retirement community, and as far as I can tell at this early stage, I'm the youngster.  

I don't have a car, but that's not a big deal, as anything that I need to shop for is less than a half-hour walk from here.  I also have two bicycles to use, one of which is an electric bike.  I took it for a quick spin yesterday, prior to Bev's departure, and I'm very sure that I will be using it again, before this house sit is completed.  What a blast.  I've never used an electric bicycle before, but I LIKE IT.

And now that I've got that on my mind, it's probably a good time to hop on that bike and head out for a little adventure.  I'm happy to be wandering again.

grateful for every breath,

 

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

RAMBLING THOUGHTS FROM ROOM 601

 POST # 462

                                                SUNRISE AT 5:30AM

As the sun rises on another day, it's time to reflect on the week gone by, and to contemplate what lies ahead for this very thoughtful, wander-less wanderer.

I've spent another entire week, here in Room 601, and an interesting thing happened a few days ago.  I can distinctly remember that my feeling of being stuck here in this room, changed to a feeling of acceptance that this is now my current home.  It's hard to put a finger on what happens in the brain, but I do remember having gone through a similar thought pattern back in March of 2003.  At that time, I had been crossing the Indian Ocean on a sailboat, heading from Durban, South Africa, to Australia.  At some point on that journey, my brain began to accept that this small craft was my home.  I derived comfort, once I had reached that point in my thinking. I feel a similar comfort now.  It's hard to explain, so I'll leave it at that.

                                                        ROOM 601

Right up until yesterday morning, I had not stepped outside the confines of Room 601.  However, yesterday at 9am, I was escorted by security to the lobby of the hotel, and then for the first time in ten days,  I stepped outside to a waiting vehicle, that would be taking me for my second Covid test.  I have to admit that it felt rather strange to be outside, even though it was only for a minute or two prior to getting in the vehicle. We proceeded to the testing centre, located very close to the airport, and we were the first in the queue.  We had to pull up and stop at three different windows. Yes, really.  At window #1, I gave them my details, name, date of birth etc.  At window #2 they confirmed my details, and then finally at window #3, it was time for my test.  Having been through this procedure once before, I wasn't expecting anything different this time around. The first time, was simple and painless.  The swab was inserted into each nostril and twirled around for fifteen seconds. It was inserted only about one centimetre.  The only painful part of this first test was that it cost me $300.00.  However this time, the swab was inserted approximately a kilometre down my nostril, or at least it felt like that.  The last time that I can remember feeling this much discomfort from a medical procedure was when I was in the hospital with my broken leg.  One morning the nurse came in, to remove the catheter that had been used to drain my bladder.  Today's procedure felt very similar, but in reverse, as the device was being inserted instead of being pulled out.  Ouch!!!

Once that was over with, I was driven back to the hotel, and I have been inside ever since.  It's now more than twenty four hours since I had the test, and my nose, ear and brain still feel, shall we say, disturbed.  I wonder how long these sensations will last?

It has been a frustrating lead up to this second test, which was suppose to take place last Saturday.  After numerous calls to the Red Cross, and multiple visits by the nurse to assist me to register for the test online (unsuccessfully), she finally looked me in the eye the other day, and stated, "if you have any symptoms, then we can take you to the testing centre." In other words, nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more, give me a symptom or two and we can get this taken care of right away.  She was implying that if I faked some symptoms, I could get the test.   This all sounded a bit dodgy to me, but it seemed that this was the only way that this test would ever get done.

So now I have to wait until tomorrow to call to find out my test results.  And to add even more to this crazy story, this morning I received an email from the Government of Canada, which in part reads as follows:

You are receiving this email from the Government of Canada because you recently entered Canada.

If you were required to do a final COVID test on Day 8, the results will be important in determining the end of your quarantine period:

• Negative result – you must remain in quarantine for the remainder of the 14-day period.
• Positive result – you must remain in isolation for another 14 days from the day you completed the test.
• Invalid, indeterminate or late result OR if you did not complete a day 8 test – you must remain in quarantine until you receive a conclusive negative result, or for an additional 14 days starting from the day after the end of your first quarantine period, whichever comes first.
  

I guess I will know by tomorrow whether or not I'll be camping here for another 14 days.  In all honesty, I have no clue at this moment.  Considering that I have arranged to do a house sit next week on Vancouver Island, I will have a very disappointed and perhaps angry client, if I have to contact them at this late stage and cancel. In the almost ten years that I have been house/pet sitting, I have never had to cancel on my commitment.  I will cross that bridge tomorrow.

Just one final note with regards to these tests.  There seems to be more than ample evidence now, that due to the way the test results are measured , there is plenty of room for a false positive outcome.  Enough said.

So here I sit, in my comfortable little "home" at least until July 17th.  If I need any reminders of the rules here, I just have to look outside my door.

So that is what I will continue to do for now.  As mentioned in last week's post, I am grateful to have a window so that I can gaze out at the world around me.  And, if one pays attention, sometimes there are special little things that put a smile on my face, such as these two black rabbits that show up each day.

That's about all I have to say for this week, however I want to finish with a couple of quotes from Viktor Frankl's book, "Man's Search for Meaning" , a copy of which I have (very dog-eared) in my storage locker.

 

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way."

I'll keep this last quote in mind, as my journey in Room 601 continues.

 

grateful for every breath,

 

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer 

 

 

 

MY JOURNEY BACK TO CANADA

 POST # 461

 

 

I have lost track of just how many times I have crossed the border back into Canada from the USA at this border crossing in Blaine WA.  However, I can state unequivocally, that I have never seen such a deserted looking border crossing in my entire life.

About an hour and a half prior to the above photo being taken, I hopped in the car with Mary and Dora-dog, and we drove the short distance to Blaine.  Upon arrival, we parked at the Peace Arch park.  The park was packed with people, enjoying the sunshine and warm weather, and we walked around for a while, taking it all in.  RCMP were on patrol on 0 Avenue in Surrey, keeping an eye on things, making sure that we all remained on the south side of the border.  At one point I went up to a couple of them to inquire about walking up this road (shown above) to the border crossing.  They had no problem with that, so shortly afterwards we began our journey.  Mary wanted to walk as far as possible before turning back, and I was more than happy to have her and Dora-dog come along. I decided to take a few more photos along the way.

               

SCULPTURE IN PEACE ARCH PARK-A SIGN OF THE TIMES

We stopped for a while in the shade of the Peace Arch, knowing that very soon we would have to finally go our separate ways.

By now, it was around 3pm, and with my journey far from over, it was time to say goodbye.   I found that difficult.  As Mary and Dora-dog turned and walked away, I watched them go.  Every now and again Dora-dog would turn around with a look on her face, as if to say, "hey, why aren't you coming with us?"   Soon they were both out of sight, and so I turned around and continued my solo journey to the border crossing, not knowing exactly how it would all go.  I was about to find out.

After going through the usual conversation with the border guard about anything to declare, I was then asked to show proof of a negative Covid test, which unfortunately for me, I didn't have.  I told her that I had read on the government of Canada website, that I could take a test here at the border.  In fact, that was true, however that didn't negate the fact that I should have taken a test back in the USA prior to my arrival.  She sent me inside the building, where I would have to wait my turn and talk to a health Canada person.  And so the wait began.

Eventually it was my turn to plead my case, however the man behind the counter wasn't buying my story.  He told me that he could write me a ticket right then and there, and I could be on my way, or, if I wanted to, I could try to re-enter the USA, go to a place and get tested, and then return for a second attempt.  This would involve a trip to a testing centre at Bellingham airport, probably an overnight stay, and then a return to the border the next day.  So, one choice was to accept the ticket, and be on my way, in which case I wouldn't need to do that test, or I could try and return to the USA and get tested.  From his point of view, that test was a necessity, yet if I paid the fine, it wasn't.  Where on earth was the logic in that?  I had zero success in trying to convey this to him.  

What to do?  It was now about 5pm and so with nothing to lose, I grabbed my luggage, and started the walk back south to attempt to cross back into the USA.

Upon my arrival, I was asked to enter the building on the left and wait for someone to attend to me.  I was the only traveller in the entire building.  There were about a half a dozen border patrol agents.  My passport was handed around from one agent to the other while I just sat there.  Eventually, after almost an hour, I was questioned about my desire to cross the border.  I went into the entire explanation about getting a test, etc., however I was unsuccessful in my attempt.  It's a good thing that I wasn't playing baseball that day, as I would have been 0 for 2 at this point.   I was escorted part-way back to the Canadian border crossing, given a piece of paper to hand to the Canadians upon my arrival, and then I was on my way, once again.

I crossed back into Canada for the second time and returned to the building that I had spent part of the afternoon.  The health Canada person had gone home for the day, but I was put in contact with another person via the phone, and we talked about my situation.  She told me that perhaps they would waive the fine, seeing as I had at least made the attempt to get back to the USA, but only time would tell on that situation.  From here, the plan was to deliver me to a quarantine facility where I would have to remain isolated for the next 14 days.  It was about 8:30pm before I was picked up, and delivered to where I now sit, typing these words.  I have been here since Saturday.

Right up until yesterday, I was thinking that I was off the hook regarding the fine, and then around noon, there was a knock at my door, and it wasn't my lunch delivery.  It was another government agent, arriving to write me out a ticket.  Naturally, I tried to have him see my side of the story, however I may as well have been talking to the wall.  The ticket was issued and he was on his merry way.

If one looks closely at the lower right hand corner, the fine can be seen.  Ticketed amount $CDN 5750.00.  This is certainly the largest fine that I have ever received, and needless to say, I am none too happy about it.  However, it is what it is.  Life goes on.

I am stuck here in this hotel room until July 17th.  It could be worse.  At least I have a pleasant view.  I couldn't imagine what it would have been like if I were to have been placed in a windowless room. The room is approximately 15 x 25 including the bathroom.  One can only imagine how difficult it is to be a prisoner in solitary confinement.  In comparison, this place is a grand palace.

And if I get tired of the view out of the window, I can always amuse myself by looking through the little peep hole in the door.  Occasionally I catch a glimpse of a fully suited and masked staff member wandering down the hallway.

I have been through much worse along my journey in life, and so I will take this in stride.  What else is a Thoughtful Wanderer to do?  No opportunity at the moment to wander, but plenty of time to think.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer