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