WANDERING EASTWARD (with plenty of photos along the way)

 POST # 468

The time had come, for me to say so long to my friends Jody and Mei, and their wonderful boneheads, Channing and Hana.  Prior to catching the Skytrain to the airport, I had the pleasure of going on one additional morning walk with my four-legged friends, and then it was time to go.

As the Skytrain approached YVR, I had the opportunity to view the quarantine hotel ("prison") that I was locked up in for two weeks back in July.  Believe me, it looks a whole lot better from this perspective, than from looking out of my hotel room window on the sixth floor.

I arrived at the airport with plenty of time to relax, have a hot chocolate and bagel at Tim Hortons, and do some wandering around the airport.  It was during one of these strolls that I saw this RCMP officer.  The image is somewhat blurry, as I took the photo from some distance.  I'm not sure what his reaction would have been had he seen me taking this photo, but then again, he, like so many  others these days was too preoccupied with his smart phone, to concern himself with what was going on around him.  I'm not sure what he planned to do with that firearm, but maybe this is the latest tactic to remind people to keep their masks on.  If he was trying to set an example, he wasn't doing a very good job, in my opinion.  Having had previous run-ins with the RCMP at YVR, I wasn't about to go up to him and make any suggestions about mask wearing etiquette. 

I took the opportunity after I checked in, to spend as much time outdoors as possible prior to going through security.  As one can see quite clearly, YVR is pretty dead.  This approach road to departures is normally crowded, but not on the day I left Vancouver.

Finally it was time to take off, and head to my first destination on the journey, that being the city of Fort McMurray, Alberta.  I enjoyed some wonderful views along the way.

And then I came to this one below, which is a collection of fracking wells located in northern BC.  So much for the green energy revolution.

We landed in Fort McMurray on a sunny afternoon, and it was a short stop-over prior to taking off for Toronto.  The airline I travelled on was Flair Air, and it's the first time I've flown with them.  Their service was good, and I have no complaints.

During our layover, I couldn't help myself, and had to take another few shots at the airport.  Seems like people are the same all over these days.  The two shots of passengers reminded me of the photo I took last week on the Skytrain.  It seems like the days of chatting with people are now just a distant memory.

We arrived in Toronto right around midnight local time, and after asking three different airport staff, and getting three different answers as to where I might find my ride, I was eventually successful.  Caroline (home owner) greeted me, and we were on our way to their home.  It was a very long day indeed, and I think I turned in close to 2am.  

The next morning she drove me to a supermarket.  I had one hour to shop for groceries to last me through my stay.  That was an interesting experience, to say the least.  This is without a doubt the most groceries that I have ever purchased in one shop.  Thankfully, Caroline's dad will be around if I need to do a top-up shop later on.

So I now feel pretty settled here at my rural location.  It's very quiet, and that is a big plus for me.  The three resident furballs are all purring machines, so we are getting along just fine.  From top to bottom, they are Guglielmo aka Goo, 15y/o, Twain, 14y/o, and Charlie, 2y/o.  It's shaping up to be a very relaxed house sit indeed. 

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

 POST # 467

As I mentioned last week, I would be posting this entry a couple of days behind schedule.  So here it is.  I have decided to put in a bunch of photos.  How's the old saying go, "a picture is worth a thousand words."

It has been a busy week.  After a wonderful day spent in the town of Gibson's Landing, my wandering continued as the week progressed.

Last Friday, I boarded the Skytrain, followed by two bus journeys and about a 45 minute walk, which got me to Peace Arch Park (the American portion) where I had the opportunity to spend some very precious time with dear Mary, and Dora-dog.  We enjoyed a few hours together, and then it was time to do my journey in reverse, and head back to Vancouver.

The next day, I headed to Horseshoe Bay, to board a charter boat to Gambier Island where I would meet up with my friend Jody.

That's him standing on the dock, prior to our arrival.

It was an extremely pleasant time spent there this past weekend, and it included a visit to a property that has apple and pear trees that were planted almost 150 years ago.  Yes, that is actually a pear tree featured below.  

Here is one of the views from Jody's property, looking south towards Bowen Island.

We returned on Jody's boat last night.  It was interesting to see a ferry go by, and I was amazed at just how fast they travel.  

Jody decided to take a photo of the two happy sailors just prior to docking back in Vancouver.  

And finally, I decided to include this photo, which I took on the Skytrain last week.  This is the world we live in now.  Everyone seems to be more interested in what their smart phone is telling them, instead of interacting with each other.  I think that it is a sad state of affairs.  But hey, what do I know?  I'm just an old fart wandering around from place to place, enjoying nature, interacting with other humans and playing with dogs and cats.  I must be missing out on something. Maybe so, but I won't be buying a smart phone any time soon.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

BACK TO WANDERING, AND LOVING IT

 POST # 466

 

I'm back to wandering, and I love it.  There's no telling where this trait comes from, although I suspect that I may have inherited it from my grandfather on my dad's side.  In any event, it is who I am, and with each passing day, as my life gets closer to its end point, there is no time like the present to get the wandering in while I still can.

I completed my house sit in Duncan on August 6th, and after a quick visit with the owner, she drove me to the Gabriola ferry terminal in Nanaimo.  A short time later I was met by my friends Talyn and Mike.  They now live on Gabriola, and this was my first opportunity to see their newly constructed home.  It was wonderful to have a few days to catch up, and they are very gracious hosts indeed.  I've known them since my Aquabus days in Vancouver, and it's nice to know that some friendships endure.

I finally had an opportunity to meet Jake the furball.  He's quite the character, and he certainly has a cushy life with them. He has the curious habit of having you follow him to his food dish, and satisfied that you are paying attention, he then starts to chow down.  I've certainly never seen this behavior before, and one of the mornings that I was there, I was alone with Jake.  And sure enough, he taught the new human to follow him to his dish.  What a character. 

 

 Talyn has a new E-bike on which she travels all over the island upon.  She looks pretty happy as she gets ready to head off to the nursery to work on the tomato plants.

It was now time to make two ferry crossings.  The first short trip was back to Nanaimo from Gabriola, followed by about a forty-five minute walk (see top photo) to Departure Bay.  Once there I boarded the ferry for the mainland.  I sure do like this business of getting a free ferry ride from Monday through Thursday now that I am a senior.  I plan on getting in as many free rides as possible.

Once back in Vancouver, I settled in for a couple of nights at a motel that I have been at before, and then as of last night, I am house sitting for my friends Jody and Mei, while they are off to their property on Gambier Island.  I expect to go with them next week, and experience the island life, along with their two trusty boneheads, Cha Cha and Hana.  It should be fun.

Here they are yesterday at Horseshoe Bay, getting ready to head over to Gambier.

Once I returned to their place, I decided to take a walk to the West End, and find one of my favourite benches to sit upon, and just enjoy watching all the people.  The smoke from fires has rolled in big time, and moments after I took this photo, the sun set, long before it got to the horizon.  It reminded me of the time that I spent living in Los Angeles back in the mid 80's.  The smog was so bad every day, the sun disappeared long before it should have.

 

 

grateful for every breath, (even in the smoke)

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

PS: Next Saturday, August 21st, I will be on an island without internet access, so I will post that entry on August 23rd.

LOVING THE OUTDOORS, AND TIME TO MOVE ON

 POST # 465

It's time for this wanderer's feet to once again be on the move, and continue on this adventure that we call life.

This has been my first house sit since November of last year.  Back then, I had just completed my housesit assingment in the Yukon. (Side note:  At the present time, my friends in the Yukon are on an evacuation alert, due to a large fire, close to their property.  I emailed the other night, and so far they are still OK)

This current gig comes on the heels of being stuck in "prison" during my forced quarantine, after arriving back in Canada from the USA.  I hope that I never have to go through that again, however I will say this about the experience.  It has allowed me to have a whole new appreciation of having the freedom to just be outdoors.  It's probably something that most people take for granted on a daily basis.  I was that way as well, but not any longer.  So if you're feeling a bit down on life, or bored or thinking "poor me" for whatever reason, then I suggest you lock yourself into a room in your house, and then stay there for 14 days.  Once you emerge, you too will have a new found appreciation for being outside.  I can almost guarantee it.

So, since my arrival here on July 20th, I have made a daily effort to spend as much time outdoors as possible.  I take notice of the little things even more intensly than before, like for instance this spider web, which is a work of art, if one bothers to pay attention.

Because I have had the use of a bicycle, I have made it a point to go riding at least once if not twice a day.  One of my favourite rides is to Cowichan Bay, which is about 13 kilometres from my current location.  It's about a 45 minute ride, depending on whether or not I have a head wind.  Upon arrival, I just sit down on a park bench in the shade, and stare out at the ocean view.  Another attraction is the smell of the ocean.  It's wonderful to just be there for a while, and then head back home on the bike.  I think I am at my happiest, when I am riding a bicycle.

So it really is great to be alive, and if I ever need a reminder about how great it is, all I need to do is take a stroll through the local graveyard, and count my blessings which are many.  Take for instance the two souls in the photo below.  Even if you have the name "PLAYFAIR" and maybe you lived up to that name throughout your life, you still get to the end sooner or later.  All the more reason to pay attention to each moment as much as possible.  After all, any moment could be your last.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer