WANDERING WESTWARD

 POST # 488

My journey back to the coast started here.  This was the little house that I had enjoyed the company of my furball friends since early January.  But, like all good house sits, it had to come to an end at some point.  I said so long to the owners, as well as the furballs, and hopped into my rental car (above), and was on my merry way.

Originally, I thought that I may break the trip up into two days, and car camp overnight along the way, but as the day progressed, I decided that I would push straight through to Vancouver.

Of course, there are many things to see along the way, and once the morning fog burned off, it ended up being a very enjoyable journey.  The frosty morning caused a magnificent coating on the trees.

I even came across a place that my sister Gerry would enjoy.

The journey westward continued, and I arrived in mid-afternoon at the Hope slide.

My original plan was to car-camp here overnight, but I changed my mind at some point and decided to push on.  I seem to recall a family trip to the coast back in the year 1967 if memory serves.  The image of the collapsed mountain seemed much more ominous to me back then, when I was a mere 12 year old lad.

Pushing on, I arrived back in Vancouver late in the afternoon of January 22nd.  I didn't have to return the rental car until the next day, so it was my "home" for the evening.  Having done this before, the plan was to find a place close to a park.  That was for two reasons.  The first is that I didn't need to worry about people staring out their windows at the guy snoozing in the car, and the second was to be close to a tree that I could "water" in the evening if required.  I found what I thought was the perfect place, however it wasn't a very comfortable sleep.

After this photo was taken at 5:41 am last Sunday morning, I did manage to drift off to sleep for a while longer, only to be awoken by an army of kids and adults.  They had arrived early to practise soccer.  If I had known that was going to be the case, I probably would have found a different spot to park the car.  Oh well, so it goes.  Another successful journey has come to a close.

Of course, each year on this blog post, I tend to remember that yesterday was my last shift at Aquabus, way back in the year, 2009.  Thirteen years have just evaporated, and it amazes me that the time has flown as fast as it has.  All the more reason to appreciate each day, as it presents itself.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

ANOTHER HOUSE SIT COMES TO A CLOSE

 POST #487

Canis lupus familiaris-Felis catus

aka: dog-cat

aka: bonehead-furball

aka: Lucy

It has been my experience that when it comes to furballs, there are two kinds.  Some are friendly right from the get go, and then there are others, like Lucy, that avoid you at any cost.  For the first couple of days that I was here, I wondered if she had taken off, because I couldn't find her anywhere inside or out.  Apparently she has a special hiding spot under the bed, and even though I looked there, she was so well hidden that I couldn't see her.  As time went on, she would appear every now and again, so I could tell that she was getting  a little more comfortable with me.  And now it's come to this.  I'm calling her a dog-cat, because just like a faithful dog she follows me around almost everywhere I go in the house.  She is also happy to curl up on my lap as can be seen in the above photo.  The cat whisperer once again wins over another four-legged furball.  

But just when I make a new furball friend, it's time to pack my bags once again, and get ready to leave.  The owners return home later today.  I'll spend one more night here, and then head off tomorrow back to Vancouver.  I've rented a car for the return journey which is much more expensive than taking the bus back, but since my arrival, the rules have changed yet again.  No jab, no bus for you, as of January 10th.  Transport that was perfectly fine, just a few weeks ago, is now off limits.  It makes no sense to me.  However, the narrative seems to be changing.  England is dropping all the mandates.  Maybe Boris should have a chat with Justin, so that we too can get back to normal.  Or perhaps the Queen ? I'm pretty sure that Justin would accept her call.  Just sayin'.

I don't have to return the car until Sunday afternoon in Vancouver, so I think that I will do a car/camp one night along the way.  I'd rather be out in the peace and quiet of the countryside, rather than the noise and lights of the city.  At least that is the plan.

It's has been a very relaxed time here, and I have enjoyed my furry friends, but like all good house sits, it must come to an end at some point, and that point is tomorrow.

Of course I couldn't end this post without mentioning dear old Madonna.  It would have been mom's birthday today and by now she would have been 106.  And if she were alive today, I'm quite sure she would agree with the advice on this sign, that is hung on the bathroom wall at this home.

And after you have completed all of those tasks, then why not head outside and check out the first full moon for 2022. That event took place this past Monday.  It was only partly overcast, so I stood outside in the chilly night air, gazed up at the moon, and contemplated the wonder of it all.  In spite of the crazy world we live in nowadays, it's comforting to know that there are some things that you can still depend upon, like a full moon  roughly every 29.5 days. 

And one final note.  Exactly one year ago today, Dora-dog had a big adventure that involved chasing a cat in Shelter Bay.  Thankfully, it all ended well.  Here is a link to that post.

https://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2021/01/a-memorable-day.html

 grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

PS: Happy 60th birthday, Troy

THE WORD IS OUT

 POST # 486

It looks like the word is out.  No-name, the furball who lives outside, roams around the neighbourhood, and shows up twice each day for his morning and evening meal, must have let the news slip out about left-overs.  

I guess that he is just being kind to his fellow critters that also roam around.  This guy appeared in the window the other evening, and has been coming back every once in a while.  He seems to be more interested in what's going on inside the house, than the left-overs on the deck.  At one point, when I opened the front door, I actually thought that he may decide to come in.  That would have been a bad idea.  Raccoons are very cute, but I certainly wouldn't want to tangle with one.  I'm sure I would come out second best.  But you do have to admit that he is cute, and curious as well.

He looks as though he would like to walk right in, and have a beer and a chat.  I think the resident furballs might have something to say about that.  And even though raccoons can certainly hold their own against another critter, I'm not sure how well he would do against three furballs.  Thankfully, we won't ever have to find out.  For as long as I am here, he will remain outside.

Just when I thought that the raccoon was the only other wildlife out there, yesterday I came across this character.  Like the raccoon, he was very curious to come over and stare at me.  

So this past week has me feeling like I'm living in somewhat of a zoo.  I'm surprised that there hasn't been any stray boneheads wandering the neighbourhood as well.  Mind you, my time here isn't up yet, so who knows?   I could invite into the house a bonehead or two, the raccoon, the deer, no-name the furball, and then let all of them "visit" with the three indoor furballs.  That would be quite the get together, but if it happened, I don't imagine that the owners would ever ask me back to house sit.  I will have to remain content with the situation just as it is.  

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

SOYLENT GREEN 2022 versus THE REAL 2022

 POST # 485

"New York city in the year, 2022.  Nothing runs anymore.  Nothing works.  But the people are the same.  And the people will do anything to get what they need.  What they need most is Soylent Green."

Those are the words to the trailer for the 1973 movie, "Soylent Green." It takes place in the future, in 2022, and so here we are in the future.  Back in 1973, when I saw the movie, I had only just graduated from high school.  How fast the years have gone by.

In Canada in the real year 2022, and with the way things have gone in the past couple of years, one might almost be able to say that nothing runs anymore, and nothing works.  Well, we're not quite there yet, but we seem to be heading in that general direction.  

What still works, at least to a certain degree, is the house and pet sitting business.  So fortunately for The Thoughtful Wanderer, I am currently enjoying a new gig, with three furballs plus one more.  What do you mean, three plus one more?  Let me explain.

The owners of this house have three furballs, Heidi, Mona, and Lucy.  However, outside there is a stray that has decided to hang around their place.  They've given it the title of No-name.  No-name is on the daily feeding schedule, and my guess is that before too long, he'll be an indoor furball along with the other three.  But it may take a while longer, certainly longer than the time that I will be here.

So here they are:

MONA

 

 

HEIDI

LUCY

       NO-NAME

Of course they all have their own distinct characteristics.  Mona wins the prize for being the most affectionate of the entire mob.  Heidi is somewhat less affectionate than Mona.  I rarely even see Lucy, as she spends most of the day hiding under the bed.  Finally, No-Name just shows up a couple of times each day, right at meal time.  He spends the rest of his day either under the house or roaming the neighbourhood.  Last night, I saw a couple of very large raccoons crawl under the house, and I wondered if No-name was going to be OK.  But he was here this morning for breakfast,  so I guess that he and the raccoons have worked out an agreement regarding under the house accommodation.

There has been plenty of snow over the past few days, and it's provided me with the opportunity for some additional exercise,  getting out there and keeping the sidewalks cleaned up.

All things considered, my year of 2022 is going much better than the dystopian year of 2022, portrayed in the movie Soylent Green.  I've got everything that I need to survive, at least for now, and who could complain about that?  So far, the real 2022 is much better than that fictional 2022.  But hey, the year has only just begun.  What's in store for the rest of 2022,  is anyone's guess at this point.

For the movie buffs, here is a link to the movie trailer of Soylent Green.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_jGOKYHxaQ

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer