SO LONG DOUG

 POST # 671

Doug is giving me that look.  He knows something is up, but when I took this photo, he wasn't quite sure what it was.  However, once my luggage was sitting at the front door, he knew for sure that it was time for me to say so long to him, and the next photo shows another sad looking face.

Then moments later, I was out the door, and on my way to Nanaimo, to pick up Doug's owner, Pam, and then head to the ferry terminal.  The journey was an interesting one, because the clutch in Pam's truck is failing, and it was a challenge to shift gears.  Be that as it may, I did manage to arrive on time, have a quick visit with Pam, and then watch as she drove away.  It was now her turn to deal with the faulty clutch.

After an overnight in Vancouver, it was time to head to the train station in preparation for my journey south, once again.  In all of the times that I have done this trip, I have never seen the terminal so empty as it was on Wednesday.   Boarding begins at 3:30 pm and usually by the time shown on the clock, there is already a long line up of people waiting to board the train.

In fact, it was so empty, that I had the opportunity to be very first in line.

Clearing customs was a breeze, and I settled in for the journey southward.  In my train car, I counted only thirteen passengers, in a car that holds eighty.  We even left fifteen minutes ahead of schedule, which is a first.

It was an uneventful trip south, and as always, Mary and Dora-dog were there at the station to greet me. I'll be here for a month, so I imagine that there will be plenty of photos of Dora-dog during this upcoming period.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer