BAXTER

 POST # 683

Say hi to Baxter. He lives across the street at the neighbour's house, and he's been there now for a couple of years or so.  He is without a doubt, one of the friendliest furballs that I have had the pleasure to know.  So you can imagine my surprise the other day, when I went over there to drop off their mail. When I opened the door, this was the face that I encountered.  That was a bit of a shock.  Baxter was doing his best to be a guard furball.  This face might even have scared Dora-dog, but I have my doubts.

But I managed to drop off the mail, say hi to Baxter in spite of his scary face, and headed back home.  I suspect that on my next visit, he will be back to his friendly disposition, and I will have forgotten about this encounter.

But in case you want to have just one more look at Baxter, here it is.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

 POST # 682

Happy Valentine's Day to Mary and Dora-dog.  I am very happy to spend today with both of them, here in Shelter Bay.

Today marks eight years, since Mary adopted Dora-dog from the animal shelter.  I think that they would both agree that it was a great idea, and I would have to concur with that sentiment.

And five years ago today, it was a very snowy February day, unlike today without a snowflake in sight.

Here is my blog post from that year.  https://wherespaulnow.blogspot.com/2021/02/happy-valentines-day-happy-anniversary.html

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

BACK TO WASHINGTON

 POST # 681

As far as I can tell, Blanca isn't looking very happy that her housesitter is now having to say goodbye.  This photo was taken at the ferry terminal prior to me heading back to the mainland, in preparation for my departure to Washington.

After an overnight in Vancouver, it was time to head to the train station.  In all of the time that I have been doing this journey, I have never been first in line to board the train until this most recent trip.   The train station was pretty empty, and as a result, the train had very few passengers.

The journey was longer than normal, as we were held up at the border.  It seemed rather odd to me, as the train had so few passengers, I thought that we would be on our way in no time.  But anytime you are dealing with border control people, one never knows just how long the delay might be.

Eventually we were on our way, and I was greeted by Mary and Dora-dog at the Mount Vernon train station.

Up until today, the weather here has been very nice, considering the time of year.  We've had some sunny warm days, as can be seen in the photo below.

As I write these words, the sunny weather has disappeared at least for today, but I'm sure some more sunny weather will be on the way.

Dora-dog has had a hair cut since my last visit, but short hair or long, it doesn't have any impact on that perpetually cute face.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

ANOTHER DAY IN CADBORO BAY

 POST # 680

Ah, those were the days.  When I arrived here, the sun was shining every day, which at this time of the year, in this location, is probably the exception to the rule.  And even though, in the last couple of days, the clouds have arrived, there hasn't been any precipitation at all.

When I looked out the window today, it was cloudier than ever, and I had to make the assumption that sooner or later, there would be some rain.

When Blanca had woken up, and crawled out of her bed, I mentioned to her that today we may have to suspect some rain.  She listened to what I had to say, and then she reacted to the news.

After she had recovered from the news, we headed out on our morning walk, part of which takes us along the beach here at Cadboro Bay.  Today the tide was as high as it has ever been since my arrival, but we still managed to have enough beach to walk along, as we enjoyed our stroll.  So far, the rain had held off.

Eventually, we returned home, and it wasn't long before Blanca had taken up one of her favourite places to relax, and recover from the morning's exercise.

And it was during this time, that a few sprinkles of rain started to come down.  But as I write these words, the rain has disappeared, and we are left with just a cloudy sky for now.

This will be my final post from my current location, as I will be leaving here this weekend.  As always, it has been a real treat to be here with Blanca, and if the opportunity arises sometime in the future, I would be more than happy to spend time with her once again.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

HOTEL BLANQUITA

 POST # 679

It was a sad looking Dora-dog last Friday at the train station, knowing that soon I would be boarding the Amtrak train and heading back to Canada.  But hop on the train I did, and moments after this photo was taken, I was travelling to my next house sit.

Thankfully, it was a spectacular day weather wise, and I am always very grateful when that happens.  The sky was blue, and the sun shone brightly all along the way.

Arriving at Pacific Central Station in Vancouver was only the first part of the journey, which was followed by a couple of Skytrain rides, and finally a long bus ride to get me to the ferry at Tsawwassen ferry terminal.

The ferry arrived just as the sun was setting, and before long, we were on our way to Vancouver Island.  Destination, Hotel Blanquita.

Well, not really Hotel Blanquita, but a home in Cadboro Bay, where I have been on numerous occasions.  The owners sometimes call their four legged friend Blanquita, even though she goes by the shorter name of Blanca.  I happened to be watching a movie the other night online, and lo and behold, the hotel sign featured above came into view.  What a coincidence that this would happen at my current house sit.

But here is Blanca giving me the look just after my arrival.  You might not be able to tell from the photograph, but she is always happy to see me, and the feeling is mutual.

The weather has been spectacular since I arrived on January 16th, and it's looking good for the foreseeable future.  Considering just how much rain we have had on the West coast lately, it is a real pleasure to see that orb shining brightly on a daily basis.

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And as is my habit, I always have to mention my dear mom in today's post.  One hundred and ten years ago today, in the little village of Empress Alberta, she arrived on the scene, and even though she hasn't been with us since 2007, I think about her on a very regular basis.  We had a wonderful relationship, and I consider myself to be very lucky to have had her as my mom.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

STOP WHINING

 POST # 678

I don't like to think of myself as a whiner, however if in the future I find myself whining about something, then I will just remember this sign, and that should put me straight.  Every now and again, they have some memorable words on the sign as you enter Shelter Bay.

Perhaps it's a sign of the times, as there certainly seems to me that there are plenty of people out there whining about something or another.  They haven't had the good fortune of coming across this sign.

Dora-dog and I were on a walk into town when we saw the sign.  Our journey continued as we walked  over the bridge, on yet another grey, but at least not rainy day.

As I think I have mentioned before, this walk takes us about one hour and twenty minutes give or take, depending on just how many stops Dora-dog has to make in order to check her "pee mail" as it were.  Today's walk was somewhat longer, as she had more places than usual to sniff, and in addition to that, there were some new four legged friends to say hello to along the way.

Along the journey, Dora-dog looks up at me with that smile on her face, hoping that she may get the occasional treat.  And how can I look at that face and say no?  I like to convince myself that the energy that she is burning up on our walk is more than enough to compensate for the extra calories that the treats provide, but perhaps that's just me trying to justify my action.  

We will have an opportunity to enjoy this same walk over the next couple of days, and then on Friday, I return to Canada to begin my next house sit.  It's always a sad day when I have to say goodbye, but as the sign reminds me, don't whine about the road I am on.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

2026 HAS ARRIVED

 POST # 677

2026 has arrived, and so far it has been windy, wet, grey, and gloomy, almost the entire time.  At least that has been the situation here in Washington.  As can be seen from the first photo, the wind was strong enough to blow over this tree, and many others like it.  I thought it was rather interesting how the tree managed to fall exactly between the double trunk of the tree next to it.  

Of course trees weren't the only casualty from the recent weather.  The neighbour's fence has certainly seen better days for sure.

 Sometimes the rain is a blessing, as it produces a lovely effect on this tree.  It's like a bunch of little diamonds hanging in suspended animation.  

And in spite of all the wind and rain, somehow, I have managed to get Dora-dog out for a couple of walks each day.  By the time she arrives home, she's ready for a well deserved rest.  And she has many places where that can take place.

So it has been a grey and gloomy start to 2026 in more ways than one.  Mind you, if you're Dora-dog, each and every day is an exciting new adventure, and perhaps that is some dog wisdom that could be very helpful for the humans of this world.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer