Canadianized

If, like Ralph and Debbie, you've traveled to Nanaimo and spent a few days with us, you'll likely have met our friends Cécile and Richard, whom Bruce affectionately calls "the Dutch Kids," despite the fact that Richard wears an Old Dutch cap given to him for his birthday a few years past. 

While both are incredibly nice people, Cécile represents all those things that you want to be when you make up your resolutions at New Year.  Active, a good cook, a thrifty person, and quite beautiful, she is a 'granola,' sworn to making us all conscious of the small things we can do to safeguard our planet for the future.
 
Richard himself is quick to laugh at himself or at you, and his grin lights up the room.  He's bent on becoming a redneck and so we encourage him in these endeavors, because .. as former Albertans .. we have familiarity with the subject, and can offer opinions with some authority.  As of this writing, Richard is still attempting to bag his first bear.   An environmental engineer dedicated to cleaning up the planet, he shares Cécile's tendency to granolaness.

This year marked their third in their new country, so they tossed a party on the property they've been lucky enough to rent.  It's a sunny beach home that is a bit worn at the edges and the large sunroom lets in rain during the winter months, but it has charm. Dutch doors!!  Very appropriate for these two.  And the scenery is always interesting.

Wooden clogs or small boats?  Richard's shoes are well worn, either way.

Our invitation arrived via email with this bit of fun attached

Bruce and I both attended the party Saturday evening and were fortunate enough to be invited again the next day to kick back and help them clean up the leftovers from party night.  It was certainly our pleasure.  I took lots of pictures to show you that, with enough money or luck, you might also be able to live like this.

This rooster was given to Bruce by Doug for a Stampede party we threw;
it made its way back for some other occasion, and now -- regifted again --
sits as a welcoming sentinel in the front of Richard and Cécile's house.

Foxglove to the side of the house brighten up a concrete retaining wall

Roses bask in the sun and heat at the front of the house.

The transition from side yard to back yard takes you across a footbridge that crosses a small
pond home to an impressive collection of water lilies.

There is nothing quite like a relaxing glass of wine
while watching the water

The shoreline immediately below the yard is partially theirs, partially public access to the ocean. These bushes hide a
family tossing a stick for their dog and enjoying a picnic on the beach.  You can pick up loud chatter from below when the
wind is right, although normal conversational levels cannot be overheard

On a clear day, you can see the mainland quite clearly.  There are so many shades of blue here, its hard to name
or even count them all!

The sun brings out the boaters and Sunday afternoon was exceptionally nice .. sailboats, pleasure craft, speed boats,
fishing boats .. we saw them all.

Although the fawn that ran through the partiers on Saturday
evening was on his own business, these little guy was hoping
that we'd take our eye off the table for just a few minutes.