Of ninjas and relatives ...

It was a dark and somewhat stormy night; I say 'somewhat' because we rarely get real lightning-bolt-on-black-skies-thunderboomers, so in all likelihood it was more of a grayish and sopping night with no real fireworks. I, on my way to write an update to my blog - complete with stunning pictures and witty commentary - was accosted by ninjas.  What the ninjas were doing in my house is somewhat of a story in itself, but to shorten the long and improbable story, they've apparently taken up residence in the sports closet under my stairs.  What's more, they are encouraging a population explosion in summer dust bunnies - you know, the ones with the darker coats.  I've just spent two months trying to outrun the ninjas and escape the dust bunnies.

There's no question that both have become somewhat of an issue to my getting downstairs to write.  I've taken to sleeping with a baseball bat. While I do that, the ninjas have encouraged the neighbor's cats to come visit as often as they wish. I know this because I'm pretty sure our cats don't have enough fur for the sheer number of dust bunnies roaming the halls late at night .. and I'm constantly chasing them out of our garden. Cats, not dust bunnies, although brandishing a broom at a dust bunny rolling through the shrubbery brings to mind a funny image. Usually the chasing is done in my pajamas at an ungodly hour of the morning (ungodly hours start with smaller numbers than 7:00) and I'm alerted to the presence of an enemy by frantic scrabbling at the window and huffing and puffing on the part of Murray and Mr. Tippy. Fortunately, they have not discovered that howling and meowling are a real thing. But there I am, sun not quite up, chasing a cat off my deck with hissing sounds, flailing arms and ungodly hair.

So yea ... obstacles to writing this summer.  I blame the ninjas.

I've been waiting for Aunt Sandy to send me pictures I took on her camera for their visit here in late May. My own camera decided to take the weekend off, but I did manage to get some photos before the battery packed it in.  Sandy may have not have a way to transfer pictures or the knowledge, but she may also have ninja issues of her own.  ::shrug::  who knows?

Late May in Parksville Community Park.
Sandy's first wish was to do some beachcombing in order to bring home driftwood and shells.
She and John posed for a picture against  the ocean backdrop .. looks like John
found something interesting just off camera.

Just to the left of John in the previous picture, some kids took advantage of low tide
to get a bright red kite aloft.

Sandy with some of her treasures.

The one that got away!

I couldn't take my eyes off this old building  at the edge of Black Creek Marina.  Unsure what style
you would call this, but interesting and spooky both seem to apply.  According to locals, the
building stands empty most of the year.

The first day on Vancouver Island, John learned to dislike the rainy weather in the same way that born-n-bred British Columbians do.  Driving around, wipers on high failing to keep up with the downpour, water splashing everywhere .. road signs obscured until you realize you've just driven past your turnoff .. yea, fun times.  Right John?  As a result, they found themselves staying in a hotel near a dodgy part of town, but the staff treated them like gold.

Next day, we were off and running for northern parts and beaches.  John and Sandy had a Three Hills friend who lived in Parksville, so we dropped in on them.  Sandy and I toured the home art studio while John caught up with his friend.  After a light sandwich and tea lunch, they took us down to Black Creek Marina where the wild driftwood grows.  Sandy managed to collect enough driftwood to make her Three Hills home look like a beach resort.  I took home a small collection of shells to clean and bleach overnight so Sandy could take home non-stinky souvenirs.

The day warmed up and we went to visit Goats On The Roof market in Coombs as a diversion on the drive home, where Sandy and I did a bit of shopping. I actually managed to get a picture of the goats, but at the last minute, they turned away and I was left with a shot of goat butts. You can thank me for not posting them.

Not a clue what this is, but gorgeous doesn't begin to do it justice.  It grew beside
the church across the street from the Goats on the Hill market.

The day after Parksville, I sent them over to Gabriola Island to sight-see without me getting in their way. I've always done the art tour and chatted with artists when I'm over there. Sandy and John simply spent the day wandering through shops and taking in the sights, so I'm glad they had the space to enjoy the day in their own way.  We had them over for dinner after the trip and were very careful about John getting too close to the cats, but they weren't bothering him.  Maybe next time, they stay with us!

John enjoying the sun and a glass of wine on our balcony.  

Next day was a big one ... we took a winery tour of the south central island, visiting Merridale Cidery, which I had to admit was my favorite of the day.  We also stopped three other estate wineries and managed to purchase something at each.  The Siegerrebe from Rocky Creek has proven to be a favorite of mine.

The pictures that Sandy has are from the winery tour.  Love to have them  Sandy, if the ninjas haven't put them up for ransom.

The  official "Yellow Door" picture.

All in all .. we had a wonderful visit and we are really hoping that the promise of a house to look after in a warmer winter climate than central Alberta will lure them here for a few months later this year.  I can guarantee rain though.  But as we Albertans say .. at least it's not snow!

More posts to come as I sort out pictures I've taken the last couple of months.

Gabriola Thanksgiving Artwalk

Thought I'd share a few pictures with you of our trek around Galiano Island.  I've already shared our experience with Bruce's allergies, but notwithstanding, we had a great time!

This piece was on display .. not for sale ... at one of the artist's studios.

We grabbed a coffee first thing when we landed on the island .. this was the first work of  art
that Bruce and Richard enjoyed.  It was in the parking lot beside the coffee shop.
You can see why boys fall in love with chrome on their vehicles.

The Dorothy, viewed from the wee loft in the workshop.  To the right, you can see the original
painting of the artcard I purchased, below.

 The Dorothy is Canada's oldest sailboat and she's being loving restored in the workshop of Art Grove. To see the full story and perhaps contribute to the documentary being shot during the restoration process, you can head over to dorothysails.com.  Under the stern of the boat was an area where a young Gabriolan entrepreneur was selling taste samples of his island-crafted beer and brewing up some return business.  Richard tried a porter and while I stuck with a more traditional amber.

I loved the bright orange on this boat and the simple style of the painting.

Céc was looking for a purse that she'd seen at another fair.   None of these came home with us
but the artist was generous in letting me take a picture of the colorful display.

Outside the studio of an artist whose work was done with a shopvac (I kid you not),
we ran into a delightful garden with a variety of little outdoor rooms

Lunch at Drumbeg Provincial Park.  Cécile packed a picnic!
At least, I think its Drumbeg .. could be Sandwell for all I know.  Have I mentioned I get lost
when someone else navigates?

Loved the front of this old van almost as much as the pontiac at the top.
Seems to me this old van could tell stories.  I'm still not sure what color it really is.

There's something about boobs that make men go silly.
These two are about to burst into a 12-year-old giggle fit.

Pretty little street

Although quite tiny, Coombs packs a huge punch as far as interesting pictures go.  Here is the last bit for you .. the actual shops and scenes along the street.

Like cheerful kites and flags, the clothing in Coombs draws your eye and pulls you in.  Bev and I spent a few wistful and wishful moments basking on imaginary tropical beaches and patios wearing some of these summer dresses.  I'm not sure about her vision, but mine also had a tiki drink with a little umbrella.  I think its important to keep perspective on important vacation details while daydreaming.

This last one shows that even in the heart of British Columbia bohemia, you can still find Alberta pajamas.  Ha ha ha .. I actually thought of my brother George.  Wish he knew how to operate a computer because I could find grand new ways to tease him.

Bring your wallet

Although the grocery store is the prime draw for the tourists, a thriving little street of Bohemian shops has sprung up to support the need for touristy trinkets to take home.  In amongst the jewellery and clothing shops, you'll find puppets, statuary, fudge, dreamcatchers, wind chimes, garden accessories, oriental furniture, plants, pottery and produce.

Goats on the Roof

Today, I grabbed Bev and took her off to a little town named Coombs .. about a 20 minute drive north of Nanamio.

A small touristy area off the main highway on the way to Port Alberni or Tofino, its main attraction is a grocery store.  

While the interior of the store boasts some non-standard food ... a lot of imports from China, Denmark, Holland, India and a batch of catch-all tourist items like t-shirts .. it's the exterior of the building that has made the town somewhat famous.  Built with a sod roof, you can sometimes catch the goats out grazing.  Or perhaps, playing up to the tourists in the hope of getting a handout.

I have a ton more pictures to show you, but I thought I'd break them into smaller posts .. I've been guilty of some pretty large downloads for some of you.

Playing hookey

Today, my friend Cécile and I goofed away the entire day.  We started early  .. as it turns out, we both began by checking emails, working our way through responses and a steaming hot cup of morning tea.  We'd planned to meet up at 9:30 or thereabouts, knowing that Cécile has a penchant for having her own notion of time that doesn't always coincide with .. you know .. world clocks.

We drove off to have the quintessential girl day ... time at the spa and lunch after.  Tigh-Na-Mara Resort is the perfect marriage of log cabin and seaside chalet with high-end services.  If you get a chance, I highly recommend a visit there.  It was here, while sitting out on our balcony one late September night, sipping wine  and watching a cruise ship slowly moving up the strait, that Bruce and I made the decision to move to Vancouver Island. We'd found a chunk of paradise we wanted to hold onto.  So I guess I'm rather partial to the place.

At about 1:00, we emerged from the spa with fresh rosy faces, completely relaxed and .. hungry.  We headed around the corner to a small sushi place that Cécile knew, only to find that they were closed Wednesdays.  I guess business must be good when you can run a restaurant that is only open from 11am to 7:00 pm every day but Wednesday, when it doesn't open at all.

Since we were around the corner from the beach front park, we headed there, with the ice cream concession in mind .. only to discover that the sand carving competition had been recently completed and they were taking donations to view the completed works.    I really like this part of the Parksville Beach  Festival .. competitors come from all over the world to to carve up the local sand.

This one took first prize for a work done by a solo artist

A cup of tea .. loved that splash

Bruce .. another practical gift of a heart of stone.
Or sand .. whatever.

Not really too sure about this one, but man, that font work is great.

This one made me laugh .. and think how much my brother Jamie would love it.

The sculptor of this entry hailed form Europe

Not sure what this represented, by I thought it well crafted

This took 2nd place for the group work (you can see first place in the background).
The next two pictures show different views of the same piece

Add caption

After the sandcastles, we took in a Vietnamese lunch in Nanaimo at Huong Lan Restaurant.  The service was amazing and even at 2:30 in the afternoon in a somewhat sleepy strip mall, business was hopping.  Food was pretty good too.  Cécile had her first bubble tea and decided that perhaps tapioca bubbles were not really the thing she most wanted to find in her drink.  I whole-heartedly agree.

All in all, it was a pretty amazing vacation day.