It was a very colourful dawn-rich colours almost like a sunset. A few days ago the dawn swept in like blazing molten gold fire. I like how the sky and the weather changes all the time here.

Would have been nice to have more time, though, of course, that’s always the way it is.

I enjoy the whole process of traveling by ferry.  The views, the salt, the cold wind, the warm food, the weak coffee, the gift shops, the tourists, grinning, taking pictures, laughing, the puzzles and books, coats and music people bring to pass the time. I love watching the  dozers and dreamers, drowsing under the sun, and I love the boom of the whistle that announces the sailing, even though it used to frighten me when I was very little. I love the thrum thrum underneath me, that deep, industrial vibration, as the ferry nudges into port, the clang as it docks.   I love the stillness in the car anticipating, festive,  until we rumble off, and the adventure begins.

Salt Spring Island is full of wineries, gorgeous scenery, artists, potters and craftspeople, apples  and picturesque little towns. We stayed near Ganges, which looked all romantic against the golden late afternoon light, and got lost, but that’s alright, we were tourists. Thought it would be a great place to have a studio and explore personal creativity.

They also had no fish and chips shop on the docks where we had a 2 hour wait for the Victoria ferry, only a virulent vegan bakery, that offered (actually delicious) apricot-spelt bread, organic milk for coffee, but strangely no organic cream…

We did find a little restaurant that had unique, local art for sale on the walls, and coloured glass panels, as well as views of the  harbour, bobbing sailing boats and the docks where the ferry comes in. And the food was amazing.

Also learned about Golden Plovers, and how they journey from all over the world to a paradise in the Arctic, on one of the ferries, though I can’t remember if t hat was on the way back to Vancouver or on the way to Vancouver Island.

And in Jasper, we found this amazing shallow, sandy beach, with warm water. Everyone was stopping for a paddle at this unexpected treat. Mostly the water in the Rockies is frigid, as it’s glacier-fed, however, to make up for it,  the water also usually has a striking turqouise, green, or sparkling clear blue colour to it.

We also saw goats,  just chilling, and 1 elk, but the way the traffic was snarling and everyone was piling out, taking pictures, I thought there had been a naccident.

…You know, we should have visited the Merrydale Cidery, when we were on the Island and brought back a treat for the winter. Oh well, next time. It was good to see the old haunts, and eat Noodle Box. I had Barenaked Ladies “This is Where We Used to Live” echoing in my head…

Nova is a sweet-faced dog, but badly trained. I find it ironic that she is called Nova, as she is one of the meekest dogs I have ever known, and she thinks she is a lapdog, even though she is a big border-collie-blue-heeler cross. She has a long nose and short fur, tho she has the colourings of a collie.

I loved the way the apple tree burst into frothy white flowers a month or so ago. Bees were humming everywhere, and there were lacy white apple trees all up and down the street, as well as lacy white cherries. I can see where the flowers will turn into apples-maybe I will make a pie again, like I did late last summer. It rained on the weekend, big fat wet splashy rain, the best kind of soaker. I wandered the streets and splashed in the puddles like a big happy kid,under the night’s quiet summer chill.

There has been a parade of flowers: Tulips like fire; fruit trees in showy summer dresses; wine-dark purple irises; delicate chives; fragrant lilacs. The summer has started beautifully. There was some heavy wind in May, but the weather seems to have calmed down. (Watch, because I said this, it will be stormy and bitter tomorrow.)

They have turned the fountains on in City Hall, and at the Legislature. Saturday there was a colourful gay pride parade in the square, and the Saturday before that there was City Chase, and then Zumba. Everyone was so good-natured.

Maybe Edmonton is relaxing a little, or maybe, I have changed enough and healed enough that I can appreciate it a little better now.  I intend to do as much as possible this summer, and see as much as I can, and get out more often than not. Devon is wonderful company, and we are trying to plan some little summer adventures and roadtrips, mini breaks and weekends away.

That being said, not all has been bad. We have managed to get us a new bed, and it has done wonders for my health – It is amazing how many issues our old bed caused issues. Thinks have been picking up though.

Hasn’t felt like much has been going on otherwise. mostly recovery. Been watching a lot of sachrinetastic shows, playing through some old games. And lots of sleep…

I missed it. I’m taking photos of it as if it were some celebrity I’d heard of over and over, but only seen from a distance. Now I’m in the thick of it, and my eyes are full of stars at the prospect.

Happy New Year! We saw the fireworks, we clinked in the new year with vin rosy, we saw an eclipse of the moon. We wandered at night when the moon was a luminous ball of silver, so bright we didn’t need extra lights.

Devon and I saw Ice on Whyte, with Aaron, Christine and their friend. The weather was just great for it-not bitter and chilly, not disappointingly melted. We went at night when they’d turned all the illuminations on. Something about living in the northern hemisphere, we love our lights in winter.

The festival is more spread out this year, but simplified too. They had big snow sculptures arrayed in lights as well as ice like the clearest glass. Their ice slide was carved like a dragon, with the slide being its tongue, lit underneath in glowing volcano red.

One teenager picked up a hunk of ice flung from a carver’s chisel. He showed it to his friend who took it for himself-they wandered away with the first teenager complaining about the theft of the precious ice.

Devon posed in the ice maze for me, and we all trooped back to Aaron and Christine’s with chilly feet and “ICEONWHYTE” stamped onto the backs of our hands. We had a great supper-salad, sausage, and played “Betrayl at House on the Hill.” which is a cool board game where you make your own path. Sort of choose your own adventure plus wink murder plus clue. Fun!

Great day all around.

We went to Gina and Matt’s wedding in the middle of the month – beautiful ceremony out at Eagle Rock Golf Course. It was set against a small lake with a fountain. There was beautiful weather over the ceremony. The reception was also beautiful, aubergines and grays covered the room with these wonderful centre peices – tall, thin glass vases with wood and little flowers hanging from the sticks. We danced up a storm.

All in all we are glad to be back in Edmonton, we are getting ourselves well on track. Victoria was a nice vacation, and did treat us well. It was just not what we wanted.

Tomorrow is packed with a museum trip – Something I have been really looking forward to for a bit now. I have heard nothing but good things about the Royal BC Museum, and it has been something we have put off seeing for a long time. We will also be seeing the 2 latest IMAX films – We figure we might as well see them all before our trip.

Thursday we plan on going to Parksville and Qualicum for the day. We have been up there twice since we have been on the island, and I find it stunning. Before moving to the island, I have only experianced lakes, and rocky beaches. I love having the opportunity to walk along the sandy shores, that strech for miles.

On Friday Rhian and Alan will be flying out. I am looking forward to seeing them again.

Today we finally had the chance to go out and enjoy the bikes. I am glad to find that we didn’t lose to much of what we had gained from the bikes last summer. We had little issue with the hills. This time last year we would have never been able to ride like we did today.

We were out biking for close to 4 hours. we ended up going down to the rocky beach down in Oak Bay and sat on the beach for about half an hour, before continuing down the scenic rout down to Ogden Point (where the cruise ship launch from) We ended up down on Fisherman’s Wharf and having this wonderful meal of fresh local fish and chips, while the harbour seals played just bellow us.

The Wharf itself is an interesting sight, wonderful fresh local fish can be bought to take home, or eaten right on site, whale watching and harbour tours launch from there as well. The character of the building at the wharf was amazing. there were some 30 “floating homes” of all different colour, size and shap. Some ranging from little bachelor sizes homes to a massive 2 floor home with the roff as a large balcony. Definitely a sight to see.

All and all, we spent about 4 hours in the lovely 32 degree weather biking around this beautiful island. It was a wonderful day, and a real treat.

We saw one also, before, when we were playing Go on the peninsula. It was silent and smaller than I thought it would be. I almost missed seeing it because I thought it was a gull, there are so many that fly around, but it was darker, so then I thought it was a hawk, but then I saw its unmistakable “bald” head. Tres cool, because I’d heard there were a lot of them on the island, I mean, they even have a sightseeing package where you can walk along their known flight paths, but I hadn’t actually seen one prior to that. Reminded me of the vivid azure Peregrine Falcons that live on the roofs of some businesses in downtown Edmonton…not many people know THEY exist either.

On the UVic campus, they have all these domestic-looking and really cute bunnies, but I found myself comparing these adorable nibblers to the wild, long eared, long legged hares that range over Edmonton, and for some unfathomable reason I prefer those rangy boxing Alberta hares to the cute BC bunnies. I twitch whenever I think of that. Summer is ripening. May 1st was technically the first day of summer, we had no maypole, but there was no snow here;  we had strawberry milkshake pink and white cherry snow and  starry drifts of white daisies, and shocking electric purple violets clinging to drab cliffs. Now, the darker wild pink roses are starting to bloom, and hot orange and yellow flowers I have no name for, burning mini suns everywhere, and the leaves are turning a graphic glossy green, and all summer the blackberries will ripen and swell until they burst into crow-black, juicy berries to stain any mouth or stray fingers in the fall.

Storytellers have value. If they have the courage to use their voice, they really can change the world.

Every musician whose lyrics you never listened to, because you were caught in the beat, in  the cheery rhythms, every incomprehensible poem, abstract art piece, cubist painting, every dance, all these things matter. They are all stories, all songs, all art pieces, and performances and showcases, and lovely larger than life warm sustaining things; even the crazy hippy wailers, strumming their one string guitars in the rain and mist, wearing  bright colours and lovebeads, and wonderful hats, they have something to say too.

I can hardly believe that once, I used to try to make myself to be nothing, small, insignificant, when that’s so clearly just not where my heart lies.

Been a year since we moved here and we’ve both come so far and been through so much. I think there is much still to go though as we let go of the shackles of our old lives and see that we are stronger for it.

My view is full of green and fresh scents and flowers and beautiful sky. I can see layers of blue hills in the distance, I can smell the sea.

I’m enjoying this easy life with Dev, walking along a beach, or down the throat of the Goose, or just meandering wherever the road takes us, it’s good we have each other.