Oh Canada!!

Roger and I have been fortunate enough to see many wonders of the world, but I think the west coast of Canada has to be one of the most wonderous.

I've been exploring the island for the last two months, and can't wait to have Roger join me. The test phase of the Australian project ended well, and he will be here within the next week or so.  Did I say I can't wait?

In late January I flew to Calgary for a quick visit with my 94 year old godmother, and somehow felt like I was flying home when I returned to the island.

The beautiful Rocky Mountains

Vancouver Island on a sunny January day

I stayed in a small condo in Parksville for a couple of months and loved the close proximity to Rathtrevor Beach.  Our friends Jodi and Paul Ikert, and Barb and Rob Perry (who have all retired out here from Calgary) have been very good at making sure I'm not lonely and have shown me around the area.

People have asked if I found the rain hard to take.  There is no doubt that some days seemed to be "50 shades of grey", but on the same hand, there were just as many shades of green.  I probably only had to put my hood up six times, and the rest of the showery days were that - just showers.  I only saw -2C one morning and never had to use a snow brush.  I joked that I thought my car's thermometer was stuck on 6C.   I could walk without worrying about slipping and falling and although I haven't golfed here, loved seeing people on the courses no matter what the weather held that day.  So to answer the question:  No, I'll take it over snow any day.

For all our friends who slog through snow and ice during the winter months, the following pictures were all taken in January and February!

Beach at Parksville

People bike and golf year round here

Three weeks ago, I met a friendly woman at aquasizes and within five minutes of meeting me and hearing my story, she asked if I would housesit for them while she and her husband spent a few weeks in Arizona!  I laughed and said she was obviously an excellent judge of character, and after meeting her husband, we all agreed it would work out for all of us.  I moved in yesterday to their beautiful home in Qualicum Beach and will be here for the month when we then head to Seattle and Idaho.

Jodi and I went for a 90 minute walk yesterday along the sea wall at Qualicum and then just three blocks from the beach we hiked through a beautiful forest.

We've been friends since our kids were toddlers and I love have a walking partner!

Daffodils blooming in February

Cherry blossom trees are blossoming!

Qualicum Beach. Snow is where it should be -- on the mountains!

 Just three blocks from the sea wall is a beautiful forest with a great walking path.

Moss covers everything

We saw sea lions but none were close enough to get their pictures taken

Posing for the camera

I can't wait to show Roger around and no doubt he will be itching to get the boat in the water.  I'd like us to take kayak lessons and there are so many ways to get and keep fit here; something we really want to do.

Oh Canada!

For the last eight years KinleyTravels' masthead used the Mark Twain quote, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."  

I think we have definitely lived up to this quote, but I am ready to return to the safe harbor.  It's time.