What a year!

I described 2016 as one fraught with drama, medical emergencies, death and enough stress to snap my crayons.  2017 has been (for the most part) the polar opposite with new beginnings, adventure, fun and joy.

In October, we welcomed Brad, Anette and Magnus to our new home.  We bought Magnus a bike to have on hand whenever he visited, and he quickly got the hang of it and happily cycled around the community.  Brad and Anette went to Tofino with friends for the weekend, so we kept him busy and had a great time keeping up with a four year old.

We took Magnus to a store to fill up a Samaritan's Purse shoe box, explaining he would be buying gifts for a little boy who didn't have anything.  It was a learning experience for him and touching to see him decide what to buy.  There were, of course, cars chosen but also useful items like combs and toothbrushes.  

Magnus loves going to see the Goats on the Roof market at Coombs, made even more fun by the opening of Billy Gruff's Donut Shop this year.  He chose a peanut butter, jelly and chocolate one which he ate with great gusto!

He was in heaven

When Brad and Anette returned from Tofino, they treated us to lunch at our favourite restaurant, Cuckoos.

Our last camping trip in late October was to Rathtrevor Beach in Parksville.  As I took this picture we heard the tell tale "grunt" of nearby whales .  Sure enough, we saw their blow spouts and saw them glide through the glass-like water.  It doesn't get much better than that.

We also welcomed Kathy and Randy Cardon who spent a few days with us in late November.  The weather wasn't ideal, but we still managed to take them to sights they hadn't seen on previous trips.

Englishman River Falls was roaring after all the rain

We decided to host a Christmas Open House - our first since 2006.  Roger set up the garage (or Man Cave) as the bar, and we welcomed 28 neighbours and enjoyed every minute.

We headed to Bothell, Washington to spend Christmas with Brad, Anette and Magnus.  And what a magical time it was with Magnus in total Santa mode.

Roger and I were treated to an early Christmas present by being taken to a spectacular brunch at Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian restaurant close to Brad's office.  If it is possible to have a food hang over --- well, we had one.



After brunch, we went to Valve and toured the offices they just moved into.  Holy Toledo.  I remember working for a division of Dome Petroleum in the late 70s and being impressed when there were cookies provided in the coffee room. 

Reception area

Most floors have food stations including a sushi fridge, a smoothie bar on the Fitness floor, catered meals,  and candy and healthy snack stations.  

The "Sulking Room" complete with Netflix, games, magazines and comfortable furniture to turn your frown upside down.

Roger had never seen such an incredible fitness facility --- including individual rooms for personal trainers, massage therapists, yoga, and group classes.  And the views are incredible.

Every company provides these perks, right?

Families are welcomed to come so there is this amazing play room, and a nursing room complete with everything I'm sure I wished I had 35 years ago.

It was really wonderful seeing Brad's work environment and knowing how valued he and other employees are.  At times like these, I'm always reminded of the conversation I had with Brad when he was in Grade 8 and said he wanted to be an animator.  I asked him if he could make a living at it, and he said he thought he could.  He certainly has and we love to exclaim, "BFA for the win!"

After a fun filled Christmas Day with a fabulous home cooked dinner, Brad and Anette headed on a 3 night getaway in a lodge near Leavenworth, Washington.  They bought us tickets to a children's play, as well as time at a ceramic painting shop to keep us busy with Magnus.

We enjoyed seeing Mr. Popper's Penguins!

The boys were very intent on their art projects!

LEGO is one of Magnus' favourite past times, so RaRa was kept busy helping him build some of the sets.

It was a winter wonderland for Brad and Anette --- they tobogganed, went snowshoeing and had a relaxing time together. 
I love this photo of them!

We came home on December 30th in time to get ready for another new chapter in our lives.  With the desire to stay closer to home and put uncertainty about visas and drilling contracts behind us, Roger sent a proposal to our strata to bundle all the contracts for landscaping and maintenance together - and he got the job!  

So, starting January 1st, our home will also be "the office".  No commute, active lifestyle, and the ability to actually make plans --- a first in nearly 40 years of marriage!  Qualicum Landing is like the Idaho property - but on steroids.  My money is on Roger in making this work and he is pumped about buying tractors and other equipment these days.  

We both feel we're too young to fully retire, so we'll make it so it balances the work and a lifestyle we want.  One of my first jobs out of high school was doing landscaping for a condo company in Calgary, and I used to mow the lawn in Idaho, so I've also been hired! 

Pictures of Roger's new "office".....

Once again, not being afraid to make changes in our lives and thinking outside the box has led to the beginning of another new adventure.  As usual, Roger had the idea and vision, but I've happily jumped on the bandwagon.  We're excited -- energized --- and ready!

Our wish for those who stop by and read our blog is to have a healthy 2018, the spirit to take a different path and the love that makes everything possible.

"You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."
                                                                                               C.S. Lewis

Big, Beautiful British Columbia

In 1964 British Columbia adopted the slogan "Beautiful British Columbia" for its license plates. Well, I think the time has come to really capture the essence of this province's grandeur and ratchet up the adjectives.  A morning sky can be "beautiful" --- but some of the scenery we've seen in the last month defies such a mundane word.

Another revelation is that there is life after boating and it's been fantastic exploring the island with our trailer.  Just 30 minutes from our home is Englishman River Falls.  We've passed the sign for it a hundred times and after a recommendation from friends, decided to go there for a couple of days.

The campground was quiet as a church and smelled of fir trees that stood so tall, they formed a canopy over our trailer.  We went for walks and could hear the water falls long before we saw them.  Even with the water levels being low, the falls were still impressive.

We were invited to a pancake breakfast at our clubhouse on the Sunday morning, and because we were close by, we got to enjoy the gathering and meet more of our neighbours.  We are constantly amazed at how many people that live in Qualicum Landing are from Alberta; many bought years ago in preparation for retirement and are now in the process of "living the dream".

Last week we headed west to Tofino; a place that is one of my favorite spots on the island and one I've never seen in the sun.  Until this time.

It was glorious.  Our campground made all other campgrounds pale in comparison.  Located in a pristine forest overlooking Long Beach, we could hear the waves crashing from inside our trailer.  A short walk led us to the expansive beach with miles of shoreline to explore.

Green Point Campground in the Pacific Rim National Park

Long Beach is aptly named

Huge clumps of kelp and sea onions spotted the beach

The campsite was really private and the trees even more majestic than our last campground

With fire bans finally lifted, we could have a real campfire while drinking gin and tonics

Morning light shining through the trees

Tofino's marina

There is a great vibe around Tofino.  Top knots, surfboards, Aussie accents, and words like "gnarly" pepper conversations and paint a picture of a community borne of adventure and young people communing with nature.

A surfing competition was held at Cox Bay so we sat on a piece of driftwood and caught a few rounds of the action.

Watching the sun set from one of the campground's lookout points

A rugged bay in Ucluelet.  The black rock reminded us of the Big Island, but without the palm trees

Happy days.  I'm not sure why I try and take all the selfies being that I have the shortest arms!

A trip to Tofino would not be complete without stopping by Tacofino for their fish and tuna tacos.  It's an iconic food truck where locals and tourists alike flock to a parking lot where it has been tucked away in the back for years without the benefit of traditional advertising or signage.  There were 50 people lined up when we were there -- good news travels fast and we again had a great lunch.

Tacofino started in 2009 and has now expanded to Victoria and Vancouver

It's been a great month of settling into our new home.  Roger has created a man cave in his garage complete with bar fridge, bar stools, his tools and a new rowing machine.  I don't think the chances are good that I'll be parking in it anytime soon.  But that's o.k. - you don't have to shovel rain.

So back to the license plate slogan conundrum.  I think the plates could read, "Spectacular British Columbia", or "Breathtaking British Columbia".  Anyway you slice it, the scenery I see every day is spectacularly breathtaking.

"The earth has music for those who listen."
                                                            George Santayana

Ringing out the old...and in with the new

I've come a long way.  Throughout September, I was asking Roger how he was feeling and what his heart rate was....well, let's just say I was asking him several times a day.  He was a good sport, and constantly reassured me he was feeling good -- in fact, better than August 27th - the day before the heart attack.

My family doctor took Roger on as a patient, and she was very surprised to meet such a healthy looking man who less than two weeks before had suffered a major heart attack.  She referred Roger to a cardiologist but a couple of weeks later, Roger experienced slight chest pains so I rushed him to Nanaimo General Hospital.

I went armed with his discharge papers from Idaho and they took excellent care of him while running a multitude of tests.  Fortunately it was determined he hadn't had another heart attack (the pain was residual pain from the heart attack around the heart's sac), and that the echo cardiogram showed that the heart was working well and another stent was not needed.  The cardiologist reviewed everything then told Roger to go live his life, and see him in a year.  It was like a "Get out of Jail Free" card.  We both started breathing easier.

The two of us made a conscious effort to eat better by loosely following the principles of the Mediterranean diet which focuses on fish, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, using herbs instead of salt, and getting lots of exercise.  Within 3 months Roger is down 30 pounds, and I am down 10.  The best part is it is a lifestyle change not a strict diet with lots of rules that are hard to maintain.  We still periodically splurge on some foods, but we're feeling so good that it is making it easier to stick with what's working.

We had lots of company this fall that came to see how Roger was doing, but I was lax in getting everyone's picture.  We welcomed Laurel and John MacPhail and his parents visiting from PEI; Roger's mom and sister; and Dwayne Majcher from Calgary who spent several weeks renovating a condo he and Annette recently purchased in Victoria.  As well, Roger's brother Jack, and his wife Siu, from San Diego were in Vancouver for a convention so we went over by ferry to spend a few hours with them.

We spent a sunny day in Vancouver with Roger's brother Jack and his wife, Siu.
Left to right:  Roger, Siu, Jack and Heather

Finding ways to get 10,000 steps in is a cinch.  I still pinch myself when I explore the beautiful parks and beaches in the area.

Driftwood on the beach

I've met a wonderful group of ladies who join me for aquasize at our resort's pool.  We try to go 2-3 times a week and we not only exercise, but we never run out of things to say or laugh about.

Left to right:  Victoria, Bernadette, Michelle and me.
Our aquasize group is named "MOA" which stands for Michelle Obama Arms!

Brad, Anette and Magnus flew to Japan for a three week holiday in October.  We picked up Obi on our way through Seattle from Idaho where we went to pick up our trailer from the property and brought it back to the island where we sold it the next day.  We had Obi for around five weeks and she had daily walks down to the beach and a park where she could run and play frisbee.  She is such a great dog and to us it is the perfect way of having a dog --- one that visits!

Tired after playing frisbee, Obi plopped herself into a puddle to cool off

A mom worries about her child no matter the age, so it wasn't surprising when Roger's mom, Madalene and his sister, Rhonda came for the weekend to see how Roger was doing.  We had a great visit and enjoyed going to Chemainus, a beautiful seaside village that is famous for its murals and theatre.  We saw the play, Hilda's Yard and loved it.

Clockwise from bottom left:  Roger's sister Rhonda, their mom, Heather and Roger at Cuckoo's - one of our favourite restaurants in nearby Coombs.

A big question we had was "would Roger be able to get travel insurance so he can continue working"?  Roger decided to find out, so called Pacific Blue Cross who had covered us so well.  We were relieved to find out that they would continue to cover him for 30 days at a time with a rider on the current policy.  It is as simple as calling before each trip, answering a few questions on his medical status, and letting them know what country(s) he would be going to. (We've since found the same coverage through BCAA that allows for longer stretches out of the country and as long as we sign up before we turn 60, no medical questionnaire is required since Roger has been stable for more than 3 months).

It didn't take long until the phone rang with a consulting job for him.  This time it was Jack, his brother who works for a geotechnical company in the States who asked if Roger could go to Costa Rica to help on a project that was having some challenges.   I was anxious saying goodbye to him, but knew I had to let him go.  It helped knowing Jack's son, Chris, was also working on the project, and that he would keep an eye on him. He's spent a few weeks there are he is scheduled to return in February.

Roger on the Atlantic coast of Costa Rica

While Roger was in Costa Rica, I brought Obi back to Brad, Anette and Magnus who had missed her.  I then flew to Kansas City to visit Roger's brother, Colin and his wife, Karen and their son, Cooper.  Roger had been looking forward to going too, but couldn't get away from the project.

Magnus did a fabulous job of introducing me to his teacher and classmates

Love this little boy to bits

I had a great weekend hanging out with Colin and Karen.  Cooper is attending University of Kansas but was able to spend part of the weekend at home.  He's come a long way from being a two year old who thought it was funny to silently hide behind curtains while I was babysitting him.  I was frantic that I had lost him and spent the longest 20 minutes of my life running through the house looking for him!  I've never let him forget it!

Left to right:  Cooper, Colin, Karen and me

Roger dodged Hurricane Otto and flew out of Costa Rica before it reached land.  While he was home we flew to Calgary for the Kinley Boomer --- a Christmas gathering that has happened for 131 years.

We rented a car through Hertz on points.  We couldn't believe it when the agent gave us the option of paying an additional $20 a day to have winter tires put on the 4X4 we rented.  Roger said, "It's Calgary and it's winter - and you charge for winter tires?"  In addition they charge $13.95 a day to add me as a second driver and then when we wanted to extend by one day, it was going to be $132!  We declined everything and have vowed not to use Hertz again.

It was a whirlwind five days in Calgary, and while we couldn't see everyone we wanted to, we were  glad to be able to have visits with:  Paul and Paula Williams, John and Laurel MacPhail, Colleen and Ed Walsh, Peggy and Bob Campbell, Kathy and Randy Cardon, my brother Russ and his wife Margaret, and two of my Auntie Elaine's best friends who I met for lunch along with Margaret.  

We stayed at Dwayne and Annette Majcher's home and had a blast.  We made plans to have them spend Christmas night with us, and for us to go to Victoria for New Years Eve.  Love having them spending more time on the island.

That weekend, we were reminded what Alberta winters are like when we drove home from the Boomer.  Luckily we left Calgary before the temperatures plummeted to the minus 20C range for two weeks.

The day after I got home from Calgary, winter came to Vancouver Island and it stayed for a couple of weeks which locals swear is unheard of.  It was hard finding a shovel to buy -- it is my third winter on the island and the first time I've needed to buy winter supplies.

The heavy, wet snow broke my beautiful magnolia tree -- I'm hoping it recovers in the spring.

This year I put my first Christmas tree in 9 years.  It was wonderful hanging ornaments that had been my parents, those we've collected on our travels, and ones we've given each other over the years.

Ready for Christmas!

Brad, Anette and Magnus spent Christmas in Calgary with the Wickenheisers, and we welcomed Annette, Dwayne and their daughter Nicole for the night.  We decided to do something very "un-Albertan-like" and take a backpack full of martini fixings down to the beach.  So fun to do and made for a memorable Christmas afternoon walking along the shoreline after having a cocktail looking out to the ocean.  Back at our cottage we had a traditional Christmas feast and then had a riotous evening playing "Mad Gab" which had all five of us in stitches.

Left to right:  Nicole, Heather, Roger, Annette, Dwayne

Toasting each other and so damn glad to be together

A first:  martinis on the beach on Christmas Day with good friends!

The following week we went to Victoria to spend a couple of days at the Majcher's newly renovated condo.  Dwayne did a superb job after gutting the place and truly made his mark on it.  Their location is fantastic --- within walking distance of the harbour, restaurants and shops and we had a great time.

We started off visiting Craigdarroch Castle built in 1890's for coal magnate Robert Dunsmuir.  The architecture is incredible and there are 32 of the original 47 stained glass windows in place.  It was well worth the visit.

Photo of Craigdarroch Castle
Courtesy: Craigdarroch Castle website

The castle was beautifully decorated for Christmas 

After a feast of oysters back at the condo, we headed down to the Harbour for the New Years Eve celebration.  There were lots of people but it was a great vibe and the lights were spectacular.  It makes us look forward to bringing our boat back to the Harbour when the weather warms up.

Victoria Harbour with the parliament buildings lit up in the background

Good friends Annette and Dwayne Majcher

We found a great outdoor patio with heaters, blankets and Spanish Coffees --- plus a ring side seat to the fireworks

To coordinate with the Canada-wide fireworks, Victoria's NYE fireworks were scheduled to go off at 9 p.m.  We were grateful we weren't in Halifax as they had to wait until 1 a.m.!

Back at the condo, we had more seafood and "warmed up" by the fire.  It was a great end to our holiday season with friends who are like family to us.

We are excited to head to Bothell on January 11th to celebrate Christmas again with Brad, Anette and Magnus.  A few days later we are flying out of Seattle to Belize to reconnect with friends, soak up some sunshine and do some snorkeling.  Hopefully Roger will get a good break before returning to work in Costa Rica.

While there was definitely a few rough patches and stresses in 2016, we are so very lucky to be well and happy as we usher in 2017.  The friends and family that shared the tough times with us are also there to share the good, and we count our lucky stars for that.

We're a bit older, a whole lot stronger and ready.  Bring it on.

"Life is like a camera.  Focus on what's important.  Capture the good times.  Develop from the negative, and if things don't turn out right - take another shot." 
                                                                                                         Unknown