Friday Funny

Vacation complete

I posted this yesterday on Facebook about mid-afternoon. "Three loads of laundry done, one more to go. Got my nails done, bought groceries, made my bed, did a few dishes, cleaned the cat litter, took out garbage. Huh, I guess the vacation is officially over."

Amazing how quickly one gets back into the routine of home....whether one wants to or not.  My son did a great job while I was away, he had kept the cat litter clean, done a load of dishes, and kept my flower containers watered.  I do need to get out there and do some dead-heading and mow the lawn and the house needs vacuuming.  He did do the basement so I only have the main floor to do.

But before I get back into the here and now I want to share a few more photos** from my trip.  The first two are for you, Kim, as I thought of you immediately when I saw it.

This is the new home my cousin B and her husband G moved into this spring.  It's a park model, just over 500 square feet of living space. It is a mobile home, but looks and feels like a house with drywall and siding.   It has a lovely front veranda, with a view of the mountains across the way.

I was so impressed with the interior as well.  You enter into the home into an open plan living room, kitchen and dining room.  The large windows on the right side are in the living room and dining room.  

The kitchen is well equipped, with a full size fridge and gas stove, a decent amount of cupboards, as well as a lower set in the dining room to act as a sideboard.  

Beyond this space is a nice sized bathroom with a large shower (the space would fit a bathtub) and it has a window as well (it is to the right of the dining room window).

Beside the bathroom is an alcove for the stackable washer and dryer.  Across from the bathroom is the side door entrance and beside back door is the furnace. Then finally, at the back of the home is the bedroom, which fits a king sized bed, a closet and built in dresser/cupboard. 

After living in an RV for 8 1/2 years, this new home is a welcome change for B and G.  They are living in a new development (you can see the owners home in the background) so there is still lots of construction going on.  There a few neighbours, all of whom are currently living in RV's. By the time all the work is done B expects there will be a dozen residents, some permanent and some who live there only in the summer.  

Shortly after they started building their shed (12 X 12 for storage) they discovered a momma bunny had made a nest and delivered a batch of bunnies.  We call them B's bunnies as she has been caring for both mom and babies.  The little ones recognize her voice and come when she calls to feed them.

Aren't they just adorable?  Unfortunately I don't expect they will all survive as there are hawks, eagles, and owls in the area, plus they live just off a busy highway. But perhaps they way they procreate, it is likely for the best.  

In fact, we suspect momma bunny recently gave birth to another litter.  This one is located a ways away from B's home in a pile of construction materials.  

I really enjoyed my visits with my cousins and uncle.  This photo was from our dinner on Thursday evening.

That's Uncle Gordon with his girl-friend Judy.  I'm to his right, with cousin B beside me, and her husband G beside Judy.  G's mom is next to B, and G's daughter S and her boyfriend are at the end of the table.  

Uncle Gordon is the last of his generation.  He's 84 years old, still golfing and bowling once a week.  He's an incredibly sweet man with a wicked sense of humour.  

Just how sweet is evident with the gift I received yesterday.  

I had been out shopping, when I arrived home I found a note on the front door from Flowers Direct informing me that a delivery had been made to my neighbour's home.

The note attached from Uncle Gordon, Judy, B and G saying they missed me already.  I shed a few tears....I miss them too!


And finally, I'll wrap up this post with one of the last photos I took on my trip.  After dinner on Thursday I headed back down to the beach to see the sunset.  What a way to end my vacation!

** For those who follow me on Facebook, you've seen most of these photos previously.  

:)

Short in time, long in memories

As I'm writing this, the sun is shining, the birds are calling, 16C and it is another wonderful day on Vancouver Island.  I arrived here last Saturday about 11 a.m. local time.  After picking up my rental car I made the trip to Parksville with my first stop at the local beach.

The tide was out and there were some clouds in the area, but it was still a beautiful day.

The park was filled with people (even though these photos don't show it).  There was a walk just ending as I arrived, several tennis matches underway, and numerous walking the boardwalk and out onto the beach.

From that moment I felt as if I was home.

 I've spent a lot of time with my cousin B and her husband G at their new home in Whiskey Creek (more on that later).  It is about a 15-20 minute drive from Parksville.  I've gone for coffee in the morning, returning around lunch time or shortly thereafter as B likes her afternoon nap.

On my way back one day I stopped in at Englishman River Falls.  The drive to the falls is not long, only about 10 kilometres off the highway, but it is a narrow highway with lots of winds and bends.

The trees are simply massive! They tower above, providing shade and the sunshine filters through.

I stopped in the parking lot and made my way up to the top of the falls.  There are marked paths that one can follow to go down to the lower falls as well.  I chose not to take the walk for a couple of reasons.

First, I'm not nearly as fit as I was after a month of walking when I was in Parksville in January 2015.  Second, my cousin warned me to watch for bear warning signs.  That freaked me out just a teeny tiny (a LOT) and I was worried about walking alone.  There were several walkers/hikers out but there points where I felt I was alone in the woods.

I did make my way part way down the trail to spot where there was another set of falls dropping into a large pool.  The lighting wasn't particular good for photos (and I don't know how to manually change the settings) but I think you can see the steam that was coming off the falls in the back ground.

I'm certain I'll be back someday, in better shape and with company so I can attempt the rest of the trail.  If there are any bears I'll only have to outrun that person. :)

It is a very beautiful spot and I'm so glad I had a chance to visit this time.  It was definitely too far to walk from Parksville - I've really enjoyed having a vehicle so I can explore a little further.








One evening I took a drive to Qualicum Beach to another beach area. There are several restaurants and small boutique hotels on the ocean side, and several condo units on the opposite side of the highway.

I took my book with me and in the late afternoon sunshine enjoying the weather.  I took a walk along the pathway to one and then to the other before returning to my hotel for the evening.



Yesterday, I had decided I would get up early in the morning and try to catch the sunrise.  Well, that didn't work because I hit snooze (twice!) and by the time I got the beach the sun was well above the horizon.  But that's okay because the beach was lovely at that time of morning.  There were only a few people out and about and while somewhat cooler than the day time temps, it was perfect for a walk on the boardwalk.

The birds were out in full force.  To the left is a sea gull - I think the lighting was off, which seems to who him with a white head. (My cousin E insists it is an eagle, but I'm doubtful).  G and B thought I had captured a shot of a blue heron but I'm almost certain this is a Sandhill crane.  I'll check with my younger brother when I get home...he's the nature enthusiast in the family.  If you have any suggestions let me know.

Finally is another of my favorite views from the beach of Mount Arrowsmith. Is it any wonder I want do live here?  I keep saying I'm living in a postcard.

Tomorrow I leave and I'm a little (a lot) sad about having to head back.  B has convinced me to come spend a week here at the end of June, beginning of July next year to go whale watching at Telegraph Cove.  I think the timing should work out well so I'll start planning for that early in the new year.

Well, should sign off and go enjoy the sunshine.  I've got more to share so hopefully will get another post up in the next day or so.

Take care and I hope the sun is shining where you are!

Friday Funny