September 21, 2026Monday, September 21, 2026

Just a thought… Here is the ghost of a summer that lived for us. Here is a promise of summer to be. [William E. Henley]

Hello! As we get set to welcome a brand new season tomorrow evening, my thoughts are with the final days of summer and how we spent them returning my dad to his roots, and getting back in touch with mine.

Last week I told you about the latter half of the trip from Sidney, BC across the water and the mountains to the Calgary area; this week, as promised, I’ll go back to the beginning.

We dropped Dottie and Livi off at our friends Susan and Steve’s house. Their cat had a week to warm to the pups, but she never managed to. Maybe them taking over Charlie’s bed (when we even sent their own) didn’t win them any brownie points!

Once we got to Kelowna the next day, I ruffled a few feathers, but for a change, it wasn’t my sister’s! I think it may have been the first time I ever held one of these:

Little sis Les has two chickens and they have just begun laying eggs. (She had a chick who grew into a rooster, but he was adopted by a man who needed one for his hens, so little Gladys/Gladiator is living out their best life now.)

We met Les’s feathered family while stopping on our way east. Thankfully our entire trip was smoke and worry-free; this year we timed it just right. Of course, our convenience is at the very bottom of the list when it comes to the concerns of those affected by and those fighting fires in the heat of the BC summer, and we are grateful.

Here are Leslie and I, both dressed by my Gracefully and Frankly partner Lisa Brandt: she gave me this Namaste In Bed t-shirt as an early birthday present, while she made the Queenagers t-shirt for our podcast listeners to purchase (at GracefullyandFrankly.com). Les loves hers.

As usual, our visit at Leslie’s wasn’t long enough, but we had places to go and things to do. We spent the night at Boulder Mountain Resort, where we’d rented a cabin last year. But this time, it was a geodesic yurt and it was terrific! I have a video I’ll link to, giving you a tour, at the end of today’s journal.

As always, the scenery tugged at my heart – feeling that deep sense of connection to the Rockies that had served as the backdrop for my fondest childhood memories when, no matter where my dad was posted in the military, I was allowed to stay with my grandparents in Turner/Diamond Valley. On our way home, we were greeted by this breathtaking sight. No AI, just AWE.

And now we settle in at our still-new-to-us cabin on Pender Island, making two- or three-day trips by the 45 minute ferry ride to our home in Sidney. Rob’s hockey season is in full swing, while this week we have an appointment for Miss Livi to be spayed. She’s not at all uncomfortable in her sleeper, which we tried on her the other night.

I’ve often said to Rob that Dottie embodies my inner exuberance, but Livi’s more like my reality, minus the coffee!

May your autumn be one of peaceful reflection and the soul preparation that comes with the shift into whatever lies ahead towards the end of the season. As always, we’re grateful.

Click here for our little tent adventure. It was Rob’s first yurt stay and if we can find more like this one, it sure won’t be his last!