Just a thought… We’ll be in the mountains, getting lost and feeling found. [John Muir]
Today for so many, it’s back to…everything. Here, it’s back to us.
As September gets rolling and Rob’s hockey calendar soon fills up (even at 71, a goalie’s work is never done) I felt a sense of panic that we hadn’t gone away together this summer to see more of the beauty that surrounds us.
Yes, I had my travels: to Kelowna in June to visit with Dad, and then back there to central BC to spend time with sister Leslie in a yurt. Last week I returned from a brief trip to Ottawa where I was asked to spend time with the kids while their folks went away; Colin’s championship baseball game (which his team won after barely squeaking into the playoffs) changed all the plans and everyone stayed home. I ended up feeling more in the way than of use, but I soaked in every minute with the little ones that I possibly could. And thanks again to Porter, it was a seamless trip.
Oh, and I have an INCREDIBLE small world story to tell you on this Thursday’s Gracefully and Frankly episode – it’ll be Ep. 142. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts (or just Google how to listen) and you won’t miss it. And, of course, it’s free.
With summer in its waning weeks, Rob and I got busy booking a last-minute road trip and it begins today! Please do drop by my Facebook page for pics and updates. Today we are on the 8 am ferry to the mainland, then go on to Kelowna and stay overnight at little sister Leslie’s house.
Tomorrow we drive past where we yurted (if that’s a word) in Sicamous and on to Revelstoke, on the BC/Alberta border. We’re booked into a cabin there – Rob, Dot, Livi and me – for two nights of resting and exploring the mountains and the area, and then we’ll be heading to Kananaskis, the gorgeous area that is east of Canmore and nestled in some of the most picturesque places on Earth. You can BET I’ll be filling my phone with shots, and sharing some with you, too.
We’ll hit Revelstoke again on our way back to the ferry next week, and stay another night there before one night in Merritt and back home by ferry on Tuesday evening. I’m looking forward to reconnecting in different locales with Rob, who I sensed wasn’t quite ready for the tenting experience. But next year, for sure – and right here on the island!
So, my friend, after a gently-paced summer with picture perfect weather here in Sidney, BC (and stressing over a house that still hasn’t sold…sigh) we are setting our maps for EV chargers, and heading to the province of my birth, Alberta. Ideologically (i.e. book bannings and paying for vaccines) I don’t recognize it anymore, but my heart yearns for the Rockies and the splendid sights around which I spent my summers with my rural Albertan grandparents.
I won’t be taking Dad’s ashes or headstone yet; 2025 is not yet engraved on it, so it’ll mean another road trip back to Alberta. I’m grateful to have a reason to look forward to one. May your week be good, and a special “coffee mugs up” to former teachers, bus drivers and all educational employees (plus crossing guards!) who are breathing a grateful sigh today to be sleeping in as I do every single day.