I have been remiss

We have had wonderful visits with Len and Yvonne and Clarence and Karen and, while internet was more easily accessible, we were having way too much fun to update the blog!

We left Tofino Friday morning - and again enjoyed the winding, hilly drive back to the east side of the island. Stopped in Cathedral Grove - a forest with some 800 year old trees and many 300 yea

r old ones. Learned that a "Qualicum" is a wind so strong that it can uproot trees and throw them through the air, which most recently happened in 1997.

Caught the 3:15PM ferry from Comox to Powell River, and Len was waiting at the dock to lead us to their home. We were greeted by Yvonne and their new golden retriever, Zoe, a beautiful dog they got from the rescue place in January. Had a few beverages and caught up on the family gossip on their deck, then Yvonne prepared us a delicious dinner - more wine after and spirited conversation - Len left us to solve the problems of the world, as he had to work on Saturday.

Saturday:

In the morning, Yvonne took Owen and me (and Zoe) to the Farmers' Market - a real "country" market with crafts, jams, oysters and lots of plants. There was an interesting booth - bookcrossings.com - that was giving away books donated by the library - classics, children's books, recent bestsellers. Each book has a registration number. You read the book (0r not) and can comment on it through the website. Then you "release" the book, either by leaving it where someone else can find it, or by giving it to someone, and you can follow its progress from one reader to the next through the website. We each chose a book - a trashy novel for me and a George Orwell one for OE. We will see where our books end up. If this interests you, you can also register your own book(s) on the website, and release them on their own journeys.

After the market, we took Zoe for a walk at Willingdon Beach and a play in the ocean, then went for lunch at a pub overlooking a lake, and then for groceries. Powell River has the motherlode of flavours of Chapmans icecream - Maple Twist, Strawberry Banana, Orange Pineapple, Tiger Tail, Chocolate Caramel, Mocha Almond Fudge....

I am moving to PR!!! Wiener roast and enormous bonfire on the beach with their friends Guy and Catherine and their B&B guests Keith and Elaine.

Sunday: Yvonne and Len made their guests, and us, a delicious Mothers' Day breakfast. Yvonne and I puttered in her garden until it was time to leave to catch the ferry. Zoe followed our van for a block - Yvonne says that means she like us!

We surprised Karen at her shop in Gibsons - thought Laura was goin

g to call them and warn them that we were coming, but she forgot! Anyway, Clarence and Karen seemed glad to see us. The boys took us out to a Greek restaurant near her shop for dinner and we had a great time catching up. They are really hoping to come to the wedding in August.

Monday: After another delicious breakfast, courtesy of Karen, we left to catch our last ferry, to the mainland. We decided to go back by way of Squamish and

Whistler, instead of through Vancouver and while S&W were unimpressive (maybe you had to be there for the Olympics), the rest of the drive was spectacular - even windinger and hillier that the road to Tofino with breathtaking scenery. We spent the night in a camground outside Lillooet - this time overlooking the Fraser River with nothing between us and the river but a sandy beach punctuated with giant black and red rocks.

View of our van from the beach