Sister Act Day Seven and Eight and a Quarter

Arrivaderci Campbell River and Mike and Sue.  On the road by about 8am after coffee and toast and headed south again towards Nanaimo and the ferry across to the mainland.  The weather was awful, water puddling on the highway and driving challenging.  None the less after just one fuel stop and relatively traffic free highways we arrived in Nanaimo with plenty of time to spare to catch the 1030 ferry.  The Queen of Coquitlam sounds like a drag artist but is, I can assure you a large hulk of a ferry.  BC Ferries are dab hands at boarding and we were all enjoying coffee in the coast cafe by the time the Klaxon sounded and we were on our way.

We sat in the comfy chairs facing aft and attempted the Globe and Mail Crossword.  Three clues escaped us but with the aid of internet two were solved later in the day.  Sitting in these comfy chairs and whiling away a couple of hours is a good time to reflect on some of the stuff put to one side with the week almost done.  Champ now has two very firm friends and the no sitting on the sofa rule has been disposed of.

Both ends of the sofa in the loft were now open season and the cats also muscled in on this flexibility in the animal control regulations.  But then as cats they would anyway.  Our property is open house for neighbouring dogs and it is not unusual for four dogs to be hairing round the yard together.  Ryker is a black boxer from next door left and Morgan and Gus are respectively a Mastiff and some kind of snuffle hound from neighbours right.  (I realise there is no such thing as a snuffle hound but there should be in my book).

So our ferry arrived at Horseshoe Bay at 1210 and we were on the road back to Mission.  Cherie chirped up that she was feeling a little peckish and suggested we should look for lunch.  It was a perfect opportunity to experience the classic Canadian Burger joint, so we pulled into A&W in Maple Ridge.  The burgers are delicious, the onion rings amazing and the root beer according to Manda, toothpaste!!  A very welcome stomach filler in any event and then to the last 20 minutes ride to home.  We called in at the Canadian Superstore to pick up a few bits and pieces and then up the hill home.

Of all the things to do on our list some had to fall by the wayside.  We just did not have the time.  The hot tub lid remained on; the firepit unlit, the ride on mower in the shed.  The air rifles owned by Reece and Marcus but left behind when they returned home last year for obvious reasons came into play and both Manda and Cherie took pot shots.  Very much a tradition drawn from the Burnt House Farm days as is so much of our life at home here.  If I were honest, of the things we missed the firepit and that smell of woodsmoke would have topped my list.  Had the weather been slightly warmer we might have cooked dogs over the fire and shmoors.  Hot dogs I hasten to add.  Next time perhaps.

Last night for the girls and obviously thoughts are to packing and adding goodies and gifts collected through the week.  We had gotten into the habit of giving in the week and the list of exchanges; the two way traffic was fun.  The girls are now both equipped with 52 survival strategy playing cards, Cherie has the Beer Can Chicken Kit and we will return to the store to get another one for the next visitor.  Two magnetic salt and pepper pigs have been exported to Wallington and Manda.  bed presents were squeezed into stretched cases.  Spike Milligan is on a new journey despite being dead for some years.  I told you he was ill!  Its his book I refer to. 

Being able to give the girls their own rooms and drawer space for the week was useful, being able to turn in when you want to rather than when the house dictates is a plus and when it comes to packing its easier.  Most folk would argue that 7 days is too short a time to stay when the flights each way are about 10 hours; the lag might prove that to be the case but in terms of getting plenty in we achieved so much.

The material stuff was all great fun but underpinning all of that was the family reconnection.  I'm sure we all took so much out of our time together and recharged.  Certainly we quelled some of the storms that had blown through our family in the past couple of years.

The evening was a farewell treat from Kim and I and dinner at the Mission Springs Brewery Restaurant.  We had an excellent meal; a number of beers and a very special visitor........Who's name will remain a secret at this point in time. 

A UK based press release is expected soon so watch this space.  We cabbed home; watched a couple of episodes of the hilarious Mrs Brown and then retired for the night.  The next day agenda very much about safely returning Manda and Cherie to Vancouver Airport for the flight home.

In the morning Bob Boast called in to bid a farewell and we then headed to Vancouver via the Laity Pumpkin Patch which was absolutely teaming with visitors.  I find the rise in popularity of this annual event a little disconcerting and perhaps a measure of how material our world has become.

The girls were delivered to YVR and hugs all round were the order of the day and to sustain us until the next time....and there will so be a next time, we have so much more to do and say..........Manda had the last word leaving a card and a book in our top drawer.  Serious Senior Moments...I happened to comment on the book earlier in the week and lo and behold here it was.  Guess I better read it before I have my own.....