Wordless Wednesday – My Fall Fungi Fixation

On October 25, 2023October 24, 2023 By Widow BadassIn See the Beauty, The Great Outdoors28 Comments

I’ve come across so many Amanita mushrooms this fall. Never encountered these before. Now I am obsessed.

Rock on,

The WB

Kayaking/Glamping with Blogging Friends – Part 2

On August 25, 2023September 12, 2023 By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Retirement, Badassery, Good Times, Retirement, Sea Kayaking, See the Beauty, The Great Outdoors, Travel Badassery47 Comments

As mentioned previously, Joanne and I were invited to partake in a 3 day/2 night ocean kayaking trip by Jude. This happened the first weekend in August and we had a blast! Other than us 3 (who knew each other through blogging and are now fast friends), there were 5 others on the trip – all friends of Jude, who knew her from her academic life. Those folks, and our two fabulous guides made a contingent of 10 kayakers on this adventure.

Our two amazing guides from Majestic Ocean Kayaking: Jeff and the aptly named Marina! Learned so much from them. 💕

Captain Gary dropped us, the kayaks and all of our gear off at Moon Snail Beach on Dodd Island.

We each received a laminated map of the area, to carry with us while kayaking. X marks the spot we were dropped off (and later picked up) at Moon Snail Beach on Dodds Island. In the upper right (under Crawford Lake) is the location of the Broken Islands Lodge. Broken line indicates Captain Gary picking us up at the lodge and depositing us on Moon Snail Beach for our last day of kayaking.

Joanne and I in all of our kayaking gear (including spray skirt). I think Jude took this picture of us.

One of our first stops, at the tiniest of the Tiny Islands. That’s Marina (L) and Joanne (R) in the shot.

Joanne in her trusty boat (with Jude in the background).

Eventually we made it to our cozy, comfy lodge for the next 2 nights. Where we were amply fed and watered. Our boats in the foreground, awaiting tomorrow’s adventure.

Apres kayak. View from my Muskoka chair.

A young black bear came to forage at the lodge’s beach every morning.

Our mornings started out calm and foggy.

But soon enough, the fog lifted to reveal stunning views.

We took many breaks, allowing us to explore different islands and their beaches.

Jude and Joanne (and one of Jude’s friends) relaxing during one of our lunch breaks on yet another island.

Guide Jeff made sure we made it to Willis Island, to experience a giant cedar tree growing there. Jude in front of it.

I used panorama mode to try to capture the whole tree (and Joanne) in this shot.

I think I took this shot just before we headed into the roughest waters experienced yet, on this trip. On the last day. Some of our group were quite shook up by this experience (especially the newbies). Guide Jeff had said it was nothing we couldn’t handle, so I felt quite safe and enjoyed being tossed on the waves. ~~Was I too stupid to be scared?~~

I used my happy-birthday-to-me new GoPro camera to take some video and GoPro made me a short highlight reel. Yay!!!

The clouds and fog started rolling in on the afternoon of the last day, and it was perfect timing to load the kayaks (and ourselves) back on the boat and head “home”: to Majestic’s headquarters in Ucluelet.

And I wasn’t home too many days before this happened. Many thanks to our guide Jeff for giving me great advice on what type of sea kayak to look into.

Meet “Libelle” (lee bell uh). *Dutch word for dragonfly*.

I hope you enjoyed coming along for the ride on this fabulous adventure of mine (and Joanne’s and Jude’s). It was challenging and thrilling and contemplative and awe-inspiring and, and, and….it was a wonderful experience that I feel so grateful and privileged to have been a part of.

Rock on,

The WB

Kayaking/Glamping with Blogging Friends – Part 1

On August 22, 2023August 20, 2023 By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Retirement, Badassery, Good Times, Retirement, See the Beauty, The Great Outdoors, Travel Badassery41 Comments

It all started last January, when Jude casually mentioned in a Zoom call that she was booking a 3 day/2 night ocean kayaking trip in the Broken Islands for August with some friends and would I like to join their party? WOULD I?!? Is the Pope Catholic? Do bears poop in the woods? And most importantly: is it OK if I ask Joanne if she wants to join us?

The answer to all of the above was a resounding YES! (And a resounding HELL YES! came from Joanne as well 🤭.) Who immediately started researching flights to the island.

We had to be at Majestic’s headquarters in Ucluelet the night before, to get sized for our wetsuits and lifejackets so that meant booking an overnight stay in town.

Actually, we could not find a hotel, resort, AirBnB etc., that would allow us to book only one night so we had no other choice but to book for 3 nights at the Black Rock Resort. As one does.

It was quite the hardship 😉, but we screwed up our courage and made the best of it (including starting our visit with a trip to the Drift Spa, visiting the Ucluelet Aquarium, noshing at the iconic Tacofino, AND enjoying the most delightful restaurant meal I’ve ever experienced at Pluvio). Making lemonade out of lemons, ya know? 😜

Full moon view from the balcony (right before I scared Joanne to death as she independently decided to ALSO step out on the balcony at 2 am 😂).

View from the Wild Pacific Trail as the fog was lifting.

Joanne snapped this beauty from the side of the road in Ucluelet.

We made friends with the locals:

And then (in a heartbeat, or so it seemed), our time at the resort was over…and we were departing for the Broken Islands.

All of our group’s gear on the tarp, waiting to be loaded onto the boat.

To be continued…

Rock on,

The WB

The Sunday Schnauzer – Critter Fest At The Creek And Beyond

On July 23, 2023July 22, 2023 By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Bowser the Schnauzer, See the Beauty, The Great Outdoors39 Comments

It’s been very hot and dry here and the family has been walking to the ever-shrinking creek nearby, to cool off. When Bowzer’s daddy and siblings are involved, there will be critters found!

First up – a froggy friend getting a ride on Daddy’s shoulder:

Next up: a crayfish was found (and quickly released).

Bowser got brave and worked on his swimming skills (not his favourite activity, but needs must at times 😉). We were all very excited to see him actually swim ~~in case you couldn’t figure that out~~ 😂:

We went to our favourite tree, dubbed the Magic Tree. It seems a bit other-worldly, with all those exposed roots in the water. So many little fish love to hide and swim among these roots:

Bowser loves climbing on this tree to better watch all the water shenanigans.

Although Bowser is not a fan of swimming per se, he loves exploring the shallower parts of the creek.

Here he is, crossing the creek where it is shallow enough he doesn’t have to swim (always his first choice!):

We eventually made our way back home again, but it didn’t mean the critter fest stopped. Bowser’s big brother (henceforth to be known as The Snake Whisperer) found the most beautiful little snake in my garden. Who was quite content to wrap him/herself around his hand and observe us all. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree – just saying!

All this exploring and critter-talk makes a body tired:

We hope you have some fun this weekend, and also take time to rest.

Rock on,

The WB

A Badass Big (Fun, Exhausting, Perplexing) Trip

On February 23, 2023 By Widow BadassIn Adventures in Retirement, Good Times, Hmmm?, See the Beauty, The Great Outdoors, Travel Badassery70 Comments

Some of you may have surmised from Bowser’s ~~complaining~~ recent posts on ye olde blogge that I have been away on a holiday. Yes! For the first time since the pandemic started in 2020, I left Canada once again for Barbados. But first I spent a lovely bunch of days with my friend Joanne in Ontario. Who graciously lent me full use of her closet and laundry facilities so that I could travel with only carry-on luggage despite needing to dress for full-on winter as well as full-on summer temps.

My whole world is in these bags for the next 3 weeks.

Of course we hiked!

One of many exciting things (to me, anyways) we did while I was at Joanne’s was drop into her local library to get me a Toronto Public Library membership. I’ve been wanting one for years, ever since I saw what my Barbados buddy (CJ) could borrow online.

As a non-resident of Toronto, I had to pay (gladly) yet also appear in person in order to get my card. Which makes no sense to me…why couldn’t I just subscribe online since I am paying for the privilege anyways???? Why do I have to show up and prove where I live?!?! Just SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY. Hopefully now that I have the card I can renew online since the volume and access to digital items far surpasses what my local library has on offer.

All too soon my time with Joanne was over and I headed out to meet up with CJ, to catch yet another plane, this time to Barbados!

View from our patio. Our room was on the pool deck level of our hotel this year.

There is nothing like that first icy cold Banks beer. Taken at Mama Mia’s, the delightful Italian restaurant across from our hotel.

I immediately fell back into my Barbados routine of sunrise and sunset walks on the beach.

Moon behind the clouds on another early morning walk.

New this time: a decrepit, abandoned hotel along the boardwalk had been taken down and the property cleared for redevelopment. The privacy fence along the property has been turned into a beautiful, beachside outdoor art gallery. Which provided me with inspiration and additional food for my soul every morning.

Unfortunately, one week into our two week stay CJ needed to fly back home due to a medical emergency involving a family member. I offered to fly home with her but she wouldn’t hear of it. (Thankfully the crisis passed and the patient was successfully discharged from hospital after CJ returned. Still, CJ was glad she cut her vacation short to be in attendance and provide support.)

This left me on my own for the 2nd week of the vacation. I kept myself busy with snorkeling, beach walking, exploring, and plenty of people-watching!

Wading into the ocean daily to swim and snorkel.

Walked to Pebble Beach early one morning to see the racehorses take their sea bath, as I do every trip.

I chatted up the friendly visitors to our ~~catio~~ patio.

Another visitor to the patio:

Whistling frogs – not native to Barbados. Who knew?

And just when I thought the whistle frogs couldn’t be any tinier, this guy showed up:

That’s my index finger for size comparison.

Here’s the same frog, with an ant in the frame too. The white spots on his back and legs are grains of sand.

After seeing this guy, I was very careful to watch where I walked, lest I accidentally step on one of these frogs (who look a lot like tiny pieces of debris!).

I had a very good second week. Except for all the rudeness I witnessed from hotel guests directed at hotel staff. I don’t remember so many people being so rude and such ~~whiny ass entitled~~ complainers from previous visits. Perplexing, to say the least. You’re on vacation, people! CHILLAX.

Readers who have traveled since the pandemic: have you noticed the same thing? I let it suck a lot of the joy out of me (my bad). I can’t even imagine how the hotel staff put up with this shit. These workers all deserve instant sainthood.

At one point I was able to actually intervene on behalf of a manager being treated abominably by a guest. I knew she couldn’t say anything but I certainly could AND DID. I told the man he was being rude and asked him where his manners went, and he slunk off. I was kinda proud of myself because I am usually slow to react when these things happen around me, due to shock and surprise.

I was primed this time by all the rudeness I had been witnessing I guess, and when he barged into our conversation to make his stupid remarks about the manager’s long braids (Is your hair real? Is it a wig? If I tug on it, will I pull it off your head?) I let him have it. Definitely not sorry about it, either.

Here’s a couple more pretty beach pics to take the bad taste of that guest away…

Overall, it really was a wonderful 3 weeks! Two days of plane travel back to back (and 4 time zones) on the way back home proved to be quite exhausting though. I haven’t been that tired for a long, long time. So tired that I noticed my thinking was impaired enough to make me afraid to drive my car for my first couple of days at home.

It was great to go away and also great to come back home, even if I traded the warm sands of Barbados for this:

Walking with Bowser after a late February snowfall on Vancouver Island (and more predicted on the way!!!).

Have you resumed travelling abroad? Have you seen people who have apparently forgotten decent behaviour and manners like those I encountered on this trip? Let me know in the Comments please!

Rock on,

The WB

Don’t Tell My Physiotherapist

On June 2, 2022 By Widow BadassIn Move to Vancouver Island, See the Beauty, The Great Outdoors50 Comments

A few short days ago the second anniversary of me moving to Vancouver Island came and went. May 28th, to be precise. The day itself was damp, cloudy and cool (like most days this spring) so I didn’t do too much to celebrate. But TODAY my friends, was another story. Sunny and 20C by 9 in the morning?! I was off like a shot, to Neck Point Park…one of the first places in Nanaimo my daughter and son-in-law took me to, two years ago.

I know I’ve shot this view many times already, but I just never tire of the composition…

I should probably mention that I injured the IT bands on both legs a few weeks back, and am seeking treatment from a physiotherapist to help resolve the issue. The issue being burning pain on the outer sides of each knee area when I kneel down, and just ~~very grouchy~~ “touchy” knees in general. Knees that tire quickly and ache, especially after a hike. I am getting “dry needling” done as well as ultrasound treatment, and I am doing daily exercises at home, to help strengthen my knees and heal my IT bands. I’ve had to stop my exercise program as well as working towards the deep squatting goal (the most likely suspect) for now. And, also this –

Physiotherapist: You need to avoid walking on uneven surfaces for the time being.

Me, today:

I’ve tried to be good, I really have! *But. The. Weather!!!*

And this:

The “neck” of Neck Point, revealed by the outgoing tide. I really shouldn’t walk on all those slide-y stones and I really, really shouldn’t climb the rocks.

Umm. Somehow I managed to end up here, anyways. 🤷‍♀️

Other cool stuff I saw this morning:

I *seal* you! Lots of these guys basking in the sun and slowly cruising the waters today.

Blue camas is almost done flowering for this year.

A mackeral sky speaks of rain on the way. ~~Quelle surprise!~~

I was enjoying the fine views and weather. ~~Knees be damned.~~

Typical Vancouver Island east coast shoreline.

One of the stunning views from the trail.

I might be icing my knees tonight, but I’m all smiles for now. Please don’t tell my physiotherapist.

It was so worth it, to get out to Neck Point Park today and check on all the plant life I encountered on my very first visit. Because of the cold spring, the berries aren’t ready for eating yet like they were two years ago. But I remembered where they all are, and will be back again in the weeks to come.

You might not be able to count on my knees, but you can count on that!

Rock on,

The WB

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday – Marine Life Class at the Lantzville Sea Shore

On May 18, 2022May 19, 2022 By Widow BadassIn Adventures with dogs, Good Times, See the Beauty, The Great Outdoors56 Comments

Note: none of the sea life depicted here was harmed in any way during our class observations. We were observing and listening to our knowledgeable instructor, retired marine biologist and author Rick Harbo. All flipped over rocks were carefully and gently replaced to protect the wildlife revealed.