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.So many shades of blue.Thimbleberries in flower.Native trailing blackberry too.Salal is flowering.Blue camas is almost done flowering for this year.Saskatoon berries still need some time. Rocky shores.A mackeral sky speaks of rain on the way. Quelle surprise!Looking south.I was enjoying the fine views and weather. Knees be damned.Nootka rose and bee.Poppies.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!
One year of waking up to seeing this view from my balcony while sipping my morning latte.
Dawn over the Salish Sea, with mainland mountains in the background.
One year of enjoying the freedom and…ahem…adventures that come with renting an apartment. Update: the Stompy McStompersons moved out at the end of February…and though others have since moved in, the noise from above is almost non-existent, in comparison! Heavenly….
Crazy M has been mostly quiet – so quiet that I wondered if perhaps she had finally been committed or incarcerated somewhere. But no…I have seen her driving in and out of the complex recently.
S (“Good Neighbour S”, I have dubbed him) continues to offer assistance and lets me know he is “on guard” and ever watchful of strange goings on in the building as well as Ye Olde Parking Lot. Speaking of…
About the only complaint I have currently is of meeting the same couple of old men in the hallway – enroute to the parking lot where they like to unfold lawn chairs in the shade of the arbutus trees, and take in the fresh air, daily. They continually apologize (4 times now!) for not wearing masks (as they are supposed to) when encountering me in the hallway.
Wearing as mask (as mandated, in apartment common areas) means never having to say you’re sorry, too.
One year of missing my family, and friends-that-feel-like-family… left behind in Ontario.
Surprise flower delivery this week from “The Boys” – my good friends Kenn and Jonathan – who moved into my old flat at my former building, back in Ontario.
One year of being able to spend more time with my daughter and her man.
One year of soaking in the stunning beauty of my new home (too many posts to link – feel free to explore on your own, by looking back at my posts of the last year!)
One year of walking down to the beach (5 minutes away), and finding treasures like this:
Sand art, artist unknown. At Departure Bay in Nanaimo.
One year of getting used to a much more relaxed vibe amongst my fellow citizens of Vancouver Island.
Graffiti seen, on one of my walks to and from the local shopping plaza. I’ve heard BC called the Left Coast and the Wet Coast, but Leaf Coast is a new one to me. It fits actually. Just ask the Party Bros. 😉
Two things that stood out for me immediately upon moving here:
There are SO MANY LIQUOR STORES here. Seriously, there is one a 10 minute walk up the street from me, and another one a 5 minute walk down the street from me. And there is one on just about every shopping plaza on this island! They are open from 9 am to 9 pm, seven days a week. And they offer loyalty programs!
The pace of life is so much slower and nicer here. It’s like stepping back in time about 50 years. People actually stop to talk to you (yes, even in a pandemic)…from random strangers to clerks in stores. They make eye contact and engage you in genuine, unhurried conversation. Once the shock wears off it’s actually very, very pleasant.
So many things have changed for me since I retired and moved here. Yet despite it all, I have remained the same as ever. Steadfast, unchanging…
Bwahaha!!!! 😉
I love living here. It was the right move at the right time, for me.
Rock on,
The WB
p.s. next week brings the June edition of the What’s On Your Plate Blog Challenge, on Wednesday June 2nd, hosted by Donna and yours truly. Mark your calendars. Can’t wait to see what what’s on your plate!
Capturing how I feel about my move in one photo…@ Helliwell Provincial Park on Hornby Island
Hoo boy! It’s hard to sit down to ye olde blogge when there is so much to do and see but here I am, finally. I could write at least 5 separate posts on what’s been going on but dammit, the weather is too beautiful! I am understanding how a lot of bloggers take July and August “off” from their regular posting and resume blogging once again in September. If I was back in Ontario I’d be hunkered down in my air-conditioned place and only venturing out in the wee hours of the morning or after dark due to the extreme heat, giving me plenty of time to blog. But here on Vancouver Island, the more temperate climate begs one to spend as much time outdoors as possible!
Anyhoo, here’s an update on what’s been going on:
It took me a few weeks, but I was able to unpack all my stuff and make some sense of my new space. I am LOVING it here. Sure there are minor inconveniences to apartment living, like the heavy-footed upstairs neighbours, but overall I am very happy with, and comfortable in, my new home.
Balcony facing eastBalcony facing west. One of my favourite places to read a book, relax, enjoy a glass of wine…Coming in off the balcony, into the living/dining areaKitchen, as seen from the dining areaMy bedroomSpare/guest/art room – I’ve cleaned it up a bit since this picture was taken, at the final stages of getting unpacked/organized.The bath
As of now, my hands are almost completely healed (from the bashing they took in assembling all the furniture I purchased to replace the stuff I left behind in Ontario), I have recovered somewhat from the exhaustion induced by the whole moving ordeal, and I am starting to really settle into AND enjoy my new life and all its perks.
I got to meet Ann, a fellow blogger, in real life (finally) at her beloved island of Hornby. Which is amazingly beautiful, by the way (as is Ann!).
And I was able to have another IRL meeting (again, finally) with yet another beautiful Vancouver Island blogger just yesterday – Jude – (Dr. Sock Writes Here) for a delightful walk around the lake at Westwood Lake Park.
Meeting people during these pandemic times can be a little unsettling, but we are all respectful of the need to maintain social distancing. Which means hugs are off the table, for now! Feels weird not to hug these ladies who I’ve known (virtually) for a few years now, but we do as we must.
Jude and I, thankful for the shady path around the lake
Of course, I am able to hang out (and hug) with members of my little “bubble”, my daughter and her family.
Saturday’s crabbing (and kayaking) adventures off the Nanaimo pier, at Maffeo Sutton Park
Life is definitely good. And I get to wake up every morning to this:
Sun rising over the mainland mountains
Yes, life is definitely good. And summer life on Vancouver Island is absolutely the best.
I am fed up to the gills with all things moving. Packing for a move, unpacking from a move, organizing new space, buying things for the new place, building furniture and storage solutions for the new place etc., etc. I still have a lot to do, but they are mostly little jobs (curtains, art etc.). All the big stuff is done and I am down to the little tweaks that will make my place more liveable. Hoorah!
And coincidental to my fed-up mood, the weather is fabulous. So you know what that means, right?
Time to explore my new neighbourhood!!! Specifically, the out of doors.
Yesterday I took the afternoon off to stroll down to the Departure Bay Beach area (check out my Instagram for those photos), and today was spent in search of a trail I could walk to.
One of the residents in my apartment complex tantalized me last week with a tale of going for a walk through the neighbourhood and ending up on a trail which included a waterfall! And today, I made it my mission to find out what she was talking about.
I had looked up local trails on my AllTrails app, and the Beach Estates Trail seemed to fit the description she had given me. It said I could access it from Departure Bay Road but I wanted to walk through my neighbourhood, like my neighbour did.
A short walk later, passing by many lovely homes, and I was on a public access trail that took me down to the shore of Departure Bay.
Emerging onto the shore, close to the ferry docks.One of the large weathered logs often found on the shorelines of BC
I walked along the rocky shore for a bit, looking for access to the trail. Which was easily found. Or so I thought. Immediately I entered a lush paradise.
Do you know where you are? You’re in the jungle, baby!
Well-maintained cliffside steps and stairsCool tree trunk
It was a beautiful walk, but where was the waterfall? I decided to check AllTrails to see where I was on the trail.
I’m the blue dot. Not even on the trail yet!!! Could this be right?
I persevered. Onwards!
Continuing my climb up the cliffside. Not a difficult trail at all. Good thing ‘cos I only had Birkenstocks on my feet.
And then suddenly….
There it was! THE WATERFALL.
I had to be on the trail now, right?
Yup, on the trail now!Not too shabby, for being right in town.
I continued on the trail and within moments I was out on the street, and at the beginning of it all.
Trail Head
And an hour and twenty minutes later, I was back home. I’m so thrilled to have such easy access to all this gorgeous nature, without even having to get in my car. Walking to a local trail on the regular was a big part of my former life in Ontario and I am so happy and grateful to have a similar experience here, at my new Vancouver Island home.
Do you have a local trail you can access easily for a quick dose of Vitamin Nature?
On May 28, I left Ontario by boarding the first of two planes to get to my new home on Vancouver Island. I had been planning this move for about 18 months, and the pandemic had initially thrown me for a loop. Back in mid-March I thought perhaps my move would not go ahead as planned due to travel and quarantine restrictions. As the initial weeks went by and I sat glued to the news, I began to realize that my move could go forward so I was off to the races, again!
In short order I had secured an apartment, a mover, and a shipper for Edward the 3rd , and I began sorting and packing my stuff in earnest, once more.
On May 26, during a period of unseasonable high heat and humidity (!), my movers arrived and did a stellar job of denuding my home of its things. (Can you believe it was snowing only 2 weeks prior? Typical Ontario weather roller-coaster!) I felt quite bad for them to be working so hard in the 33C heat. I cranked the A/C and made sure there was plenty of ice-cold bottled water in the fridge. And then I got out of their way.
Have you ever seen a more neatly packed truck?‘Til we meet again, on Vancouver Island!
My friend Joanne very kindly offered to take this newly-homeless person in, and we enjoyed each other’s (and husband Gilles) company to the utmost until it was time to go to the airport. One teary goodbye later, and after breezing through security, I was faced with these weird images of the usually bustling Pearson airport.
Never have I ever seen these screens so devoid of flights.Part of me finds this eery. The other part wishes the airport was always this empty of people.
While flying, we passengers had to have our masks on at all times. Every middle seat (on 3 seater rows) was unsold, to help us distance somewhat during the flight. I had no one else in my row. A win under any circumstances! 😉
Good morning, Ontario! And au revoir!Different airport (Calgary). Same lack of people.
The plane to Nanaimo was smaller, with only 2 seats per row. Again, the seat beside each passenger was deliberately left unsold, for social distancing. IT. WAS. GLORIOUS.
While I took the picture this propeller was busily spinning away yet this shot makes it look like it was not working. It was! Honest!This planet we inhabit is absolutely breath-taking. Approaching Vancouver Island. Propeller still working.
After settling in (for now) with my dear daughter and her man, it was time to sign my lease and finally see my new home-to-be, in real life.
The living/dining room space (and balcony) of my newly renovated 2nd floor apartment.The galley-style kitchen, looking into the dining area.The bath. Yes! That is a sliver of ocean/mountain view as seen from my balcony. View of Departure Bay from nearer the edge of the property (which ends in a treacherous cliff, so no safe water/beach access). The mountains in the distance are mainland B.C.
I’m just thrilled with this apartment, so far! I feel that I really lucked out. It’s a 2 bedroom. I didn’t include any bedroom photos as they are just empty rooms with a window and a closet, each. Easy enough to imagine.
And now I wait – not entirely patiently – for my belongings (including Edward) to catch up to me here. Stay tuned for Part 2!
I’m sitting in my almost empty dining room, sipping coffee, listening to the last pair of my home’s curtains spinning in my washing machine, and watching the snow blow past my window. YES. SNOW. The second snowfall in 3 days. IT’S MAY 11, people.
As if it’s not already hard enough for me (and others) to remember what day of the week it is, I am having trouble remembering what damn month I’m in. Looks more like late March or early April to me. If this is Mother Nature’s way of getting people to remain in isolation indoors, it’s working!
In 2 weeks and 1 day the movers will be pulling up to my door to take away all of my worldly goods to my new apartment in Nanaimo, British Columbia. I feel pretty calm (I know; I am surprised too), and confident that I am ahead of schedule in the packing department, therefore I am taking the time for a short blog post. If this means the Universe will now smite me because of these feelings, well…so be it.
Seriously though, Universe. I’m not at all being smug and thus smite-worthy. By no means. Nothing to see here. Please move along. Please!
All my curtains are down, washed and mostly packed away. (I have 11 big windows in my apartment so this was not a small job). Extra furnishings I didn’t want to take with me have gone to new homes. Artwork is off the walls. It’s getting very echo-y in here.
A lot of my things are already packed or staged for packing. A lot of my things I have decided are no longer going to be my things going forward, and I’ve said my goodbyes to them. I’m living out of boxes as far as clothing is concerned. My walk-in closet has been emptied.
The only room as yet untouched is the kitchen.
Art supplies have been put away (again!) and repacked, for realz this time. The art I have created these past weeks in pandemic quarantine is going or has already gone to new homes.
I painted these 3 in the style of British artist Yvonne Coomber, during the course of the pandemic. I see more of these in my future. They are such happy paintings, and fun (albeit messy) to create. Think of Dexter’s Kill Room. That was pretty much my set-up, to paint these. My first attempt. It wasn’t planned but apparently I was channeling hollyhocks because that is all I see in the finished painting. 2nd painting – I wanted to put water in the background. Think of peeking through the dune grasses for this one. The flowers are more abstract, and less recognizable as a certain type. 3rd painting. I find with this style of painting that MORE (not less) is definitely MORE. I loved going all in, with the flowers.
I’m itching to do at least one more of these – this time one for me. For my new home. With mountains in the background, and an ocean instead of a lake.
But for now I will only dream. Because I am NOT unpacking my art supplies yet again.
That would really be asking to be smitten- wouldn’t it now, Universe?
I actually pondered crossing this makeshift bridge on a recent walk in the woods. Me, a 60 year-old woman with a badly sprained, still-healing ankle, and her mobile phone and camera in her pockets. Thankfully I took a moment to ask myself “What is the worst that could happen?” and that stopped me. For now. If I’d had my hiking poles with me, I think I would have chanced it.
I thought I’d better hammer out a quick post on Ye Olde Blogge before people start wondering if I am still alive and kicking. Which I am, at least at much as my sprained ankle will let me. So here goes – some of my pandemic ponderings and…drumroll please…some moving news! I mean moving as in physically moving, not emotionally moving although there are plenty of emotions happening, believe me!
Pandemic Ponderings by The Widow Badass
Why did it take a pandemic for:
people to realize that there is a problem with how we care for our elderly and infirm in nursing homes?
people to realize that the most essential jobs are often the least valued, in terms of pay and respect?
people to realize how spoiled we all are (especially in North America) by our full grocery stores, daily conveniences, and luxuries? And (on a more personal note), why did it take a pandemic for:
me to get into a daily yoga practice?
me to get into a daily exercise class (Body Groove)?
me to take up knitting again?
me to start regularly using technology to connect with friends and family?
In other news and ponderings, after weeks of wondering about my upcoming move to Vancouver Island – things like…
Will I be able to move to another province during a pandemic? (I initially feared provincial borders being closed)
Is it responsible for me to move house during a pandemic?
How will I look for an apartment during a pandemic?
Etc.
…I have decided ultimately that I can and will move according to my pre-pandemic schedule, but with a change. There is a family issue in play now as well, that adds urgency to my move to British Columbia such that I feel I must get there sooner than later. Moving is considered an essential service and I have been assured that safety protocols are in place for the workers involved so I am forging ahead.
Instead of my original plan of driving west to BC (a multi-day trip), I am going to ship my car and fly to my new home instead. My flight is booked for May 28.
And…another drumroll please… I have an apartment in Nanaimo waiting for me, for June 1! Thanks to the wonders of technology (and my dear daughter and her man), I was able to locate and virtually tour my new digs and meet the building manager, all from my kitchen counter.
All this to say, fellow Badassians, that if I am absent from or even more sporadic in blogging and commenting on other blogs in the weeks ahead, it is because SHIT HAS GOTTEN VERY REAL (as the kids say). I am now in full-on MOVE MODE and the clock is ticking!
Feel free to share your pandemic ponderings in the Comments, below. I’d love to know what thoughts and revelations this crisis has brought about for you.
(Apologies to the late Gabriel Garcia Marquez for riffing on his book title…)
My goodness, what a year this week has been, eh? Kudos to whoever came up with this witticism first; it wasn’t me. When I haven’t been glued to my tablet, obsessed with watching responses to the pandemic unfold, I have been keeping myself busy (and away from others – way to social distance, right?) by making more progress towards my relocation later this year, to Vancouver Island.
This past week I have bundled up my art supplies, an action that practically guarantees I will be imbued with the urge to create from here on out. I did this for a couple of reasons. First, no sorting required. It’s all coming with me. Second, I haven’t been doing much “arting” lately, and probably shouldn’t, as I have a household+ to sort through and dispose of/pack.
I already know I will be fishing a sketchbook out of one of these boxes soon. As predicted, I am now flooded with ideas of things I wish to draw and paint.
To elaborate on “household+”, last week I also went through the last remaining boxes of my mom’s stuff – mostly paperwork. In one of the boxes I found a manila envelope containing handmade cards my sisters and I had created and given to our parents over the years. Oh my, what a find and what a trip down memory lane! At least it would be, if I could even remember creating these childhood “masterpieces”. Many are unsigned, and all are undated unfortunately. So it’s hard in some cases to tell which sister did a particular card. And for privacy reasons, I won’t blog about any that aren’t mine. But let me tell you that some of these cards that my sisters made are quite funny. Here are some photos of one that is definitely my creation:
Front of card. So far, so good.Apparently I was a pioneer in the adult colouring book craze! Who knew!?! Based on the clothing I drew I would say early ’70s. I would have been 11-12 years old.I was also clearly a fan of how Archie Comics were drawn at that time, as you can see by the girls’ faces. Well, in the words of Picasso: Good artists borrow; great artists steal. HAH!
Also in terms of “household+”, I have to sort through the items of my late husband that survived The Great Purge Part 1. (I am now fully into Part 2). These things are all deep in the bowels of my building, in the room off of the furnace room affectionately referred to as the “Freddy Krueger Room”. Because it used to be so scary, being dark and dingy and filled to the ceiling with tottering piles of mouldering crap. Come to think of it, just about the whole building was like that a few short years ago. We’ve come a long way, baby! And I am making good progress there too, with weekly trips to Value Village as well as salvaging some old items in good shape to sell at a local antiques market.
Last week I reserved my container – to hold all my wordly goods that need to be sent to my new home. Which I don’t have yet. I also don’t have a firm moving date yet. (I can’t believe that I – the planning machine – am so fine with all this, but I am.) The company I am using – Cubeit – has been wonderful to deal with so far. We have a tentative date for drop-off of the container at my building, which I can move up or down as needed. And I can keep the container at their yard in Nanaimo, for as long as required. Nathan from Cubeit told me they understand how stressful moving can be, and are committed to make their part of the process as easy as possible on their clients. Perfect!
This is how I am keeping out of trouble while I am social distancing these days, doing my part to try to flatten the curve and protect the vulnerable. Truth be told, it is not all that different from my normal day-to-day. I tend to avoid large gatherings of people (live performances of my favourite bands excepted) at any given time. I shop when I know think the stores are least busy. I don’t go out to bars or nightclubs. I exercise at home or out in nature. As a card-carrying introvert, the bulk of my social interaction needs can be happily fulfilled without having to be in the physical presence of another human being. 😉
Thank you, Interwebs!
One thing that kinda worries me in this pandemic time is my cough. Thanks to a medication I take, I have a bit of a dry cough even on my best days. I don’t even notice it anymore, usually. On Friday morning (Early! And it was crowded already!) I was in the grocery store and I must have coughed because all of a sudden it seemed like everybody stopped to look at me. I need to wear a sign, maybe?
As much as I like being home, I do need to get out once in a wee whilefor some perishables.
So, that’s it for me for this week. How are you managing these interesting times we are living in?
