Basic Boating

The snow has vanished now and with it my complaining. Good thing on both counts.

It turned out that despite my vows not to go outside (other than to GreenHouse and Bunkie) during the week-long snowdays, I did.  I went to school.

Tuesday and Thursday nights found us at the local high school, a 3 minute drive away through The Horror. The occasion? The Canadian Power and Sail Squadron Basic Boating coarse. All in preparation for getting my Boat Operator license, which has become mandatory here since the time we last had a boat.

Yet another daydream during these wintery days. In a few months we'll be sailing in new waters.

The boat is a Nonsuch 26, a boat that Howard has had his eye on for a long time. He took possession of it at the end of September so we haven't been sailing yet, other than a couple of times with the guy who used to own it. It's been put to bed for the winter.

The acquisition of this boat was less a financial transaction (although it was) and more an adoption. The couple who sold it to us had it for 20 years or so and have been everywhere. They are now turning 80 and a few years ago "My crew mutinied" as Ed would say and he very reluctantly put it quietly up for sale. Irma had obviously come to terms with the end of her sailing life, but it was very much an end of an era for Ed, and one of those little reminders of mortality.

It took a few months and many conversations for the deal to be struck, but eventually the buyer and seller took a trip together to take it from its berth at Deep Bay down to Nanaimo for haul out, and by the end of the 8 hour trip, Ed finally decided to sell it to us.

Stevie & Mikey aka Steve & Mike

It's many years since we've been sailing. The Boys were little then and we used to spend weekends on the boat cruising the Thousand Islands on Lake Ontario, which were perfect with all the park islands, where instead of anchoring off, we could dock for the night to let those little legs go off running around on terra firma. My memories are of the evenings, when we'd read Swallows and Amazons out loud. Later, when The Little Boys were snug in their V berth, I'd be reading, listening to music and sipping Calvados - and to this day a sniff of that apple brandy transports me back to that time and place. As I recall, we never did finish that book so maybe I'll go find it somewhere and bring it to the new boat - along with the Calvados. A bit of nostalgia. The boat was a Kelt 7.6 and it was called Marney.

The (Little) Boys on Marney

Later, when we moved to Washington, we shipped the boat down and kept it on the Chesapeake at Solomons, Maryland at the mouth of the Patuxent River. That was an entirely different kind of sailing in an entirely different geography. Initially I was excited about the prospect of a longer sailing season but it was not to be. Yes we started the season earlier, getting great weekends in, in May and June but come July 1st it all came to a screeching halt. By then the jellyfish make their way up to that part of the bay so you can't swim, which is a real shame as at the same time the weather is stinking hot and there's no wind. The shoulder months of summer are better for sailing.

When I think of that time I remember two things in particular. Eating fresh crab and Vera.

The first sight of Vera's is astonishing. There you are making your way along St. Leonard's Creek in quiet, rural Maryland, past sailboats at anchor and green fields with grazing cows, all very bucolic. Then as you slowly round the bend, there in front of you is this huge, amazing white structure with turrets and minarets, a private home completely over the top. To the left is a small marina with a shocking pink restaurant up on the hill. After docking we climbed up to the restaurant, passing through a driveway and entryway lined with big pots of banana trees. Inside it was a Kon Tiki theme with bamboo walls and floor to ceiling statues and other memorabilia. Total eye candy.

Vera's Residence

Vera's White Sands Marina & Restaurant

Speaking of eye candy, the owner of all this fabulousness was Vera who would make grand appearances greeting her customers on her way to her usual seat at the bar where a martini automatically appeared and where she could survey her realm from her perch. She was a woman of a certain age, as they say, always dressed in colorful and sparkling caftans, and dripping, as they also say, in jewels - rings and necklaces and bracelets and tiaras. Lashes and lips, bright nail polish and long blond hair. She lived in the big white house with its taj mahal roof.

Vera

Vera with husband "Dr. Freeman" as she always called him

Her story is that she and her doctor husband used to live in California but retired to this property on the Chesapeake where they bought 800 acres for development. They were great travelers, which influenced their tastes and choice of decor and they collected a lot of statues and other pieces of art from all over, especially the South Pacific. Eventually they built a very exclusive marina where all the well-heeled glamor pusses of both sexes used to come in their yachts in summer. It was an era whose time eventually passed, but Vera was still there along with the very same decor, greeting the likes of us now.

I fell for Vera and said for a long time that I wanted to be her when I grew up. On several Halloweens I dressed up as Vera. I found out recently that even though she was pretty old back then when we were there she carried on like that until just a few years ago when she died at the age of 95.

Both the Kelt and the "new" Nonsuch type of sailboats are not that common on the west coast; they were built in Ontario and most are still east. If you look at the picture of the new boat at the top of this post, in the background at the next dock of this little mid-Island marina, under the orange covering is a Kelt 7.6, the same kind of boat we used to sail in way back when. Another one of those coincidences (?).

The same type of boat we used to have, at the next dock at our new marina

I wrote the boating test last week and am now the proud owner of the Pleasure Craft Operator Card. This time with no Little Boys to babysit, I'd like to learn more about sailing with this boat. Be less of a can opener and more of a sailor. I'm told the single mast design is easier to sail which suits me fine and may save my nails. Next week I'm back to school again, this time for the Maritime Radio Course to get my Restricted Operator's Certificate (Maritime). Off to learn my alpha, bravo, charlies.

A F%@*ING Winter Wonderland

Snowing again this morning. Even the fairies are snowed in.

When You Come to a Fork in the Road...Take It

On days when I am not doing the cardio walk/run thing, I'm off on what I call "taking the camera for a walk" walks, which turn out to be long strolls with many stops to take pictures of whatever catches my eye. When I leave the house I may have some destination in mind - through the forest, down to the beach perhaps  - but invariably I end up somewhere new, somewhere unexpected. I'll pass by a road I haven't seen before, make the turn, and the next thing I know, I'm looking at something extraordinary. I take a lot of pictures.

I'm taking a series of pictures of hidden backyard cottages and structures in the neighbourhood. This treehouse was a delightful surprise; from its perch it has a fantastic 180 view of the Strait. I want to live in it.

The other day I was exploring a new road down near the water and came across a short beach access path. Among the things I find so intriguing here on the Island, are these public access points, which turn up in the most unexpected places. When I spent those summers in Victoria at Royal Roads, I used to go for a walk every evening, usually around Cattle Point and the tony neighborhood of Uplands. Tucked away between the waterfront mansions are these little public beach access pathways - fantastic "I can have the same view as the rich folk" places and I explored them all.

On this particular day last Friday here in Qualicum Beach, I found a new road and a new access pathway and walked down to the low tide beach. No one was there except for a large black dog going for his own solitary stroll. Even cloudy and wintery, it was beautiful. Lots of sea birds, fresh air, a breathe deeply, soak it in kind of view.

A new road to the water

Public Beach access off the beaten path so to speak

The Beach in winter

My cell phone rang. My son, calling from Ottawa. We started talking and then he said, "Wait a minute, did you say you were on the beach?" "Yes I am and it's wonderful". "You are so annoying", he replied. "There's a blizzard going on here." "Well perhaps you should move to BC". "I'm working on it", he says. Whatever that means.

However if I was inclined to gloat, and I'm not saying that I am although it's tempting,  that all changed in a hurry. When I woke up on Sunday morning I pulled the drapes open to find...

The Horror, The Horror.

I loathe snow. I'm spending these snow days either in the GreenHouse where it's warm and beautiful, planting seeds and watering plants and dreaming of springtime or in The Bunkie studio where I'm costuming the actors for the Carnevale Theater. It's all good. It's snowing again today and I've announced that I'm not leaving the property until the snow melts, which should be in a few more days.

I see the news of winter mayhem in other parts of the continent, January snow and ice storms and weather that will persist for months. Here in coastal British Columbia, where the forecast is for this to melt by Saturday, I may just gloat after all.

1/2 Inch Scale

Urban landscapes from New York miniature artist Alan Wolfson in 1/2 inch=1 foot scale.

Much more to see at www.alanwolfson.net

Couch to 5K

Last spring, as we were getting ready to leave Manila and move here, I started to think about what I was going to do to get/stay fit. I had quite a routine going for myself - private pilates lessons twice a week, cardio at the gym at least 5 times a week, free weights and eating clean most of the time. The gym was an elevator ride away in the basement of my condo so that was a no-brainer, and Brenda was an amazing pilates teacher. All was fine and I felt great. What was I going to do when I moved?

A friend of mine in Manila who was from Vancouver just happened to know Qualicum Beach very well. In fact, she and her family come here every June to participate in the Qualicum Beach Triathalon.  She told me that it was a fun, low key type of event - swim 400 meters in the pool no less, bike 18K and run 5K. Hmmm. Maybe this was an answer. Training for something like this would certainly keep me fit.

There were just a few problems with this bright idea. I didn't run, I'd never owned a bike, and on the very rare occasions I did swim, it was only a gentle breast stroke. Wouldn't want to put my face in the water and ruin my makeup now, would I? Oh well, details, details. Not going to let that deter me. Back in Manila, I started cranking up the treadmill to start running intervals. How hard could this be? When I got to Qualicum Beach I figured I'd buy a bike and even sign up for a stroke clinic in the pool, since the last time I had a swimming lesson I was probably about 8 years old.

Well here's the update. I did buy a bike - and rode it about 3 times. It wasn't exactly like "riding a bicycle" and it didn't come easy for me. What the hell are you supposed to do with all those gears? I managed to stay upright and moving forward but that was about it. More practice needed.

As for the swimming, well I know where the pool is in town but that's about it. The thought of actually going in it makes me cringe. For one thing it's too wet. For another all kinds of traumatic memories are coming back to me from my childhood, including a particularly vivid one of a little me sitting shivering poolside at swimming lessons, with those horrid little white tiles and the echo chamber sounds of that huge indoor pool. There was also the incident when I dove into the pool and chipped my front tooth on the bottom, scarring me for life. So let's just say that GETTING TO the pool is still a work in progress.

That leaves the running.

I have never run outside before. The only running I've ever done was on the treadmill in the few months leading up to our departure from Manila. However, undeterred, I went shopping (as in, when the going gets tough...) as I need the appropriate running gear, no? It turns out that running outside is becoming an unexpected pleasure where I live. A 5 minute power-walk away and I'm on trails and roads running through acreage properties where llamas, horses, Shetland ponies and market gardens are raised. Sometimes the llamas, there are 5 in the field I regularly run past, are lined up against the fence looking at me with very strange expressions on their faces. "What on earth is SHE doing?" The ponies in the field across from the llamas are also intriguing - can I call them cute?. The woman who owns them has a dog that is as big as they are. The wild also is everywhere to see - birds and ducks and deer. The air is fresh, the trees are tall and if I turn one way on a clear day I see the magnificent Mt. Arrowsmith of the Vancouver Island range. Run (or more likely for me, walk) up to the top of the rise in the other direction and the mainland coast mountains come into view across the sea.

Mt. Arrowsmith - Vancouver Island

With views like this, the running is almost enjoyable. Almost. One foot in front of the other. Still doing the walk/run thing, but the run intervals are getting more frequent and longer AND, by the end of the time I'm surprised to realize that I'm feeling great. Love it ... when it's over. All is well.

And while I did say I'd finish the Qualicum Beach Triathlon I never did say in what YEAR I'd do it.

Stephen Tobolowsky

Stephen Tobolowky is a character actor whose name you may not know, but you may recognize from his 200+ roles in TV and movies, including the uber-annoying Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, the sheriff in Mississippi Burning and, more recently, a recurring role in Glee.

He is also one majorly Fine Storyteller.

Check out his tales of life on The Tobolowsky Files podcasts to see what I mean, available through that website and also (free) through iTunes. The great thing about it is that once you get hooked on listening to his stories, there are over 50 of them to go back to. A frequent companion of mine out in the GreenHouse or in The Bunkie studio.

Farewell Holidays, Hello Springtime...sort of

On New Year’s Day I took down all the Christmas decorations. It has always been my intention to do this on that day but in past years I never got around to it until January 2nd as, if the truth be known, I was usually too hungover to bother with it on the 1st. This year was different.

For two reasons. The first was that we woke up on December 31st and celebrated the New Year as it arrived in Asia - Manila/Hong Kong time, which was 8:00 a.m. here on the Left Coast. Morning cappuccino, a view of the Hong Kong fireworks on YouTube (well OK they were actually posted from last new year’s but who cares about those details) and it was all over. The rest of the day felt like January 1st and it was early to bed, stone cold sober. No muss, no fuss. I think I'm on to something.

The second reason for getting right on the dismantling of tree, swags, lights and the rest was that I am now in serious springtime preparations. Begone Christmas, time to let in spring. The days are getting longer and in another month or so the garden centers will be opening for the season.

When I lived in Ontario my life’s ambition was to spend the entire month of January in the house. The snow and cold were a nightmare and who cared that the days were getting longer when outside it was a horror show. Here, on January 2nd it was 7°C at 8:30 in the morning, the grass is green and some of the early flowering shrubs are budding and almost ready to go. Gotta love it, and believe me, I do.

The GreenHouse makes a huge difference to my wintertime health and happiness. I usually spend an hour or so in there every day puttering (pottering), making notes and dreaming, listening to music or Stephen Tobolowsky podcasts. I’m keeping the temperature between 10-15°, although it will go higher on a sunny day, keeping the fuchsias in green leaf. Some are showing new growth which I’m clipping to propagate. Seedlings of F. Miss California, F. Seventh Heaven and F. Dark Eyes from the mother plants are started as well as various vegetables started from seed - spinach, lettuce, arugula, Italian parsley and basil. The cuttings I took from Helix hedera (ivy) in the fall are growing nicely, which will save a few bucks when I use them in various pots of The Pot House.

Dennis "helping"

In December we hired Gord the Landscape Contractor to do the hardscaping in the backyard. The old concrete patios were removed and replaced with stone bricks, pathways through the beds were laid down and sod removed from future flower beds. They built new gates on both sides of the house, extended the fencing along one side of the house, built a side pergola to create my outdoor staging area for The Fuchsia Ranch. It was all finished by December 23rd and I’m thrilled to have it all done. Howard and Dennis are now out there daily, double digging new flower beds. Soon all we’ll need to do is go power shopping in the garden centers and plant, plant, plant.

Side of house as it used to look, busted gate and all

Found space - the new outdoor staging area for The Fuchsia Ranch

Number 1 Son was here for a few days at Christmas which was enough of a gift, but he also offered to build me benches for the new outside staging area. Steve is a carpenter currently living in Ottawa (although he is threatening to move back to British Columbia in the coming year). The day after Boxing Day we made a daring raid on the red cedar lumber store near Parksville to buy the wood, dug out the power tools and workbench from the storage area and in a few hours it was all done. I had been wondering who I was going to find to build them for me and lo and behold, the answer arrived in the form of my handsome, talented first-born. Must be Ganesha, once again, working his magic in the background.

Resolutions

Dana Zemack