Farewell Crofton, Hello Parksville!

In 2016 when I tore the meniscus in my left knee, and 2017 when I took a bad fall on the ice and wrecked my right shoulder (leaving me unable to drive for quite a while, and permanently unable to do some of the home/yard maintenance stuff I'd always done for myself), I realized the pitfalls of living in a small village (population 1200) that has very few shops - two convenience stores, one thrift store, a couple of cafes and pubs.  No drug store, no hardware, no department store, no place to get any significant variety of groceries. No medical services.  Yes, there is a small city about twenty minutes away (population 5,000 for the city itself, and another 28,000 in the surrounding municipal area), but the bus service to get there is tedious and infrequent, taxis from there are expensive and seldom available, and there is no handi-dart service (a bus/taxi sort of system for seniors and others with disabilities) for Crofton.  And it is rather too far to walk.

"It's a long way to see the doctor...."

I don't want to be 'that senior' whose very small and geographically distant family has to make the difficult decision to move me to another living situation.  So I began the search for another home, one where there is no outside maintenance required (a condo or strata), in a place where there are more shops and services - preferably within walking distance of the ocean. I so love.

After an extensive search made more difficult by the ridiculous 'no pet' or 'one small pet' (often under 10 lbs!) policy that many seniors' condos/strata have, I finally just took the plunge, put my house on the market, sold it in 48 hours, and - much to my relief - found an appropriate place an hour and a bit north, in Parksville.  More about our new home in another post. (I have not been taking photos on our many walks as Maggie needs all my attention to keep her safe and calm amid traffic, beeping crosswalks, unfamiliar people and dogs, etc.   - that's no time to be staring through the lens of a camera.  As many of you know, there are few things I feel more strongly about than keeping dogs safe in new surroundings - or keeping dogs safe, period.) 

Maggie: "This is my beach now!"
(Photo taken a few months ago, before we moved)

But before shifting the blog to daily life in Parksville and our exploration of the parks and beaches around our new home, I wanted to thank the great people in Crofton who welcomed me nearly ten years ago, greeted me on my morning walks with my various old dogs, foster dogs, multiple dogs, scared dogs, visiting dogs.  My current anxiety-prone senior dog, Maggie, will miss her canine friends and their peoples, who respected her boundaries and took the necessary time to earn her trust.

Crofton has much going for it, not the least of which is its beauty - beauty in nature, in the sea, in the sunrises and sunsets, in the people.  Over the years, I've taken literally thousands of photos of this community and its surrounds.  Here, then, as my farewell tribute to Crofton, are just a few of my favourites:

From the moment  I arose,  no matter the season or the weather, the beauty of the sun rising over the bay filled me with awe:

Throughout the day, the birds and animals, the parks and shoreline, even the industry at the mill and log sort, provided me with slices of joy, peace, an assurance that there was still magic and beauty to be found in a world so oft gone crazy:

Eagle, Anna's humming bird, oystercatchers, Northern flicker.

Bear in fall and deer in winter

Heron soaring to the sky

Raven wishing us good luck

Crofton Lake, Sea Walk in fall, Eves Park, Lilies on Crofton Lake

Boat by a foggy pier
(taken when Spinnaker Steps went all the way to the water)

Boats in the harbour,
reflections in the water

Barges, tugs, and cargo ships

Fishing boat with colourful floats

The people - oh the people - young and old, laboring in fields or selling goods in front yards and pop up stalls, playing with their dogs, or going for a paddle around the bay or a walk on the beach - seldom did I meet one who did not treat me kindly, smile and say good morning, or stop for a chat.  I came to your town nearly ten years ago having only a slight acquaintance with a couple of people, and I am leaving behind many friends.  Thank you, Crofton.

Tatlo Farms when it was just beginning

Friends on Crofton waterfront

George peddling his figs near the ferry terminal

The dog-human connection
on a misty morning

Heading out into the bay

I have loved learning the history of this town - from the elders, from the information in our little museum, from columns in newspapers (and, before that, the town newsletter),  from story boards in parks, from locals who stopped to chat.  For five years, together with Liz Maxwell Forbes, I shared some of these stories in a column in the Chemainus Courier, and each column brought more stories to my attention, from more people who enriched my life so greatly.

Crofton Museum 

And at the end of each day, I felt comforted in the knowledge that  my move to Crofton, away from family and friends and all that was familiar, had been a good move, the right move,  a wonderful chapter of my life.  I can only hope that my new community will be as welcoming and as comforting and as full of good people who will soon become good friends, in this next chapter.

Thank you, Crofton,  You have been good to me.

We all sleep under the same moon,
We all rise to the same sun.
We are never any further away than a warm heart and a pleasant thought.

Piggies!

Ol' blue eyes

When I went back to the mainland earlier this week, I stopped by Hearts on Noses to spend an afternoon with Janice and the piggies. Janice was inside with her realtor, signing the acceptance papers for the sale of the property, when I arrived. It was a rainy day, and the piggies were all fast asleep in their houses.

I am by nature a trouble maker, I guess, because I can't let sleeping dogs - er - pigs lie. I tiptoed up to the pigyard that houses Scotch and Soda's herd and called out, in the voice I had used so many times when I fostered them, "Piggy, piggy, piigggggiiiiiieees!".

And soon one little snouty peered round the blanket that covered the doorway.

Foster Mama? Iz dat yooouuuuuuuuu?

And within moments, out runs Fizzy and Whisper and RobRoy, followed closely by all the others. Of course, one can't visit piggies without taking them a treat and soon they were all munching down on fresh beets and carrots and apples and the 'piece de resistance', hazelnut wafer cookies.

Fizzy cracked me up when he grabbed a whole beet, leaves attached, with the globe of the beet in his mouth and the greens curving up over his snout like the feather on the top of a quail's head, and raced off to the farthest corner of his house with his prize. Moments later he re-appeared, the only evidence of his greed a foamy beet-red mustache.

Got beetz?

When Janice was done the paperwork, she humored me by letting the herd out for a run despite the pouring rain. Rob Roy had recently discovered a weak spot in the fence where he can wiggle through to graze under the hazelnut trees around the property and mingle with the children in the schoolyard next door. Needless to say, we kept as close an eye on the herd-of-twelve as we could. Hopefully the fence is now fixed, though I expect both pigs and kids would rather it wasn't!

Fortunately, there are also hazelnut, crabapple and cherry trees inside the fenceline, and so most of the piggies hung around scavenging fruity remains from below the leafy boughs.

Nom, nom, nom

I took a quick tour around to visit the other 27 piggies. Most are potbellies, but the two farm pigs, Roscoe and Rose, also said hello.

Roscoe

Hi'ya Auntie Jean, didya bring me sumthin to eat?

Rose

I see ya. I'll just wave the tip of my ear, if you don't mind.

The rain dampened the piggies' enthusiasm for the outdoors and soon they were back in their houses, snuggling down for another nap.

G'night

Hearts on Noses is desperately looking for new property, preferably in the Fraser Valley area (but not on a flood plain). Janice did find a perfect place but another offer was accepted first. Without rancour to the prospective buyer, I confess I am keeping my fingers and toes crossed that the financing falls through for that person so Janice can grab the place. It is so perfect!

The possession date on their current place is November 30th....... Thirty-nine pigs, two horses, a dog, two cats, a turtle, a guinea pig and one very exhausted and anxious woman will not do well with a tarp and a shopping cart. Please wish them well finding their new home.

Where will we goooooooo??????

You'd think.....

You’d think now that I’m retired I’d have MORE time to write and photograph and blog. Ha!

Maybe it’s just that I’m still unpacking, still hanging pictures and rearranging furniture and shopping for those little things one always seems to need when one moves to a new place.

Maybe it’s just that I’m exploring new trails and making new friends and greeting old friends and getting into a new routine (or, rather, a new lack-of-routine).

Maybe it’s just that I’m busy finding new health care professionals (canine and human), getting involved in a local movement to end the use of the gas box in this area for the euthanization of cats (more on that in another post), and checking out B&Bs for an overflow of visitors this summer.

Maybe it’s just that I’m still closely watching the critters as they adjust to a new environment – especially Oliver, little lost soul, who is finally settling in as long as I don’t rearrange or change anything, and Charley, who got very very sick after (I think) injesting something she shouldn’t while the other dogs were swimming and playing at Swallowfield.

Whatever the reason, I touch base with my computer about twice a day now – in the morning when I have four furry faces watching me, waiting for their walks, and in the evening when I’m too pooped to ponder and again have four furry faces watching me, waiting for their walks.

In between, it is go, go, go. The dozens of photos from a hike with friends and dogs (including Ellen and the whippet boyz) at Crofton Lake, and of flowers and dogs at Swallowfield, and of sunsets and sunrises and funny cats and silly dogs.....well, they are waiting on my computer to be woven together into a more interesting and entertaining post than this one. Stay tuned.

Retirement – when you finally get to do all the things you’ve always wanted to do, and discover there still just aren’t enough hours in the day!

Coming home: The good, the bad and the just plain frustrating

The good:

• The light ocean breeze that freshens the air and keeps warm temperatures bearable
• The ease with which most of the critters have adjusted to their new surroundings now that the furniture is in place and familiar smells surround them
• The peacefulness of a sleepy community, where the sounds of songbirds are more evident than the sounds of traffic
• The pleasure of watching Charley play – yes, PLAY – with Else’s three dogs and Sadie on a walk through the beautiful Swallowfield delta area
• The antics of Allie who stands up to open each kitchen and bathroom cupboard, paws on the top, walking backwards, then pops in to see what is inside and pops out the next cupboard door - over and over and over again!
• The incredible friendship of Ellen, who took care of ensuring the housecleaners and carpet cleaners did their job at the rental house in Mission and in doing so, had to deal with foul-mouthed disrespect from the next tenant who had chosen to break into the house (damaging a window) in order to start moving in two days early. Above and beyond, Ellen, thanks so much.
• The wonderful friendship of Ann and Ken, who loaded their pickup to the gills with the items which movers don’t take or which were needed immediately, followed me over here, and stayed for three days feeding me, helping me unpack and organize and set up, breaking down all the boxes and rolling all the newsprint, and all they got in return was one fast-food meal out! Friends like that are more precious than gold.
• The amazing welcome from my new dog-loving friends and neighbours, who presented me with a huge hamper of an unending selection of local products from blackberry wine to chocolate bars, goat cheeses and free range eggs and apple butter and honey, a book on local history and a plant and some treats for the critters, a cloth embroidered with a pot bellied piggy, and even a beautifully framed painting that looks like Crofton Lake, and a bottle of Scotch (which wasn’t locally produced but which a certain someone knows is “my drink”!), and even more items too numerous to mention. Oh my doG, what a welcome!
• The never-ending support of Else and Bjorn who helped get the house ready, took care of furniture deliveries, arranged for some of the renos, introduced me to people and places, and continue to help orient me to the community
• The relief at looking around me and seeing I have only SIX more boxes to unpack and a little bit of re-organizing to do, just three days after the moving truck arrived! (WHEW!!!!)
• The joy of sitting in my own backyard, watching the family of birds in the birdhouse someone has hung under the roof of the shed, looking at the dozens of apples growing on my tree, seeing the blue of the water over the fence, hearing the barking of seals down by the dock.

The bad:

• The laminate flooring, recently installed by the seller, that causes Belle and especially Oliver no end of grief as they become spread-eagled on it and unable to move. Even area rugs and runners are not sufficient to stop poor Oli from becoming stranded and panicky. Looks like the new carpet I put in the bedroom will have to be extended to the hallway, living and dining rooms. $$$$$ - Le Sigh.

• The difficulty Oliver is having, possibly with his vision and/or with Canine Cognitive Disorder (doggy alzheimers), as he runs blindly into fences and walls, gets stuck in closets and bathrooms, and wanders about like a little lost soul. On the day we moved, when the dogs were released from the room where they’d been waiting while the movers filled the truck, Oliver had a full-out panic attack tearing around in distress for 45 minutes, unable to be restrained or consoled until all the critters were in the car and we were on our way. If he doesn’t show improvement in a few days, we shall have our first introductions to the local vets. Meanwhile, he is happy to sleep in the crate by my bed and I keep him by my side as much as possible. And, trooper that he is, he has learned EXACTLY where the treats are kept!

• The heat. Even though it is pleasant outside, the house is like an oven! This may be the year I buy my very first air conditioner – to keep the critters comfortable, of course.

The frustrating:

• Having missed the ferry by ONE car length, despite arriving at the terminal a good hour in advance on a Thursday afternoon, and having to wait three hours with four dogs and a cat in the car! It took us eight and a half hours to get from Mission to Crofton – not a pleasant trip!

• Having Shaw forget to transfer my email service when they transferred my account, and then spending over an hour and a half being transferred, put on hold, transferred again, put on hold again, trying to get the problem corrected.

• Having the furniture company neglect to let me know the couch I ordered was discontinued, and having them send a completely different couch (but covered with the fabric I ordered) in its place. And then having to wait five days for the unsatisfactory couch to be picked up, go to their store to get the refund, and start couch shopping all over again. (And meanwhile, trying to keep Allie from clawing the one they did deliver).

• Having the appliance company deliver the washer and dryer that replaces the wrong one they sent three weeks ago, only to discover the side of the washer is all bashed in and has to be returned......so I wait another couple of weeks to be able to wash my clothes at home.

Conclusions: The good far outweigh the bad and frustrating. Soon I shall pull out the camera and begin to capture some of Charley’s, Sadie’s, Belle’s, Oliver’s, and Allie’s marvelous adventures.

We are home.

Just a quick update

We have arrived, we are surrounded by boxes, the critters are adjusting, and I will blog about our adventure when I am less exhausted.
However, for my friends or family who are wondering why I'm not responding to emails......when Shaw closed off my account at the old house, they also cancelled my email account, even though I have Shaw internet at the new house. So...until I get this resolved, please use the email contact on the side of this blog (it is a hotmail account and unaffected by the problem).

Jean

From Fraser Valley to Cowichan Valley

This will be my last entry from the beautiful Fraser Valley, on the mainland of southwestern BC. Although the Big Move is not until Thursday, the cable people will be here early tomorrow morning to pick up the digital phone box and disconnect the cable and internet. And so, my next blog entry will be from our new home on Vancouver Island.

I have moved often in my life. The longest move, in terms of distance, was when I was five and my family moved from England to the west coast of Canada. The shortest move, in terms of distance, was when I was 19, and I moved from one apartment in New Westminster to another just a few blocks away. I’ve lived in Alberta, and in the Northwest Territories. I’ve lived in several communities in southwestern BC. I’ve lived in apartments and houses in big cities and small towns. I’ve lived in old homes and newer ones in suburbs and on acreages. And if one considers my summertime explorations, I’ve even lived with nothing but the stars for my ceiling and the forest for my walls.

But of all the places I’ve lived, none have delighted me as much as this five acres of heaven, with its views of mountains and valley, its trees and flowers and wildlife, its delicious sense of freedom for the dogs and myself. Here I had the opportunity to foster potbellied pigs and care for an abandoned alpaca; here I fostered a palliative old shepherd cross named Isaac, and here I helped my sweet, sweet Caleb to pass. Here I watched bears from my window, and coyotes from my pasture gate. And here I saw my Charley become a free spirit, and I welcomed Sadie and Oliver and Belle into my life and my heart.

And yet, on Thursday I shall trade the pasture walks for seawalks, the sounds of coyotes ki-yi-yi-ing for the sounds of seals barking, the cries of Northern flickers and pileated woodpeckers for the cawing and calling of seagulls.

Life is an adventure, and as the critters and I bid farewell to this precious piece of land, we step boldly and happily into a future of new sights and new sounds, of new places to explore, new discoveries to make, new friends to meet. Memories of our life here on the farm will always be cherished, old friendships will continue even though the frequency of getting together will change, and all the experiences that I have had these past few years – both those that have brought joy and those that have brought pain – are tucked away in my heart and have shaped the woman I am now and the woman I am still becoming.

And so, as I start yet another chapter of my life, I feel much like I did when I was fourteen years old backpacking the McAlester Pass in the North Cascades of Washington State, or in my mid-forties hiking the amazing mountain crest trails of Cathedral Provincial Park in BC – I am loving the experience and can’t wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Life is good.

A Bit of This, A Bit of That

Moving day is just one week away, and the moving experience is …well….let’s just say less than moving!

A last round of people-or-pet health care providers and groomers, a flurry of activity with banks and businesses, a moment of panic as I think “how will I ever manage without a garage or barn or basement or attic????”, numerous trips to thrift store and dump, and the endless job of packing, packing, packing – all tasks made more difficult by the extremely HOT weather that has arrived. Here on the hillside temperatures are about five degrees warmer than in the valley (or five degrees colder in winter), and yesterday when it was officially 31 in the valley, the thermometer showed 36 in my back yard. (For my American readers who are thinking “BRRRR” – we’re talking Celsius, not Farenheit! Thirty-six degrees Celsius is 98.6 Farenheit. And no, I don’t have air conditioning.)

But it is slowly coming together, and I am still making time for visiting with friends, walking in the pastures with the dogs, and enjoying the tremendous show of flowers in the fields and gardens.

On Monday, my friend Kate came to visit with Lady Grayce, who was adopted from Turtle Gardens. Kate’s other dogs, Finn and Lucy, are also TG alumni, but they stayed home this visit.

Last time Grayce came to visit it was raining, and I promised her sunshine and a romp in the fields. This time, we had sunshine, and so we had our romp in the fields. Grayce, for all her size, is one very active dog – getting her to stay still long enough for a photoshoot was quite the challenge.

Sadie follows Grayce up the hill

Grayce runs back to check on us


Grayce keeps an eye on Charley


Grayce and Kate

Happy Grayce

Beautiful girl

Ellen brought the dogs over Tuesday night and we filled the kiddy pool to play “bobbing for wieners” in an attempt to cool them down. Eleven year old Cisco was the only one brave enough to submerge his head for the yummy treats – once he got the knack of it he hovered them down lightening fast. Ellen, Cisco could have a great career as a pool cleaner!

This morning I awoke early to the drum-drum-drumming of a woodpecker on the tree near my bedroom window. As I got up to look, I heard the familiar hahahahahah of a pileated woodpecker (the kind Woody Woodpecker is supposed to be), and caught a glimpse of him flying across the yard. In pj’s and with dogs on my heels, I tried in vain to get a clear photo, but these are the best I could do.





You'll find a better one of the woodpecker in one of last year's blog entries here. Searching back through the entries, I realize I have seen Woody in March, December, and now June - which suggests he is here year round and not just passing through.

With the extreme heat, flowers are blooming and then dying quickly. A couple of days ago, I checked these white irises and they were but a swollen bud – today they are in full bloom, and I missed the yellow ones altogether:



These rhodos fascinate me - while not a particularly healthy bush, the one trunk has produced both pink and purple blossoms:



Some pansies have self seeded in strange spots – I found this lovely orange one under the picnic table, and others scattered along the path to the laundry stand:



And then there is the pasture, where the white blossoms of daisies and berries (black, straw, salmon and thimble) intermingle with the acres of yellow.





It is too hot to pack up the stuff in the attic or finish the garage, so I am hoping for cooler weather sometime in the next few days. Meanwhile, I'll just keep puttering around taking photos!

The hardest part of visiting the piggies.....

Hi Foster Mama! Didya bring us a present???????

....is tearing myself away to return home!

I took a truckload of stuff to Hearts on Noses yesterday - barn and piggy supplies I no longer need but knew would be useful there - and of course stopped for a visit with Scotch and Soda and the pigsters. My plan was just to stay a few minutes, as I still have a ton of work packing and sorting and cleaning in preparation for the move, not to mention all those changes of addresses, cancellations of services, etc. etc. etc.

But.....there is no such thing as a "quick visit" to my piggies. After all, what normal person could turn their back on this?:

I luvs my bruver!

or this?

or these?










Scotch gave me the cold shoulder at first, even when I sang him his song and tried to give him a belly rub. He backed over to the gate and stood there watching (maybe he was just waiting for me to take him "home"!), but as I sat chatting with Whisper and RobRoy and rubbing their bellies, he gradually came round and I suddenly felt the familiar little nudge of his snouty on my back. Moments later he was lying beside me receiving his belly rub and softly snoring in the sunshine.







The piggies demolished the bags of chopped veggies and fruit I brought them, and with the exception of my velcro pigs who settled down for a snooze on my feet, dispersed to have an after-brunch nap in the sun. I eventually tore myself away and spent the day cleaning up the old barn ready for the next tenant, hauling stuff to the dump (including one item which I suspect Allie the Cat will tell you all about in an upcoming post), getting moving boxes and tape and paper, and trying in vain to get hold of a real live person at the various utilities companies so I can let them know I'm moving. What the heck happened to the "SERVICE" in Customer Service?????

Today it's medical appointments, a cup of coffee with one friend, a glass of scotch with another, pick up the last of my boxes from the office and hand in the keys, and home in time to pass on two stall mats to dp. It will be a full day, and just part of a very full week.

But it's off to a great start with lots of piggy luvins' and snouty faces.