Monday, October 31, 2005

Happy Hallowe'en

Hallowe'en days in my childhood were so fun and exciting that I vowed I would never give them up! The excitment started weeks before the big day when we comb old trunks and backs of closets for things to make our costume out of. There was no Cat Woman or Spider Man purchased costumes for us. We went as pumpkins, or fairies, or hobo's or cowgirls or my personal favorite .... a princess. It didn't matter what we went as though it was the delicious thought of going to other people's doors and asking for and getting all that CANDY! Oh! and it wasn't just that.... it was the party at school where you got to wear your costume and eat pumpkin shaped cookies and mom's brought in black cat cakes to share. We would laugh and giggle at each other's costumes and talk about how much candy we were going to get that night. We would warn each other to stay away from the houses that made you do too much for your treat or worse gave you FRUIT! What kid wanted and apple on Hallowe'en? Then home to wait for the magic hour when it got dark and scary and you grabbed your pillow case and hit the streets to make the haul. We would prowl the streets for hours meeting up with other kids and comparing our goodies. Exhaustion would catch up with us sooner or later and we would and home we would go to eat and count up the chocolate bars and the suckers and boxed candy and popcorn balls and the licorice whips! Best of all the homemade caramel apples!
In the hustle and bustle of adult life I have forgotten my promise to never give up Hallowe'en. I bought the goodies and oohhed and ahhed over the little ones dressed in the latest purchased hero costume of the day. Next year though I think I am going to look in the back of the closets and the old trunk down stairs and grab my pillow case and shout 'TRICK OR TREAT'!

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Some days just suck!

Awoke to find that the furnace that I had worked for almost two hours to get going yesterday had gone out in the middle of the night.
Went to the kitchen only to find that the field mouse had visited again. This despite the fact that we have put out multiple traps, mouse poison and an electronic mouse repeller. Not to mention THREE cats! I am cutting off their food supply.
Went to start the car (after cleaning up the mouse leavings instead of the quiet newspaper thing I had envisioned for my morning) only to find that it would not start.
Decided if I hurried I could catch a bus and still be almost on time. NOT! gave all my change up last night and the buses won't take bills.
Run a mile to the office and get there only 15 minutes late to find out that no one has keys and the person who does will not be in for another one and a half hours. Decide to console myself with a steamed milk and an iced scone and read that newspaper in peace and quiet. NOT !Some very nice lonley man asked if he could join me and talked and talked and talked!
Finally get into the office and within half an hour some one comes in with a fax that they want sent right away to Victoria! Great I can do that.... except that the fax machine will not work!
So now I am on my way to bed in hopes that tomorrow will be a better day.

Monday, October 24, 2005

Fall on the West Coast!


It was a wonderful fall day on the coast. All afternoon I was out doing errands and thinking how sorry I was that I had not brought my camera. The trees were radiantly attired in hues of red and gold and yellow. They swayed in the gentle breeze as though swooning from the warmth of the last rays of sunshine. Tomorrow we are to get rain and a great wind that will leave them naked by the end of day. I rushed home and grabbed my camera late in the day and rushed to Rocky Point only to get there just a little too late. The sun had dipped and all that was left was this little bit of fall sunset. Oh well, maybe some trees will keep their finery for another day!

Sunday, October 23, 2005

Bou Country


The Caribou is a special place. The land is vast and seems, to me at least, almost empty although some of the pioneers of the area would argue that it is getting too crowded. As well, there is a peacefulness that seems to blanket everything. From the peaceful grazing cattle to the lonely call of the loons on the multitude of lakes in the area you are struck by the quiet serenity of the place. With little cabins tucked away behind massive trees and the only evidence they are there is the smoke rising from their chimney it is obvious by the way people struggle to build houses with no running water and no septic fields that the people that live here do so for the sheer pleasure of nature and privacy. As I walked the paths around Dekka Lake this past weekend with Lucy I was struck by the beauty, but awed by the silence. More on the Caribou later.

Friday, October 21, 2005

Fall in the Caribou



Dekka Creek

Time - where does it go?

Where in the world does time fly? I used to think that time would never pass quickly enough. Remember how you were 4 and it was another year before you could go to school - now wasn't that the year that never seemed to end! Or how about those nine months that you were pregnant....didn't those nine months seem to crawl along? However since I turned 50 I am convinced that I get up in the morning and 5 minutes later it is time to go to bed and I still have hundreds of things left to do. What is THAT about? Just like this blog, I could have sworn it was only a couple of days ago that I last posted so imagine my surprise when I logged in tonight (actually forgot my password something else that has happened since I turned 50 but that is whole other post) and discovered that I have not written anything for the last two and a half weeks. Lots to catch up on.
Thanksgiving came and went. I always take my Aunt out for a traditional dinner and a trip to the gambling ship. I lost , my daughter won and Auntie enjoyed herself.
Fall on the west coast is here with a passion, leaves falling in colorful mounds on the ground and the usual deluge of rain. I can't tell you how many times a day I change shoes and socks and coats because I have to walk Lucy in pounding rain that most of the time even she doesn't want to go out in. I don't want to complain too much though, because people have been telling me that we are going to have mounds of white stuff this winter something I dislike even more than rain.
Went away last weekend to the Caribou - such a peaceful place to be especially at this time of the year. The colors of the trees was mind boggling and it was interesting to watch everything sort of settling in for winter. I have some great pictures and more about my trip later.

Monday, October 03, 2005

Whew !

Dumb and Dumber

Safe at last! This ranks right up there with making Martha Stewart wear that ankle bracelet for another two weeks! I don't know about the rest of Canada, but I am sure I will be sleeping better at nights because of these guys!