See that solid bank of fog just off the next island? It rolled our way by midday Friday, hiding the sunshine we had enjoyed for a few hours.
It settled in thickly, wrapping us up in its grey fuzzy damp, although it was blown out of the way by evening to reveal a sparkling sky, waxing moon. . .
back again Saturday morning, sadly, and even when it rolled back, it revealed only more grey, if pushed a bit higher into the sky . . .
We didn’t mind too much, though, as we could watch the antics of the sea lions in the bay. There seem to be two groups, 8-12 in each, and there were some frantic conversations, particularly when neighbours began power-sawing up some beach logs. Besides the grunts, moans and sharp, noisy barks, an astonishing series of dolphin-leaps kept us at the window, fascinated.
Harriet was a bit intimidated, quite frankly, by the cacophony, but the dramatic arcs in and out of the water eventually appeased her. . .
Friday night, we enjoyed a lovely, simple meal with my visiting former student. I spent a happy couple of hours putting it together Friday afternoon: the seafood chowder from this recipe, the peasant-bread-in-a-bowl from this one, and then an apple pie I’d put together and tucked into the freezer back in October.
Luckily, my main preparation for next week’s classes is reading — finishing a novel for one course, a poetry collection for another, both rather happy tasks. So I gave myself over to the granddaughter-cuddling and the soup-making and the bread-making, some of the very best domestic ways to be in the moment, There will be even more of these in retirement.
Speaking of which, thank you so much for all your kind words about my decision to move more quickly toward that next phase. . .
Our visitors have left — Paul’s just taken them to the big ferry, leaving me in the quiet house, catching up on my reading. They, on the other hand, have first a kilometre’s walk to get to our boat, then a boat ride down the harbour to drop them off at the ferry. After that ride, they’ll be met by Harriet’s Daddy and take the bus, then the Skytrain, before they nestle back into their sweet little home. Hope you’re settling into your own comfort, wherever you are. . .
Gorgeous photos. That fog is so dramatic, and the pictures of the sea lion gathering brings back sensory memories of my days of living near the water, which I do miss sometimes.
It's not always comfortable, life near/on the water, but it's rich in sensory details, isn't it?!
I cannot believe you've even seen a sea lion in real life. Did I ever tell you about my friend Hil, who bought M a book when she was tiny, one of those ones with ducks and dogs and stuff that you could pet. Hilary thought that publishers were totally wasting their time, missing the opp to put Starbucks cappuccinos and Tim Horton's donuts on a board book because those are the things that urban children can relate to. The idea being that a cow is ridiculous to a car-free kid who likely won't see one in it's natural habitat till she's 4. We howled over that.
Nonetheless, I sure would like to see a sea lion one day, that isn't at an aquarium.
Too funny! But you likely get squirrels and raccoons and perhaps skunks and coyotes . . . at least we do in downtown Vancouver. . . and, of course, all kinds of birds, waterfowl. . . Sea lions are pretty cool, though, I must admit, as were the dolphins (hundreds of them!) I saw leaping alongside the ferry last weekend. We get blasé about them, even more so about seals, which is too bad, really.
I am settling back into the comforts of home after a week away in the sunshine. It was a wonderful time but there's nothing like walking in one's own door. I just returned from grocery shopping (real life) and am taking a little time to catch up on blogs while the fire keeps me warm.
Sounds like you've had a lovely time with your visitors. The clear definition of that bank of fog is noteworthy. Great photo.
Grocery shopping, yes, that's real life! Glad you enjoyed your time away — I'm craving sunshine and warmth at the moment. This time next year I'll be away to get some, if I want!
It's been such a comfy day here, glad yours is too:).
Comfy is good, right?!