Spring Begins

 

The spring equinox and spring break coincided this weekend so of course we had to get away for a little bit. We spent 3 days tucked away at Goldstream campground. It was cold and wet but such is life here on this island. Everything seemed so lush and calming. We were kept company every night by several barred owls calling "who cooks for you!" to each other. 

This trip was made even better by the company of our closest friends. The kids built forts, explored the swap behind our site and played many rounds of laser tag. We had the campfire going and good company. I can't think of a better way to welcome in this new season. I'm aching to get back into our camping routine and visit some new spots on our little island. 

Warm Winter

 

It's undeniable that even in a small way the Covid-19 pandemic was a breath of fresh air for the climate crisis. Less air travel, less cruise ships, less commuters driving to work, less recreational vehicles in lakes and oceans. However, that little bit feels insignificant when you realize that we are fighting a runaway train. 

We had a day of brief snowfall before Christmas, then it quickly warmed up. It's felt more like April than January. F asks me often "Is it spring now?" because we see flowers popping up and it's warm enough to leave your jacket at home. It's sad to see how out of sync nature is becoming. It seems that the plants and animals are just as confused about the season as my son is.

Lulu and I have been venturing further from home on our adventures so we can get a good dose of nature. While I love seeing the lush green moss and new ferns, I shouldn't been seeing this rebirth for another two months. As a gardener, I'm lost as to when to prune or plant. It's hard to push the message that it should not be this warm and sunny in the first month of winter here in the PNW. Everyone loves the sunshine and with Covid restrictions getting outdoors is essential. But just because it's enjoyable doesn't mean it's right. It's time for drastic action.

Pandemic

 

Like the rest of the world, 2020 for us was dominated by the Covid-19 virus. The lockdown began in March during spring break. It lasted about a month before our province moved forward with safety protocols that allowed people to return to work and centres to reopen. 

It was a time of resourcefulness and creativity. Our little house felt very tiny as the pandemic wore on. Schools remained closed and as we were doing our home learning at the dining room table I realized the children needed a space to focus on class work. So I made a “crisis school” room in our garage. It had a space heater, carpet, lights, books, everything they could need. It worked for a while but we quickly learned that Zoom classes were not compatible with the either of my children. Learning became much more hands on and creative. We abandoned the workbooks and made it up as we went along. 

Thank goodness we still had our garden and yard. My time in my garden saved my sanity. I would retreat to the greenhouse if it became too cold for the main garden. We delighted in finding a small birds nest built in our greenhouse. And around that same time we found a hummingbird nest just a 3 minute walk from our house. It was a welcome distraction. 

When summer finally came we were so relieved to be able to go camping. We needed a change of scenery but we needed our space. However it seems everyone was camping that summer. It was practically impossible to find a site. We lucked out a couple times but were disappointingly sent home just as often. 

At the end of the summer we bought our new home and sold our beloved little house. It was a good change but bittersweet. My babies were born there, learned to walk in those halls, we planted gardens there and buried pets there. It was hard to say goodbye. Our new house is calling out for good memories and we shall oblige. Change is welcome.

Cows, Car Rides and Cheese

This weekend we decided to drive up the island for a mini-getaway. A stay-cation if you will. We are on a tight budget these days so I did my best to stretch our dollar on this trip. It was a bit stressful but definitely fun. Poor F had a hard time in the car this trip so we had to make lots of stops. It was raining for most of the drive so we didn't visit the beaches as I hoped we could. We did, however, make a stop to one of my favorite farms. Farms are a fantastic, free way to have fun and learn about your local farms and food.

Little Qualicum Cheeseworks and Morningstar Farm is such a fun place to visit. Not only are their cheeses amazing, it's such a great learning opportunity to see exactly where our food comes from. It was still drizzling when we arrived but we took cover in the animal pens. Both kids adored the rabbits. You could tell they were used to visitors because they barely batted an eyelash at all the scratching and stroking.

We visited the calves (oh my they were sweet!), donkeys, sheep, ducks and most importantly the cows. The kids got to visit the maternity pens and give those girls some scratches. Then we took a look at the milking pen. No one was in there at the time but A and I checked out the equipment and talked about how it must work when the pen is full of cows. Then we walked over to the cheesemaking window. "1/2 of excitement packed into 8 hours" as we've made our own cheese before we completely understood this sentiment. Of course the way to finish a tour of a cheeseworks factory is to taste the cheese (my favorite part). We couldn't leave without taking some of our favorite cheese home.

As we were leaving F noticed a tractor. He is a boy obsessed with driving. We could hardly convince him to leave. I think he would have liked to sat on that seat until sheer will brought the thing to life. While he was "driving", A spotted a horse. She tells me often that horses are her favorite animal. It was a gentle horse and happily visited with us. Eventually we bid farewell to the farm and got back in the car to continue our journey.

A Winter Fair

It's that time of year again. Our local (and when I say "local" I mean an hour drive) Waldorf school was hosting their annual Winter Fair. I can't tell you how much I look forward to visiting that school. It's a beautiful school on a gorgeous piece of land. While we were waiting in line a bald eagle soared overhead. It was sunny but cold. Really, it was the perfect day to celebrate the upcoming winter season. We enjoyed ourselves so much last year, I knew this would be a new tradition for us.

There were many crafts and fun experiences for the kids. We made wool angels (A hung hers over her bed), salt dough ornaments, dipped candles and painted silks. I personally could have dipped candles all day long. They had beautiful harp music, soft candle-lit winter scenes and the delicious smell of beeswax. Everyone whispers and moves very slowly; it's the definition of serene. Miss A badly wanted to wind her own jump rope but the line was too long. We visited the cookie cavern and the enchanted garden. Again the enchanted garden was so magical. Silks hung over strings of light, rock lamps, gentle winter scenes. At the end the children were allowed to pick a little toy gnome to take home.

This year we took the time to watch a blacksmith work. It was fascinating. I rarely get to see one in action but there is no technology at work here. It was just good old-fashioned iron and fire. I was glad to see the blacksmith was so young. I like seeing young people learning old trades and working with their hands.

The sun was out and I had dressed the kids in wool (but not myself. Silly me.) so we let them have a good run around on the playground. I love their playground. It's so natural and simple. A tunnel made of live bamboo, a simple wood bridge over a sand pit, a tree house, logs for climbing; it was hard to tear the kids away. What a fun day it was!

Catching Crayfish

A few weekends ago we attempted to go on an impromptu camping trip. We drove for several hours and only found packed campgrounds. It had been a long day filled with disappointments so before we made the long drive home we stopped by Cowichan River for a dip and to search for crayfish. One of A's favorite Sparkle Stories is titled Catching Crayfish. We certainly don't have big crayfish here but they are fun to search for.

We stripped the kids down and headed into the river. Though A wanted to be the one to catch the crayfish, she just didn't have the grab down pat. So once spotted, Daddy grabbed the crayfish. A held one but I'm pretty sure F was determined to crush. Poor little guy was pretty scared. We found a nice little spot for him to hide and set him free. We searched and searched but didn't find more crayfish. We saw a few salmon fry but that was it. It's been a very dry summer so the river is low. It's not good news for the fish.

Dinner and a dip in the river seemed to help recharge us for the drive home. It was a bit disappointing to arrive home without having had a night in the woods but to quell A's disappointment I set up an indoor campsite for her. A little campfire made of a lantern and playsilks, her sleepbag on her bed, a couple stuffed birds and a stuffed raccoon and the window wide open. It's not the same but it was a little something fun.

Market and Art

This weekend, despite our busy work schedules, Jon and I found time to take the kids to the Moss Street Market and the Moss Street Paint In. The market is a weekly farmers market but the Paint-in is an annual event hosted by the local art gallery. Artists from all over the island come to display the paintings and other works. It's so amazing to see the talent here in the city.

It was a sweltering hot day so we didn't make it the entire way down the street. We started at the market. One of my favorite local bands, The O'Brien Family, was playing. There were tomatoes, berries, amazing breads, cheese, garlic, ice cream and so so many more goodies. We stopped by the children's art tent with A where she decorated some fairy rocks for her fairy home.

Then it was on to the Paint In. I was really surprised to see some very young artists at the paint in this year. Most artists that attend have been working at their craft for many years. It was nice to see new faces. The kids loved the opportunity to do their own crafts. There was another craft station where A made a wind sock and F did some coloring.

Such a lovely way to spend a morning with my little family before heading to work. These local gatherings throughout the summer months help me to feel that sense of connection to my community and this town.