Summer, 2008. How quickly time had passed since our
last visit to Vancouver Island. Jenn was feeling the need to visit friends and family. And not to be forgetten was the excellent high country of Vancouver Island, especially Strathcona park, where rugged, undeveloped peaks and unheard-of-in-the-east solitude were in abundance.
We flew out west to Victoria on Wednesday, August 13. Jenn's neice Madison had just finished a visit to Ottawa,
and we were accompanying her back. We arrived to clear, glorious sunshine and warm temperatures. Jenn's longtime
friend Cathy picked us up at the airport and drove us into Victoria.
We spent the next several days lounging around Victoria, visiting friends and family. We met and had tea with Jenn's
colleagues from Victor School, had dinner with Jenn's brother Skot, hung out with Cathy (and her family), and wandered
around pleasant downtown Victoria, doing a bit of shopping. The weather was absolutely clear and beautiful through
most of these days, which did cause me a bit of mental chafing -- these would be great days to spend in the mountains,
and my fear was that the subsequent days were going to be wet and rainy!!
