We're back! We didn't have much wifi in Tofino, so couldn't report on our various activities there. But we truly enjoyed the area, as there is great beauty on the far side of Vancouver Island. Tofino itself has refined itself from humble fishing town to busy tourist attraction, with lots of Artsy shops and restaurants. There's a fine harbour, the focus primarily on seaplane flights, whale and bear watching excursions. and recreational fishing charters. We sat in a bar called JACKS, and watched one of the charter captains clean a half dozen beautiful salmon. (We had to have a beer there, as son Jeff and family use the acronym to define their family...Jeff, Anna, Claire, Kate and Sharon...get it?)

We did several good hikes, despite cloudy, rainy and cool weather. Typical West Coast stuff. There's a nice walk through woods down to a beach in Tofino, as well as several good hikes between Tofino and Ucluelet. The latter town, by the way, also has its charm, despite having transformed from a timber town to a commercial fishing center. Along the shore at Ucluelet there's an 8 km. seaside walk which we did part of. a section called the Wild Pacific Trail, Many spectacular views. But no whales in sight. Seems to be our plight.

Just as we entered the trail, we met a couple coming the other way. We got talking, and it turned out they are Edmontonians. When we told them we were from a little town in Ontario they'd probably not heard of, the response to "Picton" was "Oh, you're County people." Turned out two of their best friends are people we know quite well, Tom and Nancy Fenora. Cool coincidence.

We also did two or three walks along the beaches, watching the surfers, who were there by the score. Labour Day week-end had any beach with any measure of wavy water packed with people trying their hand at catching a wave. Not too many looked like they knew what they were doing, which is fine. Give them credit for trying on a cool cloudy day. Wet suits and boards, determination, and lots of tumbling in the surf. There are miles of beaches, so no lack of space for the large numbers.

We also did a bog hike, and a rainforest hike, exploring two contrasting areas on the coast. The latter is an ancient forest, with moss-covered, vine-wrapped old growth and huge fallen logs, much of the forest in the final stages of development, with ferns and undergrowth in abundance. A truly ancient rainforest, many tall cedars and their cousins reaching a hundred feet above the damp floor. The walk was mostly on boardwalk, as it's the only way you could get around the area because the ground is completely sodden.

Similarly, the bog is only walkable on a boardwalk. There we found dwarf trees, many only 2 to 4 feet high, despite being up to 300 years old. The bog permits only miniscule growth, but somehow these small trees survive, growing on hummocks of meters-deep sphagnum. Another contrast area we found on the way back to Nanaimo was the Cathedral Grove, where there were giant Douglas Firs and Cedars growing up to 250 feet tall, some of which were over 800 years old. Reminded us of our treks through the giant redwoods in California. Humbling, when you consider the size of these wonderful miracles.

This adventure to the coast was shared with Dan and Dianne, Gail's sister and her husband. They drove their car, so we had wheels to get to the various hike sites, and they shared our r.v. for meals and sleeping. Four in the van worked out fine for the four days of the trip. We had three nights in Tofino in a great r.v. park, and a fourth night in Nanaimo, where we had a chance to visit our niece, Dan and Di's daughter Allie. Hadn't seen her for several years, and it was good to see that she is doing okay after some tough times.

We took the ferry from Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay, after saying goodbye to Dan and Di, who took an earlier ferry. We emerged from the ferry on the other side into a downpour and major traffic along highway 1. But we finally got to Don and Joy Vance's, where we had a lovely evening. Joy did her usual magic in the kitchen, and Don made sure there were sufficient libations to make us forget about the rain. This was the third time this year we've seen these good friends, so mark 2016 down as a banner year.

Today, we got off to an early start, the writer harbouring a major head cold, which has somewhat lessened thank to Joy's provision of various remedies. After 8 hours on the road we gave up, dripping nose and sagging eyelids in need of rest. We're in a nice campground at Moses Lake, Washington and hope to make good time tomorrow so that we can get to Yellowstone in timely fashion on Saturday.
Yep, that's where we finally decided to go, after much indecision (par for us). Alaska, the Peace River country, Edmonton, Vernon, all were given agonizing consideration, but we decided to head south to warmer climes in order to fulfill Gail's desire to see Yellowstone.

One final little incident. We stopped in Coombs, on the way back to Nanaimo, a very different little touristy town on route 4. Famous for having goats on the sod roof of the main restaurant, and tons of Chinese sculptures all over the place. But also a great book store. As I purchased yet another James Lee Burke, the owner mentioned how busy he is keeping the store going. "Keeps you out of the pool hall" was my response. "Yeah, I play quite a lot. But my brother's better. He's a pro pool player." Turns out both men have competed in the World 9 Ball Championships in Las Vegas, the brother with considerable success. Simple comment on my part let to an interesting result. Gotta love it!

Enough already. My eyelids are dropping onto my cheeks. Time for bed. More later. Stay tuned.

September 3 - Talk about a long day on the road! We were up before 7, to catch the ferry from Pender Island to Sydney, on Vancouver Island. We are travelling with Dan and Di, Gail's sister and her husband, on our way to Tofino, on the west coast of Van Island. Travelling in tandem is always tricky, but going this route with an rv and a car is not always easy. Dan and Di are driving, because we don't know where each couple will be going once we finish this little adventure. And it'll be nice to have a car to get around once we get set up in our r.v.
After getting groceries in Sydney, we promptly got lost, trying to pick up Highway 1 to go west, thanks to our famous Lucy, voice of our satellite tracker. She decided it would be shorter to take the ferry across to Mill Bay, so had us going down all manner of side streets, only to get to the ferry to find it was full, and not another for about 3 hours. So we had to go the long way around, which cost us about an hour. Love the gps system. Works most of the time, but not always.
Anyway, we found the main route, towards Nanaimo, and found the traffic extremely heavy, with traffic signals every couple of miles, most of which were red when we hit them. Slow going, to say the least. We finally got to the cutoff, where we had agreed to meet Dan and Di, highway 4, at Coombs. The place was jam packed with people enjoying the market and the other highlights, including goats on the roof of the local restaurant. I'm not kidding. Look up Coombs on the internet!!

But no parking, so Gail grabbed some food for lunch, and we carried on. And on. And on, along route 4. Scenic, but winding, up and down, with narrow roads. Safe enough, so long as you keep you eyes open, so a nice drive. But slow, The kilometer signs seemed to hardly change after a half-hour of driving. But we finally got here, to a very nice r.v. park, and had a lovely walk on the beach. We've also extended for a third night, so will have two days to explore the area. Being as far west in Canada as you can get is pretty neat.

We stopped for some groceries in Port Albernie. While Gail was in doing her duty, I met a very interesting fellow in the parking lot, a local physician. His father and son are also doctors. The father still works at Vancouver General at age 96, along with a few other docs his age, and won't quit until placed in a box. "What should I do at home, get in my wife's hair, and who needs that after 70 years of marriage?" His son, the man I was talking to, was an emergency accident surgeon in Vancouver for 40 years, retired, and soon got bored, so came to Albernie to work in Emerg. No quit in him either. His son, on the other hand, want to work only 5 days a week, from 9 to 5. That's it! The new generation of physicians. Sound familiar?

More later. Stay tuned.

God forbid, it's the first of September. In our previous message, it was mentioned that the weather on the West Coast might be capricious. In other words, not the steady heat and good weather we've had in Ontario. Sure enough, we are here to witness the beginning of fall, as the temps are in the mid-teens, and it's mostly cloudy, with bits of rain. Sister-in-law Diane is complaining rather loudly, as though it were here fault. We are not dismayed, however, as the coolness is a pleasant change, particularly as we made our way up and down the hike up Mount Norman, then down and along another several kilometers on the William Walker trail. My fitbit tells me I've done more than 11,000 steps today, so time to grab a book and relax.
Our trip out on Tuesday was a long one, as we were 18 hours from the time we left Picton until we reached our first stop, on Pender Island. We did car, bus, plane, car and ferry, then car, to get here. A dram on Scotch helped bring on a good crash in the sack. Good to be back with Dan and Di, and to see our faithful r.v. waiting for our next road adventure.
After much mulling and pondering and checking mileages and weather, we decided to go to Vancouver Island on Saturday to go to Tofina. We've always wanted to go to that side of the island, so Dan and Di will come with us for a few days. Should be fun. Four in the van. We'll see how that works out. In the old days, we did trips with 4 adults and 2 kids in a VW camper, so this should work out.
So stay tuned. Adventures await.

We're back on the air, after several months of inactivity. The computer that got wine-bombed is once again sober, through some sort of miracle. So as long as the faithful writer can stay sober, there may be occasional items of interest to peruse...on occasion.

What awaits? We will be risking the capricious weather of the West Coast in exchange for the remarkable summer we have had here in Prince Edward County. Tourists have been coming here in great numbers to sample wine, the excellent cuisine, and the myriad of events available for their entertainment. Clogged streets, store shelves being emptied out by voracious appetites, crowded parks: all good for the local economy, but enough to drive the locals a little bonkers.

So we're gettin' the Hell outa here on Tuesday. As most of your know, we left our r.v. on Pender Island on the West Coast, so we're going out to pick it up and complete the journey we started last November. We want to be back home by the end of September, as our good friend Dave MacKay has surgery on the 30th, and faithful Dodger needs a place to stay during the time involved. So we will spend some time with Gail's sister Diane and her husband Dan at their place on Pender, and then head back east. At the moment, the plan is to aim for Wyoming and Yellowstone Park, as Gail wants to meet Yogi Bear. Then we'll head on for Minneapolis, Chicago and Detroit, hoping there might be a couple of ball games to take in.

We'll post occasional notes about our various adventures and misadventures, hoping there aren't many of the latter. We also welcome your comments on this site, as it lets us know you are with us, and allows you to share any news you may have from the home front. Let the fun begin. More later!

Feb 9 - This is our friend from the Desert Museum, south of Tucson. We visited him as part of a long visit to this park, which is one of the best anywhere. Wonderful place, full of interesting creatures and desert vegetation. There's an aviary, a hummingbird enclosure, and very good desert animal areas. It was a great time. Filled my camera's memory card.

We then drove along highway 85, a generally very nice little two-laner, through the Tohono O'Odham Indian Reservation, and on to a little town called Ajo (Ah-ho). Thought we'd stay for one night, but after we took a look around and learned more, we decided to stay for 4 nights. Perfect weather, small town, middle of the Sonoran desert, and a very nice r.v. park. Tomorrow night the Tucson Symphony will be here for a concert called "Fiddle Faddle", so we bought tickets yesterday. We'll wander about, do a little hiking in the hills, check out the old silver mine that had 7,000 people living here until the mid-80s. Now it's a slowly recovering tourist town, quiet, nice place to spend a  few days before we head to Yuma and California. Stay tuned.

Feb 6 - We didn't freeze up in El Paso, and we didn't freeze up here in Tucson, despite the evening temps being below 32. Today, we bask in sunshine and temps that are well into the 70s. So no more worries about frozen waterlines. It's been a gradual improvement this week, so far as weather is concerned, so we look forward to some fine days for the next week.

We're in an urban r.v. park, so space is at somewhat of a premium. The biggest rock and gem show probably in the world is on at present here in Tucson, so getting a space is not easy. We lucked out, as we're not cramped where we are, and the facilities are good. Many have been turned away since we arrived, so we were fortunate to get a place this close to downtown.This rock thing goes on for about a month, as well as many other events...big rodeo, golf event, and all sorts of things. Point of interest....One of our neighbours is from Surrey B.C. He's a hobbyist with the gem business, buys and sells. He told us of a beautiful 400 pound piece of jade, much admired on display. Must have been unguarded, because overnight, it was lifted by some crooks onto a flatbed, by means of a crane, and hauled away, never likely to be seen again. They figure some Chinese guys were behind it. Audacity on a grand scale.

The writer has had a pretty heavy head cold since we got here, so our activities have been a little less than normal. We did a 4 mile walk to the Tucson Mall...nice, but who likes malls? Yesterday we rode our bikes 8 kms down to the U of Arizona campus, and toured the Center for Creative Photography, which was excellent, and then the Arizona State Museum, which had an excellent display depicting the various local native groups and their history, culture, wars, and the wrongs done them. Very interesting. We lunched in the university cafeteria with the young folk. Wonderful campus, by the way..

Today we set off on our bikes to go downtown to have a look around (most main streets have bike lanes, so getting around is very good). Halfway there, the writer had a flat tire. Fortunately, buses have racks on the front, so I was able to get home by that means. Gail rode back, and was home before me. So a little misadventure to remind us that things aren't always the way you would like on these trips. Tomorrow we will head for Yuma. We're giving Phoenix a big pass, and may stay in Yuma for a few days before crossing into California. We are well, the r.v. is good, need to get a flat fixed.on the bike.More aadventures await. Stay tuned.

Feb 2 - The little person mentioned occasionally by the Rambling writer would like to have her say...notes of a more practical nature than the usual observations here recorded. For instance, how have we survived 70 days in our little space, specially since winter short hours of daylight and cooler temperatures mean we aren't really camping, but truly living in our space?

Very well, actually. Larry has it to himself while I have my morning nap, during which he puzzles or writes and has a cup of tea, and lays out bagels, cereal etc. We are out and about during the day, or driving, and evenings are spent reading, cards, writing, slide shows, lots of planning, and very seldom t.v. I love the days we can stay set up and go hiking, biking, or sight-seeing, and I love moving days when we head out for some place new. I love the life, when Stony cum Mr. Sociable does all the work. Not only chatting up strangers for stories, but also for all-important information. He does all the driving, 95% of the planning, all the set-up and break-down (which is pretty darned easy, but still)....I do the challenging job of levelling the rig, I must add, and push the button for the slide-out.

We do all of the shopping together and share laundry duties. With all that, he still thinks that washing the dishes is his job, so I have to be quick to keep him out of the sink after dinner. Which brings me to my job- cooking. Since that is pretty minimalist, it is no big deal, other than trying to be creative and learn how to not-cook. The oven igniter doesn't work, but we have 3 burners, micro and BBQ. Each area sells its own specialties to spice up our menus, so we have muffeletta mix, Cajun and creole spices and sauces, Tobasco and pecan rice from New Iberia, sausages and spatzle from Fredericksburg, and mustards from everywhere, and fresh fish and shrimp when not in the desert.

Best buys? Whole bbq'd chickens for $5., 2 for 1 packages of  Caesar salad, russet potatoes and yams, and spicy rice mixes - just add shrimp and-or sausage. And go out for local specialties and beer.

That is all the little person has to say. Mr. Congeniality will be back with more esoteric ramblings and worthwhile reading in the next instalment. Or below.

OK! I can add that we came to Big Bend Park of mountain and canyon and desert for 3 nights, extended for 2 more, and lucked into 2 more on the other side of the park from where we were. Terlingua, to Rio Grand Village for those familiar with the area. Aside from the fantastically interesting landscape and hiking opportunities, we have found a little pocket of perfect weather, and are staying until it ends.

Tuesday - It ended. Mr. Congeniality here. We did indeed have two great days in the east end of the park, hiking a canyon, climbing a ridge to watch the sun set on the Sierra del Carman (on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande), and doing a 6 mile hike to the hot springs. The latter was great going there, especially when we found the hot pool right on the Rio Grande's edge. Had a great soak beside the river, looking at Mexico only a few yards away. Then hiked back in 90 degree heat. Nearly did me in, although not so the 'little person', who coaxed me along. But we made it, and enjoyed a cold beer as a reward. Next time I drink more water. It was a struggle.

Later yesterday, two things happened. First of all, a major dust storm...high winds threw dust into the air, fine dust that even invaded our little nook, while wiping out any view of the mountains we had viewed the night before. The wind howled, putting us in mind of how it must be in Beijing in their dust season. Then, our power disappeared. I went to the camp store, and found out that a major power transfer station had caught fire at Panther Junction. No power left in the entire huge park. Not only that, but the fire spread, so that people had to be evacuated out of Panther Junction, the site of park headquarters. People had to be escorted along the road to get away from the fire, which we saw this morning as having been quite extensive across the desert in that area. Still smoking in places this morning, and still no power in our area.

So we did the candle and lantern thing last night, still had our water, and survived quite well. Even the furnace continued to work, which was good, as we went from 90F to about 34 last night. Good time to make our way along the road to new horizons. So here we are, just outside of El Paso, awaiting the temp to drop to 27F, and hoping it won't freeze up our water system. Stay tuned.