It’s always a good thing to take a break from time to time. The last four days have been spent on the road. Or rather on the road and on the sea. Janis & I headed over to Vancouver Island, delivered a miniature horse to Denman Island on Saturday, then drove up to Campbell River to visit with family.
Sunday afternoon we continued north on Vancouver Island to Port McNeil. The roads were clear and the traffic was light. Monday morning we made a quick trip over to Sointula Island and back. Then we headed back down Island stopping in Sayward for another small horse. Monday night we were back in Campbell River to visit again with family before heading down Island once more to catch the big ferry back to the mainland. It has been a lot of years since I’ve travelled that many ferries in so short a time. It reminded me of the many reasons why we moved off Vancouver Island ten years ago. When you ride a ferry to the Island it’s easy to tell the regulars from the tourists. The visitors are excited about the trip. They are racing around the boats, in wonder at all they see, snapping pictures and enjoying the ride. The regulars will most likely be flaked out as best they can in one of the most uncomfortable chairs in the world. The tourists are enjoying the food, the regulars roll their eyes and choke down that predictably infamous ferry fare.
The countryside is certainly very beautiful over there. The pace of life is undoubtably much more laid back. But every move to or from the island(s) has to be timed with the schedule of the ferries. Traveling time is increased and more time is inevitably spent waiting in line which is far better than waiting for the next ferry. The cost of the ferries outpaced the price of the fuel for our trip in a substantial way... and the price of fuel over there was substantially more than what I was used to as well. I don’t miss those increased costs of doing business.
We had a great time with family. And we gained two more horses to find new homes for through Pipsqueak Paddocks - our rescue society. Janis & I enjoyed a few days away from our normal routine. We did some reading (while waiting for all those ferries) and generally relaxed and enjoyed the view.
Today as we pulled into our driveway I was glad to be home once more, refreshed and ready to do some real work once more.
-grampa dan