Asleep on the Job?

So, this afternoon I was looking through some of our wedding photos, trying to find the right picture for a project I'm working on, and what did I find but a picture of what looks like my father snoozing during our wedding ceremony! Take a close look and decide for yourself: was Dad just caught on camera mid-blink, or is he pretending to look dignified while visions of margaritas dance through his head?

A Change of Scenery

Yesterday, I had the absolute pleasure of heading up to Shawnigan Lake to run the trails with my good friend Aynsley who lives there. Shawnigan Lake and its eponymous village are located about 45 kilometers north of Victoria and the lake is a favorite weekend and cottage spot for Victoria locals. What was once a railroad track around the lake has long since been covered over with gravel and turned into a most excellent pedestrian trail. The trail is mostly flat, very wide, and impeccably maintained and is part of a cross-country network of trails known as the Trans-Canada Trail. Its only apparent downfall is its propensity to attract wildlife, which necessitates the wearing of a "bear bell" or the company of a dog or some other noise-making entity to warn lurking creatures of your approach. (See example below.)

Our two hour run led us to the Kinsol Trestle, which is said to be one of the largest wooden trestles in Canada. Largely dilapidated and currently unpassable, the future of the Kinsol Trestle is a hotly debated topic in these parts. On one hand, the aging structure is quite unstable and, in its current state, presents a safety hazard for hikers who disobey the posted warnings. On the other hand, it is a bit of a relic and stands as a beautiful reminder of BC's heritage. Just think: how tragic would it be if the Egyptians had destroyed every run-down pyramid, if the French had torched every decaying aqueduct, if the Vatican had simply painted over Michaelangelo's ceiling when it started to lose its luster? Shouldn't we leave our grandchildren at least a few monuments to read about in guidebooks and then make the journey to see with their very own eyes?

Having finished our run, we soaked our tired legs in chilly Shawnigan Lake while we shared a ripe mango and tried to avoid getting wet above our belly buttons. After a hot shower, a delicious dinner, and a leisurely chat that kept us both up past our bedtimes, I bit the bullet and started the drive around the lake and back down the mountain to Victoria. As I traversed the long and winding road in the darkness, I was shocked to realize that, when I looked into my rear-view mirror, I saw nothing. No tail lights of a trailing car, no street lamps illuminating my path, just the complete and utter black of a quiet country night. And for the first time in a long time, I felt truly alone. Twenty-four hours later, however, all I feel is sore!

Easter Treat

A few weeks ago, over Easter long weekend, James and I grabbed some friends and made the trek to South Winchelsea Island (SWI). The island is owned by The Land Conservancy (TLC), a nonprofit British Columbia Land Trust. Some of the friends who joined us on the island work for TLC, and so were able to get us a great deal at what is usually a rather expensive eco-tourist destination.

SWI is a 25-acre island north of Nanaimo, just off the east coast of Vancouver Island. To get there, we drove from Victoria to Nanaimo, then hopped in a fishing boat at Schooner's Cove Marina and took the 15-minute boat ride out to the island. On the island is a dock, a small research cottage, a few outbuildings, and one small trail. In short: there's not a lot to do. Except admire the endangered Garry-Oak ecosystem, watch eagles catch and eat their breakfast, fall asleep and wake up to the incessant bays of sea lions sunning on neighboring islands, explore countless tidepools, and spend lots of quality time with your closest friends. It was a huge bonus to have our very own TLC biologist (and friend) with us to teach us all about the interesting plant and animal species on the island.


We had packed tons of food and what we thought was more than enough wine, but by the end of our second day on the island we had nearly exhausted our supply of libations. We put in an "emergency" call to our boat captain and asked him to please pick us up some more wine in Nanoose Bay and deliver it when he brought over extra firewood on Easter Sunday. What we didn't realize, however, is that all of the stores in this small town would be closed for Easter, including of course the liquor store. Imagine our surprise when he showed up with firewood and an eclectic supply of bottles (beer and wine) donated by the townspeople, lest we be stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere dead sober all weekend. We were overcome by the outpouring of generostiy, but the captain refused to take money back with him to repay our debts, accepting only some Easter chocolates (from our Easter egg hunt) as a token of our appreciation.

After a restful, fun weekend, we boarded the fishing boat back to Schooner's Cove for a quick return trip. Unexpectedly, however, we came across a pod of transient killer whales, and watched a mother and two calves hunt and kill seals. It was at once disturbing and fascinating, and it felt a lot like being inside a Discovery Channel show. Several more curious whales came to say hello, and eventually we had to say goodbye to them and head back to Nanoose Bay to start our journey home. We were all so enthralled by the marine wildlife that no one thought to take photos of our surprise whale watching expedition, but you can click HERE to see some more pictures of our weekend on SWI.

This Old Blog

Hello, folks! Though life has been exceptionally busy over the past few months, we thought it was high time we blew the dust off this ol' blog, cleared out the cobwebs, and posted a quick update. What has been keeping us way too busy to blog? Training, of course! We promise we'll try to post more regularly throughout the summer as training (and life in general) gets more interesting.

James and I are well into the "build" phase of our Ironman training, where we ramp up the distance in each sport until we reach (or surpass, yikes!) the actual race distances. We've been seeking out new and interesting bike routes and are starting to mentally prepare ourselves for the first icy cold swim in Thetis Lake. The weather in Victoria has just started to improve, which has brought locals and tourists alike out of hibernation and into the downtown streets. The great farmers' markets will be starting up again soon, and every Saturday we'll be able to fill our bags with local organic produce and our bellies with fresh samosas. And I assure you, there is nothing nicer than a Sunday morning vegan brunch, followed by coffee to go and a long walk with Disco along Dallas Road. Though the grey winter sometimes makes us wonder why on earth we choose to live on this rock, the first glimpse of summer sun reminds us what paradise this place can be. We have a lot planned for the next few months and we promise to blog about it, so stay tuned for updates!

In the meantime, and in honor of spring's arrival, here are some pictures from our visit to Butchart Gardens with James' parents in April. Early spring is a great time to see the gardens because, though the weather is usually nice and the place is bursting with blooms, it's still pretty quiet. Disco particularly loved Butchart Gardens and was a hit with all the tourists. One Japanese couple, resplendent in their fanny packs and oversized cameras, was especially taken with her. They didn't speak much English but they managed to ask us the name of our dog. When we said "Disco," they exchanged a puzzled glance and some Japanese words, then turned to us and said, "Dees-co? Like...?" At which point they put their hands on their hips and wiggled back and forth in what we could only assume was a Travolta-esque pantomime. When we confirmed their suspicions that our dog had indeed been named after a particularly tacky style of dance, they collapsed in giddy laughter and petted her all the more enthusiastically. I could only imagine what they would have thought had we been able to communicate her full name: Waycool Days of Disco.