Country Cottage

It's a bit of a shock to go from Robson Street in Vancouver to a cottage on a Gulf Island. First of all, at night, it's really, really dark. It's so quiet. I'd forgotten what quiet actually sounds like.

You begin to wonder if you locked the door and have crazy thoughts about the island's one black bear which, by the way has just ravaged three ewes, coming through the door in the middle of the night because you forgot to lock it properly. It's big black nose, nosing up to yours besides the bed. City folk. We're so silly.

The only sound are golfers yelling "Fore" since the property is up against the back of a golf course. "Fore," you can hear and you can then pretend golfers are actually lumberjacks yelling "Timber" just before the tree falls.

There are deer and fawn that are on the grass under the golden plum trees in the morning, standing up on their hind legs trying to get at the low hanging fruit. On the first morning I'm here, Karin and I take our yogurt containers and go pick blackberries to have for breakfast before I drive her to the ferry.

When she's gone, you're grateful for a kitty for company even when kitty throws up breakfast. It's fun to talk to kitty. Kitty not feeling well today. Poor little kitty. You'd forgotten how much you loved having a kitty. This one's name is Tin Tin.

I went to do Karin's laundry since she doesn't have a car and it must be crazy trying to do your laundry here without a car. Little sticky notes hang off washers and dryers as if they are advent calendars. Out of order they say on more machines than not. You think Hot Sox on Denman is so clean and well maintained. Maybe, you think to yourself, the guy who owns that would want to buy this one and maintain it as well, since it's for sale and laundry in a small town is critical.

Murphy's law being what it is, when you're driving back from the water, you notice a light on your dash lighting up some shape that means nothing to you. When you look at the book it says, check to make sure you're not out of gas or electrical malfunction. How can those two things be related to the same light? One's an easy fix, the other's an absolute emergency. Take to Mazda dealership as soon as possible it says. Great. There is no Mazda dealership or any other dealership here.

All things to consider if moving truly becomes reality.